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[entremet]

The original Metal Gear Solid is one of my top 5 games ever. I played it to death on the PSone. It was the perfect blend of wackiness, gameplay, and presentation. I also liked the pseudo future locales and themes. I thought MGS2 was a also great even though I wasn't' a big Raiden fan. And while I enjoyed MGS3, and I know many consider it the best, I found it the least compelling story wise and the controls got too complex for its own good. MGS4 fixed the controls, made them more streamlined--Hail Ryan Payton--the game was lackluster. The second half of the game hardly had any ''game'' at all and while the first two acts showed much potential, it fizzled out after that. It was also noted to be the final chapter of Solid Snake--who knows if this is true given the wackiness of the series and it being the only big cash cow for Konami.

With Peace Walker and now MGSV, we're back with Big Boss and though the game looks great, I'm tired of Big Boss. Solid Snake original child soldier PSTD roots were something I wanted Kojima to deal with more. I loved the recruitment recordings in the original MGS, where Solid wakes up from being captured by Colonel Campbell for the Shadow Moses Mission. He just seemed so fascinating. A reluctant soldier, with no real past.

There was so much there to work with, but Kojima has this crush on Big Boss.

Big Boss has a lot of issues namely is that he is a ''clone'' of Solid. He has Solid's looks, voice--not anymore, though. Yes, Solid is technically his clone, but Solid was introduced earlier for fans so Big Boss never developed a distinct identity since he seems like a clone of the series original protagonist--Solid Snake.

Additionally, even though the fake past of the MGS universe does have some high tech stuff. I really loved the high tech setting of MGS1/2/4. There just seems way more to work with there.

Maybe Kojima will change my mind with MGSV.

What about you? Which of the series protagonist you care for more and why?

 

[Holy Order Sol]

Can anyone even answer this better than Crushed once did?

 

[Spring-Loaded]

Answer like Crushed did?

What did he say

 

[TreasureHunterG]

IMO, Solid Snake is more charismatic and managed to defeat the biggest threats in MGS Universe. He defeated Big Boss, Gray Fox and Liquid Snake twice, single handed defeated MSF/Outer Heaven, Foxhound and Liquid Ocelot. He pretty much put himself on the same level as Big Boss without the intention of doing so, unlike Liquid and Solidus.

So, to me, Solid > Big Boss.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

Solid Snake for sure. Big Boss was exciting at first because I wanted to know how he went "bad," but that became so needlessly complex because it now seems that Kojima wants to avoid making him out to really be the bad guy. And Kojima seems to love him so much that he's now the main character.

So Solid Snake gets character assassinated and now we'll have more Big Boss games that continue to mess with the established canon of the series. And it sucks that in the end, we'll really only have the MG2 and MGS1 where we get to actually play as Solid Snake in his prime.

 

[MickeyPhree]

Big boss. The patroots and him and responsible for everything that has happened in the series.

 

[Robot Pants]

Solid Snake for me.

 

[Reg]

 

[HawthorneKitty]

Big Boss because of Jack Bauer.
Nothing else matters to me.

 

[thebaroness]

For me it's always, always been about her.

Can I have a game starring her please.

Spoiler

Although to be honest, I'm more in love with Big Boss than Solid. He won me over with Snake Eater and I've loved him ever since.

 

[sn00zer]

Do i like brick or plaster walls better?

 

[mullet2000]

Big Boss, specifically in MGS3, feels more "human" to me. Feels a lot more like a guy you'd want to hang out with than Solid does.

That's not necessarily better, but I do feel like I have a better grasp of who Big Boss is than I do Solid. He's more likeable to me.

 

[Warhol]

Big Boss is a so much deeper and more interesting character than Solid Snake.

He's a patriot who is betrayed by his country and decides to form a "terrorist" organization. I really enjoyed listening to his rationale of his actions in Peace Walker. He's a very intriguing anti-hero.

Solid Snake by comparison is very...meh. He also doesn't talk as much nor reveal his feelings as much as Big Boss does.

 

[McNum]

I don't care about Big Boss. I want to play as Solid Snake or cyborg Raiden. The whole Cold War and Big Boss thing got old in MGS3. I want sci-fi MGS.

 

[entremet]

Solid Snake for sure. Big Boss was exciting at first because I wanted to know how he went "bad," but that became so needlessly complex because it now seems that Kojima wants to avoid making him out to really be the bad guy. And Kojima seems to love him so much that he's now the main character.

So Solid Snake gets character assassinated and now we'll have more Big Boss games that continue to mess with the established canon of the series. And it sucks that in the end, we'll really only have the MSX games and MGS1 where we get to actually play as Solid Snake in his prime.

Yep and it sucks. Well and 10 percent of MGS2 lol.

 

[RK9039]

Solid Snake, because his best friend was Gray Fox and he lent Raiden a sword at the end of MGS2. Without Solid Snake Revengeance wouldn't have been created.

Spoiler

But we all know The Boss is better than both.

 

[KojiKnight]

There is only one correct answer to this choice you have given me... David Hayter. Which is why I still do not plan to get Ground Zeroes.

