Metal Gear Scanlon: 3: Bonus Episode

Jesus Christ! I can't believe they showed the Snake fake suicide scene in the fucking trailer. Wow. I'm so glad I didn't see this before I played the game. Shit.

Never watch trailers for anything with a story.

Man I completely forgot about the bit in the 06 trailer where they show Snake about to blow off his head. Remember when Snake kills himself at the end of 4 and it was fucking amazing and the perfect end to the series? Remember? It's my understanding that it was Kojima's staff that forced Kojima to make Snake live and add the shitty tacked on ending, but man-o-man, Snake killing himself would have been such a good ending.

While MGS4 is a much more action oriented game, I can't help but feel like Drew is going to struggle a lot with the openness of many of the levels. For example, I think he's going to absolutely hate Third Son, and that final area is no joke either.

I really hate Dan's interpretation of MGS3 - it's entirely wrong. He seems to think the game is some big Bond movie and that it's supposed to be super patriotic. The entire game is an indictment of blind patriotism. With the fight with the Boss and EVA's reveal, yah it's touching that she's super patriotic, but the real sad part is how much America fucks her over. Snake doesn't shake hands with the CIA man because he's cool, he does it because he basically hates America at his point and is tremendously disillusioned with even the basic concept of "nationality." You see how much this powerful figure gives to her country and her "duty," and then you see how they fuck her over. Snake becomes the hero to the public while the Boss becomes the villain, while the player knows it might as well be the other way around. Just because EVA reveals that the Boss was sticking to her mission and duty, doesn't mean that her speech to Snake was a lie: "In the 21st century everyone will be able to see that we are all just inhabitants of a little celestial body called Earth." Boss wants to see the end of myopic love of borders and governments. That's how the rest of the MGS story gets started in the retconned canon of MGS4, PW, and now PP - The Boss' will of "fuck countries" gets interpreted in two different ways. Zero makes the Patriots to unite the world under one government, while Big Boss basically wants a world ruled by military anarchy "But we refuse to live our lives at the whim of the state." In reality, The Boss just wants the world to be at peace, and for soldiers to fight for the entire world in a philanthropic manner (the way Snake and Otacon do in MGS4.)

All of the MGS games are meta as fuck, and while the message in MGS3 is a little less complex than both MGS2 and MGS4, it's still pretty interesting. But yah, there's nothing patriotic about MGS3.

@billymaysrip: Yeah, Dans reading of MGS3's story struck me as a bit tragic!

@billymaysrip: I mean, this is Dan, who legitimately thinks Apollo Creed is a cool role model, as opposed to a showboating vain asshole. Also, are you at all surprised that Dan got that super patriotic reading from MGS3's ending, given how many American-flag-themed pieces of clothing Dan owns and wears?

Also, in Dan's defense, the ending of MGS3 doesn't have a ton of tipoffs that Big Boss doesn't give a shit about being a patriot, aside from blowing off the handshake. It's not until the PSP games and onward that it becomes abundantly clear that Big Boss did not see The Boss' death as this noble patriotic sacrifice.

So to be fair I'm only half-listening when Dan tries to explain the message and themes of the games but this can't actually be true, right? MGS3 subverts Bond and action movie tropes all over the damn place. I honestly find it hard to believe that anyone, even Dan, could have missed every cue.

@bisonhero: Nothing I wrote indicated that I was surprised of Dan's opinion, but that I have a strong dislike for it! Dan's view is rather simplistic, and doesn't give the game the depth of insight that it deserves. I'm not attacking Dan in any way, as it's a mistake many people make in regards to this game. I typed into google "MGS4 patriotism" and some goober had written an article listing MGS4 as the most patriotic game on the PS3. So Dan's not the worst offender out there, at least!

I'm so excited to watch them play MGS4. One of my favourite games of all time.

@billymaysrip said:

I really want to read someone's super patriotic interpretation of MGS2.

I don't think Gray Fox has a grave. I think most people believe that it is BB's grave that he salutes but you're right that there isn't definitive proof of that in the game. It does tie into a later cutscene (won't elaborate to avoid spoiling) which is the main reason I think it would be BB. The idea that it would be The Boss makes no sense; not sure where Dan came up with that.

