Titled "The Argument Against Porting Metal Gear Solid 4"
Written by a fan of Metal Gear Solid 4
Let's just get this out of the way. Porting games is good! Games are good! Fun, even. Games are works of art, etc. etc., all the things your parents said they weren't, you get it? I believe in porting games or remastering them, whatever.
So, of course I would be interested in the continually reoccuring topic of the Metal Gear Solid 4 plight. A game in one of the largest video game franchises ever made, what is technically the conclusion to said franchise and its leading character, in an IP owned by a still mostly-breathing publisher that loves to cash in on this IP... and it has been locked to the least popular platform of its generation for over fifteen years. Sounds tragic, right?
Honestly, I both find myself a bit miffed by the yearning desire people have for Metal Gear Solid 4 (especially so after recent events), and a bit worried. Worried in the sense that people are slowly construing a version of the game in their heads that isn't true to reality, a version of the game that isn't over 50% cutscenes and filled with purposefully awkward character beats or outright antagonistic (to the audience) narrative developments. A version of the game that's just "Woah it's Old Snake, war has changed, now he fights Liquid and Zero dies LOL" rather than the very heartfelt but also very tired soliloquy on the state of video games as a medium, the state of Metal Gear and Kojima's own ambitions, as well as the state of the fans surrounding Metal Gear.
Obviously, what I described isn't actually accurate to everyone. There's obviously people that still really don't like Metal Gear Solid 4 for perfectly valid reasons that I would never make fun of on the internet. Similarly, there's also people that fully understand what Metal Gear Solid 4 is. But, with the distance created between it and the current culture, it has achieved a status I see only in other games like it, games like Resident Evil Code Veronica.
Code Veronica has somehow succeeded into deluding people it's this integral part of the franchise. That despite Capcom already erasing it from ever happening in its current remakes, people act as if it's the very earth the rest of the franchise was built upon, when really, its most notable contribution to the core narrative was the return of Wesker (which most people accepted as a fact of life anyways). It's all headcanon and fanfiction subverting the actual significance of the game. It's a mirage, a layer of smoke that allows people to really see what they want to see.
That's the state Metal Gear Solid 4 has arrived in within the popular consensus. Now, I know, this doesn't actually address the title of the post, but I'm getting there. Metal Gear Solid 4, for a lot of people I see online, has become something it isn't. It has almost become what one would fantasize a sequel to Metal Gear Solid 2 as being, albeit with a cheat sheet laid out.
Is that a bad thing? I really don't think it is, unlike with my Code Veronica assessment, I think it's great honestly. Because it means people dedicated enough to seek out the fabled conclusion to Solid Snake and the rest of the crew will get all the bitter disappointment that was completely intended. Raiden's character moment at the end of 2 getting completely walked back, Meryl just becoming another soldier like the legendary war hero, Snake being a perverted old man, the church of Metal Gear... it's all great. And it would all be stunningly disappointing for a new fan, gaslighting themselves on what this game could be, to fully experience.
Just porting the game as is and letting it be available would completely sap that. The world would once more know- Metal Gear Solid 4 is not the grand sweeping conclusion, it was a messy game with a messy history that gives the expected in exchange for understanding. There's a blissful period where Metal Gear Solid 4 did cause people to understand Metal Gear Solid 2, to appreciate that game more because of how much 4 changed, and letting 4 remain as the mythical conclusion to 2's cliffhanger would continue that.
Or maybe I'm just coping about my five copies of the game and my three (3) PlayStation 3 systems. Honestly though, would you play Metal Gear Solid 4 without the disc swap scene?
(Konami wasn't going to port it anyways, and if they did the port would probably be RE4 Sourcenext tier lmao)
Written by a fan of Metal Gear Solid 4
Let's just get this out of the way. Porting games is good! Games are good! Fun, even. Games are works of art, etc. etc., all the things your parents said they weren't, you get it? I believe in porting games or remastering them, whatever.
So, of course I would be interested in the continually reoccuring topic of the Metal Gear Solid 4 plight. A game in one of the largest video game franchises ever made, what is technically the conclusion to said franchise and its leading character, in an IP owned by a still mostly-breathing publisher that loves to cash in on this IP... and it has been locked to the least popular platform of its generation for over fifteen years. Sounds tragic, right?
Honestly, I both find myself a bit miffed by the yearning desire people have for Metal Gear Solid 4 (especially so after recent events), and a bit worried. Worried in the sense that people are slowly construing a version of the game in their heads that isn't true to reality, a version of the game that isn't over 50% cutscenes and filled with purposefully awkward character beats or outright antagonistic (to the audience) narrative developments. A version of the game that's just "Woah it's Old Snake, war has changed, now he fights Liquid and Zero dies LOL" rather than the very heartfelt but also very tired soliloquy on the state of video games as a medium, the state of Metal Gear and Kojima's own ambitions, as well as the state of the fans surrounding Metal Gear.
