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Metal Gear Solid: Hideo Kojima's Magnum Opus
The Metal Gear Saga is one of the most iconic in the video game history. It's been 25 years now that Hideo Kojima's masterpiece is keeping us in suspens, thanks to its complex and deep scenario. As one of the pioneer of the stealth games, Metal Gear is its author shadow and present a varied content, a rich universe, some of the most memorable characters in video games, as well as a thorough attention to details. In this book you'll find a complete panorama of the cult saga from Hideo Kojima, exploring all its facets: genesis of every iteration and trivia from the development, study of the scenario and analysis of the gameplay mechanics and themes.
249 pages, Hardcover
Published February 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 8, 2020
This is a nice looking book for the bookshelf of any Metal Gear obsessive (and as someone who still has his copy of Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection nearly a decade after selling my PS3, I certainly fit that bill), it's just that I didn't totally like what was between the covers
The first three chapters, covering the history of Hideo Kojima, Konami and the genesis of the fabled Metal Gear franchise, were great if you don't know the story. Chapter three gives an exhaustive rundown of the events of the games in chronological order, which could be good for someone who's had trouble following along with the story in the games or just wants a refresher. All the chapters after that, though, feel a bit like video essays praising every single thing in the games and defending every complaint fans have with them, and the essayist seems to be ESL
Speaking of which, I'm not sure if the book was originally written in English or translated, but the language in this book just feels off and gets more and more off as it goes on
Generally speaking, there isn't really anything in this book that you couldn't just as easily find on the Wikipedia pages of the series and the people/companies involved, other than the opinions that dominate the second half of the book. I was hoping for some insights and some information about the lesser known aspects of this story, like the background behind Kojima's ousting or any of the content cut from Phantom Pain
But hey, that's a dope cover, and that might just be good enough for the craziest of us Metal Gear fans
The first three chapters, covering the history of Hideo Kojima, Konami and the genesis of the fabled Metal Gear franchise, were great if you don't know the story. Chapter three gives an exhaustive rundown of the events of the games in chronological order, which could be good for someone who's had trouble following along with the story in the games or just wants a refresher. All the chapters after that, though, feel a bit like video essays praising every single thing in the games and defending every complaint fans have with them, and the essayist seems to be ESL
Speaking of which, I'm not sure if the book was originally written in English or translated, but the language in this book just feels off and gets more and more off as it goes on
Generally speaking, there isn't really anything in this book that you couldn't just as easily find on the Wikipedia pages of the series and the people/companies involved, other than the opinions that dominate the second half of the book. I was hoping for some insights and some information about the lesser known aspects of this story, like the background behind Kojima's ousting or any of the content cut from Phantom Pain
But hey, that's a dope cover, and that might just be good enough for the craziest of us Metal Gear fans
April 11, 2018
For clarity, I read the English version of this book.
Speaking as a huge metal gear series fan I found this to be a really good, thorough look at the series. A bulk of the book was taken up with a chronological summary of the various games plots which may seem like a waste but really wasn’t. Because of the games going back and forth in time as well as various retcons the summary allows players to make connections between events and individuals they may have missed. This is especially helpful with keeping track of what Ocelot is actually up to at any given time in the plot. I consider myself well versed in the games and have read several long form essays on the series before but even I was surprised to find new details I hadn’t known; most notably the omission of a certain time paradox screen during MGSV which caused me to mouth “holy shit” in public.
The sections beyond the summary discuss topics such as Kojima himself and his inspirations, the strive for innovation that lead to various mechanics in the games, the division of Kojima and Konami, and of course several sections on symbolism, potential interpretations, and author intent. I find myself drawn to the latter more than the former but all of it was presented in a way that was interesting and I think I learned a lot about the series. The English kindle edition did have a few small typos but it never detracted from my ability to understand or enjoy the book. I have a hard copy as well but I haven’t checked to see if any of those typos exist in print.
Would I recommend this book? To a Metal Gear fan, absolutely! I think if you aren’t at least somewhat versed in the games you’d have a hard time following along, however. That said, this publishing team just finishing a second kickstarter to translate more of their books to English and I fully intend to pick them up and would recommend anyone interested in video game books to do the same.
Speaking as a huge metal gear series fan I found this to be a really good, thorough look at the series. A bulk of the book was taken up with a chronological summary of the various games plots which may seem like a waste but really wasn’t. Because of the games going back and forth in time as well as various retcons the summary allows players to make connections between events and individuals they may have missed. This is especially helpful with keeping track of what Ocelot is actually up to at any given time in the plot. I consider myself well versed in the games and have read several long form essays on the series before but even I was surprised to find new details I hadn’t known; most notably the omission of a certain time paradox screen during MGSV which caused me to mouth “holy shit” in public.
The sections beyond the summary discuss topics such as Kojima himself and his inspirations, the strive for innovation that lead to various mechanics in the games, the division of Kojima and Konami, and of course several sections on symbolism, potential interpretations, and author intent. I find myself drawn to the latter more than the former but all of it was presented in a way that was interesting and I think I learned a lot about the series. The English kindle edition did have a few small typos but it never detracted from my ability to understand or enjoy the book. I have a hard copy as well but I haven’t checked to see if any of those typos exist in print.
