****ULTIMATE METAL GEAR THREAD****

[Fast Fingers]

The Metal Gear Solid Series has been really important to a lot of us on this board and it's with almost bittersweet excitement that we welcome the final game for the
legendary Solid Snake. The MGS series has been my favorite game series since the first one and I really wanted to make this thread something special. It's pretty
frickin' big but I've tried to make it as easy to navigate as possible. I designed the whole thread to be a great refresher course for those that haven’t played an MGS
game in a while or who haven't had the chance to control this crazy bastard. Enjoy the thread and if I've left out any vital information please let me know

.



Metal Gear celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. When I made the original Metal Gear back in 1987, I never dreamed that it would turn into such a long-lived series.
I've completely devoted myself to each title in the series without exception, each time saying, "This is it - the last one."

When we finish development on each game, emotions too strong for words fill my heart. Twenty years of Metal Gear have flown by. The Metal Gear Saga - the
canon story that centers upon Solid Snake - has also grown over the past seven years, culminating in Metal Gear Solid 4.

Twenty years ago, I gave the hero the codename "Snake" because I wanted to identify him with the general idea of a snake rather than with specific species like
pythons or anacondas. Snake was the player's presence in the game. I couldn't anticipate a player's personality, and I wanted to give the player freedom to express
himself as whatever type of snake he liked best. The name also fit because the player needed to infiltrate enemy territory without getting caught. A snake needs to
fight sometimes, too, so I added "Solid" to convey toughness. The name "Solid Snake" balanced each image with its opposite.

That snake has grown over the past twenty years from a 2D sprite - a symbol for the player's ego - into a full 3D character. Evolving hardware allows him to exist
in virtual space, talk to the world in multiple languages, and communicate emotions through detailed body language and facial expressions. If we think of Snake
as a real human being, we could say that he has reached the age when a boy becomes a man. His character has deepened with age. Over time, a simple snake
has become the Snake - our legendary hero.

In the beginning, none of this was planned. Fans have shared Snake's experiences over the past twenty years, and their relationship with "Snake the Legend" has
helped him grow into "Snake the Man." However, the hero we've come to love has become an old man in Metal Gear Solid 4 - Snake's final act in the Metal Gear Saga.

What destiny awaits him? That, is what I plan to reveal.



BATTLEFIELDS
Up to now, the MGS series has always been based on the concept of sneaking through enemy territory. Whether infiltrating enemy bases, terrorist-occupied buildings, or tracking
through the jungle, the setting always belonged to the enemy. But the world of MGS4 is not that simple. The difficulties Snake faces in his mission will come not from SCENEs like
jungles and fortresses, but from "situations." The battlefield is defined by an endless series of conflicts between PMCs and militias. Snake will need to think faster than ever to cope
with the constantly shifting conditions on the ground.

Snake can even join the battle if he wishes. He begins the game by sneaking onto the battlefield disguised as a militiaman. By aiding the militias in battle, he can help get rid of their
PMC opponents and make it easier to reach his goal. Instead of being at the whim of his environment, Snake can actively take advantage of the situation to further his mission objectives.

Snake may decide to support one side, or he may decide to stay out of it and try to slip through in the confusion; it's all up to the player. MGS4 combines the tension of having to make
decisions on the fly with the overwhelming sense of freedom you get from being able to play the game your way - and this, more than anything else, is what sets MGS4 apart from
previous games.

CAMERA
The camera in MGS4 has far more freedom than in previous games. The basis of the camera work is the the Third Person View introduced in MGS3: Subsistence. Viewing the action
from behind and above Snake gives the player a wide-ranging view of the battlefield. The angle and height of the camera can be freely controlled.

The player can also switch to First Person View at any time to assess the surrounding area or nail a more precise shot. The player is also able to move around in First Person View.

OCTOCAMO
OctoCamo helps camouflage Snake by copying not only the color of the surrounding terrain, but also the contours and the texture. In addition to visible light, OctoCamo traps infrared
radiation from the body and copies the background infrared of the surrounding environment, rendering Snake invisible even to the infrared cameras mounted on the unmanned Gekko.
There are also manually selectable preset camo variations, such as the rock-like Statue Camo, allowing players to choose their own patterns as well as copy their surroundings.

Give Snake two to three seconds without moving, and he immediately blends into the surroundings, taking on the textured appearance of the surface he's kneeling next to or lying on.
It's an excellent trick that innately builds upon the camouflage elements of Snake Eater and makes it much easier to evade detection by intelligent PMC troops as long as you don't
attract attention with obvious movement. Inchworming along the ground while camouflaged or rolling from one location to the other shouldn't attract much attention

METAL GEAR MK.II
Metal Gear MK.II is a small, mobile, remotely operated terminal developed by Snake's long-time comrade, Otacon. The Mk.II is equipped with stealth capabilities and is suited mainly
for scouting and reconnaissance, but it has other functions as well. It can knock opponents out with an electric shock, can carry Snake's gear for him, and serve as a communications
link with Otacon, making it an extremely reliable partner.

SOLID EYE
Another device developed by Otacon. It combines the capabilities of binoculars, night-vision goggles, and thermal goggles into one package. Moreover, the Solid Eye amplifies the
data collected from Snake's five senses and projects it onto Snake's field of vision. This function provides an integrated visual display of the "vibes" Snake gets from enemy soldiers
and machines - smells, sounds, and movements. It tells Snake where the enemy is and how stable or unstable things are in battle. It also lets Snake know how easy he is to spot.
Getting into a stable position on one knee and focusing mentally will increase the Solid Eye's precision.

ENVIRONMENTS
MGS4 is much more of an open-world affair than the previous games. While there are still specific locations that Snake will need to get to (which will constantly be indicated on
Snake's mini-map), the environments that he finds himself in will provide multiple paths to get him to his eventual destination. This provides much more flexibility in how you
fight your way through the battlefields that engulf MGS4.

FRIEND OR FOE
By choosing to fight alongside the militia, you can slowly build confidence with the warriors. This can be advantageous to you, because if you convince them of your intentions, the
resistance soldiers will provide covering fire, hand you ammunition and even provide health items that you can use to restore your flagging energy. However, this alliance can be
a fragile one, particularly if your aim is poor. Not only will your former allies turn on you if they sense something suspicious, but all of the other soldiers will immediately know if
you've betrayed their comrades, and you may need to change back into your militia gear to avoid suspicion or to better blend in with resistance groups that aren't friendly so you can
accomplish your mission.

