Metal Gear Solid V Will Feature Less Cutscenes than Previous Metal Gear Solids

Kojima-san has stated the newest Metal Gear Solid will contain less cutscenes than before.

Kojima Productions is mixing things up for Metal Gear Solid V. During a roundtable discussion, Hideo Kojima promised that fewer cutscenes will be included compared to its predecessor.

Im sure youre worried about if the cutscenes are as long as Metal Gear Solid 4. Since this time around were using an open world environment, (Metal Gear Solid V will have) less cutscenes [than before].

Kojima continued his point by drawing the analogy of Metal Gear Solid 1-4 acting as movies whereas The Phantom Pain is more like a TV series.

If you think of Metal Gear Solids 1-4 as movies, [The Phantom Pain] is going to be like a TV series with episodes. (Each episode breaks down into a non-linear missions with that eventually) come together to complete the story we have designed.

Kojima added: Phantom Pain is the big game, and included in that is the prologue, Ground Zeroes.

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What are your reactions and responses?

He went overboard with MGS4. Good to see fewer cutscenes this time around. He definitely needs an editor who needs to make sure the biggest cutscene isnt longer than 5 minutes. 

I like the tv episode comparison as well. Games are too long to follow the 3 act movie formula. Most games suffer from pacing issues precisely because they cant sustain the awesomeness for 8-12 hours. Having 1-2 hour episodes with a climax in each episode is the best way to tell a long video game story.

This is a good thing IMO. They can focus on fleshing out the gameplay more.  The stealth in MGS is solid but could be oh so much better.

The problem was never the length of the cutscenes but the way in which they messed up the pacing of the game. MGS3 didn't have such a big issue with them outside of the first few hours because it tended to leave you on your own without constant interruptions (even though the cutscenes, when they did come, were long).

The way commentary is delivered on your surroundings as you move (rather than freezing and forcing you to listen to a Codec) looks like it will go some way towards smoothing out the pacing.

Really looking foward to MGS V. From all the games at E3, this one stayed with me the most.

Really looking foward to MGS V. From all the games at E3, this one stayed with me the most.

marcheegsr

I'll admit, the original trailer with Not Your Kind of People was incredible.

This is very old news. He has said this many times before. If he had a round table I am sure he actually gave new info.dvader654

He's just figuring out that MGS4 had too many cutscenes?

Will someone get Satan on the phone for a confirmation? Cause I think hell just froze over.GodModeEnabled

I say its IMPOSSIBLE cause he is mentally incapable of accomplishing such a task.

Great!!!...cause if 5 had the amount of cutscenes 4 had, means I won't be buying it...Im buying a game not a freaking movie. :P

Kojima also said the exact same thing about MGSIV

Probablly due to the open world aspect chewing up game time, so playing vs movie watching is more balanced.

Kind of a pity though, I love the movie aspect of MGS. To me its part of what makes a MGS game a MGS, its part of its personality and what sets it apart from other games. If I want more stealth and more action I can always play a game where that is its strong point, I play MGS because I want the games universe and unique style.

I even loved the movie heavy MGS4. Oh well, I just hope he doesnt sacrifice the games style for the sake of trying to appeal to a wider audience or get on the sandbox wagon.

Probablly due to the open world aspect chewing up game time, so playing vs movie watching is more balanced.

Kind of a pity though, I love the movie aspect of MGS. To me its part of what makes a MGS game a MGS, its part of its personality and what sets it apart from other games. If I want more stealth and more action I can always play a game where that is its strong point, I play MGS because I want the games universe and unique style.

I even loved the movie heavy MGS4. Oh well, I just hope he doesnt sacrifice the games style for the sake of trying to appeal to a wider audience or get on the sandbox wagon.

Gargus

I actually like the cutscenes in previous Metal Gear Solids and I include MGS4 when saying this because my opinion is they are entertaining and immersive to a certain extent. They are not as immersive as gameplay, but they do feature moments I give my attention to in a comparable way. Kojima-san's presentation style of dramatic dialogue is supported by or maybe even built upon cinematic scenes as a framework for the entirety of his gameplay to be an extension of his stories rather than stories being extensions of his gameplay design. An example of that is Psycho Mantis' psychic powers giving reason for players of Metal Gear Solid to change controller ports.

There is a video game I have in mind which tells a story without many high budget cutscenes and I was interested in it when I first played it. That game is Bastion. The story in Bastion is not organized to be as mysterious as a video game such as Metal Gear Solid, so in-game narration in the form of commentary works. I would say that the kind of storytelling in Bastion instead of cutscenes would make Metal Gear Solid a different game series.

With those things said, there are more cutscenes in Metal Gear Solid 4 than any other game I have played by far and I would not mind less cutscenes if the quality of scene content remains good.

But the cut scenes are half the fun! :(

Come on Kojima, to thine own verbose self be true.