RIP John Cygan (April 27, 1954 - May 13, 2017) Patreon: / hyperbithero Join my Discord server: / discord Watch my original Solidus video which is terrible: • Video
MGS2 is perhaps the game I respect the most for its ideas. It may not be my favorite Metal Gear, but god damn was Kojima ahead of his time for the game
Yeah, true. It also makes Solidus less morally grey. Would've been cool if it was revealed he merely said that to antagonize Raiden and he didn't actually kill his parents. Through Raiden, if he won, he could spread his ideology. And he did, Raiden eventually helped to end The Patriots in MGS4.
youn00ber I just don't think it was necessary. Was he saying that to the player so we know that he is still the bad guy or Raiden to give him even more reason to end solidus. It might as well been a "I am your father". Maybe if there was a codec call during the naked raiden mindtrip or a call from snake, or hell solidus, do more in-depth at the last cutscene because it's already an information dumb,rather than "I killed your parents, there's your motivation" I don't think it ruins his character, just think it makes a really cheap moment, from a pretty intense scene
I don't disagree, it did come out of nowhere, it also distracts from his core motivation. Like it was done at the last minute to establish a connection between Solidus and Raiden, like Big Boss and Snake.
I am a MGS fan, but, if I'm being honest, there are a lot of trite/hacky moments throughout the games. Honestly, if the vidya game script was transferred to the big screen/TV, we would be rolling our eyes half of the time. Translation issue? Maybe the medium (vidya) lends a saving grace to otherwise subpar moments? I don't know. I'll end on a good note: MGS, to this day, gives me goosebumps at certain moments - a possible mix of genius atmosphere and nostalgia.
Not only comes out of nowhere, it's also one of the most generic and cliché lines a villain can say. But since we are talking about Sons Of Liberty, an extremely self aware game, makes me think it might be intentional and was trying to say something else. Or maybe i'm just overthinking, i dunno.
Y'know what? I finally get Solidus now. Before this video he was just another clone for the sake of having another clone whose goals didn;t make much sense in an already confusing narrative, making him forgettable. This has actually changed my perception of Solidus and MGS2 as a whole. Very nicely done!
i actually didnt know that about Solidus' swords or the removed American flags... i almost wish i didnt know because now ill think about it every time i play MGS2
And killing Seal Team 6 who were just doing their jobs. And killing Olga when he could have just knocked her out or something. He may have been right about the Patriots but he was still a selfish asshole.
The "I killed your parents" line was such a forced plot twist. The fact that it was revealed towards the end makes it more so. I fucking hate it when they reveal key backstory right before a character's death. Solidus is still a very good villain though.
Brilliant. I sometimes wonder if Solidus was just goading Raiden on by saying "I killed your parents", it is such a juxtaposition after such an insightful monologue, it has no other purpose than to just anger Raiden into the final showdown.
At this point he could just work with Raiden and Solid Snake to find the information he wanted but without the life experience that Big Boss received from Operation Snake Eater and the Boss' story, Solidus is overtly troubled by how he will be remembered rather than accomplishing his mission, as the Boss did, even though it meant she would be remembered as a traitor. Solidus lacks this quality and as a result is unable to look past his ego and ultimately fails.
I always make a point to play MGS2 around April 30th out of my own autistic ocd but I was moving today and couldn't. Thanks for uploading this to curb my sperg.
A video so sick you left out that business of Liquid Ocelot using his corpse in MGS4 supposedly as Big Boss. Well done, cos this is how we ought to remember Solidus Snake.
It’s only fitting that the prefect replica of Big Boss was killed by his “son” Raiden, just as The Real Big Boss was beaten by his son “Solid Snake”. The Patriots really did play everyone like puppets. God I love MGS, find a reason to live, and keep on living while building a legacy for yourself to pass on.
This is a definite improvement on the first version of this video. Sadly I've yet to play MGS2 but the way you describe its story has finally allowed me to understand why people refer to Kojima as the mad genius he is. Thank you for sharing this insight.
I still want a recreation of the final battle for Rising 2 with Solidus (if it ever gets made). It could either be a dream/nightmare sequence, or just a bonus battle. They should keep Solidus' moves the same but maybe amplify up abit to fit the more over the top Platinum style
Great examination of the character, I never even considered that his relationship with Raiden was just another facet of Solidus imitating Big Boss. It's a shame that for how strong MGS2's ending was, 4 doesn't really follow up very meaningfully.
