V Log

The V Log is a series of short videos published on the official Konami YouTube channel and the official Japanese site for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. They are published as a viral marketing campaign for the impending release of the game. The series started on August 5, 2015, the same day The Phantom Pain was shown at Gamescom 2015, and there are at least 20 videos planned. Videos that have yet to be released yet are instead marked as confidential with a black and white thumbnail of various documents and maps (referring to some intel Snake had to scan to find Miller). They only premier on weekdays (ie, Monday-Friday). It was initially intended to end with the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, although it was extended by a single episode.

In each episode, snippits of gameplay footage from various sources are utilized depicting certain gameplay mechanics. It then ends with a screen with the words V Log and a counter counting down before settling on the appropriate number, as well as a title screen for the game and the Japanese release date before ending with the Konami screen (given in a high-pitched voice due to it being a Japanese-based video). Even though the videos were Japanese-exclusive, the actual footage itself was taken from the English demos, with the exception of V Log 006, V Log 009, V Log 012 V Log 016, V Log 017, and V Log 019 which were instead taken from the Japanese TGS 2015 demo (and in the case of the last one, the Japanese Free Play demo).

Episode listing
Note, these titles are translations of the Japanese titles.

V Log 001: The Box!
Subtitle: (潜入の幅が拡がるダンボールアクション)

The footage depicts Snake using the cardboard box in various ways to fool or dispatch the enemy, including hiding, popping out to tranquilize an enemy, placing a fulton on them while still wearing the box, having the box pose as an enemy's superior officer, and creating a foldout depicting a risqué image of a scantily clad woman, with Snake escaping from the side while the soldier is distracted with lusting after the woman. The footage was originally used in the Demo of a Box video.
 * Air date: August 5, 2015

V Log 002: Fulton!
Subtitle: (様々なものを自分のマザーベースに回収できるフルトン)

The footage depicts Snake using the Fulton on various things, including two Soviet soldiers, a sheep, D Horse, and the puppy that would become D.D. The footage was taken from both the E3 2014 demo (the Soviet soldiers and sheep portions) and the TGS 2014 demo (D-Horse and DD).
 * Air date: August 6, 2015

V Log 003: Arm!
Subtitle: (さまざまな機能が備わった、スネークの左腕に輝くバイオニックアーム)

The footage depicts Snake luring a soldier by "knocking" with his bionic arm and then knocking him out. The footage itself was taken from the E3 2014 demo, although the transition of the soldier going to investigate was sped up slightly.
 * Air date: August 7, 2015

V Log 004: Emergency Avoidance
Subtitle: (敵の攻撃を避けたり、物陰に隠れる際には緊急回避)

The footage depicts Snake doing various dodge maneuvers for various things, including avoiding being caught, evading various explosions caused by launchers, evading gunfire, quickly leaving a box, and evading searchlights. The footage was taken from the E3 2014 demo (Snake evading a patrol by ducking under a bridge during the day), the TGS 2014 demo (Snake dodging an explosion and gunfire, the Gamescom 2014 demo for Afghanistan (Snake evading a searchlight by ducking under a bridge), The Man in Box Demo (Snake leaving the box), and the Gamescom 2014 Mother Base FOB mode (Snake evading a rocket launcher at the end of the footage).
 * Air date: August 10, 2015

V Log 005: The Reflex Mode
Subtitle: (敵に発見されても焦らず、落ち着いて狙おう)

The footage depicts Snake entering reflex mode when being spotted by an enemy, including just after Fultoning a 4x4, while traversing through a sandstorm, and ambushing a soldier at night from a dumpster. The footage is taken from the E3 2014 (4x4 and sandstorm reflex modes) and Gamescom 2014 demos (dumpster reflex mode).
 * Air date: August 11, 2015

V Log 006: Decoy!
Subtitle: (バルーンを展開して敵の注意を引き、おびき寄せることができる)

The footage depicts Snake throwing a decoy in the jungle, then luring a soldier over to it and then sneaking behind the soldier and knocking him to the ground just as he destroys the decoy. The footage itself was taken from the TGS 2014 Japanese demo, although the transition between Snake throwing the decoy and his ambushing the soldier is sped up slightly. Because of this, the characters are speaking in Japanese.