Would I recommend this book? To a Metal Gear fan, absolutely! I think if you aren’t at least somewhat versed in the games you’d have a hard time following along, however. That said, this publishing team just finishing a second kickstarter to translate more of their books to English and I fully intend to pick them up and would recommend anyone interested in video game books to do the same.
August 21, 2021
Finally. The story of Metal Gear Solid makes sense.
This is an impressive book. Detailing both the development of and the lore of the Metal Gear franchise, I imagine, is no easy task. This is perfect for MGS fans, new and old. However, the book has major flaws in that it is riddled with misspellings, typos, or words being entirely omitted or duplicated (on the Kindle version anyway). As I understand it, this book is originally written in French and was translated to English. While that does allow for some grace, the sheer amount of errors is unacceptable.
Along with that, some of the writing is just painfully dry at times. So much so that I found myself just skipping the chapter on music. Perhaps this is due to translation errors? Either way, it’s rough in patches.
However, I made it through the wilderness that is this book and it only made my desire to play through all the games again worse. Time to sneak in to Shadow Moses as the enigmatic Solid Snake once more.
This is an impressive book. Detailing both the development of and the lore of the Metal Gear franchise, I imagine, is no easy task. This is perfect for MGS fans, new and old. However, the book has major flaws in that it is riddled with misspellings, typos, or words being entirely omitted or duplicated (on the Kindle version anyway). As I understand it, this book is originally written in French and was translated to English. While that does allow for some grace, the sheer amount of errors is unacceptable.
Along with that, some of the writing is just painfully dry at times. So much so that I found myself just skipping the chapter on music. Perhaps this is due to translation errors? Either way, it’s rough in patches.
However, I made it through the wilderness that is this book and it only made my desire to play through all the games again worse. Time to sneak in to Shadow Moses as the enigmatic Solid Snake once more.
December 22, 2024
A good read for putting the entire story of the series together and Kojima's struggles with Konami.
The 2 stars were lost for the writing being too repetitive.
Towards the end of the book, several claims made are debatable:
"No sci-fi author, even from the cyberpunk stream, foresaw the advent of smartphones" -> Heinlein did in 1948 in the story "Space Cadet."
That "autonomous battle robots [were] inconceivable [...] even in 2015," is not even close to correct. Even a minimal amount of research would reveal this statement as a BS.
The end of the book tends towards banalities that anyone who has played a Metal Gear game is familiar with: pointing out references to movies or that Kojima enjoys cinema, things that anyone who has played any game in the series knows. There is no discussion or thoughts on why those particular references are made; the author touches on many subjects without exploring them in any way. These potentially interesting ideas and philosophical topics are pushed to the side in favor of an extended metaphor equating Solid Snake with Kojima.
The 2 stars were lost for the writing being too repetitive.
Towards the end of the book, several claims made are debatable:
"No sci-fi author, even from the cyberpunk stream, foresaw the advent of smartphones" -> Heinlein did in 1948 in the story "Space Cadet."
That "autonomous battle robots [were] inconceivable [...] even in 2015," is not even close to correct. Even a minimal amount of research would reveal this statement as a BS.
The end of the book tends towards banalities that anyone who has played a Metal Gear game is familiar with: pointing out references to movies or that Kojima enjoys cinema, things that anyone who has played any game in the series knows. There is no discussion or thoughts on why those particular references are made; the author touches on many subjects without exploring them in any way. These potentially interesting ideas and philosophical topics are pushed to the side in favor of an extended metaphor equating Solid Snake with Kojima.
August 13, 2017
Questo libro è perfetto per gli amanti della saga di Metal Gear Solid. Oltre a ripercorrere l'intera cronistoria della saga (oltre 100 anni) senza tralasciare dettaglio alcuno, è anche colma di curiosità, chicche, riferimenti e citazioni varie. Si passerà dall'inizio della storia, con la fondazione dei Filosofi, fino alla fine di tutto con Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots (cronologicamente parlando, ovviamente - all'interno del libro si parlerà anche di Ground Zeroes e The Phantom Pain); si parlerà della Konami come azienda, delle sue decisioni e delle manovre prese nei confronti dell'autore Giapponese. Metterà in chiaro, almeno in minima parte, l'origine e il motivo della discordia che poi ha portato i due fronti a chiudere i ponti l'uno con l'altro. Si parlerà di Kojima, della sua persona. Di cosa lo abbia ispirato a diventare quello che è oggi, a qual è il suo obiettivo. E di nuovo si scende nel dettaglio su ogni titolo della saga, parlando dello stealth e di come lo faccia da padrona, di come la serie ha saputo rinnovarsi. I pregi e i difetti di ogni singolo titolo. Di quello che ha dato e di quello che poteva dare. Di quello che è e di quello avrebbe potuto essere. Insomma, se come me seguite la saga da anni e volete un libro che racchiuda letteralmente tutto quanto questo fa al caso vostro. Il rapporto qualità prezzo è fantastico: ottima qualità per un ottimo prezzo
May 14, 2021
Rating : 2/5
I really care about this saga, unfortunately these guys decided to publish their review in the form of a book, where this could've easily existed for free on some website, because to put it bluntly, I don't care about their opinions, their views on certain subjects or theories on this and that. I just want the behind the scenes stories and actual facts, and this barely had that.
