Showing posts with label Splinter Cell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Splinter Cell. Show all posts

Saturday, June 14, 2008

#1 Snake is old

Old Snake? Really? Is that a joke? I cannot believe I'm playing an elderly version of the bad-ass hero I've come to love. Listen, not all characters have to look like they're 22 yrs old, and older characters can be done tastefully -- just look at Splinter Cell. Sam Fischer looks like he's pushing 50, though he's still pretty spry and looks like a bad-ass. Old Snake, on the other hand, looks like he's ready to throw in the fuckin' towel. I don't care how slick his octo-fuckin-camo suit is, the man looks like the walking dead.

Maybe I'm completely off base, and Kojima is on the cutting edge of a new trend. I'll be a true believe when I see GTA 5: Shady Acres or Old Town Buffet Tycoon.

It's been said that Kojima was inspired by various moves, novels and games, and I think I found his inspiration for Snake's latest incarnation.

Now, I've always been supportive of the unconventional themes that Kojima has integrated into his games before, but this is taking it too far. Players actually have to watch their stress levels during the game, and Snake's bad back and health problems are a persistent theme. This is not the type of escapism I typically seek -- it doesn't please me to live vicariously through a guy who looks like he's 80! And yes, the model of Snake is highly detailed, but in this case it's a bad thing -- do I really need to see the full extent of his wrinkles and age spots. Oh, and (small spoiler alert), his appearance ages throughout the game. Great -- instead of a more powerful character, he gets progressively more decrepit... Why not just give him a high-tech walker or a wheelchair? Maybe they can work on a Wii version of the game that incorporates these elements.

No worries though, because furtunately Snake's major enemy, Liquid Ocelot, is similarly old as hell. I swear to god that at times I thought I was watching the The Bucket List.