I think that Raiden's character changed over the course of the series in a way that at least to me has logic behind it. Since MGS4 I figured that Raiden was a mess as a person, unlike Solid Snake who, even if he went through very similar experiences as Raiden he never "lost his cool", he was always relatively calm for someone going through such horrible experiences. But Raiden was destroyed in MGS4, even after getting a "happy ending" in MGS2. In MGS4 I saw a Raiden that was incapable of forgetting his past, a Raiden that wanted to die, but kept on fighting due to the feeeling that he owed Snake something. At the end of MGS4 when Raiden finally got his "true Happy ending" I thought to myself: "Well I guess that makes sense, even if this already happened in MGS2". After playing MGS4 I was uncertain about the fate of most of the characters. I had an idea about what could happen to them, but really it was just my own headcanon, as I imagine a lot of people had some ideas of their own. Then MGR came out and, from a story perspective, after I played it I though it could be defined as a "Platinum Games plot with a Metal Gear theme". I thought it was OK, it wasn't a really good story, but it served its purpose. Some things didn't make sense, but I found nothing major that bothered me. There was one plot point that I thought made sense though, and that was Raiden's development. I was surprised when I heard Raiden saying that he was a hero that fought for justice ( or something like that) and that he killed just to protect the weak, it sounded corny but in the end I think it was meant to be taken that way. After Raiden reveals that he takes pleasure in the killing of other people, I thought that was unexpected but... It made sense. Why would Raiden give up a happy family, a normal life, to go back to being a bodyguard, someone who kills people? Because deep inside he liked that. He was conditioned to feel good after killing someone since he was a child, he was thought that killing was a solution to problems. And he could never leave that behind, unlike other people who lived similar lives and moved on, he just couldn't. Raiden is weak as a person, he has been scarred in a way taht can't be healed. Raiden once thought he could forget about his past, and live a normal life in USA, but he was reminded of it in MGS2. After accepting who he really was it seemed that he was ready to keep on living with Rose in a life without lies. But he couldn't. He was violent with Rose, he couldn't actually live knowing his past, so he separated from her and the idea of a normal life. At the end of MGS4 it seems taht Raiden is finally sure that he is ready to be happy, but he can't stop thinking about his past, he keeps getting this feeling that he needs to be doing something else, but he really has nothing else to do after the Patriots have been destroyed. So he becomes a bodyguard, he wants to believe that, just like his son told him, he was a hero, someone who could change the world, but it's just a justification to keep fighting, he craves the feeling of pain. But does this mean that Raiden JUST fights for pleasure? I don't think so. I think that Raiden has an ideology, and it's exactly what he says, he wants to protect the weak. Solid Snake also had ideologies, and he fought for them, even if it meant killing other people, he didn't like doing it, but he thought it was necessary, in a lot of ways to Snake the end justifies the means. And Raiden thinks that as well, but he also thinks that " the means justify themeslves". Raiden fights beacuse he likes it, but he also fights because he has his own ideals and goals. I think that in MGR Raiden stops lying to himself, he acknowledges that he can't forget his past and he can't leave it behind eaither, but that doesn't mean he has to stop being who he is right now. Raiden has friends and a family, and he loves them, but he also needs to keep killing people. He embraces that feeling, That doesn't mean he will randomly start killing anyone near him, it means that Raiden will always be on the battlefield, because he incapable of living without it, he has found a balance between his personal life and the inhuman pleasure he has. But even if in MGR Sunny and others say that Raiden is a "hero", I don't think he is, and I think the game also tries to show you why he isn't a hero at all but rather just a psychopath. When Raiden kills Armostrong and, while dying, he gives Raiden a final advice, we see ( a no subtle at all, just like the rest of this game) an image implying that Raiden is just like Armstrong, a monster. At least to me MGR ending wasn't a "good ending", it implied that Raiden will forever be a sick person, he will keep on killing bad guys, and even if other people call him a hero, I'm sure that (unlike the beggining of the game) Raiden won't say that he does what he does for justice ever again, beacuse he knows that's a lie. I mean, I don't really know how things "actually" are, but that's my subjective point of view, I don't think I could claim it's truth or someting. And as a final commentary ( sorry for making it that long if you read it at all...), I personally felt barely related to the characters in the MGS games, when I played them the first time and witnessed the story of each game in a superficial way I didn't felt related, when I did several "in depht" playthorughs afterwards, acknowledging what the writers really meant with the story, I still didn't feel identified with the characters or the story. But that never stopped me from loving and appreciating them for what they were, I guess everyone experiences things differently, huh?
This whole thing you made makes me feel better about Raiden. After this video I honestly felt crushed knowing that my favorite Metal Gear characters entire story was tossed aside in MGR. However this doesn't mean I don't consider this canon in the Metal Gear timeline, after this video I still felt that way even if I was upset to accept what Raiden has become. But this theory changed my mind entirely. So thanks for this man.
Personally I think "Jack the Ripper" could have been handled bit better. I felt it was bit on the nose with Raiden going "The Pain! This is why I fight" It could have been some interesting conflict between him loving his family and his dark past.
GoatJesus Thank you! Oh wow, and thanks for commenting. Your channel looks *packed* with interesting videos! ruclips.net/video/AJ1z5c8ywWs/видео.html I'm Subscribing on my private channel.
Solid Kenny Only if you're a weeb and like Evangelion. Lol. Though I have to say, there are remarkable similarities between Anno's style of story-telling and Kojima's. I feel like there was some influence (just based on Kojima's evangelion T-shirt alone.)
GoatJesus "Only if you're a weeb" I am! Kojima got me interested in Japanese entertainment. "and like Evangelion." I do! That show was the biggest mindfuck since I first played MGS2, and I loved it for it. But I haven't really dug that deeply into the show yet, which is a shame because of how much there is to unravel (especially when it comes to psychology, which I'm super interested in. I'm making it my major in college.)
+Solid Kenny Cool!~ I minored in psychology. Very neat stuff. I especially loved taking abnormal psychology (so I recommend that if you have a chance to take it.) The video I currently have on the psychology of Eva is pretty basic stuff, but my Shinji video has a bit more in the way of detailed allusions to personality disorders within the show. I should get around to making a proper video about it sometime. Anyway, keep up the great content. I think it was a great idea to clear up Rose's position in these games and reiterate the importance of Raiden's character and the themes of MGS2 in contrast to Rising. I think Rising as a game is a fun one to play, but it could have been so much more than an escapist romp. Using characters that symbolize something for something as kitschy as Rising is a devastating thing to do. You demonstrated that clearly and I *completely* understand what that's like... *looks over at 2.22* Incidentally, have you seen Twin Perfect's videos? They're on Silent Hill. Really great video series if you can get passed the team's own self inflicted drama.
+GoatJesus I watched your videos on why Rebuild Sucks. Very awesome stuff! I never really saw the Rebuild films as anything other than really beautiful eye-candy/naked Asuka fan-service in 2.22. I hope the original series + End of Eva gets a Blu-Ray release by FUNimation, so that newer anime fans aren't stuck with Rebuild. Also, sadly I haven't really played the Silent Hill series yet (only finished the first game. I never finished 2, even though I want to), but I'll be sure to watch Twin Perfect's videos once I finally get into those games! So far my Psychology class has been incredibly fascinating! My favorite was reading about the experiment on reaction times of voluntary actions. A teacher had a student press a button when touched. He touched them on the thigh, then the toe. The students reacted quicker when touched on the thigh, because the thigh is closer to the brain than the toe, so the nerve signals don't have to travel as far. This shows that the mind isn't some mystical thing that is beyond the scope of science (like Descartes argued.) I find this stuff incredibly interesting because I was born with aspergers, but didn't find out until last April (sooooo many things about myself started to make sense.) So I want to understand how my brain works, so that I'm not as susceptible to involuntary impulses.
The way I see it for Raiden in Rising is the same reason why many veterans, especially those who were really good in infantry and those in Special Forces decide to work for PMCs. Raiden/veterans love the adrenaline rush that combat provides. Plus like Raiden said in Rising, "I learned young that killing your enemies felt good, really good," many vets even though they rather not talk about those they killed, there's still that satisfaction of killing a bad and dangerous person so your teammates and innocent people can live. That's what I think Raiden feels is the enjoyment of that adrenaline rush of combat and being able to kill bad people, especially since Desparado is trying to do the same thing that was done to him on other kids. There really isn't any grey line when it comes to killing bad people that truly deserve to die, that's like saying there's a grey line with killing Joker or Osama bin Laden, it's simple as this. The longer these bad people live, more innocent people will die, you kill said bad people, innocent people live. I'd like to think he only embraces the ripper when it comes to fighting bad people. He's grown up and knows who to target in order to get the job done and save lives. A more focused Jack the Ripper should I say Plus many veterans at times would prefer to be overseas doing work with their teams rather than be home with their families, it's a horrible thing but at the same time I don't blame them. To people like Raiden and veterans, they don't belong in the civilian world, hence why Raiden probably didn't find a job outside of PMCs
I disagree with Kojima on this one. In MGS Rising, Raiden starts off doing what he does to support his family as a bodyguard so to speak. But then continues his mission when he discovers a military organization making child soldiers by harvesting their organs and placing their brains into cyborg bodies. He did the right thing because he couldn't bare the thought of other children going through what he went through. He essentially took Snakes advice when he said "Find something to believe in and find it for yourself. And when you do, pass it onto the future."
this video is very well done i liked watching the entire series. about MGR raiden personally i believe raiden just ended up accepting himself entirely when he becomes jack the ripper. he’s a child soldier who was conditioned to be a killing machine. rewarded for killing, punished for not. he protects the weak because he was weak when he was a child soldier. he needed to kill or be killed. the feeling of helplessness,he can empathize with that. he kills the bad guys who would force children to become child soldiers. he wants to prevent more jack the rippers from being born.the kind of people who grow up rejecting their past always living in mental anguish, suffering from night terrors, PTSD, etc. MGRR (I think) for Raiden is ultimately a journey of accepting who he is, fully embracing that side of him that he so desperately wanted to forget or to deny and working with himself to create a balance that would satisfy his jack the ripper personality and his familial duties. from a gameplay perspective once ripper mode is available we get a power boost from it. i think drilling into the players head that accepting the good and bad parts of yourself empowers you. jack the ripper mode is activated by turning off raidens pain inhibitors, he needs to feel pain to become jack the ripper so when he inflicts pain onto his enemies hes sharing the pain with them. which is totally inline with raidens personality. and also since we can activate and deactivate jack the ripper mode at anytime shows the control that he has attained from accepting his terrible past self. which would also explain why raiden does soo during that cutscene with sunny and the mech dog. overall i think MGRR raiden is pretty much the same raiden from MGS. he carved his own path, his own life. he maybe doing that same thing he did before, but now, he has the freedom of choice he never had before.
