Designers Playing Audiences: The Impact of the

Audience on Game Design

Game Narrative Review
Name: Alex Cha
School: American University Game Lab
Email: alexanderdcha@gmail.com
Month/Year you submitted this review: December 2015

Game Title: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
Genre: Open World, Stealth Action
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Developer: Kojima Productions
Publisher: Konami
Game Writer/Creative Director/Narrative Designer: Hideo Kojima

Overview
Esteemed play theorist Brian Sutton-Smith argues that a players investment and
immersion in a game stems from the games ability to appeal to seven distinct play
characteristics, what he calls the Rhetorics of Play. The Metal Gear franchise has always
told provocative stories, but has been criticized for a lack of awareness of the medium it
embodies: a digital game. Its game-breaking, movie-like presentation was at constant
odds with the play mechanics, and this tug-of-war created a disconnect that prevented it
from engaging with more Rhetorics of Play. As a result, game immersion suffered. Not
so with the newest entry, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (MGSV, Konami
2015), which addresses these criticisms head on, evolving the game to better please its
Japanese and Western audience and appeal to these Rhetorics.
MGSV is the eighth and final entry in creator Hideo Kojimas contribution to the
Metal Gear franchise. The title serves as the conclusion to the franchises main saga,
bridging the narratives surrounding Big Boss and Solid Snake in a tale of intrigue,
deception, loss, and revenge. Both narratively and mechanically, MGSV displays a
willingness to step out of the shadows of its forbearers and silence series conventions in
order to appeal to its maturing Japanese and Western audience. Like its protagonist, its
awareness of the audience that surrounds it and its ability to react to their changing values
and behaviors makes it the most successful Metal Gear title in the franchises storied 28year history. This success is no surprise, but rather, a calculated approach to sustainable
popularity birthed from the political and economic climate of Japan during the original
games inception. Through a careful cognizance of the evolving needs of its wide
Western and Japanese player base, the Metal Gear franchise has remained
groundbreaking and relevant. In Kojimas final entry, its increased effort to satisfy the
values of both audiences allows MGSV to fulfill all of play theorist Brian Sutton-Smiths
Seven Rhetorics of Play. Like Snake, age hasnt slowed it down one bit.

-- 1 --

Characters
Japanese games often feature a complex cast of multifaceted characters, and previous
Metal Gear games are no exception. This feature stems from Japans collectivistic
cultural value, which educates its people to find common ground in their differences in
order to work together to achieve more. This is heavily contrasted by the individualistic
cultural value of MGSVs Western audience, which places emphasis on entrepreneurial
spirit and individual freedom. Aware of these differing values and seeking to find a
common ground between both audiences, MGSV features a cast of complex characters
but asks its players to create their own protagonist, a feature seen in many Western
games. Like the games battle to find common ground between the values of its diverse
audience, the games story revolves around the conflict born out of differences in race
and ethnicity.

John/Snake/Big Boss: After eliminating The Boss, the mother of the special
forces and his former mentor, John was awarded the title of Big Boss by
President Johnson at the conclusion of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Konami
2004). Since then, mere mention of his name has brought about fear in his
enemies and reverence from his allies. As a soldier, The Boss had always
cautioned John to direct his loyalties toward the mission, rather than a country
thats will changes with the times. In killing his mentor in the name of the
mission, John found difficulty in forgiving himself and in directing his loyalties
away from countries. Thus, he turned his back on America altogether and sought
to create a nation, loyal to no country, comprised of soldiers who would help
foster The Bosss will in others. Heralded as the greatest soldier of the 20th
century, Big Boss had little difficulty in recruiting soldiers to join his mercenary
nation, Militaires San Frontieres (MSF).

Skull Face: As a young child, Skull Face worked in a weapons manufacturing

factory in a small village in Hungary. Throughout time, the village saw invasion
by German soldiers during World War II and Soviet soldiers during the Cold
War. Torn from his people, he was forced to learn various languages as the
invading forces changed over time. As his language changed, he changed as well.
Words changed his thoughts, his personality, and his morals. After being exposed
to the dominant English language, he realized its potential to be destructive to
assimilating minority cultures. Thus, he sought to eradicate the English language
using ethnic cleansers known as vocal parasites, which would burrow into vocal
cords and terminally infect English speakers. In his vision, as the world
descended into the chaos brought about by the English cleansing, he would be
there to supply Metal Gears to the remaining cultures that would vie for control.
Skull Face is the central villain of MGSV, the leader of XOF, and was responsible
for the attack on MSF that critically wounded Big Boss, Venom Snake, and
Kazuhira Miller.

