Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes/The Phantom Pain

[Akira AC]

Okay, played through the whole thing, got the true-true ending, and all I have to say is this:

Spoiler

Kojima is a god damned moron.

And here is why, you better play the whole thing because coming up here are major spoilers:

Spoiler

The whole point of MGS V was to show the transition of Jack (AKA Big Boss) from the hero on MGS 3, portable ops and Peace Walker to the villain on MG1, MG2 and the whole way until the final appearance on MGS4. That was basically the whole advertising campaign for it, all the setup, trailers and narrative, everything in a sense.

Now, the game sets up a great way to put that transition, specifically through game mechanics (killing now is not considered a restriction from perfect scores), on the side ops and how you can complete them and how the world around actually encourages you to be more reckless and cold hearted.

All of these thing amounted to a cohesion for the character, specially in mission 43 "‘Shining Lights, Even In Death" where you can see (and PLAY, be an active participant) of this change. To have Emmeric started the whole thing and diminishing all the meaning out of it, it wouldn't have affected the whole thing so much, but the problem is the where it all leads...

Ishmael (aka Venom snake) is revealed to be not the proper Big Boss, so all this development occurs for Ishmael, but not Jack (aka Big Boss), meaning that all the character development that led to the character that you have been fighting against for a two decade of games, the whole ****ing character arc is for a character that is irrelevant for the canon, for the other games, just MG1.

Storytelling wise it was an easy fix, it could have been even a basic change; the reveal should have been Ishmael creating outer heaven (instead of Big Boss), then have the true big boss to take over once venom was defeated in MG1, this forces the story to be coherent and build the character for the proper Big Boss that we see on MGS4.

Konami gave up giving resources to Kojima so the true ending of Eli "Eli and the kingdom of the Flies" was not included, understandable and it's a shame because it "cut" the link between the games and how Eli ended up in the US, which is part of the set up on MGS1. But this does not justify for the lack of proper writing and cohesion, you can have a cohesive story, make the story be good and have a plot twist to make the story have more cohesion, this was demonstrated with MGS : Peace Walker, in which Paz was shown to be a secret agent to get control of Metal Gear when it got completed, and it makes sense.

Here the plot twist diminishes the whole experience for the player, it makes 60-70 hours of gameplay meaningless if it was supposed to be a sequel-prequel to a series (which is why it's called "Metal Gear solid V"), and that is a pretty big ****ing problem, it's so basic, is just a scene, but the scene cheapens the whole experience, a game did that before, and it's called Mass Effect 3, people will catch on this problem with time, because the amount of ******** through the series hinders what really happened with the story here.

Love the game, but the story is just Mass Effect 3, and whoever played that game will understand eventually.

Checking that philosopher's thing though, but yeah, what a way to end the series, funny to see how the "genius" of Kojima ended up being moronic, maybe is just an analogy, I don't even know with the amount of ******** that goes around.

 

[Ellis]

Okay, played through the whole thing, got the true-true ending, and all I have to say is this:

Spoiler

Kojima is a god damned moron.

And here is why, you better play the whole thing because coming up here are major spoilers:

Spoiler

The whole point of MGS V was to show the transition of Jack (AKA Big Boss) from the hero on MGS 3, portable ops and Peace Walker to the villain on MG1, MG2 and the whole way until the final appearance on MGS4. That was basically the whole advertising campaign for it, all the setup, trailers and narrative, everything in a sense.

Now, the game sets up a great way to put that transition, specifically through game mechanics (killing now is not considered a restriction from perfect scores), on the side ops and how you can complete them and how the world around actually encourages you to be more reckless and cold hearted.

All of these thing amounted to a cohesion for the character, specially in mission 43 "‘Shining Lights, Even In Death" where you can see (and PLAY, be an active participant) of this change. To have Emmeric started the whole thing and diminishing all the meaning out of it, it wouldn't have affected the whole thing so much, but the problem is the where it all leads...

