I love how this games is often considered "the worst" and yet it has one of the most profound moments in the entire franchise. Game was literally decades ahead of it's time.
kojima is like the first fuckin prophet talking through videogames.... look at Death Stranding (i still don´t even play it, no spoilers), and a year later, pandemics. XD
W E L I V E I N A S O C I E T Y where every person should see a video like this. Without the lore but everyone before turning 18 should be taught about the whole theme of this video.
Im 14 and this game series is just so fucking amazing and teaching me alot that we should be freer thinkers and not just follow one person or parties objective nothing will top this series for me ever
I really want to show this video to an extremely conspiratorial minded individual I know but, I doubt he would sit through the whole thing because he thinks everything is fake.
The fact that MGS2 was the first metal gear game I played entirely, meant that I never got bother that I did not play as Snake. The game was and is still my favorite game.
memes are subject to natural selection the same way as genes. and, just like genes, they aren't being selected for being "good" or "virtuous", they are being selected for how well they manage to reproduce, to spread from mind to mind. "bad" ideas tend to reproduce well, they tend to be simple to understand and easy to spread, and highly sensationalistic in content. that's natural selection operating on memes
(copied from another reply) I thought about this objection too, though thinking about it more I ended up seeing it as a more blurry line. Some form of selection is definitely taking place, with some memes multiplying far more successfully in different "areas" of...the internet/culture, however we want to talk about it. But where the selection doesn't quite match biological selection is the idea of death, the idea that those that cannot reproduce die out without passing on their material. As computers/the internet gets more prolific and more backed-up, less and less stuff is removed from the system. "Never fading, always accessible...", as the game says. At that point the natural selection comparison somewhat breaks down, as the equivalent situation would be that every organism ever born was immortal. Selection pressure is no longer about "survive to reproduce as much as possible", but simply "reproduce as much as possible". Non-replicators hanging around might be an interesting twist, as these types of memes would not need to follow any existing survival pattern. As in they could "be" absolutely anything, with no rhyme or reason required, and who knows how that might effect the landscape or the successful replicators, now or 1000 years down the line? And of course, none of that even touches on the point that this is all about how human beings react to/integrate/perpetuate this system, since we/our information stores are both the environment and temporary hosts/avatars of the memes in question...oof. Head hurty.
Was looking for a reply like this. The very similarity of their name to "gene" isn't random. This guy's videos are mostly fine, but this is a very strange and major oversight.
There's also artificial selection too, many popular memes at some point were heavily forced by a group such as 4chan. Of course, it's usually a mix of organic and bot-driven traffic. In case of "bots" we don't necessarily mean programmed bot networks but often people acting like a cell in a botnet manually "helping" the algorithm to catch on. A pro-russian political message will get thousands of likes, shares and reposts from troll factory to help websites see it as popular, or even to get it trending, and then will be picked up by useful idiots as well. And what AI at the end of MGS2 says, is they think humans aren't to be trusted with this process in general... Because we're gullible. Ironically fake Colonel in the end suggests manual curation by world government similar to how US sanctions FINALLY forced UA-cam to at least start combatting russian disinformation. A little too late but never say never again I guess...
@@KasumiRINA Your argument would work, except there is no group called "4chan". It's an imageboard where anyone can go and say something anonymously, and people either like it or disagree, or bunches of anonymous people do pranks or genuinely do things that are meaninful. You heard of a group called anonymous? They are hacktivists that began in 4chan, and they have supported Ukraine from get-go. Even putting the truth on Russian TV. I'd like to ask you this: Are these your ideas, or what far left American activists or news media corporations told you? Sounds to be like you're a authoritarian who thinks Americans should 'create context' for everyone else. Not surprising since you use the same american talking points of the far left for American cultural issues, and seem to be more interested in that ideology. I mean, you think a lot of people irrelevant to Ukraine are Russian propagandists. Alex Jones somehow a Russian agent? No, he's just a conspiracy nut no one really takes seriously. Let me show you you an actual KGB propagandist who defected decades ago: ua-cam.com/video/yErKTVdETpw/v-deo.html You are an example of who the man in the video is talking about, but you deserve freedom to think and feel as you do, but so do those you call 'bots'. I'm telling you this, for the same reasons Snake helped Raiden.
@@KasumiRINA "russian disinformation" As opposed to western disinformation? You seem so far up your own rectum that you can't see a contradiction there
Isnt that a horrible way to live our lives? Honesty goes completely out the window as everything is objective or just as is just to seep through objective?
Billy Jolly Like, even the president who wants to lie to you just decides to be honest for once. We all want to stop lying, but we can’t because it goes against the flow of society. It reminds me of the Yungian concept of the persona, how you are a different person within but you need to act in a specific way around specific people. It’s a shell that only the best humans have ever broken out of.
Max, every time I watch one of your videos my emotional views are altered into the presence of a philosophical idea. You have always astounded me with your work. You give me new thoughts, new ideas, and ways to let go of my past mistakes. You have one of the greatest minds that I have have ever seen. Please, make more of these philosophical videos. Video game, book, movie, etc. Please make more.
Thank you. I will do my best moving into the future, man. Unfortunately, it's looking like I am not going to be able to put out as much enlightening, thought-provoking content as I used to, but I will keep at it in whatever capacity I can.
@@maxderrat Hey Max, aside from all your amazing eye opening videos. A question. What's your opinion on the concept of Arsenal Gear, a large Mobile Fortress.
I was 16 years old staying up all night to finish this game. People looked at me like I was crazy when I talked to them about the codex call at the end. Yes this was a profound moment in a video game. The perspective, and understanding in that time has shaped the way I have lived my life since. The only tribe in in is the human race tribe, and kinda my family included.
Holy shit I feel like your whole channel has been leading up to this. I am in the same camp as you that MGS2 is one of the greatest game stories of all time. Can't wait to see this.