Medic/Punished Venom Snake: MSFs most skilled soldier, the Medic

protected Big Boss from the shrapnel explosion that engulfed the escape chopper
during the attack on MSF. He suffered severe injuries to the brain and arm,
resulting in a coma that would last nine years. While comatose, he was exposed
to significant hypnotherapy and surgical operations that would allow him to
awake at the start of MGSV as Venom Snake, the physical and mental body

-- 2 --

double to Big Boss. Venoms only major discrepancies are his prosthetic arm and
a large shard of shrapnel embedded in his skull. Despite being called Big Boss,
throughout the events of MGSV, players assume the role of Venom Snake, who
helps build Big Bosss legend.

Benedict Kazuhira Miller: Big Bosss second in command, Miller was

significantly affected by the attack on MSF, both physically and psychologically.
The phantom pain he feels in his missing arm and leg is a haunting metaphor and
constant reminder for the comrades he lost, and it fuels his vengeance against
XOF and Skull Face. Because Venom Snake is largely silent throughout the
game, Miller embodies the vengeful side of Venoms psyche, regularly urging
the player down the path of revenge.

Breakdown
Twenty-eight years ago, players infiltrated Outer Heaven as rookie Special
Forces operative Solid Snake. They were tasked with stopping the legendary mercenary
leader known as Big Boss, who threatened the world with a nuclear-equipped walking
battle tank called Metal Gear. Even from the inception of the franchise, Metal Gear
(Konami 1987) was marvelously marrying storytelling and gameplay mechanics in ways
few games had attempted, introducing players to a world where their moment-to-moment
decisions told just as much of a story as the codec conversations and dialogue did. In the
opening moments of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, the sagas concluding
chapter, you awaken to find yourself resting in a hospital bed following a nine-year coma.
Groggy and malnourished, the details of the world are obscured before the tired eyes of
Big Boss, who is surprisingly the hero in this particular chapter. As the details of the
game come into focus, it gradually becomes evident that despite its grander scale and
scope, MGSV retains the unique blend of storytelling and thoughtful gameplay mechanics
that launched the franchise into success many years ago. In the sagas conclusion, it
seems poetic that we would craft the villain in much the same way we crafted its hero,
through the experimentation, practice, and play of carefully considered mechanics amidst
a world brimming with espionage, intrigue, and deception.
Narrative Themes
Though MGSV tackles many complex and controversial topics throughout its
narrative, its principal theme centers on revenge. Skull Face, leader of the XOF, incites
the events of the game with an attack on Militaires San Frontieres, the operating base you
expanded in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (Konami 2010). With the base destroyed,
its personnel either scattered or killed, and Big Boss severely injured, all of the actions of
this game stem from a lust for revenge against Skull Face. Fueling this revenge is a
phantom pain that persists in the places of loss, planted within the minds of its characters
like a splinter driving them to madness. With every successful enactment of revenge, the
phantom pain persists. Through narrative and well-designed mechanics, the game
illustrates that the path of revenge is a cyclical void without end, warping and twisting all
who fall victim to its temptation (Dyer 2014).
Beneath the central theme of revenge lies the subtheme of race, which represents
the catalyst for the conflicts between the characters. The narrative delves into the
misunderstanding, prejudice, and conflict caused by the differences of language, race,
and culture (Nelva 2013). Mechanically, this theme is displayed most in the games new
base management system, which tasks players with understanding cultural differences
within a base of people. Narratively, this theme is presented in the motivation of the

