Kojima's Cutscene Addiction: Just How Much of His Games Are Movies, Anyway?
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
IGN South Africa did the math to figure out how much of Hideo Kojima's games are actually cutscenes, revealing some surprisingly large numbers (especially for Metal Gear Solid 4). Turns out, you might be watching more than playing, but let's be honest, that's part of the Kojima charm, isn't it?
Right, so we all know Hideo Kojima loves a good cutscene, bordering on obsession, doesn't he? I mean, the man practically invented the 'long, drawn-out explanation of everything' cinematic sequence. But just how much of his games are *actually* cutscenes? Is it 50%? 75%? Enough to warrant a separate 'Kojima Movie Collection' release? Well, the wizards over at IGN South Africa (bless their number-crunching hearts) strapped on their calculators and dug into the meaty, cinematic depths of Kojima's back catalog to find out.
And the results? Well, they're… revealing. Let's just say if you thought you were buying a *game*, you might accidentally have purchased a rather interactive movie. For instance, *Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots*, notorious for its sprawling narrative, clocks in at a staggering *eight hours* of cutscenes. Bloody hell, that's longer than some feature films! You could binge-watch *Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring* twice and still have time to make a cuppa before Snake stops waffling on about nanomachines.
Now, before we all grab our pitchforks and torches, let's be fair dinkum. Kojima's cutscenes aren't *just* extended exposition dumps. They're often beautifully directed, surprisingly philosophical, and occasionally batshit crazy (in the best possible way, of course). Who can forget Psycho Mantis reading your memory card in *Metal Gear Solid*? Or the endless codec conversations in *Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty* that made you question everything you thought you knew about… well, everything? The cutscenes are part of the experience, a key ingredient in Kojima's unique brand of storytelling. They're more akin to interactive graphic novels than standard cutscenes.
That being said, eight hours? Eight. Hours. That's a hefty commitment for any gamer. Imagine trying to explain that to your significant other: "No, darling, I haven't been ignoring you all day. I've been *playing* a game. It just happens to involve a lot of sitting around watching very handsome men talk intensely at each other.”
IGN South Africa's analysis also covered other Kojima classics like *Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain* and *Death Stranding*. While the newer titles might have slightly shorter cutscene-to-gameplay ratios, the sheer volume of narrative still ensures you'll spend a significant chunk of your gaming time watching rather than doing. But hey, who are we kidding? We wouldn't have it any other way, would we? Just maybe stock up on popcorn before diving into your next Kojima adventure. You'll need it.
Tags: Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear Solid, Cutscenes, Gaming Analysis, Storytelling
Original article: IGN South Africa