Metal Gear needs better writing, not graphics
Metal Gear Solid Rising doesn't need to be this pretty.
(Credit: Konami)Metal Gear Solid Rising won't be using the Metal Gear Solid 4 game engine to help Kojima Productions save some cash. Instead, the game's developer plans to build the title "from scratch" to ensure that it's as beautiful as possible.
"We're redoing the engine from scratch, and it's going to look amazing," Sean Eyestone, the host of the Kojima Productions podcast, said in a recent episode. "It's going to be a big project like Metal Gear Solid 4. The entire team is serious about making it look as good as possible on every platform."
As a Metal Gear fan since the beginning, I really like the series. There's something enchanting about Solid Snake, Liquid Ocelot, Big Boss, and all the other characters that make up the story. But I'm deeply concerned by Kojima Productions' focus on the beauty of the Metal Gear series instead of the content of the games. For years now, the franchise's individual titles have been preachy and long-winded.
We don't need better graphics from Hideo Kojima and his team; we need better writing.
After playing through Metal Gear Solid 4, I was deeply disturbed by what it offered. Was it a good game? Sure. But after completing it, I won't consider playing through it again because of the convoluted storyline and the amount of cut scenes.
On far too many occasions, I sat through lengthy story sequences that provided me with information that, to be quite honest, only confused the storyline. Those sequences, as GameSpot pointed out in its review of the title, force gamers to "spend a good half of MGS4 watching cinematics."
I watched those scenes carefully to ensure that I had a solid grip on the action, only to be confused even more by the game's heavy-handed lines and obsession with eloquence. I know I could have skipped them. But what purpose would that have served? I wanted to get the full experience of the title.
The most noteworthy feature of all those cut scenes is that they are fully rendered in real time within the game. They look just as beautiful as the game does. It was a real graphical feat. But I would have taken graphics that were slightly worse, if I could get a title that had a better story and clearer writing.
But that's only half of my gripe. The content of the story was too preachy. I realize that there is the possibility of a "military-industrial complex" that could, I don't know, ruin the world. I also know that war is a real problem. But I don't need a video game to focus on that while painting a story. And I don't need it to do that over a 30-minute span for every 30 minutes of gameplay.
As a gamer, I expect a few things from a good game: a solid storyline, good graphics, and fun. Dating back to Metal Gear Solid 3, we've been getting confusing, long-winded storylines, outstanding graphics, and not enough chances to have fun.
And so as we wait for Metal Gear Solid Rising, my hope is that Hideo Kojima will realize that as much as we love graphical prowess, it pales in comparison to an outstanding story, complete with an understandable plot and compelling characters. He also needs to know that we want to play the game he created, not watch as it passes us by.
I don't think that's asking too much. Do you?
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Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
"they steal other company's money/innovations all the time the most recent one happened in South Korea where they stole $50 million dollars!"
You must be kidding me. I sure hope Microsoft wore stockings on their heads when they invaded South Korea and robbed that 50 million! You do realize that 50 million is a TINY DROP in the buckets of money that Microsoft brings in, right? I hope you're just some misguided 11 year old Linux kid, because if you aren't, I weep for humanity.
On a side note, if you REALLY want to see what a horrendously long cutscene is, go play Xenosaga. I couldn't get past the first one because I got bored watching their long cutscenes.
When game companies don't get it, they end up with sales numbers like PS3 has. When game companies DO get it, they end up with numbers like Nintendo.
It is a game. Not a movie. The sales numbers tell you that people want to play, not ooh and ahh at neeto graphics. That's what people go see action flicks in the theater for!
three things to consider.
1. the 360 launched on Nov 2005. the Ps3 Nov 2006. 360 had a year head start. its completely idiodic to claim some one the victor if they got a head start. Especially before the race is over.
2. As the person stated above. MS doesnt use the actual numbers sold to tally their sales. They use the number shipped. So they are counting the units still sitting on store shelves as numbers sold.
