Yeah I guess Metal Gear 1 is to games what maybe 2001: A Space Odyssey is to Science-Fiction films. It was really influential and helped inspire a lot of the great works that came after it, but compared to those later works it feels a little boring and simple.


Raiden doesn't bug me at all, but the plot of MGS2 is pretty much the same as MGS, at least up to where I am. Not nearly as good as Snake Eater's story.

I'll try to check those games out.

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Hey, 2001: A Space Odyssey is my favorite film of all time! I still think that its themes and effects still hold up today! What you said about the movie is exactly what most people said when it came out. A lot of people think that it's slow and simple, but you have to sit back and look at it for what it is. A story telling of the loneliness of space, the concept of life and the universe, and the cycle of death and rebirth. This film was actually influential to Hideo Kojima with Metal Gear, particularly Snake and Otacon's real names, David and Hal.

Now, while I consider 2001: A Space Odyssey my favorite film; I consider Blade Runner as the best science fiction movie. 2001 works both as sci-fi and as just a regular film. But Blade Runner no doubt has a hard science fiction feel to it, as well as aspects of film noir. I enjoyed it's moody themes, cast of memorable characters, and great effects. But like 2001, it's an acquired taste. Some people will see it and immediately get it, while others may not. And as you might of guessed, Blade Runner was also a large influence of Hideo Kojima; not with Metal Gear, but with his other game called Snatcher.

Now let me explain what Snatcher and Policenauts are. Playing these will instantly remind you of Ace Attorney, because they're also visual novel adventure games. Snatcher takes a lot of influence from cyberpunk works like Blade Runner, The Terminator, and Akira. It's only release in English was on the Sega CD, but poor sales led to this game becoming one of the most sought-after games for the console. That's why 9/10 people have played this game through emulation. Here's the intro for the Sega CD version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuyUShtcn94

Policenauts seems to have been inspired by Lethal Weapon with science fiction overtones. It reminded me a lot of Cowboy Bebop, but then I learned that Policenauts actually came first. Chances are, you've probably seen this game and haven't noticed it yet. In the PS1 version of MGS1, when Otacon mentions his love for anime, they show a brief cutscene from the game. There's also a poster of Policenauts in one of the Big Shell offices in MGS2. This game had NO releases in English, but a team of excellent fan translators released a patch for the PS1 version in 2009. The translation is so great, you'd think that it was officially done by Konami themselves. It can easily be played on an emulator. Here's the intro for that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njMK04xlSf4

Oh and with MGS2, if you've never played it before; you really have no idea what's in store for you.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Sci-Fi fan, and I love 2001, but compared to Blade Runner or it is indeed slow and can be a little boring. I love the story and its themes, I just usually skip a couple of overly long scenes when I watch it. (For instance, I can't stand the "Dawn of Man" scene in the beginning. I understand why its important but I've seen it once so when I go watch the movie again I always skip right to Heywood Floyd's introduction. (Also, I do have to admit that while I find 2001 to be the superior film, I personally actually enjoy the sequel 2010: The Year We Make Contact more.)

I'll look into those games. The version of MGS1 I played was the Gamecube remake (called "Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes") and if I remember correctly they replaced the Policenaughts footage with cutscenes from Zone of the Enders, but I might have seen it somewhere else.

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GAH! BLASPHEMY! How could you enjoy 2010 more? I personally think that it's a good sequel, but it relies to much on dialogue and telling the audience the plot, rather than how 2001 left things more open and mysterious with its imagery. Ah well, it could be worse. For one thing, you could prefer the Star Wars prequels more than the originals.

I've played both the original and the Twin Snakes. I like the remake better because it uses MGS2's engine and that it lets you use non-lethal weapons. A lot of people have complained that most of the cutscenes have too much bullet time effects and unrealistic stunts. I think that it looks badass .

Yeah, it did replace it with Zone of the Enders. The Twin Snakes also replaces a lot of the Sony references with Nintendo ones. There are Mario and Yoshi dolls in Otacon's office, as well as a GameCube with a wireless Wave Bird controller. Psycho Mantis also reads saves if you have Wind Waker, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Eternal Darkness, and Super Mario Sunshine.

I recently bought the Z.O.E. HD collection, and it's pretty fun. The voice acting though is pretty bad, which is surprising seeing as how Konami always handles the Metal Gear English VOs excellently.