SOLDIERS
Your enemys are much more alert this time. These troops won't merely walk along simple patrol paths. They'll actively scan environments for trouble,
communicating anything suspicious to their comrades and call in for backup, making them much more threatening than previous enemies Snake has faced.

GEKKOS
These metal monstrosities, which have dominated the previously released trailers of the game, can easily eliminate a platoon of men without showing a single scratch, and their
agility at climbing walls, leaping barricades, and firing at individuals makes them a threat in both close combat and long range situations.

FROGS
Liquid's elite personal guard known as the FROGS. Another squad of superhumanly-enhanced soldiers shown in previously released trailers, this all-female squad boasts
cybernetic suits that allow them to cling to walls and fire at their enemies (you) from any angle. Their speed and acrobatic skills help them avoid incoming fire, which
makes them even more dangerous.



OCTOCAMO
OctoCamo helps camouflage Snake by copying not only the color of the surrounding terrain, but also the contours and the texture. In addition to visible light, OctoCamo traps infrared
radiation from the body and copies the background infrared of the surrounding environment, rendering Snake invisible even to the infrared cameras mounted on the unmanned Gekko.
There are also manually selectable preset camo variations, such as the rock-like Statue Camo, allowing players to choose their own patterns as well as copy their surroundings.

Give Snake two to three seconds without moving, and he immediately blends into the surroundings, taking on the textured appearance of the surface he's kneeling next to or lying
on. It's an excellent trick that innately builds upon the camouflage elements of Snake Eater and makes it much easier to evade detection by intelligent PMC troops as long as you
don't attract attention with obvious movement. Inchworming along the ground while camouflaged or rolling from one location to the other shouldn't attract much attention

DRUM OF DEATH
You can acquire a drum can to hide from troops. Much like the classically used cardboard box, Snake can tiptoe in the metallic drum can, advancing silently into areas under cover.
The drum can isn't perfect, especially because astute soldiers can kick and overturn the barrel if they sense something out of order. However, unlike the cardboard box, which
is easily destroyed, the drum also has a few defensive uses. Its metallic shell will repel gunfire from most firearms, and players can tip it on its side and roll through enemies,
knocking them for a loop.

CQC
Snake has a whole new compliment of CQC moves, such as choking them silently along the ground.

PSYCHE/STRESS
Snake's health quickly becomes a legitimate concern in the game, and the game expertly illustrates this in subtle ways. In the heat of a shootout, you may see Snake grimace in
pain and grab his lower back -- it's a nicely nuanced animation that really humanizes our hero, but potentially deadly at the same time -- one second of hesitation can quickly
lead to a life-ending ambush. You'll have to constantly regulate Snake's condition by keeping an eye on the new Psyche and Stress gauges: Psyche reflects how Snake's mind
reacts to the battle around him (when things get too crazy, he'll have trouble aiming) while Stress combines mental and physical factors (high stress can lead to a Combat High,
a period of heightened accuracy and defense that unfortunately segues into a sluggish, post-high crash.)



THE BASICS
Like previous Metal Gear Solid games, you'll acquire pistols, machine guns, grenades and other weapons from enemy soldiers. However, there's a twist to the standard "procure
on site" method that MGS fans are accustomed to. In this world of PMCs and rebel factions, all weapons are coded to specific soldiers via their individual nanomachine codes.
If you're not that soldier and you attempt to fire their gun, you get absolutely no response whatsoever (call it the ultimate trigger lock). So how exactly do you gain useable
firearms in the game?

DREBIN
You have to have someone launder the weapon, removing this lockout feature. In Metal Gear Solid 4, this is handled via Drebin, the mysterious new character introduced
in earlier released trailers. This new shop system works rather ingeniously – every single weapon that Snake comes across is immediately translated to Drebin points,
representing its current world value in the theater of war during a given day. The more violent the conflict in the world, the more Drebin points you receive. Players can
then use these points to unlock these collected weapons for their use, or players can save their points up to purchase ammunition or items in Drebin's shop, such as
laser sights, hand grips and flashlights. These additional items can improve the accuracy or stability of a weapon, making it much better in combat. What's more, you can
even get more for your Drebin Points if you return to the shop on certain in-game "days," as Drebin will offer sales for Snake so he can get the best bang for his buck.

Fortunately, you don't have to continually backtrack to a set location to sell your collected weapons, nor do you have to constantly expose yourself to danger just to
collect a few guns from fallen soldiers. The Mark II can act as your conduit to Drebin, automatically converting any weapons into Drebin Points while saving the
ammunition for Snake.







Solid Snake was pulled away from his retirement by Roy Campbell, his old CO and the former commander of FOXHOUND. The crisis on Shadow Moses
required a man like him. Told only of the armed uprising of FOXHOUND and their leader 'Liquid Snake,' Snake was asked to be the government's weapon
to combat the insurrection and rescue hostages taken at the facility.

Neither of the corporate hostages in the facility could be saved, however, due to the FOXDIE artificial virus. Unbeknownst to Snake at the time, he was
injected with an artificial pathogen programmed to cause cardiac failure in specific targets. Snake remained immune to its effects himself. Snake meets
with Meryl Silverburgh, who aids their escape from the base prison and they discuss their differing roles as soldiers. Meryl having joined the military to
feel closer to her father, an Army officer killed in action. Ultimately he allows her to accompany him on his mission.

Snake descends into the bowels of the Shadow Moses facility defeating all of Liquids subordinates. Finally drawn into battle with Metal Gear REX, Snake
manages to disable the machine's sensors with the aid of Otacon. Gray Fox fights the Metal Gear, but is wounded and crushed by its foot. He challenges
Snake to a final fist-fight atop Metal Gear. After Snake succeeds he is reunited with Meryl Snake finally escapes the facility while Liquid collapses and dies
from the FoxDie virus. Incredulously, Snake himself is unharmed. The virus remains dormant in Snake from this point on, and will activate at some random
point in his near or distant future.

[Fast Fingers]

Raiden was, in the mid-eighties, a child soldier fighting under Solidus' command in the infamously vague 'civil war.' Somehow after the war's conclusion,
Raiden found himself alone, making a life for himself in America. Despite the atrocities he faced and learned to accept in his childhood, he made the choice to
repress his life up to that point, and try to live a 'normal' life of his own.

