Most just seem to be incredibly boring and would be better as movies than as games. Same applies to "walking simulators".
Explain the appeal of Kojima games -
- Thread starter Rand /pol/
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The writing is fun and the overall experience would be too long for a movie. The term you're looking for is "TV Series". Even then, it might not work out on TV due to a mixture of things like budget, actor performances, producer interference etc.
I like Kojima's mixture of wackiness with salient observations about the human condition. The juxtaposition really works and I'm surprised more writers don't do it. He basically called modern culture, both internet and IRL with the GW/AI speech in 2.
I like Kojima's mixture of wackiness with salient observations about the human condition. The juxtaposition really works and I'm surprised more writers don't do it. He basically called modern culture, both internet and IRL with the GW/AI speech in 2.
I need scissors! 61!
There was a time he found a decent balance between game and movie (the integration could have been better). I love his outrageous plots and felt he's one of the few people who could get away with his brand of craziness. I think credit should be given where it's due, he knows when to innovate. He could just release the same game with the same mechanics with some generic terrorism plot and get away with it but he seems to at least try to make improvements to each new game. I mean, he came up with the first Metal Gear as a workaround for hardware limitations.
Having said that, I wish he would reel in his movie obsession and remember that he made games.
Having said that, I wish he would reel in his movie obsession and remember that he made games.
Cyber Bowling
kiwifarms.net
Kojima is generally known for his writing, but the gameplay is still pretty relevant to why the games are fun. I know his games tend to have a reputation of just being giant cutscenes, and there are some games with some noticeable pacing issues, but there's still a solid amount of gameplay versus something like a David Cage game, or a Walking Sim. I think he always presents interesting concepts, and even if they don't really work, they never tend to be so bad as to become outright frustrating.
If you don't particularly like his writing, there's a decent selection of games with relatively limited cutscenes. MGS2 and 4 are probably the biggest offenders in that regard, but MGS1 and 3 are pretty tame in the cutscene department, and 5, while having a slow tutorial level, is pretty sparse in terms of story. Zone of the Enders (at least the second, I admit, I don't remember much of the 1st) are also relatively story/cutscene light. I never played the PSP ones and I have 0 knowledge of Death Stranding, so I can't comment on any of those.
Even if you are opposed to the story elements, the other games are still playable since the majority of the cutscenes/dialogue are all skipable. Everything you have to do to advance gameplay wise is pretty self-explanatory, and on the off chance you did need a cutscene for something, just call pretty much anyone on the codec and they'll give you a simple prompt of "go to location X" or "use item Y" to advance. A lot of the big and more infamous story dumps are usually at the end of the game too, so it is even easier to skip over. I'd say the only exception where it can really be a pain is MGS2 because that one does have a fair amount of "cutscene, walk one room, trigger cutscene, get codec call, move to next room, get cutscene" in the beginning. The whole game isn't like that, but it's prominent enough in the beginning Raiden sections to be annoying.
I guess the TL: DR the games are generally pretty decent. I'd be hard pressed to put any of them on any kind of "best of" list, but of all the ones I've played, I wouldn't say they've ever bombed or disappointed.
If you don't particularly like his writing, there's a decent selection of games with relatively limited cutscenes. MGS2 and 4 are probably the biggest offenders in that regard, but MGS1 and 3 are pretty tame in the cutscene department, and 5, while having a slow tutorial level, is pretty sparse in terms of story. Zone of the Enders (at least the second, I admit, I don't remember much of the 1st) are also relatively story/cutscene light. I never played the PSP ones and I have 0 knowledge of Death Stranding, so I can't comment on any of those.
Even if you are opposed to the story elements, the other games are still playable since the majority of the cutscenes/dialogue are all skipable. Everything you have to do to advance gameplay wise is pretty self-explanatory, and on the off chance you did need a cutscene for something, just call pretty much anyone on the codec and they'll give you a simple prompt of "go to location X" or "use item Y" to advance. A lot of the big and more infamous story dumps are usually at the end of the game too, so it is even easier to skip over. I'd say the only exception where it can really be a pain is MGS2 because that one does have a fair amount of "cutscene, walk one room, trigger cutscene, get codec call, move to next room, get cutscene" in the beginning. The whole game isn't like that, but it's prominent enough in the beginning Raiden sections to be annoying.
