It has been 35 years since Hideo Kojima's debut game Metal Gear was first introduced to the world. In that time, the series has grown and evolved from a simple top-down linear stealth adventure to an open world of tactical espionage operations. Kojima's writing has occasionally missed the mark, but his dedication to Metal Gear's gameplay has allowed it to become one of the best franchises in the stealth genre.
The Metal Gear franchise has provided players with tons of tools, weapons, and items to help them with their missions. From the simple silenced pistol all the way to the comical but effective Cardboard Box, every piece of gear has its place in the Metal Gear universe. The games have constantly been switching and updating the gear they give to players, but one of the few items they always provide is a simple pack of cigarettes.
From Humble Beginnings
The Cigarettes item was initially never supposed to make it into the first Metal Gear due to how it might affect the game's age rating. In fact, the game's physical manual even has a General Surgeon's warning denoting the harmful effects of smoking. But seeing as Kojima gave the cigarettes a minor role to play in the game (they can only be used to slow down the timer of the self-destruct sequence in Metal Gear's final act), Konami allowed the implementation of the item.
Rereleases of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake gave the Cigarettes more uses, such as providing Snake with the ability to see infrared sensors. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake even makes the item essential for a small segment - requiring players to use the Cigarettes to calm Snake's nerves when hang gliding from the Tower Building. With these newfound uses for the Cigarettes also came the item's now-staple side effect of draining players' health whenever they use them. Since most players didn't read manuals even back then, Kojima thought a more practical application of smoking's harmful nature was required.
Calming The Nerves And Healing The Body
While Cigarettes are still used to see infrared sensors in Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, the number of applications has become much more varied with the introduction of the "Solid" series of Metal Gear games. Smoking Metal Gear Solid 2's Cigarettes allows both Raiden and Snake to steady their aim when aiming down sights - a feature that is integral for some of the game's tense sequences. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots has Snake using Cigarettes to replenish his Psych Gauge and reduce his stress levels, but they don't allow him to steady his aim any more (players have to use Pentazentamin instead).
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain both replace Cigarettes in favor of a Cigar, but it is generally the same item. Snake Eater has the most uses for the Cigar to date. Players can use the Cigar to remove leeches that latch onto Snake when wading through deep waters. They can also use it to ward off hornets (this is particularly useful in the boss fight with The Pain) and as a light source in dark areas prior to acquiring the Torch item. The Phantom Pain's Phantom Cigar is an electronic cigar that doesn't drain Snake's health but isn't used in proactive gameplay either. Instead, players can use the Phantom Cigar to trigger a cutscene that changes the time of day - allowing them to dictate when they take on missions.
The majority of Metal Gear's protagonists may be heavy smokers, but their habits have provided them with a useful item. Cigarettes and Cigars have come a long way in the Metal Gear franchise - from being a one-off item to an indispensable tool on the battlefield. The message they project isn't exactly wholesome, but they're just another way Hideo Kojima was able to add a sense of wackiness to the series.
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is available now for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. It is also playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S via backward compatibility.