When a co-worker of mine in his 70s found out I was a gamer he replied "I thought you were more mature than that..." Meanwhile, I'm sitting here watching an incredibly well thought out and insightful video by Max Derrat that discusses real world issues regarding fake news in the digital age and what we choose to believe or not based on our biases has the potential to be a destructive force to society as a whole. This was brought up in a video game from almost 20 years ago. (Sips coffee) Yeah...our generation is so immature. lol Great video! You have a new subscriber! I wish more people were open to having discussions like these regardless of what medium the topic came from. Games are an art-form and I'm so thankful that I was born at the right time to experience this. :)
It's funny how this theme makes fun of the guy you were referring too. Stuck in his own "echo chamber" in that VG are for immature manchildren rather than accepting it as a new form of art/media that can give incredible experiences. I mean he doesn't have to like it but I digress
It didn't fool me because I've already seen this trick done before in a video made by Superbunnyhop about MGS2, made years ago. Max just straight stole it.
I loved MGS2. I wasn't a part of the wave for MGS1 (I had N64 instead) so the whole Raiden thing didn't shock me. Just found your channel, love your videos man! Very thought provoking, I need it!
I’ve been subbed to you forever, over many different channels. Every time you do anything related to metal gear, I feel my little snake tingle. Keep up the great work!
Your videos are simply incredible, breaking down complex topics in all forms of media without missing the important while making said ideas accessible.
As someone who got into the MGS series very young, the message often flew directly over my head. Watching your videos and revisiting these events with a more mature mindset is AMAZING to say the least. Keep up the great work Max!
I played this game when I was 16 and now 14 years later after finishing phatom pain decided to review back this game and i'm really shocked of this theory now is our reality. Well, it had always been like that after realising.
I think your view of natural selection is a bit idealised. There are plenty of nonfunctional and dysfunctional genes that spread simply because they don’t cause immediate harm. I do believe that self reflection/ critical thinking and self improvement are just another evolutionary process. The idea that evolution only happens in genetic mutation between generations is a bit simplified.
@@arasharfa I believe we are born with an "intellectual ceiling", so to speak, and that ceiling is definitely determined by our genetics. Whether or not an individual will hit their ceiling during their lifetime will then depend on a number of internal variables, and a few external ones. Actions like acquiring information and introspection can help with that, though it won't make your genetic material "better" or more desirable from an evolutionary point of view. There are many things a person can't really ever mold or alter. You can't ever be taught how to think critically, or how to properly filter and absorb information, how to analyze other people correctly, etc. Though I agree with the idea that many undesirable genes spread, I don't chalk that up to their "harmless" nature. There are many deliberate factors in today's world that suppress the proliferation of capable genes and promote undesirable DNA of both the harmless and harmful kinds, though even the "harmless" are damaging by consuming the world's resources and bringing close to or nothing in return. Regardless of religious or political stances, you'd be silly to think otherwise.
@@TechniqueSan In terms of spiritual development, I don't see the body being an obstacle in that regard. Emergentism explains how complexity is born outof simplicity, and so I don't think we have an intellectual cieling. I also don't see how inert genes without a specific advantage strip the world of resources. If humans destroy the world it's because of their primitive instincts, and those are determined by our bodies, but I also believe the choice to question things is a voluntary choice, but is taught to question as well. either by other people or by experiences in themselves.
Honestly the whole Meme thing made me think of this game one of the best MGS when it first came out and as it has become more relevant not only with the acceleration of but where other franchises have expanded on it like Ghost in The Shell Stand Alone Complex.
This is, without question, one of the most important and relevant videos on UA-cam. Period. Max, you are an awesome dude. I hope I get to meet you face to face some day!
I just have to say your analysis is absolute genious. I am a die hard fan of the franchise and you really took this to the next level. I hope to see more content of you !
Thanks to your original video on the most profound moment in gaming history and others after that, you have completely changed my view on philosophy and other philosophical perspective that helped me out of a tough situation(and also got me into metal gear), these videos provide different outlook on certain topics that I never would have thought about, these vids are amazing
Watching this made me question what I would be if I didn't seem to care whether it was raiden or not. It makes you think on the decisions made and the thought process that you might've undergone while playing and place it in every day life. The fact that this game predicted our use of media and the way we utilize the internet will never stop to amaze me.
Glad to see you back in action Max, aside from your Quiet Mountain analysis videos, the Gaseous Component Liquid are the reasons why i subbed, keep up the great work and stay yellow.
@@maxderrat yes but its always entertaining and worth while, sometimes I always find myself coming back to not only the MGS but the Silent Hill analysis as well, there's something about these sets of videos that are so intreguing...
I love those analysises of yours and I really believe MGS 2 is still a step above all medias nowadays. MGS V is actually quite close to it but lacks precision in what it wants to convey, while MGS2 is more fleshed out in this aspect. In my opinion, MGS 2 should be mandatory in schools because it just changes people, makes one question what is true or not, what is worth sharing or not. The MEME theme is described in a fantastic way. This game is a wake up call, and we all need to hear it.
fun fact: The story was based on Japan's internet society at the time of development. West: "Öh my god such revelation! a prophecy foretold eons" Meanwhile in Japan: *Imageboards*
@@youwaisef Imageboards were a thing in japan since 1996, Site that granted massive information dump separated by Cultures. Which is exactly the plot based around in MGS2. Imageboards would later inspired future sites like 4Chan in 2003. this is why the West was surprised by the plot being prophetic but mostly because Imageboard Culture wasn't a thing until 2003, a year after MGS2 release in 2002.
pretty sure that's too on the nose for Jokima. that and much like Japanese gamers' responses to TLoU2 (i.e. not giving a shit about bullshit American politics), I doubt that has too much of an influence on a game designed largely for American consumption.
@@dgw3650 It is what it is lol. There's nothing wrong with taking inspiration from a source, on MGS2 case, Japan's Imageboard, and Kojima was just a massive fan of western movies. Mix both and you'll have a absolute mindfuckery in MGS2. Almost all of the MGS games are an ode of movies that Kojima and his Dad bonded over with. Almost *all* the project he led was pretty much on the nose. His secrecy on project is just a PR stunt he likes to do as a means of interacting with his audience. TL;DR: Kojimbo is a westaboo, but designing a game around a script isn't that farfetched especially in the gaming industry.