Raiden was always followed closely by the Patriots. They likely spotted him by extension from Solidus during the war, and monitored him from that point. His
efforts to live a simple (but empty) life were ended shortly after the incident at Shadow Moses. The Patriots recruited him to be an operative in the vein of
the now-defunct FOXHOUND. Raiden, opting to follow the opportunity, underwent his extensive 'training' for the months (perhaps years) to follow.

'Officially' an operative of FOXHOUND, Raiden was finally deployed in 2009 to deal with the crisis at the Big Shell. His mission was to neutralize the 'Sons
of Liberty' and recover a number of hostages from the facility, including the American President.

Raiden defeats Solidus, destroying 'Sons of Liberty' and in effect striking that much of a blow against his inner demons. He realizes the deceptions he has
been surrounded with, and knows that he cannot define himself through such shallow means. He leaves the fighting behind to find a life and identity of his
own, accepting his past and now his present.

The entire scenario, from Solidus to Raiden, was arranged and Orcastrated by the Patriots. The entire incident at Big Shell was meticulously planned
to parallel the events of Shadow Moses. The combination of VR combat training, and this real-and-yet-not experience were the Patriots' "S3" plan.

S3 was the concept of a hybrid of both virtual and real experiences that, properly orcastrated, could turn any Soldier into the hardened hero that Solid Snake
had become.
The only thing that kept the entire scenario from being fulfilled, and Raiden becoming a battle-hardened, now-experienced national hero akin to Solid
Snake... was the appearance of the real Solid Snake.



Introduced as the niece of Solid Snake's commander, Roy Campbell, in Metal Gear Solid, where she serves as Snake's rookie sidekick and love
interest. During the events of the game, she gets assigned to Shadow Moses, but refuses to join the rebellion led by Liquid Snake and is imprisoned. She
escapes by tricking Johnny Sasaki, a guard, to come into her holding cell and then knocking him out and taking his uniform. Soon after Snake meets up
with her, he rescues her from Psycho Mantis's mind control, but she is later shot and captured by Sniper Wolf. Her ultimate fate depends on the ending of the
game; if Solid Snake gives in under Ocelot's torture, she is found dead later in the game. In this ending, Campbell reveals that Meryl is actually his
daughter, conceived from an affair between Roy and his sister-in-law, his deceased brother's wife. If Snake resists, she escapes Shadow Moses with Snake,
after being subjected to torture and "things even worse than that", they continue to live together until the events of Sons of Liberty.

She appears in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, as the leader of a newly-reinstated FOXHOUND unit.



Dr. Hal Emmerich was introduced in the first MGS as a weapons designer working on Metal Gear REX. He was held captive in Shadow Moses Island
by Liquid Snake's FOXHOUND unit and was attacked by the Cyborg Ninja. He was then rescued by Solid Snake and Hal in turn aided him in his mission.

After Snake beats the Cyborg Ninja, Hal asks for the hero to address him by the callsign Otacon via Codec. The term "OtaCon" is derived from the
"Otaku Convention" event - a Japanese culture reference. If you're wondering why, it's because Dr. Emmerich is a big manga and anime fan. He
loved mechs as a kid and grew up with a fire in his belly for designing robots.

Otacon becomes to Snake what Q was to James Bond, dishing out all the technical advice needed to deal with some bosses. His knowledge of Metal Gear
REX's design allows Snake to deal with the monstrosity by busting its radome (with a little help from Gray Fox).

After the Shadow Moses crisis, Hal joins Snake in an organization called Philanthropy. Their group's objective is to blow the cover on Metal Gear
projects around the world in order to stop the proliferation of these weapons. In Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, the plot thickens as Otacon and
Snake tangle up with the likes of Solidus and the Patriots in their quest to prevent a new arms race between nations.

MGS2 starts with Otacon and Snake infiltrating a tanker to photograph a new type of Metal Gear being shipped by the US Marine Corps called Metal
Gear RAY. The duo succeed in their goal, but things get complicated when the tanker is hijacked by Revolver Ocelot and his Russian mercenaries.
Metal Gear RAY is stolen, and the tanker sinks, leaving Otacon and Snake thought of as dead.

One of the lighter sides of MGS2 is Otacon replacing Mei Ling as the person in charge of saving Snake's game data. He makes a desperate attempt to
provide Snake with Chinese proverbs the way the cute Mei Ling did, but he fails miserably as he ends up choking on geek-speak on most occasions.

In the second part of MGS2, Hal joins Snake again to infiltrate Big Shell in hopes of taking out the super weapon known as Arsenal Gear. He's also in
this one for a more personal reason: rescuing his estranged sister Emma Emmerich, creator of Arsenal Gear's operating system.

It's also in MGS2 that Otacon laments how Metal Gear and nuclear weapons are tied to his lineage. His grandfather was among the scientists who worked
in the world's first nuke tests while his father was born when the first nuclear weapon was detonated. He and his sister later ended up working to build some
of the most fearsome weapons known to man.

Otacon makes his way through the end of the MGS2 ordeal which came to a head in Manhattan where Raiden defeated Solidus.

He's been sporting a new look of sorts as of late, showing off an unshaven face. Character design lead Yoji Shinkawa was once quoted as saying that a
"tougher look" may help Hal's popularity a bit come MGS4's release. We'll see about that, won't we?



DR HALS MANY LADY FRIENDS
In most action film storylines, the ultra-masculine hero, like Snake, always gets to have the girls, maybe two or three depending on how macho the
story writers want him to be. The MGS series is different from the rest in this regard because the nerdy sidekick has the more adventurous history
with women than his rugged partner.

Hal's first love interest, chronologically, was his own stepmother who is Emma's biological mother. He reveals this after Vamp finishes Emma following
MGS2's sniping missions. In his grief, Hal recounts that his stepmom seduced him, causing his father to take his own life once he found out.

In Shadow Moses, Hal develops feelings towards the alluring but dangerous Sniper Wolf while in captivity. He tells Snake that she's different from the rest
of FOXHOUND because she's the only one who treated him well. After the second battle between Snake and Wolf, the FOXHOUND sharpshooter is
mortally wounded, and Snake delivers one last honor shot to her in warrior-to-warrior fashion. Hal is saddened by what happened, but he seems to
harbor no ill feelings towards Snake.

