I might be asking a lot but...please explain Metal Gear Solid to me

[happyninja42]

Ok so, I played the first MGS, and liked it. And played the 2nd one...and tilted my head like the RCA dog, and never looked back at the series.

So, understandably I'm a little "behind the times" with this series but, MGS 5, unshockingly is confusing me. I'm not playing it, I'm just seeing people talk about it. But the guy, who looks exactly like Solid Snake, is always being called Big Boss. I remember Big Boss being someone else...and apparently a woman at one point?

What the fuck is up with this game? Is the poster boy for the game Solid Snake or Big Boss? Did Snake just take the new codename, and now calls himself Big Boss? I heard people talking about this being the story of Big Bosses decent into villainy, so is it a prequel? Is is Snake, now Boss, now going bad guy?

Please make Hideo Kajima makes sense!! Good luck with that!!

Seriously though, in a summary, the fuck is up with this game?


EDIT
I have my answer to my question. Thanks to everyone who helped make sense of the crazy.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

I'm not sure its possible. I haven't played 5 either, but I just treat each Metal Gear game like a comic book run. Each run is 100% separate from the others unless they specifically reference it. And it seems to work. When there are plot holes, I just assume its not a hole. And when magical unicorns eat zombies, I just shrug. The words I use to describe that scene makes sense, as in they are literal words, and that's as far and Hideo and I are concerned.

As far as understanding the plot...well smoke weed equal to your weight, then watch a back-to-back marathon of Clear and Present Danger, 8 random episodes of My Little Pony, Army of Darkness and top it all off with the MST3K commentary of The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies .
As far as I can tell that should sum up Metal Gear's history perfectly.

 

[leberkaese]

Spoiler: Spoiler, duh

First of all, the Metal Gear games aren't released in order. MGS5 takes place after MGS 3 and MGS: Peace Walker. And it takes place right before the very first Metal Gear game

"Boss" is a woman that was the antagonist from MGS3 - at least it seemed that way. Big Boss (aka. Naked Snake; from MGS5) was mentored by boss. As he proved to be a far better soldier than Boss he got the name "Big Boss".

Big Boss was cloned afterwards. Three clones have been created: Liquid Snake, Solid Snake and Solidus Snake. The best known Snake probably is Solid Snake - you play as him in Metal Gear 1 and 2 and Metal Gear Solid 1, 2 and 4. Also, and probably most important for many people you play as him in Super Smash Bros.!

Edit: Order of Metal Gear: Metal Gear Solid 3 -> Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker -> Metal Gear Solid 5 Ground Zeroes and Phantom Pain -> Metal Gear 1 -> Metal Gear 2 -> Metal Gear Solid 1 -> Metal Gear Solid 2 -> Metal Gear Solid 4 -> Metal Gear Rising (I probably forgot some minor titles)

 

[SmugFrog]

Your best bet for getting caught up is watching the Metal Gear Movies that are on YouTube. Someone compiled together segments of gameplay and cutscenes so you can digest the story. I did this for Peace Walker, which I never played, and Metal Gear Solid 3, which is one of my favorites but I want to see that awesome story again.

Metal Gear is kind of a convoluted plot that's just... strange. I still believe Metal Gear Solid 2's story was just stupid. Everything about the ending was just off. If you'd like to know more about that - or argue it with me - I'd be happy to tell you why. Fortunately, anything that happened in #2 isn't necessary (or even #1) to know before playing Phantom Pain.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I still believe Metal Gear Solid 2's story was just stupid.

What's so intelligent about any other Metal Gear game?

 

[SmugFrog]

I still believe Metal Gear Solid 2's story was just stupid.

What's so intelligent about any other Metal Gear game?

Ok, well, I've always admired the level of detail that Kojima strives for with military terms and procedures. He tosses out acronyms that sound made up, but if you do some research (some) are actual organizations and procedures for control of the military. Snake Eater is my favorite, as it's a move away from the silliness and strangeness that was #2's plot and was at it's core a heartbreaking story about a special ops guy sent to kill his mentor - and save the world in the process. All while taking place in a semi-factual cold-war era world. #4 went so far off the rails into crazy-town that it was just kind of... "Yeah, that's Kojima."