I still remember getting this game as a young teenager, waiting forever for the sequel after having played the original MGS1 and being initially disappointed that I didn't get to play as Snake. Still the game was so good I continued on and finished the entire game and paid as close attention as a I could with the limited knowledge I had as a teen. By the end of the game I knew that there was some kind of contradiction between what reviewers were saying about this game and what I had just experienced. It was unlike anything I'd ever played or encountered before and I learned so much about story telling and the human condition just from a video game. It truly is one of the most profound video games in modern history.
27:04 I don't know if it wasn't mentioned for time or redundancy purposes but the AI doesn't take the form a specific person, the "colonel" is a different person for each person based on their expectations and experiences. Raiden is the one who mentions In the darkness of shadow moses, Rose treats him like a "common" colonel, and more importantly, the colonel's name is NEVER said, in MGS1 the name Campbell is said time to time, MGS2's colonel name isn't said to the very end
MGS 2 will always be my fav in the series and my favorite game of all time. This game was soooooo ahead of its time when it came out. I was 12 at the time and it blew my mind.
I sometimes feel like at my young age, the physiology of my brain isn't allowing me to contain all of this information, at least not neatly. There is so much to take in, it is like being born again. When any human is born, their world is a raw, unfiltered, mysterious place. When we are born, we have no previous associations that are even remotely similar to what we are experiencing, and category simply does not exist yet. Over time, we will start to form ideas, mostly from independent exploration. At the same time, we will start to recognize the ones we love and listen to their ideas that they set for us. Our minds become more category-oriented, and we find that we are able to sort out our brains better as time goes on (until entropy catches up with us, of course). Though we see the future ahead of us all of the time, we shouldn't forget where we all began. As a mind with no preconceived conceptions of reality or any assumption of the sort. Infinitely stupid, and yet absolutely unbiased.
That was a nice cup of existential dread. Also, when I was a kid playing through MGS:2 I actually loved playing as Raiden. Like I wanted to play as Snake but I was just as content playing as Raiden because he was interesting in his own way. Maybe age also has something to do with bias. Great video as always!
I agree, I didn't know the difference. I still wish there was a section in the plant where you could play as him but oh well. They could have made an expansion where you play as him and show his side of that mission but too late now.
@@jackx5750 they literally did and it sucks. MGS2 Substance was re-released in GOG and is part of many HD and Legacy collections, the Snake Tales part lets you play Snake's part of the Plant chapter in 5 separate missions, with no Soliton radar (only AP sensor), little weapons and insane difficulty. So yeah they made it, just poorly.
@@KasumiRINA I did play it and it seemed really shoehorned in and didn't make a whole lot of sense. Plus I don't remember getting to see the sections of the plant that only snake got to see like the unflooded shell 2 core.
MGS 2 was my first experience with the series aside for watching my older brother play the ps1 game. I ended up absolutely loving it and beating it multiple times as a kid. It ended up being the only game In the series I had any interest in playing
Amazing work again Max, your channel is a fantastic source of deep insights into media I otherwise would have never truly pieced together. From your Silent Hill videos to the Jung Aion series and of course MGS videos they all offer great explanations and insights into the minds of those who created that media but also those within it too.
Thank you again for such an amazing retrospect on MGS2. I remember the other two videos you made. Watching this made me understand what the whole game is actually about. Playing it when it first came out was so hard to understand it was like Game of Thrones took too many arcs I couldn't wrap my head around everything. This video does it perfectly. Keep up the great work!
Everybody hates playing by the rules but if you play a game without rules or with someone who circumvents the rules at every stage then there's really nothing but chaos at that point with no defining method of establishing a winner. Order comes to usurp chaos, chaos comes to usurp order when it becomes too rotten or corrupt to prevent it anymore, and then a new order comes to usurp chaos once more. A perpetual cycle that balances both sides from taking absolute control because absolute control is nothing more than a populace enslaved to itself awaiting the day of its inevitable collapse.
What do you define as peace? Is it the absence of conflict, violence and betrayal? Is it a land of promise, endless food and wonders as far as the eye can see? If I were to tell you we can have peace but at one cost, would you submit yourself to that cost? And if I were to say the cost for peace is your freedom of self-being, what would you ask? All we ask is for you to give up your self control, let a higher power make the choices for you, let them decide what is good for you and what is not. No more stress, no worries, no troubles, all that is not peace will be swept away thanks to your contribution. Not just for a greater good, but for your greater good. So tell me, would you do it? Is this the peace you ask for? Or is this something else in your eyes?
wow, you're incredible at explaining complex things in easy-to-understand terms. My view on this game, and Kojima, has completely changed. I originally went from thinking he was a genius to a poor story teller who was pretencious as hell....turns out I was just too dumb to understand the message! WOW. This is incredible. He must have had some serious balls of steel to do this with a game with his career at stake. Looking forward to the rest of the series from you.
I played this game when I was 12, and enjoyed the series because of how “cool” Snake was. Add on another 20 years, and I wish I’d waited. I fell for it just like everyone else. Incredible series of videos. You even sound somewhat like an AI…
@@Aivottaja This is a debunked myth that people like you keep spreading like a bunch of idiots. thesnakesoup.org/editorial-articles/curious-case-tomokazu-fukushima/
One could argue that memes *do* have natural selection - It’s just not the kind of selection which favors our betterment, but values which are popular: Humor, Outrage, Disgust, Puzzlement, cuteness.
MGS1 and MGS2 are in-cycled to one another, not unlike a double Oroborus. The best way to combat "gene" is "meme"-- ideas and ideals, the Nurturing, that's what combats a Gene. The bonds one shares with others can overcome any genetic history. This is shown in the outlier of MGS1, Revolver Ocealot, who utterly defies the One Word association (We know his genetic history and it doesn't come up at all here). Just as the best way to combat "Memes"... is "gene". What you are, can overcome any falsehood or idea. Someone starving is not going to give one damn about ideologies, and someone in a fight for their life isn't going to care if their attacker had fair arguments. This is shown in our outliers, Snake and Otacon who managed to intertwine the two without forgetting the first (Gene). Though of course, Ocelot, once again, is the ultimate outlier who ultimately mocks the idea of Meme entirely (I mean... nobody is gonna take "ghostly possession" seriously, now are they? Its ridiculous even to the player, and most of us faced Psycho Mantis, an actual Psychic boarding on Pokemon Powers, with a much severe level of seriousness)
Huh... that was really well done. I've always loved metal gear in general, but MGS2 in particular. It just got under my skin and stayed with me. Here I am decades later, still interested, still willing to peel back the layers and explore. While people bitched that "the cut scenes are too long." Either way, great video.
