You know, as impressive as Kojima's meta-commentary is, and as good as his attention to detail has remained, I'm going to voice something that's been lingering for a long time, and I say this as a huge fan of MGS2, particularly of its meta angle.
Is it so hard to make a REAL sequel to Metal Gear Solid, the kind the tanker mission promised us? Airtight boss design, both from an aesthetic and gameplay standpoint? Amazing atmosphere and gritty near-future story with just the right amount of B-movie camp? Memorable characters that are characters and not social or industry commentary? A game starring Solid Snake in his prime? A game with a realistic military theme that's peppered with goofy-but-badass anime themes (Gray Fox, Psycho Mantis)?
Every game after seems to be either trying to do "something never done before" (Raiden twist, S3 plan, surprise prequel after a cliffhanger, giant chapter based mission structure, open world, Venom switcheroo, etc.) or riding on the original game's coattails in some way storywise (another cyborg ninja, hey it's about nukes again, here's that guy you remember doing something really similar again) with it feeling like a flat-out repeat reference instead of being an organic sequel. I realize these are two sort of opposite complaints but they're both valid.
The closest we got to this was MGS3, but it removed the backstory behind the bosses, which left the Cobra unit feeling much more flat than FOXHOUND, which to date is still one of the best group of antagonists in any game. Also, it was set in the 60's, which was a nice change of pace BUT WHERE IS OUR NEAR FUTURE MGS1 SEQUEL.
This is just a rant, I realize it was dumb to hope for this to ever happen, I love MGS1, 2, 3, 4, and even though I'm conflicted about V I love it, too.
Peace Walker? What's that?
But still. The tanker was probably the best segment in ANY MGS game, and it's only a taste of what will never happen.
The idea of MGS2 isn't that it's impossible to make a good MGS1 sequel, it's that trying to keep wanting to be Solid Snake instead of living your life is a bad idea. That and Kojima didn't want to make more Metal Gear.
You know, as impressive as Kojima's meta-commentary is, and as good as his attention to detail has remained, I'm going to voice something that's been lingering for a long time, and I say this as a huge fan of MGS2, particularly of its meta angle.
Is it so hard to make a REAL sequel to Metal Gear Solid, the kind the tanker mission promised us? Airtight boss design, both from an aesthetic and gameplay standpoint? Amazing atmosphere and gritty near-future story with just the right amount of B-movie camp? Memorable characters that are characters and not social or industry commentary? A game starring Solid Snake in his prime? A game with a realistic military theme that's peppered with goofy-but-badass anime themes (Gray Fox, Psycho Mantis)?
Every game after seems to be either trying to do "something never done before" (Raiden twist, S3 plan, surprise prequel after a cliffhanger, giant chapter based mission structure, open world, Venom switcheroo, etc.) or riding on the original game's coattails in some way storywise (another cyborg ninja, hey it's about nukes again, here's that guy you remember doing something really similar again) with it feeling like a flat-out repeat reference instead of being an organic sequel. I realize these are two sort of opposite complaints but they're both valid.
The closest we got to this was MGS3, but it removed the backstory behind the bosses, which left the Cobra unit feeling much more flat than FOXHOUND, which to date is still one of the best group of antagonists in any game. Also, it was set in the 60's, which was a nice change of pace BUT WHERE IS OUR NEAR FUTURE MGS1 SEQUEL.
This is just a rant, I realize it was dumb to hope for this to ever happen, I love MGS1, 2, 3, 4, and even though I'm conflicted about V I love it, too.
Peace Walker? What's that?
But still. The tanker was probably the best segment in ANY MGS game, and it's only a taste of what will never happen.
If you kill the 4 Skull Snipers in the beginning, when you're leaving with Code Talker you run up against a Gunship and an APC/Tank guarding the path to the chopper as well as a bunch of soldiers.
But if you leave the Skulls alive, instead you'll run into a ton of Skull Puppets instead when you're leaving with Code Talker.
They use a form of Wormwood with Absinthium in it... he's tripping balls every time he smokes once which is why time passes by lol... He's basically huffing absinth.