Jumping back to MGS2, Hal continues to have strange in-family emotional attachments, this time with stepsister Emma. The young programming whiz
confesses that she's had feelings for Otacon since they were kids, and she even wore glasses even if she has good eyes to emulate him. They reconcile in
Big Shell, but it's short-lived as Emma met an early demise while trying to help Snake and Raiden.

As Hal puts it, the people - particularly the women - that he grows close to often leave him in this world alone. Like always, Hal calms down, gathers himself,
wears his spectacles, and carries on. Will there be a happy ending for him in MGS4? This blogger certainly hopes so.

article credit: QJ.net

[Fast Fingers]

Shagohod
The Shagohod (Russian "step-walker", occasionally referred to in English as "The Treading Behemoth") featured in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, while
not a Metal Gear variant per se, has a similar design and role. Rather than a bipedal mecha, it is an unconventional tank, armed with an intermediate-range ballistic
missile it can propel to intercontinental ranges. Like the various Metal Gear variants, it can be crewed by a single pilot, although it has a station for a copilot.

Metal Gear D
This Metal Gear, armed with a Vulcan gun and a six-missile pod, is piloted by Gray Fox as he raids nuclear disposal sites for Zanzibar Land. Despite its formidable armament,
its legs are lightly armored; the player, as Solid Snake, must attack this weak point with grenades in a confrontation near the end of Metal Gear 2.

Metal Gear REX
designed by Dr. Hal "Otacon" Emmerich, is the model of Metal Gear that appears in Metal Gear Solid. It is characterized by a railgun which, as revealed in the game, can
deliver undetectable nuclear warheads to anywhere in the world. In addition to its railgun, REX differs from the preceding Metal Gear D in that its legs are heavily armored
and reinforced, not vulnerable like its predecessors'.

Metal Gear RAY
RAY differs from previous Metal Gears in that it is not a nuclear launch platform, but instead a weapon of conventional warfare, originally designed to hunt down and destroy
the many derivatives of Metal Gear REX that became common after the leak of the REX plans following the events of Shadow Moses. It is designed to be even more
maneuverable and flexible in deployment than the REX, and can operate both on land and in the water. While RAY has a pair of machine guns and six missile tubes to
defend itself from more conventional battlefield threats, its primary weapon is a powerful water jet cutter, which can cut through heavily-armored foes, such as Metal Gear
REX derivatives.

Gekko
Gekko (gQI, GekkO?, meaning "moonlight") is the codename of the new generation of mecha that Solid Snake must face in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
They are mass-produced unmanned bipedal units manufactured by ArmsTech Corp (the makers of Metal Gear REX), and the US military designates them by the name
"Irving"; their frequent use by PMCs has caused it to be a replacement for tanks as a means of conducting armored warfare in Urban areas. The Gekko is used particularly
by the Praying Mantis company.

Although not a literal Metal Gear, the top half of this mecha is reminiscent of the Metal Gear REX design while the organic legs are somewhat similar to that of Metal Gear
RAY. It is unmanned and uses two large cameras as its "eyes", one mounted on its head, the other at the front of its hip assembly. These are backed up by other sensors,
mostly passive. New features include a small robotic tentacle used to pick up small objects or grab targets. The Gekko is incredibly agile and maneuverable, thanks to a pair
of flexible limbs that can act as either legs or arms. It can pick up a man and throw him hard enough to penetrate a brick wall, deliver a kick that can overturn a 6x6 truck,
dodge an RPG and kill its shooter (as shown in one of the latest trailers), climb walls, crouch to enter buildings, run at speeds equivalent to a motor vehicle, and leap
huge distances through the air. This model comes in two variants. While both carry anti-personnel machine guns mounted inside the "nose", one carries heavier machine guns
and missile launchers, while the other variant is equipped only with a radar.

Similar to combat against traditional Metal Gear models, Snake will most likely need heavy firepower to actually destroy one. A quick blast with an assault rifle may cause
one to trip if shot in the legs, but they appear to be well armored and quite dexterous - the mecha can quickly regain its footing even if tipped onto its head. They make
good use of sound in psychological warfare, particularly animal noises (such as cicadas while on the prowl to create an atmosphere of unease, and a bull in direct combat for
sheer intimidation). They feature characteristics that are biomechanoid to some degree, as they have been shown to "bleed" when sliced at the legs (understandably as the
machine could use a blood-like self-repairing nanopaste like the RAY), though severe wounds on seemingly mechanical components have been known to "bleed" as
well. In addition, they expel an unknown green liquid while roaring savagely in certain situations.

In a recent interview, Metal Gear director Hideo Kojima stated that the Gekkos are not the game's titular Metal Gears, stating that they are more like a jeep or a tank
compared to the actual Metal Gear.



Metal Gear Solid 4 introduces four new bosses, who are all part of a unit named "The Beauty and The Beast Unit". The theme around these characters is how the
horrors of war have transformed a beauty, in this case a beautiful woman, into a beast, the bosses which debued in the GC 2007 Trailer. Their names are Crying Wolf,
Raging Raven, Screaming Mantis, and Laughing Octopus. Metal Gear Solid fans will quickly notice that their names are related to the names of members of the
FOXHOUND unit, and the emotions relating to members of the Cobra Unit from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. For example, Crying Wolf = The Sorrow + Sniper Wolf.

Screaming Mantis
Screaming Mantis appears to share more than a name with Psycho Mantis. Screaming Mantius can manipluate anything seemingly with her mind, much like
Psycho Mantis. In the GC 2007 trailer she is seen literally crushing a PMC soldier with her mind, holding him up with what looks like puppet strings coming from no
where. On closer inspection, she has two puppets of two previous Metal Gear Solid bosses: The Sorrow and Psycho Mantis.

Laughing Octopus
Not much is known about Laughing Octopus, other than she uses her tentacles to move and attack at the same time. In the GC 2007 trailer she is seen lifting up a
man and impaling him on one of her tentacles. Relevant or not, her tentacles resemble Solidus' from MGS2 somewhat.

Raging Raven
Raging Raven acts as their ariel support. She has wings and can swoop down on an enemy, either lifting them and dropping them or simply bombing them. She
wears a mask, presumably for an oxygen tank which looks a lot like Naked Snake's mask from MGS3.

