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(In Proceedings of the Replaying Japan 2014 2nd International Conference on Japan Game Studies) Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid, (MGS) is widely recognized by both gamers and industry professionals as one of the most influential games of all time. Woven into the greater plot of MGS is a discussion of the well-established, oft-debated concept of Nature vs. Nurture, framed within the game narrative around the real-life context of the modern Genetics/Eugenics debate at large. The narrative of MGS addresses this debate in a metaphorical way. Through the course of the story, it becomes evident that the characters of both Solid Snake and Liquid Snake (protagonist and antagonist, respectively) are character foils--contrasting analogs of each other in a myriad of ways (Good vs. Evil, Free Will vs. Fate, etc). With the two sides of this debate being represented as characters, the literal struggle between them becomes the debate itself, with the victor in this battle representing the supposed moral of this story. In this paper, we commit to a close critical reading of the narrative and plot of MGS, paying particular attention to the character foil of Solid and Liquid Snake, in order to 1. explicate the layers of meaning present within the character foil of the protagonist Solid Snake, and the primary antagonist Liquid Snake, and in doing so render an interpretation relative to both the foil itself and the overall narrative of the game 2. examine how the character foil present in MGS behaves in an interactive video game, and in doing so, we can make some meaningful inferences about how appropriate such a kind of literary device is for the interactive medium of games Addressing these questions using a popular game such as MGS as the focus of the study can potentially render insights into game design with respect to narrative and will contribute to an understanding of narrative design practices for interactive video games, especially those which are narrative-centric. Our observations in this regard indicate that while Character Foils can function in interactive video games, it is to the advantage of the designer to employ Character Foils either amongst NPCs only, or, as is the case with MGS, to use a foil with a Player Character which is sufficiently understood to be separate from the Player.
Citation preview
Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: A Critical Analysis of Character Foils in
Metal Gear Solid
Christopher Michael Yap
Youki Kadobayashi
Shigeru Kashihara
Suguru Yamaguchi
Nara Institute of Science and Technology
Replaying Japan 2014, Aug. 21st, 2014.
Outline
C. Yap
Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: Character Foils in Metal Gear Solid
Replaying Japan 2014, Aug. 21st, 2014.
2
1. What’s a Character Foil?
2. How do Foils work in Games?
3. Metal Gear Solid (1998; Playstation)
1. Theme: Fate vs. Free Will
2. Character Foils in MGS
3. Fate vs. Free Will via Foils
4. The FoxDie Conundrum
4. Interactivity and the Character Foil
5. Conclusion
Pair of characters who by their differences
highlight each others’ qualities
1. What’s a Character Foil?
C. Yap
Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: Character Foils in Metal Gear Solid
Replaying Japan 2014, Aug. 21st, 2014.
3
Pair of characters who by their differences
highlight each others’ qualities
1. What’s a Character Foil?
C. Yap
Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: Character Foils in Metal Gear Solid
Replaying Japan 2014, Aug. 21st, 2014.
4
Character Foils are not exclusive to literature
They can exist in any narrative medium which employs
characters
2. How do Foils work in games?
C. Yap
Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: Character Foils in Metal Gear Solid
Replaying Japan 2014, Aug. 21st, 2014.
5
How do foils behave in interactive games?
Can a this literary device be used in games?
How well does this work?
Konami 1998 (Playstation)
3rd installment
Seminal Stealth Game
Commercially-successful
Continuing legacy Metal Gear Solid 5 (Q4 2014)
3. Metal Gear Solid: Background
C. Yap
Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: Character Foils in Metal Gear Solid
Replaying Japan 2014, Aug. 21st, 2014.
6
Protagonist “Solid Snake” must prevent rogue
soldier “Liquid Snake” from launching the ultimate
nuclear superweapon codenamed “Metal Gear”
3. Metal Gear Solid: Plot
C. Yap
Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: Character Foils in Metal Gear Solid
Replaying Japan 2014, Aug. 21st, 2014.
7
3.1 Fate vs. Free Will in MGS
8 C. Yap
Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: Character Foils in Metal Gear Solid
Replaying Japan 2014, Aug. 21st, 2014.
Why do you do the things you do?
Because of my genes
Because I just want to
Each of the main characters in MGS is contrasted
with Solid Snake
Boss Fights
Meeting new supporting characters
Codec conversations
Many of the characters
seem to acknowledge
genetics as a major
factor in their actions
3.2 Character Foils in MGS
C. Yap
Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: Character Foils in Metal Gear Solid
Replaying Japan 2014, Aug. 21st, 2014.
9
“Sons of Big Boss” = Primary Character Foil
3.2 Character Foils in MGS
C. Yap
Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: Character Foils in Metal Gear Solid
Replaying Japan 2014, Aug. 21st, 2014.
10
Solid Snake Liquid Snake
Big Boss Solid and Liquid are
genetically identical twins
The MGS narrative emphasizes dichotomies
Liquid Solid
VS Nature Nurture
Fate Free Will
11 C. Yap
Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: Character Foils in Metal Gear Solid
Replaying Japan 2014, Aug. 21st, 2014.
3.3 Fate and Free Will via Foils
Liquid Snake & Solid Snake are manifestations of the debate
FoxDie: Programmable Virus
FoxDie
will kill
Liquid
Snake.
Liquid
Snake and
Solid
Snake are
twins.
FoxDie
will kill
Solid
Snake.
12 C. Yap
Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: Character Foils in Metal Gear Solid
Replaying Japan 2014, Aug. 21st, 2014.
3.4 The FoxDie Conundrum
Ultimately, Solid Snake does NOT succumb
to FoxDie
DNA governs a person’s potential
strengths/destinies.
Game’s Conclusion: BOTH Fate and
Free Will have influence, but
13 C. Yap
Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: Character Foils in Metal Gear Solid
Replaying Japan 2014, Aug. 21st, 2014.
3.4 The FoxDie Conundrum
Ultimately, it’s a mystery…
If a Foil is meant to highlight the characteristics of two
characters, then
As a narrative, MGS was able to do this
Player Character (Solid Snake) was established as a
sufficiently unique character, meant and understood to be
separate from the actual Player
4. Interactivity and the Character Foil
C. Yap
Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: Character Foils in Metal Gear Solid
Replaying Japan 2014, Aug. 21st, 2014.
14
CHARACTER CHARACTER
However, in an interactive game, it can be
fundamentally problematic to have true character foil
between the Player Character and another non-player
character.
4. Interactivity and the Character Foil
C. Yap
Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: Character Foils in Metal Gear Solid
Replaying Japan 2014, Aug. 21st, 2014.
15
PLAYER CHARACTER
CHARACTER PLAYER
Character Foils can be used effectively in
games to both highlight the qualities of the
characters and to address narrative themes if the
foil is
Between two characters who are understood to be
distinct from the Player, or
The foil is between two Non-Player Characters
Next Step:
Analyze other significant Character Foils in other
games for both effectiveness as a narrative device
and to corroborate what we observed with MGS
16 C. Yap
Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: Character Foils in Metal Gear Solid
Replaying Japan 2014, Aug. 21st, 2014.
5. Conclusion
17 C. Yap
Genetic Predestiny vs. Digital Free Will: Character Foils in Metal Gear Solid
Replaying Japan 2014, Aug. 21st, 2014.
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