Metal Gear Solid Noob Diaries #6: E Emotions

Welcome to the Metal Gear Noob Diaries. This is the recounting of my experience through the MGS series from MGS2: Sons of Liberty all the way to MGSV: Ground Zeroes. I’ll be updating every so often with new thoughts on sections of the games and taking a look back at memorable and enjoyable moments. I’ve never played the series before, so for the fans out there it could be an amusing tale of one noob’s journey, while those as green as myself could well learn a little about the mad world of MGS. Enjoy!

All the feels. So this was a session that consisted largely of cutscenes, but my word did those cutscenes make their mark. My increasing investment in the fiction of MGS suddenly paid off in a couple of hours that almost made me cry on a couple of occasions. It’s such a silly story, I don’t really understand why I’m having such a reaction but IT ALL SUDDENLY MATTERS SO MUCH. The gameplay elements were actually pretty excellent though, mainly based around guiding Otacon's sister Emma through Big Shell.

Emma! Or E.E as Otacon consistently calls her, often to hilarious results. Poor Emma. She makes an incredible first impression by literally pissing herself upon Raiden’s arrival. Then decides that she can’t swim and basically demands that Raiden carries her around everywhere. It’s all OK though, because it turns out she’s a bit of a technical whizz, even if she is working for the bad guys. Like all great characters, she gets knocked off just as she becomes useful. Her death scene with Otacon is a real kicker. Brilliantly voiced and expertly designed, this was probably my favourite moment of the game yet.

That was until Raiden’s past was busted open in another series of excellent cutscenes. My word, when MGS goes hardcore on the emotion front, it goes all the way. Jack (that’s Raiden) and his girlfriend Rose’s little thing is something I’ve managed to avoid during these diaries, even though I’ve enjoyed the side-story during my play time. They have an interesting relationship that’s heavily weighted by Raiden’s strange past. Well it turns out that he was a child soldier, raised and trained by Solidus Snake to kill without thought or conscience. It’s the reason he’s a bit of an oddball, but still doesn’t explain why he’s an ignorant moron half the time. Whatever, I’m starting to like him, and the dialogue between him and Rose about his fear of the dark was really, really enjoyable.

Oh, and look, I get that the bad guys got her involved as a hostage, but why the hell did she feel it appropriate to join the task force for her boyfriend’s mission? That’s just bad life-management.

Again, I find myself getting dragged down by the details; the hopelessly flawed details.

Just a short one today, too much pain in the heart department to write more.