Crying Wolf
Almost nothing is known about this character. She has a gun on her back and appears to be rather strong and agile, more than able to take down the 10 or so
soldiers she does in the GC 2007 trailer.







The story of Metal Gear, in its entirety, begins with The Boss. The Boss is a woman who, in her mid-20s, assembled a cooperative special forces unit of
american and soviet operatives in WWII that played a significant role in the allied victory (the "Cobra Unit".) Upon the start of the cold war, the Cobras were
disbanded as her loyalties remained with the United States.

The Boss trained Naked Snake ("John," "Jack," "Big Boss".) for at least a decade after WWII they were partners, and he was her last and perhaps greatest
apprentice. They were closer than allies, than friends or family. In the late fifties they parted ways, Snake no longer her fledgling but fully capable as an
independent operative.

in 1964, in the height of the cold war, The Boss defected to the soviet union, rejoining the Cobras under the ambitions of Colonel Volgin's radicalist unit. There
she gave her new hosts a pair of american-made nuclear shells, along with the return of their asylum-seeking weapons development scientist Dr Sokolov
(the obligatory scientist-in-distress of MGS3.) Unexpectedly, Volgin used one of these shells to eradicate a
soviet development site, removing evidence of his
insurrections against the soviet government and Premier Khruschev.

Naked Snake, her last disciple, was enlisted to find her and eliminate her along with the growing soviet threat she has enabled. She never expresses to him
any purposes behind her defection, only that she is 'loyal to the end.'

Only in the end do we understand her purpose. only once snake's mission is complete does he understand. The Boss's defection was, at first, an order.
She was to defect to the soviet union, specifically to Volgin's command, as a ruse by the US government.

Volgin had stolen a vast wealth from the Philosophers, the underlying force behind the US, Chinese, and Soviet governments. After the time of World War I, they
were a united force with an enormous collected wealth. by the end of WWII, their loyalties were broken and the organization lost its international cooperation. The
bulk of the 'Philosophers' Legacy' was left in independent hands in the USSR. Through some deception and numerous details, it was obtained by Colonel Volgin
and it was being used to fuel his weapons development as he planned to oust Khruschev from power in a military coup.

The Boss was the only american soldier infamous enough and useful enough to be accepted into Volgin's ranks as a defector. Under orders, she betrayed her own
nation. Her mission was to reclaim the Philosophers' Legacy for America, where the remaining group was now known as the 'Patriots.'

Naked Snake was needed as no more than a witness to her defection. It would lend credibility to her 'betrayal' of the United States, and altogether seal the deal.
The problem came when Volgin used one of the nuclear shells over russian soil.

The Russian government was in upheaval over the incident. A foreign detonation over soviet territory was an act of war. Neither Lyndon Johnson nor Nikita Khruschev
wanted the cold war to erupt into a blazing hot one. Unfortunately, the balance of power within the soviet government could not allow Khruschev to hold back hostility
simply by word. The USSR needed proof that this event was the fault of an american defector, and not directly of the US government. To keep that detonation from
being an act of war, the Boss had to die.

The Boss had a new mission. To carry out her defection to the end, and ultimately be killed by Naked Snake, her last disciple. She had to play the charade to the
end, to no-one's knowledge but her own, before finally giving her life for her country.

With her death there would be balance and deterrance. War would be averted. Her sacrifice would save the world. But it could never be known. For her sacrifice to
save america, she would go down in history as a treasonous war criminal who instigated a nuclear crisis. A monster that threatened both America and the Soviet Union
with the effects of her betrayal.

To save the world, to prove her loyalty to 'the end' that her government ordered of her, she had to die without honor. She was ordered by the United States
government to fight to the death on the side of the Soviet Union. To her own death, at Snake's hands. That was her role. She fulfilled it entirely.

The Cobras, her former unit, joined with her again upon her defection. Their loyalties were entirely to her. She knowingly had to send her friends, the disciples she
trained and fought with against the axis, to their deaths at Snake's hands. That burden was hers to bear as well, all for the sake of her loyalty to America.

She could not let Snake join her. She very well could have tested his loyalties and found him to choose her over the United States, but that wasn't the point; he had
to stay behind. He had to be the one to stand against her, to destroy her. She could not let him fail, but she could not make him succeed. She had to be defeated.
She needed to be killed by Snake, to complete her mission.

In all of Metal Gear Solid mythos, The Boss is the truest 'patriot.' The Boss makes the greatest sacrifices, even beyond the finality of her own death, for her country,
and for her loyalty to the american government. She makes no choice of her own in this; she fights for
America, loyal to the end.





At the very height of his career, he had lost all faith in the United States government. He saw that their most loyal soldier, who would give her life for their
goals, could be thrown away so easily. The Boss was scapegoated, dishonored, and murdered for the sake of the US Government, and they had led him
to do it with his own hands. The story of Snake Eater ends at her grave, as we the viewers reach these revelations at the same time the newly-christened
Big Boss does. That story ends there, but Big Boss's life truly begins at that point.

After operation Snake Eater, the experimental 'FOX' unit Naked Snake was operating under was officially organized into a US military special operations
unit. Under Big Boss's leadership, the fledgling FOXHOUND was established in 1971. The best of the best, in skills, technology and resources, FOXHOUND
was an assemblage of some of the most lethal freaks the army could muster.

Slowly assembling an enormous wealth over the following decade, somewhere in the late seventies or early eighties Big Boss began and completed an
extensive plan of subversion. By the mid-eighties, his independent military nation 'Outer Heaven' finally emerged in the southern jungles of Africa. Big
Boss had constructed his own small mercenary country, a place for disillusioned soldiers such as himself to find work in what they did best without
swearing fealty to a government that would dishonor them.

Outer Heaven was built for warriors in a world where they were slowly becoming unwanted. As olive branches spread throughout the world, the times
changed but soldiers did not. Big Boss had always been a solider. Fighting was all he was good at. His dream, manifested in Outer Heaven, was a
haven for soldiers such as himself that sought to live their lives without being the expendable property of a nation they no longer cared for.

Within its boundaries,
the first 'Metal Gear' (supposedly the first derivitive of Granin's
leaked designs from Snake Eater) began its construction.

