I think Metal Gear Solid is different. Cult classic that redefined what we thought games could be on PS1. We got the rest of the games because Kojima wanted to wrap up Snake’s story but fans weren’t satisfied with MGS2 (even though it’s very well respected now), MGS3 was damn near perfect to make up for it, death threats got is MGS4, and Konami wanting more Metal Gear gave us V. We can leave out the handheld stuff.
It also thrived at a time when risks were welcome in the industry. At the time, people really wanted their favorite games to get sequels between all the new IPs. Now, in the Death Stranding era, I think we have a situation where people are getting sick of sequels and want new IPs.
Kojima is a rebel, but wants to please people too. Knowing him, he wants to do something new that people don’t realize they want. He can only do so much while coloring in the line with Death Stranding.
