Metal Gear Solid Survive Was Probably a Nail in the Coffin for MGS6
Metal Gear Survive was far from a successful game for Konami, giving players every possible reason in the book to be done with the franchise. Not only did it release shortly after the company’s poor treatment of industry icon Hideo Kojima, but Metal Gear Survive was panned by critics for its poor story, bad AI, and misuse of the Metal Gear name. Worse yet, the release of Metal Gear Survive has all but likely ensured that a proper Metal Gear Solid 6 will never happen.
While a few fans would surely be happy to see another Metal Gear Solid game, even after Metal Gear Survive, many more would likely be against the idea. Not only would Hideo Kojima not be involved with a Metal Gear Solid 6, despite building the franchise from the ground up, but Metal Gear Survive’s disastrous launch has almost dissolved every hope fans may have had regarding another Metal Gear Solid 6 game. If a proper MGS 6 never happens, players can point a big portion of the blame directly at Metal Gear Survive.
Virtually everything has been said over the last several years regarding Hideo Kojima’s departure from Konami, but back when Metal Gear Survive first released, Konami had the chance to prove the franchise could survive without its iconic creator. Instead, Metal Gear Survive showed how crucial Kojima was to the Metal Gear machine, as players received a generic survival game in place of the incredible, tactical shooter gameplay the Metal Gear Solid series is known for. While Metal Gear Rising Revengeance was able to succeed despite breaking from the stealthy mold of the main series, Metal Gear Survive crumbled under the pressure almost instantly.
The poorly reviewed Metal Gear Survive was viewed instantly as the worst entry in the series, stripping away virtually everything that made Metal Gear what it was and instantly becoming one of 2018's most disappointing games. With an incredibly bland story and Snake nowhere to be seen, the game struggled to maintain interest from the moment it was announced. With a beta confirming player fears and a full release showing that no major adjustments had been made, the game flopped, with most Metal Gear players showing no interest in fighting the zombified enemies.
Metal Gear Survive was a misfire in every sense of the word. Konami proved every doubter right with the release of the game, as not only did it lack the polish and storytelling of a Kojima title, but it felt like a different series entirely. Rather than soldiers and iconic bosses like Psycho Mantis, players fought “wanderers,” crystallized husks that would fit well within any budget Zombie story. Further, players entering through portals into a world called Dite could not be any less Metal Gear-like, and incredibly offensive microtransactions that charged Metal Gear Survive players for save files sealed the game’s fate. Metal Gear in name only, Metal Gear Survive could very well have been the dying breath of one of gaming’s most legendary video game franchises.
With Metal Gear Survive being a betrayal of the core values that make up an MGS title, it is no surprise that a Metal Gear Solid 6 seems unlikely. While Konami certainly could make MGS 6, it should probably just avoid it, as fans would be hard to impress after everything that happened with the series after the release of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Not only would Konami have to deal with outcry from Kojima loyalists, who would be quick to point out all the flaws and missing touches in a hypothetical Metal Gear Solid 6, but anyone who played Metal Gear Survive would surely fear history repeating itself in Metal Gear Solid 6. Konami would be hard-pressed to regain the trust of fans, and even if the company managed to make a decent Metal Gear on its own, MGS 6 could not live up to its predecessors.
However, not only has Metal Gear Survive made many fans fearful of a potential Metal Gear Solid 6, but it has likely made Konami itself less interested in such a prospect. After all, Metal Gear Survive did not just bring in bad reviews, but it also fared poorly commercially as well. Metal Gear Survive did not sell well whatsoever, with a low number of players purchasing the Metal Gear spinoff — and even fewer buying into the game’s microtransactions.
Sadly, fans will likely never see a proper Metal Gear Solid 6. The game could have served as a thrilling re-telling of the first two Metal Gear games, seeing Big Boss and Solid Snake collide in an epic confrontation on modern consoles. Instead, it will likely never come to be, with Metal Gear Survive being the straw that broke the camel’s back. Still, Metal Gear Solid fans and Konami alike have one final hope for new Metal Gear Solid content, and it may be even better than Metal Gear Solid 6. Going forward, Konami should focus on remakes of the original Metal Gear Solid games.
Not only would remakes be the perfect way to keep fans happy, but modern versions of classic Metal Gear games will ensure steady sales for Konami. With none of the gameplay changes or intrusions like Metal Gear Survive had, and no risk of going against Kojima’s vision, Konami could please everyone by releasing prettier versions of the influential titles. By looking to Bluepoint’s remakes of Shadow of the Colossus and Demon’s Souls, the visually updated Metal Gear games could maintain the feel of the original titles while looking more gorgeous than ever. With MGS 3’s cutscenes already remade due to a controversial pachinko machine, work has already been done for the potential remakes. While Metal Gear Survive may have been a nail in the coffin for MGS 6, it does not need to mark the end for the entire Metal Gear Solid franchise.
Metal Gear Survive is now available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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