Metal Gear Ura Topics

Meaning of Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty
Screw you. That's right, I said it, MGS2 is a big "screw you" disguised in excellent graphics and gameplay mechanics. As a video game, Metal Gear Solid 2 both looks and plays extremely well. But as a cinematic story, Sons of Liberty is a questionable episode in the Metal Gear Saga. It is Director Kojima having too much fun and overly doing anything he wanted. The most impactful element of MGS2 was the deceit of the identity of the main character. We play Metal Gear "Solid" 2 not as "Solid" Snake, but as an unknown Raiden. A lot of people are dissatisfied by this trickery. On top of that, the trickery of hiding this fact before the game's release, further angered Solid Snake fans. The act of hiding the fact that Solid Snake is not the character we play in the game, it is like baiting Solid Snake fans into buying a game publicized as a Solid Snake game which in fact is not a Solid Snake game. That is false advertising. We do get a 15 minute long Tanker Chapter as Solid Snake, and the fact that everyone I know replayed that portion of the game more than the Plant Chapter main game undeniably demonstrates something. The excuse that MGS2 (Big Shell) is an intentional replication exercise of MGS1 (Shadow Moses), though not badly executed, does still leave players with the unsavory aftertaste like there really isn't a new scripted story. It's like a repeat, or a remade movie. Sure, the graphics are better, but the story itself is still essentially the same one. And that's not what this "new" game was publicized to be. - Raiden = Solid Snake = [main character] - Dead Cell = Fox Hound = [special forces unit] - AI Colonel = Colonel Roy Campbell = [mission commander] - Big Shell fake oil decontamination plant = Shadow Moses fake nuclear waste storage facility = [mission background stage] - Gurlukovich troop = Genome soldiers = [enemy soldiers] - Agent Richard Ames = DARPA Chief = [first hostage who dies of heart attack] - President James Johnson = Arms Tech President = [second hostage who dies] - Olga Gurlukovich as Ninja = Grey Fox as Cyborg Ninja = [ninja with a hidden identity] - Ninja as Mr X = Cyborg Ninja as Deep Throat = [anonymous radio support] - Solid Snake as Iroquois Pliskin = Liquid Snake as Master Miller = [someone in disguise giving advice] - Mei Ling = Otacon = [game saver who speaks ancient Chinese proverbs] - Emma Emmerich Danziger = Hal Otacon Emmerich = [Metal Gear designer who pees pants] - Emma Emmerich = Sniper Wolf = [Otacon's beloved who dies] - Witnessing Emma stabbed by Vamp = Witnessing Meryl shot by Wolf = [looking at girl injured but can't do anything] - Emma's blood on the ground = Meryl's blood on the ground = [emotion activator] - Harrier 2 = Hind D = [airborne enemy boss battle] - Solidus Snake = Liquid Snake = [last boss with a hidden personal relation with main character] - Ocean swimming then huge elevator ascent = Ocean swimming then huge elevator ascent = [sneaking in method] - Demask during the elevator ride = Demask during the elevator ride = [main character's face first revealed] - 現地調達 Acquisition on location = 現地調達 Acquisition on location = [weapon acquisition method] - Computer virus = Fox Die virus = [指向性 specified aiming virus] - Vamp massacre = Cyborg Ninja massacre = [bloody hallway] - Vulcan Raven's ravens = Fortune's seagulls = [killable birds] Just a partial list, I'm sure. Then there's the construction of MGS2 being full of layering and overlapping lies and deceits. Which is the direct cause of many players being confused about the game overall. The storyline is just filled with too many lies. - The name Iroquois Pliskin is a lie, the name is really Solid Snake, or David. - Raiden having never been in real life battle is a lie, he was an exceptional child soldier. - Otacon's identifications he used to enter Big Shell with the SEALs are fake. - Peter Stillman's lame leg is a lie. - The C4 bombs are lies. - Ames' identity is a lie. - The President and his presidency are both lies. - The terrorists asking for 30 billion dollars is a lie. - The Colonel (and Rose) being real is a lie, he (and she) is AI. - Fox Hound's existence is a lie. - Fortune's luck is a lie. - Solid Snake being dead is a lie. - Solid Snake being the Big Shell terrorist leader is a lie. - S3 being "Solid Snake Simulation" is a lie, it is really "Selection for Societal Sanity". - Otacon lied to Emma about his relationship with her mother. - Emma's eye-glasses is a lie. - Rosemary's identity is a lie, she is a spy of the Patriots. - Rosemary's hair and eye colors are fake. - Olga's allegiance to Solidus is a lie. - Solidus lied about being Solid. - Revolver Ocelot is full of lies. - The shadow of Vulcan Raven is a lie. - The USS Discovery tanker sinking is a lie, a second tanker was even sunk at the same spot to increase the believability of the oil spill. - The tanker itself is a lie, it is a US Navy Carrier disguised as an oil tanker. - The Big Shell oil decontamination plant is a lie, it is really a facade to hide Arsenal Gear. Just a partial list, I'm sure. To put it simply, almost every single thing in the story is a set up, set up to mess with the player's mind. All of which culminated into the climax which was the Colonel gone mad. 