Does Snake Talk in Metal Gear Solid V?

The short answer is yes, Snake does talk throughout Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. However, series protagonist Snake has noticeably limited dialog compared to past games. This was an intentional creative decision by director Hideo Kojima.

In this deep dive guide, we‘ll analyze:

• Why Snake doesn‘t talk much in MGSV
• Specific story moments when Snake does speak
• The real Snake reveal and continuity
• Who Snake talks to and sample dialog
• Snake‘s personality and character arcs
• His different voices actors over the years

So why does the normally talkative Snake go silent in The Phantom Pain? Let‘s break it down.

Deciphering Snake‘s Limited Dialog

Hideo Kojima designed MGSV‘s Snake to be more of a cipher, only speaking when absolutely necessary. This heightens the drama for players by save Snake‘s words for pivotal emotional moments.

According to Kojima in an IGN interview, more silence from Snake:

• Allows players to better immerse themselves as the character
• Fits Snake‘s gritty, detached personality
• Creates contrast that gives scenes with dialog more impact

So while Snake‘s minimal voice-over is initially jarring for fans, it serves the story Kojima sought to tell. It also matches Snake‘s shifted personality as the more hardened, trails-weary Punished Venom Snake compared to prior games.

When Snake Speaks Up

Snake mostly keeps quiet as you explore MGSV‘s open world. But he reliably breaks silence to:

• Comment at beginning/end of missions
• Chat during cutscenes with key figures
• React to major story revelations
• Give orders to Diamond Dog troops
• Provide intel to HQ during tense moments

He also occasionally quips wry remarks when spotted or hurt in battle.

So Snake picks his moments. Yet when he does talk, it stands out exactly due to his general quietness.

The Twist: Venom Snake as Body Double

MGSV‘s ending reveals the game‘s Snake is actually:

• A Militaires Sans Frontières (MSF) medic named Venom Snake
• Serving as body double for the real Big Boss
• Had plastic surgery and hypnotherapy to become Big Boss‘s doppelganger

So MGSV players assume the Snake role, controlling Venom Snake. This preserves continuity leading up to the very first Metal Gear game on MSX home computers.

"I‘m Big Boss, and you are too…No… He‘s the two of us. Together." – Tape from Real Big Boss

With this twist, Venom Snake‘s limited speech takes on another dimension. His sparse words further sell the brainwashing that he is Big Boss.

Snake Evolution: Voice Actors Across Games

Snake has been voiced by no less than 4 actors in the mainline games:

As you can see, Hideo Kojima made the controversial decision to swap out fan-favorite David Hayter for Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland as Snake‘s voice in MGSV. He felt Sutherland better captured Snake‘s experienced, weary personality in The Phantom Pain.

This recasting ignited some fan outrage initially. While Kiefer delivers a grittier Snake performance, Hayter remains closely tied to Snake‘s voice for many.

Yet Sutherland‘s acting further depicts Snake‘s increased trauma following Ground Zeroes and Venom Snake‘s identity crisis in Phantom Pain. His subdued vocal style aligns well with less talkative direction.

Side note: Snake is voiced by newcomer Piers Stubbs in the survival spin-off Metal Gear Survive, to mixed reactions.

Snake‘s Personality Evolution

Examining Snake‘s shifting personality across games gives deeper context on his limited words in MGSV:

Metal Gear (1987) – A gritty, lone-woff agent on his first mission

Metal Gear 2 (1990) – More experienced but still learning with a bitter edge

MGS1 (1998) – Witty and emotional, forming trusted allies like Otacon

MGS2 (2001) – Struggles mentoring rookie Raiden but shows growth

MGS3 (2004) – Young, naive Naked Snake becomes more cynical

MGS4 (2008) – An old, world-weary Snake seeks one final redemption

MGSV (2015) – Venom Snake is hardest and most detached incarnation

Venom Snake has endured extensive trauma following Ground Zeroes‘ Mother Base attack and the loss of loyal troops. His limited speech shows emotional walls up to mask pain.

While Big Boss grows more cynical over time, Venom Snake is essentially a blank slate. So his sparse words fit Kojima‘s goals – but also make scenes with dialog truly impactful.

Who Does Venom Snake Talk To?

In keeping with his silent persona, Venom Snake scarcely talks outside mission cutscenes. But even then, he‘s most vocal with his core relationship circle:

Kaz Miller – His trusted No. 2 who ensures Diamond Dogs run smoothly

Revolver Ocelot – Found ally whose support is crucial to morale

Quiet – His encounter with her is transformative for Venom Snake

Huey Emmerich – He interrogates Huey after suspicions arise

Skull Face – His nemesis makes Snake finally talk about loss and pain

Paz – Haunting visions of her tragedy continue affecting Snake

Snake opens up most around those who eitehr deeply understand him or serve as psychological foils. This highlights deeper bonds amidst war.

Noteworthy Snake Dialog Scenes

To appreciate Snake‘s limited words, let‘s highlight scenes when his spoken lines carry great weight:

Hospital Awakening – "What about him?" Snake says, learning of lost MSF troops. This shows his core goal is accountability and honoring sacrifices.

Quiet Exit – "I won‘t force you to stay. Do what you want." Snake respects Quiet‘s agency despite meaning her loss.

Skull Face showdown – Snake‘s only monologue, as he shares witnessing Paz‘s horrific death – showing his deepest pain.

Sahelanthropus Battle – "We don‘t stand a chance unless we work together!" Snake rallies Diamond Dog troops in crisis.

These moments maximize the impact of Snake‘s words after being mostly silent. Venom Snake reveals his true self only when circumstances force his hand.

The Legacy of Metal Gear Solid‘s Snake

Across 35+ years, Snake has grown into one of gaming‘s signature icons. As the Metal Gear saga evolved, so too did Snake‘s personality – culminating in his detached silence as Venom Snake.

Hideo Kojima notes each chapter shows Snake losing a piece of his humanity to war and trauma. This narrowing of Snake‘s emotional spectrum over time gives deeper meaning when MGSV‘s Venom Snake does occasionally talk. We witness the last glimmers of the talkative, idealistic Naked Snake – before old age and cynicism take hold as Old Snake in Metal Gear Solid 4.

So while longtime fans may have felt dismay at Snake‘s hushed nature in The Phantom Pain, it marked a purposeful creative choice for the character‘s progression. Even as players control Venom Snake without his knowledge, glints of the real Big Boss appear in those pivotal moments when Snake speaks up.

In closing, one truth remains across all Metal Gear games – whether talkative or quiet, heroes like Snake reveal their true selves not in silent times of comfort, but in painful moments of crisis. This storied special ops agent expresses himself through actions first, reserving words only when events demand them.