Metal Gear Solid 4's new re-release in Master Collection Vol.2 appears to reference a fan-made Metal Gear Online project in its files, suggesting Konami relied on the project for DLC.

Back in the days of the Xbox 360 and PS3, it felt like every game had a multiplayer mode, even if it didn't need it. Nonetheless, this trend resulted in some shockingly great multiplayer experiences like Naughty Dog's Uncharted and The Last of Us online modes, Capcom's forgotten Bionic Commando reboot, and Bioshock 2.

Then, though Metal Gear Online debuted with Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence on the PS2, it took the Metal Gear Online 2 featured in Metal Gear Solid 4 to make the series' multiplayer a legendary experience. That brings us to the SaveMGO project, which allows players to play Metal Gear multiplayer to this very day.

Officially, Metal Gear Online went offline in 2012. However, SaveMGO has played a vital role in Metal Gear Solid 4's enduring appeal.

Now, it seems like Konami is acknowledging fan efforts. The SaveMGO Twitter account (via Time Extension) recently shared SaveMGO member Marko's reaction to a post in the Discord community for the project, in which someone shares references to SaveMGO in Metal Gear Solid 4's new port files.

The working theory among fans is that Konami used SaveMGO to access some of the now-deleted DLC for the game which consisted of camouflage patterns for Snake. Marko says, "That is awesome! So the only way they could get that stuff is thanks to the preservation potential of SaveMGO." SaveMGO says in its own tweet, "The original DLC might only exist today because SaveMGO kept it available all these years," adding that the team is "feeling proud."

While it wouldn't be the end of the world if DLC camo were missing from Metal Gear Solid 4, Konami's possible reliance on SaveMGO proves the importance of preservation, and more specifically, fan-made preservation projects. Because it's fantastic that I can still use cool Metal Gear Solid 4 camo, but it's even better that I can still play Metal Gear Online almost a decade-and-a-half since the servers shut.

91.8% of Metal Gear Solid 4 players immediately got the achievement for ripping a statue's privates clean off.

Metal Gear Solid 4 players on PC have earned one specific achievement right away, and all I can say is that poor statue.

Metal Gear Solid is an incredibly silly game series. The series features some of the greatest stories in gaming, with the best Metal Gear games still hitting like nothing else, even after multiple replays.

But yeah, those games can get dumb as hell.

There's a recurring character whose characterization revolves around his chronic IBS, which turns out to be a family trait, as his ancestor found in Metal Gear Solid 3 also can't stop dropping ass on a near-constant basis.

But aside from Mr. Poop, the games themselves are filled with silly little moments and interactions throughout the world. For example, you can slip on the bird droppings at the start of Metal Gear Solid 2, or the fourth-wall-breaking dialogue about the PS3 (which has been changed). One of these comes at the start of Metal Gear Solid 4, where you can pose next to statues to blend in, but if you go to the well one too many times, Snake accidentally rips off the statue's genitals.

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 2 features an achievement for doing so, called "Handle with Caution," which rewards you if you "broke off the most important part of a statue". And yesterday, once the game launched on Steam, BlueSky user Columbologist took a peek at the achievements list and discovered something. Frankly, they put it better than I ever could, with their post reading: "91.8% of players, having waited nearly 20 years for MGS4 to be playable on anything other than PS3, booted the game and immediately made a beeline for a statue's dick."

While the number is at a much lower 21.4% at the time of writing, the fact remains that mere hours after Metal Gear Solid 4 launched on PC, 91.8% of players had already pulled the statues' genitals straight off. Just as Hideo Kojima intended.

The Nintendo ports of Metal Gear Solid 4 replace the iconic PS3 and PSP in-game consoles with generic variants

With the release of Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 2, it's been confirmed that Nintendo editions of Metal Gear Solid 4 have removed PlayStation references from the game.

Metal Gear Solid 4 was famously a PS3 exclusive until this week, and the game itself made that clear. Throughout the game you could see a PS3 console on Snake and Otacon's plane, Sunny could be seen playing the PSP, and Snake used a Dualshock 3 controller to control the Metal Gear Mk. 2. On top of that, there's the famous scene where Otacon recounts how great the PS3 and Blu-Ray discs are.

We already knew that line had been changed to whatever platform you're playing on, but fans noticed Konami's online manual seemingly removed the console from the Switch versions, before Konami changed the image to show the PS3 again. But now the collection is out, fans have revealed that yes, Nintendo players won't see a PlayStation console.

On the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC versions of Metal Gear Solid 4, you'll still see the PlayStation controller and consoles, but for Switch 1 and 2 the DualShock and PSP have been changed to generic versions, while the PS3 console has a Kerotan frog from Metal Gear Solid 3 in its place.

There hasn't been an official statement about the change, but given that both the PC and Xbox versions have the PlayStation kit, many are assuming this was a call from Nintendo itself. Although, weirdly, the PlayStation seen in Metal Gear Solid is still present in the Switch version of the first collection, albeit in a very low-poly form. Still, if it's the price to pay to get Metal Gear Solid 4 on more platforms, I suppose it's not the biggest deal.

Speedrunner turns one of Metal Gear Solid 4's biggest bosses into a total pushover using the power of Master Collection Vol 2's enhanced framerate

Having some Metal Gear Solid 4 tips to hand will stand you in good stead, whether you're returning to the battlefield or checking out Guns of the Patriots for the first time. After being a PS3 exclusive for over 18 years, the 2026 port that's also included in the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 has opened the game up to a brand new audience, so you may be looking for some pointers for how to get started in Kojima's epic stealth adventure. With that in mind, here are seven essential MGS4 tips to help you guide Old Snake to his destiny.

If you're looking for more assistance, then we also have a Metal Gear Solid 4 boss guide to help with those tough encounters, and a Metal Gear Solid 4 walkthrough to lead you through each act.

1. Remember to use OctoCamo and Disguises

In automatic mode, Snake’s OctoCamo suit will adapt to mimic the color and texture of his immediate environment. Team it with the OctoCamo mask (won by defeating Laughing Octopus) and Snake’s camouflage rating can get close to the magic 100%, making him virtually invisible. To change OctoCamo, Snake must be either lying down, or pressed up against the wall or structure you want him to blend into.

The OctoCamo suit can also be set to predefined patterns, or to patterns you have saved to its memory. In practice, though, you’re much more likely to leave OctoCamo set to ‘automatic’. In addition to OctoCamo, some of MGS4’s acts give you access to a specific disguise, such as the militia disguise in the Middle East section of the game. Rather than literally hiding Snake, these enable social stealth, freeing him to move around with impunity in certain areas of the game.

2. Pay attention to the Drebin Store and War Economy

Weapons launderer Drebin gives you valuable assistance, and an interesting dilemma in the game. With nanomachine technology giving guns ‘fingerprint’ access only, Drebin must launder new weapons that you find for a small fee if you want to use them. Doing this also means that Drebin will automatically buy any identical weapons that you subsequently pick up, for Drebin Points that you can then use to buy ammo or specialist, new weapons. However, the amount of money you earn for each weapon depends on the War Economy.

It works like this: if you’re employing stealth all the time, there are fewer shootouts and fewer shootouts means demand for Drebin’s stock is low, meaning you get less money. However, if you take the shooty approach, demand goes up and you get more DPs to spend on bigger and better guns. So what’s it going to be? Stealth, all-out war, or a little of both? Oh, one more thing – watch out for Drebin’s occasional sales. It’s not unusual for him to take 20% off rifles, say, for one day only. And be warned, before the final act Drebin has a half-price sale on everything, so it pays to keep those special purchases back until then.

3. Watch your Stress, Psyche, and Life levels

In MGS4, Snake’s Stress, Life, and Psyche gauges are all linked. The Life gauge is self-explanatory, and can be topped up by Regain energy drinks, rations, and noodles. It will also slowly replenish itself if Snake lies low or seeks cover – a valuable bit of knowledge if you find yourself low on rations during a set-piece battle.

Taking a day’s break from playing MGS4 will also have an effect, giving you a 20% hike in life force. Psyche is represented by the four-part gauge below the Life gauge and represents Snake’s mental wellbeing. If he’s too hot, too cold, overloaded with kit, or feeling his age – because of an aching back from crouching for too long, say – this will affect his Psyche gauge, making it harder for Snake to aim accurately and generally affecting his performance.

Removing the problem will help the gauge to replenish itself, as will smoking (although this whittles away at Snake’s Life gauge) and looking at ‘gentleman’s literature’ (which doesn’t appear to make him go blind, Mum). Linked to Psyche is Snake’s Stress level. Presented as a percentage, Stress increases with sustained combat, unpleasant surroundings, and by carrying too much equipment.

When Stress exceeds 50% Psyche starts dropping, so it’s important to try and help Snake chill out when this happens. Combine a high level of Stress (80%) with the need to fire a weapon for a sustained period and Snake enters a ‘combat high’. While this lasts his Psyche does not decrease and the damage he sustains from enemy fire is reduced. However, when the ‘combat high’ ends, Snake’s body will crash leaving him very vulnerable for a while, so make the most of it while it lasts.