Ishmael (aka Venom snake) is revealed to be not the proper Big Boss, so all this development occurs for Ishmael, but not Jack (aka Big Boss), meaning that all the character development that led to the character that you have been fighting against for a two decade of games, the whole ****ing character arc is for a character that is irrelevant for the canon, for the other games, just MG1.

Storytelling wise it was an easy fix, it could have been even a basic change; the reveal should have been Ishmael creating outer heaven (instead of Big Boss), then have the true big boss to take over once venom was defeated in MG1, this forces the story to be coherent and build the character for the proper Big Boss that we see on MGS4.

Konami gave up giving resources to Kojima so the true ending of Eli "Eli and the kingdom of the Flies" was not included, understandable and it's a shame because it "cut" the link between the games and how Eli ended up in the US, which is part of the set up on MGS1. But this does not justify for the lack of proper writing and cohesion, you can have a cohesive story, make the story be good and have a plot twist to make the story have more cohesion, this was demonstrated with MGS : Peace Walker, in which Paz was shown to be a secret agent to get control of Metal Gear when it got completed, and it makes sense.

Here the plot twist diminishes the whole experience for the player, it makes 60-70 hours of gameplay meaningless if it was supposed to be a sequel-prequel to a series (which is why it's called "Metal Gear solid V"), and that is a pretty big ****ing problem, it's so basic, is just a scene, but the scene cheapens the whole experience, a game did that before, and it's called Mass Effect 3, people will catch on this problem with time, because the amount of ******** through the series hinders what really happened with the story here.

Love the game, but the story is just Mass Effect 3, and whoever played that game will understand eventually.

Checking that philosopher's thing though, but yeah, what a way to end the series, funny to see how the "genius" of Kojima ended up being moronic, maybe is just an analogy, I don't even know with the amount of ******** that goes around.

Disagree. 10/10 loved the true ending. It genius and fitting

 

[Solid Lifters]

I'm really going to suffer with this game. Finally beat the Honey Bee mission after lots of trial and error.

Welcome to the club, dude. Meetings are on Wednesday.

No, I figured it out:

Spoiler

Bombardment.

Just figured out how to attach posters to cardboard boxes, so I started screwing around with it and wound up getting a soldier in Africa to salute me, which I found hilarious. But then another soldier spotted me and called it in. CP told him to stop jumping at shadows. He ignored them and came over to investigate, so I bailed. When he checked in to confirm that the box was empty, CP booked him for a psych evaluation.

Spoiler

See, I told you about how much fun putting posters on your box can be in this game.

Still haven't got my new controller, so I'm attacking the Bee episode just yet. Still having fun, though. I now have 65k heroism, 27+ MB, and over 1.1 million GMP, which will go fast with I upgrade three more struts to have all at 4/4. That would be around 1.2 million in GMP, so I have more of Episode 5: Over The Fence to do. I've done that mission about 40 times now. LOL

As always, saved my game save to a flashdrive and on my PC. Lesson learned. Don't forget to do the same!

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Anyone know where I can get fuel resources? I'm running really low, and I still need 96,000 to finish off my Mother Base. I know red containers are the ones I want as they contain ten times as much as white containers, but outside Nova Braga, I don't know where to find them.

Still haven't got my new controller, so I'm attacking the Bee episode just yet.

If you're still stuck, have you considered getting Quiet? She's extremely useful; she should really help with the Mountain Relay Base and Smasei Fort:

Spoiler

Go to the Aabe Shifap Ruins, and you'll have to fight her; she's a lot like The End in Snake Eater, but the fight is considerably shorter.

You should be able to unlock her, but you may need to be at a certain point in the story first; technically, you won't meet her for a few missions yet, but Miller may prompt you by talking about a sniper causing chaos for the Soviets. Once he does, Quiet should be available.

 

[catamount39]

Question...where can I hijack some tanks and APC's while roaming around (Africa or Afghanistan)?

 

[VEXD]

In a "eliminate the heavy artillery" side op?


And prisonermonkeys, there are some red containers at the Central afghan base and in the compound in the top right corner of Africa.
Assuming you have North facing up.......

