As employee testimonials will often verify, working for a game company can be a dream job. The fun work atmosphere, free games, and benefits can often make the majority of employees happy. However, these jobs often require sacrifices involving one's personal life, and in many cases, creative freedom.

To a creative person, having freedom to realize your vision can be the most important aspect of a job. When that freedom is reduced, or diminished in any way, it can be the breaking point for some people. No matter how good the pay is, or how successful the games are, opinions are often prioritized. Of course, there are factors other than creative freedom, like administration, management, and financial issues.

Work can be a lot of fun, until it’s not

If you follow game industry news, you’ll occasionally see stories about great developers and creators leaving a very successful company. Not long after their departure a new company or studio is often formed. This new endeavor might be independent or under the umbrella of a large publisher. One thing usually remains consistent; The developers have something to prove. They need to show their former employers why they should’ve compromised, or found a way to continue their relationship.

While it’s tough to say who is the best of the best, I’m going to list the most famous industry folks to leave their previous company and form new, successful studios. I’ll give some details on why they left, how they’ve fared, and games for which they’re known.

So let’s start with a studio lead by one of the most famous developers:

Kojima Productions

Official Twitter: @KojiPro2015_EN

Founder: Hideo Kojima

Lead by Hideo Kojima, this studio was disbanded when Kojima left Japanese publisher Konami in December of 2015. After Konami announced a corporate restructuring, removed Kojima Productions branding from the promotion of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and canceled a new Silent Hills project, Kojima parted ways with the company despite being a vital part of it since 1986. As the creator of the Metal Gear, Zone of the Enders, and Boktai franchises, Konami won’t be the same without him.

Almost immediately after leaving Konami, Hideo Kojima announced that he had reformed Kojima Productions as an independent studio. Artist Yoji Shinkawa and producer Kenichiro Imaizumi would also join Kojima at his new studio. Their first project would be a title exclusive to PlayStation 4 called  Death Stranding. The game will star Norman Reedus (from AMC’s The Walking Dead) and is already one of the most anticipated games announced at E3 2016.

Respawn Entertainment

Official Twitter: @Respawn

Founders: Jason West, Vince Zampella

In 2010, after possibly one of the most bitter departures in the game industry, Vince Zampella and Jason West left Infinity Ward, a studio they founded in 2002 where they created the Call of Duty series. A dispute with parent company Activision lead to West and Zampella forming Respawn Entertainment with funding from the EA Partners Program. Once the new studio was formed, 38 of the 46 former Infinity Ward employees who had resigned following West and Zampella’s departure were hired at Respawn.

After three years, at E3 2013, Respawn announced their first title, Titanfall, exclusive to Xbox. The following year, a former Sony Santa Monica employee, Stig Asmussen, joined Respawn as well. Asmussen had previously worked on the God of War series and was said to be working a new game other than Titanfall. That title was later revealed to be a third-person Star Wars game.

(It's also worth mentioning that the majority of the original Infinity Ward team was carried over from EA when West and Zampella left that company. They must be some pretty awesome people to work for.)

In October 2016, Respawn released Titanfall 2. The sequel to Titanfall added a single-player campaign and improved it’s multiplayer. Critics and fans have given high praise to Titanfall 2 since its release.

Boss Key Productions

Official Twitter: @BossKey

Founders: Cliff Bleszinski, Arjan Brussee

Founded in 2014, this studio has the potential to be one of the top tier studios in the industry. During his 20-year career at Epic Games, Cliff Bleszinski was responsible for the creation of the Unreal and Gears of War franchises. After leaving Epic, Bleszinski was approached by Hideo Kojima with an offer to work on his new Silent Hills project, which he declined. Boss Key’s co-founder, Arjan Brussee, was also the co-founder of Guerilla Games and creator of the Killzone series. Brussee left Guerilla in 2012 to work for Visceral Games, where he produced Battlefield: Hardline.

The studio’s first game, LawBreakers, is a pay-to-play first-person arena shooter for PC and will be published by Nexon. It is already getting a lot of great feedback and hype ahead of launch.

Firaxis Games

Official Twitter: @FiraxisGames

Founders: Sid Meier, Jeff Briggs, Brian Reynolds

In 1996, Sid Meier, Jeff Briggs, and Brian Reynolds left software giant MicroProse and founded Firaxis Games. MicroProse was also founded by Meier and was the original publisher of the Civilization and X-COM series.

While it is now a subsidiary for Take-Two Interactive, Firaxis is also well known for its strategy games. Co-founder Sid Meier usually has his name in the titles, such as; Sid Meier’s Pirates and Sid Meier’s Civilization. They’ve successfully carried on (from MicroProse) the critically acclaimed X-COM and Civilization series, with X-COM 2 and Sid Meier's Civilization VI recently getting released. Both games have received very positive reviews.

Sid Meier is also still the head of the studio after all these years.

I think a lesson can be learned from these developers.

If you have a dream and are passionate about what you do, find a way to continue doing that. A lot of the studios mentioned -- possibly all of them -- were founded by people who could be considered visionaries in their fields. They are legends of the industry.

Some of these studios have yet to release a game, or at least a critically successful one. However, considering their pedigree, it's tough not to expect the next great game to have their logo on it. Respawn and Firaxis are proof that success can continue in other forms, even if you take the plunge and stop trying to please the big dogs. 

Are you looking forward to any games from these developers? Do you follow any of them on Twitter. Which ones do you find the most fan-friendly and entertaining? Let me know in the comments!

There you have it, the very best 2015 had to offer! With each passing year the industry becomes more and more diverse, in both representations and game types. That list of 10 games includes 2D platformers, a physics engine, an interactive drama, a gothic action/adventure game whose soul (get it) purpose is to kill your spirit, and 5 RPGs of vastly varying styles, scopes, and mechanics. It's a very diverse list that shows how wonderfully varied the industry has become. There really is something for everyone.

But as is customary, we must now look ahead to 2016 and become giddy with excitement, or, as is the case with too many people, bemoan and criticise everything.... whatever floats your boat. Regardless of how full your glass is, 2016 looks amazing. Truly. It looks like it has the potential to blow this year out of the water, and that is saying something. So be sure to check back soon for a list of the most anticipated games of 2016!

What was your favourite game of 2015? Do you think Metal Gear Solid was a worthy winner? What is your most anticipated 2016 game? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned to GameSkinny! Happy new year!

