A Formal Analysis of Metal Gear Solid 4

Series Generally MGS MGS2 MGS3 Other (MG1, MG2, ZOE, Snatcher) Snake uses the Launcher to board Arsenal Gear, recalling several previous instances of unorthodox infiltration in the Metal Gear Saga. See Snake's parachute jump in Metal Gear 1, his hang-gliding in Metal Gear 2, his torpedo capsule in MGS1, and Naked Snake's missile capsule at the start of Operation Snake Eater. On board the Missouri, Johnny repeats phrases back as questions much as Snake had during MGS1 ("A Hind-D?!"), complete with bobblehead motions and all. Snake tries to infect GW with a worm cluster altered from Emma's original designs, recalling how Snake and Otacon had infected GW with an altered worm cluster in MGS2. Raiden's electric attacks recall Volgin's from MGS3. The Outer Haven logo uses the same skull motif used for Outer Heaven's logo in Metal Gear 1's artwork and manuals. The microwave hallway sequence closely resembles button-mashing torture sequences from previous games. See Ocelot's torture bed in MGS1 and Solidus's tentacle-choke in MGS2. (Though lacking button-mashing, MGS3 featured Naked Snake's torture by Volgin.) Much as Snake had been tricked into inputting the activation codes for Rex during MGS1, he and Otacon are tricked into uploading a deactivation code for all of the SOP system. The directorial choreography of the scene where Otacon, Meryl, Johnny, and Snake walk to their Launchers recalls the slow-motion direction of the scene where Snake, Otacon, and Raiden leave Emma behind in the Big Shell. MGS4 reinforces this association by placing the bird-like Mk.III on Otacon's arm where Emma's parrot had been. The microwave hallway sequence suggests Naked Snake's desperate, exhausted escape through Groznyj Grad's sewers. The directorial choreography of Johnny's and Meryl's fight against the Haven Frogs is over-the-top as the cutscenes in The Twin Snakes had been. Ocelot's attacks during the hand-to-hand combat sequence resembles attacks from previous games' similar segments.    During the fight's first phase, he uses Liquid Snake's melee combo and bull-rush. He also taunts like Liquid had.    During the fight's second phase, he uses a three punch combo and hard straight punch resembling Solidus's three-slice sword combo and lunging stab attack. He also taunts using MGS2's signature vertical fist gesture.    During the fight's third phase, he uses CQC attacks and cannot be grabbed unless Snake disables his defense, recalling the same strategies needed to defeat The Boss hand-to-hand. Snake's taunt changes to a playful gesture, emphasising Ocelot's identification with his token animal. Otacon's standing over Old Snake as Snake awakens, as well as Ocelot's boots approaching, both recall Snake's awakening to Liquid Snake at the end of MGS1. Likewise, Ocelot says, "Rise and shine, Snake," as Liquid had at that moment in MGS1. The level design of Haven's deck shares elements with both the Tanker and Arsenal Gear segments of MGS2. Under-deck crawlspaces open into broader areas underneath grates, recalling similar elements in the Tanker Holds. Water-tight doors, elevated walkways, and hanging rails also recall elements from the Tanker's deck. The block fixtures aboard Haven's deck recall the crate obstacles of Arsenal Gear's holds, and the door to the cargo elevator also recalls the elevator into Arsenal Gear from the Big Shell. Snake begins Act V breathing through an oxygen mask, recalling Naked Snake's oxygen mask at the opening of Virtuous Mission. As a film reference, the circular arena where Snake fights Screaming Mantis and the following corridors resemble a spine and brain stem, recalling a similar design in the spaceship from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Related to this, GW's hardware resembles the monolith from the same film. Ocelot threatens to launch a nuclear warhead with Outer Haven, recalling, for the first time in MGS4, the Saga's typical threat of a nuclear attack. Launcher on the Missouri resembles the railgun from Rex. Outer Haven's insignia features a snake that resembles the Sons of the Patriots' insignia. Outer Haven's profile resembles a Tsuchinoko's. The Tsuchinoko appeared in MGS3 as the mythical snake creature to catch in order to unlock Infinite Ammo Facepaint. The choreography of the cutscene before Snake's and Ocelot's playable showdown recalls the over-the-top direction of Liquid's and Solid Snake's fight prior to their playable showdown in The Twin Snakes. Drebin descends from the Missouri's cannon and lands in Snake's classic infiltration pose. Again, Campbell briefs Snake over Codec while Snake infiltrates the battlefield. The camera direction when Snake