I think you have a very level headed approach towards the game. What is your take on the twist and the timings that dont match in the prologue and true ending? For me, I am a Phantom now and I am angry at the plot. May be you can help reason it for me brother?
Also, what is your take on this?
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=178202870&postcount=15634
I think for me when the game got announced is when I was at the maximum level of hype however after more news came out concerning the game and especially after playing GZ, it dawned on me that this will be just another Peace Walker and for those that played PW, it's horrible if you were going in expecting a traditional MGS game. I did, I hated it and I played it wrong for like half way through until I knew that you had to grind for highly skilled recruits so you could develop kickass gear and have fun. After doing that, I LIKED the game but overall just didn't have that much fun with it and I didn't enjoy the story a whole lot. Like there isn't anything that interested me in the plot and I thought the singing A.I's was stupid.
So, having said that I approached TPP with a very open mind and even before I got the game I was reading about how there is this massive twist that will split the fanbase, retcon, blah blah blah.etc and in my mind I thought damn, Kojima is going to do it again isn't he? He's going to go over the top batshit insane nonsense crazy? Alright I'm in for whatever it is. Now having that in mind aside, I was going in just hoping that I would love the gameplay because to me if the game is going to be playing like PW 2.0, it better play good. Thankfully, the gameplay got me hooked from the get go while the story was intriguing and engaging for the most part. Sure, it's not like the previous MGS games but PW was like that as well and it's very fresh in my mind because I experienced it with the HD collection.
As I went on with the story, I thought it was alright if not good in some aspects concerning the use of language mixed in with this horror-esque epidemic which I thought was done well thanks to Codetalker making it sound very convincing if you give the time to listen to his biology classes. The child soldiers made me feel weird/uncomfortable when I had to face them which is the point I guess. The approach to the missions and the freedom in which you do things felt REALLY good when you've been playing games that sets out it's rules on you for so long. Shit tons of options, shit tons of ways to approach things and you still hear ridiculous stories in how people approached this mission or that mission or this boss.etc I also felt that there were memorable missions like atleast 10 of them were really memorable in what you had to do or who you came across to when compared with PW where I only remember the boss fights because each took me 30 to 40 minutes because I was playing the game wrong. I didn't grind for great recruits/POW's to make kickass weapons. I thought the cutscenes were alright/fine for the most part and I dig the OST, I think when people hear the OST they'll appreciate it more since it was kind of subdued in the game when you're playing(
aside from the boss fights and cutscenes)
Now there are things I disliked like how there wasn't a "boss fight" with Man on Fire, it was always you just running away from him or some shit, he was just used to show Mantis jumping from one lusting for revenge dude to another. Skullface's plans were much more ambitious than himself as a villain. Replaying missions in chapter 2(
It's still much better than how it was done in PW). Quiet leaving permanently without warning you, motherbase being empty for the most part and those goddamn tanks that one hit instant kill you.
The one thing I'll give PW is that it had more of the silly/dumb tapes which were a joy and well, you had David Hayter voicing BB as well. Now aside from this the tapes in TPP are really good too, especially the truth bomb ones. However, to really appreciate them you got to give the time and interest, only then you'll be rewarded. I miss the codecs too mind you but I came into this game with the mindset that I just want it to be better than PW(
no other expectations except for one which I'll talk about way below), which it is. I think it's insane when people say PW is better than this game lol, they need to go play it again, that game had QTE CUTSCENES. It dawned on me that many people either forgot how PW was or most that jumped in MGS5 never played PW, not to mention unlocking that hidden chapter ugh.
About the ending, I just liked the meta message of it all and it made me interested in playing the MSX games having VS in mind. About the timings, The prologue is a half truth, in the truth episode you're basically given the whole truth in exact detail. I think the quote is just there to misguide us? much like the opening you question man on fire if he's real or not but it turns out he is, infact on of the first tapes is VS and Ocelot talking about him. The only real confusing thing about the ending is when VS is in the mirror, there's lot going on from the meta message, time skip, war going on outside, smoke and mirrors, BB taking to VS, MSX sounds and operation intrude N313. Infact, has anybody ever questioned why there is like radio noises in the prologue/truth episode when they plug you onto something when you're on the bed? fuck knows what that meant lol.
My personal disappointment though is that the game didn't end with SS infiltrating OH with David Hayter as Solid Snake. However, that's my fault for expecting as such, I learned with time especially as a guy who watches alot of movies that I shouldn't expect anything and just let the creator pour his work onto me. It reminds me of that M.night movie, The Village. I watched it not knowing what the fuck it's about and came out liking it(
gorgeously shot film), others hated the absolute shit out of it and here is why, the trailers made it seem out to be a horror monster movie yet it's about something else entirely. So, I mostly go into most things not expecting anything and believe me when it comes to games, I played terrible games in my life time and to say TPP is a terrible game just because of it's story/twist or whatever it's flat out wrong when it's doing things most games wouldn't even TRY to do.
Taking the series as a whole, MGS is my favorite video game series of all time. I love how it mixes in many various themes while at he same time just being flat out batshit insane and dumb at times. I replay MGS4 every year because it's my favorite one(
even though 3 told a more coherent story) and when I finished MGS4 for the first time I felt CONTENT, I felt like I said goodbye to the series. The other games are just prequels and are cherries on top for me, I'd never say no to an MGS game though with Kojima out of the picture I might do that but I'm keeping an open mind. The ending for MGS4 was too satisfying as a guy following the game since 1999 and yes, it's fucking crazy with lots of info dump but it also brought in many old characters, tied up tons of shit, made many references to past games, loads of easter eggs, gunporn, amazing OST, closure to end all closures.etc it just did so much. That game was an experience for me and it ended on such a memorable, resonating line that I honestly felt MGS didn't need PW,GZ,PO or TPP in my opinion even though I'm having tons of fun with the gameplay in TPP but whatever. I don't know if this was intended with the accelerated aging thing but seeing Snake old in MGS4 really hit me in a way that it's as if the character really got older as time went on(
MGS2 released in 2001, MGS4 2008) plus he's the best incarnation of Solid Snake. Beat up, tired yet still moving on to do the right thing, fighting the good fight with Otacon even when everything was at odds against them. They both avoided the sins of their fathers and never believed in legends, not even his own in the case of SS. I guess you could add Raiden with them as well. My entire MGS4 experience can be summed up in two pictures.
It was a cathartic experience for me despite all the batshit insane and dumb things within the game/plot itself then again I knew what I signed up for ever since loving MGS1, 2 and 3. There's also lots to experiement with and unlock there from costumes, weapons to special weapons but only if you give it your time. Like a great ride, it had it's ups and downs but the experience as a whole was amazing and memorable.
As for the diamond dog picture, well I don't think it means anything personally. To me I see it as part of the fun, Kojima must be reading into all these theories and shit. It seems to me he's just having fun until shit gets real lol(
Who knows though). To me though I think it's always part of the charm/ride of this series ever since MGS2. To read all the insane theories and lengths that people go through to either fake shit or turns out to be all real in the end is something alright. It's harmless fun and I enjoy it. Some people do not though as evidence of this thread.
TL;DR I am enjoying the fuck out of MGS5, some flaws aside as I went in with no expectations but one which wasn't met and am glad it was better than PW which was my main concern, I liked aspects of the story and ending but not everything. MGS4 is my favorite one even though 3 told a more coherent story. Theories are part of the charm and ride of MGS games ever since MGS2, harmless fun is all there is to it and I'm sure Kojima likes to fuck around with people.