1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Metacritic Score: 95% (User Score: 7.1)

It's hard to disassociate Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain with the absolute disaster that is the Konami/Kojima break-up. Thankfully the drama that it was is all but over, although I dare say Konami's troubles are not, and we can get back to just focusing on the games. That being said, MGS V presents a challenge to us gamers, do we praise the game and celebrate its creator, therefore lining the pockets of the horrid Konami? Or do we shun the game, therefore snubbing Konami but also ignoring the lifetime accomplishment of one of the best creators ever? It's a conundrum, but given the love for the game and the impressive sales figures, I think it's the former.

Regardless of all that crap, Metal Gear Solid V really is an incredible game. It might not have the insane story beats of the previous instalments, or the classic boss battles, but it marries gameplay, side stuff, and level design, like few others can. This isn't even really a Metal Gear game, it's a completely different kind of game that shows Hideo Kojima's growth as a game developer and an auteur.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain was a fantastic return for the series but also a fitting send-off to the man who started it all. Regardless of everything that went down with Konami, Kojima can rest easy knowing he put out the very best game of the year and one everyone will be talking about for years to come.

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There have certainly been sandbox action games that have given me a bigger world to roam, or more little icons to chase on my minimap, but none have pushed me to plan, adapt, and improvise the way this one does. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain doesn’t just respect my intelligence as a player, it expects it of me, putting it in a league that few others occupy.

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                                                                                                      - IGN

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2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Metacritic Score: 93% (User Score: 9.1)

The Witcher series started life as a PC game. With the second instalment it found its way onto the Xbox 360 as well. The games had a ton of clout amongst those that played them, but that number was too few to make a big splash. For whatever reason then, when The Witcher 3 was revealed, and announced for PlayStation as well as Xbox and PC, all gamers suddenly turned their heads and stared wild-eyed at the insane-looking RPG.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was all the talk when it was first shown off at E3 2013, winning Game of the Show from numerous outlets. Bear in mind, E3 2013 was just a few months after we were told PS4's and Xbox One's were even real, so when The Witcher demo was shown off, the visuals on display blew everyone away.

Thankfully, the game actually lived up to, and exceeded, all of the lofty expectations we had. It is a gigantic, beautiful RPG, with colourful, believable characters, great story, and consistently enjoyable mechanics. The level of detail, the depth of content, and the overall quality of the package puts every other RPG to shame. The Witcher 3 is quite possibly the best role-playing game ever made. 

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One of the best role-playing games ever crafted, a titan among giants and the standard-setter for all such games going forward. Where the Witcher 2 sputtered to a halt, The Witcher 3 is always in a crescendo, crafting battle scenarios that constantly one-up the last, until you reach the explosive finale and recover in the glow of the game's quiet denouement.

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                                                                                          - GameSpot

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3. Undertale

Metacritic Score: 93% (User Score: 8.3)

An unabashed love-letter to Nintendo classic, Earthbound, Undertale is an amazing 8-bit RPG with real emotion, humour, and a memorable story. What starts off as a fairly standard game, which you think you've played before, turns out to be so much more and teaches you to love all over again.

In a year when we got role-playing games like The Witcher 3, Fallout 4, and Pillars of Eternity, it would be very easy to overlook the somewhat childish looking Undertale, but that would be big mistake. The game plays with your expectations at almost every turn, and so keeps you on your toes throughout, while delivering a really heartfelt, memorable story.

The gist is that you play as a young man who falls underground and must find his way out, to get away from the monsters that lurk there. Sounds fairly straightforward and familiar, but don't be fooled. There's not a whole lot I can say without spoiling elements of the game that are better left unsaid, so go play it for yourself and experience a very different type of RPG.

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You wouldn't know it with a passing glance, but it's one of the most progressive and innovative RPGs to come in a long time, breaking down tradition for the sake of invention, with great success.

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                                                                                      - GameSpot

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4. Bloodborne

Metacritic Score: 92% (User Score: 8.6)

Ahhhh Bloodborne, we had a very love/hate relationship didn't we? I never did finish Bloodborne, I played for around 30 hours and decided to call it quits for the sake of my psyche and my liking of the game. That's to say, Bloodborne is a crushingly-hard game that will punch you in the face until you think you can't get up. But then you do, and you kick its ass and there's few better feelings in all of gaming.

I say that as someone who gave up, but I most certainly had those moments; be it beating Vicar Amelia, or the god-damn Blood-Starved Beast. My 30 hours with Bloodborne were very memorable and I will certainly return to the haunting streets of Yharnam someday, cause apparently I like abuse.

In all seriousness though, Bloodborne is the absolute peak of the "Souls" formula, marrying it with more enjoyable mechanics and some of the best graphics/atmosphere you can find anywhere. If Dark Souls decided to procreate with CastleVania: Symphony of the Night, this would be the result, and holy crap is that one beautiful, albeit evil, baby.

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Bloodborne is one of those experiences that totally consumes you when you're involved in it and working to see all that it has to offer. In that sense it's the digital edition of a round-the-world trip to foreign continents, each turning of a corner providing equal helpings of excitement and trepidation. 

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                                                                                           - Telegraph

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5. Tales From The Borderlands

Metacritic Score: 89% (User Score: 8.2)

When Telltale Games revealed its partnership with Gearbox and Borderlands it was largely overshadowed by the announcement of a Game of Thrones game on the same day. Fast forward to the end of 2015, both series' are finished and there's only one that people are talking about, and it isn't Game of Thrones.

I won't waste time or space by stating why Game of Thrones was not good, and it really was not, I'd much rather spend that time gushing over how good Tales From The Borderlands was.

Playing as both Ryhs and Fiona, gamers got a very different look into the world of Borderlands, and it was amazing from start to finish. Rhys, a scorn Hyperion stooge who sets out to screw over his new boss, and Fiona, a fast-talking con artist who aims to screw over Hyperion, come together in unlikely circumstances and set off on a hilarious, action-packed journey to find the treasures of a Vault. The voice-acting from Troy Baker, Ashley Johnson, Chris Hardwick, Laura Bailey, Erin Yvette, Patrick Warburton, and Nolan North, were all sublime, making the journey that much more fun and immersive.

Every episode begins with an awesome musical intro that always sets the tone for what is to come, and throughout five episodes the pace never lets up. Without spoiling anything, Episode 5: The Vault of the Traveler, is one of the best episodes Telltale has ever done, and home to one of the very best fight scenes I've seen in years.

I don't even care about Borderlands, but I cannot recommend this enough, to fans and non-fans alike. This is Telltale Games at its best.

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Tales from the Borderlands concludes with some series-defining moments and choices, solidifying it as one of Telltale’s best, if not the strongest offering the studio has put forth in several years.