stands after arriving on board Haven resembles the MGS2's camera direction when Snake boarded the Tanker. Snake's rolling entrance into Haven resembles Naked Snake's similar return to the Soviet Union at the start of Operation Snake Eater. Microwave hallway a reference to the electric floor hallway of Metal Gear 1 where Solid Snake must take continual damage to reach his goal. Also kind of like the swimming section in Metal Gear 1 where Snake must go through sewers to get to his goal. Otacon utters Snake's comment upon punctuality when the Mk.III arrives: "Sorry to have kept you waiting." Meryl calls Snake during a mission while they're trying to meet up, and gunfire interrupts them much as had happened to them when Meryls radio got broken in MGS1. A gauntlet of Frogs stands between Snake's point of arrival on board Haven and his destination, recalling the gauntlet of Tengu that Snake and Raiden fought through in MGS2. After Raiden appears to intercede for Snake, water sprinkles from pipes above the Haven Frogs. This recalls an identical element that appeared during Naked Snake's fight against Volgin. The name of Ocelot's Outer Haven bears teasing similarity to Big Boss's Outer Heaven. Ocelot repeats his signature line from MGS1 and MGS3: "You're pretty good." Meryl repeats Snake's line from MGS1: "I can't protect anyone!" Corridors on Haven's deck feature nooks where Snake can avoid Frog patrols, recalling similar nooks that Snake encountered on his way toward the Tanker's Holds where he could hide from patrolling Gurlukovich soldiers. Haven's core references the graveyard where Naked Snake had saluted The Boss's tomb at the end of Operation Snake Eater. The microwave hallways sequence resembles a combination of Metal Gear 1's electric floor dash and his being on fire at the end of Metal Gear 2. Snake loses all weapons prior to his fight against Ocelot. Games in the Saga typically strip the playable character of all weapons before a final confrontation. See Snake's discarding his burning possessions at the end of Metal Gear 2, Liquid's removing Snake's equipment at the end of MGS1, Solidus's removing Raiden's equipment after the Ray fight of MGS2, and Naked Snake's losing his backpack before his showdown with Ocelot at the end of MGS3. Meryl and Johnny's shootout against Haven's frogs suggests the first firefight that Solid Snake and Meryl had shared in Shadow Moses: they're cornered, running out of ammo was a problem during that battle, and they're fighting a series of high level soldiers. (Appropriately, one of the Flashback Events during this cutscene shows Johnny in his underpants after having been knocked out by Meryl in Shadow Moses.) The Missouri's bridge suggests the Tanker's bridge. Snake stands above Ocelot as Ocelot dies, recalling Naked Snake's similar positioning over The Boss after her defeat.     Johnny's confession that he has no nanomachines, and hence was not part of the SOP, recalls Meryl's having opted out of the Genome army's rebellion. Warning sirens aboard Haven recall similar warning sirens that flooded the Big Shell before the launch of Arsenal Gear. Some of the choreography of Old Snake's and Ocelot's fight cutscene is lifted from Naked Snake's loss against the Boss (and subsequent mauling by Volgin) after his failed rescue of Sokolov in Groznyj Grad.     Ocelot nurses Snake back to full consciousness as Liquid had after Snake had been knocked into a wall from Rex's explosion. Meryl covers Snake while he moves toward Haven's core, recalling when Snake covered Raiden against Fortune when he moved toward Arsenal Gear's hull.       Camera control during the first part of Snake's fight against Liquid suggests the camera angles of MGS1. The cutscene wherein Raiden catches up with Snake features the two characters back to back, recalling similar staging of the cutscene before their fight against Arsenal Gear Tengu.         Raiden stands between an exhausted Snake and a phalanx of Frogs, recalling Olga's interference between an exhausted Raiden and a phalanx of Rays.         Snake reaffirms Raiden's moral from the end of MGS2: "You can start over, make a new beginning."         After Snake enters the microwave corridor, the camera zooms into Raiden's eye, recalling similar camera work at the end of the back-to-back cutscene immediately before Snake's and Raiden's showdown with Arsenal Gear Tengu.         The EXIST option at the Game Over screen during Snake's fight against Ocelot suggests the tweaked fail-state screen during the Tengu fight of MGS2.         Seagulls fly in the background to Snake's and Ocelot's fight, recalling their presence around the Big Shell.     << [Twin Suns]        [Miscellany] >> Scenarios