Standing ovation, sir. You've done a great thing putting together and releasing these videos. Metal Gear really necessitates deep analysis to fully comprehend and appreciate, and the more content like this that comes out, the better off the fans and the series itself are - the fans for having a new understanding of the series, and the series itself for having something important to keep in mind when they make new games in the series after Kojima leaves Konami post-Phantom Pain.
I just enjoyed playing Metal Gear Rising. But after watching this analysis (curious about Rose and Jack's backstory, and yeah I haven't played any of the previous Metal Gear games), I felt terrible playing it, lore-wise, at least. Makes me wanna play more of the previous Metal Gear games. This analysis series is really worth watching.
Borel Carvalho Thanks! I have an idea for one more video/video series, but it'll be long after TPP is out, and it'll depend on if I can balance it with work, college, and other things.
I think what Raiden means by choice was that he continues to choose to fight, a choice that the kids can't make. He wants to stop the cycle that made him even if it means embracing the man he was forced to become.
i believe the line "in America my friends and family,they helped me to forget devil inside" was calling to the family who adopted him during his childhood, not to Rose and little Jhon anyway ,video was amazing,good job
What a wonderful series of videos. I've been looking for something like this. ideos with less views than yours show up on the search bar. There are great MGS fAn videos out there, like MAtthewmatosis, Superbunny hop, Ruminator, etc. And they deserve to show up in the search bar, but so does this. I'm happy I found meta gear's website. I suggest you do some proper updating on your tags, search terms, video titles etc. so more people can watch it. Im sure if I was looking for a long time to find something like this, then there must be other people who wont ever find these vids. Anyways, great work, you did the series justice.
thanks for the video i enjoyed it. i love all the MGS series. kojima always had some kind of hidden messages in his games that make you think subconsciously. in mg2 i wasnt upset to see who jack was i just wanted to finish the game because the story was great. but at the end with when he threw the dog tags we controlled his every move..jack wanted to change his life. but he never did he wanted to go back to killing just as the fans demanded more blood. guess sadly people would rather live in a fantasy then take responsibility in there own life. i feel you kojima. thanks again for the insight.
This is a strange series. My reaction after seeing the first video and realizing the series would be 3 videos long was: "but I already know everything I'd ever need to know!". But everytime you managed to captivate me to the end! Great videos. I've definitely always been kind of disappointed that most fans don't appreciate MGS2 or Rose / Jack enough. Edit: I also really love the way you did quotations with sources and everything. Looks sleek.
VictorsMod I'm relieved to hear that each part "captivated" you! tbh I was worried that these videos might've overstayed their welcome with the second video, and especially this third one, since I'm trying to analyze a game that doesn't have Rose... and still make it about Rose, somehow.
Solid Kenny I can understand that. I definitely found the first two slightly more interesting, but that was mostly because I only really like MGR for the gameplay and the silly humor. I've never considered the story to be canon, so because of that analysing it didn't have as big of an impact on me as the others. On the other hand then, since I weren't really invested in the story, when I played MGR, I actually learnt a lot more than in the other videos.
I loved MGR, gameplay-wise, and storywise, because of how crazy and dumb it all was. It felt like the game was kind of making fun of itself, and jumped the shark several times. It's too bad it ran all over Raiden's character (who is my favorite character in the series), but I just treat it as non-canon, as a "Platinum-made what if", kinda like Ghost Babel. Great analysis, anyway!
+Minileblanc That's a perfectly respectable position. It's just irritating how so many fans treat the game as part of the Saga. Even the MG Wiki lists the game as canon.
Solid Kenny I think that's because MGR is the only thing that we have that is set after MGS 4, and people tend to consider things canon until proven not canon.
OMG thank you! This is pretty much my interpretation to a T! Also btw (on a somewhat unrelated note) there is an amazing fanfic set post-MGR that I suggest you read. It's called "Phantom Butterflies" and it's an incredibly adorable story involving Little John taking Raiden to Career day at his school.
It looks like there's confusion here. Rather than using PTSD as his power source, Raiden channels his dark personality to do the things he does. They are separate things, but the former comes from the events that lead to the existence of the latter, and the failure to deal with the latter has an effect on the former. You may argue that Raiden should have no such personality (which is highly debatable), but that's another matter.
i think Raiden is just inconsistent, he's happy with his family, but he's afraid of being happy too, so he tells himself a lie of enjoying the battlefield, and another of not really enjoying it, then readily discards one "truth" for another. this is actually pretty standard for MG characters, and the people they represent. that's one of the reasons i really like Metal Gear, characters in it don't have a "definite truth" to them, just like real people.
There are certainly problems with the plot of MGS2 and MGR, but I think your analysis of MGR is a bit off. You've got this black and white ideal you're comparing while ironically talking about the grey of Good and Evil. Take the part where Jack goes fully ripper. You say that it's impossible for Jack to care about Rose and about the Battlefield. Actually, both things are possible, and this was probably most true during Metal Gear Solid 2 of all things. Though it was not directly explained, and of course very few people (sadistically) enjoy war, it's possible that liking war from Jack is not only realistically but thematically possible. Some people like fighting on the battlefield because it gives off a certain kind of thrill and pushes you away from everything else, like alcohol, drugs, sex, so on. It also can be a metaphor for the player's fantasy of a videogame trying to distact him from himself. So, when Jack says he liked killing, I don't know about you but it sounds completely plausible that someone would feel that in the real world and from a thematic point of view. Don't get me wrong, I agree that this seems pointless because Raiden should have learned this already by MGS2, but it by no means is a black/white issue and I would suspect Raiden no matter what would feel the call of battle. It's not so easy to bleach away bad memories. I think the story also suffers from a view of how we view the past. People glorify "choosing your own destiny" but they also think it's bad when you outwardly deny the past. It can't be both, folks. In order to change your personal trajectory, you have to deny your past self. As the Christians say, "the old man must be crucified,". People confuse rejecting the past as like a "lying to yourself about what happened" instead of "I don't want to have anything to do with this anymore," and then you get this horrible mish mash where someone like Jack can accepting being a killer because he's going to use the past to salvage something for the future.
I think he already CONFORMED already in MGS4 :) Awesome series, this video is the only one I do not agree with, but this doesn't mean I disliked it, On contrary, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!
I enjoyed mgr gameplay wise. But it always anoyed me to see Raiden gleefully killing people. If a sequel ever happens, I hope they fix it, by jack finally deciding to move one with his family, and end his "ripper" persona entirelly. I just want him to finally be happy...
Frankly, I do have some issues with this part specifically. Don’t get me wrong, I love the series and always found it weird people hated Rosemary so much, but the problem I have with this part is that it assumes that the position of MGR tackling the same underlying message that the mainline series is. MGS’s perspective is mainly that you need to find your own place in life, not molded out of your history, memes or genes, but by you. More importantly, it sees war as escapable. Maybe not for the world, but for the individual. MGR laughs at the notion either are possible. MGR believes that escaping “who you are” and the war you’re in is impossible, and it’s what you do with that molding and war that defines you as a person. This is why Raiden is different in MGR. Not because the writers and director are incompetent, but they fundamentally don’t agree with Kojima. The villains are, in order; A borderline depressed Algerian who’s only meaning to life is fighting and killing for a cause she believes in A nihilistic Cambodian who straight up believes in the exact opposite of the “be more than your memes” philosophy of MGS An American A Brazilian who has completely lost his faith and purpose fighting, but keeps going because it’s all he has And a Senator using war to, ultimately, get his way into power and establish his own ideals on society. Armstrong is the root cause, Desperado and Raiden are the symptoms. And still, Raiden is evil. He’s doing the exact same “ends justify the means” as the main antagonist, killing hundreds of (according to Sam) mostly innocent people. And the worst part is that he became a hero because of it. He becomes exactly what Snake warned him about. Sunny reinforces this. I see Rising as the ultimate bad ending for Raiden; without people who know how to remind him of what’s important, he embraces the adrenaline rush of wanton murder. He’s doing it for a good cause, sure, but he’s poisoning himself as a result. And I love it. Also, to get this out of the way; 1. He’s not referring to Metal Gear Solid 2 with the “In America, my family, my friends…they helped me forget the Devil inside.” He’s talking about after MGS4. You know, the game where he got a happy ending and could bury Jack under Raiden being a dad and husband. 2. Not gone defend “They’re kids, you sunuva-“ line. Completely out of left field even encased in MGR.
awesome series I love it. Thank you so much I never really like rising because Kojima wasn't apart of it and they dropped Solidus Snake(one of my favorite characters in MGS universes)
+DamuEmran I looooove Solid Snake too, but would've been fine with MGR not having Solid Snake in it, if Raiden staid true to Snake's advice at the end of MGS2/before the Microwave Hall in 4 (finding his own name/choosing his own legacy/not being part of a mistake.) But instead, Etsu Tamari totally botched it and had Raiden become a prisoner to his fate again. There's a reason why Tamari only wrote the inconsequential filler Main Ops in MGSV, whereas all the Main Ops that actually advance the story are written by Kojima (and another guy. Typically Shuyo Murata/not Tamari.) Edit: Whoops, you said "Solidus Snake." I misread that. lol
Solid Kenny yeah a lot folks don't remember solidus snake. They remember Naked Snake,Liquid Snake,Solid Snake and Raiden(fake snake or Naked Snake's grandson etc..)