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                                                                                     - Gaming Trend

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6. Pillars of Eternity

Metacritic Score: 89% (User Score: 8.4)

A game that is very much a callback, and yet evolution of, classic RPGs like Baldur's Gate, Planescape Torment, and Neverwinter Nights, Pillars of Eternity is a fantastic isometric RPG that shows the genre still has a place in today's world.

A huge, sprawling world, rich mythology, detailed graphics, and involving story, Pillars of Eternity is everything an old-school RPG lover could ask for, while being a great starting place for those looking to finally take the plunge. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment (Fallout: New Vegas, South Park: The Stick of Truth) made Pillars of Eternity with the love and influence of all the classics, while putting its stamp on the genre forever. Sadly, it seems the game will never find its way over to consoles, according to Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart.

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Pillars of Eternity is a masterclass in role-playing game development, recapturing the essence of the genre's past triumphs and repackaging them for a universal audience.

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                                                                                          - Digital Spy

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7. Fallout 4

Metacritic Score: 88% (User Score: 6.0)

To say Fallout 4 was a highly anticipated game is, like saying people enjoy Star Wars, a gross understatement. This time last year we didn't even know if Fallout 4 was a thing but here we are, almost two months after the game released and, despite some warranted and unwarranted backlash, it was a resounding success.

Fallout 4 brought back that familiar style of gameplay, zany characters, massive world that begs to be explored, and yes, the glitches. Everything that made the previous games great were abundant in Fallout 4, but Bethesda also added settlement building - making use of all the junk you incur in the wasteland - far better shooting mechanics, vastly upgraded power armour, weapon and armour mods, a lot more verticality to the map, and much better visuals. All in all, Fallout 4 was more Fallout but with fantastic additions to the formula. More please!

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Fallout 4 has all the ambiance and history that made its predecessors such wonderful places to get lost for hours at a time, with a much more coherent set of stories within it. That Bethesda has integrated a major building and crafting tool while finally building a great-playing game almost feels like a bonus.

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                                                                                               - Polygon

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8. Super Mario Maker

Metacritic Score: 88% (User Score: 8.7)

2015 was not a great year for Nintendo; mediocre games, uncharacteristic delays, and the sad passing of a legend. But 2015 was also the 30th anniversary of the company mascot, Mario. It was with this anniversary in mind that Nintendo gave us its most creative and unexpected game to date, Super Mario Maker.

In Super Mario Maker, you are the creator. Nintendo have given you the reigns to create your very own Mario levels, with a tool-bag that expands over the course of 9 days. You'll start by creating fairly straightforward levels based on what you've known of Mario but after a short while you'll be throwing Goomba's into blocks, putting wings onto Boo's, and generally making life hell for whoever is foolish enough to step into your twisted vision of Super Mario. This is an addictive experience that showcases the zany creations of players worldwide, it's just a pity it comes out on a system that is likely to bite the dust next year.

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Brimming with positivity and encouragement, Super Mario Maker's brilliant toy box gives you everything you need to easily create and share some truly fantastic levels.

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                                                                                  - GamesRadar

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9. Ori and the Blind Forest

Metacritic Score: 88% (User Score: 8.6)

Ori and the Blind Forest was a highly anticipated Xbox One game coming into 2015, but I don't think anyone knew just what they were getting into. Ori looked like a fun, charming platformer that you'd breeze through in an hour, maybe two. However, it turned out to be a heart-breaking game with soul-crushing difficulty.

The first few minutes of Ori and the Blind Forest are truly very sad, and done so in a way that isn't ham-fisted or overtly tugging on those heartstrings. Then the game begins and it's a straightforward 2D platformer. A couple of hours later though you're still playing and the gameplay has gotten significantly deeper to reflect the increasingly complex level design. Simply put, Ori is a very hard game that lures you in with its cuteness.

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A terrific blend of story, gameplay, and graphics, Ori and the Blind Forest is an unforgettable debut for indie developer Moon Studios.

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                                                                                              - EGM

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10. Kerbal Space Program

Metacritic Score: 88% (User Score 8.0)

Who would have thought a silly little game about rocket physics would have been so dang fun? Kerbal Space Program was presumed to be another I Am Bread, Octodad, or Goat Simulator, but where those games wore out their welcome pretty quickly, KSP just became more addictive.

Building a rocket ship out of random parts proves to be a tricky hurdle at the start of the game, but the first time you get it off the ground it makes it worthwhile. Of course, it comes crashing down in a blaze of horror just seconds later, but that fleeting sensation of hope and accomplishment make you start all over again.

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A perfect blend of science and slapstick, and a robust and compelling sandbox of possibility. Simply outstanding.

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                                                                                           - PC Gamer

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2015 is the year the PS4 and Xbox One really matured. There have been excellent games on both systems this year, far eclipsing everything from 2014.

We got the long-awaited finales to blockbuster series' like Batman and The Witcher, we got impressive debuts with Bloodborne and Life Is Strange, and we got highly anticipated returns in the form of Fallout and Metal gear Solid.

All in all 2015 was a seminal year for gaming.

At this time year of year we're all looking to 2016 and impatiently awaiting the likes of Uncharted 4 and Gears 4, but it's also the time of year to look back on what made 2015 great. And this list compiles the very best of the year in question.

The following 10 games are the highest rated games in 2015, as per Metacritic. The list will not contain remasters, ports, or re-releases, so don't expect to see GTA V on PC, or Shovel Knight on PS4/Xbox One. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's jump in and reveal the crème de la crème.

During the Game Awards of 2015 on Thursday night, Geoff Keighley announced that Hideo Kojima was prohibited from appearing at the live award ceremony.

After Kiefer Sutherland (voice of Big Boss) accepted an award for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Keighley revealed that a lawyer representing game publisher Konami had informed Kojima of his restriction prior to the event.

"Mr. Kojima had every intention of being with us tonight, but unfortunately he was informed by a lawyer representing Konami - just recently - that he would not be allowed to travel to tonight's award ceremony to accept any awards. He's still under an employment contract."

After permitting a chorus of "boos" from the crowd at the awards ceremony, Keighley shared his personal thoughts on the situation.

"It's inconceivable to me that an artist like Hideo would not be allowed to come here and celebrate - with his peers and his fellow teammates - such an incredible game as Metal Gear Solid V. But that's the situation we're in."

We have reached out to Konami for a statement on the issue, and are waiting on a response. For more on this developing story, keep an eye on GameSkinny.

Konami's Los Angeles Studio, the team behind Metal Gear Online, has reportedly been shut down. Rumors of the closure first surfaced last night on Twitter from developers, including 3D Realms co-founder George Broussard.

"Rumor tells me that Konami has shut down the Kojima Productions LA studio, taking with it approx 35 jobs, just before Xmas", George tweeted last night.