-- 3 --

storys villain, Skull Face, who seeks revenge on a Western-dominated world that
disrespected his people.
The Birth of a Design Philosophy
In much the same way Skull Face was exposed to Western influence as a child,
so too was franchise creator Hideo Kojima when growing up in Japan in the 1970s and
1980s. Despite their cutting edge technological innovations, Japans economy was
heavily influenced by United States post-World War II occupation, affecting their
production and consumerism, and extending into their culture (Surman 2008). Takashi
Murakami, a central figure in Japans new pop-art culture with a doctorate in
Westernized-Japanese art, coined the term Superflat after hearing it used to describe his
art. [They called it] super flat, super high quality, and super clean! I thought I saw a
basic truth about Japanese culture in these words, no different from the words that might
be used to sell Japanese cars or electronics (Murakami, as cited in Surman 2008). This
term describes a cultural ambiguity seen in Japanese products, a cultural odourlessness
(Iwabuchi, as cited in Surman 2008), designed to have the mass appeal necessary to
rebuild Japans postwar economy when adored by a Western-dominated audience.
However, as Koichi Iwabuchi describes, No matter how strong its economy becomes,
Japan is culturally and psychologically dominated by the West (Iwabuchi, as cited in
Surman 2008). It was this Western influence that birthed the original Metal Gear,
spawning a unique design philosophy that would lead to the success of each celebrated
sequel, including MGSV.
As a young boy, Hideo Kojima fell in love with the Western cinema that flooded
Japan, and particularly followed the covert operations of British Secret Service spy,
James Bond. These films were bold in their depiction of high-octane action, violence,
wicked villains, and beautiful women, becoming instant classics upon release. Without
007, there would have been no MGS. This, I can say for sure. 007 was synonymous with
action films during my childhood. And James Bond was every mans idol and hero
(Kojima 2002). As time passed however, Kojima noticed 007s waning popularity due
to its refusal to adapt to changing audience tastes. The escapades of the tuxedo-wearing
spy that excited audiences in the 1960s became uninteresting, the protagonist reduced to
an outdated hero that people laughed at (Kojima 2001). People wanted more realism,
and with Metal Gear, Kojima sought out to do just that. First, he identified the core
aspects of a 007 narrative: investigate, discover enemy base, infiltrate, somehow get
captured, have a meal with the boss, duel the boss, ally force arrives, base crumbles,
escape with Bond girl, have fun with Bond girl, rival arrives, duel (Kojima 2002). Then,
he crafted a more realistic world imbued with Western and Japanese cultural values and
gaming conventions, creating a Superflat product that appealed to a mass market.
The Values of the Both Audiences
Because game design often serves as a representation of the ideas and values of
a particular time and place (Salen and Zimmerman 2004), there exists a fundamental
difference between Japanese and Western cultural values that must be addressed in order
to explain the divergence in their popular gameplay conventions. Japan is a very
collectivistic culture; when working together, they are taught that a group becomes
stronger than the sum of its parts (Lazos, Donnellon, and McConnell 2001). In the realm
of videogames, this cultural value exists in the subconscious of games like Monster
Hunter (Capcom 2004) or Pokemon Red and Blue (Game Freak 1998), which revolve
around collecting creatures that fight as a team to be collectively stronger. As teamwork
is a consistently prevalent theme in many Japanese games, so too is the idea of team
morale and bonding, which can be seen in Japanese roleplaying games (JRPGs) that