My friend, you just demostrated what I believe to be the whole beauty of the Metal Gear series. It tries to be so simple at first glampse, but is so much complex when you dwell into the story and it's meaning. It is made to please ANYONE who wants to play it, You want to play as a spy and be as sneaky as possible? Sure, here you have Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2, You want to play as a good guy who kills his mentor and becomes a "bad guy" just to be redeemed at the end ala Darth Vader? Sure, here you have 3, Portable Ops, Ground Zeroes, Peace Walker, Phantom Pain (Yes, I know its not quite the same in the latter, but out of spoilers, I wont dwell into this), You want to play as a soldier who has a shady past revealed to have a very good and profound plot twist? Sure! Here you have Metal Gear Solid 2, You want to play as an old soldier trying to keep up with the modern war? Please, use MGS4! Do you want to play as a Bloodlust Soldier, who has TONS of ammunition and a badass beard?!? MGSV Phantom Pain (with proper gear) is just for you! Hell, do YOU WANNA PLAY AS A MOTHERF!@#!NG CYBORG NINJA CAPABLE OF SLICING GIGANTIC ROBOTS SUPOSSED TO LAST NUCLEAR WAR?!?! METAL GEAR RISING IS FOR YOU!, this series can fit anyone's taste. Even the ones who just look for a very good story and arent gamers, they'd love the whole series' plot, dwelling into the reaqsoning of war, its consecuences, why it will change, etc, Or people who want to study humans' reactions towards this kinf of situation, could play this game, or read the books or watch the cutscenes, this one is pretty centered on reality, except on the whole part of the robots, Metal Gears, Cyborgs and/or the actual usage of a box to sneak around a facility of well trained soldiers. Indeed, it can fit anyone's taste, heck, if you want to be goofy, you can! Theres plenty of humor in the series. And yes, altough some games cannot fit all of this elements into one game, you can play the ones you think can attract you more, Revengeance is not made with the same mindset as Solid, it is supposed to be its own thing, and it is fun, as a game. Maybe the story isnt as complex, but for what it is, it is actually a very enjoyable game. I didnt mind Rose that much, yeah, she called and cried at times, but it isnt the most annoying character EVER put in a game (HEY!LISTEN!, HEY COUSIN! LETS GO FOR SOME BOWLING HUH?), if you know this references, I'll love you forever. Raiden from MGS2 isnt as cool as Snake, but neither are we, Snake is made from the most badass characters from movies, he is supposed to be the best, he is a freaking CLONE for God's sake, Raiden is more relatable (except the whole cyborg, a child soldier and adopted son of the expresident of America thing), so yeah, he is flawed, so is everyone. Probably it is my basic guy instincts, but if you play a scene of Snake being a badass and one of Raiden being one back to back, I wont be able to choose. Both are good characters, not supposed to be perfect, but just good characters overall. Thank you for this amazing series, and for making me contemplate the whole series more.
+TheFedehugo "Revengeance is not made with the same mindset as Solid, it is supposed to be its own thing, and it is fun, as a game." And that's fine. The problem is that one of the game's producers (Yuji Korekado) said that the game was canon, so it *can't* logically be "its own thing." It wasn't until after the game was released that Kojima clarified that the game was just a "parallel story" and not part of the MG timeline or Saga. ruclips.net/video/WMlZ-HQY4jQ/видео.html Sadly, despite Kojima's clarifications, many fans still consider MGR canon. Even the MG wiki lists it as canon. These videos are written from the perspective that the people behind the game wanted the game to be judged; as a canon part of the MG Saga. And from that perspective, MGR is terrible.
+Solid Kenny Of course, it is obvious that Kojima didnt have anything to do with the game, and I cant say that I like the story as much as I like Phantom Pain's per say. It was a fun game to play, however it could have had a much better story in comparisson as to what we had delivered. And about the game being canon, I am not sure anymore, I mean, it could be canon, considering that Raiden's MGR persona is also mentioned directly in MGSV, as a suit. I havent reached the end of the game, so I dont know the timeline that appears at the end of V. We also have to take into onsideration that Kojima did wanted to make this game, back when it was called Metal Gear Solid: Rising, and when it was supossed to take place between MGS2 and MGS4, the thing is, that Kojima Productions didnt know how to make the game as they intended, it was too slow and sloppy, so they made a deal with Platinum, who themselves made a lot of Hack and Slash games. The deal was that Kojima would do the story and Platinum would do the gameplay, so it IS madeby Kojima Productions in terms of story. I liked Raiden's character since MGS2, thats actually the first PS2 game that I played that wasnt for kids, I liked what they did in MGS4, but was confused at MGR when he went on to say things about Justice and Vengeance, Jack the Ripper coming into play and all of that, they made him into a superhero basically. Actually, I am replaying Rising, and the story isnt really that much interesting to me. What keeps me entertained is the gameplay, which is fun. But if you made this game into a book, like many of the Metal Gear games had, it would suck. This game isnt a Metal Gear Solid game, it is a Platinum game, that "asimilates" the Metal Gear storyline, and goes full crazy on us.
+TheFedehugo "considering that Raiden's MGR persona is also mentioned directly in MGSV, as a suit." I don't think Assassin's Creed is canon just because Solid Snake can wear Altair's costume in MGS4. The Raiden suit is just a costume to increase replay value, like the Solid Snake or Gray Fox skins. "I havent reached the end of the game, so I dont know the timeline that appears at the end of V." There is indeed a timeline at the end of V, and it covers the entire Saga. It ends in 2014. (I don't think that's a huge spoiler, but if you consider it one, I'm sorry.) And then there's this; www.konami.jp/mgs5/tpp/jp/history/index.php5 "The deal was that Kojima would do the story and Platinum would do the gameplay, so it IS madeby Kojima Productions in terms of story." You're conflating Kojima Productions with Hideo Kojima himself. Kojima did not write MGR, nor was he even involved with any of the story. www.twitlonger.com/show/l5cpva It was Etsu Tamari who wrote MGR. I explained earlier in this video what Kojima's ulterior motive for MGR was (to act as a cash cow, so that he wouldn't have to worry about MGSV's sales), but even ignoring that... Kojima doesn't have to think MGR is canon in order to like it. I like Ghost Babel and the Merry Gear Solid games, even though they're all non-canon. There's no reason why Kojima can't enjoy MGR (as a game) without considering it part of his Saga. As as the video I previously linked to you showed, Kojima doesn't consider MGR part of the Metal Gear Saga. ruclips.net/video/WMlZ-HQY4jQ/видео.html Now, gameplay wise, MGR is still fucking awesome, so by all means, enjoy it for that! But the reason I refuse to judge MGR "as its own thing," independent of the MGS series, is because it takes a character that was important to the themes and message of the MGS games, grossly mischaracterizes him, and to add insult to injury, one of the producers, Yuji Korekado, declared the game to be canon, and all of Kojima's comments to the contrary are (for some reason) not clear enough for people who insist that it's canon. Just read through the hissy fit between me and FolstrimHori in the comments section of "Rising is NOT part of the MG Saga."
+Dury Zaragosa-Camacho I was looking forward to MGR pre-release. Then I played it and now I wish it never existed, or at least, the people behind the game made it SUPER DUPER EXTRA CLEAR that the game isn't canonical. thesnakesoup.org/myth-articles/myth-hideo-kojima-said-portable-ops-rising-canonical/ Despite Kojima's statements, the MG Wiki continues to act as if MGR is canonical, as does the majority of the fanbase. If it *had* to exist, then the game should have at least made an attempt at respecting Raiden's character development. For example, the new Star Wars trilogy is probably going to involve Luke training Rey in order to rebuild the Jedi Order. This totally respects his character development in EPVI (Yoda: "Pass on what you have learned." Luke: "I'll NEVER turn to the Dark Side. You've failed, your highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me"), while also paving the way for future stories. Even Han Solo's development was respected, even though it's not as apparent (he no longer only cares about himself, or getting rewards; he willingly risks his life in order to try and bring his son back to the light.) Raiden could've joined a Philanthropy-like NGO where he rescues child soldiers. Instead of treating Jack the Ripper as a super-power, the game should've treated it like the Psyche Gauge in MGS4; the more Raiden kills, the less effective he is in combat. So, in order to keep his cool, he has to aim for No Kill Bonuses (which is actually possible in the game.) Rose could've been a Codec contact and be his psychological adviser. While this isn't the perfect solution (i.e. leave Raiden's story alone), it would've been waaaaay better than the one we got. As it stands now, MGR is a travesty that spits on Metal Gear's message and legacy. To borrow from my original analogy, MGR is like if Luke turned to the Dark Side.
I get what the analysis meant, but I don't get why you find this "insulting" to the character. It's pretty much treated as a different character and it was made to be a "childish" power fantasy (like that's something inherently wrong). I get that it's incoherent from what raiden is in the other games, but if you want to have that kind of game, which is an amazing game imho, you have to sacrifice the motivations he had back then since they're not fit to a power fantasy.
Giangi Mdjk Then why bother using the Metal Gear name if they're not going to respect it? (Or if they're only going to "respect" it in the most superficial sense. "OH LOOK, IT HAS A CARDBOARD BOX!") Bayonetta is great and I don't expect it to be anything but a crazy power fantasy, but I have different expectations for a Metal Gear game. Like, Panty and Stocking is fucking awesome, but that's not what Neon Genesis Evangelion should be like. Besides that, the game's producer (Yuji Korekado) said that the game was canon, and waaaay too many fans beLIEve him (just look at the MG Wiki.) You can't tell me to treat MGR Raiden as a different character from MGS2/4 Raiden when one of the key figures behind the game said it's meant to be the same character (even if Kojima himself disagrees. ruclips.net/video/WMlZ-HQY4jQ/видео.html )
Well they are using the metal gear name since they (platinum) were paid to do so. I do agree that if MGR was treated as canon it makes no sense with the rest of the story *and* it actually disrespects the main series, but even kojima says it's not. The writer is obviously a hack and has little to no idea of how to handle a metal gear but I don't agree with bashing what it is, in fact, an amazing game just because it's not a "traditional" metal gear and it doesn't fit with the canon series. I'm not disagreeing with the analysis but it doesn't take into account the troubled production of MGR (in which Kojima scrapped it all before giving it away to platinum) and the fact that the game wanted probably to be something else. I don't think you should bash a game only because of its title.
Giangi Mdjk Your post would be 100% valid and have nothing for me to object to IF more people understood that the game is just a fun action spin-off with a shallow story that Kojima doesn't consider canon (and that they understood that it *can't* be canon because of how it bulldozed Raiden's story.) But you'll find people left and right claiming that the game is "deep" and "worthy of the Metal Gear name" ("It has it all! Child soldiers, corrupt U.S. government officials, and moral ambiguity, these are all hallmarks of the Metal Gear series!") And the Metal Gear Wiki, which many fans think is a reliable source (it isn't. Its biggest editor is eric_otness/Weedle_McHairybug, a stubborn ass-burger* who says he isn't even a fan of the series) lists the game as canon. metalgear.wikia.com/wiki/Metal_Gear_series#Metal_Gear_Rising:_Revengeance Even in the comments of that video I sent you, there's a guy who goes through mental gymnastics to ignore what Kojima said and insist that MGR is still canon. *For the record, I have aspergers too, so I'm not trying to put him down just because he didn't win the Genetic Lottery (since I didn't either.) But... Just look at this shit www.gamefaqs.com/boards/681794-metal-gear-solid-v-the-phantom-pain/66269767?page=6 Post #68
Solid Kenny I feel you dude, I get what you meant but the video still comes accross as a "MGR is shit" train that a lot of fans ride, both extremes, in my view, are wrong. I mean the analysis is great and you all did an amazing work explaining what's the deal with raiden, didn't mean to hate just tried on doing some contructive criticism I guess.