I think its because I saw 2001 when I was very young, and I didn't see 2010 until years later. It was great to see a continuation of the story even if it meant that some of the mystery was lost.

I loved the bullet time as well. I'm a big fan of the Matrix trilogy and the action scenes in Twin Snakes had a similar vibe. Everyone says its unrealistic but Snake has done plenty of other impossible stunts in other games.

I might by Z.O.E. HD when it gets around $20, but last time I checked in was like 40 which is too much for something I'm not sure I'll care for. But when it gets cheaper I'll check it out.

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I've also read the original books by Arthur C. Clarke, but only the first two. The movies are really close to the books, so they both work well as an adaption and as standalone films. I haven't read the third and fourth books, though. Apparently they wanted to make film adaptions, but it never happened.

Another problem I've heard is how they removed the accents of most of the female characters. Honestly, since I played the remake first it never really bothered me. Plus, Mei Ling still has her American accent in MGS4; so it works out in the end. I've never watched The Matrix trilogy, but it's on my list of movies to see this summer. I've heard that the second and third films were a huge step down from the original. IDK

I got Z.O.E. HD for about $25. Be warned though that the PS3 version is known for having stuff like slowdown and glitches. I'm pretty sure they released a patch to fix most of the issues though.

Tom Hanks was trying to get adaptations done with him starring as Frank Poole but it never happened.

Mei Ling was raised in the US anway, so it never made any real sense for her to have a strong accent.

I thought all three Matrix films were pretty great. The first one had a relatively simple good-and-evil story and people loved it but the sequels turned the philosophical aspect up to about 9,000 and it made a lot of people not get it. It's a little like the show LOST; The show always makes sense when you really reason it out but the latter years lost a lot of casual fans who didn't want to have to watch each episode 5 times and analyze the character arcs to get what was going on.

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The newest trailer for MGSV has just been revealed. It's also confirmed to be on Xbox One in addition to Xbox 360 and PS3.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rQwUUobUiQ

Any thoughts on this? Will you buy an Xbox One just for this game? How do you feel about Kiefer Sutherland's voice?

While I hope David Hayter has a role in MGSV (Maybe a young Solid Snake?) I'm happy with Sutherland.

Trailer looks great. I'm loving the new open world elements.

Not going to buy an Xbox One for it, though. It will be for my PS3 (And maybe Wii U? Come on, Konami! Announce it! Please...)

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I think Sutherland is fine, but different, as Big Boss. David Hayter will probably only appear if Big Boss meets a young Solid Snake in the game. Unless the game jumps around, though; I don't see that happening. Solid Snake would be about 12 years old during the time of the Phantom Pain. Yeah, try imagining a kid version of Snake.

I'm pretty sure that they're still releasing MGSV for Xbox 360 and PS3. This game looks amazing, but it is doable on current gen consoles. I don't know if a Wii U version will ever happen because the game was probably in development long before Nintendo ever sent out any developer kits.

Still, I do agree that there should be a Metal Gear game on Wii U.. I'm personally crossing my fingers for a "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Wii U Edition." I don't have a PS3, so I can't play MGS4. While the Xbox 360 can't handle it, there's no doubt in my mind that the Wii U could since its discs have the same storage space as the PS3's Blu-ray discs. I also think that the gamepad would be a perfect fit for MGS4 with menus and maps conveniently on the touch screen. I really hope Nintendo announces some good games for the console at E3, because my Wii U is really collecting dust right now.

How far are you in MGS2, by the way?

I just used the directional mic to find Richard.

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Have you ever seen the parodies of Metal Gear? The most famous one is probably Egoraptor's Metal Gear Awesome.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwrPuCnNbv8
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXX5drqRD9s

I also liked the dubbed comics by hiimdaisy "Let's Destroy Metal Gear." They do one for each game, and expose all the plot holes from the stories. They're hilarious! Here's the one for MGS1.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stis8mv67eA

I am very disappointed right now. Konami released a new trailer for MGSV which is really over-the-top violent, to the point that it is disturbing. It especially bothers me that Snake rips open someone's stomach while they are still alive to retrieve some box from their body. If this is the amount of violence in the game, and if the protagonist of the story is going to be committing deeds like that I'm not getting on board with this game.

Too bad, too, because they had something here. I don't know why Kojima feels all the violence is so warranted.