4. Use your Solid Eye to full effect

Snake’s Solid Eye enhanced vision system combines binoculars (Binos), night vision (NV), and normal settings, and is a lifesaver on more than one occasion (see the boss battle against Crying Wolf). When equipped it shows tags that reveal basic info on enemies, neutrals, and friendlies, color-coded red, gold, and blue respectively. This can be particularly useful during the Middle East’s frenetic shootouts, and it also highlights special items that you might otherwise miss. Night vision mode can be used to reveal people’s footprints, enabling you to track enemies and allies.

5. Keep an eye on your Threat Ring

The Threat Ring is a clever device that replaces the earlier games’ Soliton Radar, depicting threats in Snake’s vicinity. This translucent ring encircles Snake while he lies down, crouches still, or moves forward in a stealthy hunch. The circumference of the ring fluctuates depending on the relative location and size of a nearby threat. It’s a brilliant piece of design that’s worth its weight in gold. Be warned, though, that when Snake is stressed the reliability of the Threat Ring drops, so keep your wits about you.

6. Send Metal Gear Mk.II to scout and sneak attack

This remotely controlled robot drone is new to MGS4 and an essential item if you’re planning on using stealth over brute force to ace the game. With its stealth camo enabled – press X to turn on – the Mk.II is invisible to all but infrared sensors, but since Snake can be attacked while he’s controlling the Mk.II it’s important for you to find rock-solid cover before you send the drone out. While the Mk.II has a limited range and will drain its battery very quickly, it can be used to scout new areas, stun guards with its electric tentacle – hold L1 then press R1, disable traps, toggle light switches, and act as a decoy to draw guards away.

7. Stealth is key

MGS4 has the most refined stealth gameplay of any Metal Gear game, so initially you may fall foul of its subtlety. Sound is of massive importance, so if you can hear Snake’s footfalls (however faintly) then, potentially, so can the enemy. Even your equipment can give you away – the Solid Eye’s night vision mode makes a telltale hum, for example – so stay vigilant and use your ears. Equally, listening out for environmental clues given by enemies pays dividends wherever you are.

Entering a new area? Use the Mk.II to get the lie of the land and to identify potential threats. Find a good vantage point, get a good OctoCamo rating and just watch the world before you. This way, you reduce the risk of steaming into the path of enemies and having to ‘go loud’. Keep your tranq pistol equipped, as not only will it enable you to take down enemies silently (and non-lethally), but it also enables you to use Close Quarters Combat (CQC) moves on enemies to subdue them without raising the alarm.

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The various Metal Gear Solid 4 boss fights can be particularly challenging, with each pitting you against a unique enemy that you need to defeat before you can progress further through the act. Also, with this being a Hideo Kojima game you often need to think outside the box, as you won't get far going into each battle with an all-guns-blazing approach. To help you out, we've got loadout advice and pointers to help you beat every boss in Metal Gear Solid 4.

If you're looking for further assistance, we also have some Metal Gear Solid 4 tips to get you on the right track, plus a complete Metal Gear Solid 4 walkthrough to steer you through every act.

Act Two Boss: Laughing Octopus

Equip – Solid Eye (Night Vision), MK 2 Tranquilizer pistol, M4 Custom
Special item prize – OctoCamo facemask

The claustrophobic South American showdown against tentacled mistress of disguise Laughing Octopus is Snake’s first encounter with MGS4’s unsettling Beauty and the Beast unit, and a master class in the series’ classic brains and brawn approach to set-piece duels. Playing out in an enclosed, prefab research station comprising of interconnected rooms, Octopus’ initial tactic is to use her full-body camouflage to hide out and taunt you before revealing herself suddenly to panic you into fatal errors.

Blending into oil paintings, wooden slatted walls, ceiling rafters, and stock room shelves, she’s visible with the naked eye if you’re sharp – but a better tactic is to use the Solid Eye’s night vision mode that lights Octopus up like a Christmas tree. Wear down her health and she starts to get more brazen, barreling after you, firing homing darts your way, and crashing through windows to send you flying. Remember to pick up rations and ammo whenever the coast is clear, and clamber up onto furniture if she starts rolling after you.

Ever the tricksy one, she alternates camouflage with a series of disguises. Are you sure that’s Dr Naomi Hunter unconscious on the floor? Where did that Haven Trooper’s body come from? Why does that medical scanner have a new, extra thick cable running up to the ceiling? And how come the Metal Gear Mk. 2 is here? If it seems wrong, it’s probably Octopus. Stay sharp, stay calm, stay alive, and eventually Laughing Octopus will be gone, replaced by the tragic beauty beneath the grotesque hardware. And she wants a hug – what could be the harm in that, right? Not so fast. Let Laughing Beauty (as she’s now known) embrace you and she’ll suck the life right out of you.

So while it feels wrong, you’re going to have to take her down a second time, but you’ve got two choices here. Kill her outright if you like, but if you quick equip Snake’s Mk.2 tranq gun and wear down Laughing Beauty’s stamina instead, you’ll leave her alive and on the road to mental and physical recovery. And for this display of mercy you’ll receive a special item from her – in this case it’s Laughing Octopus’ OctoCamo facemask, which will come in very handy later on.

Act Three Boss: Raging Raven

Equip – MK.2 Tranquilizer pistol, M4 Custom, P90, RPG-7, Javelin
Special item prize – MGL-140 Rapidfire grenade launcher, Raging Beauty facemask

While the boss battle against Laughing Octopus was all about tension-soaked cat and mouse tactics, Raging Raven’s big fight is full-on shock and awe. Taking place in and around a substantial stone tower in MGS4’s mist-draped interpretation of Prague, you must tackle not only the missile firing winged harridan herself, but also squadrons of automated attack drones circling the skies with her.

With Raven pounding chunks of masonry out of the tower, you have to navigate between an enclosed ground floor and two balconies circling the structure, picking off the drones until Raven is enraged enough to draw near and give you a good shot with your heaviest weapons. This process can be a bit of a slog, so be sure to keep moving (to avoid becoming a sitting duck for your opponent's crippling mini-missiles) and buy in a heap of ammo for your best SMG, rifle, and grenade launcher/missile launcher.

It’s not a bad idea to equip auto aim while tackling the drones. This way you can stick with rifles and keep your heavy weapons for Raging Raven herself. As soon as she gets close, swap to either the Javelin or RPG-7 and try to get off at least two shots before she retreats. The Javelin will home in on Raging Raven so is good over distance, but if she’s getting close, the RPG-7 has a quicker reload so it’s your best bet there.

Wear her down and – as with all the members of the Beauty and the Beast unit – eventually you get the opportunity to offer the beautiful woman beneath the armored exoskeleton release or redemption. Use your Mk.2 tranq gun to send her into a dreamless sleep and you'll earn her kickass MGL-140 grenade launcher as your reward.

Act Four Boss: Crying Wolf

Equip – MK. 2 Tranquilizer pistol, M4 Custom, MGL-140 grenade launcher, SVD Sniper rifle
Special item prize – Rail Gun, Crying Beauty facemask

This brilliant sniping level cleverly updates the classic confrontation against Metal Gear Solid’s best boss, Sniper Wolf. You must navigate the exterior of the base while a stinging snowstorm reduces visibility almost to nil. Complicating your attempt to locate and take down the feline mech form of Sniper Wolf are squads of elite Haven Troopers.

Taking them down is hard enough, and with Crying Wolf capable of tracking you when you’re downwind of her, finding a safe vantage point from which to scope the area using your night vision is the real challenge here. First thing to do is make a sweep of the area and acquaint yourself with it, taking down any Haven Troopers you see as you go. The reason for this is that, as Crying Wolf tracks you, you’ll briefly be able to see through her eyes. Learn the location’s landmarks and when this happens you’ll be able to figure out where she is in relation to you and aim at her before she opens fire or stamps your face into the snow.

If you’re running low on rations and Regain, the best tactic is to equip a sniper rifle and full OctoCamo (face and body), scale one of the two towers and lie low, scanning the area for signs of Crying Wolf. She often prowls around the distant tree line, so keep looking there. Even if you can’t actually see her with your eyes, the Solid Eye night vision will reveal her nanomachine marker tag if your crosshairs pass over her. Spot her as she temporarily emerges from her armored exoskeleton to draw a bead on you and you can score maximum damage.

However, if you’re feeling bullish and have a lot of rations, you can forgo the stealth, equip Raging Raven’s MGL-140 grenade launcher and go hunting for Crying Wolf instead. Keep thinning out the Haven Troopers and it won’t be long before she comes at you. If you’re quick you can knock her off her feet and get a good three to five shots in before she recovers. Then it’s just a case of retreating, reloading, and repeating, but be warned – if the battery in your Solid Eye runs down, you’ll be forced to fight blind. Show Crying Wolf mercy and you’ll earn yourself her awesome Rail Gun.

Act Four Boss: Vamp

Equip – MK. 2 Tranquilizer pistol (for CQC), M4 Custom, P90, Mp5-SD2, Rail Gun, Syringe
Special item prize – N/A

Having shot Vamp in the forehead twice (once in MGS2 and once in MGS4’s South American level) before this final showdown in the shadow of MGS’ shattered Metal Gear REX in Alaska, it’s hard to imagine how you’re going to be able to kill the seemingly immortal boss. And sure enough, shooting him silly with conventional weapons will take him down, but only temporarily. This fight requires lateral thinking.

