Question: Do you think MGS2's themes and ideas are actually still relevant?

[starschwar]

Moreover, MGS2's finality on that point - Raiden throwing away the dog tags, coupled with Snake's final speech ultimately put a bow on, well, liberty. Raiden is free to be who he wants to be. You, the player, are free to interpret this Total Recall Matrix mind-screw however you want. If it meant something to you, it matters. What it means - that's on you.

Whereas in Phantom Pain, Big Boss takes Venom's passport. Ocelot even tells him to get cosmetic surgery (which probably explains why George Sears's rise to prominence didn't freak out the entire military/espionage community). "You" advanced Venom so far as to become Big Boss's other half. Whereas Big Boss has stolen "your" identity.

I will say that I much prefer the way MGS2 told its story. For all the faults, Kojima is way better when he's verbose. The more minimalistic take on MGSV mostly leaves a hollow feeling. When Can't Say Goodbye to Yesterday started playing, I was left with a profound silence with much to contemplate. When The Man Who Sold The World played again, I was left feeling empty, unsatisfied, and legitimately unsure if that was even the ending. I am not going down the "unfinished" rabbit hole, but those were my feelings at the time.

[Dirty Duck]

(which probably explains why George Sears's rise to prominence didn't freak out the entire military/espionage community)

(does anyone have that fake MGS2 screenshot of Big Boss that someone made way back when? Where they've used Solidus' model and given him a FOXHOUND beret. Can't find it anywhere.)

[starschwar]

Someone needs to update that video to have Solidus blaming the image, not on Photoshop, but on AI. Far more relevant to today, and doubly so for MGS2.