WhiteDespair
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*Note this is going to be quite the read so please bare with but it's worth it for the Metal Gear loyalist such as myself!
PART ONE: Introduction to the VR Theory
The "VR Theory" suggests that the events of Metal Gear Solid 2 were at least in part happening inside a computer simulated virtual reality, and not the same "reality" that its predecessors did. Obviously with the release of Metal Gear Solid 4 we see a complete contradiction of this theory, but this does not mean the game was originally intended to be seen this way. It also doesn't mean that the new "official story" is actually preferable to the VR Theory.
Before looking at the actual evidence to support the theory (the next section) however, it will be helpful to look at why Hideo Kojima would want to make the events VR. What would cause him to do it? Why would it be "worth it"?
We're supposed to keep this in mind, evidently.
Kojima is a huge techno-geek. He loves shiny new gadgets, cutting edge hardware, and all that technology has to offer. But he also realizes that any form of empowerment brings with it the potential for abuse and manipulation.
The opening of the Plant Chapter tries to get us to think about this nice and early by drawing a parallel between nuclear weapons (the series' traditional threat) and computers tehcnology. He's letting us know that the game is shifting from analog to digital, so-to-speak. The question is how Kojima was planning to illustrate this concern, using MGS2 as its medium?
A good storyteller knows the a difference between talking about a theme and illustrating it through the narrative itself. Because while a thoughtful conversation about betrayal can be interesting, for example, or seeing a pattern of betrayal in the lives of the characters, the audience won't fully appreciate it until they themselves have felt betrayed by the author. At the moment when this happens, it goes from being a "story" to being an "experience". Whether this is postmodern or not, I don't know. But it seems obvious that Sons of Liberty was designed to have such a "meta-narrative", and Kojima would be the one to pull it off.
In order to illustrate the dangers of the digital era, Kojima would need to do more than simply discuss the threat of censoring the Internet; more than talk about the delusions that can result from misinformation. He'd need to involve the player.
Remember the years leading up to MGS2's release? We were only shown trailers for the Tanker Chapter, with Solid Snake as the main character. We were even shown fake footage from such locations as the Verazzano Bridge and the encounter with the Cyborg Ninja! Nobody was expecting the twist of Raiden and the Plant Chapter. We were deceived from the beginning, and it stung like a *****.
What kind of insane person would do that to his eager fans, with all the world watching?
Like so many people, I was obsessed with the first Metal Gear Solid, and was desperate to see what the sequel would be about. I watched all the trailers, read all the interviews, and talked about it endlessly. At the time, I remember reading somewhere that the game was "the most anticipated media event in modern history"; amazingly, it almost seemed believable.
This was the perfect opportunity, and we know that Kojima had both the motive and the means to pull off such a massive hoax. But would misleading the public with such a major twist be enough to illustrate the point? Would it be enough to include such themes in the game? Why not go all the way in, and make the whole game a lie? Why not make the whole thing a computer simulation experiement, with the player as the subject? Why not add the final layer to the meta-narrative?
In the next part, we look at all of the evidence supporting the theory that the game is not only an "orchestrated simulation" in the sense of being planned, but a false reality altogether.
PART TWO: The Pitch
This section is divided into several "Exhibits". Each one provides clues that seem to support the VR Theory, including screenshots and script excerpts where possible.
Exhibit A: Themes & Names:
Exhibit B: FOXHOUND & Colonel
Exhibit C: Raiden
Exhibit D: Rose
Exhibit E: Dead Cell
Exhibit F: The Ending
Foul Ball:
The evidence is all there. It's more than enough to prove that Sons of Liberty took place in a virtual reality, specially designed to betray its own falseness to the player, and all for the sake of proving how dangerous technology can be when we start to believe in the fiction we see. It's there to test our ability to cope with the truth, to find out if we're "fit to decide", or just a part of the "mindless masses".
Can we be trusted to pass down information? Are we fit to decide what the truth is, or are we gullible Snake wannabes, following orders without a second thought?
Without the VR Theory that is to say, without accepting that nothing in the game was meant to be accepted at face value Metal Gear Solid 2 is just a quirky postmodern piece of fiction. After all of the hype leading up to its release, with its surprise twist and bizzarre ending, it would simply be a ridiculous sequel. It would be what Tim Roger's describes in his article.
But with its proper context, it is a timely and relevant masterpiece.
Does this evidence prove for a fact that the game was all a VR mission? No, it doesn't. There's an abundance of evidence to support the theory, but without Hideo Kojima declaring it to be so, it could never be a fact. On the contrary, with the release of Metal Gear Solid 4, he has directly contradicted the VR Theory thanks to years of mindless outrage over Sons of Liberty's "convoluted" plot.
In the next section we will take a look at the fan's reaction to the evidence you've seen here, and just as importantly, how Kojima reacted to that reaction.
If Metal Gear Solid 2 was a ship, it would be the Titanic.
It was massive and shiny, and from all of the trailers and hype building up to it, it seemed unsinkable. Everyone watched with awe as it took its maiden voyage, believing that a new era had dawned, and MGS2 would lead us into it. ...Boy, it's amazing what momentum can do.
The colossal game began to break open on the proverbial iceburg of expectations and stubborness, unable to stop, turn or deviate. It was too late the game had already been "shipped". At the same time that the USS Discovery was scuttled, MGS2 began taking in water and losing its momentum. It was just a matter of time before it would sink under the weight of scrutiny.
But Sons of Liberty didn't just fail to meet expectations. It was playing chicken with the iceburg, hoping to destroy the expectations with brute force in order to make its own legacy. It didn't want to live "in the darkness of Shadow Moses", but escape from the pressure of its predecessor and be free. ...Sound familiar? These are some of the main themes of the game.
One of the biggest keys to attaining this (creative) freedom was to undermine the believability of the scenario. To destroy the illusion before the players' eyes, even if it meant sabotaging its popularity in the process. That's one of the reasons he included so many hints and winks about it being VR.
That's why we got The Document of MGS2 as well; a "making of" DVD that allows you to look behind the scenes, view the character models, read the script, and disassemble the game from start to finish. We get to pull back the curtain, and see how the trick is done. It interrupts our fantasy, and prevents us from "getting into" the game with real enthusiasm. We're supposed to be analyzing the game as we play it, aware of its falseness. Nagging codec calls from Rose or emasculating comments from others are just part of this. As shown in the second part of this article, a great amount of effort was put into making sure the game produced doubts in the minds of the players, knowing that many would refuse to accept the unflattering truth.
Yet without acknowledging the VR Theory, the outcry had to express itself in other ways... "Hardcore" fans scrambled to make sense of everything, searching for explanations and rationalizations, desperate to mend the plot holes. They wanted an answer for every question. Casual fans simply "forgave" the "problems" with the story and said, "Hey, the game's fun, so who cares if the story's nonsense?" Others (such as Tim Rogers) praised the game for its "postmodern" attitude, also ignoring the real themes, and their implications, in favour of a superficial (albeit complimentary,) interpretation.
To return to this article's baseball analogy, it was the equivalent of hitting a foul ball. Kojima gave us a curveball, and we hit it far in the wrong direction. It became a divisive issue amongst fans, with many simply walking away from the series until Metal Gear Solid 3 was released later. We know that Kojima took this reaction seriously, making a point of including the infamous Raiden mask in MGS3, and including "Raikov", the gay slave of Volgin, as a joke.
Did he know that people would hate Raiden? Probably. He's proven to be great at anticipating people's reactions and playing with them, so it would be foolish to say that he didn't expect controversy. But the fact that virtually nobody ended bothered to put together the themes and hints of the game must have frustrated him. I remember him saying once, when confronted by a knee-jerk interviewer, "It's my series, and I can ruin it if I want to." Evidently, he was sensitive to the outcry, and would let it influence the rest of the series, for better or worse.
In the future I will take a look at the arguments against the VR Theory, as well as the long journey from MGS1 to MGS4. We'll look at the dysfunctional relationship between Guns of the Patriots and Sons of Liberty, and continue to make sense of the series' troubles and accomplishments. Thank you for reading.