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If you honestly think that Kojima is intentionally putting the violence in this game, just for the sake of it; then you are clearly missing the point. First off, depictions of violence aren't anything new in the Metal Gear series. Whether inflicted by the player or shown in the cutscenes, some scenes do get pretty intense. The Twin Snakes is notorious for having more blood and gore than the original, especially in that cutscene with Gray Fox completely dicing up those soldiers. MGS3 has probably the most intense (though it's non-interactive) torture scene in the entire series, and MGS4 puts you right in the middle of conflicts going on in the Middle East. Metal Gear is an M-rated series for a reason, and that's primarily because of its violence.

But that leads to my next point: why the violence is there in the first place. You need to be put into the perspective of the Japanese. To date, they are the only country in the world that has seen firsthand the horrors of nuclear warfare. The atomic bombs that America dropped on Japan during the last days of WWII have changed them forever. They have three non-nuclear principles that completely ban the possession, manufacturing, or introduction of nuclear weapons in Japan. They have special sections in their constitution that specifically prevent them for starting war with any other countries.

What does this have to do with Metal Gear? If you pay close attention throughout the series' in-depth plot, you'd notice that there are strong anti-war and anti-nuke messages in the games; particularly in MGS4 and Peace Walker. It is through the depictions of violence in these games that Kojima sends his intended messages. War only leads to death and destruction. He's even stated that MGSV will talk about taboos that have never been before shown in video games. He wants to push the limits of storytelling with such controversial themes. If you watch the trailer for MGSV, you can clearly see child soldiers, executions, torture, and other heavy stuff. It isn't just there, just to be there. Snake (both Solid and Big Boss) is a man pushed to the brink physically and psychologically. Snake fights because it's all he knows how to do. It's been said throughout the series that neither one can live normally due to what they've seen on the battlefield. I'm sorry if you don't get what I'm saying, but you really have to have played ALL the games to understand.

If you don't want to experience MGSV because of the violence, than you'll be missing out on one of the last great games of this generation (and the first of the next). Please try to look at it for what it all is and understand WHY the violence is there. Plus, you could always check out those parody videos that I've linked to cheer yourself up.

I should have clarified that I was specifically talking about the stomach scene. I understand a lot of the violence in the trailer is trying to show the acts of violence that really can happen in these situations, and by extension are making a pacifistic point about it. That's one of the reasons that I got into the series. But I do feel that one scene is taking it too far, mainly because when the protagonist of a game starts to commit acts like that it loses my ability to enjoy the game. It's one thing for someone to torture Snake; it's another thing for Snake to be the one committing the torture. It also has no real meaning the way some of the other violence might. Torture scenes show the horror of what torture is, and the executions in the trailer are obviously bringing up the horror of that as well, but what is the stomach scene there for? The situation - A huge box stuffed inside some kid's stomach that Snake somehow needs bad enough to rip it out - is not even physically possible, and seems like something out of a sci-fi film. I feel like it doesn't serve a purpose like other violence in the series and is just there for gore/shock value. There might be some kind of explanation/context for what is going on, but I can't really imagine what it would be.

Part of it is my own personal comfortableness. This bothers me the same way Quentin Tarantino's films bother me. I fully acknowledge Tarantino as a great director, but I can't watch his films because I simply can't understand why there is so much cruel violence in them.

I understand that this game will most likely complete the circle for the series and will detail Big Boss' change into the antagonist of Metal Gear 1. But I also feel that when Big Boss starts ripping out people's organs that it is just too much for me personally to be able to enjoy it. It's similar to Metal Gear Rising in that way.

So to conclude, don't think I'm criticising the game or saying it's terrible. It's more my issue than anything else. I do think that the stomach scene is over the top (that's what I was referring to about not knowing why Kojima was thinking it was acceptable) and will probably make it very hard to enjoy the game. We'll see what happens.

And thanks for the links to the parodies. I'm on my phone most of the time but when I'm next at my computer I'll check them out!

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I thought that the stomach scene was him removing a bomb out of that person's stomach. Either way, I think it's too early to decide what exactly he is doing. He could either be saving that guy, or just trying to take the box out of him because it has information. It's kinda hard to tell. I also don't think that scene is that much of an exaggeration or over the top. In war, soldiers sometimes have to amputate their own limbs, remove objects like bullets or other explosives from their bodies (usually with no anesthesia), get blown apart by grenades and landmines, etc. War isn't pretty in the slightest, and Metal Gear is just reminding people of that.