 

[Sub_Level]

Solid Snake

His MGS1 and 2 iterations are more badass and calculating than Big Boss ever will be.

And for having such emotionally driven stories, Big Boss never seems to show much passion or character. The ending of MGS3 wasnt good because of him, he was along for the ride.

 

[CrimsonSquall]

Big Boss paves the way for people like SS. Snake Eater or die

 

[zainetor]

snake in the end was just a tool. Big boss is the real deal.

 

[Broken Joystick]

Solid in MGS2, so badass, jumps into the fucking sea behind RAY while shouting LIQUIDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

 

[Branson]

Grew up with Solid so he is the one in my heart but stayed for Big Boss.

 

[RK9039]

Solid in MGS2, so badass, jumps into the fucking sea behind RAY while shouting LIQUIDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Solid Snake is so badass he chased Metal Gear Ray underwater, caught up with it, and place a transmitter on Ray which was meant to be the only amphibious Metal Gear?

Can Big Boss do that? No. He just eats frogs all day and has yellow teeth.

 

[TreasureHunterG]

Solid Snake by comparison is very...meh. He also doesn't talk as much nor reveal his feelings as much as Big Boss does.

How so? He express his feeling quite sincerely. When he revealed how he considered Roy Campbell and Frank Jeager his true friends in MGS1 and how bad he actually felt when he defeated both Gray Fox and Big Boss in MG2. Killing Gray Fox and knowing the truth about his heritage was a terrible burden he carried along the years.

Even when he explained on MGS4 why he didn't used CQC because how much he hated Big Boss was very interesting, too.

 

[GamingIsDead]

Big boss's story is far more interesting then solids even his villains, hell any characters surrounding him were more interesting. MGS 4 spent most of the game just trying to make up for solid's batshit insane story and it's a shame they never brought back revolver ocelot in some way.

Mgs story works far better in the cold war era anyways.

 

[Snacks the sober sea lion]

I like Big Boss, even if his backstory is becoming ridiculously convoluted even for an MGS storyline. Just seems more fun than Solid Snake, at least during MGS3.

 

[komplanen]

Solid Snake. No question about it. I never "got" what Big Boss is about and why I should give a fuck about some dude who lived in the prehistoric era. I want computers that bleep bloop and robots that are anime, not some dirty Russian jungle with ugly people and animals. It also really hurt that Snake Eater was basically as limited a color palette as it could possibly be without looking like a Gameboy game.

I am however really fucking starved for a MGS game so I'm interested in MGS5 for all the wrong reasons. At least it's a little more modern and looks like it has more colors so it's not that bad. Also I will most likely just fantasize Solid Snake instead of Big Boss.

 

[NeoGAF.]

Big Boss
MGS3 has a special place in my heart.

 

[Unknown One]

Big boss is boring as hell. I'll take Solid Snake anyday. I'm not even excited about MGS5, far from it. Big Boss has been milked a lot these past years. I rather play as Liquid Snake or Solidus.

snake in the end was just a tool. Big boss is the real deal.

That's because Kojima took away all his development in MGS4. MGS2 Snake is best snake.

 

[KOMANI]

Solid Snake for sure. Big Boss was exciting at first because I wanted to know how he went "bad," but that became so needlessly complex because it now seems that Kojima wants to avoid making him out to really be the bad guy. And Kojima seems to love him so much that he's now the main character.

So Solid Snake gets character assassinated and now we'll have more Big Boss games that continue to mess with the established canon of the series. And it sucks that in the end, we'll really only have the MG2 and MGS1 where we get to actually play as Solid Snake in his prime.

I agree 100 % with you. I love Solid, and I hate how we haven't had a full game with a PRIME Solid Snake in the 7th or 8th generation of consoles. Big Boss is a great character, but Hideo seems to have swept Solid Snake under the rug, and claiming that because he's a clone, he is less interesting that Big Boss, but I think that's a creative cop out.

 

[Slamtastic]

lucas obviously stole boba fett's backstory and the jango fett character from mgs

 

[entremet]

I agree 100 % with you. I love Solid, and I hate how we haven't had a full game with a PRIME Solid Snake in the 7th or 8th generation of consoles. Big Boss is a great character, but Hideo seems to have swept Solid Snake under the rug, and claiming that because he's a clone, he is less interesting that Big Boss, but I think that's a creative cop out.

And the funny thing is Big Boss is really a clone of Solid narratively speaking, especially when he has the same voice and looks.

The reason MGS fans played MGS3 was because of the connection they had with Solid.

 

[OminousShadow]

Definitely Solid Snake.

 

[entremet]

Definitely Solid Snake.

LMAO @ your username and response.

 

[Rell]

I don't care about Big Boss. I want to play as Solid Snake or cyborg Raiden. The whole Cold War and Big Boss thing got old in MGS3. I want sci-fi MGS.

Well to say that MGS3 lacked science fiction or fantasy elements just because it was set during the cold war is a slight exaggeration.

 

[Baron Aloha]

Prefer Big Boss after MGS3.