So ocelot gets boss out of the car, talks with him, then goes back to venom, get chased by the man on fire, drop out of a bridge almost 10 meters high, gets back up, sees venom on the ground unconscious again with a high probability of getting killed by the man of fire who's probably just behind them but thinks "nah fuck it gonna say bye to big boss first"
Nah that can't be it xD
If you kill the 4 Skull Snipers in the beginning, when you're leaving with Code Talker you run up against a Gunship and an APC/Tank guarding the path to the chopper as well as a bunch of soldiers.
But if you leave the Skulls alive, instead you'll run into a ton of Skull Puppets instead when you're leaving with Code Talker.
On extreme I got past the skulls without killing them, got to the mansion, grabbed CT and when I got outside there were 40-50 puppets and the 4 skulls again. 2 to the left and 2 up ahead. I was amazed, I thought I'd gotten an easy pass.
Nah, there's a 1999 remaster in MGSV as well, not sure which song though.
Edit: Rebel yell.
On extreme I got past the skulls without killing them, got to the mansion, grabbed CT and when I got outside there were 40-50 puppets and the 4 skulls again. 2 to the left and 2 up ahead. I was amazed, I thought I'd gotten an easy pass.
I don't remember seeing the snipers when I did 28 the first time, I just hauled ass with CT to the chopper. It wasn't until I replayed and killed the snipers and noticed how it was different afterwards.
Made me wonder if there were any other missions that changed, because it's a nice little touch.
They use a form of Wormwood with Absinthium in it... he's tripping balls every time he smokes once which is why time passes by lol... He's basically huffing absinth.
I don't remember seeing the snipers when I did 28 the first time, I just hauled ass with CT to the chopper. It wasn't until I replayed and killed the snipers and noticed how it was different afterwards.
Made me wonder if there were any other missions that changed, because it's a nice little touch.
What a game! Real shame about the cut content because I just want to spend more time playing it and having a whole other playground to mess around in would have been fantastic. But what's there is the most fun I've had with a game in a good long while.
Best story in a Metal Gear game too by virtue of it being quarantined from the main game. Specifics of the narrative are as garbage as you'd expect from the author with a few moments that stood out as exceptionally good and exceptionally terrible but at least I enjoyed hating on Huey and Miller, great GREAT video game assholes.
There were many hints in the game without having to read a spoilers thread.
The green eye, the binocular-patch, the IA Pod and Huey saying "Jack, is that you? No..."/"Boss, is this really you?", the reflection in the chopper (your avatar's face shows up in the reflection), the fact that the real Big Boss never had any horn or missing arm, the e-cig, the fact that Eli's DNA Test came up as negative (it could mean he wasn't Liquid... or Venom Snake wasn't the real BB), the missing snake-shaped scar on his chest from PW when you select "naked" suits in the Sortie Prep screen. I might have missed a few of them, but yeah, I knew it the whole time, but still loved the "Truth: The Man Who Sold the World" chapter.
Especially when I saw: "Big Boss... Benedict "Kazuhira" Miller... Revolver "Shalashaska" Ocelot... Punished "Venom" Snake"... KNEW IT. But I loved how the original intro chapter was cut to make you doubt and put the blame on the coma and possible hallucinations. (it really sounds like I'm the only one who loved the story here...)
No l Loved it too. Would have liked a little more resolution in the sub plots and overall I think much of the story was built on 'this shit will look crazy in trailers' and then kind of went nowhere.....I loved skull face. He was so sinister and incredibly campy at the same time. I loved the stuff with the child soldiers and venoms touching father daughter relationship with quiet. I loved huey's conflicted nature and how cowardly he was. I loved the over the top campiness. It oozes style. Clearly much of the plot had to be cut for time reasons but what we are left with will be discussed and debated for years to come. Probably the best MGS story since Snake Eater and distinctly unique.
You know, as impressive as Kojima's meta-commentary is, and as good as his attention to detail has remained, I'm going to voice something that's been lingering for a long time, and I say this as a huge fan of MGS2, particularly of its meta angle.
Is it so hard to make a REAL sequel to Metal Gear Solid, the kind the tanker mission promised us? Airtight boss design, both from an aesthetic and gameplay standpoint? Amazing atmosphere and gritty near-future story with just the right amount of B-movie camp? Memorable characters that are characters and not social or industry commentary? A game starring Solid Snake in his prime? A game with a realistic military theme that's peppered with goofy-but-badass anime themes (Gray Fox, Psycho Mantis)?
