[School of Everything Else 2025]

This is a follow-up to our 2021 episode on the legendary 1998 original PS1 Metal Gear Solid. This time I have brought in Willow to explore the two major PS2 instalments. We begin with what feels like creator Hideo Kojima answering the impossible question as to how to improve upon his first masterpiece (which goes so far beyond the two MSX games as to leave them feeling like prototypes) by trolling the fanboys who wanted a power fantasy. In the most audacious bait-and-switch of all time, our grizzled hero Solid Snake is snatched away from our control, and instead we are slid into the skin-tight bodysuit of blonde-haired rookie, Raiden. What follows is metatextual in the extreme, frequently absurd, occasionally groan-inducing and at times frighteningly prescient.

Then we go back in time to the mid-1960s with Snake Eater; an epic Cold War crawl through the Russian jungle. This entry in the series houses one of the most memorable and tragic antagonists in video gaming history, coupled with one of the most powerful conclusions. This one, with its overly complex camouflage, foraging and first-aid most definitely warranted its recent Delta remake. In my playthrough the mechanics effected the story in a way that even meta-minded Kojima could not have intended.

(NOTE: These were originally released as barebones, raw footage After School Club episodes. This presentation involved an editorial overhaul with music and game clips finally in place.)

Next Week: Django Unchained