Convenient Truths

[@ProfessorViral]

3 links to fight the Patriots: Support us on Patreon to improve our content: www.patreon.com/professorviral Join our Discord for some more discussion: discord.gg/AfwXGKx Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date: twitter.com/Professorviral

[@shin-oni4223]

I remember that year, I bought a PS2 January of 2K1

[@aqualucasYT]

Sons of Liberty was a game i always knew had stirred controversy but i had missed the initial wave of confusion from fans of the original game. I'm glad that people are still pondering it's themes and questioning Kojima's stance on the information age that resonate now more than ever. Great video man keep up the hard work

[@ProfessorViral]

I only got into the franchise after 4 had already released, so I well missed it all. But digging around old forums to see reactions is always fun. Much like with Serial Experiments Lain, I would say Kojima and team just had a good read on human behavior, and saw the next shift of the goalposts for it in the internet age. I'm hoping to talk more about the logistics of it all sometime as well

[@alexandernoviello9557]

I played the whole game, waiting to go back to playing as Snake. I was in such denial that when Substance released, I legit thought Snake Tales was going to be the 2nd half of the story, from Snake's perspective. I learned to love the game for what it was, it just wasn't what I was expecting at the time. This game, to truly appreciate it, you have to almost have been bamboozled when it first released and the watch SuperBunnyHop's video on the game 15 years later to truly appreciate what the game was going for, and why. Also, I feel like younger folks, born after 9/11, might hear the Patriots and the AI Colonel's speech about information control and the Patriot's motives and be like, "yeah, they're just explaining the state of the internet" without realizing that it used to sound like a wild techno-acid trip at the time it originally released. AI and information control seemed so far out reality at the time, but it's all old news nowadays.

[@Darth_Bateman]

Given what is about to happen with A.I.? And how popular fascism is today? How everyone seems to want a hero to emerge and save us, but simultaneously wants to tear down anyone who rises too high. How effort and sacrifice are frowned upon. It’s almost insane how prophetic this game was.

[@jenpachi2408]

People hated Raiden at first and keep in mind a lot of this game was passed off as convicted nonsense by critics but it turned out to not only be important but be prophetic as a result

[@alexandernoviello9557]

@jenpachi2408 Because people generally regard MGS2 as a classic, it's easily understated just how much people hated Raiden. Hot off the heels of Code Veronica, I was kind of just powering through Raiden's campaign,hoping for when I switch back to Snake. Didn't realize until Snake offered me infinite ammo that I just didn't know what the fuck was going on. MGS2 definitely is more "Howl's Moving Castle" than "Metal Gear Solid" as we understood the franchise at that point in history.

[@cmorche]

As someone who grew up without any other male role models, I remember answering this query with Solid Snake for a teacher and feeling so uncomfortable because I literally had no one else. I still don't regret my decision.

[@badasstoad9419]

As a born male I never liked men, and despite being around them, I never felt like I related to them or resonating with them in most ways. Solid Snake is one of the exceptions. I disliked and rejected most men around me as role models, but Solid Snake was something else. Snake was dutiful, cool-headed, deep and philosophical, actually very emotional, not “trying to act cool” or any other stereotypical behaviors of mentally weak men. (I think most are mentally weak) Solid Snake fought the hard battle, the hard path, that was true to himself and his values and views. Never a bigot, never an extremist. Always fighting for the greater good, but never ever giving up the tough path through any of that pain. Even when he got Old, he had a bit of life left to enjoy but he decided he wanted to…. “end it”, so there’s no more “Snakes” in the world. Thinking of the greater good still, even when he earns his freedom. Most real humans, men or women….. were too disappointing, too filthy, too immoral, too weak and breaking under that pain to betray any idea of “greater good” and morals. Let’s not make it about gender, since gender obviously matters little in who we are. Solid Snake, is a perfect role mode. For all of us… He and my Mother, are my only 2 respected role models. And both were resilient and selfless, as am I. ❤ “The path may be tough or unhappy, but it’s true and just.” Real humans know strength when they see how they act in pain.

[@noxlunesia]

Why is it that Raiden's games specifically seem to become increasingly more and more relevant as time marches on?