-- 4 --

emphasize character relationships. As the genre suggests, JRPGs place gamers in the role
of a pre-established character, with a predetermined personality and visual style. Keiji
Inafune, creator of the popular Mega Man franchise (Capcom 1999), commented on the
discrepancies between Japanese and Western games by looking at Japans cultural roots.
Culturally speaking, Japanese culture is firmly rooted in wet-rice
agriculture and its status as an island nation. Japanese want to be able to
plan, they want to have guidance, they want to have focus. RPGs
illustrate this well it is your turn to attack, it is your enemys turn to
attack (Kalata 2010).
In contrast, Western culture is very individualistic; their roleplaying games typically
celebrate venturing alone into a vast world as a character created entirely by the player.
The actions and goals are less defined in Western games; a product Inafune attributes to
the Wests origins as a hunting and trapping society that values exploration into the
unknown. If you tell a Japanese person they are free to go anywhere, often times they
will choose to go nowhere. Westerns, on the other hand, seem to be excited by the
unknown (Kalata 2010). With these differences in mind, Kojimas Metal Gear would
seek to infuse elements of both cultures, birthing a design philosophy where cognizance
of the Japanese and Western audiences needs and values took center stage.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is the greatest example of the series
sticking to the design philosophy that birthed its success. Prior to release, Kojima
expressed his concerns of Japanese gaming trends, noticing a loss of interest in high-end
games and a focus on mobile and social titles (Mahardy 2014). Because a market for
triple-A games still existed in the West, Kojima knew the only way to prove to the world
that Japanese high-end games are still worth playing, and that big Japanese games still
have a future (Mahardy 2014) would be to appeal to the Western audience that would
support his game. MGSV makes a deliberate attempt to cater more to the Western market
while promising the game would still feel like Metal Gear (Mahardy 2013), or still
retain the core Japanese cultural values and gaming conventions that popularized the
series in its home country. Twenty-eight years later, the series remains just as relevant
and groundbreaking, despite being a drastic departure from past games in design and
storytelling. These drastic changes prove that a sequels success does not stem from an
adherence to genre tropes and tired franchise conventions, but rather an attentiveness to
its audiences needs and values coupled with the boldness to radically change the game to
suit those needs. MGSV stands tall as the most well-rounded, fully realized, and engaging
title in series history, fulfilling all seven of the core tenets that serve as an index for
player immersion.
Seven Rhetorics of Play
Documented within Play and Ambiguity, famous play theorist Brian SuttonSmith proposed that all actions that can be described as play must fall under seven core
characteristics, known as the Seven Rhetorics of Play (Sutton-Smith 1997). These seven
rhetorics were conceptualized as involving power, identity, fate, progress, the imaginary,
the self, and frivolity. In abstracting play, Sutton-Smith noted that he used the term
rhetoric in its modern sense, as a persuasive discourse wittingly or unwittingly
adopted by members of a particular affiliation to persuade others of the veracity and
worthwhileness of their beliefs (Sutton-Smith 1997). If play were looked at as an
affiliation persuading others of its legitimacy, then utilizing more of the rhetorics would
increase the persuasiveness of its discourse, or the level of player immersion. Thus, as a
game increases the amount of Rhetorics of Play it appeals to, it increases how immersive
its world is to the players. In appealing to its wide audience, MGSVs new base
management system, open-world design, revelatory ending, and multiplayer component

-- 5 --

allow it to beautifully appeal to each of the Seven Rhetorics of Play while retaining a
focus on its themes of revenge and race.
Appealing to the Themes and Rhetorics
The Phantom Pain largely appeals to the Japanese collectivistic culture in its new
base management system, which Kojima admits was based off of the addictive
collection-based gameplay featured in the Pokemon games his son was playing during
development (Moore 2015). To engage with this new management system, gamers must
incapacitate soldiers on the battlefield and send them back to Mother Base using a Fulton
Surface-to-Air Recovery Balloon. These captured soldiers are miraculously convinced to
fight for your cause, contributing to the collectivistic sentiment of strength in numbers.
Because the game generates soldiers with randomized names, faces, and stats, this aspect
of the game appeals to the rhetoric of play as fate, which applies to games containing
elements of luck or chance (Sutton-Smith 1997). The player has no control over the kinds
of soldiers that will be encountered, and must work with what the game generates to
create a team that can tackle the challenges of the game. In addition, this inclusion of
soldier faces, names, and biographies contribute to the games subtheme of race, as the
backgrounds of each soldier plays a significant role in the games narrative. A strong
emphasis is also placed on the bond between the comrades on Mother Base, a common
theme seen in classic JRPGs where the characters must learn to work together.
Mechanically, this bond is simulated through a relationship level that is attached to the
buddies taken into battle, and a team morale system that is affected by the players
individual interactions with soldiers at the base. As a whole, the expansion of Mother
Base contributes to the rhetoric of play as progress, which describes the sensation that
arises from the development and improvement of skills, typically through practice
(Sutton-Smith 1997).
Kojimas increased attempt to cater to the individualism of Western fans can
most immediately be seen in MGSVs shift to an open-world game design. Despite the
homage to the linearity of past games in its opening hospital sequence, The Phantom
Pain quickly opens up, revealing a vast world to explore. Though the game always gives
its players a clear indication of what the objectives are, often times it is difficult to
discern how to get there, both abstractly and physically. Thus, many of the opening hours
of the game are spent flying out alone into the games world by chopper simply to
discover what is possible, then returning home to Mother Base. This element of the
gameplay appeals to the rhetoric of the self, which describes the element of individual
escapism and relaxation that games provide (Sutton-Smith 1997). As the player becomes
more efficient at eliminating targets and returning home however, it becomes clear that
the cycle of entering and leaving the games playspace becomes a metaphor for the cycles
of revenge that the characters are experiencing. Moreover, because many of the core
missions are so open ended, with dynamic systems demanding adaptation and creativity
in order to be conquered, the game appeals to the rhetoric of play as imaginary. This
rhetoric applies to the element of play that utilizes creativity, imagination, and flexibility
in the surrounding world (Sutton-Smith 1997), an element utilized in adapting to MGSVs
emergent gameplay. Finally, the immense amount of inconsequential side missions that
the player can take part in help the game appeal to the rhetoric of play as frivolous, which
describes the trivial and unproductive nature of games in comparison to the orders of the
ordained world (Sutton-Smith 1997). Surely, picking flowers or catching wild animals
in a virtual gamespace is not productive, but it is made enjoyable in The Phantom Pain.
Perhaps the games biggest appeal to Western individualism is in its revelatory
conclusion, where it is disclosed that you are not playing as Big Boss, but as Venom
Snake, a body double made to protect him. Despite being surgically modified to look like