Giangi Mdjk No worries. I didn't think you were being hateful at all. If I were to look at MGR strictly as a game, I think it's great! But my concern with MG will always be with the story, themes, and message, and the way MGR treats those things is SO offensive that it ruins the game as a whole for me. But that's just me. I can respect the "MGR's story is stupid but it's still a fun game!" view. (P.S. I giggled when you called Etsu Tamari a hack. =D Awesome)
As fun as rising is, raiden is a completlely seperate character from raiden in the other two games. MGS4 raiden's character regression does make a lot of sense though. Not only being captured and turned into a cyborg most likely against his will, but also from a psychological standpoint. By the near end (before the final cutscene) of mgs2, raiden's reality is shattered and acknowledging the past for the first time (even if it has a delayed effect) can bring up dreadful memories he previously tried to supress because he didnt know how else to deal with them which would lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as alcoholism and unnecessary fights (As mentioned by rose in mgs4) . by the end of mgs4 (considering i treat rising as non cannon) id like to think raiden did eventually get help from therapy and at least try to live something of a normal life.
... So just a thought now... Raiden willingly killed that kid. If he can swing a sword at point blank range of a civilian and only take their clothes off, certainly he could've done the same to dodge the kid but cut the dude pointing a gun at his head in half... or just chopped off his arm or impaled him, sticking his sword right between the muzzle of the gun and the kid's head (let's face it, blade mode speeds him right on up) and killed him that way.
It's sad to see someone like Hideo Kojima go through something like this, where his vision is challenged by the audience he wishes to enlighten. As someone who wishes to become an author one day, I hope to avoid such a fate. I don't mind being challenged; I just don't wish to see my message be ruined in the end. Metal Gear Rising (even I haven't played it or any of the other games) is also another representation of what Hollywood and many other industries have forgotten: "The Importance of The End"! Stop and think about how satisfying MGS4 was (as someone who watched the cutscenes) when considered to be the final chapter. Life will continue for Rose, Jack, and their son, as well as others, but in terms of the story, this point in their lives, that was the high note needed. Lord of the Rings ended on a high note, until they decided to do a prequel series and a Hobbit trilogy that wasn't needed. Harry Potter ended on a high note, now it's getting a prequel film series (that might never be finished) and possibly a continuation. The importance of the end isn't to leave things off on a perfect note but a high note that has been built up to. Once you've had that note, you can't recreate it. And anything else that tries will never measure up to it because the audiences already experienced it. They call it "lightning in a bottle" for a reason. And Rising is another example of what happens when a series is continued in some way. Which is why, as a writer, when I plan to end something, it will be the true ending. No prequels, no sequels, no reboots, only the official end.
Great analysis series overall. Anything that focuses on my man Raiden and MGS2 craziness is always fun. But this definitely reiterated a lot of my own frustrations with MGR as well. Really cool and fun game, horrible Metal Gear game that betrays everything the character and plot has set up so far. Really felt like the plot was comparable to a fan fiction interpretation of all the cool edginess of a cyborg fighting robots. I still sincerely hope that it's not canon like Acid.
+Solid Kenny ahahaha no way. I haven't even bought it. I consider it a betrayal of the spirit of metal gear. In my comment I was referring to the whole saga and in particular to MGS2
Outstanding job, I enjoyed every minute of those 3 videos. Very glad to find out I'm not the only one who strongly disliked MGR. And who liked Rose! I really wish we see more of her someday...
He never fully embraced the ripper he used as much as he could without fully embracing his blood lust he used to stop people from living the way he did that's why I didn't mind it Raiden was serious no games
As a true blooded warrior myself I tend to disagree with some of this analysis throughout the entirety of the series riding is always fighting for what he believes is right and that is protecting the weak. I believe those of us (like myself) who are strong have the strength of Will and the sheer moral fortitude have an obligation to protect those around us who are weaker than ourselves and personally speaking as my own person if I neglected that responsibility (for the purpose of my own contentment and/or happiness) I would not be able to look the woman I love in the eye or even my children with self-respect and therefore would be forced to live as a hypocrite. Personally that would weigh heavily on my conscience and ultimately cause me severe and maddening distress and anguish within my very core. Ultimately I believe that Ryan was fighting for what he believed in the hope that one day he would win his battle and be able to return true to who he was to his family and those that he loved. I identify with riaden as a child soldier (I was never a child soldier but I was forced to fight to survive as a child) because I understand the struggle of stealing and fighting just to survive and ultimately morally I would refuse to allow the injustices of this world to continue if I had any say in the matter. Ultimately Raiden is actually the personification of about 50% of what I believe. You don't have to murder innocence to embrace your inner ripper.
Maybe mgr was a little mistake... raiden was saying a lot of weird stuff that doesn't match with the true raiden character...BUUUUUUT let's agree!Mgr was an awesome experience !
I'd always assumed "Jack" wasn't Raiden, it's an alter-ego, it's not unrealistic for him to be suffering from Multiple personality disorder considering the degree of his trauma. He was a child forced to fight, maybe this was a coping mechanism? The "I enjoy killing" and similar lines aren't Raiden, it's Jack the ripper. I won't defend MGR since the story is pretty lacking and some of your points still stand, but you treat Jack as if it's Raiden and I don't think that's the writer's intention.
+blayde hayes "Multiple personality disorder" isn't actually a thing (that was the first thing my Psychology professor taught us.) That aside, the game keeps hammering the idea that Jack the Ripper is Raiden's "true nature" that he was trying to bury under the veneer of righteousness and justice. At no point does the game show Raiden trying to fend off the animalistic "Jack" side of himself (instead, it shows him using Jack as a superpower... which is dumb.) As disappointing as MGSV was (SPOILERS), one of the genuine cool things it did was show how Venom Snake feels remorse for his actions and sees himself as a demon. He was originally a Medic but was infected by a parasite known as Big Boss. He fended off that parasite when he spared Quiet and Huey, and the player can even make it so that Venom doesn't shoot Skull Face (until Kaz forces him to.) It wasn't until the very end that he truly became a Demon (when he officially joins forces with the real Big Boss to create Outer Heaven.) MGR could have done something similar (except, one would hope, have Raiden NOT succumb to Jack the Ripper the same way Venom Snake succumbed to becoming Big Boss), but instead Raiden doesn't show... any remorse whatsoever. 11:18
Since PG reused assets from MGS:R when they made MGR:R i think they reused the same story aswell. It would explain why Raiden becomes an edgelord halfway through the story.
Um, so is his pitch for Metal Gear Rising 2 actually just the plot of The Phantom Pain? Sorry, I was watching this and it just jumped out at me. I'm not really for or against the Gray Fox theory. I feel like whether it's true or not, we win either way. If it's not true, we're getting an awesome story about how Big Boss is branded a terrorist, whether he deserves it or not. If the theory is true, I'm sure Kojima is handling it in an interesting way with a clear purpose, much in the same way he used Raiden in MGS2. Otherwise, I've really enjoyed these series of videos.
+Wesley Beltz Also, I feel that the Jamais Vu mission was Kojima building off of his satirical MGR2 idea. It's more action focused than the other missions and has Raiden fighting Snatchers (and it takes place in a parallel universe, like MGR itself. ruclips.net/video/WMlZ-HQY4jQ/видео.html )
this is extremely biased though... you gotta udnerstand that a game must be fun to appeal. If you want a straight drama go watch a movie. MGS2 was meant to be his last MGS therefore he wanted to leave and heavy impression. Rising was meant as a gap between MGS2 and MGS4 exploring Raiden's character development, but things went differently. MGR is however a fun game above all and an awesome Hack n' Slash. Kojima, with MGSV, fulfilled his initial vision with the whole MGS saga even after all the trouble he and his team faced.
explains why I only played through Rising once and sold my copy while my MGS2 disk for the PS2 is... Im pretty sure its gonna break already good thing I made a digital copy... and MGS4... I wish I could play MGS4 on an emu...
***** Levity is important, I feel. I don't want to give the impression that I'm some joyless know-it-all who takes pride in understanding a 3deep5u video game story.
I think that Raiden's character changed over the course of the series in a way that at least to me has logic behind it.
Since MGS4 I figured that Raiden was a mess as a person, unlike Solid Snake who, even if he went through very similar experiences as Raiden he never "lost his cool", he was always relatively calm for someone going through such horrible experiences.
But Raiden was destroyed in MGS4, even after getting a "happy ending" in MGS2. In MGS4 I saw a Raiden that was incapable of forgetting his past, a Raiden that wanted to die, but kept on fighting due to the feeeling that he owed Snake something.
At the end of MGS4 when Raiden finally got his "true Happy ending" I thought to myself: "Well I guess that makes sense, even if this already happened in MGS2".
After playing MGS4 I was uncertain about the fate of most of the characters. I had an idea about what could happen to them, but really it was just my own headcanon, as I imagine a lot of people had some ideas of their own.
Then MGR came out and, from a story perspective, after I played it I though it could be defined as a "Platinum Games plot with a Metal Gear theme". I thought it was OK, it wasn't a really good story, but it served its purpose. Some things didn't make sense, but I found nothing major that bothered me. There was one plot point that I thought made sense though, and that was Raiden's development.
I was surprised when I heard Raiden saying that he was a hero that fought for justice ( or something like that) and that he killed just to protect the weak, it sounded corny but in the end I think it was meant to be taken that way. After Raiden reveals that he takes pleasure in the killing of other people, I thought that was unexpected but... It made sense.
Why would Raiden give up a happy family, a normal life, to go back to being a bodyguard, someone who kills people? Because deep inside he liked that. He was conditioned to feel good after killing someone since he was a child, he was thought that killing was a solution to problems. And he could never leave that behind, unlike other people who lived similar lives and moved on, he just couldn't. Raiden is weak as a person, he has been scarred in a way taht can't be healed.
Raiden once thought he could forget about his past, and live a normal life in USA, but he was reminded of it in MGS2. After accepting who he really was it seemed that he was ready to keep on living with Rose in a life without lies. But he couldn't. He was violent with Rose, he couldn't actually live knowing his past, so he separated from her and the idea of a normal life. At the end of MGS4 it seems taht Raiden is finally sure that he is ready to be happy, but he can't stop thinking about his past, he keeps getting this feeling that he needs to be doing something else, but he really has nothing else to do after the Patriots have been destroyed. So he becomes a bodyguard, he wants to believe that, just like his son told him, he was a hero, someone who could change the world, but it's just a justification to keep fighting, he craves the feeling of pain.
