The 10 Most Disturbing Things in Metal Gear Solid Games
Otacon and Emma
People often forget, or don’t even quite process just how disturbing the dynamic between Otacon and Emma is, or how messed up the events surrounding their childhood were, but if you listen to all the codec calls, you’ll learn more than you wanted to. Let’s skip over Hal Emmerich’s (or Otacon’s) youngest years in Afghanistan and fast forward straight to his teenage years where he was living with his father Huey Emmerich, his step mother Julie, and step sister Emma. Emma and Hal would often play ‘house’ together, and although vague, we assume Emma gained a little bit of romantic affection for her step brother. Unfortunately (or fortunately, I don’t even know anymore) Hal was engaged in an affair with his stepmom, and yes, he was a teenager. When Hal’s dad Huey found out, he committed suicide by drowning himself in their pool, attempting to drown Emma as well. Emma did manage to survive, but felt resentment towards Hal who said he’d always be there for her, and when she needed him most, wasn’t. Where was he? Oh don’t worry he was just f*cking his stepmom. Otacon… mate. Come on.
Snake’s Shock Therapy
The 10 Most Badass Solid Snake Moments In Metal Gear Solid Games
Every single Metal Gear Solid game up until this point featured a torture scene. The first game saw a shirtless Solid Snake being electrocuted by a machine. The second game saw a naked Raiden being electrocuted on an almost identical contraption. The third game saw Naked Snake being beaten, electrocuted, shot, threatened, stabbed, and shot again. The first two games were fairly light, the third was like something out of Reservoir Dogs. All previous entries tried to maintain a level of dignity, or strength around their protagonist’s torture, but from Volgin beating Naked Snake and capturing him, right up to Snake literally peeing his pants, they were clearly taking a different approach.
A.I Colonel
The 10 WEIRDEST Moments in Metal Gear Solid Games
Every Metal Gear enthusiast holds a lasting recollection of the moment when Colonel instructed Raiden to power down the console in Metal Gear Solid 2. Throughout the game, Raiden's doubts about his mission's true purpose intensify as the Colonel's persona starts to unravel. As the game approaches its conclusion, Raiden loses his equipment and seeks guidance from the Colonel to determine his next course of action. Nevertheless, it is subsequently unveiled that the Colonel is merely an artificial intelligence, manipulated by the Patriots to control Raiden. The A.I malfunctions, causing some out of place dialogue that is unnerving and 4th wall breaking. He gossips about Raiden's girlfriend Rose, he references previous Metal Gear games, and says the incredibly confusing gibberish line that has plagued our minds for more than 20 years, “I hear it's amazing when the famous purple stuffed worm in flap-jaw space with the tuning fork does a raw blink on Hari Kiri Rock. I need scissors! 61!”
Cyborg Ninja
The Cyborg Ninja, otherwise known as Gray Fox, otherwise known as Frank Jaeger, is an entry disturbing all on his own. If we talked about his beginnings as a child soldier, his ruthless ability to murder the enemy in disturbing ways, and his capture and near death in the events of Metal Gear, we’d be here all day. So let’s skip to Metal Gear Solid where we meet the Cyborg Ninja, a disturbing experiment in cybernetic surgery that grafted a cyborg exoskeleton to the landmine-damaged remains of Grey Fox. We see the disturbing and brutal pain Grey Fox can exert on his enemies in the hallway leading up to him and Otacon, we listen to the brutal war-torn mind converse with us during our only playable fight with him, we see the depths of his PTSD, and later, his brutal death. Everything that surrounds Grey Fox is beyond disturbing, and we hope he’s resting peacefully.
Revisiting Shadow Moses
Returning to Shadow Moses in Guns of the Patriots doesn't invoke the same nostalgia as you might expect. The Genome Army has long vanished, leaving behind nothing but a frigid, barren expanse, and automated guards concealed beneath the snow, ready to pounce at any moment. Traversing this now desolate landscape is not only spine-tingling, but confronting Crying Wolf also stands out as one of the most heart-pounding battles in the entire series. We should be excited to be back in our original stomping grounds, but we can’t help but feel (sorry to say it for the hundredth time) disturbed.