Eurogamer reported the rumors to be true after confirming it from sources close to the matter. According to the website, over 20 jobs were lost in the process.

LA Studio was started in 2013 by Konami as a division of Kojima Productions to help with the development of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and its multiplayer component, Metal Gear Online. The studio employed over 50 staff members at its peak. In recent months, the studio saw a drop in this number.

After the well-known dispute between Konami and Kojima Productions, the LA studio was renamed Konami Los Angeles Studio, parallel to the removal of Hideo Kojima's name from the cover art of MGS V. Silent Hills, a collaboration between Kojima and film director Guillermo del Toro, was also cancelled as a result of the dispute.

Kojima reportedly left Konami after Metal Gear Online was released on October 6, though Konami has denied these reports and are still calling it a "vacation". 

According to Eurogamer, staff of the studio were notified of the closure yesterday. Konami, however, has yet to give an official statement.

What do you make of this news? Is it another act of boycotting Kojima? Be sure to let everyone know what you think. Comment Below.

Konami has started discussions about the new Metal Gear Solid game. According to Nikkei, a business publication, internal discussions about a new Metal Gear game have begun, and the company is examining plans.

The report was first published today in Nikkei, the online version of which was translated by Kotaku. “When we start development, a large-scale investment will become necessary,” Konami said. Other details including a release date, have not been confirmed. 

The company earlier said that auditions for main staff to lead the development of the next MGS game were underway. "Konami will continue to develop and distribute top-quality content in the Metal Gear series following Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain," Konami stated.

Kojima's involvement in the next game was not discussed publicly, and it is still uncertain whether he will be a part of the next game at all.

This report follows the news of closure of the LA Studio which was an arm of Kojima Productions. Hideo is currently under a contract which renders him unable to sign new partnerships or announce new projects. This contract ends in December 2015, so don't expect any statements from the man himself.

A power struggle between Konami and Kojima Productions led to the removal of Hideo Kojima's name from all of the game products. The dispute reportedly led to Kojima leaving Konami in October. Konami, however, is claiming Kojima's absence to be a vacation.

Do you think Kojima will be a part of the new MGS? Leave a comment below and let us know.

The plot thickens. Metal Gear Solid has always been a series loaded with conspiracy, and it seems that conspiracy has bled into the real world. As if the mysterious break-up between Konami and Hideo Kojima was not enough, it seems that Metal Gear Solid V has another layer of mystery buried within its code. Some players have gone through this code and discovered an old 80s PC game.

The game is called The Portopia Serial Murder Case, which Kojima has said was one of the reasons he wanted to work in games. Players have obsessively tried to get the full game working by compiling bits of code that are hidden in Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain, and it seems that this obsession has paid off - even though the game is in Japanese. Players are searching for some meaning in this. Hideo Kojima would not have done it for nothing. Players know that there must be some hidden meaning behind it, and they are determined to find out what that is.

Since he took over the Metal Gear series, Hideo Kojima has brought us tactical espionage action and a story that makes us laugh, think, and weep. Not many games bring the tears that Metal Gear Solid 3 did. Metal Gear Solid combines campy, cheesy dialogue with intense philosophical concepts and sacrifices that bring grown men to tears. In this article, we take a look at where things all began and how the games evolved into what they are today.

*SPOILERS FOR EVERY METAL GEAR SOLID GAME LIE IN THIS ARTICLE*

Metal Gear Solid - 1998

It was clear from the original Metal Gear games that Kojima wanted to tell a cinematic story, and with Metal Gear Solid being released during the dawn of 3D gaming, he got to do just that in an avant-garde manner that no one had yet attempted. Although a significant amount of plot was packed into Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2, Metal Gear Solid serves as a fine starting point for the series.

We are given background that the player character Solid Snake is a legendary soldier who is back for one final mission to recover the remains of Big Boss, who was killed in Metal Gear 2. After sneaking through Shadow Moses with betrayals and conspiracies and plot twists, we had played a game that not only provided a fun, immersive experience, but also touched on controversial topics such as eugenics, nukes, biological weapons. Although the cutscenes had us staring at boxy faces whose mouths did not move, Metal Gear Solid was one of the first games to attempt having the cinematic cutscenes that many games have today.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty - 2001

This image sums up this game more or less

Konami and Kojima had hyped this game up for months with the idea of playing as the legendary soldier Solid Snake in a new, graphically improved setting with tons of new features. After playing through the first level, however, players learned that was not the case at all.

We were completely caught of guard by the fact that we now had to play through the entire game as Raiden, who serves as the antithesis of everything that Solid Snake was. He was effeminate, immature, whiny, and full of teenage angst. Players eventually learned that their experience on the Big Shell was entirely planned by Solid Snake, and nothing that Raiden or the player was experiencing was real. This left a bit of an issue in continuity by the time Metal Gear Solid 4 came out (but who cares? We'll just retcon that!).

All of the issues aside, however, Metal Gear Solid 2 is still the most philosophical entry in the series. It touches on concepts such as memes (no, not the funny pictures you found on the Internet) in such a way that even movies had not attempted at that point. Few moments can contend with the amount of confusion, fear, and intrigue players felt when Colonel Campbell started to glitch as he began talking about censorship, consciousness, and reality as we perceive it.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - 2004

Metal Gear Solid 3 is considered by many fans to be the best entry in the series, and its praise is well-deserved. The world is so fleshed out that to this day, players still discover new features they didn't know existed - such as disabling a guard's ability to radio for help by shooting the speaker on his chest.

This game is a favorite not just to Metal Gear fans, but stealth fans everywhere. The camouflage system was far ahead of its time, and the ways that you could go about remaining undetected - such as distracting guards with porn magazines or cardboard boxes - were both hilarious and amazing.

As far as story goes, Snake Eater is the king of camp. I still laugh every time Revolver Ocelot meows at you before spinning his revolver a million times. Then after you've fought him, he spins them a million times more and actually spins them so fast that he kills BEES that swarm him and Naked Snake when The Pain interrupts their showdown. The most important thing that Snake Eater did with regards to Metal Gear Solid  was that it gave depth to such an essential character, Big Boss.

The name "Big Boss" itself sounds like a one-dimensional boogeyman, and up until this game, that's really all he was. He was just a legend that players knew Solid Snake was cloned from. Players had no reason to feel sympathy for the man that they killed twice if they played the first two Metal Gear games. With this game, however, we see just how much pain he endured. Suffering what seemed like a betrayal from his mentor, and then having to kill her, knowing that she did what she did and made herself into a villain...for him.

