Why Solid Snake is one of gaming's most important assets.

Where can one start with Solid Snake, a name in gaming that is so well known it is up there with the likes of Mario and Master Chief? Solid Snake is the protagonist of the original two Metal Gear games and Metal Gear Solid, and MGS4. Initially his design was a poor rip off of Reece from the original Terminator movie, he didn't really have a background and his attitude was a mix between the classic American GI and a fairly upbeat gentleman (Even going so far to claim that he 'loves life' in the prelude to the final fight of MG2) All this changed however when MGS arrived on the Playstation. Snake had aged (a rariety for sequels of the time) and with that age his attitude had changed. He was now more bitter and lonesome, unsure of who he really was. MGS pits Snake against his 'brother' Liquid (Snake, and his subsequent two 'brothers' are all clones of Metal gear's protagonist Big Boss) MGS is the first time that Snake is made aware of what he is and it's the first time he's ever made to feel like he has something he wants to fight for (love interest Meryl) The game can end in two ways, and both ways significantly effect Snake. In the 'bad' ending Meryl dies and Snake is about to give up on himself, however new found friend Hal (Otacon) convinces him there is still more to live for (Otacon had also lost his love interest earlier in the game) Snake and Otacon escape together and form an Anti Metal Gear group. In the 'good' ending Meryl lives, Snake comes off as a more acomplished and happy person, however for reasons unkown Snake doesn't persue a relationship with her.



- Snake's original design against Kyle Reece from Termintor



In Metal Gear Solid 2, Snake plays a supportive role, both figuratively and mentally. Snake is the role model of the game's protagonist Raiden, Snake is also framed for a terrorist attack he didn't commit. MGS2 for Snake is a quest to clear his name and stop old foe Ocelot. Things progress when Snake's third 'brother' the aptly named Solidus starts to claim he is the famous Solid Snake and that he did commit the terrorist act. Now Snake not only has to clear his name, he has to reclaim his identity. The game ends with Snake sharing some important advice with Raiden, telling him that his past isn't important, it's the future that matters. Snake finally has come to terms with who and what he is.



- Snake alongside Raiden as they appear in MGS2


By Metal Gear Solid 4, the final game in Snake's story, Snake's back in the protagonist seat and his body has started to fail him. Snake's body was only designed to last for 40 years (Snake is around 45 in MGS4, but his body has rapidly aged causing him to look about 60) Snake has since given up on his heroics and is more concerned with his health, however when his oldest friend, Roy Campbell shows up and requests Snake finishes the job against Ocelot, Snake is once again thrusted into the battlefield. MGS4 is perhaps the most important chapter of Snake's life, he knows he doesn't have long left and is rejected by Meryl when they meet again, his whole life is falling apart around him and he rapidly understands that he can never fit into normal society. Snake is a man who is seemingly out to die and he plans to take Ocelot with him. The game is full of emotional termoil for Snake, he meets his 'mother' (the woman who carried the clone embreyos of Snake and Liquid) only to see her killed by Ocelot, Meryl ends up marrying and when Snake finally finishes Ocelot he realises Ocelot was never truly his enemy. They share an emotional exchange before Otacon whisks Snake to hospital. Otacon asks Snake is what they have done is right, and will it really make a difference, to which Snake doesn't reply.



- Snake as he appears in MGS4


The end of the game has Snake standing opposite Big Boss' 'grave' (the game starts here too) Snake kneels down and puts his handgun into his mouth, the screen blacks out as the gun fires. The creidts role and the scene resumes, Snake didn't end his life because he couldn't, he was scared. An emotional exchange with Big Boss follows where Big Boss finally accepts Snake as a 'son'. Big Boss' takes a turn for the worst and as he lays dieing in Snake's arms Snake asks him if he (snake) is going to die too. Snake has finally gone from a perky spec ops agent to an old man scared of the inevitable fact that he is close to death. Big Boss reassures Snake that even though he doesn't have long left, he shouldn't be scared and should spend the time he has left living, isntead of worrying or fighting. Snake leaves with Otacon and Otacon's adoptive daughter to see his last days out with his loved ones, a fitting end to a heroic character.



- Snake and Big Boss having a father to son


tl;dr Snake goes full cycle, from happy to cynical to confused, to fighting for his identity, to cynical, near suicidal, scared and then happy again. Snake's enduring story is the key reason why in my eyes MGS4 isn't only the highlight of the PS3, but the gaming highlight of the last decade​

(It should be noted i wrote this a while back for a failed blogging project i was part of, there may be some errors that were never corrected in the original draft)

 

Could of sworn I replied to this a while back :S

Cheers man, it's being laying about on my hard drive for a while and I didn't want to see it go to waste and figured it might do some good here what with the MGS HD collection release and all :)

 

Thanks for the comment mate, means a lot :) I get what you're saying about MGS4. I dunno what it is about that game, I loved MGS4 as a game but I don't think it gels that much with the others. It's a lot more action orientated and with the exception of Vamp and Ocelot I didn't care much for the boss battles which is usually where the series shines gameplay wise. But I also really enjoyed been able to play it as a full on action game in one play through and pushing Snake into combat withdrawal and making him more reliant on the injections. I felt it was really ground breaking as a narrative for Otacon more so than Snake, having Otacon face up to so many things he's avoided or not experienced before, having him lose Naomi and be lied to by her, acting as a foster parent to Sunny whilst watching his only real friend and by extension family succumb to advance ageing and foxdie and being powerless to help him. I might write up an article about Otacon's evolution from geeky and reluctant sidekick to a brave and humble main character in his own right.