3. how many of those 30 millions 360s are rebuys by idiots who cant get a clue that the PleaseFixMe is a piece and its never going to work correctly no matter how many times they send it back or buy new ones to replace one MS wont service anymore. Just about everyone i know who owns a 360 has at least bought two. Either because they want one to have on hand while the other is getting fixed or because they some how think if they buy a brand new one it wont break like their previous(9 times out of 10 it does).
With that said, MS has sold 30 million(keep in mind the facts i listed above) in 3.5 years, Sony is at 23 million in two years. on averege MS is doing about 937,000 world wide a month while Sony is selling on average world wide 958,000. Sony is selling units faster then MS. Time will prove Sony is once again the kings of the gamining inudustry. the 360 is already maxed out. Games arent going to get any bigger or better for the 360 then they are right now. Only games one the Sony platform will continue to excel and grow as time goes on. Just as every PlayStation before it. the PS3 will dominate the market in due time.
The PS3 still behind in sales if you the month by month reports.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3174748
"Microsoft only reports shipped numbers, not sold" Care to explain how is this different from Sony?
I admit that the story's not for everyone. Newcomers to the game will be extremely confused. But when you get it, you really GET IT. Like, someone who keeps up with the storyline would be amazed by all the things Kojima managed to do in the writing.
As far as the story goes, I thought it had a great story. It could get a little convoluted in places, but there was a MGS encyclopedia available on PSN for free for people who may not have played the previous games, or just needed a refresher. MGS4 plot elements were locked out until you completed the game.
It is true that great graphics do not make a game, but neither does a great story with subpar visuals. A great game is the whole package: story, graphics, sound, characters, gameplay, and control. When everything comes together you get a great game, which is what MGS4 was.
are you retarded that you not have a patience to watch ? .People who complain about cutscenes in MGS4 are people who don't want to learn about MGS world and they just want to shoot already.
MGS isn't a shooter people look somewhere else if you want shooter. MGS is for fans of good storyline and Espionage.
Then again, I don't understand how you can call yourself a fan if you didn't like MGS3.
You don't like MGS3 ? That totally invalidates anything you could ever say about the MGS franchise. Whether good or bad.
Now, don't get me wrong, the writing of MGS4 is pretty damn crappy [ I say this in the most loving fashion]. And there were ocassions where I just laughed out loud. But it's mainly due to the difference in Japanese story telling. It's like RPGs they're too convulted and there's too much going on at the same time.
But, MGS4 was one of the greatest single player experiences to hit gaming, EVER. The MGS series dominates this. MGS3 was undoubtebly the best MGS game out there [ some tie it with MGS1].
Also, I hate to **** your wishes, but Kojima isn't writing or designing MG:Rising. Neither is Shinkawa involved. This could either be good for you, or very bad.
Get over it, MGS4 isn't coming out on the 360, ever,ever,ever,ever,ever,ever,ever,....
I say this, because despite the fact that you have obviously both consoles, you seem to have in mind that MG: Rising is going to be of the same quality or get the same effort of creation as MGS4 [ an official Canonical game & the final chapter of Solid Snake] Costing at least 60 Million to make.
MG; Rising will surely be awesome. But it's a game pushed by Konami [ which is why MGS4 team isn't working on it] to get some sweet monies in and cash of the success of MGS4.
Anyway, I enjoyed reading this. Keep it up. You're one of the few honest reporters left. :]
The question is.....
"Who the hell are you?" lol Some nobody guy, sponsoring hate in the system.
If you think MGS4 could of been done better, then why didn't you do it?
Have you heard of (quotations) "Facebook"?
Your blog would be better there. You would be able to direct it towards your family since your evidently a mama's boy. And I'm sure your mama would be all ears. "Ohhhh mama! Those big mean game developers made a good game again :(" "Don't worry baby, everything will be ok, mama's gonna buy you a lollipop. Now don't you worry about those bad guys anymore, ok?"
Ohhh and btw, you look like a mama's boy too.
- by CYBER-SNAKE June 17, 2009 11:03 PM PDT
- **** you, you retard, mgs has the best storyline in a game, maybe you cant understand it coz ur 2 dumb.
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