I'd give my life. Not for honor, but for you

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots - 2008

This game served as the definitive chronological end for the Metal Gear Solid series. With so many characters and plots to wrap up, many people consider the story for this game to be a convoluted mess, and a long one at that. Metal Gear Solid 4 had a whopping eight hours of cutscenes, leading many players to make jokes that it's more of a movie than a game. People had issues with plot holes and deus ex machinas - such as Big Boss coming out of nowhere and resolving everything, while putting to rest his enemy and former comrade, Zero, in front of Solid Snake.

There was also the problem of retcons. Almost none of the events in Metal Gear Solid 2 seemed to have an effect on the world. Raiden magically became a cyborg ninja out of nowhere. And it turned out Ocelot was never possessed by Liquid Snake. He was just pretending the whole time.

Despite all the problems with its story, Metal Gear Solid 4 was a beautiful game that allowed for dozens of new ways to approach missions - such as buying weapons, customizations, and a stealth suit. And it also featured a fun but short-lived online mode that was so popular that it was brought back for Metal Gear Solid V. Whether you like it or hate it, this game is how Metal Gear Solid ends.

"This is good, isn't it?"

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker - 2010

I hope these guys know what they're doing, 'cause I can't see down this gun

Peace Walker is a unique game because it was originally released for the PSP, but after how well-received it was and players' requests, it was eventually released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection.

Peace Walker begins with Big Boss, going by his preferred code name, Snake, is running his own private military company alongside Kazuhira Miller. Snake recruits children such as Paz Ortega and Ricardo "Chico" Valenciano Libre to help him uncover secrets of an unknown army that has occupied parts of Costa Rica

This game is the beginning step for Snake the hero becoming Big Boss the villain, as Snake essentially kidnaps enemy soldiers and convinces them to join his PMC that eventually becomes a nuclear deterrent. Peace Walker introduced the Fulton Recovery System, which allowed Snake to kidnap enemy soldiers via a giant balloon and send them to his and Kaz's Mother Base.

While this was a cool mechanic that allowed players to unlock new weapons and diversify gameplay, not everyone wanted to have to grind to progress further into the story. If players did not have the necessary weapons for certain missions, they could not beat the level and therefore not progress further into the story. The game ends with Paz, who is revealed to be an agent of Cipher (The Patriots), trying to blackmail Snake into surrendering to Zero or be made a terrorist group to the world. Snake defeats her in Metal Gear ZEKE, and she is thrown into the ocean, believed to be dead.

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain - 2014 - 2015

Since this game is without a doubt Kojima's final entry in the series, it had to go out with a bang. This game had been teased since 2012 with a trippy hospital trailer than had all the signs of being a Metal Gear game but lacked the title or the studio. This game was eventually revealed to be Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain in 2013. With that E3 trailer alone, hype levels were off the charts.

Just to show how much work was being put into The Phantom Pain, Kojima gave them a taste of what it would be like with Ground Zeroes, which served as a prelude to The Phantom Pain. In Ground Zeroes, we saw just how different this was from any Metal Gear game. The game played like a more polished version of every third-person stealth game such as Splinter Cell, and cool new features such as the reflex mode, which allowed players to neutralize a guard in three seconds, and the iDroid.

In Ground Zeroes we learn that Paz survived her fight with Snake, and she had been taken to Guantanomo Bay, with Chico being captured as well. Chico and Paz were tortured, raped, and forced to rape, and they were compared to the trial of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two anarchists who were made an example of and executed for a crime they did not commit.

From this game, which has been criticized as being a "forty dollar demo," by players who felt that it did not offer enough plot-based gameplay, we learned that The Phantom Pain was indeed going to be a very dark game unlike any other Metal Gear game. Ground Zeroes ended with Big Boss and Miller learning that Chico and Paz were meant to distract Big Boss so that Skull Face, the mysterious man who held them captive, could destroy Mother Base. His men had planted a bomb inside Paz's stomach and (implied) her womb. After the medic on board Big Boss' helicopter removed the first bomb, Paz threw herself out of the helicopter in an attempt to save them, but the blast still damaged Big Boss and Kaz, leaving the series on a cliff hanger until The Phantom Pain was released in 2015.

The Phantom Pain began with Big Boss waking up from a coma that he had allegedly been in for nine years, and the doctor had told him that he would have to have facial reconstructive surgery so that his enemies would not know who he is.

Players created their own avatar and then watched as the doctor wa strangled by Quiet, an assassin working for XOF, but he is saved by a bandaged man named Ishmael, who appears to have been a hallucination by the end of the prologue, when Revolver Ocelot finally rescues him.

The Phantom Pain was sparse with story compared to other Metal Gear games, but what it lacked in story it made up for by having the best gameplay in the series, with an open world full of missions and side ops that could be tackled stealthily. There were also loud, online modes, and an open Mother Base that improved the Fulton system implemented in Peace Walker. The Phantom Pain received immense critical praise for giving players the most fun they could have in a Metal Gear game.

The only thing that was a minor letdown was that at the end of the game, players learned that they were in fact not playing as Big Boss, but the medic who was in the helicopter in Ground Zeroes. A bait and switch similar to Raiden in Metal Gear Solid 2, some fans were disappointed that they did not get to play as a their beloved Big Boss in the final entry in the series. That being said, The Phantom Pain brings the story of Metal Gear full-circle if not for a few gaps, and it remains an amazing game.

Kojima has wanted to end Metal Gear for a long time, and he finally has. His story will remain in the hearts of players for the rest of their lives, and they will be remembered as one of the pioneers of stealth games and storytelling in video games.

As amazing as Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is as a game, people have felt that it is missing that kojima touch. By that, they mean that this game seems near devoid of story. The game consists of fifty main missions and near one hundred fifty side ops. However, many of the "main missions" feel as though they could easily be side ops, as they add almost nothing to the story. Not until the second half of chapter one do main missions consist of primarily story. Players went out of their way to point this out to Hideo Kojima on Twitter.

Players will often be told to kill or extract some target or destroy something, and almost none of the targets end up being characters. They are random warlords or officers that Snake has to deal with. Speaking of Snake, he hardly says anything. For all the money that Konami and Kojima must have spent hiring Kiefer Sutherland to voice Snake, they do not make much use of him as Snake remains a mostly silent protagonist until a situation arises where he must intervene.

There is also the fact that the game was not exactly finished. The final mission, mission 51, was cut from the game, and it only exists as a 30% finished cutscene on a blu-ray disc in the collector's edition of the game. Many players feel cheated by this because they bought what was supposed to resolve all the plots and bring Big Boss' story full circle, and instead they got an incomplete ending that leaves more questions than answers. It is clear from the mission footage that it was meant to be added into the game, and players fear that they may be cheated again by seeing a finished version of mission 51 as DLC somewhere down the line.