👍

 

[Ettick]

Question...where can I hijack some tanks and APC's while roaming around (Africa or Afghanistan)?

Do that one mission where you have to eliminate an armored vehicle battalion. You can camp out at one point on the map and extract them when they stop.

 

[catamount39]

Do that one mission where you have to eliminate an armored vehicle battalion. You can camp out at one point on the map and extract them when they stop.

Dang...was hoping there was a base or something. Well, time fo steal some T-72's.

 

[F1GTR]

Okay, played through the whole thing, got the true-true ending, and all I have to say is this:

Spoiler

Kojima is a god damned moron.

And here is why, you better play the whole thing because coming up here are major spoilers:

Spoiler

The whole point of MGS V was to show the transition of Jack (AKA Big Boss) from the hero on MGS 3, portable ops and Peace Walker to the villain on MG1, MG2 and the whole way until the final appearance on MGS4. That was basically the whole advertising campaign for it, all the setup, trailers and narrative, everything in a sense.

Now, the game sets up a great way to put that transition, specifically through game mechanics (killing now is not considered a restriction from perfect scores), on the side ops and how you can complete them and how the world around actually encourages you to be more reckless and cold hearted.

All of these thing amounted to a cohesion for the character, specially in mission 43 "‘Shining Lights, Even In Death" where you can see (and PLAY, be an active participant) of this change. To have Emmeric started the whole thing and diminishing all the meaning out of it, it wouldn't have affected the whole thing so much, but the problem is the where it all leads...

Ishmael (aka Venom snake) is revealed to be not the proper Big Boss, so all this development occurs for Ishmael, but not Jack (aka Big Boss), meaning that all the character development that led to the character that you have been fighting against for a two decade of games, the whole ****ing character arc is for a character that is irrelevant for the canon, for the other games, just MG1.

Storytelling wise it was an easy fix, it could have been even a basic change; the reveal should have been Ishmael creating outer heaven (instead of Big Boss), then have the true big boss to take over once venom was defeated in MG1, this forces the story to be coherent and build the character for the proper Big Boss that we see on MGS4.

Konami gave up giving resources to Kojima so the true ending of Eli "Eli and the kingdom of the Flies" was not included, understandable and it's a shame because it "cut" the link between the games and how Eli ended up in the US, which is part of the set up on MGS1. But this does not justify for the lack of proper writing and cohesion, you can have a cohesive story, make the story be good and have a plot twist to make the story have more cohesion, this was demonstrated with MGS : Peace Walker, in which Paz was shown to be a secret agent to get control of Metal Gear when it got completed, and it makes sense.

Here the plot twist diminishes the whole experience for the player, it makes 60-70 hours of gameplay meaningless if it was supposed to be a sequel-prequel to a series (which is why it's called "Metal Gear solid V"), and that is a pretty big ****ing problem, it's so basic, is just a scene, but the scene cheapens the whole experience, a game did that before, and it's called Mass Effect 3, people will catch on this problem with time, because the amount of ******** through the series hinders what really happened with the story here.

Love the game, but the story is just Mass Effect 3, and whoever played that game will understand eventually.

Checking that philosopher's thing though, but yeah, what a way to end the series, funny to see how the "genius" of Kojima ended up being moronic, maybe is just an analogy, I don't even know with the amount of ******** that goes around.

End of game spoilers:

Spoiler

The reveal was fine, but then I do like it when games go meta. Big Boss = Venom = You. It's a way of demonstrating the power fantasies present in video games - you're kinda forced into doing 'bad' things but on some level you enjoy it (hence Venom's smirk at the end). It also ties MG1 and MG2 nicely with Venom being the one who dies at MG1, and Big Boss being there as the bad guy in MG2. It reinforces how Big Boss becomes more of a symbol and a cult of personality while also blurring the lines between what is seen as good or evil - a theme that is constantly explored in the series. The lines drawn between sides in MGS are all a matter of perspective and interpretation, and the fact that the trailers suggested one thing but the game itself showed another shows how malleable perspective can be. I think the lack of a defining 'Big Boss is definitely evil now' moment shows how transformation is something that sneaks up on a person - to him he's just trying to put into practice his interpretation of The Boss' will.

