Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a phenomenal game – which is just as well, as it could end up being the final entry in the series to benefit from the input of creator Hideo Kojima, who seems to be parting ways with Konami at the end of the year. However, as amazing as the game undoubtedly is, it is missing a vital ingredient for long-time fans of the stealth franchise: that iconic theme tune.
In fact, the classic Metal Gear Solid Theme – composed by Tappi "TAPPY" Iwase for the 1998 PlayStation title – hasn't been featured in a game for quite some time. The reason why – which amazingly, hasn't been widely reported – is pretty mind-blowing.
Around the time of Portable Ops on the PSP, a tune by the Russian composer Georgy Sviridov was discovered which bore more than a passing resemblance to TAPPY's famous theme. Written in the 1970s, "The Blizzard: Winter Road" sounds very similar indeed to the classic Metal Gear Solid tune. Here's a comparison:
In his defense, Kojima doesn't seem to have been aware that the music existed. Here's the moment in 2008 when he listened to the tune for the very first time:
Months after that video was recorded, series composer Norihiko Hibino admitted in an interview with EGM that the tune wasn't included in Metal Gear Solid 4 due to fears that legal action would occur – however, he maintains that TAPPY wasn't guilty of plagiarism:
The truth is, Konami [had legal problems with] Russian composers who said we stole their music.
They didn't [steal their music], actually. But Konami was too sensitive about the situation and just decided not to use that music in the game.
The Phantom Pain thankfully isn't short of classic music, despite the absence of the popular main theme:
What do you think? Did TAPPY rip off the tune, or are the similarities purely coincidental? Let us know with a sneakily-placed comment below.
Comments 6
Probably the least of MGS5's problems. I'm enjoying it but it's clearly the weakest of all 5 MGS games.
Woah that's nuts! I had wondered why it wasn't included considering it's popularity.
@LieutenantFatman I completely agree. Even Peace Walker (a portable game) felt like a better Metal Gear to me. I love MGS5 for it's gameplay, but would have liked a MG worthy story along with it.
I finally finished the game a few days ago. I must say I did not think it was phenomenal, outside of being a phenomenal mess.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, especially the first half, but ultimately I enjoyed it less than any other Metal Gear Solid. And that's a shame, because the things that are good about it are really great. It just goes so wrong in so many places. Its like they had all the pieces of a phenomenal game and just threw them together without any concern for how detached it would all be.
I can see how they are kinda similar, but they aren't that similar. At best the MGS them was inspired by it. I don't see how it's a copy. They sound different from the exact beat to the pacing to the insteumentals. It's no crime to get inspired from something. That's assuming they even heard it. These Russians composers are probably just trying to make a quick buck of being rediculous or coincidence. Unless I'm something, it's just plain shameful.
That's actually pretty incredible in an odd way. Shame that couldn't reach out to the composer and ask to use it in the game.
Woah ,they are not that similar. Use similar instruments, but it's not the same. The Japanese do bow to every form of pressure.
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