「雷電、今すぐにゲーム機の電源を切るんだ！」「任務は失敗に終わった！今すぐ電源を切れっ！」「うろたえるな、これはゲームだ！いつものゲームなんだ」「長時間プレイすると目がわるくなるわよ」「ライデン、大変たっ！ＴＶに切り替えてみろ！」「しかし、ずいぶん長い間ゲームしてるな。他にすることはないのか？まったく…」「私の我慢にも限度がある。もう君には任せておけん。私が出撃する！君はもう帰れ！！」「まさか君は不正な手段でインチキなスコアをだそうとはしていないだろうな？それは最悪の行為だぞ。全く…」「川西能勢口、絹延橋、滝山、鴬の森、皷滝、多田、平野、一の鳥居、畦野、山下、笹部、光風台、ときわ台、妙見口」「らりるれろ！らりるれろ！！らりるれろ！！！」「巻き舌宇宙で有名な紫ミミズの剥製はハラキリ岩の上で音叉が生まばたきするといいらしいぞ。要ハサミだ。61！」 Though mostly gags, one can't help but get the feeling that some of what Kojima wanted to say are mixed in and hidden among some of those dialogues. Back to Raiden, the man who doesn't exist. A soldier created through virtual reality (VR) training. A man who's past and present, and even memories, are controlled and manipulated. Even this current mission, which is a simulation of the Shadow Moses mission, is a part of that control. The concept repeatedly emphasized to the gamers is that the mission is a simulation, and the simulation is a game. The point repeatedly emphasized to the gamers is that Raiden is the player. Every single thing in the mission is set up and planned, programmed for Raiden to participate in only to fulfill a pre-determined role. In other words it is a programmed game set up for the gamer to participate in only to fill in the role pre-decided for him or her. We who are the players are not in control, but are merely pawns, controlled by Kojima and his gang, his "special force unit" of game programmers. Like 孫悟空 Sun Wukong in the palm of 釋迦牟尼佛 Shakya Muni Buddha. (西遊記 - Journey To The West, written 1590s.) It is interesting, usually games try hard to hide this fact from the gamers. MGS2 does the exact opposite. Then the revelation of the S3 Plan, the "Solid Snake Simulation". A simulation program to create Solid Snake, the strongest soldier, out of anyone. The test drill of which is this mission, a recreation of the Shadow Moses mission, in which anyone who participates can become Solid Snake. This is an entirely set up situation in which the lone soldier is only playing a part designated to him. Just like the entirely set up video game, in which the player is only playing as the playable character which is designated to him, whether he likes the character or not. You want to be Solid Snake, you came into the game thinking you will be Solid Snake, but ah-ha, I designate you Raiden, and you will play it just as you're told! Screw what you want or expect. And then the relevation again of the S3 Plan being in reality not the thing that was just revealed, but is actually "Selection for Societal Sanity" ("社会の思想的健全化のための淘汰 Natural Selection Sifting For The Purpose of Making Societal Logic System More Rounded and Complete"). Or in simpler terms, "mind control". Indeed a very Evangelion-esque title for a project, I'm not the first to say. One can't help but be reminded of the "人類補完計画 Humankind Complementation and Completion Plan". (Translated as the "Human Instrumentality Project" in English.) The long expository speech which ensues for absolutely no dramatic purpose then goes on to blab out all the top secrets without anyone threatening or forcing them out. All the stinkeroo about the truth of the digitalization of the world, the truths behind the truths, blah blah blah. Then the deal with the theme of what to pass on to the next generation, how Raiden (the player) must exercise his freedom to choose, of choice, and how it must be earned and not taken for granted, and how one must first search for the true self, and distinguish between what is really true and what the world tells you to be true. Even summarizing about it sounds stinky. And what is this truth you are being told? That's the truth selected for you by The Patriots. The long speeches actually go so far as to heavily feature and publicize and even promote the existence of the shadow organization "The Patriots", which is supposed to be something everyone should be trying to keep secret. If it's such a big secret, why are you telling everyone about it? And selling it hard at that. It's shameless promotion is what it is. It really is hard to sell a load this big without exceeding effort, and it's even harder to hide the fact that you are trying hard to sell it. And this is a hard sell, and Kojima is sure selling it hard. A load is a load, and it is stinky, no matter how hard you try to hide the stink. If what