The most emotionally draining Metal Gear Solid V: Even in Death

“A shining light, to our brothers in arms. Even in death.”

Spoilers may be ahead.

“I won’t scatter your sorrow to the heartless sea. I will always be with you.”

Metal Gear Solid V has a history of at least one scene being epic, emotionally wrenching. Despite the complete lack of movie length cutscenes that generally liter all previous MGS games, this one scene managed to find it’s way in.

The scene, as fully shown in the video starts off with yet another parasite breakout at Motherbase. Thankfully this time it is on the quarantine platform, so Snake does his thing and goes at fixing things.

He enters the dark halls done up better than any Resident Evil ever could. Blood stains the walls and floors. Furniture lays scattered and broken as if a full scale riot broke out. Dead bodies strewn all over along with the barely living. Some deep shit has gone down here. A gunshot is heard in the distance and a guy runs past, mumbles something and runs.

Exploring finds several survivors in seemingly critical condition. After wading through corpses and almost corpses, you find the guy who sent the message. He found a way to find the infected. Just as he dies a revelation on how the infection will spread comes through just as the infected burst into the room and try to make a run for the exit. They all die soon after.

Snake is now faced with the grisly job of executioner. All infected must die. First person found, infected, bang, dead. Another, and another damn infected. Is anyone clean in this hell?

Snake dutifully scans and kills. Miller cheers hims on the evil bastard. Emmerich protests the soft patsy. Neither are there, they don’t know your hell.

Finally a room of survivors. They’re holding back one infected, but you see, they’re all infected. They have to die, but they’re acting fine. They look healthy. But the scanner shows a definitive parasite infection. They look you sadly in the eyes and know what has to happen. They feel it too. They stand straight, salute and say “We’ll live, or die as you command Boss”. Snake hesitantly lifts his gun. Aims at the furthest soldier. A tear is forming, his vision blurs as the emotions sweep over him. Pulls the trigger. A clean shot to the head. BAM! Another drops. The girl looks at you. Her knees are shaking she can barely stand. She’s scared what is to come. She’s only 20, had a bright future ahead of her working in medical. But that ends now. BAM! She drops. Killed like cattle. BAM! Another brave soldier dies. Snake keeps on killing. One by one these people who faithfully served Snake, worked with Snake, knew each other by name, all die by Snakes hand. Betrayed by life, a situation beyond their control.

Snake leaves the room, his heart racing at 200bpm. He’s weak, drained, shaking. His ears hear little, his eyes barely see. He’s conscience, but he’s not there, his body on autopilot.

Finally a glimmer of hope. A soldier is not infected! A shining light even in death and despair. He slings the soldier over his shoulder and runs to the exit. But he stops, hesitates and puts him down. The soldier says something barely understandable. Snake scans him. His heart rate jumps back up. The sinking feeling nearly brings him to his knees. This soldier, this one fragment of peace is infected. The soldier knows and asks Snake to tell his family back home he loves them.  He stands and salutes snake like a true warrior. A brave man dies as his lifeless body crumples to the floor. Snake turns to the exit, but years of suppressed emotions surge and he walks back to the hall. The red emergency lights turn the place into a hellish landscape. Surrounded by death, Snake falls to his knees. He screams until his throat is dry and bloody.

The crews gather up the dead and a mass cremation is held. Still broken from the job he had to do, Snake grabs the jar of ashes and smears them to his face, while saying “I will not scatter your sorrow to the heartless sea. I’ll always be with you”. Snake is pissed and seeks revenge. He’s blinded by his emotions and falls from the graces, broken by the burdens life has passed on to him.