PART ONE: Introduction to the VR Theory
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The "VR Theory" suggests that the events of Metal Gear Solid 2 were at least in part happening inside a computer simulated virtual reality, and not the same "reality" that its predecessors did. Obviously with the release of Metal Gear Solid 4 we see a complete contradiction of this theory, but this does not mean the game was originally intended to be seen this way. It also doesn't mean that the new "official story" is actually preferable to the VR Theory.
Before looking at the actual evidence to support the theory (the next section) however, it will be helpful to look at why Hideo Kojima would want to make the events VR. What would cause him to do it? Why would it be "worth it"?
We're supposed to keep this in mind, evidently.
Kojima is a huge techno-geek. He loves shiny new gadgets, cutting edge hardware, and all that technology has to offer. But he also realizes that any form of empowerment brings with it the potential for abuse and manipulation.
The opening of the Plant Chapter tries to get us to think about this nice and early by drawing a parallel between nuclear weapons (the series' traditional threat) and computers tehcnology. He's letting us know that the game is shifting from analog to digital, so-to-speak. The question is how Kojima was planning to illustrate this concern, using MGS2 as its medium?
A good storyteller knows the a difference between talking about a theme and illustrating it through the narrative itself. Because while a thoughtful conversation about betrayal can be interesting, for example, or seeing a pattern of betrayal in the lives of the characters, the audience won't fully appreciate it until they themselves have felt betrayed by the author. At the moment when this happens, it goes from being a "story" to being an "experience". Whether this is postmodern or not, I don't know. But it seems obvious that Sons of Liberty was designed to have such a "meta-narrative", and Kojima would be the one to pull it off.
In order to illustrate the dangers of the digital era, Kojima would need to do more than simply discuss the threat of censoring the Internet; more than talk about the delusions that can result from misinformation. He'd need to involve the player.
Remember the years leading up to MGS2's release? We were only shown trailers for the Tanker Chapter, with Solid Snake as the main character. We were even shown fake footage from such locations as the Verazzano Bridge and the encounter with the Cyborg Ninja! Nobody was expecting the twist of Raiden and the Plant Chapter. We were deceived from the beginning, and it stung like a *****.
What kind of insane person would do that to his eager fans, with all the world watching?
Like so many people, I was obsessed with the first Metal Gear Solid, and was desperate to see what the sequel would be about. I watched all the trailers, read all the interviews, and talked about it endlessly. At the time, I remember reading somewhere that the game was "the most anticipated media event in modern history"; amazingly, it almost seemed believable.
This was the perfect opportunity, and we know that Kojima had both the motive and the means to pull off such a massive hoax. But would misleading the public with such a major twist be enough to illustrate the point? Would it be enough to include such themes in the game? Why not go all the way in, and make the whole game a lie? Why not make the whole thing a computer simulation experiement, with the player as the subject? Why not add the final layer to the meta-narrative?
In the next part, we look at all of the evidence supporting the theory that the game is not only an "orchestrated simulation" in the sense of being planned, but a false reality altogether.
PART TWO: The Pitch
This section is divided into several "Exhibits". Each one provides clues that seem to support the VR Theory, including screenshots and script excerpts where possible.
Exhibit A: Themes & Names:
THEMES:
Metal Gear Solid 2 is about memes, or inherited information. It's about the dangers of the digital age, when technology has the ability to fool and control what people think and believe. It's about self-delusion too, and avoiding the truth. It's also about whether people are fit to decide what's "true".
With this in mind, it's obvious that the VR Theory is consistent with the themes of MGS2. As we established in the first part of this report, Kojima had the motive, means and opportunity to deceive the public through his own digital control...
(From Electronic Gaming Monthly, October 2001, Issue# 147
HK: I created the E3 trailer to give everyone an opportunity to imagine what the final game will be like. All rumors could be correct. All rumors could be wrong. One thing is for sure: I think I'll be able to fool and betray all of you in a pleasant way.
From this interview it's seems clear that Kojima underestimated the stubborness and expectations of his fanbase, since the betrayal was far from "pleasant" for most players. Perhaps if Kojima had known how extreme the criticism and resentment of his prank would have been, he wouldn't have added so much deception to the game. But judging by the final conversation with the Patriot AI it seems more likely that Kojima completely anticipated that some people would not be able to "handle the truth", and decided to reward those who could "get over" the fact that the mission was not real (in the sense that it wasn't the least bit genuine, at least,) and still search for valuable morals in the story. Because of this, it makes little thematic difference whether the events actually took place in the "real" Metal Gear world or simply in Raiden's head.
NAMES:
An examination of character names may seem anecdotal in regards to the VR Theory at first glance, but when considering the clear emphasis placed on the meaning of names in the Metal Gear world in general, and especially by the end of Sons of Liberty, where some people's names gain triple meanings. "Jack the Ripper", "Jack" from the Titanic movie, and the nickname for Japanese fighter jets during WWII... It is no stretch of the imagination to say that a lot of meaning has been packed into these names, and that they may contain hints about the true setting of the game...
E.E. / Emotion Engine:
The first example of naming characters after computer technology is Emma Emmerich, who is usually referred to as "E.E." in the game. Kojima has officially said (although I can't find where) that she was named after the PlayStation 2's "Emotion Engine", which is also generally abbreviated to its intitials. This, if nothing else, proves that Kojima was drawing parallels between characters in the game and the larger interface itself.
Colonel / kernel:
In computer science, the kernel is the central component of most computer operating systems (OS). Its responsibilities include managing the system's resources (the communication between hardware and software components). This fits perfectly with the role of the "Colonel" in the game, since he is the manifestation of Arsenal Gear's A.I., and that which communicates between it (the software) to Raiden/the player (the hardware).
Big Shell / shell:
In computing, a shell is a piece of software that provides an interface for users. Typically, the term refers to an operating system shell which provides access to the services of a kernel. Kojima deliberately named the facility the "Big Shell" to allude to the fact that the whole structure is actually "a piece of software that provide an interface for users", providing "access to the services of a kernel"... Or, in this case a "Colonel".
Jack / jack:
In electronics, a jack is generally a socket (female) connector, but because the related term "jack plug" is often abbreviated to just jack, confusion can easily arise. It's a physical component, through which data is transferred.
The character of Raiden, meanwhile, is how we "connect" to the Big Shell and the Colonel, and in a sense we see everything "through" him and his experiences. In order to access the Big Shell and the Colonel, we need to use a "Jack".
Rose / ROSE:
The remote operations service element protocol (ROSE) is a sub-layer of application protocol that is part of the most basic programming network code. A network programming expert would probably be able to find some correlation between Rose's function in the game as a data analyst, and the function of the ROSE application protocol, but not me. However, even if the connection is weak, it is still possible that Kojima had something like this in mind when choosing her name.
Dead Cell / cell:
A cell in the person of electronic design automation (EDA) is an abstract representation of a component within a schematic diagram or physical layout of an electronic circuit in software. A cell-based design methodology is a technique that enables designers to analyze chip designs at varying levels of abstraction. For example, one designer may focus on the logical function (high-level) and another may concentrate on physical implementation (low-level). The technique also enables designers to reuse components in more complex designs without understanding all of the implementation details.
We know that the name Dead Cell is inspired by the term "Red Cell" in US Military, but it could also refer to their function in the simulation Raiden is fighting in. Both the military and computer-design terms refer to something designed to "test" and "analyze" the effectiveness of something—in the US military it's their tactics and preparedness, and in the VR program it is the Patriot's ability to "generate and manipulate" our "persona, experiences, triumphs and defeats", as the Colonel explains. They're a fake unit, and whether it was "real life" or not, and their purpose was simply to test Raiden and generate his experiences.
With any of these "puns" or double entendres, it is possible to niggle and argue, dismissing them as coincidences, or, worse yet, trivial. It's highly likely that heavy thought was put into these names, and it wasn't simply to amuse the technologically-minded; it was to add evidence for those who bothered to look. To add plausibility to the dark suspicion of MGS2: the Plant Chapter was a computer simulation taking place in Raiden's head, and possibly the Tanker as well.
Metal Gear Solid 2 is about memes, or inherited information. It's about the dangers of the digital age, when technology has the ability to fool and control what people think and believe. It's about self-delusion too, and avoiding the truth. It's also about whether people are fit to decide what's "true".
