Few games feel as innovative asHideo Kojimaprojects, even when you’re playing them decades later. TheMetal Gearfranchise is great for myriad reasons, from satisfying stealth to memorable characters, but the secret sauce lies in its constant cleverness. EveryMetal Geargame feels like it’s rewriting the rules over and over, playing around with the form of the medium in a way that few games do.
Kojima’s design brilliance is the most obvious when he’s taking big swings, like thePsycho Mantis fightin the firstMetal Gear Solid.More understated choices, however, are often just as critical.One of the best ideas in the history ofMetal Gearis the Codec, and decades after its introduction, plenty of AAA games would do well to take some inspiration from the feature.
The Codec Is One Of Metal Gear’s Best Concepts
A Simply Elegant Solution
Metal Gear’s Codec is simple in nature, giving Snake (or other playable characters) a communication link to receive information from allies. It’s certainly not the only game to do something in this vein, and it’s not even dissimilar from the dinky but charming skits in RPGs like theTales ofseries. All the same,Kojima made a lot of uniquely smart choicesin its implementation.
In mostMetal Geargames, the Codec serves two primary purposes. On a practical level,it’s an efficient method of conveying information, which can be a godsend in games rife withunusual puzzles and intricate maps. Before turning to a game guide, you’re able to just call the Colonel for advice, allowing the game to distribute hints at the player’s request without reducing its complexity upfront.
The other main benefit of the Codec is how much it can contribute to the character writing and overall narrative. TheMetal Gear Solidgames have dynamic, cinematic cutscenes, but plots about nuclear escalation and the nature of being a soldier require a lot more info-dumping. Through the Codec,conversation lines are open even when Snake is isolated, making for an unusually sociable stealth experience.
Modern Games Could Learn A Lot From The Codec
Conversations Have Gotten Even More Static
While the talking-head format of the Codec might seem a little quaint, looking at most modern AAA games tends to reveal significantly more static conversations. Making every cutscene truly bespoke requires a lot of resources, and massive games rarely opt for this level of consistency. Major publishers like Ubisoft tend to have a few great cutscenes, but they surround them withstiffly animated back-and-forth conversationspeppered throughout 50-hour stories.
This model quickly enters the uncanny valley territory, failing to properly enliven characters in a context where they should be doing more than flapping their lips. Like the Codec, it’s all really just talking heads, but it no longer has an excuse.Nothing feels off when chatting over the Codec, on the other hand. Even when the presentation is even more static, the context is actually appropriate.
It also helps that the writing is compelling, delivering complex storytelling mixed with plenty of humor. I wouldn’t feel motivated to check in with Otacon if he didn’t have such a memorable personality.Even using the Codec to save has its charms, from Mei Ling’s proverbs to Rose’s attempts to hash out her relationship with Raiden.
Kojima Proved That Conversations Don’t Have To Be Lifeless
We Can Do So Much Better
The Codec wouldn’t work in every game, andKojima ultimately moved away from it himself, employing different approaches inMetal Gear Solid 5andDeath Stranding.Bouncing between stealth gameplay and a visual novel format isn’t the most seamless gaming experience, and I’m not surprised Kojima wasn’t permanently content with it.
All the same, I’m convinced thatit’s a lot more than a relic of the past. Even games that couldn’t borrow a feature like the Codec directly could benefit from examining why it works and figuring out how to incorporate those principles into their narrative presentation. Whenever you’re going to sit players down and stop the action for a conversation, there needs to be something about it that actually feels compelling.
In a sea of “cinematic” games,few feel as filmic as Kojima’s ventures, and it’s the same as the difference between a Ryan Reynolds Netflix movie and a Spielberg blockbuster. Great directors have never settled to shoot every conversation over the shoulder. Just like movies, games have an opportunity to explore what the medium can do for dialogue. If the spirit of Roger Ebert can ever beconvinced that games are art, the industry can’t keep settling for borrowing bottom-of-the-barrel film techniques.
Kojima recently complainedabout the lack of creativity in modern AAA games, and while that’s certainly not universal, it definitely applies to a reasonable portion of the market. After decades of sanding games down into frictionless experiences, a lot of titles are content with having mediocre elements as long as they get the job done.Kojima’sMetal Gearwas great because it never settled, and the Codec is the perfect example of how a basic feature can do more than scrape by.
Metal Gear
“Metal Gear” is a renowned stealth action video game franchise created by Hideo Kojima and developed by Konami. The series debuted in 1987 with the release of “Metal Gear” for the MSX2 platform. Over the years, it has evolved to include multiple sequels, prequels, and spin-offs, expanding its intricate narrative and gameplay mechanics. The franchise is celebrated for pioneering the stealth game genre and integrating cinematic storytelling elements into video games. As of December 2023, the series has sold 61 million units worldwide.
