What's your opinion on the Metal Gear franchise?

[Drizzitdude]

I really do like almost all of the games. I especially liked the raiden spinoff 'rising'.

 

[Hemingslay]

One thing I still appreciate about the series is that, gameplay wise, it trusts players to overcome obstacles on their own. It gives you a bunch of tools to work with and sets you loose in scenarios where, for the most part, various combinations of stealth and action are all equally valid. If it were made by a different company today the series would have one contextual "gadgets" button which would flash onscreen whenever you need to hide in a cardboard box or detect lasers with cigarettes or freeze bombs with cooling spray...

MGS2 is the first in the series I played, and it blew me away at the time. Comparatively serious tone, broad important-sounding ideas... And I have really fond memories of MGS3.

But I got the HD Remakes not too long ago. And while I've been enjoying Peace Walker so far it's... wow, is it goofy. My teenage self did not pick up how utterly bizarre so much of the series is. "This is a 16 year old war refugee who looks like an anime princess! And she's crossed paths with actual revolutionary groups that really existed in real life! And if you hold R1 now her clothes disappear so she's in her underwear for some reason! Shit, look out, singing robot-drones!"

If they ever make a Metal Gear movie they need to run the script through Google Translate half a dozen times, then have it directed by a mescalin-filled David Lynch. And I absolutely mean that as a compliment.

 

[SmallHatLogan]

Can't say I'm a fan. Not surprising though as I'm not into stealth games in general. I played Metal Gear and somehow managed to finish it despite finding it incredibly frustrating. I guess I have to give it points for compelling me to play it when by all rights I should have just given up. I thought the way they worked the plot twist into the gameplay was kind of cool.

I played a few hours of Metal Gear Solid and lost interest. The bosses I encountered where quite interesting but overall I just wasn't enjoying myself. And those characters just wouldn't shut the hell up. I don't have a problem with dialogue heavy games but I just didn't care about what they had to say. I didn't encounter much of the crazyness that the series is known for but I think I would probably like it. I am considering giving Revengeance a go if I can find it cheap.

 

[GundamSentinel]

I'm in the "love it" segment, but I must say that the Metal Gear franchise has some serious problems.

Hand me a placard and ship me to Camp Hate.

- Yeah, the controls are shit on a stick. But I can deal with that. As a youngster I played console games that were ported to PC, then ported to Mac. I grew up on shitty controls. It generally takes controls that are downright non-functional to drive me away. Controls are the least of my problems with MGS.

Agreed.

- The tonal inconsistency. "Look, looook, people are dying! It's all so damn tragic! Cry, damn you! Now laugh, that grown man just did a shit in his pants! Is that not hilarious?! So laugh!" The serious stuff is fatally undermined by the so called humour and the humour could be generously described as childish.

While I agree that the humour in the MGS series is often childish, even when it's not actually in fart-joke territory, I wouldn't call it tonal inconsistency. MGS is serious when it has to be serious and light-hearted when it can be light-hearted. For example, MGS3 has a decent supply of frankly stupid humour, but several scenes, including the ending, still stand out to me as a great pieces of story-telling. The same can be said of the other games. I could argue that the inclusion of humour might strengthen the impact of the general plot, even while I seriously question the type of humour used. Probably a Japanese thing...

- The dialogue. Oh my fucking god the dialogue. Maybe in the original Japanese it's pure gold. I wouldn't know. But the English at least is unadulterated garbage. Needlessly long winded drivel that sputters on and on and on and fucking on without either getting to the point or expressing the personality of the characters. It confounds me that the scripts manage to get through development without someone doing a double take and calling in the editing equivalent of a SWAT team. Only in video games (and perhaps direct-to-video movies) could this shit reach production. I guess that's what "auteur" means: nobody is willing to point out that the emperor is busily drinking his own urine.

No argument there. I'd hazard a guess that that's partly a consequence of being a Japanese game (many anime series I know suffer from the exact same problem), but Kojima is probably the main cause. For rubbish dialogue as a consequence of the director I'd also like to refer to the Star Wars prequels. Good God.

- On top of it all, I never found the gameplay any better than slightly below average. Definitely not worth wading through the rest. I never got any more than halfway through a MGS game, if that.

Matter of taste, but I think that any game with stealth mechanics walks the line between fun and obnoxious. For me Metal Gear is firmly on the right side, but I can completely understand why others would disagree.

I can kind of get that people enjoy the wackiness and the series undeniably has a way with cool details and hidden easter eggs. You certainly couldn't call it bland or design-by-committee. But I will never in a hundred years understand why people consider it some kind of sacred classic.

Now, press R1 to look up my skirt, lads. Teeheehee.