[@ProfessorViral]

I have to play Rising still, to be honest. I tried in high school, but I really didn't do well with its gameplay. I might have to check out just the story instead haha

[@Darth_Bateman]

Raiden was literally the best character metal gear had to offer. From the moment he was shown, Raiden was special. His whiny disposition and edgy behavior was reflective of the player. Like Kojima knew his audience without any kind of Amazon data gathering. Players hate of him was the hate they have deep down for themselves.

[@severussin]

@@Darth_Bateman Exactly because the archetype that enjoys a VR version of reality are the gamers who play war games One thing Kojima and the team seemed to always know is the audience and how his own personal influences from movies could be wielded to transmit the desired atmosphere to the audience on an emotional level Its genius work !

[@meowmeow1010]

​@@ProfessorViral DUDE DONT DO IT. IT LITERALLY REDEFINES RAIDEN'S CHARACTER. THAT GAME IS HORRIBLE

[@aldoeljardinero]

@@Darth_Bateman he was cool asf from the very start, I wanna get his tats

[@kirby-zd9js]

Came for the Metal Gear, stayed for the deep-thought provoking philosophy. Loving your videos. Keep up the great work, man!

[@eightyfiv32]

Damn. Absolutely fantastic video. Well done. So many ups and downs in the story, I never expected to be left with such profound answer at the end.

[@ProfessorViral]

I'm just passing along the resident madman Kojima's work really!

[@ldragon2515]

Yep, there’s a reason why Sons Of Liberty is one of my all time favorite video games (second favorite actually). It just gets more relevant and timely with each passing year, and even without that, it also remains a blast to play. Few other games I can think of are so rich in terms of philosophy and how interwoven the game is with the themes and narrative. It never forgets the medium it is in, and in fact, takes full advantage of it, rather than trying to emulate films like so many cinematic titles unfortunately tend to do. MGS2’s story is one that could only be told by the medium of gaming. It’s why it stands strong. :)

[@ProfessorViral]

It's one of those times where the concept was perfect for what they were trying to do. Making people play as a character they disliked for those themes is in my mind similar to Perfect Blue using a story about an actor to show a blur between reality and fiction. Each very much only works because of the specific medium, and they take full advantage of them

[@ldragon2515]

@@ProfessorViral Indeed. Like I said, far too many works in gaming that try to be deep just emulate movies, not getting that film and video games are entirely different mediums, meaning what works for one doesn’t exactly have the same effect in the other. MGS2 however understands that it is a video game, and it’s way more interesting to look into because it takes full advantage of that fact to communicate its themes. I can’t think of many others that do that. Maybe the Nier series, Majora’s Mask, Final Fantasy VII, Bioshock, Silent Hill 2, and Shadow Of The Colossus.

[@G44]

So which is your number 1?

[@ldragon2515]

@@G44 The Legend Of Zelda Breath Of The Wild. Kind of a controversial choice, I know. XD

[@G44]

@@ldragon2515 not at all, good choice I think - never played it but it got fantastic reviews. I'm still surfing on the waves of Koholint Island.

[@Hartmansgrad]

'The Different Cardinal truths neither clash nor mesh' feels like a direct reference to dialectical materialism and given the time period of it's release, MGS2 feels like it's contending with Francis Fukuyama's 'End of History'. Thankfully, history in a Marxist sense is still very much alive and well...but it's interesting to look at this idea as the dark reflection (I might also say natural logical end result) of The Boss' vision of a world without borders and ideological conflicts...ultimately a nailve path to nightmarish dystopia. Hell, you can even see Senator Armstrong's America where the grand naratives of ideology and nation will no longer matter, only individualism.

[@misterhim7380]

Never played these games but your videos are always thought provoking. Can't wait until the next one.

[@ProfessorViral]

thank you, I hope they'll keep being something you enjoy!

[@2yoyoyo1Unplugged]

Man, I kinda wish you would have said more, because I LOVE talking to people who either haven't experienced or are new to Metal Gear about what they think about the concepts and wackiness it brings.

