Don't You Forget About Me


Even for a series veteran like myself, it can be hard to keep track of what's going on in the world of Metal Gear Solid. I struggle to recall who's dead, what the Patriots are up to, who Ocelot's working for and whose arm has been grafted onto whom. Also, which button is grab?

One way of simplifying MGS, thus making it easier to follow, is to ignore certain games in the series. The timeline at the top of this post, courtesy of PlayStation Japan, is an example of this selective approach. It strikes the once-considered-canon Portable Ops from the record, just like the MGSV The Phantom Pain launch trailer did earlier this week.

Released in 2006 for the PSP, Portable Ops follows Big Boss to South America, where he must bring his former FOX unit to heel, because they've gone a bit wrong. It was a precursor to Peace Walker in theme and gameplay, establishing many features that would carry through to its PSP successor and beyond: short burst missions, soldier recruitment, and a gradual shift in morality for our protagonist, Big Boss.

Hideo Kojima did not direct Portable Ops - Masahiro Yamamoto was the man in charge - but he did produce it. To the best of my knowledge, it was intended as a canonical entry in the series, a follow-up to the events of MGS3. Despite this, Portable Ops has long been overlooked, and I wasn't particularly surprised to see it's omission from the series timeline.

I enjoyed Portable Ops far more than Peace Walker, and I'm disappointed to see it thrown in with the "other" Metal Gears, such as Acid, Ghost Babel and bloody Revengeance. The ally recruitment mechanic and its use of Wi-Fi connectivity was inspired back in 2007, a hook that kept me replaying missions and wandering the streets looking for connections to tap. Peace Walker expanded this system, but by then the novelty had worn off somewhat. Continuing the Peace Walker comparisons, Portable Ops had a much more straightforward narrative, at least by MGS standards, and a more memorable supporting cast. Three years removed from playing Peace Walker, and I struggle to recall plot points or characters; those that I can recall, I'd soon rather forget.

With less than a week to go until Phantom Pain, it's fair to say that I have Metal Gear on my mind. I'm counting down the days until my final adventure with Big Boss Snake Jack, and I can't wait to discover how the series ties together (I have my own theories). However, I am wary of a mission structure that appears to most closely resemble that of Peace Walker, and I know that Kiefer's voice will bother me, though I'm still expecting a Game of the Generation contender.

When you're enjoying Phantom Pain next week, be sure to spare a thought for Portable Ops. It influenced the future direction of the series far more than you might think, and was one of the best games on the PSP.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TGS 2019 - PC Engine Mini Hands-on

Image
"Push run button" Run button? Does it mean press forward? That must be what it means. Hang on, no there is a Run button - how weird. I'd best press that then. I had never played a PC Engine until three days ago, when I spent some time messing about with the Japanese Mini at Konami's booth at Tokyo Game Show. I am assured that the emulation is excellent, being that it comes from developer M2. I can confirm that the games run smoothly, but I have no frame of reference for comparing them to the originals. The system looks tidy, the controller is solid, and the audio, experienced through headphones, is crisp. Despite there being 57 games available, the interface is uncluttered and the option menus are easy to navigate. Now we've got all that out the way, let's get back to my never having played a PC Engine, TurboGrafx-16 or whatever you prefer to call it. The original console has long been a mystery to me. I have no history with it, and don't recall
Read more

It's 2024 and I'm Buying a Nintendo GameCube

Image
Buying a new-to-you retro console is a lovely thing. A complete and well-appraised library ready to be experienced, an array of affordable games, and a wealth of written features, histories and buyer's guides to delve into. You're getting a new piece of hardware to explore, an unfamiliar startup screen to gawk at, and controllers to get to grips with. A new medium via which you can experience, or relive, a time past. A new box to pour some of your passion into. While the Nintendo GameCube isn't quite brand new to me, I've never owned one myself. However, I'm planning on changing that very soon.  Aside from chasing the new-console high, the decision to buy a GameCube was partially inspired by talk of Eternal Darkness a few weeks ago on The Back Page pod. I'm a sucker for historical-timeline-switching, and being that it's only playable on GameCube, Eternal Darkness is the perfect excuse for a console purchase. I was semi-familiar with it beforehand, but not o
Read more

The Massacre at Guthrie Farm

Image
I just wanted to say hello. I was out on my horse, exploring Red Dead Redemption 2 for the first time. I was overwhelmed, unsure of the controls and equally unsure of where to go. I'd just skinned a bison and was combing my horse when I spotted a small farm on the horizon. There will be people there, I thought, and perhaps they'll have some important information for me. At the very least, they'll have something entertaining to say. I slung the bison pelt on the back of my horse, made sure my guns were holstered and headed straight for the farmstead in search of conversation and companionship. I spotted a farmhand working the field a stone's throw from the house. "Howdy partner", I said in my head, in a silly cowboy voice. The middle-aged man took one look at me, shouted something unpleasant, and drew his weapon. What a dick. Turns out Arthur (me) is a wanted man. Earlier that day, I'd unintentionally murdered a travelling salesman. I just wanted
Read more