Who do you find more compelling? Big Boss or Solid Snake?

N

NotTheGuyYouKill

Member
Jack (Naked Snake, Big Boss, Punished Snake) or David (Solid Snake, Iroquois Pliskin, Old Snake)?

metal-gear-solid-5-the-phantom-pain-big-boss-big-pain.jpg
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metal-gear-solid-4-snake.jpg
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Personally, I find Big Boss's journey far more compelling than Solid Snake's.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
Solid has a more interesting personality and the stuff with PSTD could've been more explored.

For hard core fans, Solid's mission briefing cinematics in the original Metal Gear Solid were pretty great at the time and really got you to connect with the character.

So Solid is much more interesting as a person, but Big Boss has lived a more interesting life. Cold War, Cuban Missile Crisis, Outer Heaven, Zanzibar, etc.
 
G

GunBR

Member
Big Boss is a better character, way better.

But I also love the craziness of the Solid Snake story (clones, AI, nanomachines, everything about MGS2)
 
L

liquidtmd

Banned
Solid Snake. The wistful, cynical yet optimistic voiceover from SS about passing on knowledge at the end of MGS2 was beautiful...

Next we see of him is an unlikeable, gruff, 'get off my lawwwwn', ill old man in 4.
 
P

PepsimanVsJoe

Member
It's kinda unfair because Big Boss has gotten a ton of games to help develop his character.
Really all Solid Snake had was MGS1. In MGS2 the focus was on Raiden, in MGS4 Snake was just a whiny old soldier who played a bit part in everybody else's nonsense.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
PepsimanVsJoe said:
It's kinda unfair because Big Boss has gotten a ton of games to help develop his character.
Really all Solid Snake had was MGS1. In MGS2 the focus was on Raiden, in MGS4 Snake was just a whiny old soldier who played a bit part in everybody else's nonsense.
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Truth.

Kojima kinda shitted on Solid. What a waste. Aging him was a travesty because of all that could've been fleshed out if he lived a normal timeline.

So instead of doing that, Kojima is obsessed with period pieces with Big Boss.
 
B

BadWolf

Member
My opinion might change after I play GZ/TPP but as of right now its Solid Snake, especially after the Old Snake character in MGS4.
 
Jawmuncher

Jawmuncher

Member
Big Boss mainly because he's been far more fleshed out than Solid Snake.
Sure we have Metal Gear 1 and 2 for snake but those games are in dire need of an update to really add to Snakes character. Hell most people aside from the diehard fans haven't even played those.

But Snakes story in my eyes just got ruined after MGS1. Nice to see him from a new angle in MGS2, but thats Raiden's story so not much was added to Snake. Then MGS4 happened and just sort of ruined everything great about Snake up to that point. Making Snake old added nothing to the character or story of MGS4, and for me just made him far less interesting. Then again I haven't played MGS4 in a long time so maybe if I went back to it now my opinion would be different we'll see.

As for Big Boss Kojima just seems like he knows better what to do with him story wise. Also helps that he's been the main character of his games rather than taking a side seat for a main number entry.
 
A

Amentallica

Unconfirmed Member
I was just thinking about this yesterday,. I've been playing MGS1 from the original PS1 for the first time ever and I just kept thinking to myself how much of an amateur Snake is compared to Big Boss. I think it's because he's so ignorant to everything that's happening around him till even MGS4 that Big Boss looks so much more badass. Sure Big Boss didn't know everything at first, but knowing that he comes to be such an important character and foundation for what the Universe delves into makes him that much better.

Before Big Boss was explored I was used to Snake. MGS2 was also my first game so what I knew of Snake was not much because we all know that Raiden took the spotlight for that game. Then MGS3 came out and I played as Big Boss and really got to know him much more than Snake in a shorter amount of time. Perhaps I would have liked Snake more if I started with MGS1 (MG1 and 2 even).
 
E

Edzi

Member
Big Boss, since I think he had way more character development in MGS3 and came out with a far more sympathetic story. However, I'm having trouble seeing the new Big Boss (in MGSV) as the same character due to the new look and voice change, so we'll see how that works out.
 
H

Hurley

Member
I'm leaning more towards Big Boss right now, but after watching MGS1 on the marathon stream it reminds me of when Snake actually had some character about him.
 
B

Broritos

Member
I like Solid Snake as a character more. He is genuinely a good person that knows he can't live the life he wants but at the same time knows that there is no one else that's better than him at what he does. Also, he's either serious or sarcastic. It's' a bit of a cliche but I love it.
 
S

Slackerchan

Member
I personally prefer Solid Snake over Big Boss. Kojima has admitted in the past that he prefers otherwise because he is, well, a clone. I kinda find that opinion rather contrived as I feel that Big Boss' story already had a predetermined ending but that Snake's story actually has room to grow. Because I mean, let's face it, as wacky as the MG saga gets with story, there's no way they couldn't write in a way to cure Snake of his genetic decomposition he was experiencing in MGS4 (nanomachines, son).