With this in mind, it's obvious that the VR Theory is consistent with the themes of MGS2. As we established in the first part of this report, Kojima had the motive, means and opportunity to deceive the public through his own digital control...
(From Electronic Gaming Monthly, October 2001, Issue# 147
HK: I created the E3 trailer to give everyone an opportunity to imagine what the final game will be like. All rumors could be correct. All rumors could be wrong. One thing is for sure: I think I'll be able to fool and betray all of you in a pleasant way.
From this interview it's seems clear that Kojima underestimated the stubborness and expectations of his fanbase, since the betrayal was far from "pleasant" for most players. Perhaps if Kojima had known how extreme the criticism and resentment of his prank would have been, he wouldn't have added so much deception to the game. But judging by the final conversation with the Patriot AI it seems more likely that Kojima completely anticipated that some people would not be able to "handle the truth", and decided to reward those who could "get over" the fact that the mission was not real (in the sense that it wasn't the least bit genuine, at least,) and still search for valuable morals in the story. Because of this, it makes little thematic difference whether the events actually took place in the "real" Metal Gear world or simply in Raiden's head.
NAMES:
An examination of character names may seem anecdotal in regards to the VR Theory at first glance, but when considering the clear emphasis placed on the meaning of names in the Metal Gear world in general, and especially by the end of Sons of Liberty, where some people's names gain triple meanings. "Jack the Ripper", "Jack" from the Titanic movie, and the nickname for Japanese fighter jets during WWII... It is no stretch of the imagination to say that a lot of meaning has been packed into these names, and that they may contain hints about the true setting of the game...
E.E. / Emotion Engine:
The first example of naming characters after computer technology is Emma Emmerich, who is usually referred to as "E.E." in the game. Kojima has officially said (although I can't find where) that she was named after the PlayStation 2's "Emotion Engine", which is also generally abbreviated to its intitials. This, if nothing else, proves that Kojima was drawing parallels between characters in the game and the larger interface itself.
Colonel / kernel:
In computer science, the kernel is the central component of most computer operating systems (OS). Its responsibilities include managing the system's resources (the communication between hardware and software components). This fits perfectly with the role of the "Colonel" in the game, since he is the manifestation of Arsenal Gear's A.I., and that which communicates between it (the software) to Raiden/the player (the hardware).
Big Shell / shell:
In computing, a shell is a piece of software that provides an interface for users. Typically, the term refers to an operating system shell which provides access to the services of a kernel. Kojima deliberately named the facility the "Big Shell" to allude to the fact that the whole structure is actually "a piece of software that provide an interface for users", providing "access to the services of a kernel"... Or, in this case a "Colonel".
Jack / jack:
In electronics, a jack is generally a socket (female) connector, but because the related term "jack plug" is often abbreviated to just jack, confusion can easily arise. It's a physical component, through which data is transferred.
The character of Raiden, meanwhile, is how we "connect" to the Big Shell and the Colonel, and in a sense we see everything "through" him and his experiences. In order to access the Big Shell and the Colonel, we need to use a "Jack".
Rose / ROSE:
The remote operations service element protocol (ROSE) is a sub-layer of application protocol that is part of the most basic programming network code. A network programming expert would probably be able to find some correlation between Rose's function in the game as a data analyst, and the function of the ROSE application protocol, but not me. However, even if the connection is weak, it is still possible that Kojima had something like this in mind when choosing her name.
Dead Cell / cell:
A cell in the person of electronic design automation (EDA) is an abstract representation of a component within a schematic diagram or physical layout of an electronic circuit in software. A cell-based design methodology is a technique that enables designers to analyze chip designs at varying levels of abstraction. For example, one designer may focus on the logical function (high-level) and another may concentrate on physical implementation (low-level). The technique also enables designers to reuse components in more complex designs without understanding all of the implementation details.
We know that the name Dead Cell is inspired by the term "Red Cell" in US Military, but it could also refer to their function in the simulation Raiden is fighting in. Both the military and computer-design terms refer to something designed to "test" and "analyze" the effectiveness of something—in the US military it's their tactics and preparedness, and in the VR program it is the Patriot's ability to "generate and manipulate" our "persona, experiences, triumphs and defeats", as the Colonel explains. They're a fake unit, and whether it was "real life" or not, and their purpose was simply to test Raiden and generate his experiences.
With any of these "puns" or double entendres, it is possible to niggle and argue, dismissing them as coincidences, or, worse yet, trivial. It's highly likely that heavy thought was put into these names, and it wasn't simply to amuse the technologically-minded; it was to add evidence for those who bothered to look. To add plausibility to the dark suspicion of MGS2: the Plant Chapter was a computer simulation taking place in Raiden's head, and possibly the Tanker as well.
Exhibit B: FOXHOUND & Colonel
In the beginning of Sons of Liberty we are told that Raiden is a member of the unit FOXHOUND, and we believe the Colonel to be our commander. We're told that our mission has gone through "the usual channels", and are under the impression that the government sent us in for some wetwork. Obviously, whoever we were sent by gave us our Skull Suit, nanomachines, VR training, etc., right?
Not so fast. By the end of Sons of Liberty we find out that Raiden has never met the Colonel in person once, by his own admission. We learn that FOXHOUND was disbanded from Snake, and that "He's a nonexistent operative from a nonexistent organization," from Ocelot.
If the mission took place in "real life", this becomes impossible to explain. At least, not without coming up with theories that are even more ridiculous than the VR Theory. Throw around the word "Patriots" around if you like, but those who believe the mission was real still would not be able to explain the logistics reasonably, without speculating ignorantly. Even Guns of the Patriots fails to satisfy the plot holes created by Raiden's pre-mission complications, sadly.
And let's not avoid the implications of the Colonel being created by "Raiden's" expectations and experience. If Raiden can hear and see things that aren't real, which are partially constructed from his own imagination, then what else was in his head?
Either MGS2 was originally intended to take place in the "real world" of the Metal Gear universe in which case these things should make at least a little sense or it was in Raiden's head. He either came from a real place before popping up in the Manhattan River, or he materialized there without explanation.
Otacon: I think it means -- you've been talking to an AI.
Raiden: That's impossible!
Otacon: The Colonel probably isn't GW per se. GW was most likely stimulating cortical activity in the dormant part of your brain through signal manipulation of your own nanomachines. The Colonel is in part your own creation, cobbled together from expectations and experience...
Raiden: That's crazy...
Raiden considers the implications of things,
while apparently most players didn't.
Otacon: But it's probably the truth. The virus may be starting to affect GW, which would explain the Colonel's behavior.
Raiden: It was all an illusion? Everything I've done so far...?
Here Kojima essentially suggests the VR Theory himself, through Raiden's doubts. At this point in the conversation, "Solid Snake" interrupts to assure Raiden that the situation is real, but soon enough Raiden is questioning their existence as well... The illusion is not broken completely, but enough doubt is placed in the player's head to motivate the player's to question everything critically; a task most players seemed to happily shrug off.
Not so fast. By the end of Sons of Liberty we find out that Raiden has never met the Colonel in person once, by his own admission. We learn that FOXHOUND was disbanded from Snake, and that "He's a nonexistent operative from a nonexistent organization," from Ocelot.
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If the mission took place in "real life", this becomes impossible to explain. At least, not without coming up with theories that are even more ridiculous than the VR Theory. Throw around the word "Patriots" around if you like, but those who believe the mission was real still would not be able to explain the logistics reasonably, without speculating ignorantly. Even Guns of the Patriots fails to satisfy the plot holes created by Raiden's pre-mission complications, sadly.
And let's not avoid the implications of the Colonel being created by "Raiden's" expectations and experience. If Raiden can hear and see things that aren't real, which are partially constructed from his own imagination, then what else was in his head?
You must be registered for see images
Either MGS2 was originally intended to take place in the "real world" of the Metal Gear universe in which case these things should make at least a little sense or it was in Raiden's head. He either came from a real place before popping up in the Manhattan River, or he materialized there without explanation.
Otacon: I think it means -- you've been talking to an AI.
Raiden: That's impossible!
Otacon: The Colonel probably isn't GW per se. GW was most likely stimulating cortical activity in the dormant part of your brain through signal manipulation of your own nanomachines. The Colonel is in part your own creation, cobbled together from expectations and experience...