My main complaint about the story as a whole is that it isn't fleshed out enough (due to the difficulties between Kojima and Konami). The story needed to tie the missions together more tightly (a lot of the main missions could have just been relegated to side ops). Also, MGS2 did the whole 'anyone can be shaped into a legend' thing better. Like I said, the foundations were there but it really needed more work. I don't think Kojima's a moron, he just got cut off mid sentence (either by his own doing or Konami) which undermined the whole thing.

 

[dice1998]

End of game spoilers:

Spoiler

The reveal was fine, but then I do like it when games go meta. Big Boss = Venom = You. It's a way of demonstrating the power fantasies present in video games - you're kinda forced into doing 'bad' things but on some level you enjoy it (hence Venom's smirk at the end). It also ties MG1 and MG2 nicely with Venom being the one who dies at MG1, and Big Boss being there as the bad guy in MG2. It reinforces how Big Boss becomes more of a symbol and a cult of personality while also blurring the lines between what is seen as good or evil - a theme that is constantly explored in the series. The lines drawn between sides in MGS are all a matter of perspective and interpretation, and the fact that the trailers suggested one thing but the game itself showed another shows how malleable perspective can be. I think the lack of a defining 'Big Boss is definitely evil now' moment shows how transformation is something that sneaks up on a person - to him he's just trying to put into practice his interpretation of The Boss' will.

My main complaint about the story as a whole is that it isn't fleshed out enough (due to the difficulties between Kojima and Konami). The story needed to tie the missions together more tightly (a lot of the main missions could have just been relegated to side ops). Also, MGS2 did the whole 'anyone can be shaped into a legend' thing better. Like I said, the foundations were there but it really needed more work. I don't think Kojima's a moron, he just got cut off mid sentence (either by his own doing or Konami) which undermined the whole thing.

Spoiler

Hopefully, you're following along with the ARG-side of the game. Cool stuff is going on!

 

[Solid Lifters]

Anyone know where I can get fuel resources? I'm running really low, and I still need 96,000 to finish off my Mother Base. I know red containers are the ones I want as they contain ten times as much as white containers, but outside Nova Braga, I don't know where to find them.

The Braga Airport. There's a "trick" or technique to get a lot and keep doing it over and over again. Episode 21 is the best bet. There's two whites and one red, but the trick allows you to farm as much as you want and need.

Start the mission, go to the locked area with the containers. Get what you want, leave the area until the game saves. Restart the mission. Rinse and repeat.

Episode 12 is better, if you have the...

Spoiler

wormhole Fulton. Take down the two guards, extract what you need, read the intel, wait for the game to save and restart the mission. Rinse and repeat.

If you're still stuck, have you considered getting Quiet? She's extremely useful; she should really help with the Mountain Relay Base and Smasei Fort:

Spoiler

Go to the Aabe Shifap Ruins, and you'll have to fight her; she's a lot like The End in Snake Eater, but the fight is considerably shorter.

You should be able to unlock her, but you may need to be at a certain point in the story first; technically, you won't meet her for a few missions yet, but Miller may prompt you by talking about a sniper causing chaos for the Soviets. Once he does, Quiet should be available.

No where near to Quiet, yet. I am just waiting on my new SplitFish controller. I cannot use the standard PS3 controller. Too much frustration using it.

I went to Smasei Fort to destroy the radar dish. That way, I can just land there in my chopper. But, I tried that with my first game and got destroyed before I hit the ground. But, that's when my first game locked up, my PS3 bricked and had to start all over again with my new PS3. So, you see why I hate that mission. I want to try that tactic again, because I saw a guy do it with his S run and still want to try it.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Konami have announced the first DLC ... costumes based on Snake Eater.

Is it just me, or would a content creator really work? You could set up your own Side Ops - pick a location (including Afghanistan, Africa, Mother Base and Metal Gear Online maps), place guards and choose their loadouts, place objectives and set additional parameters like Subsistence and Perfect Stealth, with a standard sciring system and GMP payment for your rank.