A lot of games with such convoluted intertwined plots result in a lot of plot holes - but Kojima seems to tie these in really well like when

Spoiler: Metal Gear Solid 1 Spoiler

Master Miller is talking to Snake, but you can hear the helicopter Liquid (as an imposter Miller) is using in the background.

Little details like that are cool that he thought about it and put it into the game. Otherwise... Yeah Metal Gear games you just kind of have to stop and go, "Yeah, it's a Kojima game..."

 

[happyninja42]

The original Metal Gear's and MGS's 1, 2 and 4 star Solid Snake BB's son/clone.

Big Boss is the main character in Metal Gear Solid's 3, Portable Ops, Peace Walker and 5, a prequel series showing how he went from talented soldier to bad guy. He was trained by the Boss who was a women, Big Boss wasn't a women at anypoint (not that I know of anyway)

Explaing anything else would be pointless, if your truly interested in it then I suggest picking up one of the games, I could explain the plot and what happens, but it makes no sense at all. I'd just be typing out a bunch of gibbering bollocks, but when your experiencing it through the games it's alot of fun it you allow yourself to get swept up in the madness of it all.

Like Silentpony says, treat each game like a comic book run with it's own story with nods to previous games for fans.

Well like I said in my original post, I've played MGS 1 and 2, but 2 was so batshit crazy that I just shook my head and walked away from it when the credits began rolling. My only confusion was why everyone kept referring to the guy who looked and sounded exactly like Solid Snake, as Big Boss, when the Big Boss I knew from the two previous games looked way different. And then there was Boss who was a woman, when I saw people talking about MGS 3. I assumed that it was some gender swapping scientific experiment or something that Big Boss did, because he always wanted to be a woman or something. Given how insane these games are, that seemed totally reasonable to me. But I get it now. Boss was different person from Big Boss, who was cloned to make the Snake I know, which explains why they look the same for MGS 5. And MGS 5 is a prequel. I grok fully now.

Though I do wonder why he has a fucking horn?

 

[ryan_cs]

Though I do wonder why he has a fucking horn?

That's just a large piece of shrapnel stuck in his head from the helicopter crash that sent him to the coma at the begining.

 

[happyninja42]

Though I do wonder why he has a fucking horn?

That's just a large piece of shrapnel stuck in his head from the helicopter crash that sent him to the coma at the begining.

......okaaaay. xD How thematically convenient.

 

[EternallyBored]

Though I do wonder why he has a fucking horn?

That's just a large piece of shrapnel stuck in his head from the helicopter crash that sent him to the coma at the begining.

It also grows or shrinks depending on actions you take in the game and is tied to a hidden "demon meter", as well as being stated right after the prologue that it's pressing on his optical nerve so may be causing hallucinations as well.

Spoiler: minor gameplay mechanic spoilers

You also end up permanently covered in blood with the shrapnel looking like a huge curved horn if you ever max that meter out, either by killing people or building a nuke. You can make the horn shrink by visiting all the animals you've kidnapped in your private oil derrick zoo or by kidnapping African children via balloons.

So even supposedly simple things tend to end up being weird in MGS games.

edit: sorry, forgot the spoiler tags

 

[SmugFrog]

I used to think that too. Superbunny Hop however did a really cool video about it where he helped explain what Kojima was trying to say about censoring information and what deserves to be passed on which cleared up alot of stuff. Not saying that the story isn't a bit daft but I appreciate it more now.

Oh no, I totally agree with that about Kojima's message. That's pretty obvious through the whole dialogue there at the end and throughout as they have these... lectures to the audience through their codec conversations and so on.

My biggest gripe about all of it, in the end, is...

