Why Metal Gear Survive might not be the death-knell for Hideo Kojima’s legendary stealth series

Fans have balked at the first post-Kojima Metal Gear trailer – but there is hope yet
New worlds: the Metal Gear franchise is blasting into an alternate dimension for its new instalment
Konami
Talal Musa18 August 2016

When people think of Metal Gear Solid, one name springs to mind: Hideo Kojima – the legendary Japanese video game designer who introduced the world to Solid Snake nearly 30 years ago.

Whether producing or directing, he has been the heartbeat of the iconic sneaking series. Until now.

Enter Metal Gear Solid Survive, publisher Konami's first foray into the Metal Gear Universe without Kojima – after both parties bitterly parted ways last year.

Following on from the acclaimed Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, Survive is a four-player online survival game that, if the trailer is anything to go by, looks closer to Resident Evil than Metal Gear Solid.

This has clearly angered some fans, with the YouTube trailer already amassing thousands more dislikes than likes, and garnering comments ranging from “this new Resident Evil looks pretty crazy” to “kill me now”. While YouTube comments are never the bastion of rational thought on the internet, the overwhelming outpouring is indicative of a severe backlash from the game’s core audience.

Much of this anger towards Konami comes from those who believe Survive, on the evidence in the trailer, shows no signs of 'Tactical Espionage Action' – the series' mantra. Instead it seems more of an all-action zombie blaster – a genre which, ironically, has been done to death.

But dig a little deeper, and this change in direction may not be as drastic – or as damaging – as Metal Gear fans may fear.

Three years ago, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance hacked and slashed its way on to consoles. The spin off from Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots saw players take control of sword-wielding robotic ninja Raiden (who himself divided opinion when he first popped up in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty).

Patience and planning was replaced by frenetic sword-play and lightning-fast combat, while tactics made way for a gloriously brutal Blade Mode, which let players strategically amputate enemies' limbs. Despite Kojima Productions being involved it was another studio – Platinum Games – that led the charge, sending shockwaves of doubt through the MGS community.

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“Awful game!!! A disgrace to the Metal Gear Saga!!! It makes a real MGS fan cry!!! and Are you f****** joking?” wrote one fan in response to Revengeance's 2013 launch trailer. “A sneaking game turned into a beat-em-up. This is a sorry excuse to a traditional MGS game,” wrote another. Sound familiar?

When the game was finally released, it was met with near universal praise – accruing an impressive 80% score on Metacritic. It was so well received, in fact, that many fans now want Platinum Games to release a sequel.

Metal Gear ditched the rulebook for Revengeance
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Revengeance is a prime example that, no matter how scary, alien and nonsensical it might seem at first, change can be a good thing. And actually, with respect to Kojima and his talented team, there are hundreds of talented developers – many of whom likely hold Metal Gear games close to their heart – who would jump at the chance to add a new twist to such a revered franchise.

Another big change was seen in Metal Gear Solid 5, with long-standing Snake voice actor, David Hayter, ousted for 24's Keifer Sutherland.

According to Kojima, when quizzed on the change, he told journalists: “What we’re trying to accomplish here is [to] recreate the Metal Gear series. It’s a new type of Metal Gear game and we want to have this reflected in the voice actor as well.”

Monster mash: the Metal Gear franchise is mutating with Survive
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Again, the community revolted – struggling to understand why a voice that had served a series so well warranted being replaced. For some, an integral piece of the winning Metal Gear machine had been removed. But, to Kojima and Sutherland's credit, the gamble paid off – the latter's gravelly tones more than held their own in both Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain (although, some were not happy with his lack of lines).

Kojima loyalists will no doubt initially write Survive off – instead shifting attention to his new project, Death Stranding. But, as Revengeance proved, Kojima's Metal Gear isn't a stranger to change - and has become a stronger, more diverse universe as a result. Other brands such as Call of Duty continue to fight change – and have suffered for it. Fittingly, Survive may be exactly what the Metal Gear series needs to live long and prosper.

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