As revealed by Dr Naomi Hunter, Vamp’s incredible healing ability is down to the nanomachines in his blood. And since Snake is carrying syringes full of a cocktail that will suppress nanomachine activity, all you have to do is temporarily incapacitate Vamp using regular weapons. Since Vamp pings and bounds all over the shop before charging at you, it’s not a bad idea to toggle auto-aim on for this first bit. That way you can unload clip after clip into him wherever he leaps. When he finally goes down, get behind him. After that, the moment he gets up you can grab him in a CQC chokehold and use the nanomachine syringe to make Vamp mortal again. Piece of cake, right? Yeah, well, you’re not done yet.

You may have softened Vamp up, but he’s not dead yet. With a seemingly endless squad of special Gekko Metal Gear mechs programmed to self-destruct entering the chamber, Raiden shows up to tackle Vamp while you deal with the mechs, and Otacon tries to hot-wire the Metal Gear REX for your use. In this part of the battle you have to use the Rail Gun to thin out the Gekkos just long enough for Otacon to start up the REX.

There are two tactics that will save your bacon here. Firstly, retreat to a position underneath the REX. You’ll be protected from most shots, and you can get a clear shot at the Gekkos no matter which direction they come from. Secondly, aim for the very top part of the Gekkos’ ‘heads’ as it’s a surefire method to take ‘em out. Perfect your aim and you can become a one-shot master.

Act Four Boss: Metal Gear RAY

Equip – N/A
Special item prize – N/A

It’s taken many years but finally you get to pilot your very own Metal Gear REX in this brilliant mech-based boss battle against Snake’s nemesis, Liquid. Set in the dockside area on Shadow Moses island (after a cool tutorial level that sees you fighting off scores of Gekkos on the route out of the hangar), you have to use all of REX’s weaponry – cluster guided missiles, Gatling gun, chemical laser, and a mean, mech sweeping kick – to defeat Liquid’s technologically superior Metal Gear RAY.

In a brilliant departure from the usual floaty, style-over-substance mechs that appear in games, Snake’s REX feels massively solid and weighty. Use that heft to your advantage, and after softening Liquid’s RAY up dash in close (by double tapping X) and use the REX’s chunky leg sweep to do your opponent some serious damage. Score enough damage and you’ll get a special action prompt. Hit it and you’ll perform a devastating special move that will knock a good chunk off RAY’s health bar. It’s then important to retreat – use the buildings as cover to get some safe distance – before repeating the tactic.

At distance, try charging the chemical laser to full power and using that, as a direct hit will score massive damage. Missiles are good if you can aim long enough to get multiple lock-ons, while the Gatling gun is best for taking advantage of sudden clear shots when they arise. Whatever you do, don’t let RAY get too close, or you’ll risk a crippling stomping. If it charges, double tap X plus a direction to side-step or retreat. This fight has been a long time coming, but it is definitely worth the wait.

Act Five Boss: Screaming Mantis

Equip – Syringe, M4 Custom, AK102, MK.17, P90
Special item prize – Sorrow Doll, Psycho Mantis Doll, Screaming Beauty facemask

The final member of the Beauty and the Beast unit is also its leader, keeping them and anyone she chooses to in check using her terrifying psychic powers. Just like her Metal Gear Solid namesake, Psycho Mantis, Screaming Mantis is a master of manipulation, and as such, defeating her using conventional means is impossible without first shaking yourself free of her mind control.

Initially her tactics involve manipulating ally Meryl’s body like a marionette, along with the corpses of the Haven Troopers lying around the Ark’s control room. However, soon she ups the ante, using her puppeteer skills to prevent you from aiming at her body and even resorts to sneaky misdirection – at various points the screen goes black, with only green TV channel text top right reading ‘Hideo 2’ revealing that your console hasn’t, in fact, crashed. Mantis also flashes up the Kojima Productions logo, but look closely and you’ll see it actually reads ‘Kojima Protection’ instead. Don’t hit reset! You’re being messed with!

So how do you take her down? It’s easier than it, at first, appears. First things first – to free yourself from her control, use the nanomachine syringe on yourself. This effectively cuts Screaming Mantis’ strings, freeing you to aim at her. You may have to repeat this tactic, so keep the syringe equipped. But wait, before you tackle Screaming Mantis herself you need to deal with Meryl, as while under Screaming Mantis’ control she’s a liability to both you and also herself. To prevent her from killing you or putting her gun to her own head, equip the Mk.2 tranq gun and wear down her stamina to knock her unconscious.

This enables you to turn your attention to Screaming Mantis herself. Rather than trying to shoot her, aim at the strings attached to either one of her puppets – The Sorrow or Psycho Mantis – and, in time, it will be cut loose and fall to the ground. Now sprint over, pick it up, equip it and you can use it against Psycho Mantis. Score a direct hit with its ethereal ‘rounds’ and suddenly you have physical control over the master manipulator. Now all you have to do is shake her to defeat with a violent flourish of the controller. Brilliant. Completists should try and get both dolls, but if you’re running low on health then concentrate on the Psycho Mantis doll. It’s more effective – you’ll see why as soon as you’ve taken down Screaming Mantis’ ‘Beauty’ form.

Act Five Boss: Liquid Ocelot

Equip – N/A
Special item prize – N/A

After all the shooting, raging techno war, cyborg mechs, and nanomachines, this is what it all comes down to – a one-on-one fistfight between Snake and Liquid on the deck of the Patriot’s Ark. And while two ageing men slugging it out like tramps in a park would be an anti-climax, series creator Hideo Kojima uses this brutal punch-up as a summation of decades of Metal Gear, incorporating music, health bars, gestures, and even, fleetingly, character models from earlier games as the weary pair stubbornly leather each other until nothing is left on display but pure force of will and a lot of liver spots.

It’s an incredible fight to the finish. Stamina is what counts here, so keep circling Liquid until you’re happy you can get the punches in. When you do, keep at it. Eventually you’ll get a special move prompt and it’s this that will really whittle down Liquid’s health. One last piece of advice – keep away from the edge of the arena. You don’t want slip and go out like a sucker with total victory just within your grasp, do you?

Final Boss: The End Credits

Equip – Comfy socks, chair
Special item prize – Having all the answers

This is it: the final gauntlet. Sorry to say there aren’t really any tactics we can give you on how best to make it through MGS4’s marathon movie ending. True, you could skip the ending of an epic story that’s taken decades to tell, but you wouldn’t be about to do that now, would you? So our advice is simple – get comfy, sit back, and enjoy every last second of it. Oh, and do wait for the credits to end, as there’s a moving final message that’s well worth the wait.

Want to read more? Then here's why MGS4's final scene is more powerful than we ever realized.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

A Metal Gear Speedrunner has discovered that the higher framerate in Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 2 has made one of the series ' most iconic boss fights a cakewalk.

Sure, it's almost 20 years old, but Metal Gear Solid 4 spoilers ahead for anyone about to experience it for the first time through the Master Collection.

Metal Gear Solid 4 may be a bit messy, but there's one thing it nails: nostalgia and fan service – before nostalgia bait became all the rage. Returning to Shadow Moses Island in Act 4 is one of the greatest gaming moments of all time, and it culminates with a power fantasy a decade in the making as you get to pilot Metal Gear Rex and have a scrap with the improved model Metal Gear Ray. It's a phenomenal boss fight and would be the best moment in the game if not for the final boss.

Jaguar King, a Metal Gear series speedrunner, posted a clip of their gameplay on Twitter, saying, "Thanks to 60FPS, Ray can be mega destroyed way faster than the original…" The attached clip shows the iconic Rex vs Ray scrap, with Rex launching missiles at Ray, then using its laser to destroy Ray's health bar almost instantly, with the fight lasting a mere 11 seconds in total.

Games having things tied to framerates isn't new. The original Metal Gear Solid is still 30 fps in Master Collection Vol. 1 for this very reason. Destiny 2 players also discovered differences in damage when the game was released on PC and had the 60fps option available. But what's weird about this is that Metal Gear Solid 4 was always technically 60fps; yes, the PS3 version never actually ran that well most of the time, but the game was built with a 60fps cap in mind, so it's strange that it would have an effect here.

Metal Gear Solid 4's most famous joke gets updated in Master Collection Vol. 2, with Konami even bringing back the original voice actor

Here you'll find our ranking of the best Metal Gear games in the almost 40-year history of the iconic stealth action series.

Despite being MIA for over a decade, Metal Gear Solid still remains one of the most beloved video game series' and one that many – namely, me – consider to be the greatest saga of games ever made. The series put Hideo Kojima on the map, and each of the mainline entries received rave reviews. And to answer the question here, play them in release order.

With Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater releasing recently, and the release of the new game, Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 2 now here, it's time to reflect on the series' past. And for someone who has played each of these games multiple times, it's been a herculean task to rank some of my personal favorite outings. Still, after much deliberation, I've found the top dogs in Kojima's saga. Here's my ranking of the 10 best Metal Gear games of all time.

The best Metal Gear games, starting with...

10. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

The PSP's first Metal Gear Solid game has largely been overlooked thanks to its status as a canon entry in the franchise being up in the air (from what I gather, the gist of it is that it did happen in series canon, but anything that contradicts what happens in the Kojima-led games didn't happen).

While it sows the seeds of recruiting soldiers, building an army, and mission-based stages that would later be expanded on in Peace Walker, Portable Ops plays more like Metal Gear Solid 3 in a way that doesn't really translate in the most clean way. But behind the somewhat awkward gameplay is a full-blown Metal Gear Solid game worth checking out, as it still ranks among the best PSP games, and forgetting that, it's worth it purely to spend some more time with Big Boss

9. Metal Gear Acid 2

The Metal Gear Acid duology should not work. The most iconic stealth action game being turned into a deckbuilder tactics title doesn't sound like the most natural crossover, and while there were some definite growing pains with the first game, Metal Gear Acid 2 is among the best that the tactics genre have to offer.

The premise is simple: you play as Snake (no relation), use decks of cards based on past Metal Gear and Hideo Kojima games in order to sneak or fight through missions, and take down an arms manufacturer and maybe scrap with a Metal Gear along the way. Integrating stealth into a tactics game works way better than I'd ever expect, and the card pricing mechanic adds an extra layer of risk vs reward to proceedings that make for tense encounters. It's a game that I'd love to see make a comeback now that tactical games as a whole are back in fashion.

8. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake

Our first canon entry on the list, Metal Gear's MSX2 duology, is often overlooked compared to the later games, with many opting to skip the original titles. Understandably so, given that the games were not officially available until 2006, when they were translated for Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence. While the original Metal Gear is somewhat tough to go back to, Metal Gear 2 should not be missed.

Eight years before Metal Gear Solid and still within the NES era, Metal Gear 2 feels ahead of its time. Not only is Kojima's directorial style in full swing this early on, but a number of iconic moments from Metal Gear Solid – codec number on the back of the box, the radar, a secret admirer over codec – were actually done first in Metal Gear 2.

7. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Metal Gear Solid 4 has gained a somewhat elusive legendary status thanks to its PS3 exclusivity, and many are about to experience it for the first time thanks to Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 2. It marks the latest point in the series timeline – taking place in the far-flung future of 2014 – and marks the end of Solid Snake's story.

While the gameplay is fantastic, the story is full of brilliant moments and has some of the best nostalgia work ever put in a game. However, I will say that Metal Gear Solid 4 is also a bit messy. Gameplay innovations are abandoned by the end of Act 2, Act 3 is a really weak tailing mission, there are some rubbish retcons (here's looking at you, Para-Medic), and finally, we also have a few of the most convoluted plot points told through the lengthiest cutscenes in series history. It's still a classic that's well worth experiencing, but it's a flawed one.

6. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is easily the best spin-off the series has to offer. Starring the cyborg ninja version of Raiden, we only got to see him be the coolest guy in cutscenes during Metal Gear Solid 4; Metal Gear Rising ditches the stealth gameplay to be one of the greatest hack-and-slash action games ever made.

If there was a textbook definition of over-the-top, Metal Gear Rising is it. You start the game with Raiden launching a Metal Gear Ray – which was a massive threat the last time we played as him – over his head like it's nothing while the iconic heavy metal soundtrack kicks in with impeccable timing. It only gets wilder from there, with the entire finale with Senator Armstrong standing toe-to-toe with the best moments from the main series.

5. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Aside from the classic MSX2 games, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is the most overlooked entry in the mainline series. While the lack of a number and its original release as a PSP game may feel like spin-off material, Peace Walker is Metal Gear Solid 5 in all but name (not to mention it originally was Metal Gear Solid 5 in name). Mixing Metal Gear with Monster Hunter, this portable entry follows on from Metal Gear Solid 3 and shows how Big Boss eventually became the villain seen in the original games.

Peace Walker is the best story in the series behind the original Solid trilogy, thanks in part to its phenomenal supporting cast of characters. While the moreish mission-based gameplay and base management were perfect for a handheld, these aspects would eventually be built on for the actual Metal Gear Solid 5 down the line, and the series was all the better for it.

4. Metal Gear Solid 5

I've never looked forward to a game more than Metal Gear Solid 5. While it's unfinished and has the worst story in the series, Metal Gear Solid 5 is incredible. Not only would it bridge the gap between the Big Boss and Solid Snake eras of the saga, but it was Hideo Kojima's final Metal Gear. The prologue game, Ground Zeroes, introduced one of the greatest areas in the series' history with Camp Omega, and despite its short runtime is a fantastic taste of the full game.

Meanwhile, The Phantom Pain is, simply put, one of the best open world games ever made. The outing retains the mission-based structure of Peace Walker but places it in an open-world, and unlike some of the genre's biggest titles, freedom is the name of the game in Metal Gear Solid 5. You can approach any mission in a number of different ways, and it's the type of game where you can have the dumbest idea possible only for it to actually work. It could've easily been the best Metal Gear game had it lived up to the expectations of its story, but it's still an unmissable part of the franchise.

3. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Controversial at launch thanks to one of the biggest twists in gaming history, Metal Gear Solid 2 has been reappraised for what it truly is, a postmodern classic. Kojima's subversive storyline is ahead of its time, with the game predicting a number of parts of modern-day society and internet culture, so much so that "Metal Gear Solid 2 predicted this" is a meme in itself.

The jump in technical prowess between the PS1 original and the PS2 debut is also stunning. The graphical bump, effects, physics, enemy AI, and scale of the game feels like a true generational leap that we simply don't see anymore. It was the killer app for those of us who remember the launch of the PS2, and one that still holds up 25 years later.

2. Metal Gear Solid

What can even be said about Metal Gear Solid at this point? The PS1 hit was revolutionary thanks to its storytelling, redefining the stealth genre, and an iconic cast of characters and bosses that have yet to be beaten by Kojima's later games. But even outside of the industry-shaking changes, it's a brilliant stealth action game that still holds up as one of the best to ever do it.

Metal Gear Solid laid the foundation for what would become the greatest series of video games ever made, Metal Gear Solid 2, 3, and 4 all pay massive homage to the game. Meanwhile, the rise of cinematic-focused AAA games from the likes of Naughty Dog owes a debt to Metal Gear Solid for laying the foundations. Every time I've replayed the game in the years since my first encounter with it, I am left in awe at just how brilliant it is, especially compared to a majority of its PS1 contemporaries.

1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is the greatest game ever made. I felt that way moments after rolling credits on it for the first time, and I still feel that way years later. Instead of following up on Metal Gear Solid 2 and Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid 3 is a prequel showing a young version of series antagonist Big Boss, with the player taking on the role of Naked Snake. Snake Eater takes the "you're on your own" feeling of infiltrating the Shadow Moses military base in Metal Gear Solid to the next level, as Naked Snake must sneak through the Russian jungle, securing his own weapons, gear, and food to survive. This was an evolution of the stealth mechanics that later games would build upon.

Snake Eater also marks Kojima's peak as a storyteller. Naked Snake is inherently more human than his supersoldier clone spawn, making for the most personal story in the series as Snake has to come to grips with hunting down his mentor in the name of his country to prevent nuclear armageddon – all while goofy James Bond-esque nonsense is going on. This culminates in the emotional final act that still gets me teary-eyed countless replays later, with the final boss fight being the greatest moment in the series' history.

For more recommendations, check out the best stealth games of all time. Or look ahead with our round up of all the upcoming Hideo Kojima games on the way.

Konami says that reboots of key franchises like Metal Gear, Castlevania, and Suikoden are an important part of its business strategy going forward.

Between a very public falling out between Hideo Kojima and Konami around the release of Metal Gear Solid 5, a pivot into Pachinko machines, and a general lack of new games, the company lost a lot of stock among fans for a while. However, in recent years, thanks to well-received re-releases of Castlevania and Metal Gear games, remakes of Silent Hill 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3, as well as a number of new titles like Silent Hill f, the publisher is back among fans' good graces.

And while Silent Hill f proved Konami isn't just relying on remakes of already-beloved games, Metal Gear in particular is so intrinsically linked with the name Hideo Kojima for many that some don't think we'll ever see a new original title in the series. But speaking to Nikkei Gaming, Konami president Hideki Hayakawa seems to suggest there is a future for the series and plenty more.

"Reboots of existing IPs such as Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania, and Suikoden are important initiatives that serve as pillars of our business." Hayakawa says, adding, "At the same time, we have a strong desire as Konami to create entirely new genres and works."

The term "reboot" specifically evokes the idea that there will be a fresh start for Metal Gear Solid, as Silent Hill f was also detached from the main series' established beats enough to feel like its own thing.

Of course, Hayakawa could consider Metal Gear Solid Delta a reboot, and we could just end up seeing more remakes in the series, but at the very least, it appears there is a future for Metal Gear; it's just a matter of seeing exactly what that is.

As Hideo Kojima turns 63, the Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding creator says "I would like to remain focused on creating games" despite the interest in movies

Hideo Kojima has turned 63, and he's celebrating the milestone the best way he knows how… with a very long Twitter post.