But does this mean that Raiden JUST fights for pleasure? I don't think so. I think that Raiden has an ideology, and it's exactly what he says, he wants to protect the weak. Solid Snake also had ideologies, and he fought for them, even if it meant killing other people, he didn't like doing it, but he thought it was necessary, in a lot of ways to Snake the end justifies the means.
And Raiden thinks that as well, but he also thinks that " the means justify themeslves".
Raiden fights beacuse he likes it, but he also fights because he has his own ideals and goals.
I think that in MGR Raiden stops lying to himself, he acknowledges that he can't forget his past and he can't leave it behind eaither, but that doesn't mean he has to stop being who he is right now. Raiden has friends and a family, and he loves them, but he also needs to keep killing people. He embraces that feeling, That doesn't mean he will randomly start killing anyone near him, it means that Raiden will always be on the battlefield, because he incapable of living without it, he has found a balance between his personal life and the inhuman pleasure he has.
But even if in MGR Sunny and others say that Raiden is a "hero", I don't think he is, and I think the game also tries to show you why he isn't a hero at all but rather just a psychopath. When Raiden kills Armostrong and, while dying, he gives Raiden a final advice, we see ( a no subtle at all, just like the rest of this game) an image implying that Raiden is just like Armstrong, a monster.
At least to me MGR ending wasn't a "good ending", it implied that Raiden will forever be a sick person, he will keep on killing bad guys, and even if other people call him a hero, I'm sure that (unlike the beggining of the game) Raiden won't say that he does what he does for justice ever again, beacuse he knows that's a lie.
I mean, I don't really know how things "actually" are, but that's my subjective point of view, I don't think I could claim it's truth or someting.
And as a final commentary ( sorry for making it that long if you read it at all...), I personally felt barely related to the characters in the MGS games, when I played them the first time and witnessed the story of each game in a superficial way I didn't felt related, when I did several "in depht" playthorughs afterwards, acknowledging what the writers really meant with the story, I still didn't feel identified with the characters or the story. But that never stopped me from loving and appreciating them for what they were, I guess everyone experiences things differently, huh?
DivumLoftur Awesome theory! This whole thing makes Raiden more interesting(my opinion).
This whole thing you made makes me feel better about Raiden. After this video I honestly felt crushed knowing that my favorite Metal Gear characters entire story was tossed aside in MGR. However this doesn't mean I don't consider this canon in the Metal Gear timeline, after this video I still felt that way even if I was upset to accept what Raiden has become. But this theory changed my mind entirely. So thanks for this man.
He's meant to be a killer after all 😈 why does he have feelings for her?
Personally I think "Jack the Ripper" could have been handled bit better. I felt it was bit on the nose with Raiden going "The Pain! This is why I fight" It could have been some interesting conflict between him loving his family and his dark past.
This series was brilliant. Thank you for making this. Obviously there was a lot of passion involved.
GoatJesus Thank you!
Oh wow, and thanks for commenting. Your channel looks *packed* with interesting videos! ruclips.net/video/AJ1z5c8ywWs/видео.html I'm Subscribing on my private channel.
Solid Kenny Only if you're a weeb and like Evangelion. Lol. Though I have to say, there are remarkable similarities between Anno's style of story-telling and Kojima's. I feel like there was some influence (just based on Kojima's evangelion T-shirt alone.)
GoatJesus "Only if you're a weeb"
I am! Kojima got me interested in Japanese entertainment.
"and like Evangelion."
I do! That show was the biggest mindfuck since I first played MGS2, and I loved it for it. But I haven't really dug that deeply into the show yet, which is a shame because of how much there is to unravel (especially when it comes to psychology, which I'm super interested in. I'm making it my major in college.)
+Solid Kenny Cool!~ I minored in psychology. Very neat stuff. I especially loved taking abnormal psychology (so I recommend that if you have a chance to take it.) The video I currently have on the psychology of Eva is pretty basic stuff, but my Shinji video has a bit more in the way of detailed allusions to personality disorders within the show. I should get around to making a proper video about it sometime. Anyway, keep up the great content. I think it was a great idea to clear up Rose's position in these games and reiterate the importance of Raiden's character and the themes of MGS2 in contrast to Rising. I think Rising as a game is a fun one to play, but it could have been so much more than an escapist romp. Using characters that symbolize something for something as kitschy as Rising is a devastating thing to do. You demonstrated that clearly and I *completely* understand what that's like... *looks over at 2.22*
Incidentally, have you seen Twin Perfect's videos? They're on Silent Hill. Really great video series if you can get passed the team's own self inflicted drama.
+GoatJesus I watched your videos on why Rebuild Sucks. Very awesome stuff! I never really saw the Rebuild films as anything other than really beautiful eye-candy/naked Asuka fan-service in 2.22. I hope the original series + End of Eva gets a Blu-Ray release by FUNimation, so that newer anime fans aren't stuck with Rebuild.
Also, sadly I haven't really played the Silent Hill series yet (only finished the first game. I never finished 2, even though I want to), but I'll be sure to watch Twin Perfect's videos once I finally get into those games!
So far my Psychology class has been incredibly fascinating! My favorite was reading about the experiment on reaction times of voluntary actions. A teacher had a student press a button when touched. He touched them on the thigh, then the toe. The students reacted quicker when touched on the thigh, because the thigh is closer to the brain than the toe, so the nerve signals don't have to travel as far. This shows that the mind isn't some mystical thing that is beyond the scope of science (like Descartes argued.)
I find this stuff incredibly interesting because I was born with aspergers, but didn't find out until last April (sooooo many things about myself started to make sense.) So I want to understand how my brain works, so that I'm not as susceptible to involuntary impulses.
The way I see it for Raiden in Rising is the same reason why many veterans, especially those who were really good in infantry and those in Special Forces decide to work for PMCs. Raiden/veterans love the adrenaline rush that combat provides. Plus like Raiden said in Rising, "I learned young that killing your enemies felt good, really good," many vets even though they rather not talk about those they killed, there's still that satisfaction of killing a bad and dangerous person so your teammates and innocent people can live. That's what I think Raiden feels is the enjoyment of that adrenaline rush of combat and being able to kill bad people, especially since Desparado is trying to do the same thing that was done to him on other kids. There really isn't any grey line when it comes to killing bad people that truly deserve to die, that's like saying there's a grey line with killing Joker or Osama bin Laden, it's simple as this. The longer these bad people live, more innocent people will die, you kill said bad people, innocent people live.
I'd like to think he only embraces the ripper when it comes to fighting bad people. He's grown up and knows who to target in order to get the job done and save lives. A more focused Jack the Ripper should I say
Plus many veterans at times would prefer to be overseas doing work with their teams rather than be home with their families, it's a horrible thing but at the same time I don't blame them. To people like Raiden and veterans, they don't belong in the civilian world, hence why Raiden probably didn't find a job outside of PMCs
I disagree with Kojima on this one. In MGS Rising, Raiden starts off doing what he does to support his family as a bodyguard so to speak. But then continues his mission when he discovers a military organization making child soldiers by harvesting their organs and placing their brains into cyborg bodies. He did the right thing because he couldn't bare the thought of other children going through what he went through. He essentially took Snakes advice when he said "Find something to believe in and find it for yourself. And when you do, pass it onto the future."
My major gripe with Revengeance is how inconsistent Raiden's voice is. One monitor he sounds matured man, next he's doing a Batman impersonation
Sjono nah he’s trying to sound like snake lol
this video is very well done i liked watching the entire series.
about MGR raiden personally i believe raiden just ended up accepting himself entirely when he becomes jack the ripper. he’s a child soldier who was conditioned to be a killing machine. rewarded for killing, punished for not. he protects the weak because he was weak when he was a child soldier. he needed to kill or be killed. the feeling of helplessness,he can empathize with that. he kills the bad guys who would force children to become child soldiers. he wants to prevent more jack the rippers from being born.the kind of people who grow up rejecting their past always living in mental anguish, suffering from night terrors, PTSD, etc.
MGRR (I think) for Raiden is ultimately a journey of accepting who he is, fully embracing that side of him that he so desperately wanted to forget or to deny and working with himself to create a balance that would satisfy his jack the ripper personality and his familial duties.
from a gameplay perspective once ripper mode is available we get a power boost from it. i think drilling into the players head that accepting the good and bad parts of yourself empowers you.
jack the ripper mode is activated by turning off raidens pain inhibitors, he needs to feel pain to become jack the ripper so when he inflicts pain onto his enemies hes sharing the pain with them. which is totally inline with raidens personality. and also since we can activate and deactivate jack the ripper mode at anytime shows the control that he has attained from accepting his terrible past self. which would also explain why raiden does soo during that cutscene with sunny and the mech dog.
overall i think MGRR raiden is pretty much the same raiden from MGS. he carved his own path, his own life. he maybe doing that same thing he did before, but now, he has the freedom of choice he never had before.
It seems that the Fans misinterpreted Kojima's will.... I'm seeing a pattern here.
MGR stupidity aside, you gotta admit it's still a fucking awesome game.
Manman3872 Hell ya!
damn this was actually pretty well made trilogy i learned so much about the raiden thank you for making these videos
Standing ovation, sir. You've done a great thing putting together and releasing these videos. Metal Gear really necessitates deep analysis to fully comprehend and appreciate, and the more content like this that comes out, the better off the fans and the series itself are - the fans for having a new understanding of the series, and the series itself for having something important to keep in mind when they make new games in the series after Kojima leaves Konami post-Phantom Pain.
I had it all wrong and I lost track of what was truly important in life. Thank you.
Thank you so much for making this analysis of Raiden and Rose. I loved every bit and appreciate the hard work you put in this. Thank you sincerely!
thank you for remind me what makes mgs so special, its about life, about legacy, and the option to chose.
I just enjoyed playing Metal Gear Rising. But after watching this analysis (curious about Rose and Jack's backstory, and yeah I haven't played any of the previous Metal Gear games), I felt terrible playing it, lore-wise, at least.
Makes me wanna play more of the previous Metal Gear games. This analysis series is really worth watching.
great series, i sure hope there will be more (about mgs in general)
Borel Carvalho Thanks! I have an idea for one more video/video series, but it'll be long after TPP is out, and it'll depend on if I can balance it with work, college, and other things.
I think what Raiden means by choice was that he continues to choose to fight, a choice that the kids can't make. He wants to stop the cycle that made him even if it means embracing the man he was forced to become.
i believe the line "in America my friends and family,they helped me to forget devil inside" was calling to the family who adopted him during his childhood, not to Rose and little Jhon
anyway ,video was amazing,good job
What a wonderful series of videos. I've been looking for something like this. ideos with less views than yours show up on the search bar. There are great MGS fAn videos out there, like MAtthewmatosis, Superbunny hop, Ruminator, etc. And they deserve to show up in the search bar, but so does this. I'm happy I found meta gear's website. I suggest you do some proper updating on your tags, search terms, video titles etc. so more people can watch it. Im sure if I was looking for a long time to find something like this, then there must be other people who wont ever find these vids.
