Introduction
"Transcending
consoles, transcending centuries, transcending prequels" - and transcending
expectations.
When Hideo Kojima travelled to Europe in March 1999 for the European release of Metal Gear Solid for PSone, a game magazine journalist asked him the question "What are you working on next?" Hideo Kojima answered, "I will create what consumers desire for the console that consumers desire."
Fast
forward to May 2000. The answer to the question - Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of
Liberty for PlayStation 2 -- was unveiled at E3 in Los Angeles. The basic
thought behind MGS2 was "transcend consoles from PSone to PS2, transcend
centuries from the 20th to the 21st, and transcending its prequel, MGS1."
To this end, a trailer was unveiled at E3 that shocked visitors with a quality
surpassing that of the PSone game, as stated in the development theme. From this
video alone, MGS2 was elected "Best of Show" along with two other
awards in the E3 awards. The hype among the visitors spread throughout the world
instantaneously via Internet, magazines, television, and the Tokyo Game Show
held in the following fall.
At
E3 2001, a playable version of the demo was exhibited along with a new trailer.
The reception it received was even more enthusiastic than that of the previous
year. People's expectations were getting greater and greater. Straight after E3
2001, however, Hideo Kojima shunned all publicity, leaving the following
enigmatic message: "MGS2 SUBMERGES.".
“A space you are able to touch…”
The transition from PSone to PS2 resulted in the astonishingly improved means of expression. However, Hideo Kojima's aim was not simply to increase the number of polygons of the models and stages. His aim was to create a space in which the player can indulge himself/herself freely and in real time - "a space that you are able to touch," he explained - a space that you can feel the temperature, humidity, smells, and even the air.
What
are we to leave to future generations?
Not only is the Metal Gear series enjoyable as pure action games, but also they must convey a professionally produced storyline with a strong central theme. The theme of the previous MGS was "the escape from the restraints (DNA)". "How do things that are not part of our genetic information get passed on?" Asked Kojima when explaining his intentions for the PlayStation 2 game. "Does this change in any way in a highly-digitized world? The conceptual theme of MGS2 is about passing on the soul (memories) and way of life to future generations."
"Life
connects the chain of its species to the future generations. What plays that
role is not simply genes. Only with '2' can Metal Gear Solid come to an
end," he explained.