[@zlodrim9284]

Always nice to see another thoughtful analysis of this brilliant masterpiece! I replayed it last month and I was amazed at how well Kojima constructs the world full of deceit and lies and makes the player get lost in it all, mirroring Raiden's delusions and fears, and then Snake swoops in with the speech at the end, offers you a hand and gives you something to hold onto and instills some bit of hope and it's one of the most beautiful gaming moments I've experienced. The way Kojima and his team constructed the game, the concept for the sequel and the brilliant marketing strategy for it, the masterfully crafted opening level giving you a false impression it's going to be the same as before with you controlling Snake and being the main hero, it was certainly a bold creative move and I'm sure it was on the verge of being a career suicide should the sequel have failed commercially and not preformed as well as they hoped given the blockbuster status of the original at the time. There's so many fascinating things to talk about, analyze and think about regarding MGS 2 and it's certainly one of the most unique video games of all time, and I love it very much! Can't Say Goodbye to Yesterday is also one of the best songs ever made for a video game and goes perfectly with the end credits slide.

[@nathangoforth387]

Absolutely fantastic video, and game. These themes are more painfully relevant by the day. Very painfully.

[@Jerrycourtney]

_Maybe the real convenient truths are all the friends we made along the way._ -AI Col. Campbell, 2009.

[@Darth_Bateman]

Shut up!

[@zora4527]

See I didn’t know the plot of MGS2 But I got into revengence from the meme wave about it, and it also I’d say compliments the point of Raiden in a similar way, and one I find very interesting. Even thinking about his character before Revengence. Throughout the games we see his constant battle to find himself despite what’s thrown at him. Unlike Snake who is this idolized version of what it means to try to live free and as oneself Raiden represents the reality of it. A constant fight, with relapses into old ways, failures, loss. In revengence you see the peak of that arc where he truly realizes what it means. Even when he was making his own choices, fighting for what he thought he believed in, he was only saying he followed the ideology, not actually living it. I think this realization is summed up by the quote: “Pain. This is why I fight.” People can easily write this off as just a badass line, but I see it as meaning this: “I fight not for victory, not for the end result, but for the struggle itself.” It doesn’t matter if you win in the end. If the outcome was predisposed from the start. What matters is you fought tooth and nail till the end, making what you made out of it. If the world is going to beat you down then at least give it a fight to remember. He had accepted his past happened, but not who it made him. In the end he embraced all of himself, not just the good but all of himself flaws included. I love Raiden as a character and wish there would be another game following his story.

[@no01sman]

Magnificent take🧐

[@2yoyoyo1Unplugged]

i really recommend you find a way to play mgs2, or more ideally the entire metal gear solid series. whether that be with the master collection (which is better at the moment than it was at release [and at release it was serviceable. just lacking]) or through emulation or even ps3 or original hardware. This was a _fantastic_ video essay, but _nothing_ can substitute for the perspective you get from experiencing a ride like this for yourself.

[@Lucathebeast]

Damn, I was expecting this to be good, and this is was just beautiful. Great work, man.

[@volpe2077]

Holy SHIT. A 52-minute fucking video on MGS2 from you!? Christmas was last week, my guy!

[@ProfessorViral]

Funnily, it would have been the previous video if Tokyo Godfathers wasn't a christmas movie haha

[@snowarmth]

You put so much effort and love into your videos. You're really amazing, especially seeing how busy your life is, you still manage to create amazing things :)

[@elios7623]

YOOOO is that a gaming analysis??? let's goooo thanks Prof. V, i've been waiting for this for so long

[@ProfessorViral]

Always happy to provide : )

[@CheeseBrie]

haven't watched the video yet, but I really like the thumbnail. Really cool how you hid the "lies" in the "truths"

[@ProfessorViral]

Thanks! It's a bit cheesy, but when I was working out the text I saw how well they lined up, and just went with it

[@thatemeraldperson]

Love your uploads every time, I’m probably gonna go play it

[@ProfessorViral]

It's well worth it! There's a recent remaster(?) pack that came out, but I can't say how quality it was or wasn't. The control scheme is odd to get used to, but its very good at providing a satisfying feeling to the stealth once you've got it

[@printisdead1983]

Hes just a young impressionable person , naive to the ways of the world finding what he believes in

[@HeyCaaars]

As someone whose first MGS game was MGS2, and as a kid back then, I didn't really take in much of any of these thought-provoking themes. Really thankful to people like you on the internet so that I can look back and think "damn that was deep"

[@johnnysans7382]

another good video on a corrupt video sharing platform that doesn't get the attention it deserves. Keep up the good work!

