Has The Age Of Deterrence Arrived For Metal Gear Solid?

Editor's note: I'm with Nicholas on this. Metal Gear Solid 3 is my favorite entry in the franchise precisely because it isn't held back by fitting together all of the convoluted MGS plot threads. It showed how impressive a storyteller series creator Hideo Kojima can be when he's got a blank slate...and how MGS may well be holding him back. -Fitch

After the "conclusive" ending of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, some thought a brief hiatus and eventual reinvention of the Metal Gear franchise was in store. Series creator Hideo Kojima had other plans, though, as the next Metal Gear announcements came in the form of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker for PSP and Metal Gear Solid: Rising for PS3 and Xbox 360 -- new games featuring the same convoluted MGS universe and story arcs. Peace Walker fleshes out more of the mysterious past of Big Boss, much of which is still potentially untold. Rising will hopefully add insight into the world of Raiden and answer the questions of what exactly happened to him between the years of MGS2 and MGS4.

But after MGS4 went to such great lengths putting the MGS plotlines to rest, introducing two new installments in that same series feels a bit odd. The familiarity of the universe certainly makes it considerably easier to release new installments -- as opposed to introducing a new Metal Gear overhaul -- but two new games in a universe that developer Kojima Productions worked so hard to "conclude"? That seems like the opposite of what the franchise needs: a fresh start.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots concluded the MGS series' plot in epic style. With the plotlines settled, maybe it's time for a new, non-MGS Metal Gear.

Gameplay, which is usually why franchises get overhauls, isn't even the reason Metal Gear needs a fresh start. After all, MGS games have always introduced improvements with each installment. If Kojima Productions were going to work on an overhaul of Metal Gear, gameplay improvements would be practically a given. No, what the franchise needs more than anything is a simpler, more accessible storyline -- after all, many one-time fans of the series walked away after becoming frustrated with the myriad characters and plot threads. A fresh start for Metal Gear means a chance to keep the stories simple and accessible from the beginning.

Instead, fans long for a return to the core elements of the original Metal Gear Solid -- and the fact that many champion Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater as a high point for the MGS series highlights this. MGS3 featured more focused storytelling, memorable boss battles, a fleshed-out cast of characters, and stretches of strong core stealth gameplay -- the same elements that elevated the original game to classic status. While MGS2 felt "segmented" at times due to drawn-out cut-scenes, MGS4 is by far the most segmented installment of the MGS series -- not only does it feature the requisite epic cut-scenes, but it's also divided into chapters...and includes interminible install times between those chapters.

The Fury from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

MGS3 was a return to classic form for the MGS series, with its focused storytelling and tolerable gameplay-to-cut-scenes ratio. If a new, non-MGS Metal Gear is on the horizon, it should strive to be like MGS3.

So long as MGS remains a viable universe with potential and fan interest, though, the series is sure to continue. And Kojima Productions can't be blamed for wanting to explore the universe they worked so hard to create, especially with the high risks associated with new franchises in this generation. However, some fans are waiting for Metal Gear to start over -- and neither they nor diehard MGS fans would likely be alienated by a Metal Gear overhaul. After all, it's Kojima Productions' talent that draws an audience -- not just the characters of Solid Snake and Big Boss.

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Alex R. Cronk-Young

October 07, 2009

I know nothing about MGS but it sounds like a solid argument.

Lance Darnell

October 08, 2009

I know a bit about about MGS, or I like to think I do. Konami has got nothing else right now that guarantees them revenue like a MGS game, so we will keep seeing them until the Franchise or Konami dies....

Great Post, I am still excited about Rising, perhaps that will blow our minds?

Chris Cosmo Ross

Good article!

I could be wrong, but I believe Rising is a reboot. It's supposed to play completely different than any other Metal Gear game. And, like Lance, I think Konami will continue making Metal Gear games as long as it makes them money; kind of like Microsoft and the Halo franchise.