you want is to hide the stink, don't make it so stinky to begin with. Considering the amount of discussion the concept of "The Patriots" led to after the fact, it was a little unsettling to come across the initial conception of the idea: "Did character setting for Solidus. To make Solidus not absolute bad (絶対悪), I had a group of old men called "The Patriots" appear, who runs the federal defense in the shadow." Kojima's diary 1998.11.27. Such an insignificant origin. Another one of those ideas that is more of an excuse than a reason. The Patriots was created to allow Solidus to not be pure bad. Kind of a small thing, I have to say. Kind of small for something that would eventually turn into the biggest thing underlying throughout the entire series. I'll state this outright for the first and only time here. Since the beginning, I have always looked lightly upon the concept of The Patriots. The way I have always saw it, the introduction of The Patriots is the biggest cop out ever. It's the cheapest out there is, and I have always considered it ridiculous and a big joke when people discuss and speculate about it like it's an idea of any significance. In layman's terms, personally I have always thought The Patiots is a stupid idea. Not worthy of anyone putting into it any much thought. But that's just me, and we are all entitled to our own opinions and ideas, no matter how stupid they are. And "ら･り･る･れ･ろ La-li-lu-le-lo"? Seriously? The only reason this term warranted so many unwarranted analyses is because it was so sloppily executed. And one other thing, "meme"? What the hell is that about? It's such a bad contrivance just for the sake of the letter "m", it's more an excuse than a theme. Now had it been "mimeme", it would've been completely different. The game then goes as far as to mold itself into a social commentary about the societal condition of present day. Almost to the point of outrightly mocking its audience, the gamers. The more otaku-conscious the gamer, the more obvious the commentary. This bit is as brilliant as it is condescending. First, the イケメン ikemen mentality, of having an androgynous looking hero, someone like Gackt, who himself is present in the game in the form of a dog tag. Gackt even appeared in one (two?) of the television commercials for MGS2 back in the day. All the experience of which led to his eventual co-creation of that sorry excuse for a video game which I don't even want to recall the name of. Second, the bundle of the non-blood-related younger sister mentality, the メガネっ娘 eye-glasses girl mentality, the 萌え mo-e mentality, and the death purely for the sake of emotional impact mentality. Or EE. The ikemen boy Raiden to accomodate with the flavor of mindless girls. The foster younger sister eye-glasses girl Emma to accomodate with the taste of otaku boys. All of it a part of the concept of サービス, or what Neon Genesis Evangelion (EVA) famously translated as "fan service". At the same time a needless poke making fun of the peoples from these subcultural societal groups. In an interview, Director Kojima said "女の子がキャラがオッサンだからイヤだと言ったから雷電にした Because girls said they didn't like [the game] because the main character is an old man, hence Raiden." Either intentionally or not, Mr Kojima had already betrayed the original core Metal Gear fans. More regarding the character of Emma. A friendless otaku Otacon (オタコン Otakon), who had an incestuous relationship with his adopted mother (義母). Emma's action of wearing her brother's pretend eye-glasses (ダテメガネ date megane). The brother-sister-complex, abbreviated in Japanese as "brocom" (ブラコン burakon), a word with a very strong fetish undertone. Her and her parrot's repeated utterance of the phrase "onii-chan (お兄ちゃん)". Her sibling quarrelings with her brother, along with Rose and Raiden's couple's quarrelings in the midst of a life and potentially world threatening terrorist situation. Both the used-to-death convention of quarreling because of hidden unrequited love. Her voluntary involvement with Metal Gear development to be closer to her brother, and the confession (告白 kokuhaku) at the moment of death. Emma, a character both created and killed by the game producers for the sole purpose of being touching (感動 kandou) for the game player. And maybe to also fill out the storyline's emotional aspect a little bit. All these characteristics, are all very obviously, the standard conventions of the girl game genre (ギャルゲーム) and the ero game genre (エロゲーム). Are these clear imitations for the purpose of attracting gamers of those genres? Or just a screw you to the action adventure genre gamers, who are the core players of the Metal Gear series. Judging by the pre-release promotion philosophy, it must be the latter. Because before the game's release, the Solid Snake fans' desire to play as Solid Snake was fully exploited. The intention was clearly not to attract gamers from other genres, but a screw you to Metal Gear's original fans. And just so the screw you is only said after the gamer purchases the game, the fact was kept a secret, hiding behind the excuse of spoiler-avoiding. A lie disguised as a revelation. A screw you disguised as a dramatic surprise. Is the purchase-inducing facade not an even bigger screw you than the actual screw you itself? The game then even proceeds to pick fights with the player. Raiden : "わからない。