Raiden: That's crazy...
Raiden considers the implications of things,
while apparently most players didn't.
Otacon: But it's probably the truth. The virus may be starting to affect GW, which would explain the Colonel's behavior.
Raiden: It was all an illusion? Everything I've done so far...?
Here Kojima essentially suggests the VR Theory himself, through Raiden's doubts. At this point in the conversation, "Solid Snake" interrupts to assure Raiden that the situation is real, but soon enough Raiden is questioning their existence as well... The illusion is not broken completely, but enough doubt is placed in the player's head to motivate the player's to question everything critically; a task most players seemed to happily shrug off.
Exhibit C: Raiden
It may be redundant and obvious, but for the sake of being comprehensive, it must be said: Raiden doesn't know what's real or not. He has no field experience, and yet he feels "like a legendary mercenary"; he believes that he's part of FOXHOUND and is talking to Colonel Campbell, even though they're both part of his imagination; he doesn't even know whether his girlfriend is real! That's called being delusional.
Raiden: I've had extensive training -- the kind that's indistinguishable from the real thing.
Pliskin: Like what?
Raiden: Sneaking mission 60, Weapons 80,
Pliskin: VR, huh.
Raiden: But realistic in every way.
Snake then proceeds to convince Raiden (like he usually does) that the situation is real.
The fact that Raiden believes these VR missions are "indistinguishable from the real thing" proves that either a) he was being trained with cutting-edge technology that actually is totally realistic, in which case he could currently be in the same simulation without knowing it; or b) he is delusional to the point that he can't discern actual reality from virtual reality. Either way, it means he would not be able to tell if he was in VR during this mission!
We are told that this is our first real mission, but even Raiden who has covered all of Snake's missions in VR becomes quickly suspicious of how surreal things are...
The fact that Raiden believes these VR missions are "indistinguishable from the real thing" proves that either a) he was being trained with cutting-edge technology that actually is totally realistic, in which case he could currently be in the same simulation without knowing it; or b) he is delusional to the point that he can't discern actual reality from virtual reality. Either way, it means he would not be able to tell if he was in VR during this mission!
We are told that this is our first real mission, but even Raiden who has covered all of Snake's missions in VR becomes quickly suspicious of how surreal things are...
Colonel: That's not a problem the Bravo team brought an explosives pro in with them. He was supposed to standby on Strut C according to their mission. You should find him there.
Raiden : Is this according to simulation too...?
Colonel: What are you talking about? Get to Strut C and find him!
Raiden: Understood... But I need to ask you something before I go.
Colonel: Make it quick.
Raiden: Who are they -- Dead Cell, I mean? They couldn't hit her, no matter how hard they tried... And that vampire too. It's it's like... It's like being in a nightmare you can't wake up from.
Rose: Jack, snap out of it!
Raiden: And you Rose I can't believe you're on this mission. I keep thinking I'll wake up...
Colonel: Raiden, this is real. And that's why you won't wake up.
Raiden : But nothing seems real.
Rose : I've made up my mind to stay with you. Whether this is real or a bad dream, I'll keep watching you, till it's over.
Raiden : Thank you, Rose. And I won't let you be just a dream...
"It's like being in a nightmare you can't wake up from", "I keep thinking I'll wake up", "But nothing seems real"...? All of these juicy lines become doubly ironic when we remember that both the "Colonel" and "Rose" are figments of his imagination! Raiden is arguing with A.I. about whether his mission is real!
Kojima put all of this in here for a good reason, and as I suggested in the first part of this article, it was most likely to illustrate the dangers of technology and virtual reality. It's meta-narrative, encouraging the player/audience to question just how real Raiden's mission is, instead of accept it at face value simply because like Raiden we wish that it was.
Raiden's desperation to imitate Solid Snake is exploited by the Patriots in order to lure him into a false reality and test his willingness to complete a mission, even after realizing that it's a VR simulation. This is a metaphor for our desperation to play as Snake, which Kojima exploited in order to lure us into the Big Shell and test our willingness to finish the game, even after realizing that Raiden's mission is just a VR simulation. The fact that most people failed to accept the possibility of this goes a long way to explaining why the game is the black sheep of the series, unappreciated for its layered narrative.
Raiden: I've had extensive training -- the kind that's indistinguishable from the real thing.
Pliskin: Like what?
Raiden: Sneaking mission 60, Weapons 80,
Pliskin: VR, huh.
Raiden: But realistic in every way.
Snake then proceeds to convince Raiden (like he usually does) that the situation is real.
The fact that Raiden believes these VR missions are "indistinguishable from the real thing" proves that either a) he was being trained with cutting-edge technology that actually is totally realistic, in which case he could currently be in the same simulation without knowing it; or b) he is delusional to the point that he can't discern actual reality from virtual reality. Either way, it means he would not be able to tell if he was in VR during this mission!
We are told that this is our first real mission, but even Raiden who has covered all of Snake's missions in VR becomes quickly suspicious of how surreal things are...
The fact that Raiden believes these VR missions are "indistinguishable from the real thing" proves that either a) he was being trained with cutting-edge technology that actually is totally realistic, in which case he could currently be in the same simulation without knowing it; or b) he is delusional to the point that he can't discern actual reality from virtual reality. Either way, it means he would not be able to tell if he was in VR during this mission!
We are told that this is our first real mission, but even Raiden who has covered all of Snake's missions in VR becomes quickly suspicious of how surreal things are...
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Colonel: That's not a problem the Bravo team brought an explosives pro in with them. He was supposed to standby on Strut C according to their mission. You should find him there.
Raiden : Is this according to simulation too...?
Colonel: What are you talking about? Get to Strut C and find him!
Raiden: Understood... But I need to ask you something before I go.
Colonel: Make it quick.
Raiden: Who are they -- Dead Cell, I mean? They couldn't hit her, no matter how hard they tried... And that vampire too. It's it's like... It's like being in a nightmare you can't wake up from.
Rose: Jack, snap out of it!
Raiden: And you Rose I can't believe you're on this mission. I keep thinking I'll wake up...
Colonel: Raiden, this is real. And that's why you won't wake up.
Raiden : But nothing seems real.
Rose : I've made up my mind to stay with you. Whether this is real or a bad dream, I'll keep watching you, till it's over.
Raiden : Thank you, Rose. And I won't let you be just a dream...
"It's like being in a nightmare you can't wake up from", "I keep thinking I'll wake up", "But nothing seems real"...? All of these juicy lines become doubly ironic when we remember that both the "Colonel" and "Rose" are figments of his imagination! Raiden is arguing with A.I. about whether his mission is real!
Kojima put all of this in here for a good reason, and as I suggested in the first part of this article, it was most likely to illustrate the dangers of technology and virtual reality. It's meta-narrative, encouraging the player/audience to question just how real Raiden's mission is, instead of accept it at face value simply because like Raiden we wish that it was.
Raiden's desperation to imitate Solid Snake is exploited by the Patriots in order to lure him into a false reality and test his willingness to complete a mission, even after realizing that it's a VR simulation. This is a metaphor for our desperation to play as Snake, which Kojima exploited in order to lure us into the Big Shell and test our willingness to finish the game, even after realizing that Raiden's mission is just a VR simulation. The fact that most people failed to accept the possibility of this goes a long way to explaining why the game is the black sheep of the series, unappreciated for its layered narrative.
Exhibit D: Rose
Rose is, in a way, what makes or breaks the VR Theory. Her existence (or nonexistence, as it may happen) is the crux of the whole mystery. Because of this, we'll examine notable point about her in a numbered list:
1. Early on, Raiden can't believe that she's actually part of the mission, and he says as much to her.
2. She and "Colonel Campbell" are not only a team, but talk to each other and always agree in pressuring Raiden to continue his mission.
3. She was introduced by "Colonel" (actually G.W.) as a way of pressuring Raiden to continue his mission, and give him a personal duty to survive and finish his mission, as opposed to the professional duty he owes to the "Colonel".
4. Upon being doubted by Raiden, she says "I've made up my mind to stay with you. Whether this is real or a bad dream".
5. In response to this, Raiden says he won't let her be just a dream.
6. In Arsenal Gear, she initially seems fine, but soon chimes in with the "Colonel's" insanity, saying "You'll ruin your eyes playing so close to the TV". Later she confesses that she is a Patriot spy and that she is pregnant, but her eyes become blank and her voice distorts, indicating she too was malfunctioning A.I., like "Colonel".
