In Metal Gear Survive, we are constantly given rather clear missions. We are trapped in Dite, tasked with finding a way to survive, collect Kuban energy, find out what happened to the Charon Corps and hopefully get back home. When the final mission approaches, we get an opportunity to make a choice. The ramifications of the decision alter what we get to see, as well as make us think about what we would do if we were presented with this opportunity.
Editor’s Note: some Metal Gear Survive spoilers will follow.
Now, here’s the funny thing about Metal Gear Survive. This is a game where if you get the good ending, you are locked into that ending. It takes you to the post-game segment and will not let you replay the final battle against the Lord of Dust. Virgil AT-9 wakes up in its healthiest state, But, if you get the "bad" ending, you can go ahead and get the good ending again after. So this is a situation where if you decide to do what is expected, you would need to actually pay Konami for another character to go back and see the alternate ending.
The basic Metal Gear Survive ending comes from beating the Lord of Dust as expected with your team, after getting Chris to safety. It is honestly rather anticlimactic. The boss learns how to die so it can be defeated. Virgil AT-9 survives, with the Dread Dust infection removed and its personality intact, so you can take another attempt at surviving. It is essentially a cliffhanger that feels like it is preparing people for additional adventures.
The other ending gives people what we have been working toward all along. That is, you get your chance to go home. But, this also involves doing something rather terrible to everyone. During the final battle, you run away. When you are at the top of Mother Base, you will have an opportunity to head through that same wormhole Chris escapes through. This allows you to leave, just as he did. You can not get this ending if you actually start undertaking the mission though, so know that you need to commit to running away if that is the choice you want to make.
It is as though we have the chance to sacrifice everything for the thing we have wanted or to sacrifice our happiness and remain in Dite to fix things in this other world. After all, our soldier had no say in coming to Dite. Goodluck has us in this situation. We were an innocent forced into this situation. Who could blame us for leaving when we have the chance? But then, we have formed bonds with these fellow refuges in Dite. And aren’t we now a line of defense against something that could threaten the world? It forces us to make decisions about what we do and don’t value.
Which is rather fitting. Because if you have been playing Metal Gear Survive with only survival in mind, escaping when you can would seem a natural choice. You survived so you could get out and go back. Deciding to stay and subject yourself to more is the noble thing to do, but may seem a bit counter intuitive. It really makes you think.
Metal Gear Survive is available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
