You've heard it. If you’ve spent any time at all with a controller in your hand over the last thirty years, you’ve heard David Hayter’s gravelly, confused voice uttering those five words. Metal Gear? It can’t be. It’s the meme that launched a thousand shipwrecks. It's the moment Solid Snake, a supposed master of espionage and global politics, acts like he hasn't spent his entire career blowing up giant walking tanks.
Honestly, it's kinda hilarious.
But why does he say it? Why does every single protagonist in this franchise act like they’ve seen a ghost every time a bipedal nuclear platform stomps into view? It isn’t just bad writing. It’s a deliberate, albeit strange, stylistic choice by Hideo Kojima that defines the entire ethos of the series. We need to talk about why this line matters and the actual history of the "Metal Gear" concept that Snake supposedly finds so unbelievable.
The Shadow of Shadow Moses
When Snake arrives at the disposal facility in 1998’s Metal Gear Solid, he’s briefed on the situation. He knows there are terrorists. He knows they have nuclear capabilities. Yet, when the formal name of the project is dropped, he reacts with that iconic disbelief.
It’s a trope.
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Kojima uses the "repetition as a question" technique constantly. It’s a Japanese linguistic quirk called reiteration for clarity, but in English, it makes Snake sound like he has a five-second memory. However, the "It can't be" part carries weight because, in the timeline of the games, Metal Gear was supposed to be a dead concept. After the events of Zanzibar Land in 1999 (the in-game year), the world thought the threat of a mobile, independent nuclear launch platform was neutralized.
Seeing it again wasn't just a tactical threat. For Snake, it was a failure of history.
What a Metal Gear Actually Is (And Why It's Terrifying)
Let's get technical for a second. In the real world, a walking tank is a terrible idea. The ground pressure alone would cause the legs to sink into anything softer than reinforced concrete. But in the world of Kojima, the Metal Gear is the "missing link" between infantry and artillery.
The genius of the design—originally credited to the fictional Dr. Aleksandr Leonovitch Granin and later Huey Emmerich—is the ability to launch a nuclear warhead from any terrain. You don't need a silo. You don't need a predictable submarine path. You just need a patch of dirt.
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- REX: The most famous. It used a railgun to fire stealth nukes. No chemical propellant meant no heat signature. No heat signature meant no early warning. It was a literal ghost.
- RAY: This one was different. It wasn't for nukes; it was designed to hunt other Metal Gears. It’s more organic, faster, and uses a high-pressure water cutter to slice through armor.
- Peace Walker: A giant AI-controlled quadruped that was essentially a mobile deterrent system designed to take humans out of the decision-making loop for nuclear retaliation.
When Snake says "It can't be," he's reacting to the impossibility of a rogue group having the sheer capital and engineering prowess to revive these nightmares. These aren't just tanks. They are billion-dollar existential threats.
The Philosophy of the "Unbelievable"
There’s a deeper layer here. Metal Gear is a series about the "unreliable" nature of information. Think about Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. The entire game is a simulation, a "plan" to see if human behavior can be controlled and orchestrated.
In that context, "Metal Gear? It can't be" takes on a meta-textual meaning. The characters are often reacting to the fact that they are trapped in a cycle they cannot escape. Every time they think they've moved past the era of giant robots and Cold War leftovers, the system (The Patriots) drags them back in.
Snake's disbelief is the player's disbelief. It’s the realization that the world hasn’t changed as much as we hoped.
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Why the Line Became a Legend
The voice acting is the culprit. David Hayter’s delivery became the gold standard for "confused action hero." It’s campy. It’s dramatic. It’s peak 90s voice acting.
If you look at the scripts for the original MSX games, the dialogue was much more utilitarian. It was the jump to 3D and the addition of full voice acting that turned a simple plot point into a cultural touchstone. The line resonated because it captured the absurdity of the premise. We are playing a game about a guy in a cardboard box fighting a bipedal nuclear dinosaur. Of course it "can't be." It's ridiculous.
Practical Takeaways for Fans and Lore Hunters
If you're trying to piece together the timeline or explain the significance of the "It can't be" phenomenon to a newcomer, keep these points in mind:
- Context is King: Always look at the year the game takes place. Disbelief in 1964 (Snake Eater) makes sense because the technology was alien. Disbelief in 2014 (Guns of the Patriots) is more about the exhaustion of a world that won't stop fighting.
- The "Granin" Connection: Remember that the original concept for a walking tank came from a disgruntled Soviet scientist who was jealous of rocket science. This rivalry is what birthed the entire franchise's mechanical lineage.
- Language Gaps: A lot of the repetitive dialogue is a byproduct of translating Japanese "Aizuchi" (frequent interjections during conversation to show you're listening) into English, where it sounds like the speaker is just confused.
Basically, the next time you see a clip of Snake questioning the existence of a Metal Gear, remember that he’s not just being dense. He’s a victim of a world where the most dangerous technology in history keeps being rebuilt by the very people who should know better.
To truly understand the "It can't be" mindset, you have to look at the series as a tragedy disguised as an action movie. Every time a new Metal Gear appears, it represents a failure of diplomacy and a step back for humanity. It shouldn't exist, it shouldn't be there, and yet, there it is, humming with nuclear intent.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Review the Shinkawa Sketches: Look up Yoji Shinkawa’s original design documents for Rex and Ray. Understanding the mechanical "joints" and "logic" he applied makes the "it can't be" reaction feel more grounded in real engineering anxiety.
- Play the MSX Originals: If you've only played the 3D games, go back to Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. You'll see where the narrative beats for the "impossible" machine were first established.
- Analyze the AI: Watch a breakdown of the "S3 Plan" from MGS2. It explains why the characters are often forced into these "unbelievable" scenarios as a form of psychological conditioning.