Hey great video, Max!! Been a fan of your stuff for a few years now. I enjoy your Metal Gear Solid 2 content greatly, and the anticipation for more out you is gnarly! Mgs2 gave ptsd back in the day with all the Meme mumbo stuff, but at least it made a good chunk of us into Metal Gear Vets! We, or at least me, learned even if all the nooks and crannies are Alpha and Omega size of ugly to Never give up!! Thanks for making this. I wonder what you would commentate about the VR Mission portion or Snake Tales of the Substance version of MGS2.
wow. now it makes a lil more since in mgs5 missions when Miller tells you about the mission about the bad guy, but the bad guy in question turns out to be nothing like what you heard (most of the time). yeah 1984 stuff, and the game was littered with it, I just didn't know how far back with the other titles. good vid.
I liked “The World Ends With You” take on Meme, basically a depiction of your description n yes modern day memes are defiantly bastardized form their meaning of origin but for the most part they are highly entertaining n you could strongly argue the best modern day memes are still rooted in philosophy
I guess you could say much like everything else in the universe capable of withstanding the tests of time, Memes have just evolved or adapted to a modern day environment & what we used to share with one a nether with fortune cookies we now do via humorous or insightful social media posts IMPO
Well ya know what they say, a lie goes around the world 100 times before the truth even gets up n outta bed but maybe if ppl where a bit less self cantered n capable of thief own ideas or at least how to discern a bad idea form a good one we’d be in a better place as a society at large, just gotta take it with a grin of salt, learn how to read between the lines n do your best to not let ppl BS you or give ya the run around IMO
I'm glad. I really am glad than you exist in this mad world. Someone with a keen intelligence seen rarely nowadays. Doing those kind of videos, showing than creators behind the media than are videogames can, at times, tell how our (sick) World works. I gonna try little by little to catch and watch your videos because you really deserve my attention. Please continue your work on this corrupted platform than is UA-cam! You give me chill of how true you speak! Never change Matt and Thank you to exposing the Truth with caution!
I love how this games is often considered "the worst" and yet it has one of the most profound moments in the entire franchise. Game was literally decades ahead of it's time.
kojima is like the first fuckin prophet talking through videogames.... look at Death Stranding (i still don´t even play it, no spoilers), and a year later, pandemics. XD
I only heard that back in the 2000s lol
@@dc7981 lucky you lol
@@Killtrobal death stranding is amazing experience.
Except it isn't considered at all. It's been well over ten years since that was true.
You're a therapeutic presence on the internet, Max. Your Aion series is inspirational, and I can't wait to watch this too.
holy crap Whitelight is a fan of Carl Jung
Damn, didnt expect to see you here. I watched your 7-hour DS review recently - it was phenomenal. Keep up the good work!
Man, thanks so much Whitelight. Bless you. You keep making amazing videos too.
This so wholesome
"Please dont kill yourself, who's video game reviews will I watch if you're gone?"
"Memes, the DNA of the soul."
or viruses.
Now that's a pretty meme. Exquisite.
The guys who made Rising clearly knew what Solid 2 was going for, and played off it. And it was legendary.
W E L I V E I N A S O C I E T Y
where every person should see a video like this. Without the lore but everyone before turning 18 should be taught about the whole theme of this video.
Especially in this day and age.
WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY OF THE SPECTACLE
Yes, i agree, that this video would be a good selection for societal sanity
Im 14 and this game series is just so fucking amazing and teaching me alot that we should be freer thinkers and not just follow one person or parties objective nothing will top this series for me ever
I really want to show this video to an extremely conspiratorial minded individual I know but, I doubt he would sit through the whole thing because he thinks everything is fake.
Internet Historian, GAMERS, and now Max. Is this christmas or what
Right?? UA-cam getting better documentaries than Discovery and History could deliver combined.
Ahoy and Lemmino and Dovhaty
IT'S A CONSPIRACY
@@maxderrat That's an interesting way to spell synchronicity Max.
And now Matthewmatosis too. God damn.
The fact that MGS2 was the first metal gear game I played entirely, meant that I never got bother that I did not play as Snake. The game was and is still my favorite game.
Same
25:43 " The reality is no match for the legend I'm afraid." - Solid Snake
memes are subject to natural selection the same way as genes. and, just like genes, they aren't being selected for being "good" or "virtuous", they are being selected for how well they manage to reproduce, to spread from mind to mind. "bad" ideas tend to reproduce well, they tend to be simple to understand and easy to spread, and highly sensationalistic in content. that's natural selection operating on memes
(copied from another reply)
I thought about this objection too, though thinking about it more I ended up seeing it as a more blurry line. Some form of selection is definitely taking place, with some memes multiplying far more successfully in different "areas" of...the internet/culture, however we want to talk about it.
But where the selection doesn't quite match biological selection is the idea of death, the idea that those that cannot reproduce die out without passing on their material. As computers/the internet gets more prolific and more backed-up, less and less stuff is removed from the system. "Never fading, always accessible...", as the game says. At that point the natural selection comparison somewhat breaks down, as the equivalent situation would be that every organism ever born was immortal. Selection pressure is no longer about "survive to reproduce as much as possible", but simply "reproduce as much as possible". Non-replicators hanging around might be an interesting twist, as these types of memes would not need to follow any existing survival pattern. As in they could "be" absolutely anything, with no rhyme or reason required, and who knows how that might effect the landscape or the successful replicators, now or 1000 years down the line?
And of course, none of that even touches on the point that this is all about how human beings react to/integrate/perpetuate this system, since we/our information stores are both the environment and temporary hosts/avatars of the memes in question...oof. Head hurty.
Was looking for a reply like this. The very similarity of their name to "gene" isn't random. This guy's videos are mostly fine, but this is a very strange and major oversight.