[@ProfessorViral]

Thank you, I'll try my best to 💙

[@whendarknessfalls6969]

We're all Sons of the Patriots now!

[@vulhorn]

Yessss, its great to hear you talk about Metal Gear Solid

[@2yoyoyo1Unplugged]

I feel like MGS4 needs to have its own MGS2 renaissance. It was so good, and spoke to me on such a deep level about concepts and existential fears that have kept me up sobbing at night all my life. MGS4 is flawed, but too many people still write it off without giving it the same second chance and earnest attempt at understanding they gave MGS2. I love MGS4 the most of ALL of the games... and I think partially its spark came from the fact that it WAS in large part the proper follow up to 2. Even if forced to make it-- even if he only did it begrudgingly-- Kojima poured his heart and soul, his emotion, his frustration, his ire at both the fanbase for not hearing his message and at Konami for enabling the subjugation of authorial intent in the name of profit; ALL OF THAT and more was crammed into 4. And Even with all that reason to phone it in, _he didn't._ He still cared about the fans that loved his work so much that despite likely DESPISING working on 4, he still tried to make a fantastic, satisfying ending that meant something for the fans AND for him without compromising on either. It showed both his tiredness of the series and his simultaneous, paradoxical protectiveness of a franchise and a story that he made with the same love, care and pride that he likely feels for his own son. The game has SO MUCH to it and so much AWESOME about it, but all I ever see people talk about is what 4 wasn't, or what it didn't do. I can count on one hand the number of video essays or what have you that actually loved 4 or even tried to understand it for what it was. 2 is a game I used to write off in much the same way a good chunk of the MGS fandom still does for 4. I used to just not get the game design or the authorial intent. I used to think the story was pretentious and abstract, not relevant and ahead of its time. The thing is that I grew older and times changed. Kojima ended up being terrifyingly right about a LOT of what he wrote about. I both fear and hope that 4 gains universal recognition and gains a second chance in much the same way. It was a soberingly bleak, yet powerfully triumphant end to a story arc that without exaggeration set me on a better path in life than I feel I could ever have found otherwise. And I am not even implying that 5 was bad either; I LOVED 5 too, just not as much as 4, and that is a whole different topic. (Survive can burn in a landfill though.) Anyway, messy rant aside, I hope this comment conveys how much this series means to me and so many others. All I said about 4, I feel for each and every {non-Survive) game in the series for their own unique reasons. They are all essential and masterful... and all I want to see is more people play through and fall in love with this series like I did. It changed me.

[@hombredetacos]

No

[@robertgonzales8478]

I hope you’re proud of this video because it really got me thinking. I hope you make more videos similar to this on other topics because it’s truly intellectual and intelligent yet easily digestible and in a way is comforting. If you had a pattern, you may but idk I haven’t looked yet, I’d donate.

[@ProfessorViral]

Thank you, I'm very glad I could provide that for you, it's what I want to do!

[@no01sman]

Love your videos discovered you through the necessity of violence video make your essays as long as you want I’d watch your videos if they were 5 hours you articulate concepts amazingly well

[@triplegrub795]

absolutely class video as always

[@joemanginaa]

I can never get enough of MGS videos

[@ProfessorViral]

I'll hopefully be able to tackle 3 and 4 soon enough!

[@joemanginaa]

@@ProfessorViral and I’ll watch every single one. Thank you

[@thishandleistacken]

This was oddly moving. Thanks for making this.

[@hab0272]

I remember reading that metalgear solid was developed with the idea that a videogame can be more than just shooting. Revolving more around remaining unseen and shooting was often a plan B in the game. It already distanced itself from a being a simple powerfantasy. Also players may fancy themselves like Snake where in reality they are probably more like the nerdy Otacon or rookie Meryl. The game was surprisingly psychological. I have no experience with the other games but from what i see in this video it doesnt surprise me that they get even more deep and psychological.

[@konstantine_c]

Great analysis! This was an amazing game that I found very impactful 20 years ago Might be my favorite MGS game (even though very close to the other ones). I feel like it gets even better with age and additional playthroughs. More people should play MGS2 and more people should watch and hopefully understand your video. If this is your personal understanding of this game and of life in general, then much respect to you sir!

