I hate co-op shooters about zombies as much as the next jaded gamer, but I’m slightly taken aback by the internet’s reaction to Metal Gear Survive . No matter how saturated the market is with zombie games, no matter how cynical Konami appears to be, I know someone who enjoys both Metal Gear and zombie games must be looking forward to this. Perhaps Metal Gear Survive will infuriate more customers than it will appease when it’s released in 2017, but that’s true of any game. For that reason, Metal Gear Survive has my support – for now, anyway.
I have two theories about why fans are outraged, but they’re related. My first theory is that much of the negativity has to do with Konami’s reputation, which has suffered vastly since Kojima’s departure. Some might even think that Konami, which had previously seemed more interested in panchinko machines than its games, begrudgingly accepted that The Phantom Pain was responsible for the boost in its last financial report, but that doesn’t mean the company won’t make a new entry without taking some pot-shots at its creator. That may be the case, as Survive occurs after Ground Zeroes .
But I think the main issue is that people are apprehensive towards spin-offs. Think of when Metroid Prime: Federation Force was announced at E3 2015. It was the first game in the series since Nintendo decided to take a break after the critically panned Metroid: Other M . Although Nintendo assured fans that the game would expand on the series’ lore, people still dismissed it because it’s a 4-player co-op game. And that’s a shame because Metroid Prime: Federation Force doesn’t look half bad.
Konami is now in a similar situation, albeit with its own problems. With its poor timing and now infamous reputation, Konami seems absurdly out of touch with its fan base, and Survive will suffer the consequences. Nobody cares if this game turns out to be great, except for a few open-minded gamers. It’s not the next numbered entry, and Hideo Kojima isn’t involved. The only thing Konami’s fans are expecting in 2017 is for Metal Gear to suffer the same fate as Silent Hill and Castlevania .
I certainly can’t assume that this co-op zombie shooter game is anything more than a spin-off. The game takes place after Ground Zeroes , but apparently not after The Phantom Pain. It won’t be a full-priced game. “Solid” is missing from the title. Both Big Boss’ and Solid Snake’s stories have concluded . Not to mention development time in between installments is pretty long, and it’s too soon for the next numbered entry if we want it to live up to the expectations set by The Phantom Pain . If any of the original team remains, they could possibly use a break to tinker with The Phantom Pain’s assets now that their old boss is no longer with them.
We still don’t know enough about Survive other than it apparently has stealth mechanics. The trailer is disappointing and vague, and I’m not even certain stealth and zombies work well together. Even the PR representatives, from what I’ve read, used flowery language and strayed from any conversation regarding Kojima. Still, I’ll remain cautiously optimistic for now.
Ah, who am I kidding? Even the zombies look stupid !