Nick Giunta

I agree with you. I'm an MGS fan, but by the end of MGS4 I was tired and confused. The cutscenes and story lines were hard to keep track of. So hard in fact, that Sony released that MGS encyclopedia for the PSN network, and it was still confusing.
I think a fresh start would be nice.
But everyone loves Snake.
It would be like the makers of Zelda saying bye to Link and trying to introduce another character.
And we saw how MGS2 went... not many people embraced playing as the metro-sexual Raiden.

Michael Pangelina

October 10, 2009

As a huge MGS fan, I wanted exactly what this article described after MGS4.

But... as a huge MGS fan, I started shitting my pants with glee after the first couple Peace Walker trailers came out.

John Ostermiller

I was a huge fan of the first MGS, but then quickly "jumped ship" for Splinter Cell... when I excitedly bought Twin Snakes for a nostalgic whirl, I was aghast at how "bad" the controls were. Kojima made a really fabulous world and David Hayter is great as Snake - but I just can't help but shake the feeling that MGS and I split off onto very different paths (taste, interests, play style) a long time ago. I missed out on MGS 3 so I can't speak of that title but I know it did offer some interesting ideas with the era it was set in, hopefully I'll have a chance to check it out one of these days. I bought an Xbox over Ps2 last gen but it sounds like I might've missed out a little.

One reason I'm glad I picked up the 80 GB MGS4/KZ2 bundle Best Buy was selling back in July - no risk chance to check out Guns of the Patriots... that and now I can have my 360 and PS3 too. ;)

Jeremy Darling

October 11, 2009

I personally thought that MGS4 was the best entry in the series, but I'm too fucked up to explain all the reasons why. Story wise MGS3 trumps it, but MSG4 was what I had imagined in my head all those years ago playing through the pixalated original.

I have no further interest in the Metal Gear series since I felt that MSG4 wrapped up everything that I found compelling about the MGS storyline.

Brian Shirk

I replayed all the Metal Gear games towards the beginning of the year, and I'd say that my favorite is either the first or fourth entry in the series. MGS4 was an incredibly well-rounded title, and when comparing the MGS games side-by-side, I don't think there was a huge different in the percentage of cut-scenes Vs. gameplay. The lengthy ending was what made it seem like MGS4 was more cut-scene heavy.

As for a new Metal Gear Solid, I'm not really interested. I thought that MGS4 ended the series nicely, so I think it's overkill at this point. Still, Rising and Peace Walker have potential, so who knows, I may eat my words.

Jonathan Betonio

October 12, 2009

A viable move that keeps within the universe but can open up fresh storylines and gameplay while still giving the WTF feeling would be to explore the MGS universe narratively even further back into the past, and subsequent franchises would progressively move back in time as well.

With an eye for the ridiculous, one might be open to a rendition of Metal Gear Solid in steampunk, like a Wild Wild West coverage to further develop the crazy history of the presently known Metal Gear Solid universe.

Gameplay-wise, sky's the limit. I only suggest JRPG because jrpgs are expected as a genre to not make much sense, but to apply this to a "modern" Metal Gear story, well, that's just quirky enough to work. Maybe not pure rpg though, but core stealth-shooter-exploration mechanic but with more rpg elements and maybe nonlinear exploration gameplay. Dare I say sandbox?

Anyway, given the artistic freedoms taken in exploring the franchise I hope no one has been offended by my thoughts. In fact I'd be surprised if anyone were surprised!

Joshua Henderson

I'm actually looking forward to Rising. Having never owned a Sony console, I've only played MGS: Twin Snakes for the Gamecube. I enjoyed that game a lot and from what I've read of MGS3, I think I would have enjoyed that too. I'm hoping Rising will be comprehensible for someone who hasn't played MGS2 or MGS4.

Omar Ather

June 20, 2010

considering the current oil spill and all the energy talk, I would love to see a remake of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, I think it had an amazing storyline and is grossly underappreciated. seriously.