The tragedy of The Phantom Pain is that Kojima gave players what they had been begging for for years: a Metal Gear game that has more gameplay than story. Many players did not care for Hideo Kojima's cinematic approach to storytelling with previous Metal Gear Solid games having very long cutscenes. With The Phantom Pain, players got a lot of gameplay, but at the cost of a story that could not be told in Kojima's traditional brand of storytelling.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain was just released last week, and I've noticed that some people are struggling with getting good ranks on missions. However, I have found what I think is the perfect way to get S-rank on all of your missions and maintain stealth even early in the game.

*THIS ARTICLE MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

1. Start your missions at 1800 hours.

I watched my roommate play The Phantom Pain the other day. His loadout was nearly the same as mine, but he kept failing mission 18, where you must locate and rescue child soldiers that are being held captive in an African mine. I later did the same mission and got an S-rank on my first try. Why? While I'd like to believe that I am just better than him, it was because I set my deployment time to 1800, just before dusk. This provides a short amount of time for the sun to set, allowing you to complete the rest of the mission at night. Now your chances of being seen are significantly lower, other than when you come across a guard with night-vision goggles.

Yes, even the wolves must be extracted

2. Fulton is your friend

Sometimes it is difficult to hide bodies of foes that you knock out or kill. Why waste time and risk getting seen when you can just have a magic balloon take them far away from the mission area? Of course, this can be risky as guards who are too close to you may notice that a giant balloon just kidnapped their friend, so use it wisely.

3. Take advantage of the reflex system

See those two guards around that corner? Wouldn't it be nice if you could take them out at the same time? Here is a solution: let them see you. It's much easier to hit a target in slow motion than real-time, so take advantage of this mechanic and let one of them see you. While the guard is in shock and in slow motion, use your tranqilizer gun, riot smg, or any other side arm to take them out at the same time. You can use this ability an unlimited amount of times, as long as you don't alert the enemies by being seen. In fact, it's possible to pick off every enemy using this system without "alerting" them.

4. More headshots = higher score

I was quite annoyed when I played the mission to acquire Huey Emmerich and got a D-rank. I completed the mission with complete stealth, was relatively quick, and never alerted the enemies, so I was very confused why I got such a low score. I learned why: I was not aggressive enough. I did not interrogate enough enemies. I was used to classic stealth games that rewarded you for not coming into contact with the enemy at all. In The Phantom Pain, you don't necessarily have to be stealthy to get an S-rank. Although alerting enemies and being seen takes a good chunk out of your final score, you can make up for this by popping as many melons as you can before the mission is over. If you want to do this with stealth, however, you can easily do this with the riot smg and tranqilizer rifle.

The most important thing: choose the right tools for the job

5. Moving slow is not always the answer

When you begin your mission at night, you can afford to run a little faster near enemy outposts. The enemy AI is not as hyper-aware as you might think. As long as you are 200 or so feet away from them, you can be sprinting full speed, and they will not see you, this allows you to complete the mission as efficiently as possible.

While The Phantom Pain is a challenging game, there are certainly ways to get a feel for how NPC's will react to your actions. By taking the initiative and engaging them before they engage you, you can easily S-rank any mission.

Almost immediately after the game launched, KONAMI released a "Debriefing" video for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. In the video, people who have contributed to the series such as the voice actors for Solid Snake, Revolver Ocelot, and Kazuhira Miller commend Kojima and thank him for having them as a part of such a well-recieved series.

Kojima also reflects on where the series started compared to where it is now. He stated, "I don't think anyone is capable of planning a series that spans 28 years. I always felt that every chapter I made would be the last, and nothing else would follow." Obviously, that was not the case. Perhaps he was just being modest, but each new installment of Metal Gear Solid significantly improved upon its predecessor, mechanically speaking.

Few video game characters have a spot in players' hearts the way Big Boss does.

Although he has said it many times in the past, it seems that this will indeed be his final Metal Gear. After his apparent falling out with Konami, he is expected to leave the company any day now. Kojima Productions has disbanded, and this final Metal Gear video being released shows just how much the game has impacted those who played it or worked on it. People have bonded over Metal Gear, and some have even developed relationships because of their shared interest in it. Here's to you, Hideo Kojima, and from all Metal Gear fans, we thank you.

The hype is real. Fans of Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid series were more than pleased to see that a game that has been hyped and teased close to three years has received universal acclaim from multiple reviewers such as IGN, GameSpot, and Game Informer. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is one of the only games that GameSpot has given a 10/10, one of the others being its predecessor.

No Metal Gear fan could look at all of those reviews and not be hyped

The game has been praised in almost every aspect. The massive open world has not hindered the progression or pacing of the story one bit. We saw from the very first trailer revealed at e3 2013 that The Phantom Pain would deal with controversial topics such as child soldiers, blood diamonds, and torture. However, from what we have read, it seems that Hideo Kojima has once again masterfully crafted a story that keeps you thinking while still maintaining a lighthearted tone with Metal Gear's usual quirks. 

D-Dog is just one of the many companions that can aid Big Boss in his missions

Metal Gear Solid retains its status as the best stealth games out there with the complex AI that will not be fooled simply by breaking the line of sight. In fact, if the game is in fact as good as it looks, it might not just be the best stealth game out there. It may be the best game, period. The Phantom Pain is set to release in one week, and for some of us, that is one week too long...

Earlier this year, Metal Gear fans were worried that their beloved series might be in jeopardy when Hideo Kojima had apparently left or been fired from Konami. Dozens of Silent Hill fans were also let down when they learned that the upcoming game Silent Hills had been cancelled with its playable trailer being removed from the PlayStation Network. Fans wondered if the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain would turn out the same if the man who has directed the series since the first game was gone. We later learned that we could rest easy knowing that Kojima would finish The Phantom Pain before his departure.

However, Electronic Arts COO Peter Moore believe that this is not the end for the Kojima/Konami relationship. In an interview with GameSpot, he had this to say:

"I've always liked Kojima-san. I got on with him during my days at Microsoft. I just think... what's going on there... I just think both of them should kiss and make up [...] From my experience, and I've spent a lot of time working in Japan, I think that Konami and Kojima will figure it out. Those kinds of business relationships [in Japan] are typically for life, and Kojima is such an important part in what has gone on there."

Unfortunately, Moore's claim seems to be based in pure conjecture. We really have no concrete reason to believe that Kojima and Konami will "kiss and make up." Even if they did, it is unlikely that Kojima will continure making games in the Metal Gear series. Then again, he has said this before... several times.