Every game after seems to be either trying to do "something never done before" (Raiden twist, S3 plan, surprise prequel after a cliffhanger, giant chapter based mission structure, open world, Venom switcheroo, etc.) or riding on the original game's coattails in some way storywise (another cyborg ninja, hey it's about nukes again, here's that guy you remember doing something really similar again) with it feeling like a flat-out repeat reference instead of being an organic sequel. I realize these are two sort of opposite complaints but they're both valid.
The closest we got to this was MGS3, but it removed the backstory behind the bosses, which left the Cobra unit feeling much more flat than FOXHOUND, which to date is still one of the best group of antagonists in any game. Also, it was set in the 60's, which was a nice change of pace BUT WHERE IS OUR NEAR FUTURE MGS1 SEQUEL.
This is just a rant, I realize it was dumb to hope for this to ever happen, I love MGS1, 2, 3, 4, and even though I'm conflicted about V I love it, too.
Peace Walker? What's that?
But still. The tanker was probably the best segment in ANY MGS game, and it's only a taste of what will never happen.
I know that feel. Hell, even MGSV as a straight up revenge tale that spiraled out of control as Big Boss made morally gray choice after morally gray choice to get Mother Base where he envisions it being, using the open worlds to make a large, interconnected narrative where every base, infiltration, and extraction would have a real story and consequence behind it- with these mechanics- would be incredible. Kojima could even still do the dumb body double story to explain how Solid kills "Boss" in MG1 if he really needed to retcon and close the loop that much by introducing Venom in the epilogue (vs. "tricking" the player during the course of the game). This 50+ hour...thing we got as MGSV though....Not a fan.
I couldn't get hooked into that parasite plot at all. Kojima needs to remove the nanomachines/parasites plot device from his storytelling toolbox along with hypnosis.
She is the biggest villain to the fans of MGS. They just don't know it. Shouldn't even be used as a major plotpoint after MGS3, yes a motive for Big Boss, but not the stupid will crap.
What a game! Real shame about the cut content because I just want to spend more time playing it and having a whole other playground to mess around in would have been fantastic. But what's there is the most fun I've had with a game in a good long while.
Best story in a Metal Gear game too by virtue of it being quarantined from the main game. Specifics of the narrative are as garbage as you'd expect from the author with a few moments that stood out as exceptionally good and exceptionally terrible but at least I enjoyed hating on Huey and Miller, great GREAT video game assholes.
Couldn't have been since Ocelot and Venom boarded the Whaling ship at around 4am.
Plus that's not the order of events as they're shown. The scene shows us Venom waking up at 5:59am but when Ocelot gets back to the ambulance it's 3:32am.
So ocelot gets boss out of the car, talks with him, then goes back to venom, get chased by the man on fire, drop out of a bridge almost 10 meters high, gets back up, sees venom on the ground unconscious again with a high probability of getting killed by the man of fire who's probably just behind them but thinks "nah fuck it gonna say bye to big boss first"
Nah that can't be it xD
Boss gets out of car and talks to ocelot
Horse chase happens with Ocelot and Venom
(Ocelot and Venom go to the dock)
Ocelot says goodbye to boss and boss rides away
(Ocelot and Venom leave on the boat)
This is nonsense. "Meta" isn't a synonym for "good." It's a garbage story with a faux-meta narrative that has no impact whatsoever.
MGS2 is an example of a well-done meta story. MGSV is just bad. There is no redeeming quality to its story. It is lazy and hackneyed, reliant on hand waving, contradictions, cop-outs and retroactive continuity to tell a narrative that adds almost nothing to the overall mythology.
Meh there was a lot of terrible, terrible, TERRIBLE storytelling in MGS2. You take the good with the bad. Such is the series. MGSV has some of the best moments of the series for me. I'm sorry it didn't do it for you but I honestly think you're putting MGS2 on a pedestal. I just finished a playthrough of that game last week and I forgot how much of it is simply terrible. Some fantastic ideas but the execution is...mixed. Also, MGS2 suffers from having a ton of important stuff completely cut from the game, Just like V did. It too was a bit too ambitious for the time.