 * Air date: August 12, 2015

V Log 007: Active Sonar
Subtitle: (見通しが悪い場所でも、周囲にいる兵士や動物を検知)

The footage depicts Big Boss using the Active Sonar in the jungles and then finding various elements in there from far away. The footage was taken from the TGS 2014 demo.


 * Air date: August 13, 2015

V Log 008: Instructions for buddypress
Subtitle: (なんと馬糞で敵を無力化できる)

The footage depicts Big Boss encouraging D-Horse to defecate on the road. He then gets far enough away and watches a jeep collide with the pile of feces, spinning out of control and leaving the soldiers dazed. Snake then sneaks up on the jeep and proceeds to Fulton it. The footage itself was taken from Gamescom 2014, although the portions where Big Boss is fleeing to a far away hiding spot and his traversing to the jeep were sped up slightly.


 * Air date: August 14, 2015

V Log 009: Buddy (buddy) growth
Subtitle: (最初は小さかったDDも成長し、立派な相棒(バディ)になります)

The footage depicts Big Boss discovering a puppy following him and then throwing an active decoy to distract the puppy, then the puppy catching up with him, Miller calling in, and then Big Boss fultoning him back to Mother Base, Big Boss being affectionate with DD when he gets back to Mother Base, and DD fully grown about to board the chopper with Big Boss to undergo his first mission as well as looking at his master. The footage was mostly taken from the TGS 2014 demo's Japanese version, as well as the Diamond Dog video that aired around the same time. However, the active decoy used in the footage was actually the alternate Big Boss device instead of Lisa from Silent Hills which had been the case originally. The characters speak in Japanese, for the same reason as V Log 006. In addition, the video had a somber musical piece playing throughout that was not in the original demo.


 * Air date: August 17, 2015

V Log 010: Nice combination!
Subtitle: (クワイエットが敵兵士のヘルメットを飛ばし、すかさずヘッドショット！)

The footage depicts Quiet and Big Boss in Africa, with Quiet in sniping position. A soldier then spots Snake, only for Quiet to take him out via a sniper round while Snake shoots him with his pistol just after his helmet flies off from the sniper round. The footage itself is taken from the TGS 2014 demo, although the portion where Quiet shoots a sniper round into the soldier's head is looped a few times for emphasis before Snake fires his handgun. It is also the only V Log so far to not play the usual ending theme, as the looping bit ends up humorously playing a Mexican salsa musical piece which continues on to the ending sequence.


 * Air date: August 18, 2015

V Log 011: This shoot!
Subtitle: (スネークが投げたグレネードをクワイエットが狙撃し、見事、ヘリを撃破！)

The footage depicts Big Boss and Quiet in Africa pinned down by a Hind helicopter. Snake then throws a grenade and orders Quiet to shoot it with her sniper rifle. She does, which causes the grenade to ricochet towards the chopper's cockpit, with the resulting explosion causing catastrophic damage to the chopper and resulting in it being shot down while in flames. The footage was taken from the Japanese TGS 2014 demo.


 * Air date: August 19, 2015

V Log 012: Phantom-cigar
Subtitle: (体感的な時間経過を早めるファントム・シガー)

The footage depicts Big Boss smoking a phantom cigar in the Jungles of Africa until roughly a day had passed. The footage was taken from the TGS 2014, although there was some characters commenting for some reason that were sped up during the Phantom Cigar montage.


 * Air date: August 20, 2015

V Log 013: For each enemy destroyed the bridge!
Subtitle: (刻々と変化する状況に応じて戦おう)

The footage depicts Snake blowing up a bridge via a grenade launcher attachment while some soldiers are on the bridge pursuing him. The footage was taken from the TGS 2014 demo.


 * Air date: August 21, 2015

V Log 014: Blow up the helicopter at Fulton!
Subtitle: (C4をつけた車輛をフルトン回収し、ヘリを爆破！)

The footage depicts Snake finding a Jeep, rigging it with C4, then fultoning it, and then running as well as the jeep hitting a patrolling Hind and causing it to crash, although not before it spotted him. The footage was taken from Gamescom 2014's demo.


 * Air date: August 24, 2015

V Log 015: The Box!!
Subtitle: (グラビアポスターで敵兵士の注意を引き付け、CQC！)

The footage depicts Big Boss using a cardboard box with a pinup on the front, causing a nearby Soviet soldier to rush over and oogle her long enough to have Big Boss capitalize the distraction and knock him out via CQC.