Spoiler: The End Battle and Ending

Arsenal Gear drives into downtown New York City. The whole crew has a philosophical discussion. People walk by these special ops guys, that have just fought and killed a former president, going to work like nothing out of ordinary has happened. Rose even shows up. It's just over the top stupid IMO.

 

[LauriAJ]

You're Snake who gets send out for a mission with nary a weapon to your name. Anything else you would like to know?

 

[gargantual]

Ok so, I played the first MGS, and liked it. And played the 2nd one...and tilted my head like the RCA dog, and never looked back at the series.

So, understandably I'm a little "behind the times" with this series but, MGS 5, unshockingly is confusing me. I'm not playing it, I'm just seeing people talk about it. But the guy, who looks exactly like Solid Snake, is always being called Big Boss. I remember Big Boss being someone else...and apparently a woman at one point?

What the fuck is up with this game? Is the poster boy for the game Solid Snake or Big Boss? Did Snake just take the new codename, and now calls himself Big Boss? I heard people talking about this being the story of Big Bosses decent into villainy, so is it a prequel? Is is Snake, now Boss, now going bad guy?

Please make Hideo Kajima makes sense!! Good luck with that!!

Seriously though, in a summary, the fuck is up with this game?

Solid snake is a clone from Big Boss. Part of part of fictional cold war secret genetic experiment to mass rollout efficient army units comprised of soliders possessing all the traits needed to qualify the greatest solider. I.E. big boss

Big Boss became the old snake's codename in memory of his mentor back in the 60s.

 

[Marik2]

Ok so, I played the first MGS, and liked it. And played the 2nd one...and tilted my head like the RCA dog, and never looked back at the series.

So, understandably I'm a little "behind the times" with this series but, MGS 5, unshockingly is confusing me. I'm not playing it, I'm just seeing people talk about it. But the guy, who looks exactly like Solid Snake, is always being called Big Boss. I remember Big Boss being someone else...and apparently a woman at one point?

What the fuck is up with this game? Is the poster boy for the game Solid Snake or Big Boss? Did Snake just take the new codename, and now calls himself Big Boss? I heard people talking about this being the story of Big Bosses decent into villainy, so is it a prequel? Is is Snake, now Boss, now going bad guy?

Please make Hideo Kajima makes sense!! Good luck with that!!

Seriously though, in a summary, the fuck is up with this game?

The timeline of the game spans from 1960 to somewhere around 2020 and it has two different eras: Big Boss and Solid Snake. Both of them are like the same guy, but they grew up in different time periods.

The reason for the convoluted story is cuz the guy wanted to quit after the 2nd game and leave it ambiguous, but he decided to continue and try to tie everything together.

People like it cuz its insane and Kojima does whatever he wants.

 

[Marik2]

I used to think that too. Superbunny Hop however did a really cool video about it where he helped explain what Kojima was trying to say about censoring information and what deserves to be passed on which cleared up alot of stuff. Not saying that the story isn't a bit daft but I appreciate it more now.

Oh no, I totally agree with that about Kojima's message. That's pretty obvious through the whole dialogue there at the end and throughout as they have these... lectures to the audience through their codec conversations and so on.

My biggest gripe about all of it, in the end, is...

Spoiler: The End Battle and Ending

Arsenal Gear drives into downtown New York City. The whole crew has a philosophical discussion. People walk by these special ops guys, that have just fought and killed a former president, going to work like nothing out of ordinary has happened. Rose even shows up. It's just over the top stupid IMO.

Spoiler

That part was suppose to show how ambiguous the whole experience was and making you ask if Raiden was in the matrix or not. It could have worked considering how people sometimes carry on their lives and are usually filled with apathy when something important happens.

 

[omega 616]

But the guy, who looks exactly like Solid Snake, is always being called Big Boss. I remember Big Boss being someone else...and apparently a woman at one point?

What the fuck is up with this game? Is the poster boy for the game Solid Snake or Big Boss? Did Snake just take the new codename, and now calls himself Big Boss? I heard people talking about this being the story of Big Bosses decent into villainy, so is it a prequel? Is is Snake, now Boss, now going bad guy?