-- 6 --

Big Boss, the start of the game fools players into creating Venoms original face: the
representation of the face of the player. As the player comes to grips with the game and
its systems, Venom Snake also grows to fill the legend of Big Boss himself. This
development of the understanding of the games systems also appeals to the rhetoric of
play as progress, in which players grow and improve their mastery of the games
mechanics.
The final new gameplay element in MGSVs design is its multiplayer component,
which is seamlessly integrated into the single player experience. This mode allows
players to use the resources they have gathered to launch attacks on the Mother Bases of
other players, allowing them to steal supplies and soldiers. In keeping with the theme of
revenge, every time players are attacked, they are given the option to retaliate back. This
creates chains of retaliatory strikes, or endless cycles of revenge. Furthermore, players
have the option to ally with one another and create powerful, peaceful relationships
between Mother Bases in order to send each other aid when needed. With the addition of
a competitive multiplayer component, MGSV appeals to the rhetoric of play as power,
which is typically associated with the rush of competition, and the feeling of
outperforming adversaries (Sutton-Smith 1997). Finally, the games multiplayer aspect in
general appeals to the rhetoric of play as identity, which describes the emergence of a
community of players who seek to celebrate the play of the game (Sutton-Smith 1997).
By appealing to all seven of the Rhetorics of Play, Metal Gear Solid V: The
Phantom Pain succeeds in fully immersing its players in its dark and mature world. This
accomplishment stems from the cognizance of the cultural values of its Western and
Japanese player base, coupled with the willingness to change fundamental aspects of the
franchise, a design philosophy birthed at the inception of the original Metal Gear that has
since followed every one of its sequels. MGSV is the most radical adherence to this
philosophy, and further proof that in order to remain relevant, successful franchises must
not lean on their tired conventions, but evolve and grow with the needs of their
audiences. As Hideo Kojima departs from the franchise, it is difficult to not yearn for
more.

Strongest Element
In order to appeal to the Wests individualistic values, Kojima chose to center the
game mechanics within the framework of an open-world brimming with choice and
individual freedom. Within the genre of open-world games, many titles direct the player
to engage with its scenarios in very predetermined ways. If there are enemies, you can
only shoot them. If there is a target to assassinate, you must follow a particular path to
avoid detection. Undoubtedly, the strongest element of MGSV lies in its ability to
consistently produce scenarios that demand the player to adapt to emergent gameplay.
Emergent gameplay describes the complex scenarios that occur from the
interaction of simple gameplay systems. Buried beneath any vertical slice of MGSV
gameplay are dozens of simple systems occurring simultaneously, all with the purpose of
intersecting along the players path in order to complicate seemingly simple situations.
Weather simulations like rain and sandstorms alter visibility and audibility. The day and
night cycle changes visibility as well as guard patrols and behaviors. The items and
buddies you bring along with you have individual rules, strengths, and weaknesses. The
patrolling guards all operate under a defined rule set. When combined, these variables
reliably create interesting and unique outcomes that force the player to adapt in ways no
Metal Gear game has demanded before. In the world of MGSV, it is commonplace for
two players to have radically different experiences tackling the same mission. Through

