What's Next: Metal Gear

Welcome to the first in a new series of articles called “What’s Next” where I look at dormant or ill-guided video game series and suggest what’s coming next. Now, I want to make this very clear before we go any further: I’m an idiot and these suggestions aren’t meant to be some kind of armchair director chat, just a bit of fun. HOWEVER, if any of the great ideas contained in this or any of the future articles end up coming true, I want to be hailed as the next Nostradamus and I expect a piece of the pie. The video game finance pie.

Right, so where is Metal Gear right now? Well, Metal Gear Survive sold like ten copies and currently has a Metacritic score of 62/100, the lowest score I could find for any entry in the series. Survive felt like a quick cash-in, an attempt to recoup some of the big bucks spent on developing the Fox Engine and MGSV. Kiefer Sutherland doesn’t come cheap baby. Solid Snake has been confirmed for Ultimate Smash Brothers, potentially the best game the character has featured in since 2001.

So what should Konami do? Well, Konami loves money and they love it to be quick and easy and the quickest and easiest way to make bank is to release your old games on new consoles. That’s right, slap MGS2, MGS3 and Peace Walker on PS4, XBOX1 and Switch. Do it as a collection, do it separately online, charge an extra £5 - £10 for the Switch versions. Get MGS1 on there too, but just do a Shenmue 1 & 2 collection and just slap it in without fiddling with it too much. Get folk excited about the series by charging them for new copies of old games. Why do you think you still remember Sonic the Hedgehog?

Now that everyone has bought the old games, what next?

Well, Survive has shown that new games in the series will bomb harder than Fatman nipping to the toilet after having too many wines, so let’s go even further back into the catalogue! That’s right, it’s time to remake the OG MG games using the Fox Engine. Yeah, there’s some work that’ll have to be done, unlike just renaming the files “MGS2.PS3” to “MGS2.SWITCH” (that’s how it works, right?), but think of the rewards! The people have been crying out for a 3D version of Dr Madnar and, my personal favourite, Gustava Heffner. You get the benefit of a Hideo Kojima game minus the creative magic and dedication that helped to build the series!

Bonus!

But why stop with remaking MG1 and MG2 when you can gradually remake the whole series, right up to a full remake of Metal Gear Survive, but call it Metal Gear Survive 4K Ultimate Edition. It will sell, I promise. By the time that’s done, well…maybe you could remake the Portable Ops games? And Acid 1 and 2! That Metal Gear Visual Novel could use a wee spruce up and the MGS4 iOS app that was genuinely dreadful, that could be rereleased! If Survive has shown us anything, it’s that risks aren’t work it. Even risks that are underprepared and unwanted. Just stick with remaking and rereleasing the older games, it’ll be fine.

It’ll all be fine.