Metal Gear Solid 2: Raiden Didn't Deserve The Backlash The Character Received
Opinion Article: The Surprise Character From Metal Gear Solid 2 Was Unfairly and Prematurely Judged
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty was released for the PlayStation 2 in November of 2001 in North America and Japan. The highly anticipated sequel to Metal Gear Solid put gamers back in the boots of Solid Snake, the hero of Shadow Moses.
Being in the role of Solid Snake for the first time on PlayStation 2 was a key selling point for the game as part of the second holiday game release cycle for the PlayStation 2. Gamers were in for a surprise when they cleared the first portion of the game and ended up in the boots of the young upstart Raiden.
His role was met with surprise and a very mixed reaction from fans. The reaction may have been a knee-jerk reaction from the surprise of not playing as Solid Snake for the entirety of the campaign. The response was not exactly what the developers had hoped for regarding the new character. Let’s examine some of the positive aspects brought by Raiden.
Raiden Did Not Deserve the Backlash
His Role in Sons of Liberty Made Sense at the End
The plotline of Metal Gear Solid 2 is anything but simple. It has been described as a post-modern video game due to the themes it explores and the complexity of the story. Some themes explored in the game include the use of artificial intelligence, manipulation, and virtual reality. The game has a heavy psychological and sociological element to it. Metal Gear Solid 2 can feel very overwhelming and at times, extremely confusing.
Those who played the original Metal Gear Solid will have some Deja Vu when Raiden is introduced. The beginning sequence of his portion of the campaign heavily calls back to that of Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid. Everything from swimming into the location to waiting for the elevator, avoiding enemy sentries, speaking with the Colonel over the codec, all the way to removing the dive equipment on the elevator feels like being back on Shadow Moses.
As the plot unravels and things become more complex, we learn that the entire Raiden portion of the campaign was designed to be a test to see if he could become the next Solid Snake, by recreating Shadow Moses. The entire operation was staged, and it is revealed that Raiden was speaking to an AI over the codec, not an actual Colonel.
Although the plot becomes very complex, it wouldn’t work without Raiden. The multiple nodes to Shadow Moses make sense in the context that the entire portion of Raiden’s campaign is to see if he is on the same level as Solid Snake, validating Raiden’s involvement in the game.
He Became a Key Part of the Series
Metal Gear Solid 2 was not the final time we saw Raiden in a Metal Gear Solid game.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots follows Solid Snake five years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2. Raiden returns making good on his promise to Olga Gurlukovich and rescues her child, who was being held hostage by The Patriots.
In a way, he also avenges the death of Otocon’s stepsister Emma Emmerich. Raiden saves her from a flooded portion of the Big Shell in Metal Gear Solid 2 so she can upload a virus that helps take down Arsenal Gear. However, she is stabbed by Vamp on the way to the control room and later dies from the injury.
Later in Metal Gear Solid 4 Raiden kills Vamp and gets revenge for Emma and Otocon. Shortly after taking Vamp out, he helps Solid Snake as Snake shuts down the Patriot’s AIs.
Although he wasn’t the central protagonist in Metal Gear Solid 4, he was a key character in the game in multiple scenarios.
His Part in Later Games Added a Unique Element to the Storied Franchise
In addition to being a key part of Metal Gear Solid 4, he also starred in the standalone game Metal Gear Rising Revengeance. Much like his appearance in Metal Gear Solid 4, Rising Revengeance saw Raiden decked out with cyborg enhancements making him more machine than man.
Rising Revengeance changed the direction of the franchise. Much of the series had been based on stealth action with the Metal Gear Solid games carrying the tagline Tactical Espionage Action. Rising Revengance changed all of that. Although stealth was an element of the game, Raiden’s cyborg abilities are on full display. Having Raiden armed with a katana, the game has a much faster-paced hack-and-slash feeling to it. Action takes center stage and Raiden’s ruthless personality is shown more prevalently.
Overall, the gameplay and tone of Raiden showed a drastic shift compared to the last two entries Raiden was a part of.
Adding His Part to the Story
Although Raiden’s first appearance in the storied franchise was met with a mixed reaction and a lot of controversy, the backlash was not deserved. As the plot of Metal Gear Solid 2 developed he proved to be a key part of the game and his involvement in later installments showed him to be an integral part of the franchise.
How do you feel about Raiden’s involvement in the series? Sound off in the comments.
