6 Video Game Characters Who Mirror Real World Issues

If Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty proved anything, it was that things are not always as they seem.

With a little bit more introspection, we can deduce that Raiden's commanding officer, The Colonel, as well as his wife Rosemary, were just figments of his imagination. In fact, their manipulation of him was part of their grand scheme, an experimentation that can strangely be seen in the contemporary world today. The Patriots AI reveal their grand scheme to Raiden in the final portion of the game. Their mandate is to filter through large, trivial heaps of digital information and ready-made truths, in order to give the world the context it desires. Only through this absolute control, can the human species effectively progress and evolve.

That proliferation of digitized information, no matter how big or small, is currently a hotly-debatable topic in society as it stands. Fake news, or junk data as The Colonel AI puts it, grows at an alarming rate and prevents social progress. As a result, individuals of a society are left with half-truths that they are left to meander through, until they find a truth that they are most comfortable with. Without looking for contextual information before making a decision for themselves, an erroneous conclusion may occur. Consequently, terrible circumstances such as violent protesting may follow suit.

Although the prevalence of misinformation is rampant today, it is remarkable how Hideo Kojima and company were able to foresee its rise back in 2001.