I guess the TL: DR the games are generally pretty decent. I'd be hard pressed to put any of them on any kind of "best of" list, but of all the ones I've played, I wouldn't say they've ever bombed or disappointed.
Fission Mailed.
Soyjima BTFO
MGSV allowed me to live my dream of attaching balloons to third worlders, and hot chicks, and then forcing them to fight in my mercenary army against the (((US))) and (((USSR))).
I like the surreal, mindfucking themes. Most games fall to cliches too often.
My first experience with Kojima's games was through MGS3, so I'll explain why I liked that particular game so much.
The characters and dialogue are generally stellar and memorable, the themes and ideas presented while not particularly original are written and presented in such a way that leaves a lasting impression years after playing it for the first time. It also didn't take itself too seriously and had this rather oddball charm to it at times. Naked Snake in particular is fucking endearing as hell.
The gameplay also had some unique elements that were relatively unique and novel at the time. In addition to having to sneak around guards, you also had to stop and hunt for food to maintain your stamina, you had to use specific medical items to heal certain wounds, and you also had to switch to different kind of camouflage to blend in with your environment. Was it all perfectly implemented? No, but it was a nice way of spicing up a formula established for two games by this point.
The game also had an autistic level attention to detail. Between Para-Medic and Snake's dialogue regarding all the different animals you can hunt and eat, hidden cutscenes, dialogue and events that can only happen if the player does very specific things, (such as having The End die of old age by saving during his fight and not playing the game for over a week, tending to your wounds with your shirt off so that Volgin will comment on your scars, having to notice that Ocelot planted a tracking chip on you which will lead to his troops hounding you if you don't remove it, ect.)
From what I remember reading, Kojima really wanted to end the series with 2, and he mostly made 3 due to the second game's initial reception and the demand for a third game. Despite that, he and his team really put out a quality game that also stands on its own thanks to it taking place before the rest of the series.
Some of his other games are great too, but 3, (especially the Subsistence version which both irons out some of the technical issues of the game, i.e. the camera and provides a wealth of bonus content) is probably where he peaked to be honest. Since then his games have been of varying quality.
The characters and dialogue are generally stellar and memorable, the themes and ideas presented while not particularly original are written and presented in such a way that leaves a lasting impression years after playing it for the first time. It also didn't take itself too seriously and had this rather oddball charm to it at times. Naked Snake in particular is fucking endearing as hell.
The gameplay also had some unique elements that were relatively unique and novel at the time. In addition to having to sneak around guards, you also had to stop and hunt for food to maintain your stamina, you had to use specific medical items to heal certain wounds, and you also had to switch to different kind of camouflage to blend in with your environment. Was it all perfectly implemented? No, but it was a nice way of spicing up a formula established for two games by this point.
The game also had an autistic level attention to detail. Between Para-Medic and Snake's dialogue regarding all the different animals you can hunt and eat, hidden cutscenes, dialogue and events that can only happen if the player does very specific things, (such as having The End die of old age by saving during his fight and not playing the game for over a week, tending to your wounds with your shirt off so that Volgin will comment on your scars, having to notice that Ocelot planted a tracking chip on you which will lead to his troops hounding you if you don't remove it, ect.)
From what I remember reading, Kojima really wanted to end the series with 2, and he mostly made 3 due to the second game's initial reception and the demand for a third game. Despite that, he and his team really put out a quality game that also stands on its own thanks to it taking place before the rest of the series.
Some of his other games are great too, but 3, (especially the Subsistence version which both irons out some of the technical issues of the game, i.e. the camera and provides a wealth of bonus content) is probably where he peaked to be honest. Since then his games have been of varying quality.
Where Do You Find Them?
kiwifarms.net
Imagine, if you will, an apple. Not just any apple. This apple has a face on it. Your fathers face. Now, we'll put that to the side for a second, we will need it later. Consider instead Godzilla. What is Godzilla? Godzilla is a giant lizard monster that variously attacks and saves Japan. It is no mere accident that Godzilla was created shortly after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and, in his temperament and quixotic character, we can clearly see the attitude of a monster who's just been nuked.