これが現実なのかゲームなのか。 I can't tell, whether this is reality or a game." Snake : "現実感の欠如、VR訓練の影響だ。 Insufficient feeling of realism, an effect of VR training." Us gamers already know Raiden is supposed to represent us, and we already know the reality of this mission is just a set up game where we are participating in only as pawns, the game already repeatedly emphasized these things to us, so what now, even the rookie Raiden is taking a shot and making fun of us? He has not earned it. And is Snake's replying lines not him saying screw you to all his fans of MGS? It is the classic argument against this game genre, uttered by Solid Snake himself, half out of assumed humor, and half out of something else. I know I'm not the only one who had that thought flash across the back of his head when he heard that line. How can Snake put down the people who enjoyed his famous mission so? Of course, the AI Colonel has the most to say. 「これは一種のロールプレイングゲームなのだ。任務をシミュレーションどおりに完遂するんだ」「事実、これまで君は我々の提供するフィクションを進んで受け入れ、指示を乞い、言われたとおりに動いてくれた」「シミュレーションゲームのコマであり、兵器である雷電の最後のロールはソリダス(ラスボス)を倒すこと」 We are aware that we are playing a game, we know we are just following an established storyline, there is no need for the game to keep reminding us of how little choice we have in the matter. And then comes the long winded ending, again giving forced speeches to unwilling listeners. All just to emphasize to Raiden (the player) that he did not have the freedom of choice throughout the mission, and that he is a pawn playing a designated role given to him. If this sounds familiar, that's because it's already been said already before already (already in the game and already in this topic). Already. Even Snake says to Raiden, "確かに今回、お前が自分から何かを選ぶことはなかったかも知れん It is true that this time, you might not have made any of the choices yourself." And in the very end, Raiden takes off the dog tags around his own neck, and it shows the engraved name the player inputted at the very beginning of the game, and Snake asks "知ってる名前か？ A name you know?", to which Raiden replies "いや、知らない名前だ No, it's a name I don't know.", and then proceeds to toss it into the faceless crowd. It is discarded. This is the moment Jack (not the player's name), is freed from the chain around his neck, and is liberated from the control of the player. He freed himself from being the playable character. Just wanted to add that the dog tag idea was indeed very cool. It's one of the merits of real time polygon demo over pre-rendered full motion video demo. This act of discarding the dog tags with the player's name, this completes the several-hour-long screw you which is MGS2, down to a capital S. And whether the player realizes it or not, gets a tickle out of it or gets pissed or gets confused, that is exactly Director Kojima's purpose, that's the point he is trying to make. It is the re-enforcement of what Snake just said, "確かに今回、お前が自分から何かを選ぶことはなかったかも知れん。だが、そのあいだにお前が考えたこと、お前が感じたことはお前自身のものだ。それをどうするかはお前次第… It is true that this time, you might not have made any of the choices yourself. However, what you thought about and what you felt during it all, those are your own. And what you choose to make of them is up to you..." And also what the Colonel said, "君自身も君の経験も、君の喜怒哀楽もただの副産物だ。それを作り出し、制御しうることを確かめるのが目的だった。" But the way it's re-enforced, I just don't think I appreciated the way the game threw it in my face. So after playing MGS2, people are to different degrees and in different ways made somewhat shocked and speechless by it. But unless you tried to articulate into concrete thoughts the speechlessness, it might not be completely clear the reason why. Metal Gear Solid 2, is in essence, Director Kojima's million-costing, hundred-people-involving, epic of a "screw you". MGS2, in terms of gameplay and production value, is definitely first rate from beginning to end, no one can dispute that fact. And in terms of a cinema, is a movie whose writer and director made intentionally to say "screw you" to its audiences. It is well made, no doubt, but its message is nevertheless: "Screw you." Lastly, to anyone who actually read in its entirity this boringly long, heavily biased, and unjustifiably self-righteous topic... Screw you too. And for those of you who for some reason liked this topic... Double screw you. 裏 Ura Topic 23