Kojima celebrated his 60th birthday three years ago by pledging that he has no plans to retire, and with the list of upcoming Hideo Kojima games comprising OD and Physint as well as a line of projects like the Death Stranding anime and A24 film adaptations he's been keeping his word as of late. But Kojima's 60s have also been the peak of him dropping somewhat morbid details in interviews.

PS5 exclusive Physint, for example, is being made after he had the realization that people want something like Metal Gear while he was sick during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the time since he's spoken about having "a USB stick with all my ideas" as a kind of "will" and his desire to die in a movie theater when the time comes. Basically, dude has been getting weird with it.

And in celebration of his 63rd birthday, Kojima once again got a bit morbid on the timeline, with a Twitter post reading, "As I get older, the things I 'have to do' and the things I 'want to do' continue to increase. At the same time, the time I 'have to do them' continues to decrease." He adds, "I constantly need to reassess how I use my time and how I live my life. That said, once you've taken something on, you can't simply put it down and walk away."

Kojima also notes that 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of his career in games, with 1986 being the year he joined Konami, as well as the year the first title he ever worked on, Penguin Adventure, was released. Not only that, but the end of 2025 marked the 10th anniversary of the founding of the revived Kojima Productions as an independent studio.

The Death Stranding director also reaffirms his dedication to making games, by saying, "While I continue to receive various opportunities and offers, I would like to remain focused on creating games." So while it's been an expectation among fans that Kojima is eager one day to move on to direct a film, it may not be as likely as some expect.

Hideo Kojima isn't planning to blast off to space yet because he doesn't want to rush to his "ultimate dream," so he'll "keep on making games" for now.

Some classic jokes from Metal Gear Solid 4 are not only present in the latest re-release, but have been updated for modern systems. The game's part of Master Collection Vol. 2, which also includes Peace Walker and the Game Boy Color title Ghost Babel, and Konami has included a few nice flourishes.

The amount of meta-humor always made porting Metal Gear Solid 4 a difficult prospect. You've got references to the iPod and fourth wall breaks that really place the release at a certain time. Well, for the purposes of this version, Konami actually went back and amended a couple of spoken lines to make sure one joke lands accordingly.

In Sons of the Patriots, when you get to Shadow Moses Island, the original version made reference to changing the discs of the first Metal Gear Solid when you reach this same location. "Hold it, Snake. Time to change the disc," Otacon starts. "I know, I know, it's a pain. But you need to swap Disc 1 for Disc 2. You see the disc labelled '2'?"

Snake would then point out there isn't a second disc, and Otacon would realize we're in the future. "Oh, wait! We're on PlayStation 3," he exclaims, much to the chagrin of our man Solid.

Now, as has been highlighted by reviewers (thanks, TechRadar Gaming), whether you're playing on Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X, or any other platform, the Master Collection Vol. 2 now references that system. Voice actor Christopher Randolph even came back to do the line for each instance.

Sure, you can apparently hear the contrast in his voice, since he's aged almost two decades and the recording environment would've been completely different. But, the joke still works, and now has an added layer to it. Even Solid Snake would see the fun in that.

Metal Gear Solid is getting co-op after 28 years thanks to "world first" mod, turning "the original PlayStation classic into a true online multiplayer experience."

A modder has released a trailer for a Metal Gear Solid mod which brings two-player co-op to the PS1 stealth classic.

A recent trend I've loved in the modding scene is players going back to classic games and implementing multiplayer into titles that were never designed for it. They are so prevalent there's an entire website dedicated to them. Super Mario 64 is one of the most famous examples – very recently, its sequel Super Mario Sunshine also had a mod released – as are the mods that allow full-blown co-op in FromSoftware games as opposed to certain sections. But one game I never expected this phenomenon to reach was Metal Gear Solid.

On their YouTube channel, a modder going by Felipe has released a "Pre-Alpha" trailer of their Metal Gear Solid Co-op mod. The description calls it "a world first" and says, "This is the first attempt to bring the original PlayStation classic into a true online multiplayer experience, something the original game was never designed to support." The video shows two versions of Solid Snake sneaking about Shadow Moses Island, fighting Genome Soldiers and the likes of Revolver Ocelot.

In the comments of the video, Felipe adds a FAQ section to delve deeper into the mod. They reveal that this is built on the GOG PC release, and that each player will be able to have their own camera within the mod. They also acknowledge later sections of the game that feature different gameplay styles, like the final Jeep sequence and rappel off the building, saying that the former will likely be single-player only but that the rest of the game should be possible.

Felipe also notes that the mod will have settings to balance the game to two players by increasing boss HP, and is thinking of increasing guard reinforcement numbers. The modder says that they will look into additional mod support for their multiplayer version of the game, and the likes of additional skins, which we've seen in similar multiplayer mods.

The mod is still in the early stages, but it's an impressive showing so far.

Nintendo Switch version of Metal Gear Solid Master Collection 2 seemingly removes the PS3 from Snake's plane, suggesting an iconic joke will have to be changed.

Update: Konami has seemingly updated the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 version of the online manual since this was discovered, with the screenshot now showing the PS3 seen in the other platforms' screenshots.

We have reached out to Konami for clarification and will update should be recieve a response.

Original Story: Metal Gear Solid fans have noticed a detail in the screenshots of Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 2 that may explain how the PS3 mentions are handled in the new port of Guns of the Patriots.

Metal Gear Solid 4 has become something of a cryptid among the Metal Gear fanbase; it's the only game in the franchise to remain an exclusive, and it was long thought to be unportable because it was built specifically for the PS3.

This adherence to the PS3 allowed Hideo Kojima and co to do some fourth-wall breaks, including a famous scene where Otacon calls back to Metal Gear Solid 1's disc swapping by saying "Oh wait! We're on PlayStation 3! It's a Blu-ray Disc. Dual-layered, too – no need to swap."

But now that the game is coming to platforms outside of the PS3, many are wondering what Konami will do with the line in Master Collection Volume 2.

As spotted by users on Reddit, the manual pages for Master Collection Volume 2 include a screenshot of the Metal Gear Solid 4 pause menu, which shows a live cam of what Sunny is up to on your plane, the Nomad.

In the original version, you can see a PS3 on the table in some scenes, and this remains the case for PlayStation, PC, and Xbox consoles. However, the Switch and Switch 2 versions of the game have removed the PS3 console, replacing it with what appear to be GA-KO dolls.

While this doesn't confirm anything about the iconic line, it does prove Konami is willing to change things up for the Master Collection ports, which in turn has led to speculation about what the line could be.

While it could easily just be the regular PS3 line, Nintendo versions removing the console has me thinking it will also be changed, and given Christopher Randolph returned for Metal Gear Solid Delta to record lines for the Xbox exclusive Snake Vs Bomberman mode, he and David Hayter are clearly still happy to work with Konami.

One user reckons we'll get a generic "We're on a modern game console - Digital download too, no need to swap," but maybe Konami could go the extra mile and change the line to be about whatever platform you're playing on. Or there's the worst-case scenario where the line is removed entirely for Nintendo fans. We'll find out soon enough, as it's only nine days til Metal Gear Solid 4 is finally free from the PS3.

Metal Gear Solid 4's Master Collection gets an impressive new showing, confirming 60fps, shorter load times, and that Solid Snake still loves his iPod

Hideo Kojima still wants to go to space, but for now he's going to keep making games, and he says that's a good thing.

Metal Gear Solid creator Kojima really hasn't kept it quiet that one day he wants to go to space, so much so that Valve boss Gabe Newell tried to set Kojima up with a tour of SpaceX. Over on Twitter, Kojima recently posted a video of his comments during a panel at Il Cinema in Piazza – a film festival in Rome – where he explains (translated by Genki_JPN) his current thoughts about his space travel aspirations.

"I want to share this with all of you: We all want to make our dreams come true, right?" he begins. And obviously he isn't talking about his dreams with "voluptuous nude women," reanimated "decomposing bodies," and a very impolite coach, as he explains, "I want to go to space and I want to make a movie." However, he adds, "it wouldn't be good if those dreams just came true."

"That's because dreams are goals," Kojima explains, "The idea is to achieve the second, third, and fourth dreams along the way before reaching your ultimate dream." He adds that "for the time being, I think I'll keep on making games without going to space."

I would say perhaps he can go to space once he retires from creating games (although he said he has no plans to retire). However, at that same event, he also said he wants to die in a movie theater, preferably just after the trailers, so unless they build theaters in space, he's probably going to have to come back to Earth at some point.

The original Metal Gear Solid is free to play on Steam this weekend as Konami gears up for Master Collection Volume 2.

Ahead of Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 2 releasing next month, Konami is letting everyone play Metal Gear Solid for free this weekend.

2026 has been a landmark year for those of us who are still obsessed with the year 1998. Spyro is getting a new entry, Resident Evil Requiem felt like as much of a sequel to Resident Evil 2 as anything else, Pokemon Gen 1 returned, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is set to get a remake releasing later this year. So, not to be outdone, Konami decided to remind everyone what the real best game of 1998 was, and is letting everyone play Metal Gear Solid.

Over on Steam, the Master Collection Volume 1 edition of 1998's Metal Gear Solid is free to play for anyone right now, which grants you access to the PS1 classic, as well as its expansion pack Metal Gear Solid VR / Special Missions, and the Japanese exclusive Integral. On top of that there's a full screenplay and "Master Book" which features artwork, character bios, a series timeline and the like.