@dudeglove said:

It's OK, it's like a lot of the SNL movies in that it's fine as a short sketch, but doesn't really hold up when blown up to a full movie.

I'm currently replaying 4 and I'm so excited for Drew to play it... It's not only a great game, but massively referential to the previous games, so I'm glad he played those first.

I couldn't wait for Dan and Drew to play MGS4 so I started watching the Chip and Ironicus LP for it. Umm Then this happened:

War may have changed, but Metal Gear remains the same. I really hope Dan tells Drew about the slow "crawl."

@d_w: I'm sure at some point Drew will move the stick slowly whilst crawling and he'll see that...animation on his own.

Great way to wrap up MGScanlon 3, looking forward to MGS4 now!

It's Metal Gear, I ain't gotta explain shit!

Someone needs the challenge Dan on his reading of MGS3. Talk about myopically misinterpreting a story!

@acornactivist:

Do-ho-ho just wait till you see how it all wraps up in MGS4. I have friends who were afraid for them making any more Metal Gear after 4 because it ended so perfectly and neatly.

It's better than the depths that SNL movies have gotten to. But it's not a good movie by any means.

@billymaysrip: Dan usually almost always only sees what he wants to see.

I can't wait until they play MGS4, it's the only Metal Gear game I've finished and I love it. Tempted to play it again, haven't touched it since release

"Metal Gear Sigint" may be one of the funniest MGS things I had never seen.

Is Dan even aware that Peace Walker exists?

From the way he says MGS3 goes right into MGS5, it sounds like he has never played Peace Walker and has no idea what happens in it. :(

I can understand stopping Metal Gear Scanlon after 4, but I'm bummed out by the fact these guys who enjoy Metal Gear may never experience these other good Metal Gear games even if it would only be at their own leisure. MGS Peace Walker is good, and MGR Revengeance is an exceptional, roller coaster of cyborg ninjas and Metal Gear madness.

Man, that bit where they have Raiden chasing after Snake in an old Metal Gear is amazing. I hope Kojima makes some thing new and great!

@billymaysrip: Maybe @danryckert should spend some time going over the Metal Gear wiki.

Awww they didn't watch my favourite, the one with The End.

They didn't even watch them all. What am I paying them for?!

TIME PARADOX

@jzzb said:

The grave next to the one Snake's at is The Boss's grave, "In memory of a patriot who saved the world." Presumably Big Boss would have asked to be buried beside her.

Thanks for this extra episode, great stuff! Looking forward to the next Metal Gear Scanlon!

Do GB videos keep getting quieter?
Videos should always be too loud, it's easier to turn things down than up, my system volume is at 90%.

I know Big Boss doesn't see it as a patriotic sacrifice, but I do. Big Boss turns into a damn villain, so I'm sticking with Team Boss/USA.

@danryckert seeing both of your reactions to these were great, although I wish you contacted Sigint when Drew had the Patriot equipped and Boss when the tuxedo is equipped. Maybe now is the great time to show drew the MGS 3 Best codec moments vidoes? I'm sure both of you would laugh at some of the great codecs

Fair enough! We'll agree to disagree.

Wow, the Meryl in that first trailer looks waaaaay girlier and way more anime than she does in the final game.

Did they not watch the battling for the chair video and solid fisher? xD

Played through 4 this weekend and ended up laughing thinking about how Drew will react to stuff. MGScanlon have rendered me hype for MGSV

@xel: He's aware, and I bet he played it. But he's just not 100% on them doing it for the series.

That's kind of a strange MGS4 trailer, the FPS one was so much better.

Man, I must have seen that trailer for MGS4 close to 50 times. I love this game, I wonder if it holds up for me as I watch Drew fumble through it.

TIME PARADOX

Never noticed the outfit Solid Snake wears in the teaser trailer for MGS4 is pretty much the outfit Big Boss has on in Ground Zero.

@strikerrr: I was thinking the same exact thing! That trailer is such a great bait and switch. We should tell Dan to show it to Drew just for fun.

Both Snake and Raiden sounds pretty manly in Japanese.

Don't keep me waiting!