There's also artificial selection too, many popular memes at some point were heavily forced by a group such as 4chan. Of course, it's usually a mix of organic and bot-driven traffic.
In case of "bots" we don't necessarily mean programmed bot networks but often people acting like a cell in a botnet manually "helping" the algorithm to catch on.
A pro-russian political message will get thousands of likes, shares and reposts from troll factory to help websites see it as popular, or even to get it trending, and then will be picked up by useful idiots as well.
And what AI at the end of MGS2 says, is they think humans aren't to be trusted with this process in general... Because we're gullible. Ironically fake Colonel in the end suggests manual curation by world government similar to how US sanctions FINALLY forced UA-cam to at least start combatting russian disinformation. A little too late but never say never again I guess...
@@KasumiRINA Your argument would work, except there is no group called "4chan". It's an imageboard where anyone can go and say something anonymously, and people either like it or disagree, or bunches of anonymous people do pranks or genuinely do things that are meaninful. You heard of a group called anonymous? They are hacktivists that began in 4chan, and they have supported Ukraine from get-go. Even putting the truth on Russian TV.
I'd like to ask you this:
Are these your ideas, or what far left American activists or news media corporations told you?
Sounds to be like you're a authoritarian who thinks Americans should 'create context' for everyone else. Not surprising since you use the same american talking points of the far left for American cultural issues, and seem to be more interested in that ideology. I mean, you think a lot of people irrelevant to Ukraine are Russian propagandists. Alex Jones somehow a Russian agent? No, he's just a conspiracy nut no one really takes seriously.
Let me show you you an actual KGB propagandist who defected decades ago:
ua-cam.com/video/yErKTVdETpw/v-deo.html
You are an example of who the man in the video is talking about, but you deserve freedom to think and feel as you do, but so do those you call 'bots'. I'm telling you this, for the same reasons Snake helped Raiden.
@@KasumiRINA "russian disinformation"
As opposed to western disinformation? You seem so far up your own rectum that you can't see a contradiction there
Metal Gear Solid 2: Even the people lying to you want to be honest
Isnt that a horrible way to live our lives? Honesty goes completely out the window as everything is objective or just as is just to seep through objective?
Billy Jolly
Like, even the president who wants to lie to you just decides to be honest for once. We all want to stop lying, but we can’t because it goes against the flow of society. It reminds me of the Yungian concept of the persona, how you are a different person within but you need to act in a specific way around specific people. It’s a shell that only the best humans have ever broken out of.
@@brandongreenland9632 Anyone can break the conditioning if they possess any semblance of courage and conviction.
Solomon Kane
This sentence in itself speaks volumes to me, about the modern world as a whole. I’m not even sure how I should reply properly.
Ill never forget this game. The ending was so delicious. Thank you Hideo!
I stepped into this Metal Gear lore rabbit hole out of curiosity for a famous franchise I've never played, now I'm having another existential crisis.
It's safe to say that about 80% of this went over my head when I was 12.
Your “most profound moment in gaming history” is what got me into Metal Gear
Max, every time I watch one of your videos my emotional views are altered into the presence of a philosophical idea. You have always astounded me with your work. You give me new thoughts, new ideas, and ways to let go of my past mistakes. You have one of the greatest minds that I have have ever seen. Please, make more of these philosophical videos. Video game, book, movie, etc. Please make more.
Thank you. I will do my best moving into the future, man. Unfortunately, it's looking like I am not going to be able to put out as much enlightening, thought-provoking content as I used to, but I will keep at it in whatever capacity I can.
@@maxderrat Hey Max, aside from all your amazing eye opening videos. A question. What's your opinion on the concept of Arsenal Gear, a large Mobile Fortress.
@@maxderrat how come?
I was 16 years old staying up all night to finish this game. People looked at me like I was crazy when I talked to them about the codex call at the end. Yes this was a profound moment in a video game. The perspective, and understanding in that time has shaped the way I have lived my life since. The only tribe in in is the human race tribe, and kinda my family included.
Most underrated game ever, i played this the first day like it was the best movie ever, amazing best time.
Holy shit I feel like your whole channel has been leading up to this. I am in the same camp as you that MGS2 is one of the greatest game stories of all time. Can't wait to see this.
When a co-worker of mine in his 70s found out I was a gamer he replied "I thought you were more mature than that..." Meanwhile, I'm sitting here watching an incredibly well thought out and insightful video by Max Derrat that discusses real world issues regarding fake news in the digital age and what we choose to believe or not based on our biases has the potential to be a destructive force to society as a whole. This was brought up in a video game from almost 20 years ago. (Sips coffee) Yeah...our generation is so immature. lol Great video! You have a new subscriber! I wish more people were open to having discussions like these regardless of what medium the topic came from.
Games are an art-form and I'm so thankful that I was born at the right time to experience this. :)
It's funny how this theme makes fun of the guy you were referring too. Stuck in his own "echo chamber" in that VG are for immature manchildren rather than accepting it as a new form of art/media that can give incredible experiences. I mean he doesn't have to like it but I digress
Man those MGS2 graphics are soooo sharp. Really ahead of its time.
2:23
I’m watching this on my phone so it didnt fool me lol
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!
@@maxderrat it did fool me for a sec, was nice, like fission mailed :)
It didn't fool me because I've already seen this trick done before in a video made by Superbunnyhop about MGS2, made years ago. Max just straight stole it.
Straight out of the Kojima playbook. Nice.
FISSION MAILED
I loved MGS2. I wasn't a part of the wave for MGS1 (I had N64 instead) so the whole Raiden thing didn't shock me.
Just found your channel, love your videos man! Very thought provoking, I need it!
I’ve been subbed to you forever, over many different channels. Every time you do anything related to metal gear, I feel my little snake tingle. Keep up the great work!
My immersion into this video essay was broken upon seeing that the player behind the footage set Raiden's name as Dank Sinatra
Loved Raiden, he was no snake, but it is still my favorite game in the franchise. Adopted a Husky named Raiden too.
same, raiden was a good character. and hea a good player stand in because hes left in the dark the whole game like us.