7. She appears later to reveal the S3 Plan, clearly part of G.W. along with the "Colonel". Here "she" explains "her" methods of testing Raiden's capacity to deal with the truth by using "herself" as the medium.
8. Finally, she appears in person in front of Federal Hall at the end of the game, with the same appearance as the version of her we've seen in the codec; she is unconcerned about the catastrophic mayhem of Arsenal Gear's crash-landing, Solidus' death, or anything else, and apparently knows about his mission as if she were real the whole time.
I would like to think that anyone reasonable could see the logical conclusion of these points, but if not, here is the significance of it all:
Raiden begins doubting the reality he's being shown, but by teaming up, Colonel and Rose manage to convince him to continue the mission. The fact that she was chosen to give him a personal motivation is reasonable, but the way she dovetails with the Colonel's thoughts is troubling when we remember that he is nonexistent. She executes her role in a nagging and distracting manner, but this is one reason why she succeeds at catching Raiden off guard. She is the second voice of G.W., designed to echo the "Colonel's" thoughts, undermining any independence or rebellion he musters towards the surreal mission.
The fact that Raiden says he won't let her be a dream is a perfect summary of his dynamic with "her". He refuses to see her for what she is: a digital dream. She is a sacred thing to him, beyond questioning. This is why he takes her seriously, even when she is malfunctioning and mimicking the "Colonel" in Arsenal Gear. The implications that result from her being imaginary are too devastating for him to handle.
So what does he do instead? He puts on a front of kindness so that he doesn't have to get to the truth; not to protect her, but to protect his fragile ego from having to cope with such a massive realization...
When she goes, it all goes.
Raiden: ...OK. But... Does Rose exist ?
Snake: Don't be weird. She's your --
Raiden: What if I've never really met her... If the Colonel is something that I partly dreamt up, then... everything I remember about her could be...
Snake: Don't jump to conclusions!
Raiden: You and Otacon are the ones that say the Colonel never existed. Is this what Olga was talking about?
In case you're wondering what Olga was talking about, it was whether or not he would handle the truth! Kojima not only foreshadowed the realization that it was all an illusion, but later references the foreshadowing to ensure that we didn't miss the point! He throws it in our lap, just so he can watch whether we'll continue the farce.
Later, Rose says this:
Rose: You refused to see me for what I was. I lied to you, but I wanted to be caught. You pretended to be understanding, to be a gentleman... You never made a conscious attempt to reach out to me... The only time you did was when I gave you no choice but to do so...
Raiden: I was just trying not to...
Rose: What? "Trying not to hurt me?" Dear, the one you were trying not to hurt was yourself! Avoiding the truth under the guise of "kindness" is all that you did!
We could suppose this is referring to his reluctance to emotionally reach out to her, but considering the fact that her existence and the implications of her existence have been doubted from the beginning, it certainly has another level of meaning than something as trivial as their romance life. We are, after all, talking to the A.I. in our head...
Finally we have her "real life" appearance in front of Federal Hall. For many, this would prove that she was real, along with everything else; for those who believe the VR Theory, it proves the opposite. Raiden evidently is believing what he sees, but as Snake has just barely finished telling us,
Snake: There's no such thing in the world as absolute reality. Most of what they call real is actually fiction. What you think you see is only as real as your brain tells you it is.
Kojima perfectly sets up her real-life introduction by saying that a) it doesn't ultimately matter whether it was "real" or not, and b) things are only as real as our brain tells us it is. This is what finally allows Raiden along with most players to embrace the illusion, let go of his doubts and fears, and accept that the impossible is real, even while the ex-President of the United States dies in his robotic exoskeleton in front of the ruined remains of Federal Hall, and the futuristic floating military fortress that has finished smashing through 6 city blocks of New York lay smouldering right beside them. It's complete blissful denial, and it is the apex of the game's theme, illustrated in all of its glory for the player to deal with.
1. Early on, Raiden can't believe that she's actually part of the mission, and he says as much to her.
2. She and "Colonel Campbell" are not only a team, but talk to each other and always agree in pressuring Raiden to continue his mission.
3. She was introduced by "Colonel" (actually G.W.) as a way of pressuring Raiden to continue his mission, and give him a personal duty to survive and finish his mission, as opposed to the professional duty he owes to the "Colonel".
4. Upon being doubted by Raiden, she says "I've made up my mind to stay with you. Whether this is real or a bad dream".
5. In response to this, Raiden says he won't let her be just a dream.
6. In Arsenal Gear, she initially seems fine, but soon chimes in with the "Colonel's" insanity, saying "You'll ruin your eyes playing so close to the TV". Later she confesses that she is a Patriot spy and that she is pregnant, but her eyes become blank and her voice distorts, indicating she too was malfunctioning A.I., like "Colonel".
7. She appears later to reveal the S3 Plan, clearly part of G.W. along with the "Colonel". Here "she" explains "her" methods of testing Raiden's capacity to deal with the truth by using "herself" as the medium.
8. Finally, she appears in person in front of Federal Hall at the end of the game, with the same appearance as the version of her we've seen in the codec; she is unconcerned about the catastrophic mayhem of Arsenal Gear's crash-landing, Solidus' death, or anything else, and apparently knows about his mission as if she were real the whole time.
I would like to think that anyone reasonable could see the logical conclusion of these points, but if not, here is the significance of it all:
Raiden begins doubting the reality he's being shown, but by teaming up, Colonel and Rose manage to convince him to continue the mission. The fact that she was chosen to give him a personal motivation is reasonable, but the way she dovetails with the Colonel's thoughts is troubling when we remember that he is nonexistent. She executes her role in a nagging and distracting manner, but this is one reason why she succeeds at catching Raiden off guard. She is the second voice of G.W., designed to echo the "Colonel's" thoughts, undermining any independence or rebellion he musters towards the surreal mission.
The fact that Raiden says he won't let her be a dream is a perfect summary of his dynamic with "her". He refuses to see her for what she is: a digital dream. She is a sacred thing to him, beyond questioning. This is why he takes her seriously, even when she is malfunctioning and mimicking the "Colonel" in Arsenal Gear. The implications that result from her being imaginary are too devastating for him to handle.
So what does he do instead? He puts on a front of kindness so that he doesn't have to get to the truth; not to protect her, but to protect his fragile ego from having to cope with such a massive realization...
When she goes, it all goes.
Raiden: ...OK. But... Does Rose exist ?
Snake: Don't be weird. She's your --
Raiden: What if I've never really met her... If the Colonel is something that I partly dreamt up, then... everything I remember about her could be...
Snake: Don't jump to conclusions!
Raiden: You and Otacon are the ones that say the Colonel never existed. Is this what Olga was talking about?
In case you're wondering what Olga was talking about, it was whether or not he would handle the truth! Kojima not only foreshadowed the realization that it was all an illusion, but later references the foreshadowing to ensure that we didn't miss the point! He throws it in our lap, just so he can watch whether we'll continue the farce.
Later, Rose says this:
Rose: You refused to see me for what I was. I lied to you, but I wanted to be caught. You pretended to be understanding, to be a gentleman... You never made a conscious attempt to reach out to me... The only time you did was when I gave you no choice but to do so...
Raiden: I was just trying not to...
Rose: What? "Trying not to hurt me?" Dear, the one you were trying not to hurt was yourself! Avoiding the truth under the guise of "kindness" is all that you did!
We could suppose this is referring to his reluctance to emotionally reach out to her, but considering the fact that her existence and the implications of her existence have been doubted from the beginning, it certainly has another level of meaning than something as trivial as their romance life. We are, after all, talking to the A.I. in our head...
Finally we have her "real life" appearance in front of Federal Hall. For many, this would prove that she was real, along with everything else; for those who believe the VR Theory, it proves the opposite. Raiden evidently is believing what he sees, but as Snake has just barely finished telling us,
Snake: There's no such thing in the world as absolute reality. Most of what they call real is actually fiction. What you think you see is only as real as your brain tells you it is.
