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Kojima On MGS4: “We Didn’t Do All I Wanted To Do”

If you hadn't already guessed, Hideo Kojima is a perfectionist. His ambition is endless and his goals are sky-high.

So even when he creates a masterpiece in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots , he still looks back with a critical eye and goes, "well, we could've done some things better."

In speaking to OPM UK , the MGS guru said that although it may sound strange, he didn't achieve everything he wanted to achieve with the fourth installment. Said Kojima:

"One of the things I wanted to do was not just show pretty graphics, but represent things that you normally can’t see. So for example, if you burn something and the chemicals affect other things, or if water spills on the grass then at some point maybe a flower would grow and pop out of it. Things that normally haven’t been shown before in a game."

Some people will say the storytelling was actually one of the game's downfalls, in that it felt too much like a movie. Kojima is well aware of this accusation and added his own reflection on the subject:

"I feel that maybe I didn’t accomplish all that I set out to do at the start of the game. Looking back at it, we pushed the graphics rather than some of the other things we wanted to do. From that perspective it became like a movie-game – it has that reputation of being like a movie in the form of a game. So that’s where it came from – maybe it was a bit of a misstep, and I could reprioritise things moving forward. That’s something I learned from 4."

We certainly agree that more can be done to refine the plot and character development in future entries, and we still say he doesn't know when to end a scene. But even so, we will always maintain that MGS4 was indeed a revolution and a revelation .

Related Game(s): Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

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Excelsior1
Excelsior1
12 years ago

I could not agree more about Kojima not knowing when to end a scene. MGS4 would have greatly benefited from having a decent editor. A couple of more chapters would have been great as well. There is not a whole lot of game there when you strip out the cutscenes. I have completed the game in around 4-5 hrs in my repeated playthroughs…sometimes even under 4hrs. Don't get me wrong, what is there is great but I wish there was more of an actual game found underneath all the the cutscenes.

I think MGS3 remains the best game in the series. It struck me as a more ambitous game as well because of its rich settings. The level of detail found in the jungles is pretty amazing. The only thing that holds MGS3 back is the lack of modern controls. It would have greatly benifted from having the over the shoulder mechanic found in MGS4 and Peace Walker. I have really found myself battling the controls when playing MGS3 HD for some reason.

As for water spilling leading to a flower growing…I don't think Hideo should be losing any sleep over that element not being part of MGS4. Trophies are a another matter though.

Jawknee
Jawknee
12 years ago

MGS4 was hailed by almost everyone as perfect. I'm playing MGS3 again now. It's a good game but the controls suck and it has waaaay to much cheese. Plus fiddling with the menu everytime you need to change your camo and hunting for jungle animals to eat to keep your stamina up gets tedious and old.


Last edited by Jawknee on 12/29/2011 10:26:03 PM

Clamedeus
Clamedeus
12 years ago

I didn't mind the cutscenes, I actually enjoyed watching them while playing. I liked MGS4 more than I did MGS3, I like how they did everything in 4, more refined, and the ending was really good.

Qubex
Qubex
12 years ago

Jawk, I still need to purchase MGS4 for my collection.

I hope it will be around so I can purchase it sometime in 2012!

Q!

"play.experience.enjoy"

Jawknee
Jawknee
12 years ago

You should pick it up ASAP. It's cheap now.

Vivi_Gamer
Vivi_Gamer
12 years ago

Oh you must play MGS4 if you have a PS3 its essential. I intend to replay it along with the whole series in chronological order once I get the MGSHD collection in feb.. (After I have come out from Hibernation with Final Fantasy XIII-2…) really cannot wait.

maxpontiac
maxpontiac
12 years ago

If MGS5 goes multiplatform, he might as well give up on "perfection"…

Jawknee
Jawknee
12 years ago

Indeed.

johnld
johnld
12 years ago

or it could be the one game that crashes all xbox 360s when the game is put in.