MGR is probably the most "extreme and violent" game in the series. But Rising isn't really a Metal Gear game in the normal sense. It's made by Platinum Games who are known for their over the top action titles with ridiculous moves like Bayonetta and Vanquish. I haven't played it yet, but I'm pretty sure the story is about Raiden coming to terms with his own personal demons and drive to kill. So even something like that has a purpose.

Quentin Tarantino is a great director, and I just recently finished watching all his films for the first time. I do agree though that the violence in those films serves little purpose. I think that the message with Inglourious Basterds, was to show how ALL people are capable of evil; not just the Nazis. Django Unchained is just supposed to show a black slave's rebellion against a bigoted white society. But really, those themes are kinda lost and forgotten with all the bloodshed. At their worst, his films are just mindless entertainment; but at their best, his films have vague philosophical themes.

Anyways, if you have a weak stomach for this sort of thing; I get it and I'm not calling you out for it.
I used to be the same, but I guess being constantly exposed to these kinds of games and movies has sort of de-sensitized me to violence. I also think that will all the horrors and problems that the real world is currently facing, I really couldn't be bothered in the slightest with something like a video game. It is fiction after all.

I hope you'll enjoy the parody videos! It's humor like this that makes us all forget how dark and dismal the world can truly be at times.

Yeah as you say we can't know for sure what's going on yet, so I'll keep watching for info and if it's not as violent/cruel as it seems then I'll make a decision then. (It does seem to be too smooth to be a bomb, and it has a peace symbol on it, but we never know with Metal Gear.

I'm not a big FPS/violent game player so I'm not as used to it as a lot of people are. Like I said, this stems from me, not the game itself.

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Well the violence in the trailer is more extreme than even your standard violent FPS game. Metal Gear has hardly been an advocate of violence in it's games so it's probably showing how brutal it is to shock and make it seem tiresom for Big Boss.


However and I'm playing off bare memory here, I believe the 'thing' removed from the kid coulda been a smuggled package.

Big Boss is shown doing some pretty despicable stuff in the trailer and he sorta leapt of the deep end into villainy at the end of Peace Walker, this sorta stuff was inevitable really.

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For those of you wondering, that kid in the trailer was actually Paz from Peace Walker; and yes Big Boss was removing a bomb from her abdomen. Kojima's confirmed it himself.

Any of you weeds ever met David Hayter?


I also had him sign my HD Collection and Watchmen DVD.

Gah! You lucky bastard, you.

Errr....well I wonder if she deserves it knowing who it was kinda an interesting connection there.

Also that signature is amazing, I hear David Hayter is amazing with his fans at conventions an the like, makes me sad he's gone.

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David's not gone! Kojima is just toying with us.... right? RIGHT?!

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I know man I know...I'm not fully convinced there isn't some grand trick at play here still.

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He's pretty adamant on Twitter that nobody ever called him to do any voice work.

Well, here's a likely theory on David Hayter's "absence" in MGSV. Seems pretty legit to me.

http://kotaku.com/heres-a-pretty-crazy- ... -511783043

In all honesty though, I think that us fans should stop complaining. It's unfortunate and all, but nothing is really going to change at this point. Kiefer Sutherland is good actor, and he'll surely make MGSV great with his performance. Would you rather have Konami hire some no talent hack instead? Be glad that the Metal Gear series has had great English voice acting and that David Hayter has been able to stay on board for so many years. David Hayter will always be the definitive Snake, but like James Bond he won't be played by the same actor forever.

Maybe Hayter WILL appear in MGSV (or a possible sixth game) as Solid Snake, if he and Big Boss ever cross paths (it's going to probably happen eventually). Maybe it is some kind of elaborate ruse and we've all been fooled by Kojima, Hayter, and Sutherland. Or maybe there's no hidden intention behind any of this at all and Kojima truly has retired the David Hayter racing horse. It's his series, he can do whatever he wants, and the games always turn out fantastic in the end. I truly am saddened that we may never see David Hayter involved in this series ever again, but I'll never stop playing this series.