[Fast Fingers]

To defeat Big Boss, the founder of FOXHOUND and former "Naked Snake," America sent FOXHOUND's best: the operative 'Grey Fox.' When Grey
Fox was captured in Outer Heaven, their last resort was FOXHOUND's youngest operative, Solid Snake.



Solid Snake was one of the three 'snake triplets;' near-identical clones of Big Boss created by the government's 'Les Enfants Terribles' project in 1972,
shortly after FOXHOUND's foundation.

Snake fought his way through Outer Heaven, rescuing Gray Fox and reaching Big Boss. Knowing the man only as a traitor who abandoned his unit and
his country, he fought and defeated Big Boss for the sake of his mission. Metal Gear destroyed, he returned to the United States a small hero, earning
his rightful place in
FOXHOUND.



Gray Fox, Snake's closest friend in the unit, soon left FOXHOUND. In the late nineties, he resurfaced, now the mercenary leader of a small asian nation
akin to Outer Heaven, called 'Zanzibar Land.' His actual superior in the endeavor was none other than Big Boss, still alive after the fall of Outer Heaven.
Grey Fox and Big Boss began rebuilding what Outer Heaven once had, including retstarting work on the Metal Gear project.

Unaware of these details, Snake was sent yet again to defeat Metal Gear, but in the course of his mission he had to eliminate Gray Fox, his closest
friend. He went into his mission a soldier, loyal to his country, and moreover loyal to his mission. He had no intention of failing. He reached Gray Fox and,
barehanded amidst a minefield, fought him to the death. The prize, stolen OILIX petroleum microbes and the destruction of Metal Gear, were in Snake's
hands.

Snake emerged victorious, but he knew the cost. They were friends, best friends, even in death. As men, as human beings, they were friends. As soldiers,
as men of allegiance, they were enemies. Snake had to uphold his orders and serve the united states, and Fox had chosen a different path. Fox, like Big
Boss before him, had grown disillusioned with the life he spent as a tool for politicians. He was a solider, and would always be a soldier, but he did not
want to fight for a nation he did not believe in. On his deathbed he could explain himself to Snake, but it changed nothing; Snake fought for the United
States, and Grey Fox fought for Big Boss. They were friends and enemies, and Snake was the victorious enemy over his fallen friend.

Snake pushed on, eliminating again the threat of Metal Gear and facing Big Boss for the second time. Before they fought, Big Boss made the lofty claim
that he was Snake's father; it did not weaken Snake's resolve to his mission, but the words haunted him nonetheless. He defeated and ultimately killed
Big Boss, in a grim spectacle completely mirroring Naked Snake's reluctant triumph over The Boss thirty years earlier.

Snake defeated The Boss, earning him unparalleled prestige. He had killed the greatest soldier of the time, and more than that, his closest friend. Solid
Snake had been forced to fight and kill his own closest friend, Gray Fox, and then kill Big Boss, the greatest warrior of his time... and possibly his own
father. Solid Snake, much like Naked Snake thirty years earlier, returned home both a hero... and a broken man.

Snake left the military, and retreated to Alaska, where he lived alone for years to come, happily away from war and the conflicts of choosing duty and
allegiance.

In his absence, the FOXHOUND unit found a new prodigy, and soon a new
leader, in Liquid Snake.



Liquid Snake, labelled as the 'inferior' of the two at birth, began a military career despite lacking the 'privileged' start that Solid Snake had received. He rose
through the ranks of FOXHOUND quickly and became the unit commander between 2002 and 2004. Along with a small force of 'Next Generation Special Forces'
soldiers and the rest of FOXHOUND, he staged an insurrection at the nuclear disposal facility on Shadow Moses Island in Alaska's Fox Archipelago in 2005.


Liquid's goals were not immediately made obvious, but they soon fell into place. Shadow Moses island was the site of development for Metal Gear Rex, the
most dangerous and politically unforgiveable variation of Metal Gear yet... under production by the US government. Seizing this was his primary bargaining
chip



Liquid's rebellion gave him control of the entire facility, and he was in a suitable place to make demands. His demands were simple; an exorbitant cash sum,
and the remains of Big Boss. Summarily, Liquid was well aware of his own origins. The US Government had secured Big Boss's remains after the Zanzibar Land
uprising, and continued their genetic research where they left off in the seventies; the Next-Generation Special Forces soldiers were 'genome soldiers, genetically
altered soldiers that benefited from Big Boss's 'soldier genes.' With Metal Gear Rex, Big Boss's remains, and enough funds, Liquid could fulfill his goal: the ultimate
rebirth of Outer Heaven.



Solid Snake was pulled away from his retirement by Roy Campbell, his old CO and the former commander of FOXHOUND. The crisis on Shadow Moses required
a man like him. Told only of the armed uprising of FOXHOUND and their leader 'Liquid Snake,' Snake was asked to be the government's weapon to combat the
insurrection and rescue hostages taken at the facility.

Attempting to rescue the hostages, the nature of the facility was revealed to Snake. The black project under construction in its underbelly was an unpleasant
surprise to him, but he knew what he had to do. Disabling Metal Gear, now his personal pastime, was now
a part of his mission.



Solid Snake was pulled away from his retirement by Roy Campbell, his old CO and the former commander of FOXHOUND. The crisis on Shadow Moses required a man
like him. Told only of the armed uprising of FOXHOUND and their leader 'Liquid Snake,' Snake was asked to be the government's weapon to combat the insurrection and
rescue hostages taken at the facility.

Attempting to rescue the hostages, the nature of the facility was revealed to Snake. The black project under construction in its underbelly was an unpleasant surprise to him,
but he knew what he had to do. Disabling Metal Gear, now his personal pastime, was now a part of his mission.

Reaching Metal Gear, Snake was finally face-to-face with Liquid. Liquid finally put their entire shared heritage into perspective for Snake; The 'Les Enfants Terribles' project,
their conception, the lots in life they were given. Although he knew it was a lost cause, Liquid did briefly extend a hand to Snake. "We're both warriors fighting for a world
that doesn't need us!" he told Snake. Snake wanted no part in the revival of Outer Heaven or the ensuing war that would erupt.

