The Culture of Power: The MGS Edition

Metal gear Solid is considered one of the best games of all-time. It helped the stealth game genre become very popular and was the inspiration for many to come like Splinter Cell and Hitman, where not being seen, is key, and sometimes, the main component of the game.

In Metal Gear Solid, you take control of one of the most beloved and greatest video game characters of all-time: Solid Snake.



Solid Snake is a former member of an elite group named FOXHOUND. His job is to infiltrate Shadow Moses Island, a nuclear weapons disposal facility in Alaska, and stop Liquid Snake, Snake's brother, and the current members of FOXHOUND from launching and activating Metal Gear Rex, a nuclear walking deterrent, if the remains of Big Boss, a legend mercenary, who also happens to be both Snake and Liquid's father, that Solid Snake stopped and killed in two previous missions, are not given to FOXHOUND. The game was the brainchild of Hideo Kojima, who is know seen as one of the greatest minds in terms of storyline and character development in the business.

Metal Gear Solid (A.K.A. MGS) may be one of the greatest games/series' of all-time but, it is not above criticism for its blatant use of sexism. Women are not in position of true power like Snake or his mission commander Roy Campbell. Snake has help via codec, a communication systems that is inserted in the ear like an ear piece, by a vast array of people but, most of them are women and most of them are sexualized.


Mei Ling is the Communications expert and is charge of saving your game. In addition to doing that, she also gives you motivational quotes throughout your mission as moral support. She is a sexy looking Chinese woman who Snake flirts with from time to time. Snake really likes her and will not pass up an opportunity to make her blush, which he does frequently. This shows that besides having Mei Ling there to save your game, she is there as eye candy to provide Snake with some -cough cough- physical entertainment as he is trying to fulfill his mission if you know what I mean :P

This is one example of many in MGS that show that women are not viewed as equals but as objects that are exploited for their skills and, sometimes, looks.