Meaning of Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty

Screw you.
That's right, I said it, MGS2 is a big "screw you" disguised in excellent graphics and gameplay mechanics.

As a video game, Metal Gear Solid 2 both looks and plays extremely well.
But as a cinematic story, Sons of Liberty is a questionable episode in the Metal Gear Saga. It is Director Kojima having too much fun and overly doing anything he wanted.

The most impactful element of MGS2 was the deceit of the identity of the main character. We play Metal Gear "Solid" 2 not as "Solid" Snake, but as an unknown Raiden. A lot of people are dissatisfied by this trickery. On top of that, the trickery of hiding this fact before the game's release, further angered Solid Snake fans. The act of hiding the fact that Solid Snake is not the character we play in the game, it is like baiting Solid Snake fans into buying a game publicized as a Solid Snake game which in fact is not a Solid Snake game. That is false advertising.
We do get a 15 minute long Tanker Chapter as Solid Snake, and the fact that everyone I know replayed that portion of the game more than the Plant Chapter main game undeniably demonstrates something.

The excuse that MGS2 (Big Shell) is an intentional replication exercise of MGS1 (Shadow Moses), though not badly executed, does still leave players with the unsavory aftertaste like there really isn't a new scripted story. It's like a repeat, or a remade movie. Sure, the graphics are better, but the story itself is still essentially the same one. And that's not what this "new" game was publicized to be.

- Raiden = Solid Snake = [main character]
- Dead Cell = Fox Hound = [special forces unit]
- AI Colonel = Colonel Roy Campbell = [mission commander]
- Big Shell fake oil decontamination plant = Shadow Moses fake nuclear waste storage facility = [mission background stage]
- Gurlukovich troop = Genome soldiers = [enemy soldiers]
- Agent Richard Ames = DARPA Chief = [first hostage who dies of heart attack]
- President James Johnson = Arms Tech President = [second hostage who dies]
- Olga Gurlukovich as Ninja = Grey Fox as Cyborg Ninja = [ninja with a hidden identity]
- Ninja as Mr X = Cyborg Ninja as Deep Throat = [anonymous radio support]
- Solid Snake as Iroquois Pliskin = Liquid Snake as Master Miller = [someone in disguise giving advice]
- Mei Ling = Otacon = [game saver who speaks ancient Chinese proverbs]
- Emma Emmerich Danziger = Hal Otacon Emmerich = [Metal Gear designer who pees pants]
- Emma Emmerich = Sniper Wolf = [Otacon's beloved who dies]
- Witnessing Emma stabbed by Vamp = Witnessing Meryl shot by Wolf = [looking at girl injured but can't do anything]
- Emma's blood on the ground = Meryl's blood on the ground = [emotion activator]
- Harrier 2 = Hind D = [airborne enemy boss battle]
- Solidus Snake = Liquid Snake = [last boss with a hidden personal relation with main character]
- Ocean swimming then huge elevator ascent = Ocean swimming then huge elevator ascent = [sneaking in method]
- Demask during the elevator ride = Demask during the elevator ride = [main character's face first revealed]
- 現地調達 Acquisition on location = 現地調達 Acquisition on location = [weapon acquisition method]
- Computer virus = Fox Die virus = [指向性 specified aiming virus]
- Vamp massacre = Cyborg Ninja massacre = [bloody hallway]
- Vulcan Raven's ravens = Fortune's seagulls = [killable birds]
Just a partial list, I'm sure.

Then there's the construction of MGS2 being full of layering and overlapping lies and deceits. Which is the direct cause of many players being confused about the game overall.
The storyline is just filled with too many lies.

- The name Iroquois Pliskin is a lie, the name is really Solid Snake, or David.
- Raiden having never been in real life battle is a lie, he was an exceptional child soldier.
- Otacon's identifications he used to enter Big Shell with the SEALs are fake.
- Peter Stillman's lame leg is a lie.
- The C4 bombs are lies.
- Ames' identity is a lie.
- The President and his presidency are both lies.
- The terrorists asking for 30 billion dollars is a lie.
- The Colonel (and Rose) being real is a lie, he (and she) is AI.
- Fox Hound's existence is a lie.
- Fortune's luck is a lie.
- Solid Snake being dead is a lie.
- Solid Snake being the Big Shell terrorist leader is a lie.
- S3 being "Solid Snake Simulation" is a lie, it is really "Selection for Societal Sanity".
- Otacon lied to Emma about his relationship with her mother.
- Emma's eye-glasses is a lie.
- Rosemary's identity is a lie, she is a spy of the Patriots.
- Rosemary's hair and eye colors are fake.
- Olga's allegiance to Solidus is a lie.
- Solidus lied about being Solid.
- Revolver Ocelot is full of lies.
- The shadow of Vulcan Raven is a lie.
- The USS Discovery tanker sinking is a lie, a second tanker was even sunk at the same spot to increase the believability of the oil spill.
- The tanker itself is a lie, it is a US Navy Carrier disguised as an oil tanker.
- The Big Shell oil decontamination plant is a lie, it is really a facade to hide Arsenal Gear.
Just a partial list, I'm sure.