End of game spoilers:

Spoiler

The reveal was fine, but then I do like it when games go meta. Big Boss = Venom = You.

Spoiler

It's pretty strongly implied that Venom is a part of Les Enfants Terrible, or at least an early prototype.

Consider this: despite being the same age as Solid and Liquid, Solidus was subject to accelerated ageing. Likewise Solid in Guns of the Patriots. It's plausible that Venom was put through the accelerated ageing process to see the long-term effects of cloning (which would also explain why Venom is so old in Metal Gear). During the prologue, all of the patients look identical, and XOF kill them all after visually confirming that they are not Big Boss. This could be Cipher cleaning up the facility used to breed Les Enfants Terrible once Solid, Liquid and Solidus became viable and moved onto "field testing"; Eli was sent to Africa.

When Ocelot arrives to save Venom in Cyprus, he says that he was hired by Miller to save both him and Miller - but if Miller was caught in Afghanistan, how did he know where Venom was? The answer is Ishmael, the real Big Boss.

Throughout the game, the Vocal Cord Parasites are referred to as the ultimate weapon - but the dialogue makes it pretty clear that Cipher had shut the project down years ago, only for Skull Face to discreetly restart it. So if it was shut down and Cipher had no knowledge of it being restarted, what is the ultimate weapon? Les Enfants Terrible. And here we have Big Boss, in the guise of Ishmael, stealing Venom out from under Cipher's nose.

Furthermore, the Man on Fire is said to be Volgin's semi-comatose body, sustained by his thirst for revenge. He is inevitably drawn to Big Boss to exact revenge, but when Venom recovers his body, he dies, and it is implied that he dies because he knows Venom isn't Big Boss. So why was he drawn to Cyprus if Big Boss wasn't there, the one time when his will was controlling Mantis? Big Boss had to be there, and the only other character is Ishmael.

During the final chapter of the game, there are multiple references to a spy within Diamond Dogs' ranks - like the "Big Boss is watching YOU" posters. And who is the "you" in question? You, the player. If Ocelot, Miller and Big Boss know that Venom is a clone, then they would want to field test him, just as Cipher is field testing Eli. If Cipher believes that Les Enfants Terrible is the ultimate weapon, Diamond Dogs would want to confirm it for themselves because if true, it changes the nature of their fight against Cipher.

However, Miller tests Eli's DNA and reveals that he is not a clone of Venom. That said, if they are testing Venom themselves, they would have every reason to keep that information from him. And they were only doing a paternity test, which would not pick up a clone.

 

[Grandea GTR]

How do you keep quiet from shooting people for no reason?

 

[dice1998]

How do you keep quiet from shooting people for no reason?

If you're under alert, you can force move her through the iDroid to somewhere far away. If you're not under alert and commanded her to cover you, you can command her to cease fire.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

How do you keep quiet from shooting people for no reason?

I recommend developing the Guilty Butterfly as soon as possible - it's a non-lethal weapon.

 

[sesselpupser]

Konami have announced the first DLC ... costumes based on Snake Eater.

Looks like the tux, MGS3 sneaking suit and tiger stripe camo for Big Boss, The Boss' sneaking suit (unzipped, of course) and EVA's suit for female combat unit staff and two costumes for D-Horse (Roman-style and another with horns, no idea what it's supposed to be...). Pictures here. I'll probably pass.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Looks like the tux, MGS3 sneaking suit and tiger stripe camo for Big Boss, The Boss' sneaking suit (unzipped, of course) and EVA's suit for female combat unit staff and two costumes for D-Horse (Roman-style and another with horns, no idea what it's supposed to be...). Pictures here. I'll probably pass.

Me, too. I'm a hundred hours in (seriously, Final Fantasy XII only got about forty out of me), at 67% complete and with only a handful of missions to go. The DLC won't offer me anything new. I'll only get it if its like Grand Theft Auto V where you need each installment of DLC to keep playing online.