Vivi_Gamer
Vivi_Gamer
12 years ago

If MGS5 even happens he can give up on perfection. MGS4's conclusion is perfect, nothing and I mean NOTHING can come after that.

Metal Head
Metal Head
12 years ago

I love the story and have no complains for the never ending cutscenes. this is the type of game that I wanted since I was 4 years old. Indeed it needed more gameplay, but everytime I replay the game I discovered different elements in the game that I didn't see before. I bought a 1080p tv just to play this game in its full glory. Of course Kojima will never be sastified, he will keep on innovating and challeging what everyone expects from a game.

Jawknee
Jawknee
12 years ago

He's said this before which gave me hope that MGS5 would stay exclusive. However these new comments about focusing too much on graphics makes me worry. He can do both, just keep it PS4 exclusive.

ValentinoGB
ValentinoGB
12 years ago

Still waiting on the trophy update…

cLoudou
cLoudou
12 years ago

Me too I guess. I need a reason to revisit it.

tridon
tridon
12 years ago

I guess you'll be waiting a while.

TheCanadianGuy
TheCanadianGuy
12 years ago

just reading this makes me wanna take a fifth run though it xD

Twistedfloyd
Twistedfloyd
12 years ago

MGS4 is unparalleled this generation. I do feel that at times some of the cutscenes run a bit too long, but at the same time, 95% of them are SO WELL DONE from a cinematic and character perspective. They hit an emotional core that only David Cage can come close to matching.

And the gameplay is very diverse and amazing. That's the reason I loved it, was that it was a true interactive experience. All MGS games are, but MGS4 more than any definitely was.

Jawknee
Jawknee
12 years ago

The only cut scenes that felt long I me were the briefings before each new act. Other than that I didn't notice.

___________
___________
12 years ago

sometimes thats a good thing, like him wanting to kill off snake.
yea, i can only imagine how well that would of gone down with the fans!
i can understand hes desire to move onto something else, but come on killing off one of the most popular game characters?
you would have a better chance of survival peeing on the pope!

Vivi_Gamer
Vivi_Gamer
12 years ago

I have no problem with the cutscenes really but the gameplay while good seems short, I just didn't get the same vibe from them, probaly becasue with each chapter we went to a new location while in previous metal gears we'd be stuck in one massive area for the entier game. It gave the enviroment time to grow on you. There areas in MGS4 did not feel as Icon as Shadow Moses (Yes I am aware of chapter 4, probaly the best one in the game.), the plant or the jungle.

That's the only explanation I can think of, I just dont find the game fun to replay. Other than that I don't know why. Because I still replay MGS1-2 far more.

Mamills
Mamills
12 years ago

lol, i agree he didnt get to do evrything.

lol, gotta love being in creative fields, anyone who isnt in it are wowed by anything u do but to other creatives, you can always do better.

kojima, did well but u can always push it i say.
and well, im sure he'll do more on the next time around

thus the importance of deadlines. (Although we hate em)

Amnesiac
Amnesiac
12 years ago

I feel he is being a tad over critical, when would you possibly be going back to some area to see that flower grow? After the chapter ends how often can you backtrack? I don't have too many complaints about MGS4 even if I did I don't remember any of them. well maybe one VAMP he sucks I never did like his character.
MGS3 will always be my favorite. Story hands down is the best in the series.

tridon
tridon
12 years ago

MGS4 is my favourite game of ALL time (it took a long time for something to top the first MGS as my fav). I LOVED the movie-feel of it all. The cut-scenes; I enjoyed the hell out of them. The character development; found absolutely nothing wrong with it. I have never felt as emotionally involved in a game than I did with the fourth MGS. It's sad that the naysayers are making Kojima doubt the greatness that he developed. Maybe I'm just in the minority, but MGS4 is, to me, the perfect game. I wouldn't change a thing.

SolidFantasy
SolidFantasy
12 years ago

I thought the cut scenes were just fine the way they were. I would hope that Kojima wouldn't ever skimp on them if there were another MGS.

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