[@ProfessorViral]

Thank you, that's very kind to say! MGS2 has always been my favorite of the lot. The first time experiencing it is simply unmatched

[@dunar1005]

29:23 if this was really his intention, then it was strenuous in a broader scope of the whole franchise, because this is exactly what I felt, and did, continue to play even though I don’t want to be there just to get to a better point in the game

[@flyingsierra180]

Great piece brother, very introspective and an interesting take ❤

[@qmac9966]

The only youtuber who has never made a bad video

[@ProfessorViral]

Oh I certainly have; I once regularly took anime character dating quizzes for content haha. But, I really appriciate the high praise : )

[@ricardomiles2957]

6:46 I got to notice that when i started watching animes with sub but apparently in japanese, a character repeating a line previously said by another character is a way to show he understands the message. It seems it was a case of direct translation, because in 4 whoever was in charge of localization knew that and to more properly convey that idea added a "..... ,got it." at end of the lines where snake repeat lines.

[@ProfessorViral]

That's an interesting bit I wasn't aware of!

[@holisticreviews]

“…got it?!”

[@lamcb.9476]

I never bought into Rose loving Jack, or Meryl loving Snake and Visé versa. Jack certainly loved the idea of Rose, that’s why she was so effective like you said, it was a guise, a pretend relationship so he could feel normal but without the risk of talking about his real trauma. With Meryl and Snake, i feel like it was so shoehorned in there, like i could understand Meryl feeling admiration and affection for Snake in the high stakes operation they were in and the stress it brought with it, sure those exhilirating feelings can be mistaken for love but they had no chemistry. Snake was just being chatty to keep himself sane and being the macho lone wolf character, but i will stand up on my soapbox and defend the bromance between Dave and Hall any time of the day. But Jack and Rose? That was the Titanic waiting to sink, that shit was toxic from the minute go, and the fact she had his child only to gaslight him into thinking she had a miscarriage and then pretend to shack up with Campbell, like I’m sorry lady, you pretend all you want about How you care about Jack and you wanted to protect him, you just wanted to protect your own skin. She knew the trauma it would unleash on Raiden and she let him go into the suicide mission to save Sunny and get his body turned inside out by the Patriots and never once did she consider telling him the truth. Thats not love, that’s control

[@ProfessorViral]

It changes a bit going into MGS4 for certain. I didn't cover it here, just because it's such a mess, and if I do eventually cover 4 I think it's actually more interesting as an exploration of how the story went off the rails, rather than analyzing the story itself. It's iffy on which method of looking at the story is "right," but I typically consider 2 without 4 since Raiden himself was so clearly forced into 4 without a real point. But, I also agree that Snake and Meryl didn't have the most developed romance, although I think Kojima probably intended for it to be so and simply couldn't write it very well, given how he writes women

[@SavageEntertainmentYEAH]

10:24 grandpa max lmaooo

[@Darth_Bateman]

This was my exact reaction when I found metal gear.

[@lakshaykochhar6799]

LMAO, he actually does sound like him.

[@ulyssessmith454]

I had similar thoughts of retuning to play as Solid Snake but then got pulled into playing as the ambiguous Raiden by the end I was ready to play again. No I wasn’t having a mini panic attack when Roy Campbell started breaking the 4th wall no I wasn’t looking out my windows as if the Patriots/Govt was after me no I didn’t immediately turn the game off and wonder WTF just happened. Trust me I was so zoned in I thought my doors would be kicked down. 😂

[@anarestrepo8402]

very good honestly, i like your videos a lot HAHAH, but i have to aks like what do you think about specs ops: the line? i think it could make a good essay video in how much we try to justify our actions and to what level we would go to convince ourselves that we are doing the "right thing" and well what our definition of the right thing is besides the huge amount of allegories to war and ptsd

[@ProfessorViral]

I've seen it mentioned a lot in discussion of games which utilize the actual concept of the player well, but I haven't engaged with it myself. I've only done stuff I played previously so far just because I don't play games much anymore, but if I start up again I'll keep it in mind

[@TheOtaxephon]

Try not to give yourself imposter syndrome lol

[@ProfessorViral]

Can't give yourself what you already have 😎

[@papasnake01]

YT removed the video by Pythonselken that was very close to this.

