Looking at the download progress bar and the capacity displayed by the game, Ezekiel sat frozen in front of the computer. He rubbed his eyes hard, leaned closer to the monitor, and carefully counted the digits again. Only after staring at it for several seconds did he confirm that he wasn't hallucinating. A decimal point indeed followed the number 4. 4.5G. There was no mistake.
Of course, judging a game's quality by its file size was a foolish thing to do. Some small-scale games were masterpieces despite their modest size, while some massive productions were bloated disasters. Size alone proved nothing. He understood that perfectly well.
Still, in today's gaming environment, where almost all developers have abandoned pre-rendered CG movies in favor of real-time rendering, it was nearly impossible to see games that were only a few gigabytes yet packed with high-quality cinematic presentation. Gone were the days when the main program was a few gigabytes, and the CG cutscenes alone occupied dozens more.
With advances in hardware, modeling pipelines, and texture technology, game sizes had ballooned dramatically. A typical 3A production often weighed in at 70 or 80 gigabytes, and crossing the hundred-gigabyte mark was no longer unusual.
Take The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, for example. After its release, once players began piling on all sorts of bizarre and ambitious MODs, the total installation size could easily soar into the hundreds of gigabytes. Compared to that, this…
Although it was only a trial version, he had assumed before downloading that it would at least reach 20 GB. With his modest internet speed, that would've bought him half an hour to rest his eyes while waiting. But now? Only a few gigabytes?
Like him, the vast majority of players felt a subtle wave of unease when they saw the installation size. It was simply too small.
"Maybe the compression technology is just better. The actual content must still be substantial." He picked up his glass, took a slow sip of water, and forced himself to calm down as the progress bar neared completion. The download finished quickly. Installation was even faster.
Soon, he entered the game. After the familiar studio logos faded out, the main menu appeared before him. It was a dynamic, highly stylized sci-fi interface. Inside a helicopter cabin, BIGBOSS sat under dim lighting, calmly smoking a cigar. Rotor blades thundered overhead. Rain streaked across the windows. In the lower right corner floated a holographic projection-style interaction panel labeled BIGBOSS.
But what truly caught his attention wasn't the interface design. It was the smiling man seated casually beside BIGBOSS.
"Holy, is that...?!" His eyes widened.
He leaned forward instinctively, as if getting physically closer would somehow confirm it. That face… That expression… It was unmistakable. John had actually put himself directly into the game's main menu.
Sure, many games contained Easter Eggs. Some developers hid their names in obscure corners. Others inserted themselves as minor NPCs waiting to be discovered. But placing yourself openly on the main interface? That was bold. Almost shamelessly bold.
After thoroughly checking for hidden interactions and making sure there weren't any additional secrets tucked away in the menu, he selected "Start Game."
A bleak, somber BGM echoed, then the screen darkened. A skull silhouette emerged in the background as white subtitles appeared, accompanied by an emotionless narration.
"While the world stood divided between East and West, the mother of the Cobra Force, the legendary hero of World War II, defected to the Soviet Union…" Under orders from the U.S. government, her final disciple pulled the trigger through tears. Yet her defection had been nothing more than a disguise. She sacrificed herself to prevent nuclear war. That had been her last mission.
"The BOSS used Snake to ensure the Philosopher's Legacy, military funds under Soviet control, would return to the United States. In recognition of these deeds, Snake was granted the title of BIGBOSS."
After leaving the United States, Snake encountered Miller on the battlefield. With his assistance, they recruited soldiers and established a secret base in the Caribbean in 1974, the Army Without Borders (MSF). Their strength grew steadily, culminating in the development of nuclear-capable alloy equipment: ZEKE.
Meanwhile, Major ZERO, founder of FOX and former comrade-in-arms of Snake, expanded his intelligence network "Cipher" using the Philosopher's Legacy, gradually entrenching himself within the United States.
Lacking military strength of his own, ZERO sought to bring back his old companion. He dispatched Paz to contact Snake. Paz attempted to seize ZEKE, the bipedal nuclear-equipped weapon system, but was ultimately defeated and cast into the Caribbean Sea by Snake.
To help players better understand the timeline, John had chosen to present this historical backdrop through textual narration at the beginning of the game. More detailed lore would later be supplemented through comics. As for BIGBOSS's personal experiences, those would be expanded in standalone titles or DLC installments for Metal Gear.
Ezekiel read every line carefully. Though he didn't fully grasp every political nuance, he understood enough. For instance, he now knew the origin of Paz, the woman BIGBOSS rescued in the trailer. He also understood the broader world setting. East versus West. A divided world. Cold War tension.
"This… is this the Cold War background hinted at in Red Alert?" He muttered to himself, "Is this story set after the timeline of Red Alert?"
His thoughts churned. But soon, the sound of wind and rain drew his focus back. The studio logo of PixelPioneers Games faded in, followed by the production team credits. Then, the first cutscene began. It was the same nine-minute sequence previously shown in the promotional trailer.
Under torrential rain, Skull Face confronted Chico, tape recorder in hand. Deception layered upon deception. Meanwhile, BIGBOSS is prepared to infiltrate Omega Camp to rescue Paz and Chico.
Even though Ezekiel had already watched this scene in the trailer, he didn't press ESC. He let it play. Again. Long, uninterrupted shots. Meticulous character modeling. Subtle facial micro-expressions. Water droplets slide naturally across clothing textures.
If someone had told him this was footage from a war film, he would have believed it without hesitation. It was amazing.
As BIGBOSS officially entered the frame, radio chatter provided context, his current mission, his operational objectives, and the situation on the ground. Control was handed to the player. An anesthesia pistol. A standard sidearm. A submachine gun. Binoculars. The third-person perspective switched seamlessly to a first-person view.
Ezekiel nodded in approval.
And this… didn't quite feel like a traditional FPS. In the trailer's later segments, BIGBOSS fought heavily armored, almost mechanical enemies. Combined with the variety of firearms in his inventory, he couldn't help forming a cautious hypothesis. But how did the shooting feel? That was what truly mattered.
Looking at the mission objectives displayed in the corner of the screen and glancing at the weapons in his backpack, he took a deep breath and began moving forward. Tutorial prompts appeared: Use binoculars to scout enemy deployments. Mark patrol routes. Find opportunities to silently eliminate soldiers and extract intelligence.
He smirked, "Scout? Sneak? Interrogate? What's the point of all that trouble?"
He cracked his knuckles dramatically, "When I play games, I follow one philosophy: charge."
Professional-level aim. Flexible positioning. Unmatched reflexes. Why would he need stealth? Without another word, he pushed the joystick forward and controlled BIGBOSS to sprint straight toward the enemy camp, gun raised, rain pouring, rotor blades echoing in the distance. Subtle infiltration? Not tonight.