 * Air date: August 25, 2015

V Log 016: Arm!!
Subtitle: (電撃を出し、敵を気絶させることができる「スタンアーム」)

In the footage, Venom Snake sneaks through the jungle to a soldier from behind while the latter is distracted with an active decoy. Charging up his stun arm while sneaking up, he then grabs the soldier and renders him enough of a shock. Snake then proceeds to Fulton him as Quiet speeds ahead, before a radio dispatch comes in. The footage is from the TGS 2014 Japanese demo.


 * Air date: August 26, 2015

V Log 017: Decoy!!
Subtitle: (バルーンの展開を利用して、重装備兵を排除)

The footage depicts Snake readying to throw an active decoy. He then throws it near a soldier at a cliff, landing just inches behind him. The decoy then inflates, knocking the soldier over the edge. The footage was taken from the TGS 2014 Japanese demo.


 * Air date: August 27, 2015

V Log 018: Over the heads of enemy soldiers in bombings
Subtitle: (補給ダンボールで敵を気絶させることも可能)

The footage depicts Venom Snake proceeding to call in for a delivery after scouting ahead to see a soldier smoking in front of him from Mother Base via the iDroid while hiding in a cardboard box. The box then arrives and drops the box at the designated drop point: right on top of the soldier's head. Snake then rushes to a shed before making sure he collects the equipment, removing the box beforehand. The footage itself was taken from the E3 2014 demo, although the arrival of the supply box was slightly accelerated, and it also showed a zoom-and-repeat of the box hitting the soldier's head.


 * Air date: August 28, 2015

V Log 019: The Box!!!
Subtitle: (ダンボールが移動手段に早変わり)

The footage depicts Venom Snake using a cardboard box to slide down a slope in Afghanistan twice before crossing the street. The footage was taken from the Japanese Free Play demo.


 * Air date: August 31, 2015

V Log 020: Rocket Punch!
Subtitle: (アームの開発・強化を進めることでロケットパンチもできる！)

The footage depicts Venom Snake firing his blast arm, eventually hitting a Spetsnaz commander. It was taken from the Japanese version of the free-play demo.


 * Air date: September 1, 2015

V Log 021: Fight with players around the world
Subtitle: (前線基地(FOB)で世界中のプレーヤーとオンライン対戦を楽しもう！)

The footage depicts one Venom Snake shooting out a drone and then attempting to cross the bridge, only for the other Venom Snake to shoot a rocket at him, forcing him to dodge. The footage was taken from the Gamescom 2014 demo.


 * Air date: September 2, 2015

V Log 022: Chicken Cap
Subtitle: (敵兵士が見て見ぬふりをしてくれますが、大事なシーンで…)

The video starts out showing Venom Snake dying three times with it being noted in subtitles below, the first by being shot by a soldier, the second by being shot while running, and the third while manning a gun emplacement. It then shows Snake wearing the chicken cap, as well as deliberately allowing himself to be spotted by a Soviet soldier, with the hat making a clucking sound before the soldier starts laughing his gut off. The video then ends with Venom Snake stating (in Japanese) citing that Huey's statement about a weapon to surpass Metal Gear meant that it "means it isn't just another nuke" while wearing the Chicken Cap.


 * Air date: September 24, 2015

V Log 023: Hiyo Bracket Cap
Subtitle: (敵兵士に見つかることなく潜入できますが、もちろん大事なシーンは…)

The video starts out with showing Venom Snake wearing the Chicken Cap It then shows Venom Snake dying five times with it being noted in subtitles below, the first had him dying while navigating a wall, the second time had him dying while running by being caught by artillery fire, the third had him manning a gun emplacement when he was shot, the fourth had Snake being shot while aiming at the enemy and fifth had Snake being shot while hiding behind fabric. It then shows Snake wearing the Hiyo Bracket Cap. It then has Snake approaching a group of soldiers and knocking out a Soviet soldier openly with their being slightly alarmed, but otherwise not noticing Venom Snake's presence. The video then ends similarly to the prior V Log with Venom Snake stating (in Japanese) citing that Huey's statement about a weapon to surpass Metal Gear meant that it "means it isn't just another nuke", only this time he is wearing the Hiyo Bracket Cap.


 * Air date: September 25, 2015

V Log 024: Fight Starts on a Helicopter
Subtitle: ((FOB Tips:01) 潜入前にヘリからのマーキングや攻撃が可能！)


 * Air date: September 28, 2015