-- 7 --

this consistent unpredictability, a relationship between the gamer and the game emerges;
the gamer works to tackle the challenges of the game just as the game works to create
unique new challenges for the gamer. It is this pivotal relationship that keeps players
coming back for more.

Unsuccessful Element
The most prominent aspect of each Metal Gear game is the narrative between the
games characters. The eight games in Kojimas series collectively tell one grand saga.
However, in keeping with tradition, each game individually contains some form of
espionage, intrigue, and deception. Because deception is a key aspect of each game, the
grand narrative is full of twists and turns that can make it dense, complex, and
intimidating for newcomers. In addition, previous games had been criticized for relying
too heavily on lengthy, game-breaking cutscenes that dumped exposition in the form of
slide shows and long character monologues. These forms of narrative presentation had
the tendency to further overwhelm casual players, retaining only the most dedicated fans.
With The Phantom Pain, Kojima sought to make a more accessible game. He
accomplished this by telling a simple story centered on an easily understandable goal:
revenge. Instead of occurring between its characters, most of the narrative in this title
occurs between the gamer and the game: in the stories generated through emergent
gameplay. Cutscenes are brief and sparse, occasionally bookending missions. Dialogue is
minimal and deliberate (Dyer 2014). Hardcore players will still find plenty of plot
exposition, though it is largely contained within cassette tapes that are unlocked after
completing missions.
Cassette tapes were Kojimas attempt to condense the narrative all players are
exposed to when playing the core missions. He tells only the most essential elements of
the story within these core missions, and leaves further details in tapes that can be played
during gameplay. However, because so many questions arise from what is shown in the
main narrative, and so little time is spent actually answering these questions, Kojima
forces inquiring players to listen to hours of audio tapes for revelatory information. The
impact of these revelations is severely dampened when the player is only getting the
information through one of the senses: sound. Additionally, because radio chatter is often
occurring through your communicator during gameplay, playing these tapes during
gameplay can obscure mission conversations that further expand the plot. Thus, it is
commonplace to witness a cutscene, have several questions, and then sit aboard your
chopper simply listening to several minutes of audio that explains what just happened
with little build up. Though the cassette tapes do their job in reducing the amount of
exposition that is in the main game, their uninteresting execution is often at odds with the
revelations they tell.

Highlight
In a pivotal sequence toward the conclusion of the story, The Phantom Pain
intersects the established gameplay systems, mechanics, and narrative themes to create its
greatest emotional climax. Mother Base becomes exposed to the vocal cord parasite, and
you must utilize the established base management system to quarantine the comrades you
suspect are infected. On the battlefield, each soldier on your team was individually
obtained and has a unique name, face, and biography, making the decision to quarantine
each simply based on suspicion feel immoral. Here, the games established personnel
management mechanics are unexpectedly implemented in a novel way that forces players
to discriminate based on race and language, the games subtheme, in order to save the

