Bayu Arafat loves Metal Gear Solid. Like, really loves it. So much in fact that he's turned part of his home in Jakarta, Indonesia into a shrine for the Japanese developer, his games, and his new development studio.
"When I was in junior high school, I fell in love with the first Metal Gear Solid," he tells me. "I still remember that boss fight with Psycho Mantis where he breaks the fourth wall. And for me, no game came close to it in terms of story, graphics, voice acting, music. It was all so memorable."
Bayu started his collection around 2005, but being a poor college student, he never had enough money to fund his obsession. "But then I got a proper job in 2014 and the hype of The Phantom Pain inspired me to start taking my collection more seriously," he says. "Then, in 2016, when Kojima created his own studio I decided to collect everything related to him."
I ask Bayu what the most important item in his vast collection is to him. "It has to be the life-sized, wearable Ludens suit," he says. "Kojima and Yoji Shinkawa both signed it, and Shinkawa even sketched Ludens on the shoulder armour. This is probably the only suit like this in the world!"
Bayu is also proud of his collection of every Metal Gear Solid game, all of which are signed by Kojima. "Kojima likes my collection," he says. "He retweeted it. And this year I even got to meet him face to face."
"Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is my favourite Hideo Kojima game," he says. "But I think Death Stranding will surpass Metal Gear!"