Hi! Um... I've been a very innactive user of this forum but as of lately due to all the fuss about MGSV I knew I'd find people interested in here. If I had to say stuff about me as an MGS Fan... my favorite one, is MGS3, my favorite boss is The Boss duhh xD, character should be Big Boss through Peace Walker and that's it for now.

Oh and about MGS2 I think it's story is great but misunderstood, the whole identity, reality, post-modern subthemes riding along the whole "passing things" to the future main plot is quite great, and even the change of main character had a great purpouse and effect of critizicing the player... so yeah... to show I over-analyze stuff...

And about MGSV... I actually like the idea of hearing Sutherland's performance as Big Boss. I still believe it could be trolling, but hearing him while I watched 24 and in World at War as Sgt. Roebuck has left me an impression of him which is good, and last but not least on the Kiefer subject... I love Hayter and he will allways be a part of the Metal Gear Solid Saga... but if one thinks about it, it's Kojima's art, as I consider VGs a mean of art, and as an artist Kojima has the right to make the changes he wants... may we like them or not, I mean we don't go to the louvre and if we hate The Giocconda (Mona Lisa) force someone to change it.

The line MGSV will be following seems so fascinating to me, in aspects of morality and the "degradation" of the human psyche. The violence that shocks... makes you think how stuff so horrible, for example "No Russian" of MW2, doesn't actually... shock you that much. But we'll see stuff so realistic or at least stuff you can actually imagine or feel that it will make the player have hard moments of questioning him/herself... and I love beign questioned and challenged in those aspects, like Spec Ops The Line (that's if you guys have played or have watched the game)... I mean not moral questions that can end up in a "calculation" solution like choosing between killing one man and getting X or killing another man and getting Y, but later finding out X=Y... I would like... incomparables, like apples and oranges... both great but only one to get. Even I know the peace, war, child soldiers and war crimes themes will be explored even further...

So... that's my intro, analysis and... blabber about MGS... Maybe I'm "not your kind of people?"

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Welcome back to Court Records!

No, that's fine. I like analyzing games too. Metal Gear is such a deeply rich universe filled with amazing storytelling, there's so much to talk about.

MGS1 is about people passing on their genes to future generations. It asks us if we are truly in control of our own destinies, or are we limited by are biological drives. Otacon also asks Snake "What are you fighting for?" This game hints at the futility of war, and how Snake is always brought back into it. I think Peace Walker would later expand upon this theme in greater detail.

MGS2 is considered to be one of the earliest examples of post-modern video games. You're right when you say a lot of people have misunderstood it, but not be rude; the average gamer doesn't even think or understand about these things. If you showed MGS2 to the Call of Duty crowd, they would instantly call it boring and stupid.

But back on track, MGS2 deals with identity, what is reality, censorship, social engineering, political conspiracy, and memes. It even hints at controversial themes that had never before been explored in video games before like homosexuality, incest, and child soldiers. Many people hate Raiden, but I think that's understandable since everyone was so hyped and expecting Snake when going into this game. Kojima is clearly a master of deception, and by now we've all learned to always expect such tricks in his games. I personally liked Raiden, and also found his tragic backstory to be really compelling.

MGS3, in my opinion, is the best in the series. It tells a more personal story of the early experiences of Big Boss, before he became the war-mongering antagonist of the original Metal Gear for MSX. The major theme though, is the changing of the times. At first, Big Boss is just a simple inexperienced soldier who blindly follows his government. But by the end of the game, he's a changed man and realizes that people will just manipulate him and his talents if he continues on like this. Thus, Portable Ops and Peace Walker demonstrate his change into becoming the powerful leader of Outer Heaven.

I've not played MGS4, but I still know the full story very well. Really, there's little to say at this point. It's the ultimate finale to a long running series that provides perfect closure. By this time, Snake realizes that he shouldn't waste his life fighting and simply should just LIVE. It combines every previous plot point that I've mentioned and combines it into one amazing experience. Too bad I don't have a PS3, so I can't truly experience one of the greatest games of all time.

And right now, we're slowly learning more info about MGSV in the coming months. From what we've seen, and what Kojima has told us; MGSV will push the limits on what video games can tell in their stories. He wants to tackle controversial themes that have never been told before and wants to prove that video games can be relevant storytelling in comparison to film and books. Once again, it'll tackle the themes of child soldiers, psychological scarring, manipulation, and war. If my guess is right, we'll see a lot of old characters from the series and perhaps even come full circle to the original Metal Gear. At one point, whether it's at the end of MGSV or during the middle of a possible sixth game; Big Boss and Solid Snake will cross paths. From that point, I think it'll lead right into the opening infiltration of Outer Heaven just like in the very first game.