To put it simply, almost every single thing in the story is a set up, set up to mess with the player's mind.
All of which culminated into the climax which was the Colonel gone mad.

「雷電、今すぐにゲーム機の電源を切るんだ！」
「任務は失敗に終わった！今すぐ電源を切れっ！」
「うろたえるな、これはゲームだ！いつものゲームなんだ」
「長時間プレイすると目がわるくなるわよ」
「ライデン、大変たっ！ＴＶに切り替えてみろ！」
「しかし、ずいぶん長い間ゲームしてるな。他にすることはないのか？まったく…」
「私の我慢にも限度がある。もう君には任せておけん。私が出撃する！君はもう帰れ！！」
「まさか君は不正な手段でインチキなスコアをだそうとはしていないだろうな？それは最悪の行為だぞ。全く…」
「川西能勢口、絹延橋、滝山、鴬の森、皷滝、多田、平野、一の鳥居、畦野、山下、笹部、光風台、ときわ台、妙見口」
「らりるれろ！らりるれろ！！らりるれろ！！！」
「巻き舌宇宙で有名な紫ミミズの剥製はハラキリ岩の上で音叉が生まばたきするといいらしいぞ。要ハサミだ。61！」

Though mostly gags, one can't help but get the feeling that some of what Kojima wanted to say are mixed in and hidden among some of those dialogues.

Back to Raiden, the man who doesn't exist. A soldier created through virtual reality (VR) training. A man who's past and present, and even memories, are controlled and manipulated. Even this current mission, which is a simulation of the Shadow Moses mission, is a part of that control.
The concept repeatedly emphasized to the gamers is that the mission is a simulation, and the simulation is a game.
The point repeatedly emphasized to the gamers is that Raiden is the player.
Every single thing in the mission is set up and planned, programmed for Raiden to participate in only to fulfill a pre-determined role. In other words it is a programmed game set up for the gamer to participate in only to fill in the role pre-decided for him or her.
We who are the players are not in control, but are merely pawns, controlled by Kojima and his gang, his "special force unit" of game programmers.
Like 孫悟空 Sun Wukong in the palm of 釋迦牟尼佛 Shakya Muni Buddha. (西遊記 - Journey To The West, written 1590s.)
It is interesting, usually games try hard to hide this fact from the gamers. MGS2 does the exact opposite.

Then the revelation of the S3 Plan, the "Solid Snake Simulation". A simulation program to create Solid Snake, the strongest soldier, out of anyone. The test drill of which is this mission, a recreation of the Shadow Moses mission, in which anyone who participates can become Solid Snake.
This is an entirely set up situation in which the lone soldier is only playing a part designated to him.
Just like the entirely set up video game, in which the player is only playing as the playable character which is designated to him, whether he likes the character or not. You want to be Solid Snake, you came into the game thinking you will be Solid Snake, but ah-ha, I designate you Raiden, and you will play it just as you're told! Screw what you want or expect.

And then the relevation again of the S3 Plan being in reality not the thing that was just revealed, but is actually "Selection for Societal Sanity" ("社会の思想的健全化のための淘汰 Natural Selection Sifting For The Purpose of Making Societal Logic System More Rounded and Complete").
Or in simpler terms, "mind control".
Indeed a very Evangelion-esque title for a project, I'm not the first to say. One can't help but be reminded of the "人類補完計画 Humankind Complementation and Completion Plan". (Translated as the "Human Instrumentality Project" in English.)

The long expository speech which ensues for absolutely no dramatic purpose then goes on to blab out all the top secrets without anyone threatening or forcing them out.
All the stinkeroo about the truth of the digitalization of the world, the truths behind the truths, blah blah blah.
Then the deal with the theme of what to pass on to the next generation, how Raiden (the player) must exercise his freedom to choose, of choice, and how it must be earned and not taken for granted, and how one must first search for the true self, and distinguish between what is really true and what the world tells you to be true. Even summarizing about it sounds stinky.
And what is this truth you are being told? That's the truth selected for you by The Patriots. The long speeches actually go so far as to heavily feature and publicize and even promote the existence of the shadow organization "The Patriots", which is supposed to be something everyone should be trying to keep secret.
If it's such a big secret, why are you telling everyone about it? And selling it hard at that.
It's shameless promotion is what it is. It really is hard to sell a load this big without exceeding effort, and it's even harder to hide the fact that you are trying hard to sell it. And this is a hard sell, and Kojima is sure selling it hard.
A load is a load, and it is stinky, no matter how hard you try to hide the stink. If what you want is to hide the stink, don't make it so stinky to begin with.

