Yeah, MGS 2 was over-the-top and ridiculous, and my favorite MGS villain (Solidus) is also in that game, too [emoji38]. But, what I loved most about MGS 2, is that it forces the player to question their own sense of reality, and its themes were much greater than the plot itself. That said, it was also pretty cool to witness Snake as this wise philosopher who gave the player advice on how we should live our lives. Granted, I don't play games a lot these days, but I love revisiting MGS 2 every year if I'm able to.
In comparison, it's been about six years since I played MGS V, and I really don't have any inclination to do it again. Aside from the story (or lack thereof), the pacing was just horrible, the cinematics were sparse, and a good portion of its plot was told through cassette tapes. It was just a grind going through this game, whereas the other entries in the series were unfurled like a novel.
But yeah, I've lost of a lot of respect for present-day Kojima. I feel as if he's been aggrandizing his celebrity status too much, while not delivering on quality content that he promised. I haven't played Death Stranding, but I did pay a good $40 last April to attend the Death Stranding Panel at the Tribeca Film Festival. Was it worth it? Nope. There was some sparse pre-release information. But, what I remember most, was how uncomfortable Norman Reedus was when Kojima mentioned the nude motion captures they took with him in the shower [emoji38]. I think Kojima meant it as a joke, but it just came across as awkward and unnecessary.
I really regretted going, but I did eat some pretty good ramen after, and washed it down with some beer. So, the day wasn't really a loss.