Can Hideo Kojima (ever) script a good story? (Spoilers)

So I was wondering, among your many subjective beliefs of what's good, depending on what you've played, where you live, what you find acceptable, etc., do you think Hideo Kojima, the man behind the Metal Gear Solid and Zone of Ender series can script a good story?

I personally think he has the talent to, but he's too compulsive in his pursuit of some brilliance that doesn't exist. MGS2's story was hurt by its pacing and silliness, MGS3's didn't have as thematic of an ending with me as others because it didn't focus on interesting plot points enough, and Peace Walker's cutscenes annoyed me to the point I skipped them, something I never do in video games.

Button mashing on a PSPgo didn't help either.

As far as video game standards go, I think hes alright.  Hell I'd even say hes good.  Barring MGS4 and Portable Ops, his stories always managed to entertain me.  MGS1, 2 and 3 were pretty great for vg stories at their time.

I think what Kojima really needs is a strong counter voice.  It seems that he has good ideas, but being subtle and concise are not parts of his tool set.

He did; it's called Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater. And it's better than good, its great.

I think its one of the best video game stories in history. I'm a fan of the series though so I'm biased. I think MGS 3 in particular is particularly brilliant and thought provoking.

At this rate? No. He needs an editor to look over his writing; someone to say "This doesn't work" and "Yo, you can't write for shit".

Tell me more about Portable Ops' story and why it was bad. I played PO+ as my first MGS game and then PO. Not knowing MGS was MGS, the story overwhelmed me so I went back to PO+.Blabadon

Honestly, I havent played the game since back when it launched so I dont remember too much about it.  I just remember really not liking it at the time.  I remember some of the main things I disliked werent because of the story itself, but how the story fit into the universe.  It was the first MGS game to go retcon crazy.  Not only did they drastically change Frank Jaegers age to shoehorn him into the story, but they wrote him in as this ridiculous 'Null' character completely conflicts with Jaegers original history.  

Of course this is common place for the series now, MGS4 was loaded to the brim with similar retcons, some of them even worse.  I guess after MGS3, Kojima decided that consistency isnt really important.  

Anyways, the game isnt really fresh on my mind.  I'd need to give it another play, or watch the cutscenes again to give you my full list of issues, but I'd really rather not.  :P

I think its one of the best video game stories in history. I'm a fan of the series though so I'm biased. I think MGS 3 in particular is particularly brilliant and thought provoking.

Ilovegames1992

this, except for maybe mgs 2 the rest have been great, mgs 3 in partciular was incredible and the ending one of the best in gaming history.

I love Metal Gear but I always have a hard time understanding the story due to so much exposition of relevant and irrelevant stuff. He gives too much detail about everything and then he makes such obvious mistakes like that scene in MGS4 with Raiden and the submarine or at the beginning when Snake fires a random gun without an ID. In MGS3, how many double crosses can one character do before whoever was writing the story thought that it was too much? :o

Nope, just garbage.

I really think Kojima's writing is a brilliant mix of comic, bizarre, serious and gripping.  And they never seem to interfere with each other.

I love Metal Gear but I always have a hard time understanding the story due to so much exposition of relevant and irrelevant stuff. He gives too much detail about everything and then he makes such obvious mistakes like that scene in MGS4 with Raiden and the submarine or at the beginning when Snake fires a random gun without an ID. In MGS3, how many double crosses can one character do before whoever was writing the story thought that it was too much? :o

Gue1

To be fair I like that whole everyone other than the main hero was a quadruple spy bullsh!t. Thats why Ocelot is possibly my fave video game characters ever. He's both extremely trecherous yet extremely loyal.

Yup. AAAAE GOTY MGS4 has the greatest story in video game history, probably on par with The Wire in terms of storytelling.ManInFlames

I love Metal Gear but I always have a hard time understanding the story due to so much exposition of relevant and irrelevant stuff. He gives too much detail about everything and then he makes such obvious mistakes like that scene in MGS4 with Raiden and the submarine or at the beginning when Snake fires a random gun without an ID. In MGS3, how many double crosses can one character do before whoever was writing the story thought that it was too much? :o

Gue1

To be fair I like that whole everyone other than the main hero was a quadruple spy bullsh!t. Thats why Ocelot is possibly my fave video game characters ever. He's both extremely trecherous yet extremely loyal.

MGS2 was utterly fantastic and almost nobody noticed.foxhound_fox

I think i'm in the minority that loved that story. Even though it was super complex and dumb. The final third was just a quintessential fuk you' gamer mind screw. Spec Ops the Line tried shades of this without the total insanity and it worked well too.

Although MGS 2 had the Otacon crying for about 45 minutes in cutscenes. That's the one thing that was tiresome. 