I highly doubt that Metal Gear will go on forever, but whenever it leaves us; Kojima will have told perhaps the best and most ambitious story ever seen in video games. From my analysis, you can tell that I really care about these games. But like I mentioned in the MGS2 section, a lot of other gamers don't see it that way. The younger generation doesn't care about good stories, they just want to shoot and blow everything up. I'm actually surprised that MGS has done so well within this type of gamer mindset. I've asked many people that I know if they've played these games, but most don't care or haven't even HEARD of Metal Gear. It's really such a shame how impatient and unintelligent people can be.

If you enjoy Metal Gear, make sure to check out Snatcher and Policenauts! Policenauts especially is one of the best stories ever!

For what it's worth Rising also carries it's heavy themes of memes and how they endure and how wars these days aren't fought for beliefs or ideology anymore.

Though really? You asked folks and some had NEVER HEARD of Metal Gear? Damn man...

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We should kill them.

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I know, it's terrible. The few people that do know about Metal Gear is just due to the fact that Snake was in Smash Brothers. I'm still in high school, yet I have a far greater appreciation for games like these than anyone else. I enjoy old movies, music, and games; but everyone calls me out for that. It's so frustrating to be surrounded by a bunch of uncultured idiots who only enjoy the same terrible repetitive crap.

Like I said, the general crowd for ANYTHING is of usually pretty low intelligence. It's like what Call of Duty is to video games, Transformers to movies, and Fifty Shades of Grey to books. The people on Court Records really love Ace Attorney, but we're only a small minority compared to the entire video games market. This is precisely the reason why a lot of video games, particularly visual novels, get unlocalized or sell poorly. Take Okami for example. It's absolutely beautiful and received tons of praise, but sold really badly. Metal Gear has sold well, probably because it has good gameplay; but I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people just skipped over all the cutscenes. By doing that though, you're missing out on a lot of the experience.

Well that's the problem... as I continue to believe in games as art and as a medium for something greater there are people, the "common crowd" (god I feel like a game elitist now... ewww) who will not understand, try to understand or even find these games interesting at all.

It's happenned to me too. People having NEVER played an MGS game... at least when it came to discussion I have a group of friends from an old 3rd class forum from which we ended up all leaving and formed a discussion group on FB. But overall it's almost nobody that even considers MGS games for anything... It's like... let's believe EVERYTHING in MGSV turns out perfect, fans are in love and understand the game as a masterpiece... but the casual gamer, the COD gamer, the MLGs... they will call the next explicit story that tells everything without surprise, without involving the player in reflexion, or even that delivers you the plot on a silver platter without you even making the effort of thinking and everyone will be all like
"Oh god! GOTY! GOTY! What?... MGSV? DA ffff is dat sheet so boring... Kogeemah should be making movies not games hahahaa!"

Maybe my point is that... I really love when games show great things. And if the "average gamer" ruins that... I obviously respect it but I don't encourage it. I feel games like COD, Battletwat, MOH or any game that doesn't deliver something are sad... they stupid-ify the game industry... I mean, even there are plots and things to be taken from them... and I like how I can analyze the thing about War Crimes, the world police actions of the US, how international war conventions are worth squat in real war... and how war is a game. But the problem is this, and other games like that end up beign taken just as a shooting galleria for their fans...

I agree on the idea of liking Raiden... might not be a favorite but it's indeed a good character. Since I understood the game I've really started believing in Raiden as the player. It's just like with Spec Ops The Line... an undervalued masterpiece.

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Well at least something like BioShock, which has FPS gameplay and an amazing story, is more "mainstream" and understood by more gamers. That's a perfect example of games as art, and the majority of gamers (even COD players) accepting and understanding that. Even still, I don't think there has been a game that's 100% tapped into the industry's storytelling potential. BioShock and Metal Gear have come very close, but perhaps miss the bar just by a hair or two. Maybe MGSV will be the "game to end all games" with all the hype Kojima has been building up. It certainly looks like it will once again explore controversial themes rarely seen in the medium, sort of like how MGS2 first achieved post-modern storytelling.