Thanks for laying this out, I was too young to understand this game at the time it came out. Solidus is my favourite Metal Gear villain even more now, he's so complexed, more of an anti hero.
"Unlike an intron of history, I want to be remembered as an exon!" the writers really stepped up their genetics after fucking up with dominant/recessive in the first one, lol
the scene that plays after arsenal gear crashes into New York is one of my favorite scenes since it's the only time where Solidus talks to Raiden like and actual father towards him and wants Raiden to have a bigger future then his since he doesn't have much time. Solidus is still one of my favorite villain in the whole series since he's way more human then the other villains
man mgs2 and kojima are on the level of orson wells 1984 in perfectly predicting the future. We are on the cusp of the next stage which is Mike Judges Idiocracy
The idea that Solidus is a perfect clone of Big Boss and was also the President but no one ever questioned this always confused the fuck outta me. Like this soldier of legend just happens to look like the President as well and no one bats an eye?
Um... well, you see... *something, something* nano machines *something, something* killing is wrong *something, something* DID YOU LIKE MY S U N G L A S S E S?
You know I would’ve liked to see Solidus coming to the realization that the Wisemen’s Committee are all actually deceased and that the entire Big Shell incident had led to another dead end in his fight against The Patriots.
True. It doesn't ruin anything, but it wasn't necessary. Raiden already has some pretty good reasons to fight him even without this revelation. 1. If I lose, then a child will die. 2. If I lose, then the woman I love will die. 3. If I lose, then I will die. Nothing else is needed really.
Wasn't Solidus your first (or one of the first) videos you did for the channel? Or am I just remembering wrong, anyway I'm not complaining, great video as always!
Nison545 He remade it, the old version was nowhere near this good. It was great don't get me wrong, but nowhere near as in depth and amazing as this video.
I'd spend a good 100 bucks to get MGS 1,2, and 3 remastered for current Gen. It doesn't even have to be like upgraded and shit.. Just let me play these games again!
I'm hoping for a Devious Intent for Tripataka from Enslaved. I know what some of you are thinking, but the more I think about it the more evil that witch actually was in that game. And to Tameem, that's an ideal girlfriend. Ugh...
John Cygan, the terrific voice actor behind this brilliant character, has just died recently. In a strange way, this video could be interpreted as part of his legacy - an uncensored message that he leaves behind.
Such a damn shame that the ending got so much removed in the wake of 9/11. I guess it's pretty ironic that the visual representation of the free ideals Solidus was fighting for got censored.
l3054 Do you have any source for this? Unfortunately, I know it's true. I would just like to research that concept more. Old money doesn't just go away...
The sad thing is (given the events of mgs4) that a man whos wish was to be remembered was ultimately forgotten and assumed to be bigboss. Even when it comes down to the fanbase i feel solidus is often forgotten, but IMO he was one of the greatest villains to grace the series.
MGS4 was a mistake. Kojima never wanted to make that game. He wanted MGS2 to be the chronological ending leaving it ambiguous. He was pressured by Konami and fans (who've even sent death threats) to explain everything that wasn't supposed to be explained.
Solidus Snake was a speech giver. He was a politician and he was so masterful at cultivating his image that no one suspected he was a warlord training child soldiers in Africa. Except, he was a narcissist who could never get his fill. Its sad how his life was lost. He was supposed to be a good man.
I'm four years late, but to add insult to injury, he WASN'T forgotten. Once the Patriots fell and more and more information got out, the public eventually learned that George Sears was Solidus Snake, and that he once drafted child soldiers into war in Liberia. A pair of corporations known as World Marshall and Desperado Enforcement LLC developed a joint project with the goal of abducting vagrant children and forcibly converting them into cyborgs, psychologically AND chemically grooming them to enjoy violence early. What was the program called? The Sears Program, named and modeled directly after the alias and actions of Solidus Snake.
