It’s not a stretch to say that many people have fantasized about being their favorite fictional characters; hero and villain alike. For one special gamer that fantasy is going to take one step towards reality and we are all invited to see it all unfold.
25 year old amputee James Young is going to received a prothestic arm stylized in the manner of Big Boss’ in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Dubbed ‘The Phantom Limb Project’ by Konami, the project will see renown prosthetics artist Sophie De Oliveira Barata work to create a fully functional and eye-catching limb for Young using the latest cutting edge and innovative technologies.
Young, an avid gamer, tragically lost an arm and a leg in an accident on the London Docklands Light Railway. Despite the limitations of losing an arm, he did not let that discourage him from his hobby and became adept at playing games with one hand. His story coupled along with him being a fan of the Metal Gear series he was hand selected by Barata for the project.
Sophie De Oliviera Barata started her career creating hyper-realistic prosthetics but eventually founded The Alternative Limb Project, company which specializes in creating unique and individualized prosthetics to match the personalities of their bearers. Her past work has included steampunk and cyborg inspired limbs. She works closely and heavily with singer/songwriter and performance artist Viktoria Modesta, who chose to undergo a below-the-knee amputation to improve her mobility in her youth. She was notably seen performing with a Barata created prosthetic during the 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony.
The production and development of Young’s prosthetic will be tracked and revealed in a 3 part documentary. The documentary will showcase the technology used to create the limb, the design process, and will parallel themes and challenges that Big Boss faced as he adjusted to his new prosthetic arm in MGSV. Those looking to keep up progress on this project can visit the official website and Twitter for updates.