MGS2 was utterly fantastic and almost nobody noticed.foxhound_fox

Group of misunderstood villains working for some major power behind the scenes. Same shit over and lol.

What is it in the next one? It seems a lady dressed like a hooker who is possibly deaf mute (or some bullcrap about a vow not to speak because is so sad) probably because a horny Japenese man dressed her up. And some dude who looks like a ripoff of Red Skull.

Srly, it's the same crap over and over.

Group of misunderstood villains working for some major power behind the scenes. Same shit over and lol.

 

What is it in the next one? It seems a lady dressed like a hooker who is possibly deaf mute (or some bullcrap about a vow not to speak because is so sad) probably because a horny Japenese man dressed her up. And some dude who looks like a ripoff of Red Skull.

Srly, it's the same crap over and over.

uninspiredcup

Judging a game before its even come out and on the basis of a trailer. 

I love this forum.

[QUOTE="uninspiredcup"]

Group of misunderstood villains working for some major power behind the scenes. Same shit over and lol.

 

What is it in the next one? It seems a lady dressed like a hooker who is possibly deaf mute (or some bullcrap about a vow not to speak because is so sad) probably because a horny Japenese man dressed her up. And some dude who looks like a ripoff of Red Skull.

Srly, it's the same crap over and over.

Ilovegames1992

Judging a game before its even come out and on the basis of a trailer. 

I love this forum.

Yea, like i'm wrong.

MGS2 was utterly fantastic and almost nobody noticed.foxhound_fox

He did; it's called Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater. And it's better than good, its great.

Shensolidus

I loved MGS3 as much as the next guy, but the story in it was asinine; it threw like three twists into the plot in the last minutes of the game. That's not good storytelling. I doubt Kojima will ever create a game with a deep, meaningful story as most of the inspiration he gets seems to be derived from anime/manga, which is almost universally idiotic--idiotic in a bad way. 

MGS1 was as close to a good script as he'll ever get, every other MGS game since has had really bad writing in comparisonprinceofshapeir

I think its one of the best video game stories in history. I'm a fan of the series though so I'm biased. I think MGS 3 in particular is particularly brilliant and thought provoking.

Ilovegames1992

No. He's never shown the ability to write dialogue that isn't corny. Endearing for its cheese sure, but definitely corny. jg4xchamp

........ in the end its a video game.

kingoflife9

I don't think Kojima problem is in scripting. He's just terrible director. 

I think he's decent... his writting may often be cheesy, convoluted and whatever, yet I still find it entertaining... as long as I don't overthink it. Then, things quickly start falling apart...

I think he's decent... his writting may often be cheesy, convoluted and whatever, yet I still find it entertaining... as long as I don't overthink it. Then, things quickly start falling apart...

Well as he had to tie all the crazy plots left by the earlier games together in MGS4 and he really could't write his way out of it in a believable way so he just bombarded us with an endless stream of insanity until most normal humans gave up an skipped that shit all together .

Next time please hire a sane editor Kojima !

I enjoyed Kojima's earlier works like Snatcher and Policenauts.

While both games had their issues in writing they were less apparant than the dribble in the MGS series.

I especially hate the parts with tons of technobabble.

Those parts sound so stupid when used in a script because any normal human wouldn't talk like that.

What are you talking about, MGS is the best series in videogames.

MGS4 is the GOTG (inb4 mad GTAV fans :cry: )

Kojima is truly a genius. I actually praise him every time I wake up in the morning.

His stories are entertaining, sort of like those 80s action movies, with but better characters.

They're not incredibly good, but they are incredibly memorable.

For videogame standards he's decent, though not saying much

MGS2 though is such a terribly misunderstood game that has a LOT of layers to it that went over the heads of many when it launched cos they were too busy hating Raiden. If you look at some videos dissecting that game you'll realise how smart it really is

MGS3 is far less subtle but still really well done and so is MGS1 to a certain extent (psycho mantis is awesome) 

MGS4 is a pile of hot shit

Does he need to? He makes the plot extremely entertaining despite the story itself being a mess.

 

MGS2 though is such a terribly misunderstood game that has a LOT of layers to it that went over the heads of many

 

seanmcloughlin

MGS2 though is such a terribly misunderstood game that has a LOT of layers to it that went over the heads of many when it launched cos they were too busy hating Raiden. If you look at some videos dissecting that game you'll realise how smart it really isseanmcloughlin

[QUOTE="seanmcloughlin"]MGS2 though is such a terribly misunderstood game that has a LOT of layers to it that went over the heads of many when it launched cos they were too busy hating Raiden. If you look at some videos dissecting that game you'll realise how smart it really isdrinkerofjuice

That and Rosemary...