This free weekend also arrives alongside Metal Gear Solid Master Collection's deepest Steam discount to date at £24.99 | $29.99 (which it's only been at twice before in the previous two Steam Summer Sales).

The best part of this deal, however, is that Metal Gear Solid is not really all that long. You could absolutely beat the entire game as part of this free weekend and experience one of the all-time greats free of charge

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 2 brings 4K 60fps to MGS4 and Peace Walker, Konami announces, but Switch 1 still gets saddled with 30fps.

Konami has revealed the performance targets for Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 2, and 4K 60fps Metal Gear Solid 4 is finally within reach, even if Switch 1 users are getting shortchanged again.

Konami released details about both Metal Gear Solid 4 and Peace Walker's performance on its website. It's mostly as you would expect based on the previous game: Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC will be running at 4K 60fps; Switch 2 and Xbox Series S will be 1440/60 – with 1080/60fps in MGS4's handheld mode and for both on Peace Walker for Switch 2.

Once again, the original Nintendo Switch is stuck with 1080/30fps in docked and 720/30fps in handheld. That includes Peace Walker – a 2010 PSP game that ran at 60fps when its HD edition was released on 2005's Xbox 360.

Metal Gear Solid 4 at 60fps was already revealed a few months back with the first gameplay of the re-release. On Switch 2, the game has selectable image modes between "Adjusted and Original," with the handheld mode only getting Original. Presumably, one of these matches the other platforms, with a slightly more inconsistent framerate.

Funnily enough, Metal Gear Solid 4 was always capable of 60fps, but getting it to run as such on PS3 was only possible in really specific circumstances, and most of the time you'd be dealing with sub-30fps in action scenes. But having the game run at a stable 60fps will be a game-changer.

Peace Walker, on the other hand, has a number of different resolution and upscaling options. Konami also released a video showing off the "High Resolution" mode for the game's hand-drawn cutscenes, with the new version having a much clearer image compared to the somewhat blurry original.

While Metal Gear Solid 4's big return is the clear star of the show here, I'm hoping to see Peace Walker's stock rise with this re-release, so people can finally see it for being one of the best Metal Gear Solid games… perhaps even better than MGS4 some may say.

After almost 25 years, Metal Gear Solid 2 players are still finding secrets: "This is the kind of stuff somebody posts on an online forum in 2005 and no one believes it"

A modder has made Grey Fox playable in the original Metal Gear Solid, and it's way more impressive than it sounds.

Despite Snake (and Snake, and Snake, and Snake, and…) being a contender for the greatest video game character of all time, Metal Gear has a variety of side characters that all absolutely rule, and many hope for the chance to play as them. And while there's been the odd opportunity to play as whoever isn't the main protagonist of a given game (Tanker and Snake Tales in MGS2, Ocelot in Metal Gear Online), Metal Gear is pretty strict about having you play as the main character.

One such legendary side character is Grey Fox, who – after appearances in the MSX2 originals – appeared in Metal Gear Solid 1 as the series' first Cyborg Ninja. The character was so popular that he was the selling point and cover star of Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions, where he was briefly playable for a couple of missions. And while Hideo Kojima wanted the character to get his own game as a sequel to Metal Gear Rising, it never materialized.

However, Grey Fox is finally getting his day in the cold alaska moon, as YouTube user Perfect Pizza has released a first look at the final version of their "Playable Grey Fox mod" for Metal Gear Solid. On first read this may not sound that impressive, perhaps the thought of "oh they just moved the VR Missions character into the main game," crossed your mind? Well this mod is not nearly that simple.

Watching the trailer, right away you'll notice you have access to Grey Fox's arm cannon, which saw use throughout Metal Gear Solid, but never actually got used in his previous playable appearance. The High Frequency Blade has gotten a buff too with a new trailing effect and the ability to ricochet bullets back at enemies, and there's new movement options with crouch walking introduced. The mod promises a ton of changes, like "automatic open and close face visor upon alert,""custom animations," and "custom codec calls".

On the mods Discord, Perfect Pizza explains "This mod uses the PSX decompilation project’s ability to modify the game’s C code and build a new executable using the developer version of Metal Gear Solid." Adding "At the time of creation, neither the AI Grey Fox boss nor the playable VR Ninja have been fully decompiled. As a result, everything shown so far has been recreated through reverse engineering, existing game code, experimentation, and educated guesses."

They explain, "The goal is to let players experience an expanded version of Grey Fox vs what was given to us in VR missions with as many of his signature abilities and some new ones as the game’s limitations allow, while preserving core gameplay features such as crawling, elevators, weapons, and environmental interaction." and that "This project also lays the groundwork for a future version that could allow players to experience the entire game as Grey Fox."

Perfect Pizza also says "This is not a complete story-mode conversion" but that "A separate project, which I am not affiliated with, is working toward making the full campaign playable by rebuilding all the stage overlays and making the compiled exe shiftable. The future of a complete Grey Fox playthrough depends heavily on that effort."

Regardless it's an impressive mod that actually allows playable Grey Fox found in VR Missions to live up to the version we hoped he would be all along, and even if a full version doesn't show up, it'll be fun to play about with.

After almost 25 years, Metal Gear Solid 2 players are still finding secrets: "This is the kind of stuff somebody posts on an online forum in 2005 and no one believes it"

David Hayter, the striking voice behind the Metal Gear series' various Snake roles, isn't a fan of Sony's decision to end physical disc production for new games on PlayStation consoles in 2028 – and he's certainly not afraid to show it.

The end of physical media as we know it is dominating online discussions following Sony's announcement, which cited how "general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs" – a statement that plenty of folks definitely cannot get behind.

One of them is none other than David Hayter, the iconic voice actor known for his work on Metal Gear Solid games as Solid Snake, Old Snake, Naked Snake… you name it.

In a new online post, Hayter makes this as clear as he possibly can, sharing a picture of all his consoles and games (physical, of course, mind you). Between the Xbox and PlayStation 5 – and various controllers – I see a plethora of gems, including everything from GTA 5 to Red Dead Redemption 2.

As for his caption? "No disc, no buy." And, yes, he tags the official PlayStation account on Twitter, too, so as to catch Sony's attention.

Unsurprisingly, fans are largely in agreement with the actor, who admits in the comments that "this is a fraction of my game collection" as well. Not to mention, "I also have 2500+ DVDs." Physical media, you say? Hayter's no hater in that department.

He's not alone, either, as big developers in the industry themselves have spoken out against the move toward digital-only. Take former Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra, for example.

He says "we can't live in a world of fear if our games will work in the future or not," and game preservation experts share in that sentiment, explaining how this will all lead to more piracy.

Just yesterday, CEO of Lords of the Fallen 2 publisher CI Games, Marek Tyminski, also stated that Sony's choice to axe discs and the fact that GTA 6 is going disc-free itself "feels unfair to studios still backing physical" – so, yeah.

There's no telling what the future will bring for physical media enthusiasts, but I'm choosing to remain hopeful that game discs won't do a DVD on us and all but disappear. Something tells me Hayter is, too.

Here's why we think PlayStation killing discs is bad for everyone, whether you care about physical games or not.

Metal Gear and Death Stranding mastermind Hideo Kojima is "really sad" about Sony's decision to stop producing physical copies of new PlayStation games in 2028, calling the idea of not being able to access the media we want in the future "frightening."

I'm not sure I can think of a single person who's happy about PlayStation's move to soon kill off its new physical games – it's devastating news for collectors, worrying for game preservationists, and raises concerns about all sorts of things from ownership to the second-hand game market, sharing with friends, and more. Kojima is understandably also upset, as he reveals in comments at the Il Cinema in Piazza film festival (translated by @Genki_JPN on Twitter).

"Since production is ending in 2028, this is about video games, but I grew up with physical media, so I find it really sad," he begins. "Currently, I've been buying up a lot of Blu-rays, such as various movies, and CDs too.

"The situation is different for games, as they are downloaded to the hard drive, that means the game data remains on your own hardware. However, if things shift to streaming in the future, that won't be the case anymore."

He looks to streaming services like Netflix as he notes that "there is a server somewhere, and you essentially just have the right to turn the tap, and when you do, the data flows out." However, he continues, because you don't download the data of those movies and shows, but rather gain access to them via your subscription, "the consequence of that is that you don't actually possess the data yourself."

And there lies a bigger problem – while the "companies that own these servers" will "let you 'turn the tap' for a monthly fee," things might not stay the same forever. "With nations, politics and various ways of thinking, one naturally has to consider the possibility that if there is a change, the data inside will stop being distributed," Kojima says. "And if that happens you won't be able to watch or play the movies and games you like. That is what is frightening."

As a huge fan of movies, Kojima clearly has concerns that this same issue approaching PlayStation could end up impacting the film industry, too. "So, what is happening to video games in 2028, might also happen to movies," he adds. "I'd like everyone to keep that in mind."