Anyways, great work, you did the series justice.
I think they done Raiden great in MGR.
I just watched all of that. Parts 1 through 3. I love that incite. Thanks for sharing.
"If he really embraced the ripper, Sunny would be a red paste."
Sunny is a little girl he lived to keep alive. And he doesn't view Sunny as an enemy.
These are well done. I enjoyed. U kinda sound like rose..... :)
+J Perr Yeah @itsDragonblade has a hot voice. He's awesome.
You definitely deserve more views and more Subs. This kind of content is what i look for in metal gear analysis videos. 10/10 would subscribe again.
His Family was safe right.....so Let Raiden do what he want in the end is better this way.
thanks for the video i enjoyed it. i love all the MGS series. kojima always had some kind of hidden messages in his games that make you think subconsciously. in mg2 i wasnt upset to see who jack was i just wanted to finish the game because the story was great. but at the end with when he threw the dog tags we controlled his every move..jack wanted to change his life. but he never did he wanted to go back to killing just as the fans demanded more blood. guess sadly people would rather live in a fantasy then take responsibility in there own life. i feel you kojima. thanks again for the insight.
This is a strange series. My reaction after seeing the first video and realizing the series would be 3 videos long was: "but I already know everything I'd ever need to know!". But everytime you managed to captivate me to the end! Great videos.
I've definitely always been kind of disappointed that most fans don't appreciate MGS2 or Rose / Jack enough.
Edit: I also really love the way you did quotations with sources and everything. Looks sleek.
VictorsMod I'm relieved to hear that each part "captivated" you! tbh I was worried that these videos might've overstayed their welcome with the second video, and especially this third one, since I'm trying to analyze a game that doesn't have Rose... and still make it about Rose, somehow.
Solid Kenny I can understand that. I definitely found the first two slightly more interesting, but that was mostly because I only really like MGR for the gameplay and the silly humor. I've never considered the story to be canon, so because of that analysing it didn't have as big of an impact on me as the others.
On the other hand then, since I weren't really invested in the story, when I played MGR, I actually learnt a lot more than in the other videos.
I loved MGR, gameplay-wise, and storywise, because of how crazy and dumb it all was. It felt like the game was kind of making fun of itself, and jumped the shark several times.
It's too bad it ran all over Raiden's character (who is my favorite character in the series), but I just treat it as non-canon, as a "Platinum-made what if", kinda like Ghost Babel.
Great analysis, anyway!
+Minileblanc That's a perfectly respectable position. It's just irritating how so many fans treat the game as part of the Saga. Even the MG Wiki lists the game as canon.
Solid Kenny I think that's because MGR is the only thing that we have that is set after MGS 4, and people tend to consider things canon until proven not canon.
OMG thank you! This is pretty much my interpretation to a T! Also btw (on a somewhat unrelated note) there is an amazing fanfic set post-MGR that I suggest you read. It's called "Phantom Butterflies" and it's an incredibly adorable story involving Little John taking Raiden to Career day at his school.
@@Minileblanc you know, if the character-breaking parts in MGR weren't there... honestly... And more stuff about Jack's family
@@samkuperman9035 I know this comment was posted a long time ago, but by any chance can you link me to this fic? Ty.
It looks like there's confusion here.
Rather than using PTSD as his power source, Raiden channels his dark personality to do the things he does. They are separate things, but the former comes from the events that lead to the existence of the latter, and the failure to deal with the latter has an effect on the former. You may argue that Raiden should have no such personality (which is highly debatable), but that's another matter.
Metal gear rising 2 please 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
i think Raiden is just inconsistent, he's happy with his family, but he's afraid of being happy too, so he tells himself a lie of enjoying the battlefield, and another of not really enjoying it, then readily discards one "truth" for another. this is actually pretty standard for MG characters, and the people they represent. that's one of the reasons i really like Metal Gear, characters in it don't have a "definite truth" to them, just like real people.
Kojima acting like the mainline games are serious is hilarious.
There are certainly problems with the plot of MGS2 and MGR, but I think your analysis of MGR is a bit off. You've got this black and white ideal you're comparing while ironically talking about the grey of Good and Evil.
Take the part where Jack goes fully ripper. You say that it's impossible for Jack to care about Rose and about the Battlefield. Actually, both things are possible, and this was probably most true during Metal Gear Solid 2 of all things. Though it was not directly explained, and of course very few people (sadistically) enjoy war, it's possible that liking war from Jack is not only realistically but thematically possible. Some people like fighting on the battlefield because it gives off a certain kind of thrill and pushes you away from everything else, like alcohol, drugs, sex, so on. It also can be a metaphor for the player's fantasy of a videogame trying to distact him from himself. So, when Jack says he liked killing, I don't know about you but it sounds completely plausible that someone would feel that in the real world and from a thematic point of view.
Don't get me wrong, I agree that this seems pointless because Raiden should have learned this already by MGS2, but it by no means is a black/white issue and I would suspect Raiden no matter what would feel the call of battle. It's not so easy to bleach away bad memories. I think the story also suffers from a view of how we view the past. People glorify "choosing your own destiny" but they also think it's bad when you outwardly deny the past. It can't be both, folks. In order to change your personal trajectory, you have to deny your past self. As the Christians say, "the old man must be crucified,". People confuse rejecting the past as like a "lying to yourself about what happened" instead of "I don't want to have anything to do with this anymore," and then you get this horrible mish mash where someone like Jack can accepting being a killer because he's going to use the past to salvage something for the future.
Glad I'm not the only one who thinks Rising COMPLETELY betrayed his Raiden's character.
The game is hella fun and has awesome music, but jeez.
you´ve made an amazing job!!!
"Childish power fulfillment fantasy" huh? How high and mighty you are. I suppose you think all of your interests are somehow full of meaning.
I think he already CONFORMED already in MGS4 :)
Awesome series, this video is the only one I do not agree with, but this doesn't mean I disliked it, On contrary, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!
Will you make an analysis on how MGS V and MGS 2 are the antithesis of each other?
Rose is Cute! CUTE!
I enjoyed mgr gameplay wise. But it always anoyed me to see Raiden gleefully killing people.
If a sequel ever happens, I hope they fix it, by jack finally deciding to move one with his family, and end his "ripper" persona entirelly. I just want him to finally be happy...
I would've like to see what it would've been like if it were between 2 and 4, like what it was meant to originally
Loved this series.
Not sure I understood the last bit though about King Kong...
***** Jack launched his stinger missile into Rose's cockpit. "It's a character flaw! People just aren't complete without some type of flaw, ya know?"
Solid Kenny Should'a seen that one coming... ;)
***** They're SO cute (and hot!) NSFW solidkenny87.tumblr.com/post/97584162730/solidkenny87-being-a-4-30-shipper-sucks
Solid Kenny What's a 4-30 shipper?
99RedRedfake 4-30, as in April 30th, the day Jack and Rose met.
Frankly, I do have some issues with this part specifically. Don’t get me wrong, I love the series and always found it weird people hated Rosemary so much, but the problem I have with this part is that it assumes that the position of MGR tackling the same underlying message that the mainline series is.
MGS’s perspective is mainly that you need to find your own place in life, not molded out of your history, memes or genes, but by you. More importantly, it sees war as escapable. Maybe not for the world, but for the individual.
MGR laughs at the notion either are possible.
MGR believes that escaping “who you are” and the war you’re in is impossible, and it’s what you do with that molding and war that defines you as a person. This is why Raiden is different in MGR. Not because the writers and director are incompetent, but they fundamentally don’t agree with Kojima. The villains are, in order;
A borderline depressed Algerian who’s only meaning to life is fighting and killing for a cause she believes in
A nihilistic Cambodian who straight up believes in the exact opposite of the “be more than your memes” philosophy of MGS
An American
A Brazilian who has completely lost his faith and purpose fighting, but keeps going because it’s all he has
And a Senator using war to, ultimately, get his way into power and establish his own ideals on society.
Armstrong is the root cause, Desperado and Raiden are the symptoms.
And still, Raiden is evil. He’s doing the exact same “ends justify the means” as the main antagonist, killing hundreds of (according to Sam) mostly innocent people. And the worst part is that he became a hero because of it. He becomes exactly what Snake warned him about. Sunny reinforces this.
I see Rising as the ultimate bad ending for Raiden; without people who know how to remind him of what’s important, he embraces the adrenaline rush of wanton murder. He’s doing it for a good cause, sure, but he’s poisoning himself as a result. And I love it.
Also, to get this out of the way;
1. He’s not referring to Metal Gear Solid 2 with the “In America, my family, my friends…they helped me forget the Devil inside.” He’s talking about after MGS4. You know, the game where he got a happy ending and could bury Jack under Raiden being a dad and husband.
2. Not gone defend “They’re kids, you sunuva-“ line. Completely out of left field even encased in MGR.
awesome series I love it. Thank you so much
I never really like rising because Kojima wasn't apart of it and they dropped Solidus Snake(one of my favorite characters in MGS universes)
+DamuEmran I looooove Solid Snake too, but would've been fine with MGR not having Solid Snake in it, if Raiden staid true to Snake's advice at the end of MGS2/before the Microwave Hall in 4 (finding his own name/choosing his own legacy/not being part of a mistake.) But instead, Etsu Tamari totally botched it and had Raiden become a prisoner to his fate again.
There's a reason why Tamari only wrote the inconsequential filler Main Ops in MGSV, whereas all the Main Ops that actually advance the story are written by Kojima (and another guy. Typically Shuyo Murata/not Tamari.)
Edit: Whoops, you said "Solidus Snake." I misread that. lol
Solid Kenny yeah a lot folks don't remember solidus snake. They remember Naked Snake,Liquid Snake,Solid Snake and Raiden(fake snake or Naked Snake's grandson etc..)