I love to know there's someone in the world in HC which has the same idea I did at the time and recognizes that kind of stuff... now at university I know more people with more to share like a friend who actually loves Deadly Premonition XD

But enough about that... I like the concept of MGSV looking at the hype for it. It makes me think that as you say, it will be a step into the unknown for storytelling... typical but always a nice bunch of surprises from Kojima.

And Bioshock? Yeah... those games are a step into the right direction, making very good stories and beign understood by most and that complemented by a solid gameplay.

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One could argue that video games HAVE been telling amazing storylines for many years already. If you look at the visual novel market, games like Steins;Gate and Ever 17: The Out of Infinity have some of the most well-written and in-depth stories seen in any form of media. I remember that when BioShock Infinite first came out (I've not played it yet), reviewers praised the depth of the story and how most people could actually care about the characters in the video game for the first time. I disagree, because a lot VNs have had me connect to the characters way before BioShock came out. But then there's the other argument if visual novels can actually be considered "games" due to their lack of gameplay and focus on reading while making choices.

I'll only say to that... Missile Commander is one with the best story to be drawn from it... as for me it's one of the earliest and most profound story subjects in a game. Who to save? Save weaponry or cities? Which city? Should I try to save more cities and fail or save only a few or one to have a more effective defense?

For me Missile Commander is the first example of moral choice of incomparables in a game.

As for Bioshock: Infinite, I played some of the game but couldn't go on... too busy at my university... (I guess law school is not how PW makes it sound or look hahaha) but it makes me happy that stories with more depht are becoming more... "available to a major audience.

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That's probably what they were (perhaps unintentionally) trying to do at the time, but were severely limited by the crude graphics and programming of the Atari 2600.

I think that the first ever video game to truly have an in-depth story would be The Portopia Serial Murder Case for the Famicom. It was designed by Yuji Horri (who would later go on to direct Dragon Quest) and is the first example of a visual novel. Unfortunately, due to memory constraints as well as the game's violent and sexual themes; Portopia never saw a release outside of Japan. There was a fan translation though.

As you might have guessed, this was one of the games that influenced Hideo Kojima. He viewed this as a game that proved that the industry could be more than just mindless entertainment. You can really see him being influenced by it with his later games like Snatcher and Policenauts. Even Phoenix Wright owes its creation to this game, because if Portopia was never created; visual novel adventure games wouldn't exist.

Personally I've only PLAYED Twin Snakes, but I've seen friends play the rest/watched a playthrough on youtube (although I stopped watching after Guns of the Patriots).

I really liked the game. It's not something I usually play but I enjoyed it thoroughly. The atmosphere of the first game is just right - you're all alone, and you've got no backup other than your codec team. It's an interesting environment with a lot of cool trivia thrown into the mix, and the voice actors are all just so very talented (if only talent was something a bit more common in the voice actor business...)

I don't really like how they oversexualize women, however. And a few parts of the stories/character traits are a bit too exaggerated for my taste. But the games are still amazing, of course.

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I don't really think Metal Gear oversexualizes women. That is, no more or less than most Japanese media. In MGS1 (Twin Snakes) and MGS2, it's really just supposed to be like a spy film. Meryl might get shot and captured, but it's to demonstrate how inexperienced she is as a soldier. In MGS4, she's a very strong and capable woman. One could argue that Eva in MGS3 is oversexulaized, but she's based off of Fujiko Mine and practically every single Bond girl. She's one of those people who uses her looks to manipulate and control men. So basically, any of the characters that you perceive as "oversexualized" are still just strong protagonists. They're not just meant to be eye candy.

What about the men? Snake is practically ripped, and all the male characters are portrayed as super cool and flashy. How is that not viewed as oversexualizing the male form? Kojima is just paying homage to Hollywood and it's many tropes. The primary audience for these games ARE males, and they would want to play and see characters that are strong. And like I mentioned before, the female characters are strong as well.

Metal Gear may be exaggerated at times, but remember that it's a Japanese series; a country KNOWN for the over-the-top movies, shows, anime, and video games.

If you have the consoles and the means, I urge you to play all these games. In fact, the Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection containing practically every single canon game is coming to PS3 this Tuesday. I'd get it if I could, but I sadly don't own the console.

MGS oversexualizes women.