Oh god, where to start ...

There was a woman called "boss", she trained a guy called snake. After the events of 3, snake got promoted to big boss. Snake was considered the best solider ever, so (and I forget who) decided to make 3 clones ... Solid snake, Liquid and solidus snake.

SO! In MGS you play as solid snake, in 2 you play as solid snake (then raiden), in 3 you play as big boss, in 4 you play as solid snake and in 5 you play as big boss (also in peacewalker) ... hope i got the right 'cos trying to remember MGS plot line is like trying to memorise pie to a thousand places, you can do it but fuck me!

If you want a game to really bend your head, play MGS4 ... as an MGS fanboy that shit broke my mind, especially when you talk to "big mama".

As for taking new code names, they just do that to make it even harder to follow ... like I said in, in MGS5 you play as big boss but in the game his code name is "venom snake".

If you want a taste of the MGS story and how dense it is ...

https://uk.games.konami-europe.com/posts/From-Jack-to-Venom-The-Story-of-Metal-Gear-Solid

 

[Areloch]

Ok so, I played the first MGS, and liked it. And played the 2nd one...and tilted my head like the RCA dog, and never looked back at the series.

So, understandably I'm a little "behind the times" with this series but, MGS 5, unshockingly is confusing me. I'm not playing it, I'm just seeing people talk about it. But the guy, who looks exactly like Solid Snake, is always being called Big Boss. I remember Big Boss being someone else...and apparently a woman at one point?

What the fuck is up with this game? Is the poster boy for the game Solid Snake or Big Boss? Did Snake just take the new codename, and now calls himself Big Boss? I heard people talking about this being the story of Big Bosses decent into villainy, so is it a prequel? Is is Snake, now Boss, now going bad guy?

Please make Hideo Kajima makes sense!! Good luck with that!!

Seriously though, in a summary, the fuck is up with this game?

While you should probably play all of them, as there's shoutouts and stuff to preceding games, in regards to the timeline, MGS5 is 3rd.

MGS3, then a few years later, Peace Walker, then MGS5(Ground Zeroes then the Phantom Pain,

Spoiler

these two being separated by nearly a decade due to the helicopter crash at the end of Ground Zeroes

)

Baseline story synopsis for JUST these games, to get you to speed:

Metal Gear Solid 3:

Spoiler

It's set in the tailing edge of the cold war. One of Russia's top rocket scientists, Sokolov, requests Asylum in the US because he's become afraid of the weapons he's been forced to develop for the Russians. There was an attempt several years prior, but it in the end failed due to political machinations.

So, Naked Snake is sent in to recover him and get him back to the states. He finds Sokolov and goes to get him out but is stopped by The Boss and her Cobra Unit. Boss was his mentor and is basically known as the Mother of the US' special forces and was a major player in stopping WW2. Pretty much the definition of a war hero.

Unfortunately, it turns out she's defecting to the Soviet Union and is giving the big bad, Volgin, some mini nukes alongside taking Sokolov from Naked Snake. She beats him up and Volgin, being the big bad, uses one of the mini nukes to blow up Sokolov's old facility.

N. Snake goes back to America to heal, while the Russians threaten the US with nuclear war because of the nuke that went off. N.Snake has to sneak back into Russia, recover Sokolov, take out the Boss and her Cobra unit as well as Volgin.

And...well, he does that. He meets up with a Sexy Spy Lady Eva who helps him out along the way and he accomplishes his objective. He also runs into another scientist, Granin, who's pissed Sokolov is getting all the attention and plans to send his plans to a friend of his in America for a bipedal tank as a screw-you to Volgin.

In the end though, he gets duped, as Eva was a Chinese spy there to steal Volgin's stupid amounts of money, so she left, but not before informing N.Snake that that was the REAL reason the Boss defected. Unfortunately, Volgin's nuke deal screwed everything up so she got to play the fall guy and get assassinated to stop World War 3 from occuring.

