The grand farewell Hideo Kojima with his TV series, one of the best fighters in the history of espionage, and just a great game
Hospital ward somewhere on the edge of the world. Behind the scenes playing a cover of The Man Who Sold the World by David Bowie. On the bed is a war hero and one of the main characters of the saga Metal Gear Solid, super soldier Big Boss. Here, in a coma, he spent the last nine years of his life (as he found himself in this chamber can be found in last year's prologue Ground Zeroes).Big Boss barely opens his eyes and sees a doctor with the appearance of Alexander Gordon, who mutters something about the injuries, plastic surgery and impending threat of it, Big Boss, life. Soon the doctor kills suddenly appeared in the House of the girl-killer, and the events start to develop rapidly.
Hero saves neighbor by the name of Ishmael: together they face a riot, burning man flying girl in a gas mask and a helicopter to shoot the sick body with all guns. And, of course, a miracle escape from there.
So begins Phantom Pain - the most ambitious, incredible and controversial part of spy blockbuster Metal Gear Solid. Series, which came up with the brilliant Japanese game designer Hideo Kojima more than 28 years ago. Series, which together with the Half-Life, Grand Theft Auto and several interactive works became the face of the gaming industry.
Unfortunately, the history of Metal Gear Solid coming to an end. A few months before the release of Phantom Pain studio Kojima and Konami fired his entire team (rumored due to budget overruns for the development, which is the end reached $ 80 million). Now, even if the games in the series will appear in the future, they will do most other people. In the case of MGS is like death - only Kojima knew what laws there must be the author of his blockbuster. And given how complex, multi-figured and unique got Phantom Pain, triumph Kojima (at least, with MGS), again, I'm afraid no one can ever.
Only real geniuses are capable in his work on radical changes. The new game Hideo Kojima and Co., to the discontent of the majority of fans, with one stroke of the pen, or cut overshadowed many family traits show through which Metal Gear Solid once gained worldwide popularity.
They abandoned linear narrative and the player thrown into the open world with little or no prompting. Moreover, to the story of the Kojima some reason stuck (in other words you will not say) about the economic strategy of the construction of the base.
In retelling it all seemed like a bad dream, but Kojima and then all outsmarted. Hideo did not revive the past and repeat himself a decade ago. Instead, he created the modern spy thriller in the open world, which, as it later became clear, turned out to be no worse (and in many respects better than) the previous parts of the series.
It is necessary to warn: Phantom Pain - a huge game, passing only part of the story that will take you at least 40-50 hours of pure time. In comparison, even the previous editions of the saga, sometimes hard to fit in the 20-hour format, seem ridiculous shorts. It seems that Kojima and Co. decided to fit in a Phantom Pain all the ideas accumulated over 9 years of development. Because of this, the game began to resemble a huge layer cake, each layer of which is so immense that we can talk about it for hours.
At first, most obvious level, Phantom Pain appears almost a model in an open world game. It seemed that in recent years we have become so accustomed to the genre that surprise and delight the more ordinary players no longer possible. And at least it is expected from Kojima - the hero, seemed a bygone era of Japanese games. But the incredible happened: Phantom Pain raises the bar stealth game to new heights by some simple means to shamelessness.
The main feature of the new MGS - apparent lack of rules that normally stifle the developers of such games. The game has almost no markers, tips, and other helpers. Main your weapons to the outbreak of hostilities - the binoculars, which you mark enemies on the map and then begin to act.
In the West, Phantom Pain properly called "simulator soldier." We have added the "free" - as the Snake in our hands can do on the field of battle, whatever you want. The tactics you pick up right during the mission. You can act like you want: noisy, loud, enter from the rear or on the forehead, to use explosives, equipment, or use only your hands and a gun with darts. Given that before each mission, we choose not only the equipment, but also a partner - fighting dog, the horse, the girl-killer Kvaet or real robot Metal Gear - number of possible transmission increases several times. Similarly, a variety of tactics could boast except that the Hitman in their best years. Today, this is not even the favorite in all Far Cry 4.
However, all tactics could easily be buried under unresponsive management - the family problems of previous Metal Gear Solid. But here the developers rose to the occasion - it is not just the most comfortable and modern game in the series, but also in the genre. And add the desired ease of management gameplay, because we do not play for anyone, and the best, according to the mythology of the game, the soldier on the planet.
Between forays into the open world we spend time on the so-called Mother Base. Train staff (which can be evacuated directly from the battlefield by means of the "Fulton"), gradually improving individual sections of the base, listening to audio tapes, and all rest of the main tasks. The introduction of the base, as well as many others, at first with hostility perceived conservative fans of the series. Similar functionality was in a portable spin-off Peace Walker, and then many do not like it. The Phantom Pain soldier's life on the basis of not annoying, in fact - represents one of the key ideas of the game, to which we shall return later.
