Let’s just get this out of the way. Metal Gear Solid is one of the best games ever made. The rest of the games in the series, though still thoroughly enjoyable, have yet to match this peak of gaming excellence. We have no idea if Kojima will go for a straight sequel to MGS4 or if he will carry on the Metal Gear franchise through new titles like the upcoming MGS: Rising. Should an MGS5 be made though, here are a list of potential changes we might want to see. This list is not in a ranked order and may contain spoilers.
10. Quicker install(s)
The whole PS3 install thing has never sat comfortably with me. Granted, it is a staple of PC gaming, but at least on my PC I can tab out to youtube or many, many games of solitaire while I wait. MGS4 was possibly the worst offender of game installs. Not only did it offer little more than pictures of Snake smoking to tide us through, but it also had to install data at the beginning of every single chapter. It seriously put a damper on the game’s pace, and it would be nice to see this particular vice lessened in MGS5.
9. Less back story
A lot of the recent Metal Gear games, aside from MGS4, have been looking back to the adventures of Big Boss rather than looking forward. Don’t get me wrong, seeing the gaps in the series’ history getting filled in has been an enriching experience, but it would be good to see MGS5 keep ploughing forward with the game’s story. Considering the ending of MGS4, this might be tricky to do whilst keeping Solid Snake as the game’s protagonist. Still, I’m sure this is the kind of thing Kojima could work out.
8. More references
Yeah, I know I just said it would be better to have less back story, but the little nods, Easter eggs and references to previous games in the series are still okay in my book. In fact, they’re better than okay. The Metal Gear series has a long and rich history, and some of the best moments from recent games have been references to that heritage. General Raikov, the Shadow Moses section in MGS4, the battle between the two Metal Gears etc. All of these moments were classic, and MGS5 won’t go wrong if it keeps packing in these touching allusions to some of the most iconic games in history.
7. Less focus on camouflage
I have a deeply held respect for Kojima’s pioneering attitude. He could churn out the same game every year and he’d still make a profit at the end of the day, but instead he keeps on striving to push the Metal Gear games into new and interesting directions. The decision to implement a camouflage style stealth focus in MGS3 and 4 was one such decision, though it had certain drawbacks on the game’s pace. It was well executed and deep, but it also slowed the pace of the game down greatly. It also didn’t help that you had to go to the menu to switch out your camo regularly in MGS3, or wait for the Octocamo suit to react to your environment in MGS4. It might be better if the focus went back to the fast paced “stay out of sight” stealth that made the original Metal Gear games so popular.
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