Metal Gear Solid 4 – Smoking Metaphor
October 6th, 2008
I’ve been thinking about Metal Gear Solid 4 again, sorting through the game’s many metaphorical elements to discern a connection to other something article worthy. I think I’ve got one, I’m sure that I’ll have a few more in future, here goes.
Spoilers, of course, including the game's conclusion.
Throughout the Metal Gear series, smoking has always been significant, to a certain degree. There’s obviously a connection between cigarettes and the ‘grizzled soldier’ stereotype of Solid Snake (main character) . Quite often the cancer inducing product is cleverly melded into the gameplay too. Such as in the original game where smoking slowed down the timer of a bomb, prompted to detonate, giving our hero a greater chance of escape.
In Metal Gear Solid 4, the role of cigarettes represents a crucial piece of Snake’s fading identity, in a world which has succeeded him. As the game’s introduction puts it “war has changed”, war in MGS4 is no longer about training and experience, it’s about manufactured output. Something that Snake has a hard time dealing with.
Additional MGS4 Commentaries
August 4th, 2008
It’s been well over a month since I first finished Metal Gear Solid 4 (you can read my original impressions here). Since then the constructive discussion regarding the game has been limited to the “IT’S ART!!!!” versus “tHE story SUX!!” argument evading any attempt to define this complicated title. Most notably though a few bloggers shared their own opinions on the matter, although there are so few of us to make any real difference.
Basically that’s my excuse to plug away at a few more ideas about the game that have developed over my time away.
Past, Present, Future
Before I get into it though, I ought to contextualize MGS4 within the scope of the previous games. I personally regard the original MGS, MGS3 and Metal Gear II as my three favourite titles in the series. Each of these games finds a steady equilibrium, harmoniously balancing the numerous gameplay constituents that the series is famous for, such as action, stealth and non interactive narrative.
The other main benefactor of these games comes from the storyline which is ambitious but never to the point of harmful. In each of these games, the story is generally comprehensible, believable and balanced well with the gameplay. While ‘fantasty’ based elements are a rarely discussed staple of the series, these games use it only for metaphoric purposes and never to conclude storyline plot holes (ie. the magic fairy did it). For example; Psycho Mantis is a psychic who can do all sorts of unreal actions (floating, controlling minds) while it’s not real, it by no means damages the game in any way, only enhancing the experience.
MGS4 and The Three Flavours of Filler
August 2nd, 2008
Wow! I’ve been going a little crazy when it comes to writing about games lately and have about a months worth of pre-written articles in the bank! As you can imagine isn’t a common scenario for me which is why the following article is even more of an embarrassment.
Recently Michael Abbott of Brainy Gamer fame wrote up a second round of Metal Gear Solid 4 commentaries after being prompted by questions from another blogger Steve Gaynor. I too had a few things to say about the game and had infact said some of them already in one of those pre-written articles, waiting to be posted on the site. It was as I was writing up my comments over at his blog that my creative juices took over and a selection of great ideas sparked, refining my original concept. In the end I was so pleased with my conclusion that after much moral dilemma I decided that it’d just be best if I post all of my thoughts here as they were far too developed to remain as a single comment. I am indeed an embarrassment.
You can read Michael’s post here. My comments are a bit messy but I’m sure you’ll get through, there are, of course, spoilers but no deal-breakers;
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