-- 8 --

rest of the base. As you remove soldiers from their duties and place them on the
quarantine platform, you see the experience levels of each branch of Mother Base
decline. Eventually these soldiers are cured, but remain quarantined and monitored to
ensure the infection does not return.
The vocal parasites within these soldiers ultimately mutate, placing the entirety
of Mother Base at risk. At this point, you are tasked with entering the quarantine platform
yourself in order to provide aid. The quarantine tent is dark and ominous, shifting the
games tone to being reminiscent of the horror genre. As you identify the infection
radiating from your mens throats, the game waits patiently for the player to come to
terms with what must be done: you must eliminate your own comrades. The scenes
emotional impact comes from the players involvement in the narrative through
gameplay. As you gun down each soldier, they eerily salute you and hum the anthem of
the game. An audio message stating that a soldier has died had been introduced in the
game previously, but now plays with each companion you murder. At the end of the
sequence, the downfall of Big Boss becomes more conceivable as he leaves the
quarantine zone soaked in blood. The shrapnel embedded in his skull appears elongated
and horn-like, symbolic of his decent into villainy from his need for revenge. This scene
succeeds because it leans on the established mechanics of the game to help tell the story.
The player is directly affecting the narrative through established commands that have
been subverted to apply weight and meaning. Though the player is performing familiar
actions, the shift in the context from which they occur is thematically evocative and
thought provoking.
In speaking to the more mature tone and graphic nature of MGSV compared to
previous entries in the series, Kojima surprisingly admitted that videogames, including
his own, had not matured much as a medium in the last 25 years (Kojima 2013). In
creating and directing the narrative of The Phantom Pain, he explained his intention to
make players question the violence that was occurring onscreen, rather than accept it
(Peckham 2014). If we dont go beyond what the original media was supposed to be if
we dont go this far, games will never be considered culture (Dyer 2014). Renowned
game scholars and designers Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman have explained that the
creation of games is also the creation of culture (Salen and Zimmerman 2004), so it
seems that regardless of MGSVs bolder tone, Kojima has succeeded in his goal. Luckily,
the culture Kojima created here is wrapped in thoughtfully written and intelligently
designed narrative and gameplay that were a joy to experience.

Critical Reception
Since launch, Western and Japanese critics have universally praised Metal Gear
Solid V: The Phantom Pain for the scale and scope of its narrative and gameplay. Popular
Japanese publication Famitsu gave the game a perfect score, as did popular Western
review site IGN. Though many controversial themes are addressed throughout the course
of the games story, the majority of reviewers enjoyed their thought provoking and
mature presentation. From a gameplay perspective, despite being the largest and most
ambitious Metal Gear iteration, critics found that MGSV presented all of its moving parts
in a comprehendible manner. In addition, critics applauded its consistent ability to
produce emergent gameplay that housed meaningful and significant inner systems.
The only negative reception toward the game came from hardcore fans, who felt
the presentation of the story was uncharacteristically disjointed through the use of
cassette tapes. In addition, the games Collectors Edition revealed a hidden chapter in
the story that did not appear in the final product. This missing chapter further connects

-- 9 --

the games story to other games in the franchise, and ties together aspects of the plot that
were surprisingly left dangling.
On the PlayStation 4, the game sits at a 93% on Metacritic.

Lessons

Having a clear thematic vision with supporting gameplay creates a focused

game experience.
MGSV houses a very simple narrative involving two themes: revenge and race.
From the character motivations displayed in the plotline to the game mechanics
played out on the gamepad, every element of the game purposefully contributes
to the development of its two themes. This helps create a comprehendible and
cohesive package that seldom feels misdirected or unfocused.

Emergent gameplay systems provide an enticing reason to continue playing.

The emergent gameplay within The Phantom Pain provides an important layer of
unpredictability atop the games solid but predicable foundation of movement
and shooting mechanics. The interaction between its underlying systems
transform simple missions into radically distinctive gameplay experiences for
players, creating an excitement in discussing the game as well as going back to
play.

Catering to the evolving needs of a wide audience allows the game to fit into
as many of the Seven Rhetorics of Play as possible.
The Metal Gear franchise began with a philosophy of designing for the values
and needs of its players. That philosophy has helped every title remain relevant
and impactful to the videogame industry. MGSVs strong adherence to the needs
and values of its broad Western and Japanese audience helped it appeal to all
seven of play theorist Brian Sutton-Smiths Rhetorics of Play, making it the most
immersive game in franchise history.