All so America could have a lot of money and a new scientist or two. For his effort in being the gunman in a giant coverup operation and getting the US quite a lot of cash, N. Snake is award the title of 'Big Boss' for murdering The Boss, his mentor - stay classy CIA!

Unsurprisingly, he was rather displeased by this. Also Ocelot was a double agent posing as a Russian trooper as well, because that's pretty much just what he does in every game in the series)

Peace Walker

Spoiler

So partially due to the brouhaha around MGS3, and also a rather large falling out between him and his used-to-be-friends on his support team from MGS3(something about cloning him behind his back) Big Boss quits the US and goes off to try and follow his vision of what The Boss would have wanted, a place where soldiers can be soldiers, without threat of getting backstabbed by their government due to political BS.

So he teams up with a friend of his, Kaz Miller and they form MSF - Soldiers without Nations - and chum around in South America doing odd job soldier working.

They get approached by a Professor at a university and a student who are pissed that the CIA is funneling soldiers into their country for some reason, and go to hire MSF to kick them out. To further peak their interest, the professor has a cassette tape recording of someone that sounds like The Boss.

Turns out the US troops are smuggling nukes into the country for some reason, and while following that trail and keeping on the whole 'WTF is this The Boss recording business' BB hooks up with local rebels and comes across a development facility. There he meets Huey Emmerich, Otacon's dad, as well as several other somewhat important people.

He finds out that one of the guys that was originally behind the whole crapfest of MGS3 got kicked out because his plan was awful and nearly started WW3, and to try and get back into graces, is inventing a new nuclear war prevention system.

Dubbed Peace Walker, it's a "Fail Deadly" system, in that in the event that someone threatens nuclear war, Peace Walker, driven by an AI will be capable of retaliating completely autonomously. Given that it will retalliate against any nuclear threats, it acts as a third party MAD threat. Given that it's a self-mobile platform, it's impossible to properly destroy it pre-emptively making it a potentially good deterrent.

Turns out that the professor guy was a KGB agent and hes' there to take Peace Walker for Russia, and shoots Coldman, the director guy. His plan is to intentionally incite a war between the US and South America so Russia can step in and play the hero winning over all of South America. He plans to do this by using Peace Walker to shoot a nuke at MSF's home base which is off the coast of South America, destroying MSF and inciting the war in one fell swoop.

Unfortunately, Coldman, decided that the best way to prove his point that humans won't ever risk nuclear war if they're sure to be retaliated against, he decided to retool Peace Walker's AI system so it would feed false data to NORAD, to convince the US that nukes are inbound.

NORAD is dangerously close to launching a nuclear retaliatory strike in reponse to the fake data, but BB calls in some favors and gets patched into the command room to the presiding general and talks him down(as he had been one of the guys at BB's award ceremony).

Having stopped another nuclear holocaust, BB pretty much says 'screw everything, I'm doing my own crap from now on for sure' and plans to build his own secret nuclear countermeasure so no one could try the 'nuke BB and his guys off the earth' again and uses parts recovered from the Peace Walker program to build their own Metal Gear, Zeke, in secret.

Unfortunately, turns out that the student the professor guy had brought was an American agent working for Cipher, a black ops program, and hijacks Zeke with the intent of using it to start an incident and make BB and the MSF world villians. BB fights Zeke, blows it up and Paz, the student is tossed into the ocean and thought dead.

This causes BB and Kaz to plan to use MSF to fight back against Cipher, which tried to destroy them.

That's the major plot threads that lead up to MGS Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain. Again, all this proceeds Metal Gear 1, with Phantom Pain detailing Big Boss' decent into villainy. Obviously these are the rough cliffnotes, and a lot more small details go on, but that should give you a rough understanding of what goes on if you wanted to get into MGS5 or whatnot.

 

[SmugFrog]

snip

Yeah I... couldn't decide if it was trying to be real or not. I mean the whole thing has that whole trapped in the matrix feel to it. It's just so odd. I've watched hour long analysis videos about it and still left scratching my head. It really goes far down the rabbit hole.