The only worthwhile part to me in this was 'Chapter IV - Universe', where the entire lore was laid out in a very comprehensive manner, and for people who played only one or two of these games but are still somewhat curious, this would be a good source of info.
I guess that what I'm saying is that as is, I don't see a reason to read this, especially when the wiki exists.
Also, next time please hire a professional to translate your fucking book.
I really care about this saga, unfortunately these guys decided to publish their review in the form of a book, where this could've easily existed for free on some website, because to put it bluntly, I don't care about their opinions, their views on certain subjects or theories on this and that. I just want the behind the scenes stories and actual facts, and this barely had that.
The only worthwhile part to me in this was 'Chapter IV - Universe', where the entire lore was laid out in a very comprehensive manner, and for people who played only one or two of these games but are still somewhat curious, this would be a good source of info.
I guess that what I'm saying is that as is, I don't see a reason to read this, especially when the wiki exists.
Also, next time please hire a professional to translate your fucking book.
May 21, 2019
Extremely detailed and powerful book with a lot of great insights, analysis, thought provoking facts. The deep dive into extremely complicated story of this saga was excellently done and has put all the things in good perspective.
Information about troubled development of the few episodes in the franchise was a very welcome part of the book and shed a lot of light on some decisions.
All in all, one of the best books from Third Editions to be read. Great compilation of game journalism and a must read for any fan of the series.
Information about troubled development of the few episodes in the franchise was a very welcome part of the book and shed a lot of light on some decisions.
All in all, one of the best books from Third Editions to be read. Great compilation of game journalism and a must read for any fan of the series.
November 25, 2017
Presto il mio commento
September 8, 2020
There's not much new information there if you are a fan of the series, but the writing is so good it convinces you to read it.
June 10, 2024
VOTO: 3
PRO: lettura scorrevole, ricostruzione cronologica degli eventi della saga
CONTRO: analisi abbastanza superficiale e speculativa, assenza di fonti bibliografiche
Un solido compendio dell'universo di Metal Gear, adatto soprattutto a chi non ha giocato tutti i capitoli. Molto interessante la prima parte, che racconta la genesi dei vari capitoli e soprattutto offe una ricostruzione cronologica degli eventi narrati nei vari capitoli della saga, aiutando a mettere ordine e incasellare le vicende dei vari capitoli.
Decisamente meno interessante la seconda parte, che cerca di approfondire gli elementi caratteristici che hanno reso celebre ed unica questa saga: mi aspettavo delle analisi originali e approfondite basate su evidenze documentali e accesso ad informazioni privilegiate, mentre ho trovato perlopiù analisi e speculazioni abbastanza superficiali, di pochissimo valore per il fan della saga.
PRO: lettura scorrevole, ricostruzione cronologica degli eventi della saga
CONTRO: analisi abbastanza superficiale e speculativa, assenza di fonti bibliografiche
Un solido compendio dell'universo di Metal Gear, adatto soprattutto a chi non ha giocato tutti i capitoli. Molto interessante la prima parte, che racconta la genesi dei vari capitoli e soprattutto offe una ricostruzione cronologica degli eventi narrati nei vari capitoli della saga, aiutando a mettere ordine e incasellare le vicende dei vari capitoli.
Decisamente meno interessante la seconda parte, che cerca di approfondire gli elementi caratteristici che hanno reso celebre ed unica questa saga: mi aspettavo delle analisi originali e approfondite basate su evidenze documentali e accesso ad informazioni privilegiate, mentre ho trovato perlopiù analisi e speculazioni abbastanza superficiali, di pochissimo valore per il fan della saga.
February 3, 2022
A great book which carefully sets out the FULL story of the metal gear series, including the little played MSX titles.
Good discussion is also had in terms of the role of Kojima within Konami which provides a good insight into his personal genius and the themes which have been cleverly woven into the video game narratives.
Essentially a MUST READ for any fan if not just because of it’s careful laying out of the storyline, which otherwise given it’s 30 year or so history can be hard to distill.
Good discussion is also had in terms of the role of Kojima within Konami which provides a good insight into his personal genius and the themes which have been cleverly woven into the video game narratives.
Essentially a MUST READ for any fan if not just because of it’s careful laying out of the storyline, which otherwise given it’s 30 year or so history can be hard to distill.
January 28, 2022
A book that suffers from some unbalance between the sections and poor editing. Half of the book is devoted to a chronological summary of the plot, this could have been vastly shortened in order to give more space to the story of the saga itself or the last chapters discussing several themes connected to the saga.
August 23, 2019
The perfect love letter to this amazing franchise, it covers everything from Konami's and Kojima's origins, to the gigantic plot across the sequels, evolution of the mechanics, music, graphics, influences.. A beautiful ride down the memory lane furnished by a mastermind and his heroes..
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews