Konami has launched the primary video in what it is calling the Metallic Gear Strong Legacy Collection, companion movies to Metallic Gear Strong: The Grasp Assortment that supply a shorthand historical past lesson of the video games’ intensive lore. The opening video is six minutes lengthy and introduced by David Hayter, the voice actor of Strong Snake and Large Boss in Metallic Gear Solids 1-4, and in its script doesn’t point out Hideo Kojima as soon as.
We’ll get into why in a second, however even for Konami that is absurd. Hideo Kojima took over an current Konami undertaking for the MSX2 in 1987 and, realising the machine’s capabilities restricted what might be proven on-screen, stumble on the concept of a sport the place avoiding battle was the purpose (for essentially the most half). The primary two top-down video games have nowhere close to the sophistication of what was to return, however they do have an abundance of concepts (the cardboard field, smoking, guided missiles, different patrol routes, codecs) that remained on the coronary heart of the collection.
To be clear, these video games had been, by the tip, created by groups of a whole lot of individuals, and Kojima doesn’t deserve sole credit score. However he’s undeniably the presiding spirit and key artistic power behind Metallic Gear. Kojima created the collection after which co-wrote, designed and directed each single subsequent mainline entry, till his acrimonious departure from Konami after the discharge of Metallic Gear Strong V: The Phantom Ache.
The reality of simply what went down between the Japanese writer and its star man has but to be absolutely advised (and should by no means come out), although Kojima stage-managed his exit in a method that led to monumental opprobrium aimed toward Konami, with many believing he was shoddily handled in the direction of the tip of his time there. No matter did occur, the result was that Konami misplaced its best expertise, had its status badly tainted, and ever since has acted like Kojima would not exist.
Hayter had his difficulties with Kojima, too, and has been clear that he did not admire being unceremoniously dropped for Kojima’s last two video games (Kiefer Sutherland took on the function of Large Boss in MGS: Floor Zeroes and MGS V: TPP). However I doubt this has something to do with him: Hayter’s a author in addition to an actor, however the video script is uncredited and, figuring out how Konami tends to function, I would guess it has been topic to countless approvals and revisions from Tokyo.
Elephant within the room apart, the video is a good brief overview of the Metallic Gear collection. There’s nothing in it followers do not already know, nevertheless it’s not likely for us a lot because the Snake-curious who’re but to attempt the collection (although I am undecided stepping into the weeds of which Snake is which is the way in which to draw new gamers).
“The sport discovered tens of millions of followers worldwide,” says Hayter of Metallic Gear Strong’s launch in 1997. “The sequels obtained equally widespread acclaim, finally rising right into a franchise that has reshaped the gaming world and remained related for many years.”
Each time it will get close to the sport’s growth, nevertheless, the script merely veers away from naming anybody concerned within the collection’ creation. “It stands by itself as probably the most enjoyable, richly layered and brilliantly written online game collection of all time,” says Hayter, later including that “the builders knew that even severe video games needed to be enjoyable. They usually delivered.”
It feels a bit awkward to say the least, and you’ll’t actually pin any of it on Hayter. In reality he is the most effective factor concerning the video for current followers, as a result of he often transitions from his regular supply into the gruff Snake voice and, y’know, I am a sucker for that stuff.
Kojima has moved on from Metallic Gear to nice success, and his studio has a number of video games below growth. As for Konami… I do assume it acquired quite a uncooked deal from Kojima, however stuff like this simply drives dwelling how the collection has struggled to maneuver on since his departure. Extremely sufficient, Metallic Gear stays Konami’s best-selling collection, however the future for it appears to lie in re-releases and the Metallic Gear Strong 3 remake. If the writer cannot make peace with the previous, it is laborious to see the way it will ever stride boldly into the longer term.