[@tomwylie9298]

Why is there an E in Truths in the thumbnail?

[@KBird204]

If you look closely at the white text, you can see ‘LIES’

[@jakariashafin1695]

An amazing video just purely awesome.

[@szob4961]

Man i love your video's i would love to see a video about meaningless love i seen anime our dating story and i hit me i got some thoughts about what feelings to other people's really like. thanks for your videos

[@Asrieloo]

incredible video truly.

[@arcuslux516]

Memes truly are the DNA of the soul

[@mmartinisgreat]

I know we're Raiden, but the way you described it made me feel bad about it. 😂😂😅😅

[@LrnecBuma]

I actually feel more conflicted over Raidens future. Becoming a cyborg and a literal meme game he became a part of the machine he was so self reflective of. And yet 23 years later i can see how I the player failed. Still wanting to play games, skirting the edges of loot box, subscription based services, And empty hd remakes. Work a normal job tired and exhausted, maybe just maybe I can fit an hour in of a game only to be indifferent and disapointed to the options of games i have. Maybe I get a early night and get an hour in tomorrow. I dont i watched 3 video essays snd off to work again. Feeling old and tired. Maybe i could do with some of that white cyborg blood

[@LouisMinett1994]

I have replayed 2, 3 and 4 about 4 times each over the past 2 months .. I didn't get into Phantom Pain, it felt like a pale and blank imitation that had very little to offer in comparison. It's impossible to pick a favourite but for the sake of argument for what I feel is the most 'solid' entry especially for the time its probably a draw between 2 and 4. Yes, 3 is amazing too but for what I feel personally I will never get over the massive leap I witnessed from Solid to Sons Of Liberty .. It blew me away! Currently attempting TPP againbut honestly, I have no idea what they were thinking when they released this, the controls feel so bad ..

[@jakethehyena.anotheraccoun442]

My sister who has never played a metal gear game, but has seen me play multiple. Even she when she saw me playing five recognized that it was very much not the same. Fun game still, but no real story of its own, doesn’t hold up to its predecessor’s.

[@Ziegrif]

Raiden, disregard what i just told you, the most important thing for you to go and do now is enjoy a mouthwatering egg mcmuffin sandwich from the new all day breakfast menu at McDonald's. All of your favorite McDonalds breakfast items now available all day at participating McDonald's restaurants, and Raiden, always remember, I'm lovin' it.

[@alextzou5011]

Amazing Video ma man

[@Moircuus]

No way you go and drop this a month after I finished the game for the first time Could it be........ Psychomantis?!

[@ProfessorViral]

Now, I will show you why I am the most powerful practitioner of psychokinetic and telepathic video essays in the world!

[@TheCreapler]

Ya while I was really bothered by the deceptiveness of MGS2 it didn't Stop me from playing it again and again and again and now in my older age it does not bother me at all, even tho snake is still the shit even better than Big Boss. A#1 Duke of New York.

[@BladeStar420]

this is your best vid by far.

[@fashionforty]

My God I have shivers

[@twinphalanx4465]

It's all the characters lenses, how they see the world, the only thing sperating terrorist from a freedom fighter is who's side they are on, and generally means of action but that's based on your lense as well

[@Skehrcros]

Peak has dropped

[@ProfessorViral]

Ahh, thank you 💙

[@makvande576]

Kojima tried to warn us...

[@Darth_Bateman]

He is NOT the only artist who was ignored.

[@JahanaraBegum-gl1sf]

Hey any chance you'll do a video on fate stay night I know the franchise is convoluted but you shouldn't have trouble watching the three routes after seeing fate zero to be honest I am scared to make this request as parts of fate stay nights story is connected to some personal trauma of mine but It would be nice to get some understanding I am not saying you have to do it just a suggestion if you do make a video can the topic be about choices and or about Sakura and or love its hard to explain but when I first read the fate route aside from personal reasons I was enchanted? Or found shirou and artorias relationship beautiful but then come unlimited blade works and he's with someone else and it was horrifying due to existential reasons it raises questions about luck love and choices and Sakura well I don't wanna trauma dump but I had a few vastly lesser but similar experiences and when I see her it makes me question how she can continue what does a person do in a world where stuff like that can happen what does it say about the world itself that these things can happen it doesn't help that my culture sees um purity as sacred and seeing her go through...that is even more horrifying as a result.