The only, but important part of the claim to the game Phantom Pain - its duration. The number of mandatory assignments can be easily cut by a third (or even twice) without loss of quality, and all the "extra" mission to move to the operation side. Because in this passage as Phantom Pain can be compared to reading a fat (and even multi-volume) of the novel - no matter how entertaining the narrative may be, sooner or later will still begin to nod.
Kojima all well aware, so just at the beginning of the game one of the characters voice pronounces: take breaks. However, we dare to suggest, many players will be happy vastness Phantom Pain. Modern blockbusters have long been accustomed to the adventures of a few tens of hours.
In the second, deeper level, we see the familiar Metal Gear Solid. Kojima, the genius of staging, with the experience of watching films, rare scenes story turns into a real work of art. Unlike previous editions of MGS, in Phantom Pain almost no installation gluing and all the dynamics and tempo defines nervous camera floating around the characters, and fashionable filters.
If you like a good movie, you immediately understand where the legs grow. Kojima is clearly inspired by the style of the incredible Mexican operator Emmanuel Lubezki, the victor of the last two ceremonies 'Oscar'. If you've seen "Gravity" or "Berdmena" the latest films by Terrence Malick and wait for the upcoming western "Survivor" with Leonardo DiCaprio, you understand what I mean. Kojima does not hesitate to borrow from the great - that's why Phantom Pain visually look impressive not only almost any game, but the majority of films.
But the stunning visual aids are needed not only and not so much for beauty: using them Kojima tells monumental anti-war story in the tradition of Metal Gear Solid. War and nuclear weapons to Kojima, like most Japanese, are still very sick theme after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but Kojima is not afraid to speak out about this.
In contrast to the previous parts, it does so gently and delicately - narrative scenes became much shorter and kilometer dialogue hidden in the record. In words, it seems a sacrilege, because it is for the hour, stunningly orchestrated many commercials and loved Metal Gear Solid. But a new form of presentation shows only one thing - Kojima as a writer and director over the years has matured greatly. Anyone who scolded the Japanese for grafomanstvo and gigantism can be satisfied: Kojima in Phantom Pain learned shortly and clearly express thoughts, not much distracted from the stunning gameplay.
But, of course, anti-militarism - not the only, and certainly not the main theme of Phantom Pain. This game - about the human dualism about psychological masks that each of us wears in real life. The roots of this topic can be found, for example, in Russian literature (in some Dostoevsky's novels or story Sukhovo-Kobylin "Death of Tarelkin"), as well as in the film (the simplest example - "The Big Lebowski"). And this is a game, of course, about love, which shows how Kojima always elegantly and subtly. But that is no longer spoil (and if you continue - it will be inevitable), we say that the Phantom Pain is much deeper and more varied than it seems at first glance.
In the third, the most interesting level Phantom Pain appears almost calligraphic precise allusion to the life and work of Kojima. From the very first mission, when one of the main characters Kazuhiro Miller says Snake "we finally cease to be hired Shawky and construct their base," it is impossible to get rid of the idea that a new part of the spy thriller Japanese developer did himself.
Metal Gear Solid has always been a game Hideo Kojima Hideo Kojima and about, but only in Phantom Pain is felt all the pain and bitterness that are likely experienced developer during the farewell to the life of the product. In this context, the construction of the base is seen as an allusion to the management of the studio, and the name of the protagonist - Big Boss - as a direct reference to the very Kojima. Perhaps he did not put the Japanese all the game consciously, but given that Metal Gear Solid was and remains the author's work, all matches not accidental. This makes the Phantom Pain of the personal, deep and poignant play all spyware cycle.
If Phantom Pain was a book, it was compared to a "Moby Dick" (which so gracefully Kojima quoted in the prologue), or "War and Peace" if the film - from "Space Odyssey" and "Apocalypse Now," if music albums - with the grand symphonies of Wagner. This work, which is closely to the genre, time, and other frameworks. It is more than can be said about it, and write each reviewer, so I will not even try. The Phantom Pain to play - even if you are not familiar with the previous games Kojima.
In the final credits become excruciatingly painful. Not only from the fact that over one of the best games of the year, but also from the fact that this is the last Metal Gear Solid in his life permanent author. But on the other hand, happily, that every one of us happened to these incredible 28 years in the company of a great game series. Thanks Kojima-san for MGS, and good luck.