We can only hope for more story missions, more Side Ops and things like a content creator.

 

[F1GTR]

Spoiler

It's pretty strongly implied that Venom is a part of Les Enfants Terrible, or at least an early prototype.

Consider this: despite being the same age as Solid and Liquid, Solidus was subject to accelerated ageing. Likewise Solid in Guns of the Patriots. It's plausible that Venom was put through the accelerated ageing process to see the long-term effects of cloning (which would also explain why Venom is so old in Metal Gear). During the prologue, all of the patients look identical, and XOF kill them all after visually confirming that they are not Big Boss. This could be Cipher cleaning up the facility used to breed Les Enfants Terrible once Solid, Liquid and Solidus became viable and moved onto "field testing"; Eli was sent to Africa.

When Ocelot arrives to save Venom in Cyprus, he says that he was hired by Miller to save both him and Miller - but if Miller was caught in Afghanistan, how did he know where Venom was? The answer is Ishmael, the real Big Boss.

Throughout the game, the Vocal Cord Parasites are referred to as the ultimate weapon - but the dialogue makes it pretty clear that Cipher had shut the project down years ago, only for Skull Face to discreetly restart it. So if it was shut down and Cipher had no knowledge of it being restarted, what is the ultimate weapon? Les Enfants Terrible. And here we have Big Boss, in the guise of Ishmael, stealing Venom out from under Cipher's nose.

Furthermore, the Man on Fire is said to be Volgin's semi-comatose body, sustained by his thirst for revenge. He is inevitably drawn to Big Boss to exact revenge, but when Venom recovers his body, he dies, and it is implied that he dies because he knows Venom isn't Big Boss. So why was he drawn to Cyprus if Big Boss wasn't there, the one time when his will was controlling Mantis? Big Boss had to be there, and the only other character is Ishmael.

During the final chapter of the game, there are multiple references to a spy within Diamond Dogs' ranks - like the "Big Boss is watching YOU" posters. And who is the "you" in question? You, the player. If Ocelot, Miller and Big Boss know that Venom is a clone, then they would want to field test him, just as Cipher is field testing Eli. If Cipher believes that Les Enfants Terrible is the ultimate weapon, Diamond Dogs would want to confirm it for themselves because if true, it changes the nature of their fight against Cipher.

However, Miller tests Eli's DNA and reveals that he is not a clone of Venom. That said, if they are testing Venom themselves, they would have every reason to keep that information from him. And they were only doing a paternity test, which would not pick up a clone.

More endgame spoilers/cut content discussion here:

Spoiler

There are a few issues with that implication though:

The creation of Venom was due to Skullface going rogue once he realised that the Vocal Cord Parasite project was being abandoned by Cipher as he saw that targeting genes was more precise and effective than targeting language (with it culminating in FOXDIE). The information gained from Le Enfants Terribles allowed them to realise that. Zero never intended for Big Boss to be hurt: he asks Ocelot for help after the events of GZ to keep Big Boss/Ishmael safe in Cyprus and even visits him while he was in his coma. I think it's more likely that the survival of the medic/player avatar was seen by Cipher as an opportunity to misdirect XOF/Skullface.

However, I think that linking Venom to Les Enfants Terribles raises some parallels between Venom and Eli/Liquid. In a way, you're right about Venom being part of Les Enfants Terribles. I just watched the cut mission 51 and Eli says that 'I was created by Cipher/I'm the loser/I'm not me/I'm just a copy of you'. I think that line would have had a particular resonance with the player post mission 46, as both the player and Eli have had their identities shattered by the true nature of the context they were operating in - possibly explaining why some people feel 'cheated' out of a story arc. We expect to 'win' by the end of the game, and yet somehow we find ourselves just like Eli: an unwitting subject within a larger project. This emphasis on identity and the deconstruction of selfhood branches out to Skullface and his monologue on language and how it forms identity, how his own identity was initially taken away from him by being forced to speak a foreign tongue and further on losing his face. MGS is full of dispossessed characters with a few trying to claw back some form of agency. Think of all the Mother Base soldiers you've fultoned, Code Talker, even D-Dog and the question of him being a wolf or a dog.

