A main theme explored in Metallic Gear Strong V: The Phantom Ache is that beliefs and abilities can stay on by anyone particular person, and there’s no higher instance of this than the sport’s huge reveal that player-character Venom Snake will not be Massive Boss, however a former comrade to the legendary soldier. We are saying ‘huge reveal’ however there was in reality quite a few situations which made clear Venom Snake was not who we thought he was – a few of which got to us earlier than the sport even got here out.
NOTE: This characteristic accommodates main spoilers for Metallic Gear Strong 5: The Phantom Ache.
Ishmael and the Medic voiced by Kiefer Sutherland
Not the obvious one on this listing, Floor Zeroes’ Medic solely delivered a handful of traces nevertheless it was instantly jarring for many who heard it intently. By tweaking the Medic’s sound, it was revealed that he was voiced by Sutherland. After which in TPP’s opening moments, Ishmael is voiced by Sutherland too. One thing unusual was clearly afoot; simply who is that this Ishmael man anyway?
Ishmael additionally an professional in stealth and evasion
Persevering with this Ishmael thread, you can conceivably ponder how Ishmael is such an professional in stealth and evasion, professionally guiding the participant by hazard within the recreation’s hospital prologue. His abilities so intently bear the hallmark of Massive Boss it’s inconceivable to disregard.
“Who am I? You’re speaking to your self”
These traces delivered by Ishmael are as on the nostril as something, eradicating any doubt that Ishmael and the participant are some type of carbon copy of one another. Nevertheless, this line principally fed hypothesis that Ishmael was only a figment of the participant’s creativeness, one thing Venom Snake conjured in his personal thoughts after being comatose for therefore lengthy.
‘The Man Who Bought the World’
Utilizing the well-known track ‘The Man Who Bought the World’ within the recreation’s trailers and the opening seconds of the sport provide clues to Venom’s true id too. See, the track’s initially by David Bowie however the model utilized by Konami was Midge Ure’s cowl, instantly signalling one thing isn’t fairly proper. Plus, one interpretation of the track is it’s a few doppelganger, or certainly a good friend who’s misplaced on the earth.
Venom Snake’s incapacity to talk languages
One of many first missions in MGSV is to seize a Russian interpreter to help in an interrogation, however we be taught in Metallic Gear Strong 3 that Bare Snake is great at talking Russian – so how can it’s Venom Snake requires a Russian interpreter? This discrepancy is blamed on Venom’s mind injury, however with all the opposite clues thus far it’s one other apparent instance Venom will not be who we expect he’s.
Dialog about Liquid Snake with Ocelot
One of many largest clues as to Venom’s true id as an unrelated medic in MGSV comes throughout a dialog with Ocelot relating to Liquid. Ocelot reveals that Venom doesn’t share the identical DNA. This revelation would counsel that both Liquid will not be who they’re presupposed to be, or Venom isn’t. Confusion apart, that is yet one more proof that Venom will not be the true Massive Boss.
Kaz saying “what about him?”
First witnessed in MGSV’s GDC 2013 trailer, we see by the medic’s eyes each Massive Boss and Kaz being frantically handled for his or her accidents. Kaz is awake when Massive Boss goes right into a coma, stating “what about him?” in reference to the medic. It’s argued right here that Kaz already knew at this level that the medic was going to fill in as Massive Boss’ physique double, therefore his need for the medical workers to deal with him too. Submit GDC, Kojima was requested by Keighley about that third man to which Kojima referred to himself which was an oblique reference to Venom being a illustration of the gamers themselves.
Saying “stored you ready” within the blandest method attainable
Kaz is conscious of Snake’s iconic one-liners, so requests Venom recite one throughout his rescue on the outset of MGSV. Nevertheless, presumably as he’s unfamiliar with saying it himself, Venom says “stored you ready” within the blandest method attainable, clearly not realising the gravitas of the phrases.
Facial reconstruction
This one might simply have been defined away as Hideo Kojima toying with the idea of the participant representing Snake in a extra concerned method, or extra merely as a customized avatar for future multiplayer play. Because it occurs, the power for the participant to reconstruct Venom’s face is one other clue as to his true id as a stand in, morphing his unique face to one thing extra akin to Massive Boss.
