-Volgin is almost desperate for acknowledgment. Snake doesn’t ever seem to care about the Philosopher’s Legacy, but Volgin’s entire focus is on how that should be the thing Snake is after (instead of the nuclear missile platform).

-The lack of player involvement in the torture sequence plays into the SCENE theme greatly. While MGS1 and 2 had the player struggle to live, here it’s almost play acting on the part of the characters.

-Removing Snake’s eye is intended to “ruin” him, but it would only go on to make him an even greater figure of propaganda. The eye patched war hero turned war monger.

-You’re literally cut off from the first four of the cobras, those who represent the most primal feelings in war (Pain, Fear, “The End” (Death), Fury), and all that is left are the feelings that Big Boss would embody- the sorrow of The Boss’ betrayal and the betrayal of his own country, and the joy he feels in war

-Snake tries to grab a butterfly, but it escapes him. Interesting how Venom echoes this at the end of the Paz side story in V

-Most of what Eva says ends up being nothing but theatre, and her actions share that idea. It’s almost MGS parody, a female character espousing melodrama and acting sexy, and then it turns out that none of what she was doing had real meaning. It almost echoes MGS2, of having to find the meaning behind her hollow words.

-Your core radio crew has some pretty interesting central ideas to them. Zero and Para Media, the two you’ll talk to the most via codec, spend their time telling you all about espionage films (tactical espionage action) or monster movies (Metal Gear?). The other two espouse only lies (Eva) or only truths (Sigint). Something I noticed.

-Snake molds some C3 into a butterfly… and crushes it

-Volgin quotes Liquid a lot, right down to a lot of his jingoism, war mongering, and literal direct quotes when piloting the Shagohad

-EVA’s betrayal is the first instance of the game casting a “Genesis” motif, a possible set up for the religious lens the events of the series are given in 4. “This time Eve tempted the Snake”, but Adam left with the fruit of knowledge.

-The Philosopher’s are fully manifested as a Patriots analog in the ending cutscenes

-The use of The Boss in the game echoes many theories as to certain crisis’ during the Cold War, that are still unknown as to whether or not the American government instigated them for a greedy end goal

-There’s an inherent sadness to Eva saying The Boss wanted to be known as a woman, but her final words are proclaiming her a true patriot. She’s either remembered as a monster who doomed the world, or as a cog in a machine for her country

-The ending text is back, this time showing what happened after the conclusion. We see things get disbanded and brought back, a smaller echo of the far larger event of the “Les Enfants Terribles” project, the “Sons of Big Boss.” Where one would be sent in alone to kill their “parent”, a repeat of the events of Metal Gear Solid 3. V would go on to do something far more interesting with this idea, but here it’s a poignant note to end on

-they had to actually license Godzilla for that one mention in a technically optional codec call

-A far more fitting way to end thematically though, is Ocelot talking to the “Director” of what was essentially a theatrical production for all involved to build up a new Boss. To the “Chief Director” in Russia, and the “(Episode) Director” in America.

-Volgin’s talk about spies echoes what Miller talks about in Phantom Pain, feels like it’s almost word for word

-interesting how Eva is the one espousing all the romantic and sort of ”makes you think” dialogue that Kojima’s games pack in- and she ultimately betrays and emasculates our protagonist

-We meet the creator of the Metal Gear, and he’s a drunk with ideas of greatness he lacks, and despite his revolutionary ideas he is forgotten.

-I wonder if Ocelot and EVA found out about the other’s role

-There’s some set up to MGSV with the talk of missing links in evolution and the importance of the bipedal movement, though really that’s a metaphor that applies all across mecha

-I'm not well versed in American history, but I do wonder if there is a connection between the usage of the name "President Johnson" between MGS2 and 3. Is there meaning in Kojima calling back to the height of Cold War tensions with the name of his fictional president?

-Naked is far more expressive than Solid, clearly lacking the grand charisma of his failed clone in exchange for far more silly expressions.

-The Pain, The Fear, The End, The Fury, The Sorrow, and The Joy. All emotions tied to war in this context, and The Joy is "The Boss". Could the title of "Big Boss" be perhaps allusion to Big Boss' own great joy in war?

-"Remember the Alamo" is still a very odd quote to me. Maybe it's because I don't know American history that well, but what I've read has conflicting ideas on what it might mean as well. Volgin's "desire for revenge" maybe?

-I think the best introduction for 3 was through Ocelot. A man of great mystery, charisma, and constantly ahead of everyone else is shown to be a rather bumbling kid, not even using his signature revolvers.