Kojima is far from the only developer worried about the death of physical media – last week's news saw many devs and publishers speak out against Sony's decision, with Larian Studios publishing director Michael Douse calling the situation "heartbreaking." Sony apparently already has another use for its disc factory in the form of microlenses, and has reportedly recently invested €30 million into the technology for manufacturing them. Needless to say, it doesn't seem likely that the company could backtrack on the idea, despite the mass backlash.

PlayStation's disc-less future could "heavily influence" Xbox and Nintendo's approach to physical games, former Sony boss says, calling the decision "dramatic."

Metal Gear Solid 2 is now approaching 25 years old, and players are still discovering things about the classic game.

Metal Gear Solid 2 is one of the PS2 titles that truly felt 'next-gen' when it came out, or so I'm told since I was five at the time and only cared about Crash Bandicoot. But all of the little details that make that game's world so special are well known now – things like how the ice cubes would melt slowly if you shot the bucket at the bar, or Snake getting a cold if he stays out in the cold too long.

And yet, multiple playthroughs later (including one about a month ago), and I never knew about one hidden detail, and it looks like almost no one else did, either. "After more than 2 decades of playing MGS2, I thought I'd seen everything, then this happened", a user on Reddit writes, sharing an extremely specific interaction that can happen towards the end of the Tanker chapter.

When Snake is making his way to the room where Metal Gear Ray is housed, there are multiple open areas you can hide in off to the side, but as has now been discovered, peeking round the corner at the approaching enemy will cause a metal pipe to fall, alerting them.

The comments are just as shocked as me to find this out, with the top response saying: "Holy shit, what? Same here. This game is legendary, man." A response adds: "I think the insane level of detail on these games, particularly MGS2 and MGS3 is often overlooked. I was absolutely blown away by MGS2 when I was a teenager playing it for the first time, and even now I think the graphics and overall environment design are unbelievable." Meanwhile, another puts it perfectly, "This is the kind of stuff somebody posts on an online forum in 2005 and no one believes it to be real."

And sure, a pipe falling over isn't exactly mind-blowing stuff, but it's just one of the myriad details that makes Metal Gear Solid as a series so beloved.

Metal Gear Solid Snake actor David Hayter didn't understand all of Hideo Kojima's story while recording, but says he didn't need to: "That's what makes Metal Gear, Metal Gear."

Metal Gear and Death Stranding mastermind Hideo Kojima has stated that he's "not interested" in AI-generated art, despite his recent appearance in an AI-generated short film created by Pusher and Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn (who also did the motion capture for Heartman in Death Stranding and its sequel).

Late last month, many Kojima fans weren't exactly pleased to see the game director – or rather, an AI-generated version of him – show up in an AI-generated video promoting Satellites 2, a new Prada Mode art exhibition that's been open to the public in New York over the last few days. The video sent Kojima's AI lookalike on a journey through space alongside AI Refn, before landing on Earth and seemingly checking into the Hotel Chelsea, where the exhibition was being held.

Now, though, at the exhibition itself, Kojima has expressed disinterest in the technology. Speaking to The Washington Post, he explains that he thinks real people need to be present when art is created.

"Art is life," he begins. "But in 50 years, 100 years, I don't know. Maybe AI could create art, but while I live, I don't think I'll see it. I'm not interested in it."

Kojima continues: "We'll find a good way, a good path to how we use technology, and it's really up to young people on how we use it."

The Metal Gear creator has shared his take on AI numerous times over the last year or so – he previously said that instead of using AI to come up with ideas, he would personally "lead the creative part and use AI to boost efficiency" and "handle the tedious tasks." He also once spoke about the "trend" of AI "coming into game creation" and likened it to an evolution like games becoming 3D and using online connectivity.

I can't help but wonder if Kojima's now clearly stated disinterest in AI art could partially come in response to the negativity that followed his appearance in the Satellites 2 video. To be clear, he didn't personally create it, but his association with it didn't go down very well, to put it lightly. Even so, he doesn't acknowledge this backlash at all when speaking to The Washington Post, so it remains somewhat unclear exactly where he stands on that specific video.

Hideo Kojima learns that Higgs is the world's favorite Death Stranding 2 character, but he's just glad all his children have fans.

David Hayter, the iconic voice behind Metal Gear's Solid Snake, has teamed up with Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight star Shai Matheson in an adorable video response to claims that the two characters sound alike.

Sometimes the best way to answer to your critics is by laughing along with them. I know I laugh through tears every time I read another comment about the so-called "skill issue" preventing me from enjoying Souls games, and Matheson is taking a similar approach to critiques of his Lego Batman voice, which many compare to a stuffy-nosed Solid Snake. Instead of pushing back on those accusations, Matheson made a tongue-in-cheek video with Hayter in which he receives the actor's blessing.

"So, apparently a lot of you think my Batman sounds like Solid Snake from Metal Gear if he had a cold," Matheson says in the video. "I'm not sure I understand that. Do you?" he asks, before the camera pans toward Hayter, who's blowing his nose with a tissue.

"I'm sorry, I've got a bit of a cold," Hayter says.

"Oh, I get it now," Matheson admits.

Despite the wholesome, diplomatic nature of the video, I actually think the actors do a better job of dispelling comparisons than anything else. Hearing the two voices side-by-side, I genuinely don't hear it. Sure, they both speak in deep, raspy baritones, but otherwise they sound like distinct characters to me. Regardless, it couldn't be more clear that Hayter is perfectly happy for people to think Lego Batman sounds just like his Solid Snake performance.

"But hey, I just wanna say: Batman, I admire you work. You're stealthy as hell," Hayter says in his signature Solid Snake voice, shortly before the two actors bust out in laughter and the video ends.

Whatever you think of Matheson's performance, it did little to hamper our impressions of Lego Batman, with GR+ US managing editor Rollin Bishop awarding the game a commendable 4/5 stars and saying it "remixes classic stories and games to provide a single straightforward explanation for who Batman is, how he came to be, and where he and his extended found family has ultimately found themselves – without taking itself too seriously."

Metal Gear Solid Snake actor David Hayter didn't understand all of Hideo Kojima's story while recording, but says he didn't need to: "That's what makes Metal Gear, Metal Gear"

Konami has revealed the first gameplay of Metal Gear Solid 4 in Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 2, and fans have noticed subtle changes and the return of the iPod.

While Metal Gear Solid 4 was in PS3 jail, many speculated that it was just a game that would be impossible to bring back, thanks to all its dumb little details and licensed content. But in a stream on the WasayaganaTV YouTube channel – hosted by Jujutsu Kaisen actor Yuichi Nakamura and radio personality Mafia Kajita – we got our first look at Guns of the Patriots running on new platforms. And within the steam it was shown that the Apple iPod is back in the game, signaling the return of its licensed content.

We didn't see them in the stream, but elsewhere in Metal Gear Solid 4, Otacon uses an Apple Mac computer, so it's probably safe to assume that sticks. There's also a crossover with Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series, which allows Snake to don Altaïr's robes while sneaking around – this was confirmed to be returning in an interview around the time Solid Snake was added to Rainbow Six Siege. Also, fans spotted that the "No place for Hideo" box is still in the game; however, the link to the now-defunct Hideoblog was removed.

Naturally, however, fans are speculating about how some of the PS3-specific parts will translate. Notably, there's an iconic scene during the game's Shadow Moses segment, in which Otacon pushes Snake to swap to disk 2 before realizing "we're on PlayStation 3" before talking about how good Blu-ray discs are. The question is whether this scene will remain in the game as is, be replaced with new voice lines about the specific consoles, or be nixed entirely.

The rest of the stream also showed some of the improvements coming to this version. Notably, Metal Gear Solid 4 running at 60fps is witchcraft we could've only dreamed of, and as one Twitter user pointed out, the loading times are way shorter when transitioning between areas. Although if you aren't stuck on a loading screen between chapters staring at Snake smoking for 15 minutes, are you really playing Metal Gear Solid 4?

I replayed Metal Gear Solid 4 last year for the first time in about a decade after beating Metal Gear Solid Delta, but I may just find myself returning to it sooner than expected to experience the upgrades on show.

Metal Gear Solid Snake actor David Hayter didn't understand all of Hideo Kojima's story while recording, but says he didn't need to: "That's what makes Metal Gear, Metal Gear"

A modder is fixing an issue that has persisted with Metal Gear Solid 3 since 2011's HD Collection release – one that most people didn't really notice.

Metal Gear Solid 3 is the greatest game ever made – this was the subject of the first thing I ever wrote for GamesRadar+, about a game I've inhaled as many times as Kirby inhales a Waddle Dee. And yet, somehow, I never noticed that the 2011 HD collection version of the game, which was then ported over to Master Collection in 2023, actually had a broken camera in it the whole time.

As spotted by PC Gamer, Afevis Solmunko, one of the developers behind the MGSFix mod – who also found a hidden third-person mode in Metal Gear Solid 2's HD port – is working on a fix for the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection to fix the framing of cutscenes so that they match how they appeared in the PS2 original.

"In both 2011 [HD Collection] & 2023 [Master Collection], the camera in ALL of MGS3's cutscenes is ~10% higher than PS2's framing, cutting off the bottom of the screen," he explains. "Now fully corrected/properly centered by MGSHDFix."