@@mellomoose_ RADN
@@godnyx117 nice pfp
@@mellomoose_ Thanks Spartan!
Even the reveal of the Patriots mimics the reveal that Kazuhira Miller was actually Liquid, MGS2 genuinely is a full remake of MGS
Solid work yet again. I could listen to you talk about MGS all day.
I could TALK about Metal Gear Solid all day... thanks to my autism. :P
Max Derrat I wish I could show you my collection of MGS figures. Trust me, I know how you feel.
Your videos are simply incredible, breaking down complex topics in all forms of media without missing the important while making said ideas accessible.
As someone who got into the MGS series very young, the message often flew directly over my head. Watching your videos and revisiting these events with a more mature mindset is AMAZING to say the least. Keep up the great work Max!
I played this game when I was 16 and now 14 years later after finishing phatom pain decided to review back this game and i'm really shocked of this theory now is our reality. Well, it had always been like that after realising.
Metal gear and dark souls lore still blows me away years after! Amazing.
I think your view of natural selection is a bit idealised. There are plenty of nonfunctional and dysfunctional genes that spread simply because they don’t cause immediate harm. I do believe that self reflection/ critical thinking and self improvement are just another evolutionary process. The idea that evolution only happens in genetic mutation between generations is a bit simplified.
I think that's a fair criticism.
I wholeheartedly disagree. Your reasoning seems like a sort of coping mechanism.
@@TechniqueSan Care to elaborate?
@@arasharfa I believe we are born with an "intellectual ceiling", so to speak, and that ceiling is definitely determined by our genetics. Whether or not an individual will hit their ceiling during their lifetime will then depend on a number of internal variables, and a few external ones.
Actions like acquiring information and introspection can help with that, though it won't make your genetic material "better" or more desirable from an evolutionary point of view. There are many things a person can't really ever mold or alter. You can't ever be taught how to think critically, or how to properly filter and absorb information, how to analyze other people correctly, etc.
Though I agree with the idea that many undesirable genes spread, I don't chalk that up to their "harmless" nature. There are many deliberate factors in today's world that suppress the proliferation of capable genes and promote undesirable DNA of both the harmless and harmful kinds, though even the "harmless" are damaging by consuming the world's resources and bringing close to or nothing in return. Regardless of religious or political stances, you'd be silly to think otherwise.
@@TechniqueSan In terms of spiritual development, I don't see the body being an obstacle in that regard. Emergentism explains how complexity is born outof simplicity, and so I don't think we have an intellectual cieling. I also don't see how inert genes without a specific advantage strip the world of resources. If humans destroy the world it's because of their primitive instincts, and those are determined by our bodies, but I also believe the choice to question things is a voluntary choice, but is taught to question as well. either by other people or by experiences in themselves.
Honestly the whole Meme thing made me think of this game one of the best MGS when it first came out and as it has become more relevant not only with the acceleration of but where other franchises have expanded on it like Ghost in The Shell Stand Alone Complex.
This is, without question, one of the most important and relevant videos on UA-cam. Period. Max, you are an awesome dude. I hope I get to meet you face to face some day!
I just have to say your analysis is absolute genious. I am a die hard fan of the franchise and you really took this to the next level. I hope to see more content of you !
Thanks to your original video on the most profound moment in gaming history and others after that, you have completely changed my view on philosophy and other philosophical perspective that helped me out of a tough situation(and also got me into metal gear), these videos provide different outlook on certain topics that I never would have thought about, these vids are amazing
the fact that this was one of the first games i played as a kid is hilarious.
Love your videos, amazing, insightful and very well thought out.
We're thankful for your work.
Watching this made me question what I would be if I didn't seem to care whether it was raiden or not. It makes you think on the decisions made and the thought process that you might've undergone while playing and place it in every day life.
The fact that this game predicted our use of media and the way we utilize the internet will never stop to amaze me.
It's in the M E M E S Jack
*MY NAME IS MONSOON, MEMES OF DESTRUCTION*
MEME OR BE MEMED, JACK
They hardened in response of emotional trauma
checked internet lately?
Somebody watched George Salonikh videos
Glad to see you back in action Max, aside from your Quiet Mountain analysis videos, the Gaseous Component Liquid are the reasons why i subbed, keep up the great work and stay yellow.
You too my brother. Thanks so much for taking the time to watch all of those videos. Must have taken you a while. :O
@@maxderrat yes but its always entertaining and worth while, sometimes I always find myself coming back to not only the MGS but the Silent Hill analysis as well, there's something about these sets of videos that are so intreguing...
Been looking forward to this and now it’s here!!!!
I love those analysises of yours and I really believe MGS 2 is still a step above all medias nowadays. MGS V is actually quite close to it but lacks precision in what it wants to convey, while MGS2 is more fleshed out in this aspect.
In my opinion, MGS 2 should be mandatory in schools because it just changes people, makes one question what is true or not, what is worth sharing or not. The MEME theme is described in a fantastic way. This game is a wake up call, and we all need to hear it.
fun fact: The story was based on Japan's internet society at the time of development.
West: "Öh my god such revelation! a prophecy foretold eons"
Meanwhile in Japan: *Imageboards*
Care to share more?
@@youwaisef Imageboards were a thing in japan since 1996, Site that granted massive information dump separated by Cultures. Which is exactly the plot based around in MGS2.
Imageboards would later inspired future sites like 4Chan in 2003. this is why the West was surprised by the plot being prophetic but mostly because Imageboard Culture wasn't a thing until 2003, a year after MGS2 release in 2002.
@@DOT107 I see. That's quite interesting actually. Thanks for sharing.
pretty sure that's too on the nose for Jokima. that and much like Japanese gamers' responses to TLoU2 (i.e. not giving a shit about bullshit American politics), I doubt that has too much of an influence on a game designed largely for American consumption.
@@dgw3650 It is what it is lol. There's nothing wrong with taking inspiration from a source, on MGS2 case, Japan's Imageboard, and Kojima was just a massive fan of western movies. Mix both and you'll have a absolute mindfuckery in MGS2.
Almost all of the MGS games are an ode of movies that Kojima and his Dad bonded over with.
