Post 2 - Methods of Development Part 1

For the second ISU post on Methods of Development, I will be examining the video game series of Metal Gear Solid (MGS). Six methods of development that apply to the video game series are

1.     Historical Reference: Throughout the 3rd instalment of the series, Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater, it is taking place during the Cold War. The main antagonists of the storyline are Russian communists, and you are an American operative trying to stop them obtaining a highly mobile missile launcher that would swing the odds of the Cold War highly in the favour of the Soviet Union. The historical reference is obviously towards the Cold War that occurred between The Soviet Union and The United States of America that happened in the span of time immediately after WWII to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The historical reference clearly helps develop the storyline for the game, and it is not limited to this game only, all other instalments have historical reference, mostly to terrorism in the middle east, but some add-on towards the Cold War reference in MGS 3: Snake Eater. 

2.     Division: The game series MGS is divided up into 4 main instalments, with some of them having small expansion games. The first game, Metal Gear Solid, begins the series by introducing the protagonist for the series, Snake, and later on in the game, Otacon. They destroy the nuke launcher Metal Gear Rex and escape the island upon which it is based, Shadow Moses. The second instalment, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, sees the introduction of a new protagonist Jack, codenamed Raiden, after Snake supposedly dies sinking a new Metal Gear. Inevitably, Raiden destroys the new Metal gear and saves the day. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, sees Snake's predecessor Big Boss A.K.A. Naked Snake stop the communists from acquiring a prototype Metal Gear. Finally, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Snake in his final days stops a huge conspiracy within the American government being controlled by an incredibly powerful group, the Patriots.

3.     Classification: The game series MGS is classified in one of it's on specified game genres, tactical espionage action. It says so right on the box. All 4 games are this supposed tactical espionage action genre, and as far as I know, no other game or series shares this classification. And the reason for this is that no other game is really like MGS. Within MGS, you can't just blindly run in guns blazing, that's a surefire way to get killed! Though some parts of the game do demand violence, most of it is sneaking and using the general video game guard's stupidity to your advantage. Stealth is your best friend in this game, a rare statement for games these days.