Earlier this year, there was much controversy surrounding Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The first bit of alarming news was the fact that Hideo Kojima, who has directed games in the Metal Gear franchise since the first game, had apparently been fired or otherwise left Konami. Later in the year, right before e3, we received news that MGS V would have microtransactions at the dismay of many fans.

There is a stigma that comes with microtransactions, and that is because their track record has not been good. Free-to-play games often come with microtransactions that allow players to purchase more powerful weapons or abilities that give them an edge over their foes, leading these games to be labeled "pay-to-win." Fans of Metal Gear do not want to see this happen to their beloved series, especially if this is to be its grand finale.

Konami reassured fans that any items that can be purchased can also be earned in game through experience or perhaps the in-game currency, GDP, or Gross Military product and that it will not give players an edge over each other. However, we must be aware that Konami may just be saying this to appease fans. All they have to do is sell the game at this point. We can think back to games such as Planetside 2, where while you can earn any weapons that can be purchased, it takes significantly longer to earn these weapons through traditional means.

In the most recent gameplay trailer, we got a good look at Metal Gear Solid V's Mother Base gameplay. We saw that although you can remain offline to customize and build your Mother Base, you may also expand it to other bases known as Foward Operating Bases. These are an online component of the game which for consoles requires Xbox Live Gold or Playstation Plus. These bases can also be customized like the main Mother Base, and we must speculate whether the microtransactions for this multiplayer component will be for purely cosmetic means or if they will allow for an unfair advantage over other players.

Unfortunately, developers have recently failed to deliver on empty promises or added unwanted features that weigh down otherwise great games. However, Metal Gear Solid V looks like it will be able to provide tens if not hundreds of hours of quality gameplay from the singleplayer mode alone. Metal Gear Solid has always been mainly a singleplayer series, and this new multiplayer mode is just a bonus to what already looks like an amazing game.

Gamescom is in full swing this week and that means new trailers and announcements for the biggest upcoming titles.

Konami revealed on its Twitter early yesterday that they will be debuting a brand-new gameplay trailer for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain this Wednesday, August 5th, at the Gamescom.

The trailer is set to be released at 3 PM EST or 12 PM PST and is intended to provide audiences with a better understanding of the game as whole while simultaneously showcasing many of the new gameplay mechanics.  This includes largely focusing on the all new Mother Base component of the Metal Gear Solid series which Konami promises will bring a whole new level of strategy to the stealth espionage gameplay as well as feed into the game's multiplayer mode.

Gamescom will treat their attendees to a playable demo entitled "A Hero's Way" which is set in Afghanistan and marks the first time the game will be available for the public to play.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will be released on September 1, 2015 on both consoles and PCs according to an announcement made by Konami yesterday. 

Silent Hills is cancelled. Konami has fumbled the chance for Guillemo Del Toro and Hideo Kojima to co-create a brand new vision of Silent Hill. Right? Apparently, that might not be the case. According to a trusted anonymous source that reached out to RoosterTeeth's news team, not only is the game not dead, but Microsoft is in talks to acquire the entire Silent Hill IP as a Microsoft exclusive.

You can see their original report in the video above (warning: there's some swearing), and there's a number of interesting tidbits also revealed. For one thing, Silent Hills is apparently nearly 80% done at this time of writing, according to the source. Norman Reedus also stated back in 2014 that the "heavy motion capture" hadn't been shot yet, so it's likely that 80% is an alpha or pre-alpha version of the game.

In theory, if Microsoft does get the band back together, then the game could come out in roughly six to eight months, depending on the size and capability of the new developers. They would also have a normally pro-Sony series exclusive to Xbox One. That could be a huge turn around, as Silent Hill HD Collection and Silent Hill: Downpour were given far less attention on Xbox 360.

How much does that improved quality and exclusive status matter to Microsoft? According to the source, they are willing to spend billions in order to have the rights to Silent Hill. This is on top of Konami reportedly focusing on mobile development from here on out, so the likelihood of them selling off IP that isn't mobile friendly is high.

Konami also apparently pulled the PT demo as a sign of good faith to Microsoft. This also plays directly into Microsoft aggressively pursuing new sequels and new IP exclusives for its latest console. The cards all line up right, but we won't know for certain until E3, where Microsoft reportedly wants to show off the new acquisition in a big way.

Until then, how do you feel about Microsoft buying the Silent Hill IP? Would you jump ship from PlayStation to Xbox for the classic horror franchise? What do you think they'd do with the IP, moving forward? Let us know in the comments below!

Despite controversial times for Japanese publisher Konami involving the creator of Metal Gear, Hideo Kojima, PlayStation Plus Members will have the opportunity to experience the final Metal Gear game with Kojima's name intact for free this June. 

The latest instalment to the stealth action franchise Metal Gear, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, will be free for PS Plus Members on PS4, as well as turn-based strategy Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-A-Fide Edition. Super Exploding Zoo and Futuridium EP Deluxe will also be free for PS4 owners on cross-buy with PS Vita. First-person shooter Call of Juarez: Gunslinger and 2D platformer Cloudberry Kingdom round out the PS Plus Free Games lineup for June 2015 on the PS3.

The PS Plus Free Games for May such as Hohokum and Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition will remain free until 3rd June before the prelude to the much-anticipated Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and others take over.

We already knew that P.T. would eventually be pulled from the PlayStation Network, but not like this. The P.T. demo for Silent Hills has not only been taken out of the PSN, all traces of it have been eliminated. 

Normally, when you download a game from the PSN, even if the game is deleted from the shop, you can still have access to it if you had downloaded it. That is not the case for P.T.. The demo has been completely removed from PSN servers, and even people who had downloaded the demo before can no longer access it now. Polygon tried, and failed to retrieve the demo. 

Even if you had it in your library, you can't re-download P.T. from PSN on a new PS4. Just tried. So sad.

— Russ Frushtick (@RussFrushtick) 6 Mai 2015

So far, only the American PSN seems to be affected by this, but it will most likely reach the rest of the world eventually. 

A petition to bring Silent Hills back?

Konami and Kojima are going through a violent divorce, and like always, the children are the ones hurting the most from this act. German gamer Yauheni Zinkevich has put up a petition in order to bring Silent Hills back. He has also put up a Facebook page called "Silent Hills Discussion." 

Will all of this be effective? No one is really sure, but if it reaches enough signatures, maybe, just maybe, something good will come out of this. 

And let me tell you, that's saying something.