Kojima perfectly sets up her real-life introduction by saying that a) it doesn't ultimately matter whether it was "real" or not, and b) things are only as real as our brain tells us it is. This is what finally allows Raiden along with most players to embrace the illusion, let go of his doubts and fears, and accept that the impossible is real, even while the ex-President of the United States dies in his robotic exoskeleton in front of the ruined remains of Federal Hall, and the futuristic floating military fortress that has finished smashing through 6 city blocks of New York lay smouldering right beside them. It's complete blissful denial, and it is the apex of the game's theme, illustrated in all of its glory for the player to deal with.
Exhibit E: Dead Cell
Using a group such Dead Cell as evidence of a virtual reality setting is relatively easy, but only if we put them into the context of the rest of the MGS2. Without context, they simply seem like poorly designed FOXHOUND wannabes, with powers and abilities that are either arbitrary or silly. Certainly this was a common first impression of them; like they could just as easily have been a firebreathing clown or a flying dude with a hammer. But when seen from the light of the rest of the game, it becomes obvious that their powers (or at least their levels of absurdity) were deliberate and important.
There is, of course, a thin layer of science-fiction plausibility to these kinds of powers. Previous games featured characters with supernatural powers, so what makes these three so suspicious?
Raiden: What was that man just now?
Plisken: That blood sucking freak? That was Vamp. He's Romanian, a wizard with knives as you saw.
Raiden: The way he moved .. didn't seem human.
Pliskin: You won't see that in VR, I guarantee.
The first red flag is the fact that Solid Snake (posing as Pliskin) flatly tells you that you won't see something like him in VR. We can assume that Snake only mentions this as a way of illustrating how ineffective VR training is, since he just finished lecturing Raiden on the subject and has years of experience fighting equally bizarre enemies... But unlike Snake's former enemies, what science-fiction excuse are we given for Vamp's powers?
Vamp : I died once already. I cannot die twice.
Vamp : Unfortunately, hell had no vacancies...
These are the best explanations we get: none at all. His immortality, ability to stand on (and swim through) non-bouyant water, go straight up walls, and pin people's shadows to the ground are all mysteries. In the end, we're left to do exactly what Kojima intended: accept the impossible at face value, simply because we want to be in a recreation of Shadow Moses badly enough, just like Raiden.
However, in anticipation of the player's nagging doubts, Raiden says this...
Raiden : Understood... But I need to ask you something before I go.
Colonel: Make it quick.
Raiden: Who are they Dead Cell, I mean? They couldn't hit her, no matter how hard they tried... And that vampire too. It's ... it's like... It's like being in a nightmare you can't wake up from.
His concerns are perfectly valid, but as usual, they are immediately sidestepped by "Colonel" and "Rose" rather than being explained in even a small way. And remember that Raiden has already covered all of Snake's missions (or at least Shadow Moses) in VR training! This, at least, suggests that Kojima knew that these characters were particularly far-fetched.
The rest of Dead Cell is just as wacky. It's amazing how little backlash came from their designs, considering that one of them was really just a fat bomb guy on rollerblades. He's a mockery of a villain; a parody at best. Perhaps the suckiness of everything else in the Big Shell lowered player's standards enough for them to swallow it?
Then we have George Bush on the right. Shinkawa's artwork says it all, but for good measure they added the first name "George". Is it a coincidence that this character was included during his the Bush presidency? Only if you believe the opening disclaimer, which was no doubt included simply because of such glaring similarities. Were we really not supposed to find make this connection and find it suspicious?
That leaves us with Fortune, whose unbelievable invulnerability is chalked up to "luck", all the way until Ocelot supposedly dispels the magic. However, soon enough she does the impossible in front of everybody, even after her illogical electromagnetic shield has been turned off, diverting Metal Gear RAY's entire payload of missiles from the group. "She really is Lady Luck," remarks Snake. Really?
What are these characters' common denominator? What do they all share in common? Nothing except a tendancy to shove their silliness in our faces, rather than hiding it; to raise our doubts, rather than allowing us to suspend our disbelief and swallow the fiction. It's the perfect group to illustrate the purpose of Metal Gear Solid 2, which is to challenge us to look beyond what we're shown, and see things for what they really are.
There is, of course, a thin layer of science-fiction plausibility to these kinds of powers. Previous games featured characters with supernatural powers, so what makes these three so suspicious?
Raiden: What was that man just now?
Plisken: That blood sucking freak? That was Vamp. He's Romanian, a wizard with knives as you saw.
Raiden: The way he moved .. didn't seem human.
Pliskin: You won't see that in VR, I guarantee.
The first red flag is the fact that Solid Snake (posing as Pliskin) flatly tells you that you won't see something like him in VR. We can assume that Snake only mentions this as a way of illustrating how ineffective VR training is, since he just finished lecturing Raiden on the subject and has years of experience fighting equally bizarre enemies... But unlike Snake's former enemies, what science-fiction excuse are we given for Vamp's powers?
Vamp : I died once already. I cannot die twice.
Vamp : Unfortunately, hell had no vacancies...
These are the best explanations we get: none at all. His immortality, ability to stand on (and swim through) non-bouyant water, go straight up walls, and pin people's shadows to the ground are all mysteries. In the end, we're left to do exactly what Kojima intended: accept the impossible at face value, simply because we want to be in a recreation of Shadow Moses badly enough, just like Raiden.
However, in anticipation of the player's nagging doubts, Raiden says this...
Raiden : Understood... But I need to ask you something before I go.
Colonel: Make it quick.
Raiden: Who are they Dead Cell, I mean? They couldn't hit her, no matter how hard they tried... And that vampire too. It's ... it's like... It's like being in a nightmare you can't wake up from.
His concerns are perfectly valid, but as usual, they are immediately sidestepped by "Colonel" and "Rose" rather than being explained in even a small way. And remember that Raiden has already covered all of Snake's missions (or at least Shadow Moses) in VR training! This, at least, suggests that Kojima knew that these characters were particularly far-fetched.
The rest of Dead Cell is just as wacky. It's amazing how little backlash came from their designs, considering that one of them was really just a fat bomb guy on rollerblades. He's a mockery of a villain; a parody at best. Perhaps the suckiness of everything else in the Big Shell lowered player's standards enough for them to swallow it?
Then we have George Bush on the right. Shinkawa's artwork says it all, but for good measure they added the first name "George". Is it a coincidence that this character was included during his the Bush presidency? Only if you believe the opening disclaimer, which was no doubt included simply because of such glaring similarities. Were we really not supposed to find make this connection and find it suspicious?
That leaves us with Fortune, whose unbelievable invulnerability is chalked up to "luck", all the way until Ocelot supposedly dispels the magic. However, soon enough she does the impossible in front of everybody, even after her illogical electromagnetic shield has been turned off, diverting Metal Gear RAY's entire payload of missiles from the group. "She really is Lady Luck," remarks Snake. Really?
What are these characters' common denominator? What do they all share in common? Nothing except a tendancy to shove their silliness in our faces, rather than hiding it; to raise our doubts, rather than allowing us to suspend our disbelief and swallow the fiction. It's the perfect group to illustrate the purpose of Metal Gear Solid 2, which is to challenge us to look beyond what we're shown, and see things for what they really are.
Exhibit F: The Ending
The Meta-Narrative Goal:
After the laughable RAY battle atop the VR training stage, we're nearing the end of the game. Fortune brings in a handcuffed Snake, and Raiden is knocked out by Solidus. When we wake up, we can look up and see the moon above; we're still on top of Arsenal. This is where everybody explains their true goals. Solidus wants to find out how to destroy the Patriots, while Fortune wants to steal Arsenal. Ocelot explains about the S3 Plan being the "Solid Snake Simulation" and shoots Fortune, but before he can destroy everybody she does her impossible and unexplained miracle. Following this, Liquid Snake takes over and escapes with RAY, while Arsenal Gear crashes through 6 or 7 city blocks of New York City which would've been shown if not for the attacks of September 11th.