 

[CHC]

I don't care about Big Boss. I want to play as Solid Snake or cyborg Raiden. The whole Cold War and Big Boss thing got old in MGS3. I want sci-fi MGS.

Ummm... you do know about Metal Gear Solid 4 and Metal Gear Rising right...? Those are both, respectively, exactly what you just described.

 

[MormaPope]

Big Boss, no question about it. Solid Snake actually almost does nothing noble, a big part of the MGS series are main characters being manipulated. Solid Snake is manipulated for the most part throughout his entire military career, he's used time and again and never realizes it. After realizing what The Boss tried to teach him, Big Boss said "Fuck that shit, I'm out. I'll do what I'm good at and do it my way."

Besides that, Solid Snake is a captivating character only in MGS1. MGS1 Solid Snake is rad as fuck, cynical, jaded, but he still wants to fight and survive another day. MGS2 and MGS4 Solid Snake is a mouth piece for how Kojima was feeling during development/that time of his life. It's a lot easier to relate to Raiden and study his characterization in MGS2 compared to Solid Snake.

Big Boss at the start of MGS3 is a talented but unfocused soldier. The ending of MGS3 gives us a glimpse of the madness and sorrow that lurks inside Big Boss.

 

[Rogue Agent]

Kojima seems to have gotten tired of Solid Snake. He referred to him as "not a real human" in an interview as his reason for the influx of Big Boss games.

Q: As the series has progressed you seem to be focusing more on Big Boss as a main character. Do you just prefer him over Solid Snake?

Kojima: You have to keep in mind that Solid Snake is not a real human. [As in, within the story universe, Solid Snake is a genetically modified clone.] On the other hand, Big Boss is a real human being with true emotions. He can be more expressive than Solid Snake. So yes, as a result I find him more compelling to write.

http://kotaku.com/kojima-talks-metal-gear-solid-v-clones-sexiness-1262231488

Which is weird because I find this statement contradicts the themes of the first two MGS games, that Snake really does have his own humanity and doesn't have to be defined by his origins as a cloned soldier. It's like since the Raiden backlash he has become bitter about the character.

 

[Sub_Level]

snake in the end was just a tool. Big boss is the real deal.

Big Boss was just another two-bit insurrectionist like Solidus and Liquid after him.

Solid was the only thing resembling a true hero in that entire "family". A true philanthropist.

"We're here on our own. Not under anyone's orders. We have our own battles."

 

[Screaming Meat]

Well to say that MGS3 lacked science fiction or fantasy elements just because it was set during the cold war is utter bollocks.

FTFY

I prefer Big Boss purely on the basis that I prefer the Cold War setting. I think Kojima does too by the looks of it.

The actual differences between them are fairly minimal.

 

[cchum]

It will be interesting when Solid Snake becomes Big Boss....you know it's going to happen people.

 

[Cyborg]

I grew to love Big Boss more and more but I love to play my hero Solid Snake. When I sawy BB in MGS3 I still thought about SS

 

[Bam Bam Baklava]

Honestly I'm glad Kojima is not making Solid Snake games. He would just ruin the character for me at this point so better he stays away.

 

[lancerotomy]

I remember reading in some interview with Kojima in some gaming magazine recently, and he mentioned that he feels Big Boss is more relatable because he is a real human being coping with his changing emotions whereas Solid Snake is a clone that never had to experience those kinds of emotions. Something I'd never really thought about.

 

[tokyostomp]

Is there a breakdown that explains MGS?

I've only played the PSX version and part of MGS2 with Raiden and Plisken.

All the others one I never played.

 

[Omega]

For me it's always, always been about her.

Can I have a game starring her please.

Spoiler

Although to be honest, I'm more in love with Big Boss than Solid. He won me over with Snake Eater and I've loved him ever since.

i wish I had a gif of when Liquid yells "brother!"

It's a crime that one of the very few good characters, we never had a game based on them. Let alone a female lead.

Then again, looking at Quiet in MGSV, maybe it's better that we never got a Boss game

 

[Unknown One]

Kojima seems to have gotten tired of Solid Snake. He referred to him as "not a real human" in an interview as his reason for the influx of Big Boss games.



http://kotaku.com/kojima-talks-metal-gear-solid-v-clones-sexiness-1262231488

Which is weird because I find this statement contradicts the themes of the first two MGS games, that Snake really does have his own humanity and doesn't have to be defined by his origins as a cloned soldier. It's like since the Raiden backlash he has become bitter about the character.

Honestly I'm glad Kojima is not making Solid Snake games. He would just ruin the character for me at this point so better he stays away.

These pretty much explains the character assassination of Solid Snake in MGS4.

 

[Riposte]

MGS2 Snake > MGS3 Big Boss > MGS1 Snake > Later Big Boss > MGS4 Snake

 

[zainetor]

Big Boss was just another two-bit insurrectionist like Solidus and Liquid after him.

Solid was the only thing resembling a true hero in that entire "family". A true philanthropist.

"We're here on our own. Not under anyone's orders. We have our own battles."

if mgs4 didn't exist I would agree, but like somebody said previously, it transformed snake in a joke.