Roleplaying games are the genre most commonly associated with narrative, or seen as having a greater emphasis on characters and plot. The name itself—roleplaying—suggests something immersive and character-driven. With videogames in general trending towards creating visceral, photorealistic experiences, it stands to reason that the RPG would also attempt to create something believable, in both narrative and gameplay as well as in graphics.

Metal Gear Solid has a long standing, intimate relationship with the human body. Hideo Kojima’s near-morbid obsession has led to a vast array of characters and events that explore themes of the body in various unsettling and intimate ways. This fascination continues in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Like many others, I am a Metal Gear Solid fan who was eagerly anticipating its release—but perhaps not for the same reasons. To understand why I’m hooked, I need to tell a little story first.