Grey Fox, Metal Gear Cosplay Costume

Tone and themes
Although the series has a war setting and is of the action genre, and thus contains large amounts of graphic violence, it has an underlying tone of pacifism. This is reflected throughout the series which has dealt with such themes as the futility of war, the absurdity of nuclear deterrence, the dangers of nuclear weapons in general, the psychological effects of warfare on children and adults, the concept that enemies are only enemies in relative terms, and motivations behind the different lifestyles individuals choose. This tone and some of these themes reflect the mindset of a large amount of the Japanese cinema made since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Another recurring theme is the negative portrayal of centralized governments as seen in MGS2: Sons of Liberty.
The original Metal Gear, which was released in 1987 during the Cold War, dealt with the manipulation of soldiers by politicians of the East and West, countered by the concept of "Outer Heaven", a country without politics. Its sequel Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, which was released in 1990 at the end of the Cold War, expanded on this with themes regarding political intrigue, battlefield ethics, military history, and the negative effects of warfare.