After landing and hearing Solidus' spiel, Raiden is called by G.W. Here is where the true goal of the Patriots is revealed, along with the brilliance of Kojima's meta-narrative. Since Raiden represents the player, then the S3 Plan (the game Raiden is playing through) represents Metal Gear Solid 2 itself. And just as the S3 Plan was directed by the Patriots, MGS2 was directed by Kojima. His intentions for the player were translated into the Patriots' intentions for Raiden: namely, to find out whether they compel a person with free will to follow orders simply by creating the proper context. Let's allow Kojima explain it:
Colonel: The S3 is a system for controlling human will and consciousness. S3 is not you, a soldier trained in the image of Solid Snake. It is a method, a protocol, that created a circumstance that made you what you are.
Rose: So you see, we're the S3. Not you.
Colonel: What you experienced was the final test of its effectiveness.
Perhaps the most brilliant part of this conversation is that even while they explain the S3 Plan to you, they are testing you! It's part of the mission: will you continue to follow orders, even when you know that following orders will result in the completion of the enemy's plot to control the world? Will you — like President Johnson — play out your part, despite knowing that it's part of the evil plan? Will you freely choose to be a puppet?
Colonel: Your persona, experiences, triumphs and defeats are nothing but byproducts. The real objective was ensuring that we could generate and manipulate them. It's taken a lot of time and money, but it was well worth it considering the results. I think that's enough talk. It's time for the final exercise. Raiden, take Solidus down.
Raiden: Think again! I'm through doing what I'm told!
Colonel: Oh really? Aren't you forgetting something?
Olga: If you die, my child dies.
Colonel: The termination of vital signals from your nanomachines means the death of Olga's child. Not to mention the death of Rose. She's wired the same way.
Raiden: Rose does she actually exist?
Rose : Of course I do, Jack! You have to beLIEve me!
Raiden : Damn...
The final exercise of the S3 Plan (ie. Metal Gear Solid 2) is to fight Solidus despite knowing that it's a part of the enemy plan. Raiden, like the player, feels like rebelling against the Patriots, but can't. He only has one choice, unless he wants to give up and turn off the game. But we've come too far and waited too long for this game to give up now, haven't we?
If we choose to finish the game by beating Solidus, we are treated to another disheartening and ironic pep talk by the enemy:
Colonel: Raiden, you have to beat Solidus! This is your last duty!
Raiden: We're not just pawns in some simulation game, you know!
Rose: Yes, you are. You're nothing but mere weapons. No different from fighter jets or tanks.
Colonel: And a weapon has no right to think for itself! Now, it's time to fulfill your purpose! Defeat Solidus!
If you're wondering how all of this fits into the VR Theory, it's simple: both Raiden and the player are now aware that, on some level, everything they've done is fake and meaningless. We both went into the game hoping to relive something like Shadow Moses, but were given a lie instead. We have both faced the possibility that everything was a digital illusion inside his head (as evidenced by Raiden asking whether Rose was real, even at the end,) and yet we've chosen to play along anyway, all the way to the end. We have, with our own freedom, obeyed the fiction. And now we're faced with the question of what it all meant. And of course, who should appear to help us with this, except our imaginary friend, Snake...
The Point:
Snake : The memories you have and the role you were assigned are burdens you have to carry. It doesn't matter if they were real or not. That's never the point.
Snake : There's no such thing in the world as absolute reality. Most of what they call real is actually fiction. What you think you see is only as real as your brain tells you it is.
Why would Kojima include these lines if he didn't anticipate (by providing sufficient evidence for) the VR Theory? He wanted us to be faced with the fact that it was virtual reality, simply so that he could tell us that, ultimately, it's irrelevant!
Many players would beg to differ, trust me...
There's more to the game than wanting to play a stealth mission and kill bad guys. Those who demand that the in-game scenario be "real" (as opposed to VR) are guilty of not seeing the game for what it is; of being unable to handle the truth.
The point of the Metal Gear series is to cause you to think; to ask questions, impart morals, and pass on something meaningful. This can be done regardless of whether the actual events are "real" in the Metal Gear universe. The ending perfectly explains this, while also reinforcing it by showing us more of the implausible. We can turn a blind eye to it by pretending its real, or we can see it for what it is, and still retreive "truths" from the fiction.
We see that the street in front of Federal Hall is totally empty, except for Raiden. Then as Raiden stands around, crowds of people begin appearing from out of nowhere, walking in slow-motion. Aside from a few running cops, they're oblivious to the catastrophe. Snake appears out of nowhere too. Like the Colonel and Rose, Snake is part of the illusion, and his role is to make the poison pill easier to swallow. He's cobbled together from our hopes and expectations, and stays true to form here, making the ending seem satisfying, even though we've just given the Patriots the data they need in order to complete their test.
As explained in Exhibit D, the arrival of Rose proves different things to different people. The fact that she is also undisturbed by the situation, and is apparently the same person as the "Rose" in the codec conversations, creates a kind of paradox. Was the codec version real? What about after G.W. began clitching? Where does reality end and the illusion begin?
These are things we don't want to bother with. Like Raiden, we want to assure ourselves that Rose is real, and that everything is fine. The game is over, and we've done our mission just as we were told. Isn't that good?
The "lie" within the belief. Clever.
It pays to consider the meta-narrative at all times throughout Metal Gear Solid 2, but the ending in particular speaks to the player. We were coaxed into buying the game thinking that we would play as Solid Snake, but this was just a coax to get us into Kojima's twisted plan. We were betrayed, lied to, and for what? The point is to start over, as Raiden is encouraged to do, except with a new mentality. Throw away the old dog tags, and pick a new name. Don't pretend that it's real, but see it for what it is: virtual reality. A game. A story with "memes" and morals, and many layers.
After the laughable RAY battle atop the VR training stage, we're nearing the end of the game. Fortune brings in a handcuffed Snake, and Raiden is knocked out by Solidus. When we wake up, we can look up and see the moon above; we're still on top of Arsenal. This is where everybody explains their true goals. Solidus wants to find out how to destroy the Patriots, while Fortune wants to steal Arsenal. Ocelot explains about the S3 Plan being the "Solid Snake Simulation" and shoots Fortune, but before he can destroy everybody she does her impossible and unexplained miracle. Following this, Liquid Snake takes over and escapes with RAY, while Arsenal Gear crashes through 6 or 7 city blocks of New York City which would've been shown if not for the attacks of September 11th.
After landing and hearing Solidus' spiel, Raiden is called by G.W. Here is where the true goal of the Patriots is revealed, along with the brilliance of Kojima's meta-narrative. Since Raiden represents the player, then the S3 Plan (the game Raiden is playing through) represents Metal Gear Solid 2 itself. And just as the S3 Plan was directed by the Patriots, MGS2 was directed by Kojima. His intentions for the player were translated into the Patriots' intentions for Raiden: namely, to find out whether they compel a person with free will to follow orders simply by creating the proper context. Let's allow Kojima explain it:
Colonel: The S3 is a system for controlling human will and consciousness. S3 is not you, a soldier trained in the image of Solid Snake. It is a method, a protocol, that created a circumstance that made you what you are.
Rose: So you see, we're the S3. Not you.
Colonel: What you experienced was the final test of its effectiveness.
Perhaps the most brilliant part of this conversation is that even while they explain the S3 Plan to you, they are testing you! It's part of the mission: will you continue to follow orders, even when you know that following orders will result in the completion of the enemy's plot to control the world? Will you — like President Johnson — play out your part, despite knowing that it's part of the evil plan? Will you freely choose to be a puppet?
Colonel: Your persona, experiences, triumphs and defeats are nothing but byproducts. The real objective was ensuring that we could generate and manipulate them. It's taken a lot of time and money, but it was well worth it considering the results. I think that's enough talk. It's time for the final exercise. Raiden, take Solidus down.
Raiden: Think again! I'm through doing what I'm told!
Colonel: Oh really? Aren't you forgetting something?
Olga: If you die, my child dies.
Colonel: The termination of vital signals from your nanomachines means the death of Olga's child. Not to mention the death of Rose. She's wired the same way.
Raiden: Rose does she actually exist?
Rose : Of course I do, Jack! You have to beLIEve me!
Raiden : Damn...
The final exercise of the S3 Plan (ie. Metal Gear Solid 2) is to fight Solidus despite knowing that it's a part of the enemy plan. Raiden, like the player, feels like rebelling against the Patriots, but can't. He only has one choice, unless he wants to give up and turn off the game. But we've come too far and waited too long for this game to give up now, haven't we?