Considering the amount of discussion the concept of "The Patriots" led to after the fact, it was a little unsettling to come across the initial conception of the idea:

"Did character setting for Solidus. To make Solidus not absolute bad (絶対悪), I had a group of old men called "The Patriots" appear, who runs the federal defense in the shadow."
Kojima's diary 1998.11.27.

Such an insignificant origin. Another one of those ideas that is more of an excuse than a reason. The Patriots was created to allow Solidus to not be pure bad. Kind of a small thing, I have to say.
Kind of small for something that would eventually turn into the biggest thing underlying throughout the entire series.

I'll state this outright for the first and only time here.
Since the beginning, I have always looked lightly upon the concept of The Patriots. The way I have always saw it, the introduction of The Patriots is the biggest cop out ever. It's the cheapest out there is, and I have always considered it ridiculous and a big joke when people discuss and speculate about it like it's an idea of any significance.
In layman's terms, personally I have always thought The Patiots is a stupid idea. Not worthy of anyone putting into it any much thought.
But that's just me, and we are all entitled to our own opinions and ideas, no matter how stupid they are.

And "ら･り･る･れ･ろ La-li-lu-le-lo"? Seriously?
The only reason this term warranted so many unwarranted analyses is because it was so sloppily executed.

And one other thing, "meme"? What the hell is that about?
It's such a bad contrivance just for the sake of the letter "m", it's more an excuse than a theme.
Now had it been "mimeme", it would've been completely different.

The game then goes as far as to mold itself into a social commentary about the societal condition of present day. Almost to the point of outrightly mocking its audience, the gamers. The more otaku-conscious the gamer, the more obvious the commentary. This bit is as brilliant as it is condescending.

First, the イケメン ikemen mentality, of having an androgynous looking hero, someone like Gackt, who himself is present in the game in the form of a dog tag. Gackt even appeared in one (two?) of the television commercials for MGS2 back in the day. All the experience of which led to his eventual co-creation of that sorry excuse for a video game which I don't even want to recall the name of.
Second, the bundle of the non-blood-related younger sister mentality, the メガネっ娘 eye-glasses girl mentality, the 萌え mo-e mentality, and the death purely for the sake of emotional impact mentality. Or EE.
The ikemen boy Raiden to accomodate with the flavor of mindless girls.
The foster younger sister eye-glasses girl Emma to accomodate with the taste of otaku boys.
All of it a part of the concept of サービス, or what Neon Genesis Evangelion (EVA) famously translated as "fan service".
At the same time a needless poke making fun of the peoples from these subcultural societal groups.

In an interview, Director Kojima said "女の子がキャラがオッサンだからイヤだと言ったから雷電にした Because girls said they didn't like [the game] because the main character is an old man, hence Raiden."
Either intentionally or not, Mr Kojima had already betrayed the original core Metal Gear fans.

More regarding the character of Emma.
A friendless otaku Otacon (オタコン Otakon), who had an incestuous relationship with his adopted mother (義母).
Emma's action of wearing her brother's pretend eye-glasses (ダテメガネ date megane). The brother-sister-complex, abbreviated in Japanese as "brocom" (ブラコン burakon), a word with a very strong fetish undertone.
Her and her parrot's repeated utterance of the phrase "onii-chan (お兄ちゃん)".
Her sibling quarrelings with her brother, along with Rose and Raiden's couple's quarrelings in the midst of a life and potentially world threatening terrorist situation. Both the used-to-death convention of quarreling because of hidden unrequited love.
Her voluntary involvement with Metal Gear development to be closer to her brother, and the confession (告白 kokuhaku) at the moment of death.
Emma, a character both created and killed by the game producers for the sole purpose of being touching (感動 kandou) for the game player. And maybe to also fill out the storyline's emotional aspect a little bit.

All these characteristics, are all very obviously, the standard conventions of the girl game genre (ギャルゲーム) and the ero game genre (エロゲーム).
Are these clear imitations for the purpose of attracting gamers of those genres? Or just a screw you to the action adventure genre gamers, who are the core players of the Metal Gear series.
Judging by the pre-release promotion philosophy, it must be the latter. Because before the game's release, the Solid Snake fans' desire to play as Solid Snake was fully exploited. The intention was clearly not to attract gamers from other genres, but a screw you to Metal Gear's original fans.

