Read new stuff with META GEAR FILE
All-new, high-quality articles and features are now being published in collected PDF form, for free to everyone, thanks to the support of the Patreon supporters. You can download them, archive them, and read them at your pleasure. They average 10 pages, so you get a lot! Here is a list of all the download links so far:
(Issue 1) (Issue 2) (Issue 3) (Issue 4) (Issue 5) (Issue 6) (Issue 7)
(Issue 8) Released Dec 21, 2023
Click here to skip to the old blog page
Buy it now:
Amazon (link)
Barnes & Noble (link)
Kobo (link)
Smashwords (link)
Apple Books (link)
THE KOJIMA CODE
After much anticipation, The Kojima Code is now becoming available for purchase! Get it in glorious Hardcover, Paperback, and digital formats from the biggest online retailers in the world, and Print-On-Demand in locations worldwide. Make sure to check out the options so you can get the format you want at the best value!
Buy it now:
Barnes & Nobles (link)
Amazon (link)
Chapters (link)
Ask your local bookstore for
Print-On-Demand availability
Want to know a little about the book first? Check out the description:
Download the expanded PDF promotional explainer (link) if you’d like to copy and share snippets
Welcome to Mr. Wolfe’s META GEAR. …It’s just a box!
Want the blog? Click here, it’s still being updated with new stuff. This front page is a curated selection of features and articles I’ve published over the years. You might have missed some of these classic gems so make sure you check them all out… or revisit an old favorite!
From Nothing: Why it’s Okay to Question Everything
(MGS4) This site’s central thesis, defending the deconstruction and interpretation of games
The Legacy of MGS2
A deeper understanding of what it all meant, and what it still means today
Part 1: Smoke and Mirrors, A Game Without Substance
Part 2: Memes From Mirrors, Substance From Smoke
Part 3: A Philosopher’s Legacy, The Memetic Allegory
The VR Theory
How much of the game was in Raiden’s head?
Part 1: The Windup
Part 2: The Pitch
Part 3: Foul Ball
Part 4: The Arguments Against
Substance Abuse
What motivated the creation of Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance?
MGS2: A Complete Breakdown
An absurdly long essay on why MGS2 was designed the way it was
Part 1: Can’t Say Goodbye to Yesterday
Part 2: The Story From Hell
Part 3: The Selfish Meme
Part 4: The VR Theory
Part 5: The Ending
Part 6: Substance & The Document
Part 7: Review
The Long, Dark Path to MGS4
War changed, and here’s why.
Kojima vs MGS4
Death threats are a great motivation to make a good game.
MGS4: Sold Out
A major analysis of how Metal Gear Solid 4 tells the story of a troubled Kojima.
Part 1: Pre-Game Fake Television
Part 2: War is Routine
Part 3: Snake Becomes Old
Part 4: Raiden is Cyborg Ninja
Part 5: Beauty & Beast Unit
Part 6: Liquid Ocelot is Silly
Part 7: Nanomachine Overkill
Part 8: Vamp Becomes Science
Part 9: Product Placement
Part 10: Big Boss Returns
Intermission
Part 11: Shadow Moses is Dead and Buried
Part 12: Resistance Gamer Kids
Part 13: Meryl’s Not Interested
Beauty, Beast and MGS4
A comprehensive analysis of the Beauty and the Beast theme.
Scarab: The Hated Mascot
Learn more about the iconic mascot of MGS4!
Thank You, Shinkawa
(MGS1) A simple appreciation article for the best character designer in videogames
The (Philosopher’s) Legacy of MGS3
A deeper understanding of what it all meant, and what it still means today
Part 1: The Ghost of Metal Gear Past
Part 2: Mission or Beliefs
Part 3: Mission Accomplished
Only For Revenge
(MGSV) Kojima’s secrecy and obsession with misunderstanding
MGSV: Ground Zeroes Analysis
A good hard look at the innovations and quirks of MGSV’s game design
Peace Walker’s Allegory
Meta commentary in Peace Walker? It’s possible, and it’s time to learn about it
Review: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Not a meta analysis, but a game review
Metal Gear Declassified
(Flash animation, MGS4) An idiotic story about why MGS4 was delayed
Click here to watch this weird thing
Purple Dildos and the Power to Destroy Fun Itself
(Game design) How to ruin a good fantasy
Video Games in the Master Plan
(Industry) Where does our hobby fit into the media hegemony?
The Point of No Revengeance
(Rising) A farewell to logic in the Metal Gear series
The Opposite of Epic
(Game design) The difference between cool and campy
Metal Gear Cliff Notes (Part 1)
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of a legend
Why I Hate the Last of Us
Let’s get real about an overhyped mess
XCOM: Enemy Unknown: A Complete Autopsy
A deep study of why the rebooted XCOM doesn’t quite work
5 Simple Next-Gen Ideas
(Game design) …And they have nothing to do with hardware
Review: BioShock Infinite
A truly epic failure
Woe is Gaming! Why are Programmers Blind to Fun?
(Industry) The paradox of those who build games
GamerGate and the Cusp
(Industry) Why some people are so mad about citizen journalists exposing corruption
Revisiting Game Genres
(Game design) What if we labeled games smarter?
Review: Hitman (2016)
IO Interactive brings polished professionalism to dirty work — and then keeps the hits coming.