[@KaroSword]

Man... Raiden just wanted to go home man lol ;-;

[@MrXtr1]

METAL GEAR METAL GEAR METAL GEAR METAL GEAR METAL GEAR

[@ProfessorViral]

"It's already active!"

[@emandc1]

Wait, is solidus just big boss

[@rosanero5250]

So Raiden is Shinji

[@shaynemaskall6984]

Metal Gear Solid is a Solid one by the looks of it. I like it's themes of geopolitics. Reminds me of Black Lagoon.

[@ProfessorViral]

The through lines between both are why I really like them both; they're able to be stories which utilize violence for quite strictly anti-violence themes, but without ever becoming unrealistic in how they do so. The characters feel like people, not walking ideals. While I still love the latter, like Trigun, BL and MGS are in a different league of presenting similar themes

[@shaynemaskall6984]

@@ProfessorViral Nice analysis. Member when Senator Armstrong said I will make America great again?! That was out of pocket man, and way back in 2013! Review Metal Gear Rising next. And don't forget to review Cell's at Work: Code Black.

[@angusmcnay5449]

Buddy misspelled truths

[@ProfessorViral]

I see GW got to you too

[@KBird204]

Question everything, look for the lies within the truth

[@Toastbr0t1337]

babe wake up new professor viral dropped

[@JahanaraBegum-gl1sf]

Awesome

[@zephdef1781]

Convenient Truthles

[@urbestyeste7106]

truthes

[@ProfessorViral]

But that means... you're missing the lie 😱

[@blakehenry9030]

Great video but if you want to know what that was like playing msg1 then getting mgs2 it was like buying a Van Gogh and getting a Picasso instead and the rage that would induce. Also when you find a formula that works don't mess with it. Example I can think of off the top of my head come from horror movie franchise Halloween 3, Friday the 13 part 5, nightmare on elm street 2. And I like Raiden but he and solidous were throw away in this game wasted potential, and I often thought Raiden is a grey fox successor not a snake successor

[@arealhumanbeing4651]

Another MGS2 Essay!

[@yeahey5947]

Babe wake up new iconic mgs2 video essay just dropped

[@ProfessorViral]

I hope its well worth your time!

[@rezz__emiya5948]

🔥

[@pixelmorgaming398]

Haven't even watched the video, but the title hits hard for what is happening in my life right now. Rough, but I love your videos so much. Keep it going man. You help people, I believe that.

[@ProfessorViral]

Thank you, it means a lot to hear that, I do question it a lot. I hope this video was able to help a bit, and not give to much of an existential crisis haha

[@marocat4749]

So you say its kojimas existencial crisis game where he confronts his role as influencal but working for a company making them money? :P

[@internalizedhappyness9774]

Death Stranding?

[@ProfessorViral]

His relationship with Konami is actually very interesting. It's something I want to cover with a proper research video essay for the fourth Solid entry

[@marocat4749]

so its normal for him XD

[@ramphastos1]

Engagement

[@ImBigBoss_AndYouAreToo]

Do you associate solid snake with 🔵 or 🔴

[@jakethehyena.anotheraccoun442]

Blue! Why would I associate him with the colour red?

[@andrinreich5761]

wow

[@deadmeme635]

holy crap do u look beautiful

[@TiesOfZip]

Like the truth that you can’t spell “truth” in your thumbnail?

[@ProfessorViral]

It's almost like the word "lies" is hidden in it

[@iankennedy9462]

Who am i...

[@HenryCasillas]

❄️

[@XxXxTwofirstnames69420xXxXx]

Subbed. Terrific video. More MGS content please.

[@blakehenry9030]

Great video but if you want to know what that was like playing msg1 then getting mgs2 it was like buying a Van Gogh and getting a Picasso instead and the rage that would induce. Also when you find a formula that works don't mess with it. Example I can think of off the top of my head come from horror movie franchise Halloween 3, Friday the 13 part 5, nightmare on elm street 2. And I like Raiden but he and solidous were throw away in this game wasted potential, and I often thought Raiden is a grey fox successor not a snake successor