It is the wackiness, it is the details and the eastereggs. But it is also a big story that tries to tackle some big philosophical questions about war, government, humanity and many things besides. Does it tackle them awkwardly and often obnoxiously? Maybe. But it works for some people. It is a game series that often lives by 'rule of cool'. Cool characters, cool tech, and a way of creating a mythos surrounding itself. Whether or not that mythos is earned, doesn't matter that much anymore.

I can see why many people are thrown off by the zaniness and awful humour, but the series has much more to offer.

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

snip

Its my favourite franchise of all time.

I say that without blinking every time I'm asked this question.

Most people who hate the game have never played one for very long.

I also love it because its one of the last few franchises that doesn't railroad players or holds their hand. And the story is just Hideo Kojima's way of saying "I LOVE AMERICAN ACTION WAR CINEMA."

 

[suitepee7]

eh, i'm torn to be honest. i love the first 3 for the gameplay, and basic story idea. however the way the story is told is fucking awful. i hate the fact that if you want to follow the story, you have to sit through hours and hours of dialogue and cutscenes. i just want to play the game! the only one i could put up with it in was the first game, but that's because i played it so damn much anyway if i skipped shit i didn't really notice, i could fill in the blanks.

the soundtracks should not be forgotten either. i can't speak for the second (my least played out of the first 3), but 3 and especially 1 have awesome OSTs. the psycho mantis theme is still one of my favourites in any videogame ever.

but the boss battles are where the game really stands out IMO, they've always been unique and interesting since the beginning, with the highlights being in the 3rd one personally.

but i really cannot stand the dialogue (to the point where i've bailed on the series, unless they start releasing the games on PC again at least), and i fucking hated the camo system in MGS3. it's good IN THEORY, in reality.... "ah, up against this tree i have 89% camo, now i move slightly to the right behind this other tree and... fuck, down to 47%, best go through several menu screens to improve my camo for a few more seconds." MGS4 improved this, a lot, but i was not a fan of that game in general really.

 

[Madame_Lawliet]

LOVE 'EM!
love 'em, love 'em, love 'em, love 'em, love 'em!
Metal Gear is probably my second favorite franchise behind Fallout, with the possible exception of the "Shock" games (EG: System and Bio). I know Hideo Kojima's writing style is a little odd for some people, and I certainly can't fault them for that, it really is very much a matter of personal preference. Even I'll admit there's something distinctly off about the idea of fighting a giant octopus robot thing, which turns into a woman in skin tight clothing whom will dance to Hatsune Miku if you take your ipod out, and then finding out she was subject to unspeakable torture as a child just before a cut scene with a monkey in a diaper drinking soda. That's just what I love about the Metal Gears though, the fact that Hideo Kojima is a truly, truly insane man.

And when I say that, I don't mean insane like Suda 51 who wears it on his sleeve and builds his who brand around it, I don't mean insane like Tim Shafer who just likes allot of crazy shit and loves to mix it all into his games, I mean I truly, genuinely, un-ironically fear for his mental health. The man writes a story about nukes being smuggled into Costa Rica and fills it full of Dinosaurs and Tank boxes, he has multiple plot points in which the story is broken because the characters become aware that they are in a video game, he programmed a boss fight in which you can win by turning off your console and waiting two weeks for the boss to die of old age. These are not things a sane individual does, it's bizarre, it's incomprehensible, and good goddess if it isn't entertaining as all hell!

With most games I buy them with a general idea as to what is going to be on that disk or in that download, sure there might be some surprises but they'll make logical sense through some context. Even Suda 51 games usually stick to those parameters, indeed they're THE MOST consistent in tone, I know exactly what I'm getting from that loony (no disrespect to Suda, I love the guy). But Kojima? I never know what to expect, is this going to be a serious game or a silly game, and when will the serious bits end and the silly bits begin, usually they overlap unpredictably and all I can do is just watch in awe at the spectacle of the whole thing. It's just something you don't get from many other games.

And I know that the writing isn't very good, oh I agree that it's downright AWFUL most of the time, characters motivations and alignments are rarely made clear, plot holes are covered up with more plot holes, and I've never seen retcons used so liberally anywhere else in fiction. But all that just makes me love it all the more, it's got a slow motion train-wreck appeal to it that I can't really put into words. The fact that it's also a blast to play and continually rewards exploration and out-thinking your enemies (which is my favorite kind of game) is just icing on the cake.

Oh and little note here, even though I consider myself a fan I don NOT support this crap Kojima is pulling with Ground Zeroes, that thing is a payed advertisement and it needs to be five bucks TOPS.

 

[The Wykydtron]

Hand me a placard and ship me to Camp Hate.

