Metal Wolf Chaos
Encyclopedia
is a third-person shooter
video game for the Microsoft
Xbox
that was released only in Japan
. It was developed by From Software
, who are responsible for Chromehounds
and the Armored Core
series of mecha
games.
The game revolves around a fictitious President of the United States
named Michael Wilson. Using a suit of powered armor named Metal Wolf, he battles forces who have taken over his country in a coup d'état
, including his arch nemesis, Vice President
Richard Hawk.
Although released exclusively in Japan, Metal Wolf Chaos has full English voice acting.
as a parallel to the real life presidency of George W. Bush
of the time of the game's release. Vice President Richard Hawk (a play on the term War Hawk
, and possibly a parody of Dick Cheney
's influence) decides to usurp Wilson's presidency, shifts the armed forces' loyalty to him and attacks Wilson with their support.
However, Wilson escapes from the White House
in his powered armor, and after reaching Air Force One
flies to the west coast of the United States
. He then starts to take America back by liberating cities and outposts going from west to east.
When Wilson returns to the White House, Hawk is not there. Wilson discovers that he is in Las Vegas
and goes there to fight his usurper, but he escapes in a rocket and goes to a space station. Wilson and Hawk battle in space, with the President ultimately saving the United States of America from nuclear destruction and destroying his enemy.
's Holiday 2004 issue's game disc (issue #39) has a hidden demo of the game. Weapons in the game demo include a cluster missile launcher, a dumb-fire rocket launcher, an M134
, a SPAS-12 shotgun (double-size), and an M79 grenade launcher
(also double-size). The powered armour that the President uses contains all of these weapons in shoulder pods.
, though under the name "Executor". His standard battle cry is "RICHARRRRRRDDDDDD!!!!!"
As it turns out, the Michael Wilson seen in MWC is actually Michael Wilson Jr. His father appears in the FROM Software game Ninja Blade
for Xbox 360
and Microsoft Windows
.
A playable character called "President" can be selected in 3D Dot Game Heroes
. The character appears to be based on Michael Wilson's powered armor.
videos depicting the game's cheesy voice acting and nonsensical plot were released.
1UP.com
named it one of the "most insanely patriotic video games ever", and thought that the premise was "perfect for a mech game and dinnertime conversation". Michael Wilson is ranked first in Electronic Gaming Monthly’s list of the top ten video game politicians.
In Japan, "Used Games" magazine (now defunct) wrote a rave review about the game's over the top plot and depictions, giving it the title of "Natural Born Dumb Game".
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
video game for the Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
that was released only in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It was developed by From Software
From Software
is a Japanese video game company founded in November 1986 known primarily for being the developers of the Armored Core, Demon's Souls, King's Field, Otogi and Tenchu series.-Games:...
, who are responsible for Chromehounds
Chromehounds
is a video game for the Xbox 360. The game is set in an alternate universe where mechanised HOUNDs battle for control of Neroimus, a fictional region somewhere near Black Sea . The game features a system for personalized customization of the player's mech and an online campaign mode where players...
and the Armored Core
Armored Core
Armored Core is a mecha-based video game series developed by From Software for the PlayStation Portable, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Mobile Phone platforms. Armored Core games are Mecha Simulation/third-person shooters, in which the player pilots a large mecha called an...
series of mecha
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
games.
The game revolves around a fictitious President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
named Michael Wilson. Using a suit of powered armor named Metal Wolf, he battles forces who have taken over his country in a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
, including his arch nemesis, Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
Richard Hawk.
Although released exclusively in Japan, Metal Wolf Chaos has full English voice acting.
Plot
Michael Wilson is the President of the United States, a relative of Woodrow WilsonWoodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
as a parallel to the real life presidency of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
of the time of the game's release. Vice President Richard Hawk (a play on the term War Hawk
War Hawk
War Hawk is a term originally used to describe members of the Twelfth Congress of the United States who advocated waging war against the British in the War of 1812...
, and possibly a parody of Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
's influence) decides to usurp Wilson's presidency, shifts the armed forces' loyalty to him and attacks Wilson with their support.
However, Wilson escapes from the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
in his powered armor, and after reaching Air Force One
Air Force One
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...
flies to the west coast of the United States
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. He then starts to take America back by liberating cities and outposts going from west to east.
When Wilson returns to the White House, Hawk is not there. Wilson discovers that he is in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
and goes there to fight his usurper, but he escapes in a rocket and goes to a space station. Wilson and Hawk battle in space, with the President ultimately saving the United States of America from nuclear destruction and destroying his enemy.
Demo
The Official Xbox MagazineOfficial Xbox Magazine
Official Xbox Magazine is a monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released for E3 2001, with another preview issue for November 2001. The magazine is bundled with a disc that includes game demos, preview videos and...
's Holiday 2004 issue's game disc (issue #39) has a hidden demo of the game. Weapons in the game demo include a cluster missile launcher, a dumb-fire rocket launcher, an M134
Minigun
The Minigun is a 7.62 mm, multi-barrel heavy machine gun with a high rate of fire , employing Gatling-style rotating barrels with an external power source...
, a SPAS-12 shotgun (double-size), and an M79 grenade launcher
M79 grenade launcher
The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher that fires a 40x46mm grenade which used what the US Army called the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low, and first appeared during the Vietnam War...
(also double-size). The powered armour that the President uses contains all of these weapons in shoulder pods.
In other media
Michael Wilson appears as a Golem in his battlesuit in Enchanted ArmsEnchanted Arms
Enchanted Arms is a science fiction/fantasy-based role-playing game for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Although the game was intended to be an Xbox 360 launch title for the Japanese market, its release date was pushed back to , by the developer, From Software...
, though under the name "Executor". His standard battle cry is "RICHARRRRRRDDDDDD!!!!!"
As it turns out, the Michael Wilson seen in MWC is actually Michael Wilson Jr. His father appears in the FROM Software game Ninja Blade
Ninja Blade
is a video game developed and published by From Software for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360. The game has been categorized as a "cinematic action game," combining a mixture of hack and slash elements with context-sensitive commands....
for Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
.
A playable character called "President" can be selected in 3D Dot Game Heroes
3D Dot Game Heroes
is a 2009 action-adventure video game developed by Silicon Studio and published by From Software in Japan, Atlus in North America and by SouthPeak Games in Europe. The game uses a unique style, presenting 2D retro-style graphics in a 3D environment using voxels...
. The character appears to be based on Michael Wilson's powered armor.
Reception
Despite not receiving a Western release, Metal Wolf Chaos gained cult status after a series of YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
videos depicting the game's cheesy voice acting and nonsensical plot were released.
1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
named it one of the "most insanely patriotic video games ever", and thought that the premise was "perfect for a mech game and dinnertime conversation". Michael Wilson is ranked first in Electronic Gaming Monthly’s list of the top ten video game politicians.
In Japan, "Used Games" magazine (now defunct) wrote a rave review about the game's over the top plot and depictions, giving it the title of "Natural Born Dumb Game".