Metal Gear Survivewas far from a successful game for Konami, giving players every possible reason in the book to be done with the franchise. Not only did it release shortly after the company’s poor treatment of industry icon Hideo Kojima, butMetal Gear Survivewas panned by criticsfor its poor story, bad AI, and misuse of theMetal Gearname. Worse yet, the release ofMetal Gear Survivehas all but likely ensured that a properMetal Gear Solid 6will never happen.
While a few fans would surely be happy to see anotherMetal Gear Solidgame, even afterMetal Gear Survive, many more would likely be against the idea. Not only would Hideo Kojima not be involved with aMetal Gear Solid 6, despite building the franchise from the ground up, butMetal GearSurvive’s disastrous launch has almost dissolved every hope fans may have had regarding anotherMetal Gear Solid 6game. If a properMGS 6never happens, players can point a big portion of the blame directly atMetal Gear Survive.
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Metal Gear Survive: A Failed Attempt At Re-igniting The MGS Spark
Virtually everything has been said over the last several years regardingHideo Kojima’s departure from Konami, but back whenMetal Gear Survivefirst released, Konami had the chance to prove the franchise could survive without its iconic creator. Instead,Metal Gear Surviveshowed how crucial Kojima was to theMetal Gearmachine, as players received a generic survival game in place of the incredible, tactical shooter gameplay theMetal Gear Solidseries is known for. WhileMetal Gear Rising Revengeancewas able to succeed despite breaking from the stealthy mold of the main series,Metal Gear Survivecrumbled under the pressure almost instantly.
The poorly reviewedMetal Gear Survivewas viewed instantly as the worst entry in the series, stripping away virtually everything that madeMetal Gearwhat it was and instantly becoming one of2018’s most disappointing games. With an incredibly bland story and Snake nowhere to be seen, the game struggled to maintain interest from the moment it was announced. With a beta confirming player fears and a full release showing that no major adjustments had been made, the game flopped, with mostMetal Gearplayers showing no interest in fighting the zombified enemies.
Metal Gear Survivewas a misfire in every sense of the word. Konami proved every doubter right with the release of the game, as not only did it lack the polish and storytelling of a Kojima title, but it felt like a different series entirely. Rather than soldiers and iconic bosses like Psycho Mantis, players fought “wanderers,” crystallized husks that would fit well within any budget Zombie story. Further, players entering through portals into a world called Dite could not be any lessMetal Gear-like, and incredibly offensive microtransactions thatchargedMetal Gear Surviveplayers for save filessealed the game’s fate.Metal Gearin name only,Metal Gear Survivecould very well have been the dying breath of one of gaming’s most legendary video game franchises.
Metal Gear Solid 6: A Lost Cause, And That May Be For The Best
WithMetal Gear Survivebeing a betrayal of the core values that make up anMGStitle, it is no surprise that aMetal Gear Solid 6seems unlikely. WhileKonami certainly could makeMGS 6, it should probably just avoid it, as fans would be hard to impress after everything that happened with the series after the release ofMetal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Not only would Konami have to deal with outcry from Kojima loyalists, who would be quick to point out all the flaws and missing touches in a hypotheticalMetal Gear Solid 6, but anyone who playedMetal Gear Survivewould surely fear history repeating itself inMetal Gear Solid 6. Konami would be hard-pressed to regain the trust of fans, and even if the company managed to make a decentMetal Gearon its own,MGS 6could not live up to its predecessors.
However, not only hasMetal Gear Survivemade many fans fearful of a potentialMetal Gear Solid 6, but it has likely made Konami itself less interested in such a prospect. After all,Metal Gear Survivedid not just bring in bad reviews, but it also fared poorly commercially as well.Metal Gear Survivedid not sell wellwhatsoever, with a low number of players purchasing theMetal Gearspinoff — and even fewer buying into the game’s microtransactions.
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Metal Gear Solid Remakes: The Final Hope For The Series
Sadly, fans will likely never see a properMetal Gear Solid 6. The game could have served as a thrilling re-telling of the first twoMetal Geargames, seeing Big Boss and Solid Snake collide in an epic confrontation on modern consoles. Instead, it will likely never come to be, withMetal Gear Survivebeing the straw that broke the camel’s back. Still,Metal Gear Solidfans and Konami alike have one final hope for newMetal Gear Solidcontent, and it may be evenbetter thanMetal Gear Solid 6. Going forward, Konami should focus on remakes of the originalMetal Gear Solidgames.
Not only would remakes be the perfect way to keep fans happy, but modern versions of classicMetal Geargames will ensure steady sales for Konami. With none of the gameplay changes or intrusions likeMetal Gear Survivehad, and no risk of going against Kojima’s vision, Konami could please everyone by releasing prettier versions of the influential titles. By looking to Bluepoint’s remakes ofShadow of the ColossusandDemon’s Souls, the visually updatedMetal Geargames could maintain the feel of the original titles while looking more gorgeous than ever. WithMGS 3’s cutscenes already remadedue to a controversial pachinko machine, work has already been done for the potential remakes. WhileMetal Gear Survivemay have been a nail in the coffin forMGS 6, it does not need to mark the end for the entireMetal Gear Solidfranchise.
Metal Gear Surviveis now available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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