Not really. He started working on both Liquid and Solidus videos during april. Hyper almost didn't make it in time, but was able to manage. He updates alot on Patreon and his discord server (hint,hint)
I think "I killed your parents" was a lie told purposely so as to piss Raiden off enough to want to kill him. Also solidus itself is the boundary from which a solid object starts to become liquid after it it passes it, this fits his character being a perfect, balanced clone.
Yeah, I always thought it was weird how he so casually added that little part in at the end of his monologue. If it wasn't a lie, than Solidus is the shittiest shithead ever lol
I feel like if it was a lie, then that would have been revealed in MGS 4. One way or another this was going to be the last time Solidus and Raiden had a chance to talk. Either Raiden would die, or Solidus would die. He'd never get a chance to tell Raiden again and he probably figured that Raiden deserved to know the whole truth before the end.
Solidus has to be one of the most nuanced villains in the entire series. He's really neither good or bad; just a real human being with ideals that he'll go to any means to achieve, and I think that's what really sticks out to me. He has a passion that's most easily discernible throughout all of the characters in franchise, and it's truly sad that he's stopped short of obtaining the one thing he's fought his whole life to achieve. Plus, y'know, he's right.
Yeah but by the end of the day, Hitler's goal was none sensical and hypocritical as he wanted to make the Aryan, who originally were dark-skinned and highly resembled the Persians in complexion and coloration; not quite the image of the proto-Nordic perfect specimen that Hitler was espousing, the Superior race and wiped out everyone else. Solidus is no saint but you can't disagree that he may have had a point in his goal and in the end his goal was realized even after his death
I’ll never understand how giving a villain sympathetic and relatable goals suddenly makes them “neither good or bad” with “grey” morales. Solidus was a homicidal maniac no more deserving of success than the soulless AIs he unknowingly sought to destroy. He had no remorse or regrets for the lives he forsook and ended. He was a true villain until the bitter end. No amount of passion for his plans could change that. It’s getting annoying to see people talk about him like an anti hero.
It's crazy if you think about it. Both Liquid and Solidus were seen as villains due to their methods, but in reality all they wanted to do was fight for others who couldn't fight for themselves while proving they are more than just clones of a man they aspired to be better than. Liquid fought for the life of his genetic brethren who were the product of genetic manipulation and soldiers who felt out of place in the "world gone soft" by providing a haven for them. Solidus wanted to find the identities of those in power who sought the subjugation of humanity as a whole. Solid Snake was just the one who did it all right.
ponquinful My birthday is 30th of April. Imagine how confused I was the first time playing. I thought the game was reading my date of birth I entered at the beginning!
Even in these times. The theme of controlled information manipulation is down to the point in these times. It's kinda scary as of now and more when this game was 19 years ago.
I feel like playing this as a kid was a waste because a lot of this story went over my head. Granted this was my first metal gear so I missed out on some back story. This shit is really good god damn. I still loved the game tho
I think this has happened to a lot of people, i decided to play MGS 1 years later after beating the game as a kid from start to finnish on PS 1 and damn the story was good but as a young kid i only understood a few words of english but still completed the game, while i totally missing out on the story.
All of MGS2 was about memes, it just didn't use the word. MGS1 asked whether our genes define us. MGS2 asked whether our memes define us. MGS3 asked whether our Scene (where and when we are) defines us. MGS = Meme Gene Scene
Great analysis! I had no idea that the flag was supposed to be prominent there at the end, that makes so much sense and would've made that scene even more impactful. Solidus was one of the characters from MGS that I found the most interesting; he was a deeply flawed character that did a lot of terrible things, but that didn't define him or keep him from doing something that he felt was right. He didn't fall into the mustache-twirling villain stereotype that I thought he might earlier on through the game. I also really liked how you tied in that we can all pass on our ideals to try to make the future brighter. A great take-away to end on.
I love MGS2 and MGS1 both of these games really shaped as young kid especially being very anti-war and anti-nuclear weapons. Also I love Solidus Snake so much because MGS2 is the game I beat so many times and I've gotten so many scenes and lines stuck in my head. I also love how Solidus Snake wanted to be just like Big Boss, he didn't hate him unlike Solid Snake or Liquid Snake. It does suck he had to die and even worst his his role in MGS4 was so little but yet Liquid Snake is remember and beloved and Solidus is ignored and hated for being in MGS2 because of Raiden. I love Jack and Rose and their codec scenes.