Almost *all* the project he led was pretty much on the nose. His secrecy on project is just a PR stunt he likes to do as a means of interacting with his audience.
TL;DR: Kojimbo is a westaboo, but designing a game around a script isn't that farfetched especially in the gaming industry.
I still remember getting this game as a young teenager, waiting forever for the sequel after having played the original MGS1 and being initially disappointed that I didn't get to play as Snake. Still the game was so good I continued on and finished the entire game and paid as close attention as a I could with the limited knowledge I had as a teen. By the end of the game I knew that there was some kind of contradiction between what reviewers were saying about this game and what I had just experienced. It was unlike anything I'd ever played or encountered before and I learned so much about story telling and the human condition just from a video game. It truly is one of the most profound video games in modern history.
“You can go home Courier”-Ulysses
27:04 I don't know if it wasn't mentioned for time or redundancy purposes but the AI doesn't take the form a specific person, the "colonel" is a different person for each person based on their expectations and experiences. Raiden is the one who mentions In the darkness of shadow moses, Rose treats him like a "common" colonel, and more importantly, the colonel's name is NEVER said, in MGS1 the name Campbell is said time to time, MGS2's colonel name isn't said to the very end
Dude- love your commentary and perspective on MGS2. Great work on your videos! They’re some of my favorites!
MGS 2 will always be my fav in the series and my favorite game of all time. This game was soooooo ahead of its time when it came out. I was 12 at the time and it blew my mind.
When I first played MGS2 I literally turned off the counsel when the AI told Raiden too...
I sometimes feel like at my young age, the physiology of my brain isn't allowing me to contain all of this information, at least not neatly. There is so much to take in, it is like being born again.
When any human is born, their world is a raw, unfiltered, mysterious place.
When we are born, we have no previous associations that are even remotely similar to what we are experiencing, and category simply does not exist yet.
Over time, we will start to form ideas, mostly from independent exploration. At the same time, we will start to recognize the ones we love and listen to their ideas that they set for us. Our minds become more category-oriented, and we find that we are able to sort out our brains better as time goes on (until entropy catches up with us, of course).
Though we see the future ahead of us all of the time, we shouldn't forget where we all began. As a mind with no preconceived conceptions of reality or any assumption of the sort. Infinitely stupid, and yet absolutely unbiased.
I'm at least glad it will get better over time from here on out, and not worse over time yet.
What a fantastic breakdown of a game series that often gets criticized for being convoluted! Your points are clear and poignant! Thank you 🙏
Doing a metal gear marathon right now and your videos are great for someone who doesn't get all the themes and story thanks
Incredible, max. I can't wait to see your mgs3 video
I come back to this every so often... Thanks for making it.
The 2:23 joke fooled me, since I looked away for a second. Lol
FISSION MAILED
Thanks for another great video. It was a treat to find this today.
Omg I’m so excited you are still making great content!! Thanks Max!
Amazing, Max
Thankyou very much for this
Keep on keeping on 👍🏼
That was a nice cup of existential dread. Also, when I was a kid playing through MGS:2 I actually loved playing as Raiden. Like I wanted to play as Snake but I was just as content playing as Raiden because he was interesting in his own way. Maybe age also has something to do with bias. Great video as always!
I agree, I didn't know the difference. I still wish there was a section in the plant where you could play as him but oh well. They could have made an expansion where you play as him and show his side of that mission but too late now.
@@jackx5750 they literally did and it sucks. MGS2 Substance was re-released in GOG and is part of many HD and Legacy collections, the Snake Tales part lets you play Snake's part of the Plant chapter in 5 separate missions, with no Soliton radar (only AP sensor), little weapons and insane difficulty.
So yeah they made it, just poorly.
@@KasumiRINA I did play it and it seemed really shoehorned in and didn't make a whole lot of sense. Plus I don't remember getting to see the sections of the plant that only snake got to see like the unflooded shell 2 core.
MGS 2 was my first experience with the series aside for watching my older brother play the ps1 game. I ended up absolutely loving it and beating it multiple times as a kid. It ended up being the only game In the series I had any interest in playing
Really enjoyed the video. Great work Max. Looking forward to more!
I finally understand everything about this game thanks to your video. Loved it!
amazing video as always, cant wait for the mgs3 retrospective
I recently finished Richard Dawkins' book "The Selfish Gene", where the term meme was coined!
Hope you've been doing well, Max. I for one am very thankful for all your content and your commitment.
I'm terribly thankful that you keep coming back to watch.
Amazing work again Max, your channel is a fantastic source of deep insights into media I otherwise would have never truly pieced together. From your Silent Hill videos to the Jung Aion series and of course MGS videos they all offer great explanations and insights into the minds of those who created that media but also those within it too.
Thanks so much for your kind words, madmike.
I genuinely love your content, man. It’s really great
Max have you ever read or seen No Country for Old Men? I think it could be great to see your take on that. Also Blood Meridian
This is a simulation world and we're mere players in it, whether we like it or not.
Finally haha glad to see you're doing well Max, out here doing the most
It took me years to give MGS2 the real value it has. It's such an amazing game and a fundamental piece in the saga.
Awesome video series, congrats.
And this video is more applicable today than when you made it!!!!
A truly brilliant video; one of the best videos on this site
Thank you again for such an amazing retrospect on MGS2. I remember the other two videos you made. Watching this made me understand what the whole game is actually about. Playing it when it first came out was so hard to understand it was like Game of Thrones took too many arcs I couldn't wrap my head around everything. This video does it perfectly. Keep up the great work!
I’ve watched this soo many times. One of the best retrospective for the best game of all time.
Man I love this thought provoking kind of content , the way you articulate yours thoughts is amazing , new subscriber here 🙏🏼
Just perfect, you did it again bro! thanks for this!
Amazing work as always Max. Keep it up!
First time I stumble across one of your videos, even though you have so many subscribers. This is such a high quality content. Congrats
Thanks for dropping by, my friend! Stay awhile... I think you'll find some other stuff here that will blow your mind.
Beautiful video like usual, Max! I love your thoughts on MGS 2, already can’t wait for SCENE
Everybody hates playing by the rules but if you play a game without rules or with someone who circumvents the rules at every stage then there's really nothing but chaos at that point with no defining method of establishing a winner.