Obviously, what I described isn't actually accurate to everyone. There's obviously people that still really don't like Metal Gear Solid 4 for perfectly valid reasons that I would never make fun of on the internet. Similarly, there's also people that fully understand what Metal Gear Solid 4 is. But, with the distance created between it and the current culture, it has achieved a status I see only in other games like it, games like Resident Evil Code Veronica.
Code Veronica has somehow succeeded into deluding people it's this integral part of the franchise. That despite Capcom already erasing it from ever happening in its current remakes, people act as if it's the very earth the rest of the franchise was built upon, when really, its most notable contribution to the core narrative was the return of Wesker (which most people accepted as a fact of life anyways). It's all headcanon and fanfiction subverting the actual significance of the game. It's a mirage, a layer of smoke that allows people to really see what they want to see.
That's the state Metal Gear Solid 4 has arrived in within the popular consensus. Now, I know, this doesn't actually address the title of the post, but I'm getting there. Metal Gear Solid 4, for a lot of people I see online, has become something it isn't. It has almost become what one would fantasize a sequel to Metal Gear Solid 2 as being, albeit with a cheat sheet laid out.
Is that a bad thing? I really don't think it is, unlike with my Code Veronica assessment, I think it's great honestly. Because it means people dedicated enough to seek out the fabled conclusion to Solid Snake and the rest of the crew will get all the bitter disappointment that was completely intended. Raiden's character moment at the end of 2 getting completely walked back, Meryl just becoming another soldier like the legendary war hero, Snake being a perverted old man, the church of Metal Gear... it's all great. And it would all be stunningly disappointing for a new fan, gaslighting themselves on what this game could be, to fully experience.
Just porting the game as is and letting it be available would completely sap that. The world would once more know- Metal Gear Solid 4 is not the grand sweeping conclusion, it was a messy game with a messy history that gives the expected in exchange for understanding. There's a blissful period where Metal Gear Solid 4 did cause people to understand Metal Gear Solid 2, to appreciate that game more because of how much 4 changed, and letting 4 remain as the mythical conclusion to 2's cliffhanger would continue that.
Or maybe I'm just coping about my five copies of the game and my three (3) PlayStation 3 systems. Honestly though, would you play Metal Gear Solid 4 without the disc swap scene?
(Konami wasn't going to port it anyways, and if they did the port would probably be RE4 Sourcenext tier lmao)
3 Comments
This comment was deleted
@curse I know it's a deleted comment, but my stuff on CV wasn't revisionism. If you think the perceived reception of the game isn't real, simply going on twitter and typing in 'cvx' will give you a healthy dose of what that part true.
As for Code Veronica's importance... I misworded it in the review, but Wesker coming back really isn't important now. Ever since about The Umbrella Chronicles, people have just accepted "Oh yeah, Wesker is that guy who died and then came back to life", and that's really all of CV's greater narrative importance to the current state of the franchise. Don't worry, it's my favourite game and I think it has the most valuable themes and narrative within the series, but overall it's a rather pedestrian title when considered as part of a greater franchise (especially when RE5 just had Wesker fake his death again lol).
As for Code Veronica's importance... I misworded it in the review, but Wesker coming back really isn't important now. Ever since about The Umbrella Chronicles, people have just accepted "Oh yeah, Wesker is that guy who died and then came back to life", and that's really all of CV's greater narrative importance to the current state of the franchise. Don't worry, it's my favourite game and I think it has the most valuable themes and narrative within the series, but overall it's a rather pedestrian title when considered as part of a greater franchise (especially when RE5 just had Wesker fake his death again lol).
Mgs 4 needs better execution.
Moister
6 months ago
But it's odd considering it's a continuation to Metal Gear Solid 2, a game that is so brilliantly crafted. I do want to love Metal Gear Solid 4 as well, but it doesn't let me. It has so many issues I noted at first glance compared to the classic trilogy. It wanted to go to so many places at the same time, I'd say it has some very good moments but it's just not consistent at all. Highs that are short lived, to throw some constant lows.
It was a bittersweet ending for the series for sure, but a much needed one. But I also understand people that love for what it is rather than what people expect it to be. Metal Gear Solid 4, with the same fundation and ideas would have worked so much better if they clean it up a little; maybe do a better job with the scrip, make cutscenes more dynamic and so much more.
This game needed a clear vision.