If we choose to finish the game by beating Solidus, we are treated to another disheartening and ironic pep talk by the enemy:
Colonel: Raiden, you have to beat Solidus! This is your last duty!
Raiden: We're not just pawns in some simulation game, you know!
Rose: Yes, you are. You're nothing but mere weapons. No different from fighter jets or tanks.
Colonel: And a weapon has no right to think for itself! Now, it's time to fulfill your purpose! Defeat Solidus!
If you're wondering how all of this fits into the VR Theory, it's simple: both Raiden and the player are now aware that, on some level, everything they've done is fake and meaningless. We both went into the game hoping to relive something like Shadow Moses, but were given a lie instead. We have both faced the possibility that everything was a digital illusion inside his head (as evidenced by Raiden asking whether Rose was real, even at the end,) and yet we've chosen to play along anyway, all the way to the end. We have, with our own freedom, obeyed the fiction. And now we're faced with the question of what it all meant. And of course, who should appear to help us with this, except our imaginary friend, Snake...
The Point:
Snake : The memories you have and the role you were assigned are burdens you have to carry. It doesn't matter if they were real or not. That's never the point.
Snake : There's no such thing in the world as absolute reality. Most of what they call real is actually fiction. What you think you see is only as real as your brain tells you it is.
Why would Kojima include these lines if he didn't anticipate (by providing sufficient evidence for) the VR Theory? He wanted us to be faced with the fact that it was virtual reality, simply so that he could tell us that, ultimately, it's irrelevant!
Many players would beg to differ, trust me...
There's more to the game than wanting to play a stealth mission and kill bad guys. Those who demand that the in-game scenario be "real" (as opposed to VR) are guilty of not seeing the game for what it is; of being unable to handle the truth.
The point of the Metal Gear series is to cause you to think; to ask questions, impart morals, and pass on something meaningful. This can be done regardless of whether the actual events are "real" in the Metal Gear universe. The ending perfectly explains this, while also reinforcing it by showing us more of the implausible. We can turn a blind eye to it by pretending its real, or we can see it for what it is, and still retreive "truths" from the fiction.
We see that the street in front of Federal Hall is totally empty, except for Raiden. Then as Raiden stands around, crowds of people begin appearing from out of nowhere, walking in slow-motion. Aside from a few running cops, they're oblivious to the catastrophe. Snake appears out of nowhere too. Like the Colonel and Rose, Snake is part of the illusion, and his role is to make the poison pill easier to swallow. He's cobbled together from our hopes and expectations, and stays true to form here, making the ending seem satisfying, even though we've just given the Patriots the data they need in order to complete their test.
As explained in Exhibit D, the arrival of Rose proves different things to different people. The fact that she is also undisturbed by the situation, and is apparently the same person as the "Rose" in the codec conversations, creates a kind of paradox. Was the codec version real? What about after G.W. began clitching? Where does reality end and the illusion begin?
These are things we don't want to bother with. Like Raiden, we want to assure ourselves that Rose is real, and that everything is fine. The game is over, and we've done our mission just as we were told. Isn't that good?
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The "lie" within the belief. Clever.
It pays to consider the meta-narrative at all times throughout Metal Gear Solid 2, but the ending in particular speaks to the player. We were coaxed into buying the game thinking that we would play as Solid Snake, but this was just a coax to get us into Kojima's twisted plan. We were betrayed, lied to, and for what? The point is to start over, as Raiden is encouraged to do, except with a new mentality. Throw away the old dog tags, and pick a new name. Don't pretend that it's real, but see it for what it is: virtual reality. A game. A story with "memes" and morals, and many layers.
Foul Ball:
The evidence is all there. It's more than enough to prove that Sons of Liberty took place in a virtual reality, specially designed to betray its own falseness to the player, and all for the sake of proving how dangerous technology can be when we start to believe in the fiction we see. It's there to test our ability to cope with the truth, to find out if we're "fit to decide", or just a part of the "mindless masses".
Can we be trusted to pass down information? Are we fit to decide what the truth is, or are we gullible Snake wannabes, following orders without a second thought?
Without the VR Theory that is to say, without accepting that nothing in the game was meant to be accepted at face value Metal Gear Solid 2 is just a quirky postmodern piece of fiction. After all of the hype leading up to its release, with its surprise twist and bizzarre ending, it would simply be a ridiculous sequel. It would be what Tim Roger's describes in his article.
But with its proper context, it is a timely and relevant masterpiece.
Does this evidence prove for a fact that the game was all a VR mission? No, it doesn't. There's an abundance of evidence to support the theory, but without Hideo Kojima declaring it to be so, it could never be a fact. On the contrary, with the release of Metal Gear Solid 4, he has directly contradicted the VR Theory thanks to years of mindless outrage over Sons of Liberty's "convoluted" plot.
In the next section we will take a look at the fan's reaction to the evidence you've seen here, and just as importantly, how Kojima reacted to that reaction.
If Metal Gear Solid 2 was a ship, it would be the Titanic.
It was massive and shiny, and from all of the trailers and hype building up to it, it seemed unsinkable. Everyone watched with awe as it took its maiden voyage, believing that a new era had dawned, and MGS2 would lead us into it. ...Boy, it's amazing what momentum can do.
The colossal game began to break open on the proverbial iceburg of expectations and stubborness, unable to stop, turn or deviate. It was too late the game had already been "shipped". At the same time that the USS Discovery was scuttled, MGS2 began taking in water and losing its momentum. It was just a matter of time before it would sink under the weight of scrutiny.
But Sons of Liberty didn't just fail to meet expectations. It was playing chicken with the iceburg, hoping to destroy the expectations with brute force in order to make its own legacy. It didn't want to live "in the darkness of Shadow Moses", but escape from the pressure of its predecessor and be free. ...Sound familiar? These are some of the main themes of the game.
One of the biggest keys to attaining this (creative) freedom was to undermine the believability of the scenario. To destroy the illusion before the players' eyes, even if it meant sabotaging its popularity in the process. That's one of the reasons he included so many hints and winks about it being VR.
That's why we got The Document of MGS2 as well; a "making of" DVD that allows you to look behind the scenes, view the character models, read the script, and disassemble the game from start to finish. We get to pull back the curtain, and see how the trick is done. It interrupts our fantasy, and prevents us from "getting into" the game with real enthusiasm. We're supposed to be analyzing the game as we play it, aware of its falseness. Nagging codec calls from Rose or emasculating comments from others are just part of this. As shown in the second part of this article, a great amount of effort was put into making sure the game produced doubts in the minds of the players, knowing that many would refuse to accept the unflattering truth.
Yet without acknowledging the VR Theory, the outcry had to express itself in other ways... "Hardcore" fans scrambled to make sense of everything, searching for explanations and rationalizations, desperate to mend the plot holes. They wanted an answer for every question. Casual fans simply "forgave" the "problems" with the story and said, "Hey, the game's fun, so who cares if the story's nonsense?" Others (such as Tim Rogers) praised the game for its "postmodern" attitude, also ignoring the real themes, and their implications, in favour of a superficial (albeit complimentary,) interpretation.
To return to this article's baseball analogy, it was the equivalent of hitting a foul ball. Kojima gave us a curveball, and we hit it far in the wrong direction. It became a divisive issue amongst fans, with many simply walking away from the series until Metal Gear Solid 3 was released later. We know that Kojima took this reaction seriously, making a point of including the infamous Raiden mask in MGS3, and including "Raikov", the gay slave of Volgin, as a joke.
Did he know that people would hate Raiden? Probably. He's proven to be great at anticipating people's reactions and playing with them, so it would be foolish to say that he didn't expect controversy. But the fact that virtually nobody ended bothered to put together the themes and hints of the game must have frustrated him. I remember him saying once, when confronted by a knee-jerk interviewer, "It's my series, and I can ruin it if I want to." Evidently, he was sensitive to the outcry, and would let it influence the rest of the series, for better or worse.
In the future I will take a look at the arguments against the VR Theory, as well as the long journey from MGS1 to MGS4. We'll look at the dysfunctional relationship between Guns of the Patriots and Sons of Liberty, and continue to make sense of the series' troubles and accomplishments. Thank you for reading.