Order comes to usurp chaos, chaos comes to usurp order when it becomes too rotten or corrupt to prevent it anymore, and then a new order comes to usurp chaos once more. A perpetual cycle that balances both sides from taking absolute control because absolute control is nothing more than a populace enslaved to itself awaiting the day of its inevitable collapse.
What do you define as peace? Is it the absence of conflict, violence and betrayal? Is it a land of promise, endless food and wonders as far as the eye can see? If I were to tell you we can have peace but at one cost, would you submit yourself to that cost? And if I were to say the cost for peace is your freedom of self-being, what would you ask?
All we ask is for you to give up your self control, let a higher power make the choices for you, let them decide what is good for you and what is not. No more stress, no worries, no troubles, all that is not peace will be swept away thanks to your contribution. Not just for a greater good, but for your greater good.
So tell me, would you do it? Is this the peace you ask for? Or is this something else in your eyes?
People become attached to memes so much that they cannot view themselves empirically.
wow, you're incredible at explaining complex things in easy-to-understand terms. My view on this game, and Kojima, has completely changed. I originally went from thinking he was a genius to a poor story teller who was pretencious as hell....turns out I was just too dumb to understand the message! WOW. This is incredible. He must have had some serious balls of steel to do this with a game with his career at stake. Looking forward to the rest of the series from you.
I played this game when I was 12, and enjoyed the series because of how “cool” Snake was. Add on another 20 years, and I wish I’d waited. I fell for it just like everyone else. Incredible series of videos. You even sound somewhat like an AI…
Kojima predicted the future...
😂 🤣 🤣
Again...
ikr
I believe Tomokazu Fukushima did most of the writing of MGS2.
@@Aivottaja
Then perhaps it is he who deserves the credit?
@@Aivottaja This is a debunked myth that people like you keep spreading like a bunch of idiots.
thesnakesoup.org/editorial-articles/curious-case-tomokazu-fukushima/
One could argue that memes *do* have natural selection - It’s just not the kind of selection which favors our betterment, but values which are popular: Humor, Outrage, Disgust, Puzzlement, cuteness.
MGS1 and MGS2 are in-cycled to one another, not unlike a double Oroborus. The best way to combat "gene" is "meme"-- ideas and ideals, the Nurturing, that's what combats a Gene. The bonds one shares with others can overcome any genetic history. This is shown in the outlier of MGS1, Revolver Ocealot, who utterly defies the One Word association (We know his genetic history and it doesn't come up at all here).
Just as the best way to combat "Memes"... is "gene". What you are, can overcome any falsehood or idea. Someone starving is not going to give one damn about ideologies, and someone in a fight for their life isn't going to care if their attacker had fair arguments. This is shown in our outliers, Snake and Otacon who managed to intertwine the two without forgetting the first (Gene). Though of course, Ocelot, once again, is the ultimate outlier who ultimately mocks the idea of Meme entirely (I mean... nobody is gonna take "ghostly possession" seriously, now are they? Its ridiculous even to the player, and most of us faced Psycho Mantis, an actual Psychic boarding on Pokemon Powers, with a much severe level of seriousness)
Excellent work my friend. The mark of the silver tongue is a mark of a good officer. And of a liar!
I love that this game is still being talked about today in 2020. Way ahead of it's time!
Huh... that was really well done. I've always loved metal gear in general, but MGS2 in particular. It just got under my skin and stayed with me. Here I am decades later, still interested, still willing to peel back the layers and explore. While people bitched that "the cut scenes are too long." Either way, great video.
Brilliant. This is a great follow up video.
The best way to combat misinformation is Bayesian thinking. But you can't force people to think that way, you can only offer them the possibility.
Hey great video, Max!! Been a fan of your stuff for a few years now. I enjoy your Metal Gear Solid 2 content greatly, and the anticipation for more out you is gnarly!
Mgs2 gave ptsd back in the day with all the Meme mumbo stuff, but at least it made a good chunk of us into Metal Gear Vets! We, or at least me, learned even if all the nooks and crannies are Alpha and Omega size of ugly to Never give up!!
Thanks for making this. I wonder what you would commentate about the VR Mission portion or Snake Tales of the Substance version of MGS2.
wow.
now it makes a lil more since in mgs5 missions when Miller tells you about the mission about the bad guy, but the bad guy in question turns out to be nothing like what you heard (most of the time). yeah 1984 stuff, and the game was littered with it, I just didn't know how far back with the other titles.
good vid.
I liked “The World Ends With You” take on Meme, basically a depiction of your description n yes modern day memes are defiantly bastardized form their meaning of origin but for the most part they are highly entertaining n you could strongly argue the best modern day memes are still rooted in philosophy
I guess you could say much like everything else in the universe capable of withstanding the tests of time, Memes have just evolved or adapted to a modern day environment & what we used to share with one a nether with fortune cookies we now do via humorous or insightful social media posts IMPO
Well ya know what they say, a lie goes around the world 100 times before the truth even gets up n outta bed but maybe if ppl where a bit less self cantered n capable of thief own ideas or at least how to discern a bad idea form a good one we’d be in a better place as a society at large, just gotta take it with a grin of salt, learn how to read between the lines n do your best to not let ppl BS you or give ya the run around IMO
@@Lapis_Pylosiphorumsound like echo chamber, remember what a.i patriot saying "sea of garbage people produce" he mean useless and satire information
8:16 You just threw a grenade on yourself? lol
“Honestly though, you’ve been watching UA-cam for a long time…”
“You’ll hurt your eyes from staring at the screen for so long…”
I'm glad.
I really am glad than you exist in this mad world. Someone with a keen intelligence seen rarely nowadays. Doing those kind of videos, showing than creators behind the media than are videogames can, at times, tell how our (sick) World works.
I gonna try little by little to catch and watch your videos because you really deserve my attention. Please continue your work on this corrupted platform than is UA-cam! You give me chill of how true you speak!
Never change Matt and Thank you to exposing the Truth with caution!
MGS2 was a helluva bait and switch as far as Snake / Raiden.