It was at this point no longer a matter of following a mission. The government wanted its hostages rescued, the threat neutralized, and Metal Gear Rex preserved intact.
The hostages were long dead, and Snake deemed the 'threat' and Rex to be one and the same. On foot, Snake squared off to Liquid and his Metal Gear Rex. Vastly
outmatched, Snake was saved by Gray Fox.

Gray Fox, finally within his own senses, speaks with Snake one last time before critically damaging Rex and being killed. He tells Snake, "even if the only thing I was good
at was fighting, I can be glad that I fought for what I believed in." Gray Fox's words, and his sacrifice, carry a resounding influence with Snake for the years to follow.

The score evened, Snake destroys Metal Gear Rex himself and is left one-on-one against Liquid. Nearly defeated, Snake is looking down the barrel of Liquid's rifle when
the FOXDIE virus takes effect... on Liquid.



Snake leaves Shadow Moses with Metal Gear developer Hal Emmerich ('Otacon'). Fueled by the events that have taken place, and Gray Fox's dying words, Snake
finally chooses a definite path for his life. Much as Big Boss had Outer Heaven and Liquid had footsteps to follow in, Snake took it upon himself to fight alone against
global threats, especially that of Metal Gear proliferation. Not as a soldier of a nation, or a mercenary for hire, but as a warrior of his own ethics. Accepting that
"fighting is all he was good at," Snake chooses to finally fight for what he believes in.

[Fast Fingers]

When the events of Shadow Moses drew to a close, the acts of President George Sears (Solidus) allowed everything to be exposed to the public. The
disposal facility, the Genome army, and most of all Metal Gear Rex were all revealed to the public. The greatest revelation of all was the man responsible for
averting the catastrophic results of those events.

The Patriots had not intended Shadow Moses be revealed. Solid Snake was a national hero who had narrowly averted armageddon. The Patriots never desired a
hero that was not of their own creation. A hero they made and controlled, however, could be yet another powerful influence over the nation. The S3 plan was born.

S3, the 'Solid Snake Simulation,' (or 'Selection for Societal Sanity,' see 'THE PATRIOTS' section) was to take a single impressionable soldier, use VR training to
mold together his potential, and then create a scenario that ultimately mirrors the threats and situations of Shadow Moses to put him through. With the Patriots
pulling all the strings on both sides, that soldier would be guaranteed success, but only by the narrowest margins possible. The level of challenge is just enough
to drive him to his utmost potential. In the end, he would emerge victorious amidst a frenzied and worshipping public... and he would still be under the control of
the Patriots.

The entirety of S3 was to replicate a Solid Snake, a national hero, with variables the Patriots could monitor and control. The entire concept was in place, so
the Patriots were ready to put into action as soon as they could remove one thorn from their side; the real Solid Snake.

Solid Snake and Hal 'Otacon' Emmerich went underground almost immediately after Shadow Moses. Snake and Otacon had both found what they wanted
to fight for with their lives; the eradication of Metal Gear technology for the sake of mankind. Metal Gear proliferation threatened every nation in the world.
Snake and Otacon began a series of independent operations to disable Metal Gear variations in numerous nations. Rex's technology and schematics
survived Shadow Moses, no doubt thanks to Revolver Ocelot. Dozens of Rex derivatives were operational around the globe within two years of the
incident.

Snake and Otacon's destructive actions earned them the labels of international terrorists. The label was further encouraged by the Patriots so as
to drive away Snake's status as a 'hero' icon.



Ray was being transported down the Hudson River in the holds of a false oil tanker. Snake got himself aboard and secured the evidence needed, but
before he could pull out, the unthinkable happened. A mercenary force, led by Revolver Ocelot, seized control of the tanker. Ocelot boarded Ray and
blasted his way out of the tanker, sinking it with his own allies and the marines onboard. Ocelot escaped into the ocean with Ray, leaving the wreckage
in Hudson Bay.

Snake escaped alive, however the Patriots' plan was already in motion. Footage of Snake onboard the tanker leaked out to the public. The press and
media was universally informed that, in an act of outright terrorism, Solid Snake sank a loaded oil tanker in the Hudson river bay. Snake and Otacon's
attempts to bring Metal Gear Ray to light were useless, as they were deluged by the allegations. They remained in hiding, now wanted international
criminals.



To ensure their safety, Snake and Otacon procured Liquid Snake's corpse from shadow moses and arranged for it to be 'recovered' at the tanker
site soonafter. nearly identical on a genetic level, Liquid's corpse was confirmed to be Snake, and he was officially declared dead. The record would state
that he went down with the tanker.

Alive or dead, Snake was defamed and politically neutralized, as was the Patriots' intent. He was no longer a public threat to them, so they were
free to move forward with the S3 plan; Arsenal Gear began construction under the bay, with the Big Shell built above to manage the 'cleanup' of the
tanker oil spill. Of course, there never was an actual oil spill; the Patriots replicated the effect of a small-scale crude spill and immediately put the Big
Shell into place. The Big Shell quickly became a symbol of government benevolence; it was an icon of environmental responsibility and served as
the legacy of Solid Snake's dishonor. In the following years, Snake and Otacon became fully aware of the Patriots, their intents, and the purpose
of the Big Shell.



The Big Shell and the S3 plan came to a head in approximately 2009. Raiden, under the guise of a FOXHOUND agent, inflitrated the
Big Shell to rescue the President and neutralize the 'Sons of Liberty.' At the same time, Snake and Otacon were tipped off to the situation by
an informant. Simultaneously with Raiden's infiltration, Snake surfaced from hiding and made his way through the Big Shell disguised as a Navy
SEAL. It was there that he met Raiden, an together they began to assemble the details of Solidus' plans and furthermore, the extent of the
Patriots' grip over the entire situation.

Snake's presence in the story of Sons of Liberty is that of a mythological hero; a presence which he denounces, but has rightfully earned after
Shadow Moses. He is not the player character because he is no longer the everyman. Snake is now the elite, the master, and simultaneously
a relic of a story past. He guides Raiden through his ordeals as a sort of uncompassionate mentor. Snake knows more about the situation
than he ever lets on, has a greater wealth of experience than we can comprehend at this point, and is instrumental in the revelations that follow.