Bruh this takes place in an alternate universe which makes in not cannon
I think the original MGS Rising KojiPro was making would've been a darker MGS2 sequel about him throwing himself back into shit
My friend, you just demostrated what I believe to be the whole beauty of the Metal Gear series. It tries to be so simple at first glampse, but is so much complex when you dwell into the story and it's meaning. It is made to please ANYONE who wants to play it, You want to play as a spy and be as sneaky as possible? Sure, here you have Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2, You want to play as a good guy who kills his mentor and becomes a "bad guy" just to be redeemed at the end ala Darth Vader? Sure, here you have 3, Portable Ops, Ground Zeroes, Peace Walker, Phantom Pain (Yes, I know its not quite the same in the latter, but out of spoilers, I wont dwell into this), You want to play as a soldier who has a shady past revealed to have a very good and profound plot twist? Sure! Here you have Metal Gear Solid 2, You want to play as an old soldier trying to keep up with the modern war? Please, use MGS4! Do you want to play as a Bloodlust Soldier, who has TONS of ammunition and a badass beard?!? MGSV Phantom Pain (with proper gear) is just for you! Hell, do YOU WANNA PLAY AS A MOTHERF!@#!NG CYBORG NINJA CAPABLE OF SLICING GIGANTIC ROBOTS SUPOSSED TO LAST NUCLEAR WAR?!?! METAL GEAR RISING IS FOR YOU!, this series can fit anyone's taste. Even the ones who just look for a very good story and arent gamers, they'd love the whole series' plot, dwelling into the reaqsoning of war, its consecuences, why it will change, etc, Or people who want to study humans' reactions towards this kinf of situation, could play this game, or read the books or watch the cutscenes, this one is pretty centered on reality, except on the whole part of the robots, Metal Gears, Cyborgs and/or the actual usage of a box to sneak around a facility of well trained soldiers. Indeed, it can fit anyone's taste, heck, if you want to be goofy, you can! Theres plenty of humor in the series. And yes, altough some games cannot fit all of this elements into one game, you can play the ones you think can attract you more, Revengeance is not made with the same mindset as Solid, it is supposed to be its own thing, and it is fun, as a game. Maybe the story isnt as complex, but for what it is, it is actually a very enjoyable game. I didnt mind Rose that much, yeah, she called and cried at times, but it isnt the most annoying character EVER put in a game (HEY!LISTEN!, HEY COUSIN! LETS GO FOR SOME BOWLING HUH?), if you know this references, I'll love you forever. Raiden from MGS2 isnt as cool as Snake, but neither are we, Snake is made from the most badass characters from movies, he is supposed to be the best, he is a freaking CLONE for God's sake, Raiden is more relatable (except the whole cyborg, a child soldier and adopted son of the expresident of America thing), so yeah, he is flawed, so is everyone. Probably it is my basic guy instincts, but if you play a scene of Snake being a badass and one of Raiden being one back to back, I wont be able to choose. Both are good characters, not supposed to be perfect, but just good characters overall. Thank you for this amazing series, and for making me contemplate the whole series more.
+TheFedehugo "Revengeance is not made with the same mindset as Solid, it is supposed to be its own thing, and it is fun, as a game."
And that's fine. The problem is that one of the game's producers (Yuji Korekado) said that the game was canon, so it *can't* logically be "its own thing." It wasn't until after the game was released that Kojima clarified that the game was just a "parallel story" and not part of the MG timeline or Saga. ruclips.net/video/WMlZ-HQY4jQ/видео.html
Sadly, despite Kojima's clarifications, many fans still consider MGR canon. Even the MG wiki lists it as canon.
These videos are written from the perspective that the people behind the game wanted the game to be judged; as a canon part of the MG Saga. And from that perspective, MGR is terrible.
+Solid Kenny Of course, it is obvious that Kojima didnt have anything to do with the game, and I cant say that I like the story as much as I like Phantom Pain's per say. It was a fun game to play, however it could have had a much better story in comparisson as to what we had delivered. And about the game being canon, I am not sure anymore, I mean, it could be canon, considering that Raiden's MGR persona is also mentioned directly in MGSV, as a suit. I havent reached the end of the game, so I dont know the timeline that appears at the end of V. We also have to take into onsideration that Kojima did wanted to make this game, back when it was called Metal Gear Solid: Rising, and when it was supossed to take place between MGS2 and MGS4, the thing is, that Kojima Productions didnt know how to make the game as they intended, it was too slow and sloppy, so they made a deal with Platinum, who themselves made a lot of Hack and Slash games. The deal was that Kojima would do the story and Platinum would do the gameplay, so it IS madeby Kojima Productions in terms of story. I liked Raiden's character since MGS2, thats actually the first PS2 game that I played that wasnt for kids, I liked what they did in MGS4, but was confused at MGR when he went on to say things about Justice and Vengeance, Jack the Ripper coming into play and all of that, they made him into a superhero basically. Actually, I am replaying Rising, and the story isnt really that much interesting to me. What keeps me entertained is the gameplay, which is fun. But if you made this game into a book, like many of the Metal Gear games had, it would suck. This game isnt a Metal Gear Solid game, it is a Platinum game, that "asimilates" the Metal Gear storyline, and goes full crazy on us.
+TheFedehugo "considering that Raiden's MGR persona is also mentioned directly in MGSV, as a suit."
I don't think Assassin's Creed is canon just because Solid Snake can wear Altair's costume in MGS4. The Raiden suit is just a costume to increase replay value, like the Solid Snake or Gray Fox skins.
"I havent reached the end of the game, so I dont know the timeline that appears at the end of V."
There is indeed a timeline at the end of V, and it covers the entire Saga. It ends in 2014. (I don't think that's a huge spoiler, but if you consider it one, I'm sorry.)
And then there's this; www.konami.jp/mgs5/tpp/jp/history/index.php5
"The deal was that Kojima would do the story and Platinum would do the gameplay, so it IS madeby Kojima Productions in terms of story."
You're conflating Kojima Productions with Hideo Kojima himself. Kojima did not write MGR, nor was he even involved with any of the story. www.twitlonger.com/show/l5cpva
It was Etsu Tamari who wrote MGR.
I explained earlier in this video what Kojima's ulterior motive for MGR was (to act as a cash cow, so that he wouldn't have to worry about MGSV's sales), but even ignoring that... Kojima doesn't have to think MGR is canon in order to like it. I like Ghost Babel and the Merry Gear Solid games, even though they're all non-canon. There's no reason why Kojima can't enjoy MGR (as a game) without considering it part of his Saga. As as the video I previously linked to you showed, Kojima doesn't consider MGR part of the Metal Gear Saga. ruclips.net/video/WMlZ-HQY4jQ/видео.html
Now, gameplay wise, MGR is still fucking awesome, so by all means, enjoy it for that! But the reason I refuse to judge MGR "as its own thing," independent of the MGS series, is because it takes a character that was important to the themes and message of the MGS games, grossly mischaracterizes him, and to add insult to injury, one of the producers, Yuji Korekado, declared the game to be canon, and all of Kojima's comments to the contrary are (for some reason) not clear enough for people who insist that it's canon. Just read through the hissy fit between me and FolstrimHori in the comments section of "Rising is NOT part of the MG Saga."
so if MGR fixed a few things in the story would you forgive it more?
just curious
+Dury Zaragosa-Camacho I was looking forward to MGR pre-release. Then I played it and now I wish it never existed, or at least, the people behind the game made it SUPER DUPER EXTRA CLEAR that the game isn't canonical. thesnakesoup.org/myth-articles/myth-hideo-kojima-said-portable-ops-rising-canonical/ Despite Kojima's statements, the MG Wiki continues to act as if MGR is canonical, as does the majority of the fanbase.
If it *had* to exist, then the game should have at least made an attempt at respecting Raiden's character development. For example, the new Star Wars trilogy is probably going to involve Luke training Rey in order to rebuild the Jedi Order. This totally respects his character development in EPVI (Yoda: "Pass on what you have learned." Luke: "I'll NEVER turn to the Dark Side. You've failed, your highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me"), while also paving the way for future stories. Even Han Solo's development was respected, even though it's not as apparent (he no longer only cares about himself, or getting rewards; he willingly risks his life in order to try and bring his son back to the light.)
Raiden could've joined a Philanthropy-like NGO where he rescues child soldiers. Instead of treating Jack the Ripper as a super-power, the game should've treated it like the Psyche Gauge in MGS4; the more Raiden kills, the less effective he is in combat. So, in order to keep his cool, he has to aim for No Kill Bonuses (which is actually possible in the game.) Rose could've been a Codec contact and be his psychological adviser. While this isn't the perfect solution (i.e. leave Raiden's story alone), it would've been waaaaay better than the one we got.
As it stands now, MGR is a travesty that spits on Metal Gear's message and legacy. To borrow from my original analogy, MGR is like if Luke turned to the Dark Side.
I get what the analysis meant, but I don't get why you find this "insulting" to the character. It's pretty much treated as a different character and it was made to be a "childish" power fantasy (like that's something inherently wrong). I get that it's incoherent from what raiden is in the other games, but if you want to have that kind of game, which is an amazing game imho, you have to sacrifice the motivations he had back then since they're not fit to a power fantasy.
Giangi Mdjk Then why bother using the Metal Gear name if they're not going to respect it? (Or if they're only going to "respect" it in the most superficial sense. "OH LOOK, IT HAS A CARDBOARD BOX!") Bayonetta is great and I don't expect it to be anything but a crazy power fantasy, but I have different expectations for a Metal Gear game.
Like, Panty and Stocking is fucking awesome, but that's not what Neon Genesis Evangelion should be like.
Besides that, the game's producer (Yuji Korekado) said that the game was canon, and waaaay too many fans beLIEve him (just look at the MG Wiki.) You can't tell me to treat MGR Raiden as a different character from MGS2/4 Raiden when one of the key figures behind the game said it's meant to be the same character (even if Kojima himself disagrees. ruclips.net/video/WMlZ-HQY4jQ/видео.html )
Well they are using the metal gear name since they (platinum) were paid to do so. I do agree that if MGR was treated as canon it makes no sense with the rest of the story *and* it actually disrespects the main series, but even kojima says it's not. The writer is obviously a hack and has little to no idea of how to handle a metal gear but I don't agree with bashing what it is, in fact, an amazing game just because it's not a "traditional" metal gear and it doesn't fit with the canon series. I'm not disagreeing with the analysis but it doesn't take into account the troubled production of MGR (in which Kojima scrapped it all before giving it away to platinum) and the fact that the game wanted probably to be something else. I don't think you should bash a game only because of its title.
Giangi Mdjk Your post would be 100% valid and have nothing for me to object to IF more people understood that the game is just a fun action spin-off with a shallow story that Kojima doesn't consider canon (and that they understood that it *can't* be canon because of how it bulldozed Raiden's story.) But you'll find people left and right claiming that the game is "deep" and "worthy of the Metal Gear name" ("It has it all! Child soldiers, corrupt U.S. government officials, and moral ambiguity, these are all hallmarks of the Metal Gear series!") And the Metal Gear Wiki, which many fans think is a reliable source (it isn't. Its biggest editor is eric_otness/Weedle_McHairybug, a stubborn ass-burger* who says he isn't even a fan of the series) lists the game as canon. metalgear.wikia.com/wiki/Metal_Gear_series#Metal_Gear_Rising:_Revengeance Even in the comments of that video I sent you, there's a guy who goes through mental gymnastics to ignore what Kojima said and insist that MGR is still canon.