I think the twist poses some questions/explorations on identity, and I can't help but feel that if Kojima/Konami developed the game further the reveal would have just been the climax to the second act, with the third act enforcing all the themes being hinted upon in the game we got. By the end of mission 46 Mother Base is pretty much complete and it'd make sense for Chapter 3 to take on a more focused narrative approach like we're used to in previous MGS games. There wasn't a big end game event at all in MGSV.

Spoiler

Hopefully, you're following along with the ARG-side of the game. Cool stuff is going on!

Spoiler

Yeah, I've been keeping an eye on it. I'm cautiously hoping there's something more and that Kojima isn't just making everyone chase phantoms. What would be the worst is if these signs were intended to lead us to more but KojiPro didn't get the time/resources to include the payoff. Best case scenario is that somehow Konami is also in on this and Kojima/Konami are playing us like a damn fiddle.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Spoiler

Zero never intended for Big Boss to be hurt: he asks Ocelot for help after the events of GZ to keep Big Boss/Ishmael safe in Cyprus and even visits him while he was in his coma.

Spoiler

I very deliberately said "Cipher" and not "Zero" - Miller explicitly states that as of The Phantom Pain, Zero is already in a wheelchair. It's a conversation used to point out why the player is going after Skull Face and XOF rather than Cipher and Zero, but it suggests that Zero is already losing control of Cipher. Why else would he turn to Ocelot if not because of his inability to affect things directly?

Spoiler

I think that linking Venom to Les Enfants Terribles raises some parallels between Venom and Eli/Liquid.

Spoiler

The series has always been about parallels - Big Boss and Zero are locked in an ideological conflict; Solid and Liquid are doomed to repeat the same cycle. Liquid's stated aim is to break free of the constraints of genetics; Solidus is trying to break free of a cultural hegemony; The Boss wants to end socio-political division; Skull Face tries to destroy language; even Huey tries to escape the dominion imposed upon him. The villains in the series are always trying to take control of their own destinies, which is ironic because control is what they fight against. So for there to be parallels between Venom and Eli is no surprise because both of them are caught in the system where their merit is defined solely by the small part they play; they have no function beyond the events of the story.

 

[NLxAROSA]

So, with regards to Demon Snake.

Spoiler

I thought my Snake had shrapnel in his head, but turns out it's a horn. And apparently that's only half-way becoming real Demon Snake. This game is absolutely awesome. Hidden stats FTW!

 

[dice1998]

Spoiler: Endgame Spoiler Spoiler

Just in case anyone wants to speculate "What if it's not an Intrude N313 tape as we never see the final two digits in-game:

And all that currently remains of Chapter 3:

Interesting..

*Edit* added more images with description

 

[Ellis]

Might wonna put a note on the above saying that is an end game spoiler @dice1998 just to avoid if people are curios. Some very interesting points though

 

[catamount39]

Might wonna put a note on the above saying that is an end game spoiler @dice1998 just to avoid if people are curios. Some very interesting points though

I looked at it and I'm still clueless about the ending.

 

[dice1998]

Might wonna put a note on the above saying that is an end game spoiler @dice1998 just to avoid if people are curios. Some very interesting points though

done

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Argh, Episode 45 ...

 

[Ridox2JZGTE]

No more for me, I can't stand the ending spoilers I'm only at 29% now, 80+hours, keep doing side ops, and just done the mission 15 I think ( truck ). Already maxed the bond with Quiet, we are an effective team now Will redo past missions to get S and all optional objectives.

 

[sesselpupser]

I'm starting to get the Metal Gear itch... I made the mistake of watching some pretty great videos last night (I'll post them here when I'm at my laptop) and I'm pretty sure I dreamt I was in the game last night, but I'll blame that on the beer. I remembered I did a short run of pretty loud side ops where I arrived with as many explosives as I could carry, actually used the minigun to kill things, called the heli back as soon as I got off so it waited for me then I either ran off to finish off killing stuff or pick up the prisoner before boarding again. I recorded them so I'll upload them when I can.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Spoiler

Finished Episode 45, and I'm genuinely devastated by what happened to Quiet. It's rare that a video game makes you care about a character like that, and rarer still that a composer can achieve it with a silent character; for Kojima to pull it off with both is amazing.