Laughing Octopus
The Beauty and The Beast unit from Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots, are all incredibly upsetting to be around. These four female soldiers, all suffering from PTSD, are fitted with special suits that enhance their abilities and make fighting them an absolute nightmare. The cherry on the cake is how after each one dies, we learn about their harrowing backstory, making us feel morally reprehensible for putting them in the ground. One of these ladies stands out more than the rest, and that beauty is Laughing Octopus. The encounter with Laughing Octopus in Guns of the Patriots ranks among the most terrifying moments in the entire series. Even though the battle takes place in a well-lit area, the sudden appearance of this tentacled nightmare from unexpected hiding spots, combined with its ruthless taunting and maniacal laughter as it slithers around, creates an utterly spine-chilling boss fight. Also, she’s the first, and we really weren’t prepared.
Microwave Hall
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots was easily the hardest journey for our main man Solid Snake. Watching him deteriorate from rapid aging, whilst suffering an above average amount of injuries that take him from the handsome James Bond-esque hero we remember from the first game, to this walking corpse, was rough. But no moment of physical torture is more brutal in this game than the infamous microwave corridor sequence. Within the immense warship known as Outer Haven, a corridor is lined with retractable microwave emitters on both sides, serving as a deterrent for unauthorized personnel attempting to access the precious GW A.I. server room. The walls emit a specific type of microwave radiation, which heats up the water molecules within the body, effectively causing them to burn or boil from the inside. Despite Raiden's generous offer to take Snake's place since the microwaves would have less of an impact on his cyborg body, Snake, exemplifying the hero he is, refused and ventured in himself. Forcing players to continually urge Snake to progress as his leisurely walk transformed into an excruciating crawl was disturbing for fans who’d loved Solid Snake since the 90’s.
Stop Meryl
Stop Asking for a Sekiro Easy Mode
As you play through Metal Gear Solid for the first time, you think of it as a action adventure shooter with a rich, full story, but you definitely don’t expect it to become a horror game at any point. We know Kojima has horror chops, so it’s not surprising that almost every iteration and entry for Metal Gear Solid features a moment that feels like it was ripped straight out of a Silent Hill game. In MGS1, that was the Psycho Mantis fight. Leading up to the fight, Meryl becomes possessed by Psycho Mantis, causing her voice and vibe to instantly change. Referring to Snake suddenly as Mr Foxhound was not unlike the A.I. Colonel malfunction from MGS2, and it sent shivers up players' spines. From Psycho Mantis reading our memory cards and making the controller move, to him attempting to make Meryl unalive herself, the whole experience was blood curdling and terrifying. I don’t think we’ll get his voice out of our heads anytime soon.
The Outbreak
10 Best 4th Wall Breaks In Metal Gear Solid Games
During the events of MGSV, the player learns about a vocal parasite that triggers when the infected person speaks English, and the triggered reaction is not pretty. The game introduced us to the devastation with an outbreak on Mother Base. Thankfully, the first outbreak was handled and taken care of, causing the player to let their guard down… Nobody ever expects a second outbreak. The second outbreak has us play out one of the most disturbing sections in an MGS game to date, with the infected being abandoned in the quarantine area to suffer and wonder about their fate. With no other options left, the player (as Snake) has to enter the quarantine zone, and euthanize their comrades one by one, gunning them down while they are sick and begging. Somehow, I think it would have been easier if they fought back. That has to be better than their begging, anger towards being betrayed, and the even more disturbing “thank you’s” that the particularly sick friends would whisper.
Paz Goes Boom
10 Times Metal Gear Solid Made NO SENSE
Paz and Chico were introduced in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Each of them had their failings. Paz in particular was a child of war who ended up betraying everyone, whilst battling her own demons, but her behavior in Peace Walker did not prepare us for what would happen to her in the following chronological entry. It did not equal the repercussions she received in Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. After being captured by Skull Face, the two were the victims of unbelievably heinous torture methods which included consistent beatings and r*pes. Chico had bolts secured through his achilles tendon to stop him from walking, he was forced into group beatings with Paz where they would strip and abuse her in front of him, and he was also forced to have sex with Paz... All this being said, we are still only scratching the surface of the abuse these kids suffered. After everything they went through, we expected an ending for them that would make all of it make sense, but instead, after the player rescues them and removes a bomb from Paz with no anesthetic, she wakes up to reveal there is a second bomb in her womb… And this is the end of her story, attempting to jump from the helicopter to save everyone from the explosion... And even THAT doesn’t work. Paz and Chico really didn’t deserve any of this.