- Yeah, the controls are shit on a stick. But I can deal with that. As a youngster I played console games that were ported to PC, then ported to Mac. I grew up on shitty controls. It generally takes controls that are downright non-functional to drive me away. Controls are the least of my problems with MGS.

- The tonal inconsistency. "Look, looook, people are dying! It's all so damn tragic! Cry, damn you! Now laugh, that grown man just did a shit in his pants! Is that not hilarious?! So laugh!" The serious stuff is fatally undermined by the so called humour and the humour could be generously described as childish.

- The dialogue. Oh my fucking god the dialogue. Maybe in the original Japanese it's pure gold. I wouldn't know. But the English at least is unadulterated garbage. Needlessly long winded drivel that sputters on and on and on and fucking on without either getting to the point or expressing the personality of the characters. It confounds me that the scripts manage to get through development without someone doing a double take and calling in the editing equivalent of a SWAT team. Only in video games (and perhaps direct-to-video movies) could this shit reach production. I guess that's what "auteur" means: nobody is willing to point out that the emperor is busily drinking his own urine.

- On top of it all, I never found the gameplay any better than slightly below average. Definitely not worth wading through the rest. I never got any more than halfway through a MGS game, if that.

I can kind of get that people enjoy the wackiness and the series undeniably has a way with cool details and hidden easter eggs. You certainly couldn't call it bland or design-by-committee. But I will never in a hundred years understand why people consider it some kind of sacred classic.

Now, press R1 to look up my skirt, lads. Teeheehee.

Have you ever played Revengeance? AKA the only good Metal Gear game? Sure the plot is still... Wonky at times (brains?) but it is good, or at least entertaining to watch and you really have to try to find the out of place sexy bits. The dialogue is actually good and significantly less long winded and the gameplay is amazing. Platinum Games prove to be the best thing ever yet again. You know how the last bits of any Metal Gear game is like an hour of the last boss talking at you before a fight? Revengeance does that too... and it's awesome

Well that gave away my entire view on the Metal Gear franchise. I do like the concept behind MGS3 but the gameplay is just so god awful and the cutscenes aren't even that entertaining unless one of better villains is heavily involved (Ocelot) and MGS2 doesn't even exist as far as i'm concerned. The only hour or two of legit "fun" gameplay in MGS2 gets made irrelevant because fuck Vamp you annoying, overpowered piece of shit.

Basically I WANT to like Metal Gear but the gameplay is a brick wall and MGS2 made the worst impression on me. I have no idea why I went through to finish it, I suppose I was waiting for things to get good because people say this is good right? Things improve later right?

 

[Senare]

I have never played any of the games. Therefore my whole opinion is formed from second hand opinions.

The games seem very inventive, both in a technical sense and in an attention to detail. Especially MGS2 is the best example of subtlety and meta-commentary I have encountered among video games. Although I am not sure I would find them fun to play, and the cut-scenes must be unnecessarily tedious.

But the biggest point I would like to make about the franchise is that I think that Kojima should not be pressured nor obliged to put any more time into the MGS franchise at all. What I have seen implies that he is (or has been) a hostage to fan- and company demands to produce more Metal Gear games almost against his will (I guess that it is a love/hate-relationship by this point). Not only is that a short-sighted waste of talent, but it has probably already deprived us of many excellent games.

 

[DEAD34345]

It's probably my favourite game series full stop. Most logical parts of my brain seem to tell me that everyone one of those games should really be unbelievably terrible, but somehow they're just not, they're incredible. My current working hypothesis is that Hideo Kojima's insanity is contagious, and transmissible through the form of video-games somehow. He could probably hand me a cardboard box, write "nano-machines" on it, and I'd declare it the greatest game ever made.

Kojima definitely seems to be secret ingredient, because Revengeance didn't manage to hit any of the same notes at all. It was a fun game and all, but come on, it didn't even have special stair walking animations. That's like the most important part.

 

[Exhuminator]

I can only offer opinions on the games I've actually finished:

Metal Gear Solid (PS1)
I played this when it was released, and it was mindblowing, a true evolution for the medium.

Metal Gear Solid 2 (PS2)
A trolling pile of ego wankery, self aware to the point of mockery and disservice to the player, it sucked.

Metal Gear Solid 3 (PS2)
Played the Subsistence version of this, and I loved it. Amazing gameplay, amazing graphics, excellent story, the best game in the series I've played so far.

Metal Gear AC!D (PSP)
An interesting experiment marred by illogical game design at times, hit and miss in the fun department.

Metal Gear AC!D 2 (PSP)
Fixes nearly everything wrong with the first game, much more logical game design, a fun strategy game for sure.