And just so the screw you is only said after the gamer purchases the game, the fact was kept a secret, hiding behind the excuse of spoiler-avoiding. A lie disguised as a revelation. A screw you disguised as a dramatic surprise.
Is the purchase-inducing facade not an even bigger screw you than the actual screw you itself?

The game then even proceeds to pick fights with the player.
Raiden : "わからない。これが現実なのかゲームなのか。 I can't tell, whether this is reality or a game."
Snake : "現実感の欠如、VR訓練の影響だ。 Insufficient feeling of realism, an effect of VR training."
Us gamers already know Raiden is supposed to represent us, and we already know the reality of this mission is just a set up game where we are participating in only as pawns, the game already repeatedly emphasized these things to us, so what now, even the rookie Raiden is taking a shot and making fun of us? He has not earned it.
And is Snake's replying lines not him saying screw you to all his fans of MGS?
It is the classic argument against this game genre, uttered by Solid Snake himself, half out of assumed humor, and half out of something else.
I know I'm not the only one who had that thought flash across the back of his head when he heard that line. How can Snake put down the people who enjoyed his famous mission so?

Of course, the AI Colonel has the most to say.
「これは一種のロールプレイングゲームなのだ。任務をシミュレーションどおりに完遂するんだ」
「事実、これまで君は我々の提供するフィクションを進んで受け入れ、指示を乞い、言われたとおりに動いてくれた」
「シミュレーションゲームのコマであり、兵器である雷電の最後のロールはソリダス(ラスボス)を倒すこと」
We are aware that we are playing a game, we know we are just following an established storyline, there is no need for the game to keep reminding us of how little choice we have in the matter.

And then comes the long winded ending, again giving forced speeches to unwilling listeners. All just to emphasize to Raiden (the player) that he did not have the freedom of choice throughout the mission, and that he is a pawn playing a designated role given to him. If this sounds familiar, that's because it's already been said already before already (already in the game and already in this topic). Already.
Even Snake says to Raiden, "確かに今回、お前が自分から何かを選ぶことはなかったかも知れん It is true that this time, you might not have made any of the choices yourself."

And in the very end, Raiden takes off the dog tags around his own neck, and it shows the engraved name the player inputted at the very beginning of the game, and Snake asks "知ってる名前か？ A name you know?", to which Raiden replies "いや、知らない名前だ No, it's a name I don't know.", and then proceeds to toss it into the faceless crowd. It is discarded.
This is the moment Jack (not the player's name), is freed from the chain around his neck, and is liberated from the control of the player. He freed himself from being the playable character.
Just wanted to add that the dog tag idea was indeed very cool. It's one of the merits of real time polygon demo over pre-rendered full motion video demo.

This act of discarding the dog tags with the player's name, this completes the several-hour-long screw you which is MGS2, down to a capital S. And whether the player realizes it or not, gets a tickle out of it or gets pissed or gets confused, that is exactly Director Kojima's purpose, that's the point he is trying to make.
It is the re-enforcement of what Snake just said, "確かに今回、お前が自分から何かを選ぶことはなかったかも知れん。だが、そのあいだにお前が考えたこと、お前が感じたことはお前自身のものだ。それをどうするかはお前次第… It is true that this time, you might not have made any of the choices yourself. However, what you thought about and what you felt during it all, those are your own. And what you choose to make of them is up to you..."
And also what the Colonel said, "君自身も君の経験も、君の喜怒哀楽もただの副産物だ。それを作り出し、制御しうることを確かめるのが目的だった。"
But the way it's re-enforced, I just don't think I appreciated the way the game threw it in my face.

So after playing MGS2, people are to different degrees and in different ways made somewhat shocked and speechless by it.
But unless you tried to articulate into concrete thoughts the speechlessness, it might not be completely clear the reason why.
Metal Gear Solid 2, is in essence, Director Kojima's million-costing, hundred-people-involving, epic of a "screw you".

MGS2, in terms of gameplay and production value, is definitely first rate from beginning to end, no one can dispute that fact.
And in terms of a cinema, is a movie whose writer and director made intentionally to say "screw you" to its audiences.
It is well made, no doubt, but its message is nevertheless:

"Screw you."

Lastly, to anyone who actually read in its entirity this boringly long, heavily biased, and unjustifiably self-righteous topic...
Screw you too.

And for those of you who for some reason liked this topic...
Double screw you.

裏 Ura Topic 23

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