Hideo Kojima laments that Metal Gear Solid 4's digital battlefield 'is no longer science fiction'

Game creator Hideo Kojima is and probably will always be best-known for his creation and stewardship of the Metal Gear series at Konami, which since his departure has been more-or-less on permanent hiatus (don't mention Survive). In his almost three decades these games evolved to the point where they predicted certain problems of the information age (MGS 2), took aim at contemporary topics like Guantanamo Bay (MGS: Ground Zeroes), and ended on a profound sense of sadness about our species' inability to break the cycles of global conflict (MGS V).

It's not clear what sparked this reflection, but Kojima's been thinking about Metal Gear Solid 4, an entry that was (and unfortunately still remains) a PlayStation 3 exclusive. In that entry the player controls an aged Solid Snake in the year 2014, caught up in a civil war being fought between Private Military Companies (PMCs).

[Dirty_Lemons]

That was a great fucking game/ movie.

[DarXyde]

To this day, it's one of those games where I refuse to skip the cutscenes, no matter how many playthroughs I've done.

But if you ask me...MGS2 was bloody prophetic and has aged like fine wine. That game was blasted as the weakest entry, and yet it's so enduring. I replayed it some time last year and it was remarkable.

[sadraiden]

Heed not the lamentations of people that say that MGS2 is bad because of the Snake/Raiden bait and switch. Every MGS game has its own merits, and while most people consider 3 to be the best, they all shine equally in my opinion.

[porkChop]

@sad

I would generally agree but with the exception of MGSV. It had truly excellent gameplay/combat, but dull and largely empty open world(s), and a narrative that is literally only half finished.

I really wish Kojima hadn't tried to go open world with MGS. It just wasn't right for the series. But I get it. He didn't want to make MG anymore but he wasn't allowed to make anything else. So he had to experiment within that franchise. Still, it was the wrong direction.

[Santouryuu]

I have been thinking about this a lot, MGS2 being the weakest and getting blasted.
My conclusion, for some years now, it's my favorite game of the series.
Going from MGS1 to MGS2 was such a big leap, in graphics, mechanics, etc.
And now it's even more relevant for being 'bloody prophetic' as you stated.

Maybe dust of my vita and play it again...

[porkChop]

It's a shame we never got a remaster of MGS4. The original game only rendered at 1024x768, and it ran anywhere from like 20fps to 60fps depending on the area. A remaster could have very easily cleaned up the visuals and performance. It's such a great game. I just want to play it again but in its best possible state.

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

I agree, but they did all sorts of tricks to make use of the ps3’s cell processor….they’d probably have to rebuild the game in order to make it run on another machine. And, if that involves remaking those cutscenes somehow, then itll never happen, unfortunately.

[porkChop]

Nah. There have been plenty of remasters of PS3 games and they've turned out fine. It can be done.

[ANIALATOR136]

You can get near enough 4k 60 with it on RPCS3 these days

[343_Guilty_Spark]

The greatest MGS

[PitbullMonster]

War... War has changed.

[FallenAngel1984]

War... war never changes. Or does it? The war has changed ...did it? The answer is no! Unless it is yes! No, of course it is! Is war! Yes! No! Yes?

[PitbullMonster]

Ah a man of culture. Duty calls

[cell989]

He was always ahead with this series. MSG1 taught me about the importance of passing on our genes into future generations but in a responsible way, for they are bound to what we experienced in our lifetime. Sons of liberty taught me about global control and simulation runs to test society in a grand scale, the importance and dangers of control of information. MGS3 taught me about patriotism and how that can blind you into doing things you never would have otherwise, all for the sake of politicians who only see you as another pawn in their grand scheme of things. MSG4 taught me war is inevitable and always orchestrated because it's great for the economy. Soon simulation systems will start dictating who goes to war and why, all run through proxies. Privatization of military company are already here. We already started to see how a small group of elites dictates everything that happens. Nothing is done, nothing happens without strings being pulled.

[Eidolon]

You learned all this from MGS?

[Tody_ZA]

All that was literally the themes and core story of each game, so not surprising he learned that from MGS. Metal Gear Solid 2 in particular is so relevant today, it was more than a decade ahead of its time and a work of genius. Kojima saw what the digital future was going to become when it was in its infancy. Even MGS 5 despite being unfinished and less of a traditional Metal Gear Solid game with regards to story, had a fair bit to say about language and control over it that is relevant today.

It's a highly acclaimed series for a reason, and one of my favourite.

[Eidolon]

I've watched my brother play the MGS games, but I only beat MGS1 myself on the PSP in 2014, and MGSV in 2016. I took the themes and plots as lore, tbh.. trying to piece together the story of MGS rather than relating them to our current times.

[Tody_ZA]

It's definitely social commentary, Eidolon. You should read the "themes and analysis" section of the Wikipedia page for MGS2: Sons of Liberty for a start! Game was heavy on this.

[Eidolon]

I'll take a look, thanks. Actually might pick up MGS2 again (PS Vita), It's been years since I last played. Might start a new game tbh.

[sadraiden]

MGS2 literally predicted digital manipulation of information that we see today all the way back in 2001. MGS2 became Zucc's playbook.

[Knushwood Butt]

MGS taught me not to pee my pants.

[cell989]

Yes back in 1998 when I was 13. Throughout the years more information has been shown on this subject matters, but go back to early 2000s and information wasn't as prominent. Kojima was ahead of the game

[MaxiPower90]

He was on the ball about many things. A true visionary.

[sadraiden]

If it wasn't for the retconning of how FOXDIE works, including clunky scenes with Naomi and Liquid, MGS4 would be a perfect game. There are so many gameplay options. It felt like us PS3 owners got something truly unique and special.

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

I remember hearing the word “meme” for the first time ever in a MGS2 cutscene, and thinking “maybe he’s just talking out of his butt a bit…., because that isn’t even a thing.”

Kojima is our lighthouse in the storm.

[JokerBoy129]

Boy it'd sure be great to get a remaster on PS5...

[mastershredder]

Lol. Oh please. The digital battlefield was called long before your copycat ass Hideo.
Hideo Kojima By Hideo Kojima.

[BlackTar187]

Start again but this time speak slowly and coherently so that people can actually understand you.

[S2Killinit]

If war becomes privatized, then we will have on going wars in the same manner that privatized prisons have contributed to mass incarceration in U.S.

I love my country but we have a duty to point out problems so that they can be addressed.

[VariantAEC]

War as a business is already a thing it was a thing decades before the first Metal Gear game on MSX.