Summation
Through a strong understanding of the values of its Western and Japanese
audience, a boldness to radically alter series conventions to meet these values, and a clear
and mature thematic vision, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain pushes the
boundaries of what interactive entertainment can be. It demands its players to be active
participants, not just in the action that is occurring onscreen, but also in the inner
conversation regarding the violence it depicts and how it relates to the themes of revenge
and race. To accomplish this, it fully immerses its wide player base by altering the game
design to fulfill Brian Sutton-Smiths Seven Rhetorics of Play.
Hideo Kojima once said, A fantasy does not change over time [but] keeps on
providing us with dreams that is 007 for me (Hideo Kojima 2003). Many years ago,
the legendary designer sat behind his monochromatic television set and fell in love with a
certain British spy who would find fear in departing from his traditional ways. Today,
gamers all over the world feel a similar adoration for Snake, a spy who overcame that
fear and listened to the fans who fell in love with him. Like Bond, Snakes persona has
transcended voice actors, evolving technologies, and time. Though Hideo Kojimas

-- 10 --

depiction of Snake ends with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, the spys legacy
lives on in its players. Poetically, MGSV ends with a message from Big Boss to Venom
Snake, but really, it is a love letter from Kojima to his loyal fans:
Im Big Boss and you are too. No hes the two of us together. Where we are today,
we built it. This story, this legend its ours. We can change the world, and with it the
future. I am you and you are me. Carry that with you wherever you go. Thank you my
friend. From here on out, youre Big Boss (Kojima Productions 2015).

-- 11 --

Bibliography
Albert, Brian. "Snake 'Won't Really Speak Much at All' in Metal Gear Solid 5." IGN.
March 4, 2015. Accessed October 6, 2015.
Capcom. (1987). Mega Man. [Nintendo Entertainment System]. Capcom
Capcom. (2004). Monster Hunter. [PlayStation 2], Capcom
Chan, Dean. "The Cultural Economy of Ludic Superflatness." The University of Tokyo
Volume 4, no. 2342-9666 (2007).
Dyer, Mitch. "Creating the Next Generation of Metal Gear Solid - IGN." IGN. March 7,
2014. Accessed October 6, 2015.
Dyer, Mitch. "Metal Gear Solid 5's Disturbing Scenes Must 'Go to the Limit' - IGN."
IGN. March 5, 2014. Accessed October 6, 2015.
Game Freak. (1998). Pokemon Red and Blue. [Game Boy], Nintendo
Kalata, Kurt. "East vs. West: Interview with Keiji Inafune and Hiroyuki Kobayashi."
Hardcore Gaming 101. 2010. Accessed October 17, 2015.
Kojima, Hideo. "Taboo Themes." IGN. April 2013. Accessed October 6, 2015.
Kojima, Hideo. "Hideo Kojima at the Movies: 007." Metal Gear Solid: The Unofficial
Site. April 13, 2003. Accessed October 6, 2015.
Kojima Productions. (2015). Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. [PlayStation 4],
Konami
Kojima Productions. (2010). Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. [PlayStation Portable],
Konami
Kojima Productions. (2004). Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. [PlayStation 2], Konami
Kojima Productions. (1998). Metal Gear Solid. [PlayStation], Konami
Kojima Productions. (1987). Metal Gear. [MSX2], Konami
Lazos, Kristina, Elizabeth Donnellon, and Corey McConnell. "Japan: Values, Language,
and Proverbs." Japan. January 26, 2001. Accessed October 18, 2015.
Mahardy, Mike. "'Young People Are Losing Interest in High-End Games,' Kojima Says."
IGN. March 4, 2014. Accessed October 6, 2015.
Mahardy, Mike. "Kojima Discusses the Open World of MGS 5 - IGN." IGN. October 24,
2013. Accessed October 6, 2015.
Moore, Ben. "Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Retrospective." GameTrailers. September
5, 2015. Accessed October 6, 2015.
Nelva, Guiseppe. "Hideo Kojima Explains Quiet, Blames Backlash on Cultural
Differences, Details Metal Gear Solid Vs Themes (UPDATED)." Dualshockers.
September 7, 2013. Accessed October 6, 2015.
Peckham, Matt. "Interview: Hideo Kojima Talks About Metal Gear Solid V's Humor,
Violence and Finality." Time. June 12, 2014. Accessed October 6, 2015.
Salen, Katie and Eric Zimmerman. Rules of Play. Boston: MIT Press, 2004.
Surman, David. "Notes On SuperFlat and Its Expression in Videogames." Refractory.
May 23, 2008. Accessed October 6, 2015.
Sutton-Smith, Brian. The Ambiguity of Play. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University
Press, 1997.

-- 12 --