Beyond that, I have issues with Kojima's opinion about clones vs. humans. No offense, but even if they are a complete genetic copy, a clone is still human with feelings and everything else that comes with it. I think that a story about a man who is revealed to be a clone of a legendary soldier who has to unravel an international conspiracy to determine the future of humanity all the while having to live in the shadow of a non-existent father (whom he almost killed unknowingly) is far more compelling that the rise, fall and struggle of a soldier who, again, has a predetermined destiny.

Also, call me crazy but I think Kojima prefers Big Boss over Solid Snake because he's not proud of the quality of writing he brought to the table in the games that featured him. Don't get me wrong, I love the stories in these games but it seems that his statement coincides with his growth as a creator and no reasonable creator ever likes their early work.
 
N

npa189

Member
Without big boss there is no solid. He's more fleshed out (for metal gear) and the eye patch is real, not a radar.
 
Jawmuncher

Jawmuncher

Member
I still await the day where we either get a Directors Cut of MGS4 or Kojima just retcons that entire game and says it was a nanomachines induced dream or some shit. The original tidbits about it that I can scrouge up sound great, but the end product you can tell was influenced by to many people. It's especially evident in the ending.
 
E

Epcott

Member
John...

David was so cool until they wrote him into a grave with MGS4. Sometimes I hope all of this BB backstory ends with old Snake in a VR helmet knocking back a beer in Alaska.
 
J

jett

D-Member
Big Boss was interesting until Kojima decided to make a bunch of games starring the dude and spelling out horrifically bad backstories. Now I don't really care about either character.
 
K

KJRS_1993

Member
I think Big Boss gets the winning vote simply because we have more time with him to learn about him. I wish they would remake Metal Gear with the Fox Engine so we can learn more about Solid without the limitations of the consoles of the time.
Or even a new game showing Solid Snake before he joined Foxhound.
 
C

Can Crusher

Banned
They could've both been equally interesting. Unfortunately Kojima decided that in order to make Big Boss interesting, he had to fuck up Solid Snake as hard as he could.
 
K

KojiKnight

Member
There is only one real snake, and only one real boss. BB isn't the real boss. Boss was Boss... wish we got a game about her or another game with In-his-prime Solid Snake. Either one of those two would make me very happy.
 
I

IdreamofHIME

Member
Snake goes from a gruff vet in MGS to a sarcastic babysitter in MGS2 to a complete sadsack in MGS4.

Boss might get shit on from nearly everyone he trusts, but he remains his dignity and worth through it all.
 
C

CambriaRising

Member
BB in mgs3 is just a carbon copy of Solid Snake's personality. He didn't even get his own personal identity until after that game. In all, the games that define who solid snake became haven't been remade yet.
 
T

TheSpoiler

Member
entrement said:
Truth.

Kojima kinda shitted on Solid. What a waste. Aging him was a travesty because of all that could've been fleshed out if he lived a normal timeline.

So instead of doing that, Kojima is obsessed with period pieces with Big Boss.
Click to expand...

Well, you know, he's a clone, so he gets the short end of the stick. It was really depressing to see him force his way through 4, being barely capable of doing shitall the entire time. It was endearing and powerful.

Big Boss is interesting. Like, what makes a man break when he's so strong?

CambriaRising said:
BB in mgs3 is just a carbon copy of Solid Snake's personality. He didn't even get his own personal identity until after that game. In all, the games that define who solid snake became haven't been remade yet.
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BB is more naive, at least from the get-go. He also is more rash than Solid, and throws out far more quips and jokes than Solid ever did.
 
B

Beth Cyra

Member
Snake.

Big Boss may have been my answer, but Kojima ruined Boss by turning him into a retro Solid but with a worse support crew.

I don't get or agree on the MGS3 and beyond love for Boss. He was at his best and most unique in MGS1.
 
M

MormaPope

Banned
Nerfgun said:
I find them to be virtually identical.
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Big Boss is less apathetic and less cynical than Solid Snake. He's also a much warmer person in general, Big Boss in MGS3 cracks a smile throughout the game and laughs more than once. Solid Snake also had no that was that important in his life, Big Boss values people/soldiers more. At this point anyway, Big Boss will potentially become more immoral as time goes on.

CambriaRising said:
BB in mgs3 is just a carbon copy of Solid Snake's personality. He didn't even get his own personal identity until after that game. In all, the games that define who solid snake became haven't been remade yet.
Click to expand...

Having replayed MGS1 like four times in this past month this assertion really wrong. Solid Snake is a lot colder, his demeanor is less charming more smarmy.
 
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