This console generation has so far been defined by an incredibly overwhelming sense of "meh" that has led many gamers to feel like their big, fancy new consoles have been nothing more than high-tech paper weights. For this console generation to feel exciting, we really need an ambitious and impressive title from a beloved studio, with a beloved del Toro, and a beloved Norman Reedus. But that's officially not going happen.

Super bummed about this was really looking forward to it. Hopefully it'll come back around. Sorry everyone 🍕 http://t.co/drZJ8tBsSN

— norman reedus (@wwwbigbaldhead) April 26, 2015

With Silent Hills canceled, it's hard to deny that many gamers' faith in this console generation has been rocked to the core. The PS4-owning community feels robbed. Again.

Let's face facts: it's hard to keep the faith.

This Console Generation Is Barely Walking at 18 Months Old

The average human baby starts walking between 9 and 18 months old, and babies don't need millions of dollars to make that happen.

The PS4 and Xbox One have been both primarily fuelled on a handful of decent titles each since release in late 2013. While some sales have been impressive, and the level of hype has been nothing short of extreme.. an exceptional number of new games have fallen flat or remain undelivered. Console gamers are reasonably disappointed that a year and half has only yielded a scant handful of decent games. So far, though, most flagship titles have been middling at best.

Remember when Titanfall was going to be the CoD killer?

Remember when we realized that Killzone: Shadowfall was really just a tech demo for the PS4? Same with Ryze for Xbox One?

How about Knack, Sunset Overdrive, or The Crew?

Drive Club is a mess, The Order 1886 was entirely disappointing, Assassin's Creed Unity was a crapshoot even if you got past the technical issues, and No Man's Sky might be ok if it ever even comes out. 

So far, the only real successes on consoles have been HD re-releases, Bloodborne - if you're a masochist, a handful games in long-established franchises, and the merry band of non-current-gen-console-exclusives like GTA 5 and Last of Us. Granted, Nintendo is still impressing fans with Wii U releases, but those have also been few and far between (and Amiibos only go so far).

While PC gamers were fawning over Five Nights at Freddy's, P.T. was taking the PS4 by storm. Now, it's gone.

Meanwhile, after all these disappointments, PC games have been thriving. Well, as long as you aren't planning on installing mods anytime soon.

While Evil Within reviewed well, the game ultimately left many survival-horror fans unfulfilled and salivating for more. After nearly a year and a half of disappointing PS4 exclusives, P.T. and the subsequent Silent Hills was everything a PS4 owner could ask for. It's an well-loved franchise with legions of fans, big names attached, and an impressive demo that was well-received across the board. 

The P.T. demo gave console owners had a glimmer of tangible hope, if only for a second. 

If Konami abandons one of their largest franchises, what's the next franchise we'll say goodbye to?

Konami is a big company; video games are just a part of their larger corporate landscape. If Konami decides Silent Hills is a bust, who is to say that Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes might not be the last MGS game? Will Silent Hill return to form at all? If so, when and in what capacity? P.T. was a rare success; like a meat thermometer to steak, P.T. took the temperature of PS4 owners and showed that *ding* they are ready for Silent Hills.

If even in such an ideal, rabid-fan environment, the game was still canceled.

That's worrying, especially in a landscape where there have already been talks that Microsoft might abandon the Xbox and even Nintendo continues to struggle despite relentless innovation.

Konami axing Silent Hills is a big deal and is shaking console gamers to the core.

As long as a heartfelt love-letter like P.T. can be ripped away so easily, console gamers will be up at night, staring at the ceiling and questioning the future of every beloved franchise they cling to.

Img Source: Learning Difficulties

Last week, we reported on Konami's removal of Hideo Kojima's branding from the Metal Gear Solid games as well as Kojima's upcoming exit from the publisher following Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain's completion. Since all this information has come out, Konami has not made much comment on what is going on and it has been all quiet on Mr. Kojima's front.

This all changed Wednesday, when the Japanese Metal Gear Twitter account released three tweets to respond to the many fan concerns. I've gone through the Bing translations of the tweets (GAH!) and sorted them into readable English so you don't have to do so.

The first tweet translates:

In accordance with recent changes in Konami's organization, Kojima Productions, and other studios within Konami, had its name changed. While organization and the name have changed, MGSV:TPP is still an original work from director Hideo Kojima and retains its original production staff.

The second tweet: 

While we have changed to a new Twitter account, the same Metal Gear promotional team members have moved over to this account and are sharing the latest news. Since these team members are still tweeting, we appreciate you coming to follow and support this account.

The third and final tweet:

Hideo Kojima himself is playing the game, checking details, and directing the staff as the game nears completion. Bringing Kojima's thoughts and ideas to the massive open-world of TPP is very difficult, so please provide the team and director your continued support.

You can tell these tweets were drafted by committee from Konami's PR team. Nothing new is really said, unless you count that the promotional team running the Twitter accounts are the same. 

What about responding to the reported limited access to Internet and telephone for the team working on Metal Gear Solid V? How about a response to sources claiming the team's employment status has been changed from full-time employees to contractors? Konami asks for their fans' continued support of the Metal Gear team while actively removing their own.

But hey, as long as the tweets stay the same...

Knack didn't receive the best review scores. The PlayStation 4 launch title only averages 54 percent on Metacritic, despite many supporters who love the game's nostalgic feel.

So, what does a veteran gamer and master designer like Hideo Kojima think? As he revealed on his Twitter page, he got some time to play Knack and for the most part, he enjoyed himself.

The following set of Tweets (collected by DualShockers) explains his three-hour time trial:

I was invited by mark and played the Japanese language version of Knack quickly. It’s an action game and it proceeds smoothly.

Operation is simple and easy, but it becomes a very hard game when I change the difficulty. It’s exhilarating when Knack becomes huge. I loved the traps like in Crash.

Knack: I played it for a little less than three hours at Sony Computer Entertainment. It seems that Mark created it very carefully. The next generation feeling is a bit thin, but the art is an interesting attempt.

Also, a father that loves FPS games, if he’s tired of firefights, can he try cooperative play with his children?

All valid points. There are many who would share his viewpoint, especially those who weren't expecting anything "next-gen" from Knack. Personally, as I argued in my recent review, most critics understood the game's goal. It's just that in the eyes of those reviewers, the production missed those goals, instead coming across as a missed opportunity. Kojima, however, appeared to have plenty of fun.

Sure, Knack can be entertaining for a few hours, but...

The problem is that the longer you play, the more of a missed opportunity Knack becomes. You start to realize that each new level is almost exactly the same, only with a fresh coat of paint. You realize you've been using the exact same set of combination attacks and special skills since the start. You realize that, in fact, this game doesn't really have the charm and style you thought it might have. Still, it's a certainty that when Kojima talks, people listen.

And well they should.