In this, as in all things that come from Japan we, as mere westerners, are left only grasping at the frayed straws of something we cannot truly comprehend. Using the telescope of arithmetic praxis we can come to a faded understanding of the full realization of the horrors of nuclear war but we can never truly touch it. Never taste the bitter winds of radiation which Godzilla and Kojima call home.
Recall the apple. Picture it vividly. Now, imagine Godzilla stamping on the apple and grinding it into the dirt. In conclusion, we should have nuked them to dust.
In this, as in all things that come from Japan we, as mere westerners, are left only grasping at the frayed straws of something we cannot truly comprehend. Using the telescope of arithmetic praxis we can come to a faded understanding of the full realization of the horrors of nuclear war but we can never truly touch it. Never taste the bitter winds of radiation which Godzilla and Kojima call home.
Recall the apple. Picture it vividly. Now, imagine Godzilla stamping on the apple and grinding it into the dirt. In conclusion, we should have nuked them to dust.
The secret to Kojima's success was Metal Gear Solid was the first game to be paced like a movie, it was very clever and fresh for the time, though even to this day despite the dated graphics if you're not pumped by the end jeep chase then there's something wrong with you.
Then with 2 he was the first to really go meta with a game, everyone's minds was so blown by Bioshock doing basically the same thing MGS2 did 6 years prior, on top of that Kojima was eerily prescient in predicting the effect the internet would have on politics and culture, to the degree that damn near makes him see like a time traveler.
So that's why he's earned such a legendary status, it's debatable how his output has been since, but the guy was willing to really try to bring video games forward as a medium that few game developers are willing to.
Then with 2 he was the first to really go meta with a game, everyone's minds was so blown by Bioshock doing basically the same thing MGS2 did 6 years prior, on top of that Kojima was eerily prescient in predicting the effect the internet would have on politics and culture, to the degree that damn near makes him see like a time traveler.
So that's why he's earned such a legendary status, it's debatable how his output has been since, but the guy was willing to really try to bring video games forward as a medium that few game developers are willing to.
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God damn, I never really thought of it like that. I hope that doesn't mean Death Stranding isn't a glimpse into the future, I don't want to be a baby courier chugging Monster Energy drinks all day...unless it's the Lemonade+ Tea Rehab kind, that stuff's not bad.
When I first heard the Patriots AI speech at the end of MGS2 way back in 2001 I didn't understand it, but I did still get this feeling like I was getting a dose of unvarnished truth, it freaked the hell out of me, no piece of media I had experienced prior to that had given me quite that same feeling of peeking behind the curtains.
Now when I look back I understand it completely and it continues to freak the hell out of me because it's so absurdly accurate for a game from 2001.
I really have no idea how Kojima was able to do it.
because he's a GENIUS
Hideo Kojima said:
- Hideo Kojima
I want to drink 5 cans of Monster Energy and run out to fight homo demons.
I legit want to play DHL Stranding as it looks like a nice, chill game you can play for an hour after work and laugh at the pretentious crap happening while admiring some vistas. Couldn't be assed to play anything else he made.
I legit want to play DHL Stranding as it looks like a nice, chill game you can play for an hour after work and laugh at the pretentious crap happening while admiring some vistas. Couldn't be assed to play anything else he made.
I’m of the opinion that MGS2 is one of the only examples of postmodern storytelling that works well. As for the games in general, I agree about the pacing being memorable even if it drags hard on some of them. I’m seemingly one of the weird people that likes where Death Stranding is going based on what I’ve played so far, in that you’re genuinely thankful that someone left a climbing rope or built a bridge to make everyone else’s run a little easier.
People like Kojima for the same reason people like Kubrick and Tarantino. They make popular and accessable art that is deeper then 2 inches in a time when that is extraordinarily rare and people appreciate it.
The metanarritive about people doing shit both in universe and as players for the likes is wild. MULEs are literally just Redditors stealing packages so they can turn them in for upvotes and that sweet sweet oxytocin hit. Meanwhile players spam "like for like" and speed boost signs at every hub to farm involuntary likes from randos.
Because of dumb shit like hot-coldman and che did nothing wrong