Huey expressing shock
In the course of the fruits of episode 12 simply as Venom is about to kidnap Dr Huey Emmerich, Huey glares considerably at Venom’s face with an air of confusion. “Are you…. Snake?” This particular person appears like Massive Boss, however not precisely like him – shrapnel protruding from brow however – main Huey struggling to recognise who precisely was about to abduct him. One other clue as to one thing being ‘off’ with Venom’s look.
The Boss AI not recognising Venom
As refined as The Boss AI is – developed as a call maker to answer nuclear strike, in spite of everything – it had a tough time recognising Venom in MGSV, regardless of realizing who the true Massive Boss was throughout their interactions in Peace Walker.
Volgin realising Venom will not be Massive Boss
Within the aspect quest whereby, Venom retrieves the person on hearth’s physique, the scene was set for a boss battle. Nevertheless, through the cutscene, bullets fall to floor with Volgin and his horse merely dying away. Complicated at first maybe, actually what this scene is proving is that Volgin recognises Venom will not be the true Massive Boss, subsequently his lust for revenge dies away and with it his lease on life, Volgin henceforth resting without end.
Paz’s aspect arc
Encountering Paz throughout the medical platform conjures emotions of guilt and disgrace from Venom which might simply be defined by Massive Boss’s recollections. Nevertheless, what’s evident come the large reveal is that Venom is definitely traumatised by his personal guilt from method again as a medic when he failed to save lots of a affected person. Not having the ability to save Paz should have weighed closely on Venom’s psyche and was one thing he couldn’t shake regardless of him filling the footwear of Massive Boss.
The posters in Motherbase
Motherbase’s posters stating ‘Massive Boss is Watching You’ is clearly a play on 1984 whereby the slogan showing on posters on this novel is ‘Massive Brother is Watching You.’ This phrase is meant to threaten the dictated populace into all the time preserving in line. If Venom was Massive Boss, why would these posters have to exist?
Venom’s eyeball
Massive Boss wore an eyepatch on his proper eye due to an accident by Ocelot in Operation Snake Eater, his eye torched by muzzle burn rupturing the cornea and lens ensuing within the full lack of the eyeball. Quite the opposite, Venom seems blinded in a single eye. It’s attainable his eye was purposefully broken to help his phantasm as a Massive Boss stand in, nevertheless there’s a neat principle floating round that Venom’s eye really works nice however he’s underneath the spell of being Massive Boss so strongly that his eye is malfunctioning because of some psychological hypnosis.
Venom Snake’s reflections and shadows
If the participant zooms into their reflection within the ACC window, the face that stares again at them is the one they’ve created – their avatar is the reflection. Shouldn’t they count on to see the reflection of Venom Snake? The identical factor even occurs in his face’s shadow which is structurally completely different than its type.
Venom can odor
Fairly apparent, this one. In Metallic Gear Strong 3, Bare Snake tells us he has no sense of odor. But, in MGSV Venom Snake says of the quarantine bay that it smells “candy like fruit”, and that he can “odor it by the masks.” That is too huge of an inconsistency to be ignored and is a really deliberate clue as to Venom’s true id.
Venom asking Ocelot about Ishmael
In one of many first cassette tapes, it’s audible Venom is asking Ocelot who the person who saved his life within the hospital is, referring to Ishmael. Ocelot affords no response, as an alternative outright blanking him. Certain, its attainable Ocelot has merely forgotten given he himself underwent remedy to play his position, however there’s one thing unusual in Ocelot outright ignoring Venom’s query.
Coming into identify and date of start
There’s symbolic that means behind Venom performing as silent protagonist: Kojima is working to get the participant to see themselves as Massive Boss – you aren’t Massive Boss however your individual model of him. To solidify this level – and very like the avatar creation – the sport requests you enter your identify and date of start. The medic doesn’t have a reputation till you give him one.
Metallic Gear Strong has precedent for meme
MGS has a historical past of characters residing on by meme, a theme intently explored in MGS2: Sons of Liberty whereby Massive Boss’ third clone Solidus Snake is sterile in order to not bear youngsters identical to Strong Snake and Liquid Snake. The theme of the sport proposes that characters can stay on by artifacts past genetics – therefore, meme. Given this, a non-genetic physique double in MGSV shouldn’t have been too huge a revelation when it was finally revealed.
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