Metal Gear Portable Ops (PSP)
Underrated fun game, really great atmosphere, building up your little army is addictive.

And that's all I've played. Overall I greatly enjoy the Metal Gear series, it's a franchise wrought from ambition that always strives for greater goals than the vast majority of its peers.

 

[AnthrSolidSnake]

Well, it's already on of my favorite game series ever, so it would be impossible to convince me there's a true, "bad" game in the series. Criticisms I've seen are petty at best, being triumphed over by games people love.

The humor never feels like it forced. It's barely there, and it hardly ever ruins the context of the game unless you let it.

Controls are indeed awkward for new players, but they aren't bad. The only problem I have is the lack of movement when aiming in first person.

And really, people complain about the story, but do you REALLY want just another bland, war story? No, you don't, so why are you complaining when a game series surrounded by war tries to change the way the story is told?

They are not perfect games, but there's no real reason to hate them.

 

[Kopikatsu]

I have never played any of the games. Therefore my whole opinion is formed from second hand opinions.

The games seem very inventive, both in a technical sense and in an attention to detail. Especially MGS2 is the best example of subtlety and meta-commentary I have encountered among video games. Although I am not sure I would find them fun to play, and the cut-scenes must be unnecessarily tedious.

But the biggest point I would like to make about the franchise is that I think that Kojima should not be pressured nor obliged to put any more time into the MGS franchise at all. What I have seen implies that he is (or has been) a hostage to fan- and company demands to produce more Metal Gear games almost against his will (I guess that it is a love/hate-relationship by this point). Not only is that a short-sighted waste of talent, but it has probably already deprived us of many excellent games.

Many creators are Japan are essentially strongarmed into continuing producing whatever it is that they were producing. Akira Toriyama wanted DBZ to end at the Frieza Saga, but continued the series after because of his publisher's insistence and the constant death threats from fans.

Same deal with Kojima. MGS4 was kind of a 'take that' from him, in which he straight up killed almost every important character in the MGS franchise to make it clear that he was absolutely done (He said he wanted to be finished after MGS2, because even that was sort of a joke on sequels in general).

And yet, here he is, making more MGS games. Guy just can't get a break.

 

[Sarah Kerrigan]

I love the story and characters of the games, love how they handle the themes and everything. The writing is just odd but he good way, and I love it.

Sadly, I am very bad at the games, I can't even beat ground zeroes. The other games took me awhile to beat as well. But I do love them.

 

[Marik2]

It's a very interesting franchise. Each sequel tries new things and usually builds upon what made the previous entry good.

 

[Lightknight]

I was extremely happy with 1-3. Weird and fun games that revolutionized stealth gaming. But each time the dialogue got a little (relatively "little", the first game already had it in spades) more lengthy and angsty. It was hard to get through 4, especially when you couldn't skip cutscenes. It's become something of a joke now.

If 5 manages to have more enjoyable game time than mini-movies I'll be happy. But with the developers being worried that players may not be able to complete the game I'm not too hopeful.

 

[IFS]

I've only played Revengeance (and some of MGS4 with a friend) but I've watched Chip Cheezum's LPs of the series, and I'd put myself in the love it category. Its just so very different from anything else out there and so much effort is put into elaborating on even some of the most minor details its near impossible for me to not be impressed. The tone can get a bit all over the place at times, and could be better, but I consider it to be a step up from the all too common 'perpetually grim war story' and the stories themselves still manage to cover some interesting ground in each game.

 

[Kopikatsu]

I love the story and characters of the games, love how they handle the themes and everything. The writing is just odd but he good way, and I love it.

Sadly, I am very bad at the games, I can't even beat ground zeroes. The other games took me awhile to beat as well. But I do love them.

...Hn? What part of Ground Zeroes are you having problems with; combat, stealth, or objectives?

Stealth is sort of...really easy provided you don't turn off Reflex Mode, since you can more or less just run through the entire base and snap off strings of headshots with the Mk.22. Combat is more or less the same as stealth, and...iunno about objectives. Press start, I guess?

 

[Sarah Kerrigan]

I love the story and characters of the games, love how they handle the themes and everything. The writing is just odd but he good way, and I love it.

Sadly, I am very bad at the games, I can't even beat ground zeroes. The other games took me awhile to beat as well. But I do love them.

...Hn? What part of Ground Zeroes are you having problems with; combat, stealth, or objectives?

Stealth is sort of...really easy provided you don't turn off Reflex Mode, since you can more or less just run through the entire base and snap off strings of headshots with the Mk.22. Combat is more or less the same as stealth, and...iunno about objectives. Press start, I guess?

Stealth. I've just never been good at stealth *^* I always seem to get caught or move at the wrong moment.