Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes Announced

Snakes. Why did it have to be Snakes?

Several months ago, news broke about the future of the Metal Gear game series when Hideo Kojima announced Metal Gear Solid 5. However, Kojima must be a firm believer that his fans just can’t get enough of the popular "Tactical Espionage Action" games, as he revealed his latest project at PAX earlier this month. Before Solid/Old Snake makes his grand return to game consoles, the Big Boss himself, Naked Snake, will be making an appearance first in Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes, a prologue to MGS5. Kojima supplemented his announcement with a stunning 14-minute-long video showcasing both cinematics and gameplay. Check it out below, courtesy of IGN and PAX!

Pretty, right? The footage showcases the true power of the Fox Engine, even on a current-gen system like the PS3 or Xbox 360.

Of course, with a new game comes new game mechanics. MGS looks to be dipping into GTA territory as we see Snake hijacking a jeep and utilizing a helicopter to travel between different areas and missions. One curious toy that Snake brandishes is a holographic PDA labeled as the 1Droid. A hand-held device, eh? Possible integration with the PS Vita, Smart Glass, or smart phone/tablet? At this point, it’s almost expected.

While one can speculate about how the game will play and what kind of gaming tech advances will be present, the true die-hard fans will want to know what exactly is going on in this video. Who is the scarred man? Who is the child? Why is Snake even at this prison camp? Our hero also looks a little worse for wear, sporting his trademark eye patch, but also appearing pretty gray, not unlike how Old Snake appeared in MGS4. Might we see a timeline overlap and possible crossover with Solid Snake if this is indeed the lead-in to MGS5? We can only hope.

With two new Metal Gear titles now in the pipeline, one still wonders if Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is still on its way. According to the official website, MGR:R has a release date of February 13th, 2013. Will it go the way of StarCraft: Ghost, or will it eventually see the light of day after extensive delays like Duke Nukem Forever? Only time will tell.

There is currently no release date for Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes. Stay tuned for more news about the future of the MGS franchise!