“Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain” by Jamil Jan Kochai revolves around a young boy named Zoya. He bought Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain with the little money he had. He has been using all of his paychecks to help support his father and brother. Zoya was hiding the game he bought from his family. As Zoya played the game, he realized how similar the video game was to his father and uncle’s experiences back in Afghanistan. He begins to imagine the men in the game as his father and uncle and decides that he wants to do whatever he can to save him; in the game and in their new life now. 

The text is about this young boy that bought a video game that he was excited to play. As he kept playing the game, he noticed numerous similarities between the game and his family’s past. The author’s purpose is to highlight the virtual vs real life, as well as to reflect on the themes of war, trauma, and the immigrant experience. Most people use video games to escape reality; Zoya playing the video game made him think and almost “relive” what his father had gone through. The mentioning of war and the immigrant experiences was used to give the audience something to imagine and possibly reflect on. It gave the audience some perspective on Zoya’s family and their history; which is mentioned multiple times throughout the text. 

The story is written in second person, using imagery and symbolism to connect the story to the narrator’s father’s struggles. The author also writes the paragraphs in long sentences in an attempt to keep the audience engaged. The narrator sees his father as strict and lies, highlighting the parallel between the video game and his father’s life. The story is deeply emotional, as it intertwines the video game with the narrator’s father’s experiences. Zoya struggles to balance family commitments with his desire to play the game. The ending is somewhat confusing, but it suggests a hopeful ending for Zoya.