One of the things that struck me about Metal Gear Solid V during the hands-on demo I played this year at E3 was just how many ways there were to approach any given situation. Moreover, I was impressed by how important the Fulton Recovery System is to shaping these kinds of approaches. The hands-off preview I was showed behind closed doors this year made that all the more true.
In the preview, Snake was eavesdropping a on a few bored Russian soldiers. One of them decided to pass the time by giving their comrade an English lesson. “I…spent… last… night… with… your… girlfriend.”
The observation seems like a waste of time, but you learn something valuable from the encounter: One of the soldiers is bilingual. In my time with the demo, I had several encounters where I tried to interrogate Russian soldiers, but was unable to obtain anything due to the language barrier.
This is where the Fulton Recovery System comes into play. The demonstrator approached the bilingual solider, knocked him out, and sent him to Mother Base via the Fulton Recovery System. Once there, Sanke is contacted by Ocelot and told that, by working with the bilingual soldier, you have learned to understand Russian. Now, when Snake observes soldiers from a distance, there will be subtitles that reveal their conversation.
Who knew? A conversation driven by boredom led to an incredible leak of military information. Boredom is a driving factor in another way, too. Snake will often come across cassette players in enemy camps. While they may seem like a mere collectible, it seems that some of the soldiers actually legitimately enjoy listening to them—as removing them will draw enemies to your location.
The attention to detail in Metal Gear Solid V is staggering, more so than in the previous titles I’ve experienced. These little touches add a new depth to how you approach situations in the game. You never know what you might find out by accident!