With the assistance of a mysterious cyborg ninja calling itself Mr. X, Raiden locates the President, and discovers that the Big Shell is the development
facility for a new Metal Gear. Known as Arsenal Gear, it houses a powerful AI supercomputer, "GW", capable of controlling information transmitted over
the Internet. The President also claims the democratic process is a sham, and the true rulers of the United States are an organization known as
the Patriots. Revolver Ocelot kills him soon after, and Raiden proceeds to his final objective: disabling Arsenal Gear and thus halting a nuclear strike.
Pliskin, having revealed himself as the true Solid Snake, and Emma Emmerich, an Arsenal Gear engineer, assist Raiden in attempting to destroy the
"GW" AI by uploading a virus. However, the transfer is aborted partway through, and Emma dies in the ensuing attack. Snake and Raiden are left
with no choice but to disable Arsenal physically. As Snake's partner Otacon escapes with the surviving hostages by helicopter, Mr. X returns,
revealing itself to be Olga Gurlukovich, and knocks Raiden unconscious by hitting him in the back with her sword.

Awakening naked in an Arsenal torture chamber, Raiden is probed by Solidus Snake, the true terrorist leader. Solidus reveals that he once
adopted Raiden, a former child soldier, as his son during an unspecified African civil war and that Raiden is now a Patriot agent. Olga,
working as a Patriot double-agent within the Sons of Liberty, helps Raiden escape, and he locates Snake within Arsenal Gear. As they
fight through the mammoth vessel, Raiden's commanding officer begins to act extremely erratically. It becomes apparent that the "Colonel"
that Raiden has been taking orders from is actually a creation of the GW super-computer, pieced together from information about
Colonel Roy Campbell coupled with Raiden's own expectations in order to manipulate him. The erratic behavior of the simulation is
the result of the virus uploaded earlier beginning to damage GW's systems.



With Snake holding off a vengeful Fortune, Raiden is forced into battle with the battalion of 25 Metal Gear RAY units guarding the Big
Shell. Olga intervenes to protect him, but is restrained by one of Solidus' robotic tentacles. Olga explains that 2 years ago, right after giving birth
to her child, the Patriots took her away and have been holding her child hostage ever since. Olga continues to explain that the Patriots blackmailed
her, ordering her to become a double-agent and make the S3 plan a success or her child would be killed. After explaining, Solidus shoots Olga
in the head and throws her corpse out of the way. Her last words are: "Live, you have to!" The RAY units begin to malfunction, attacking each
other and Solidus as the virus tears through the GW AI's program. Arsenal begins an emergency ascent, and Snake- now restrained by Fortune,
Solidus, and Raiden are carried to the roof of the fortress as it surfaces. To Solidus' increasing rage, Ocelot reveals that he too is a Patriot
agent, the entire episode of the day was a carefully coordinated attempt to reenact the events of the Shadow Moses Incident; what Ocelot describes
as the 'S3 Plan', or Solid Snake Simulation, designed to turn Raiden into the perfect soldier. He kills Fortune and boards the prototype Metal Gear
RAY stolen from the Tanker two years previous, and attempts to finish off the survivors of the exercise. However, Liquid possesses him, and announces
his plan to hunt down the Patriots based on his host's knowledge. Setting Arsenal on a collision-course with New York, Liquid-Ocelot launches RAY
into the ocean, followed by Snake.

Arsenal comes to a halt in downtown New York, launching Raiden and Solidus onto the roof of Federal Hall. Solidus reveals to Raiden his reasons
for trying to steal Arsenal: a nuclear electro-magnetic pulse would take down Manhattan's digital infrastructure and allow Solidus to lead it as a
republic against the Patriots, a nation of "Sons of Liberty". Likewise the Patriots, via another AI contact Raiden to reveal the truth of their actions,
the AIs being programmed to becoming "digital censors", removing trite and needless information from the electronic world in what they call
"Selection for Societal Sanity", or "S3 Plan". The information fed to Ocelot was another part of this plan. However, with such a control over the
flow of digital information, they could as easily be manipulating perceived history for the Patriot's needs. Believing the only option available is
to track down the Patriots using the information in Raiden's neural implants, Solidus offers his son one final duel.

Raiden defeats Solidus, and as crowds descend upon the wreckage of Arsenal Gear, Snake and Raiden meet one last time, where his mentor
informs him that only he can choose what to believe in, and that he must pass on what he believes to be true. Having planted a tracking device
on Liquid-Ocelot's Metal Gear, he and Otacon plan to follow him, and to hunt down the Patriots, whose details were hidden in the GW computer
virus disc. As Snake disappears into the crowd, Raiden is finally reunited with Rose, on April 30, 2009 - the 220th anniversary of George
Washington's inauguration as President of the United States, and the anniversary of Rose and Raiden's first meeting.

In a brief epilogue, Otacon and Snake discuss the decoding of the virus disc, which reveals that all 12 members of the Wisemen's Committee
(the Patriots' high council) have been dead for approximately 100 years, and that one of them is a major sponsor of Philanthropy.



Death's clock ticks for the legendary Solid Snake as he is ravaged with age due to his genetic curse. However, he still has the will in him to fight his final mission.
Snake’s brother, the second clone of Big Boss, Liquid Snake lives on in the arm of Revolver Ocelot who is now entirely overwhelmed by Liquid.

Set in the near-future, war has become control. PMCs (Private Military Contractors) have build armies and forces of the likes of which could taken on even the
United States army. The 5 largest PMCs are in control of one large dummy corporation, Outer Heaven run by none other than Liquid Snake. Snake is stirred
out of retirement by Otacton and Colonel Campbell who try to convince him to fight against Liquids plans of creating perpetual war where the soldier will
never have to search for work again.

Only a clone of big boss can destroy a clone of big boss. Snake is the only one who can do it. As Campbell rightly states, Snake is “The worlds only hope”.
Snake is dispatched by the UN to an [unnamed] Middle Easter country [Perhaps Zanzibar from MGS2?] to infiltrate with a group of rebels to go up against
Outer Heaven’s PMCs. With an AK and a cloak he makes his way into the Middle East only to be greeted by a huge metal beast resembling the feared
Metal Gear. According to Konami Productions, MGS4 will tie up all the loose ends the past 20 years of Metal Gear/Solid gaming has handed to us all
in this one, and final Playstation 3 hit. Only for Playstation 3.



Thanks to BruceLeeRoy, The Chef, Evilore, Basch and m0dus

[iFraser]

Awesome, loads of info! I will no doubtedly be playing this when my bro gets it!

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