Lecture Notes: The Metal Gear Series Overview

Introduction

• The Metal Gear series is described as both absurd and genius.
• The presentation covers the core saga of Metal Gear, excluding some spin-offs.

Early Games and Development

• Metal Gear Solid (1998, PlayStation 1): Follow-up to two earlier games on MSX2.
• Metal Gear Solid 2 (2001, PlayStation 2): Introduced new protagonist Raiden.
• Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004): Prequel set at the timeline's beginning.
• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008): Next-gen game on new consoles.
• Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010): Originally on PSP, part of HD Edition.
• Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes (2014) & The Phantom Pain (2015): Released before Kojima's split with Konami.

Key Plot Points

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (1964)

• Cold War Setting: USA vs. USSR tensions.
• Snake's Mission: Infiltration and extraction of a Soviet scientist Nikolai Sokolov.
• Cobra Unit: Snake faces members of this special unit.
• Philosophers' Legacy: A secret fund from a society aiming for global influence.
• Character Backgrounds: The Boss's history and Snake's mentorship under her.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

• Phantom Pain Themes: Explores loss, identity, and betrayal.
• Skullface & XOF: Introduction of a new enemy working against Snake.
• Cipher's Role: Continuation of the Patriots' legacy.

Outer Heaven Conflict

• Venom Snake: Takes Big Boss's place in Outer Heaven.
• Solid Snake Mission: To stop Metal Gear and Big Boss’s plans.

Shadow Moses Incident and Beyond

• Metal Gear Solid (1998): Solid Snake infiltrates a facility to stop Metal Gear Rex.
• FoxDie: A virus that targets specific individuals.
• Liquid Snake Encounter: Solid Snake faces his brother.

Sons of Liberty and the Big Shell Incident

• Metal Gear Solid 2 (2001): Raiden's mission to stop Dead Cell.
• The Patriots and AI Control: Introduction of an AI system controlling society.

Guns of the Patriots (2008)

• War Economy: Explores the implications of private military companies (PMCs).
• Old Snake: Solid Snake's final mission against Liquid Ocelot.
• Identity and Legacy: Themes of genetics, identity, and the future of warfare.

Finale and Reflections

• Big Boss's Return: Reconciliation and closure between Snake and Big Boss.
• End of the Patriots: Destruction of the AI system controlling global information.

Conclusion

• The Metal Gear series offers a complex narrative exploring themes of war, loyalty, and identity.
• Future content expected to explore further spin-offs and narrative threads.