14 DAY TRIAL // Hideo Kojima has apparently garnered even more notoriety (as if he needed it) after the release of the very cinematic trailer for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
The entire debate on whether video games are a form of art or not is moot, since game creators have started to win "mainstream" awards for story and setting, but the amount of high-profile feedback that Kojima has received after the trailer's release is unprecedented.
Kojima Productions has published the praise that the game designer and director has received from quite a few notable film directors, producers and actors, regarding the cinematic trailer shown at E3 2014, that Kojima directed and edited himself.
"Kojima-San remains a massive inspiration for me and METAL GEAR continues to deliver the edgy, vital, jaw-dropping world and feel that we have come to expect but it pushes the envelope every single time. It is a window into the future of the medium and its breathless narrative and artistic expansion. Amazing," says Guillermo del Toro, director of "Pan's Labyrinth" and "Pacific Rim."
"I have always been thinking that I want to see a film directed by Mr. Kojima, but after seeing the latest trailers for Metal Gear Solid V, I realised I was wrong. He has actually been making films in his own way already. Metal Gear Solid games are already films, the films of the future," says Park Chan-Wook, director of "Oldboy" and "Stoker."
"Intense, crazy, deep Kojima world. By the time you finish this game, you should be changed into a completely new person," comments Shinya Tsukamoto, director of "Tetsuo: The Iron Man," "Vital" and "Nightmare Detective."
"Watching the trailers for MGSV makes you wonder if the spirits of Dostoyevsky, Stanley Kubrick, and Caravaggio entered Hideo Kojima's body because, using the art of gaming as his canvas, he boldly goes where no one has gone before," states Nicolas Winding Refn, director of "Drive" and "Only God Forgives."
"Spider-Man" and "X-Men" producer Avi Arad shares his more detailed thoughts on the trailer, also referencing the stellar choice of soundtrack, in the form of "Nuclear," a track off Mike Oldfield's 25th studio album, released at the beginning of the month:
"Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a stunning presentation. The trailer is full of symbolism and philosophy that we come to expect from Mr. Kojima. Although cleverly disguising the story and therefore making the trailer enticing, Mr. Kojima makes sure to include enough visuals to make us comfortable that we are in for a new Metal Gear experience," he begins.
"For me, the sight of the Diamond Dogs and Snake putting the ashes on his face with multiple urns make me believe that a lot of history is going to be dealt with. If one listens carefully to the amazing song, Nuclear by Mike Oldfield, it is fantastic story telling that gives us enough of a window to know we are about to embark on another emotional masterpiece by Mr. Kojima. Kiefer Sutherland as the voice of Snake is just fantastic while raising the drama, and makes us long to play the game," Arad continues.
High praise for Kojima indeed, but how about revealing a release date? Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is expected to come out in early 2015, for the PS3, PS4, Xbox One and Xbox 360.
