Metal Gear Solid 2 Originally Had A Balding Mechanic For Raiden

You could almost live out your greatest fear in Metal Gear Solid 2.

                                                                            Story Highlights

  • Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty is a stealth action game released by Konami on the PlayStation 2 and is the fourth game in the Metal Gear series.
  • According to a translated diary entry written by director Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear Solid 2 was originally going to have a balding mechanic for Raiden.
  • Players would have to search for wigs across the levels which they could apply on Raiden.
  • The idea never made it into the game as it was rejected by the development staff.

Metal Gear Solid as a series is filled with neat, oftentimes goofy little details. In Metal Gear Solid 2, you can take explicit pictures using the in-game camera to send them to Otacon, Raiden can slip and fall on bird poop, ice cubes melt in real-time, and things like that. One detail that did not make it into the game, however, was that Raiden could go bald if he caught on fire during the fight against Fortune, the first proper boss of the game.

This detail comes from a diary entry of Hideo Kojima translated by a Metal Gear Solid fan on Twitter by the name of BadHumans. The entry further stipulates that upon losing his hair, Raiden would be permanently bald for the rest of the game, including the cutscenes. To counteract this, players could find wigs across the level and use them on Raiden.

According to the entry, the idea was later rejected as the development staff were against it. 

Raiden’s clothes were on fire at the Battle of Fortune. I came up with the idea of seeing that. Raiden’s long hair, which he is proud of, is also on fire, and if he leaves it alone, his head becomes bald at this point. After that, he will be shaved completely, including in the Cutscenes. However, various “katsura” (wigs) are available as items. Naturally, some of them have Raiden’s hair style. There is also the “Bakadono” wig. If you wear a wig, it will fall off whenever you perform actions such as cartwheels and somersaults. The wig that falls to the floor becomes an item box again on the spot. The good-looking protagonist becomes bald at the first boss battle. Very interesting. It could also be reflected in the poly demo. However, the staff is against it. Is it useful?”

As far as cosmetic changes are concerned, the series would dabble into it with later titles such as Metal Gear Solid 3, Peace Walker, and Metal Gear Solid 5, where Snake could change his outfits to better blend into the environments. Even if it’s very likely untrue, I would personally like to believe that the camo system from the later games evolved from the scrapped wig mechanic from Metal Gear Solid 2. 

Metal Gear Solid 2 continues to be mined to this day for its many secrets and optional details. The game also recently received a mod that brought the third-person camera from Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence into the second game. 

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Nameer Zia is a video game News Writer on eXputer obsessed with hunting down all the latest happenings in the industry. Nameer has been gaming for more than 15 years, during which he has spent more than 3,000 hours on Overwatch 1 & 2. As a literature student, his literary chops feed into his passion for games and writing, using eXputer as the medium to deliver the latest news in the industry. Websites such as GamingBolt and IGN have also credited his works.

Experience: 4+ Years || Previously Worked At: Tech4Gamers || Education: Bachelors in English Literature.

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