*For the record, I have aspergers too, so I'm not trying to put him down just because he didn't win the Genetic Lottery (since I didn't either.) But... Just look at this shit www.gamefaqs.com/boards/681794-metal-gear-solid-v-the-phantom-pain/66269767?page=6 Post #68
Solid Kenny I feel you dude, I get what you meant but the video still comes accross as a "MGR is shit" train that a lot of fans ride, both extremes, in my view, are wrong. I mean the analysis is great and you all did an amazing work explaining what's the deal with raiden, didn't mean to hate just tried on doing some contructive criticism I guess.
Giangi Mdjk No worries. I didn't think you were being hateful at all. If I were to look at MGR strictly as a game, I think it's great! But my concern with MG will always be with the story, themes, and message, and the way MGR treats those things is SO offensive that it ruins the game as a whole for me. But that's just me. I can respect the "MGR's story is stupid but it's still a fun game!" view.
(P.S. I giggled when you called Etsu Tamari a hack. =D Awesome)
Maybe it “being his choice” is his way to cope?
So mgr is actually canon??
+Mrinsomniac No, but a lot of people think it is. thesnakesoup.org/myth-articles/myth-hideo-kojima-said-portable-ops-rising-canonical/
As fun as rising is, raiden is a completlely seperate character from raiden in the other two games. MGS4 raiden's character regression does make a lot of sense though. Not only being captured and turned into a cyborg most likely against his will, but also from a psychological standpoint. By the near end (before the final cutscene) of mgs2, raiden's reality is shattered and acknowledging the past for the first time (even if it has a delayed effect) can bring up dreadful memories he previously tried to supress because he didnt know how else to deal with them which would lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as alcoholism and unnecessary fights (As mentioned by rose in mgs4) . by the end of mgs4 (considering i treat rising as non cannon) id like to think raiden did eventually get help from therapy and at least try to live something of a normal life.
Raiden is the coolest
... So just a thought now... Raiden willingly killed that kid. If he can swing a sword at point blank range of a civilian and only take their clothes off, certainly he could've done the same to dodge the kid but cut the dude pointing a gun at his head in half... or just chopped off his arm or impaled him, sticking his sword right between the muzzle of the gun and the kid's head (let's face it, blade mode speeds him right on up) and killed him that way.
Cynical Nitro Actually by the way he was bending, Raiden could have just cut the guys head off, missing George completely.
cassandra jenkins +1 sin to this game
It's sad to see someone like Hideo Kojima go through something like this, where his vision is challenged by the audience he wishes to enlighten. As someone who wishes to become an author one day, I hope to avoid such a fate. I don't mind being challenged; I just don't wish to see my message be ruined in the end. Metal Gear Rising (even I haven't played it or any of the other games) is also another representation of what Hollywood and many other industries have forgotten: "The Importance of The End"!
Stop and think about how satisfying MGS4 was (as someone who watched the cutscenes) when considered to be the final chapter. Life will continue for Rose, Jack, and their son, as well as others, but in terms of the story, this point in their lives, that was the high note needed. Lord of the Rings ended on a high note, until they decided to do a prequel series and a Hobbit trilogy that wasn't needed. Harry Potter ended on a high note, now it's getting a prequel film series (that might never be finished) and possibly a continuation.
The importance of the end isn't to leave things off on a perfect note but a high note that has been built up to. Once you've had that note, you can't recreate it. And anything else that tries will never measure up to it because the audiences already experienced it. They call it "lightning in a bottle" for a reason. And Rising is another example of what happens when a series is continued in some way.
Which is why, as a writer, when I plan to end something, it will be the true ending. No prequels, no sequels, no reboots, only the official end.
You really misinterpret the ripper persona....
Not surprising but despite all this stuff it doesn't make me like Rose any more than a chewed gum stuck to the bottom of a shoe.
Why? 😂😂 I agree,but why?
Great analysis series overall. Anything that focuses on my man Raiden and MGS2 craziness is always fun.
But this definitely reiterated a lot of my own frustrations with MGR as well. Really cool and fun game, horrible Metal Gear game that betrays everything the character and plot has set up so far. Really felt like the plot was comparable to a fan fiction interpretation of all the cool edginess of a cyborg fighting robots. I still sincerely hope that it's not canon like Acid.
Finally, somebody has properly put into words why I hated Revengeance! Great series, thank you for making it!
DONT MAKE ME CRY PLZ 😢😢 I LOVE RAIDEN 😥😥
Beautiful. Great analysis of the best game ever
+Riccardo Poleggi I hope you're not suggesting that MGR is the best game ever. O_O
+Solid Kenny ahahaha no way.
I haven't even bought it. I consider it a betrayal of the spirit of metal gear. In my comment I was referring to the whole saga and in particular to MGS2
I’m sorry but Rules of Nature was fire 🔥 🔥 🔥. I was kinda glad the game came out because if that theme.
Eh I liked the game but it definitely has different themes and dose change ridens character a lot
Outstanding job, I enjoyed every minute of those 3 videos. Very glad to find out I'm not the only one who strongly disliked MGR. And who liked Rose! I really wish we see more of her someday...
But I still like the stupidity and edgyness of Jack the Ripper!
He never fully embraced the ripper he used as much as he could without fully embracing his blood lust he used to stop people from living the way he did that's why I didn't mind it Raiden was serious no games
As a true blooded warrior myself I tend to disagree with some of this analysis throughout the entirety of the series riding is always fighting for what he believes is right and that is protecting the weak. I believe those of us (like myself) who are strong have the strength of Will and the sheer moral fortitude have an obligation to protect those around us who are weaker than ourselves and personally speaking as my own person if I neglected that responsibility (for the purpose of my own contentment and/or happiness) I would not be able to look the woman I love in the eye or even my children with self-respect and therefore would be forced to live as a hypocrite. Personally that would weigh heavily on my conscience and ultimately cause me severe and maddening distress and anguish within my very core. Ultimately I believe that Ryan was fighting for what he believed in the hope that one day he would win his battle and be able to return true to who he was to his family and those that he loved. I identify with riaden as a child soldier (I was never a child soldier but I was forced to fight to survive as a child) because I understand the struggle of stealing and fighting just to survive and ultimately morally I would refuse to allow the injustices of this world to continue if I had any say in the matter. Ultimately Raiden is actually the personification of about 50% of what I believe. You don't have to murder innocence to embrace your inner ripper.
Maybe mgr was a little mistake... raiden was saying a lot of weird stuff that doesn't match with the true raiden character...BUUUUUUT let's agree!Mgr was an awesome experience !
I'd always assumed "Jack" wasn't Raiden, it's an alter-ego, it's not unrealistic for him to be suffering from Multiple personality disorder considering the degree of his trauma. He was a child forced to fight, maybe this was a coping mechanism? The "I enjoy killing" and similar lines aren't Raiden, it's Jack the ripper.
I won't defend MGR since the story is pretty lacking and some of your points still stand, but you treat Jack as if it's Raiden and I don't think that's the writer's intention.
+blayde hayes "Multiple personality disorder" isn't actually a thing (that was the first thing my Psychology professor taught us.)
That aside, the game keeps hammering the idea that Jack the Ripper is Raiden's "true nature" that he was trying to bury under the veneer of righteousness and justice. At no point does the game show Raiden trying to fend off the animalistic "Jack" side of himself (instead, it shows him using Jack as a superpower... which is dumb.)
As disappointing as MGSV was (SPOILERS), one of the genuine cool things it did was show how Venom Snake feels remorse for his actions and sees himself as a demon. He was originally a Medic but was infected by a parasite known as Big Boss. He fended off that parasite when he spared Quiet and Huey, and the player can even make it so that Venom doesn't shoot Skull Face (until Kaz forces him to.) It wasn't until the very end that he truly became a Demon (when he officially joins forces with the real Big Boss to create Outer Heaven.)
MGR could have done something similar (except, one would hope, have Raiden NOT succumb to Jack the Ripper the same way Venom Snake succumbed to becoming Big Boss), but instead Raiden doesn't show... any remorse whatsoever. 11:18
Since PG reused assets from MGS:R when they made MGR:R i think they reused the same story aswell.
It would explain why Raiden becomes an edgelord halfway through the story.
This is cringe.
Um, so is his pitch for Metal Gear Rising 2 actually just the plot of The Phantom Pain? Sorry, I was watching this and it just jumped out at me. I'm not really for or against the Gray Fox theory. I feel like whether it's true or not, we win either way. If it's not true, we're getting an awesome story about how Big Boss is branded a terrorist, whether he deserves it or not. If the theory is true, I'm sure Kojima is handling it in an interesting way with a clear purpose, much in the same way he used Raiden in MGS2.
Otherwise, I've really enjoyed these series of videos.
+Wesley Beltz His pitch for MGR2 is more like him taking the piss out of how stupid the game is.
+Wesley Beltz Also, I feel that the Jamais Vu mission was Kojima building off of his satirical MGR2 idea. It's more action focused than the other missions and has Raiden fighting Snatchers (and it takes place in a parallel universe, like MGR itself. ruclips.net/video/WMlZ-HQY4jQ/видео.html )
i dot even treat MGR as canon, neither did Kojima
this is extremely biased though... you gotta udnerstand that a game must be fun to appeal. If you want a straight drama go watch a movie. MGS2 was meant to be his last MGS therefore he wanted to leave and heavy impression. Rising was meant as a gap between MGS2 and MGS4 exploring Raiden's character development, but things went differently. MGR is however a fun game above all and an awesome Hack n' Slash. Kojima, with MGSV, fulfilled his initial vision with the whole MGS saga even after all the trouble he and his team faced.
explains why I only played through Rising once and sold my copy
while my MGS2 disk for the PS2 is... Im pretty sure its gonna break already good thing I made a digital copy... and MGS4... I wish I could play MGS4 on an emu...
#Edgelord
MGR literally never happened
looks like everyone saw through your lies and chose the better game
Cope.
Loved this series.
Not sure I understood the last bit though about King Kong...
***** It's sex. They had sex.
Shy Den Cheers. I thought it was something other than that. With all this analysis I'm missing out on the simpler stuff! :P
***** Levity is important, I feel. I don't want to give the impression that I'm some joyless know-it-all who takes pride in understanding a 3deep5u video game story.