Thread:Weedle McHairybug/@comment-1191892-20200203180054/@comment-1191892-20200203192419

1. Well, if it has a rational explanation as to what it is referring to outside the fiction, that's enough. Something like EXCELSUIS' "Metal Gear in name only" status directly mirroring real-life criticism of the game is pretty clear-cut, though I'd accept the "all that crap in San Hieronomo," while dismissive, might not be intended as a direct reference.

2. Eh, I feel it was trying to be more subtle by giving Miller the same dismissive attitude towards Portable Ops as Kojima himself, basically making him a mouthpiece for Kojima's views on the subject. There's no need to break immersion entirely for the player to "get" what's being talked about, and that's certainly how a lot of people read that particular line.

3. Well, no. All it means is he recognises in that moment that there was music at his current location and that there is no longer music at his current location. Naomi then goes on to tell you that Mantis uses music as part of his mind-control trickery, so that music has a specific in-game explanation. Otacon also hears the music in the background over Snake's CODEC when he's talking to Meryl in the lab (which, granted, doesn't make a great deal of sense considering how the CODEC is supposed to work), so this is a three-stage thing: Otacon recognises that Mantis' music is a real in-game thing, Meryl notices it's stopped, and Naomi tells you what it is.