Sadly, I think that all anyone will see is the overt sexualisation of the character, which is unfortunate because Quiet is genuinely empowering. So much of The Phantom Pain is about people who invent their own phantoms, real and imagine, and the lengths they go to quantify it. Miller is probably the best example of this - his guilt at having dealt with Cipher and his complacency in assuming that he could control the situation leads to his constant assumptions that there is a spy in their ranks, and his accusations against Huey and Quiet as a means to defer dealing with that guilt. Huey comes to see Diamond Dogs as being no different to the Soviets and the CIA, and uses that to justify attacking them. They are all looking for a phantom, an equal and opposite entity that they are convinced must exist and which can be overcome, but in being equal and opposite, the entity will always exist measure for measure. Everybody starts out fighting something very real and very tangible, but every time they knock one enemy down, another, more powerful one emerges and the evil becomes increasingly amorphous to the point where they start fuelling their own fears and projecting their own malevolence onto the world. Enter Mantis and the Man on Fire, who represent this projection; a seemingly unstoppable entity that is paradoxically defeated by the simplest means - but at this point, force is the only language that anyone understands (and ironically, they try and prevent Eli from going down this same path).

But back to Quiet - where everyone else is inventing their own phantoms, she is the only character with any real choice. She shows all the same signs as the others, an innate desire for revenge against Venom, but consciously chooses to reject it. And not for the usual pop culture reasons of recognising that there is no catharsis in revenge; in fact, her reasons for making the choice are never discussed - and because of this, she becomes defined by that choice. The real tragedy of the character is that she is effectively erased from history; no body is ever found, and there is no trace that she was ever a part of Diamond Dogs, when Diamond Dogs are struggling to assert their own existence - Snake points out that Sahelanthropus is a symbol of their collective identity. Quiet accepts her place in history; she recognises that she is powerless to affect the whole world, and it is this act that is empowering as it allows her to takes control over her individual narrative - which is exactly what Diamond Dogs is trying to achieve. She becomes a memory, the ultimate fate of anyone, escaping the world of Metal Gear Solid: a world outside conventional morality, where the individual is left to define their own morality - and which in The Phantom Pain has run its course and become a corrupted version of itself. And it is this that gives rise to the next cycle: Big Boss against Zero, Miller against Ocelot, and ultimately Solid against Liquid.

 

[Techy]

Wrapped up Episode 30 the other day.

Spoiler

Fighting Sahelanthropus was pretty fun. Only died three times to it until I saw through its moves. Was able to complete it in 8 or so minutes so it got me an S-rank. Episode 29 took a while though, but I think I'll come back to it now that I know what ways to take and avoid. That chopper circling the second/last checkpoint was a pain.

I'm still not getting high-ranking soldiers. My heroism is pretty high now too. Most soldiers I find have B-ranks or lower.

 

[Jawehawk]

Anyone know where I can get fuel resources? I'm running really low, and I still need 96,000 to finish off my Mother Base. I know red containers are the ones I want as they contain ten times as much as white containers, but outside Nova Braga, I don't know where to find them.

The Soviet OKB 0 base has a lot of red fuel containers.

On another note. Am I the only one annoyed by the fact that some large bases have a large concentration of military equipment (IFV's, tanks and gunships) in missions, yet when you visit them in free roam, they contain none of it? Not only does it not make sense for the Soviet base of operation in the region to not have numerous AFV's stored and on stand-by, it also makes the bases seem less than what they are in the missions. Breaking world continuity.

Also, is there anyway of seeing how fast the Base Development platform is processing unprocessed materials? I have what I feel are obscene amounts of unprocessed materials, and they barely seem to be processing them.