Metal Gear Solid is no stranger to the darker themes of life. It’s a franchise based around war and all the terrible effects it has on everyone it touches. However, it has become clear that the two new upcoming Metal Gear games, Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain will be a lot darker and grittier than previous installments. Recent trailers for the game have sparked some controversy as they show child soldiers and torture.
In a recent interview with Examiner.com, Hideo Kojima explained why he believes games shouldn’t shy away from mature themes and that this is something that should not be avoided if games are ever going to be accepted as art in the same way TV, books and movies are.
When asked about the adult content, Kojima said: “More than thinking about sensitive things, if we don’t cross that line games will only be games. If we don’t try and go beyond that, we won’t be able to achieve what movies or novels have achieved. I didn’t want to stay away from things that might have been considered sensitive.. But if we don’t go that far, games will never be considered as [a part of] culture.”
Kojima explained that one of the themes of the upcoming games is revenge and that he wanted to portray that in a realistic way. He used the television show Breaking Bad as an example of a medium that pushed the limits to accurately portray its message. Kojima did go on to say that he doesn’t think all games need to go as far as Metal Gear Solid.
He added: “One of the main topics of Metal Gear Solid V is this chain of revenge. I know I will probably face a lot of criticism because of [the violence], but I really wanted to portray that accurately.”
Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes will be a prologue to the much larger game The Phantom Pain and is due to be released this month. The Phantom Pain has had no official release date.
Source: Examiner.com