Turns out, Metal Gear Solid 2 has the same issue, with Solmunko also speaking about potentially fixing that one, too, in a message on the Metal Gear Network Discord server.

Granted, there aren't massive things being missed in the HD version's framing, as in, there's nothing as bad as The Simpsons was on Disney+ at launch. Clearly so, since most of us never actually noticed the difference for 15 years.

Metal Gear Solid's Snake actor didn't want to sound like the character Hideo Kojima took so much inspiration from it reportedly nearly got him sued.

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Hideo Kojima is one of the most major figures in the gaming biz - I mean, after all, his genius mind (and past teams at both Konami and Kojima Productions) did bring us the likes of Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding, to name but a few, which makes him worth putting on a pedestal.

Being behind so many major gaming franchises means that there's plenty of merch out there with his name on it, and quite literally too. If you're a die-hard Kojima fan and want to show off your fandom for the man who's brought you countless hours of entertainment (and countless head scratches), then you can pick up everything from Kojima Productions shirts to an official Metal Gear solid mouse mats, and even cute chibi figures of Sam and Higgs from Death Stranding 2 that can sit on your monitor.

While Kojima doesn't have his hand in Konami releases these days, I've still gathered a fair share of merchandise spanning his projects past and present, so there's a little something for every type of Kojima fan. I even found an official anime model of the Kojima Productions lumens mascot by Kotobukiya, because of course that exists.

Check out our guides to the best Nintendo gifts and the best Lego sets if you're after more gaming merch to add to your growing collection.

After 15 years, Metal Gear Solid 2's unfinished third-person camera mode has finally been found in the Master Collection version of the stealth classic.

Afevis Solmunko – one of the developers behind the MGSFix mod, which spruces up the PC version of Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1 – posts on Twitter (spotted by PC Gamer), "accidentally found third person view in MGS2MC" while sharing videos of it in action. They note "it locks the camera to overhead view when in super-tight corridors so you don't clip through walls, but otherwise... yeah, it been there for 15 years."

15 years in this case refers to the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, released by Bluepoint Games in 2011, and the basis for the versions of Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 in Master Collection.

As a user in the responses points out, series creator Hideo Kojima mentioned in an interview around the release of HD Collection that "we experimented with putting a 3D camera in there" and turns out the experiments were hidden in there the whole time. This change effectively gives Metal Gear Solid 2 the same treatment as Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence, where you can turn it into a more traditional third-person shooter style of play.

It's definitely going to be fun to return to Metal Gear Solid 2 to check this out, but I can also see it being a Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes situation. The GameCube remake of the original Metal Gear Solid added in the first-person aiming from its sequel, which in turn absolutely killed the balance of the game, since the world wasn't planned for you being able to properly aim (the most notable being the Revolver Ocelot fight, which becomes a total joke). So, a third-person MGS2 could definitely see the same balance issues, but as a fun way to replay the game, I'd have loved to see an official version of this emerge for the HD Collection.

Metal Gear Solid's Snake actor didn't want to sound like the character Hideo Kojima took so much inspiration from it reportedly nearly got him sued.

Hideo Kojima wants to go to space. He's made this very known, and frankly, I'm not sure the world would be ready for whatever game he'd come up with after escaping the planet for a while. But Valve boss Gabe Newell was clearly eager to help the Metal Gear mastermind make the right connections, as emails have now been released showing Newell asking Elon Musk to give Kojima a tour of SpaceX.

As spotted by PC Gamer, the newly revealed emails have appeared as part of the Musk v Altman lawsuit, listed in the "amended joint exhibit list" filed on April 24. For some background, Musk is suing the CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman (who's also one of the co-founders alongside Musk), and the company itself, with the first complaint filed in August 2024 alleging that "Altman assured Musk that the non-profit structure" of OpenAI "guaranteed neutrality and a focus on safety and openness for the benefit of humanity, not shareholder value. But as it turns out, this was all hot-air philanthropy – the hook for Altman's long con."

Anyway, this email from Newell dates back to October 2018, and he gets right to the point. Kojima - "Metal Gear series, a real visionary in our field" - had just visited Valve, "talking about his new game," he says – which we can infer was the first Death Stranding, given the timing of his visit (and resulted in a delightful photo of the pair). Newell says Kojima "mentioned the importance he places on future work in AI."

This part isn't too surprising – more recently, the Death Stranding mastermind has stated that he'd "like AI to handle the tedious tasks that would lower cost and cut down on time," but "would lead the creative part" himself. However, while he can see uses for the technology, he's also expressed concerns that "humans would become spoiled" if they became too reliant on it.

Emailing Musk, Newell says he told Kojima that he'd be "happy to introduce him to the people at OpenAI," but that's not all. "The second thing is he was talking about how much he wants to go into space, and I offered to introduce him to you," Newell writes. "He'd love to get a SpaceX tour."

Responding to Newell's email, Musk seems enthusiastic about the idea. "Sure, it would be great to meet Hideo Kojima and he's welcome to see the rocket factory," Musk writes, telling the Valve boss to "send him my email."

Sadly, this plan still hadn't come to fruition by 2020, when Kojima seemingly made reference to some of these details in an interview with The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley. Mentioning that he visited Valve "maybe four, five years ago" (which would place this well before Newell's 2018 email, so the timeline isn't entirely clear here), Kojima explains: "Gabe said, 'Since we love space so much, let's go visit SpaceX because I know Elon Musk, and I'll contact him, and let's go.'" Poor Kojima seemed slightly disappointed, however, when he added: "Actually, I was really anticipating really going together, but we haven't done that yet."

That didn't lead to Kojima giving up on his dream, though. In 2023, he explained that "I want to go to outer space and create a game you can play in space," pleading: "Please someone send me up to space." Then, last year, he told The Guardian that he wants to "go to the International Space Station and stay there for a few months," adding: "I could probably make games in space. I want to be the first."

At the very least, an image of Kojima appears in the night sky in Death Stranding 2, so he's made it up there in some form. But who knows, perhaps one day we'll see him and Newell set off to the moon together.

Valve chief Gabe Newell saw today's consoles coming a long time ago: "All the consoles are using PC graphics hardware now."

Despite being the star of the series, Metal Gear Solid actor David Hayter says he doesn't fully understand the story of the series either.

Speaking to Fall Damage, Hayter is asked about the series' storyline, responding, "Do I understand the story of Metal Gear Solid? Uh, basically I do; Do I understand all of it? Absolutely not," adding, "I didn't understand all of it while we were recording it."

"I'd be like, 'What does this mean?' and they'd say, 'just say it. And I'd be like, 'Okay.'" Hayter recalls. But he doesn't begrudge the series for it, as he adds, "again, that's what makes Metal Gear, Metal Gear." Hayter explains, "There's more information. There's more character development. There's more detail to the story than you can ever possibly absorb, no matter how many times you play it." He adds, "that's what makes the world feel real and rich and lovable."

Metal Gear is one of those series that gets hit with the 'nonsensical story' stick often, and while it does venture into some wild territory, the core storyline has always been pretty easy to follow. Not to mention it takes place across seven canon games, so we're hardly talking about Kingdom Hearts or Persona, where a golf spinoff would somehow be canon.

Although even the most hardcore of Metal Gear fans like myself will admit that it got a touch convoluted around Metal Gear Solid 4, with elements like a possessed character actually just brainwashing themselves to think they were possessed for two games, a character who was immune to the villain's greatest weapon because he has chronic IBS, and some frankly dumb retcons to tie things into other games.

Metal Gear Solid's Snake actor didn't want to sound like the character Hideo Kojima took so much inspiration from it reportedly nearly got him sued

Metal Gear Solid lead actor David Hayter says he intentionally didn't try to mimic Snake's inspiration when creating the voice for the character.

Speaking to Fall Damage, Hayter says, "When we started Metal Gear and I started taking on Snake, I didn't want him to sound like Kurt Russell from Escape from New York." He explains: "I knew that there were similarities there and I felt like he needed to sound more weathered, you know, that he had been through a lot more than I had been through at that point in my life."

Russell played the character Snake Plissken in the film, a mullet-donning, cigarette-smoking, eyepatch-wearing badass, to which Hideo Kojima was clearly inspired for both Solid Snake and Big Boss. He even acknowledged this, with Metal Gear Solid 2 introducing Iroquois Pliskin a character who looks suspiciously like Solid Snake (but it couldn't be, he died on that tanker two years ago).

Before Hayter was replaced as Big Boss – with Kiefer Sutherland playing the role in Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes – Kojima actually tried to get Kurt Russell himself to play the character in Metal Gear Solid 3. Escape from New York director John Carpenter also revealed that the studio wanted to go after the game for ripping off the film, but "I told them not to do that. I know the director of those games, and he's a nice guy, or at least he's nice to me."

Hayter has a point, though, while Metal Gear Solid was many people's entry point to the franchise, Solid Snake was already in retirement by the time that game took place, with the original MSX2 games taking place 10 and six years before the PS1 title (where he would get a voice for the first time). So, the weathered take on the character was probably the right one, and would prove to be one of the most iconic voices in gaming.

Hideo Kojima and Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki's games have something other AAA titles don't, former PlayStation boss says: "You can tell it's their visions."

Whether they're adding tank controls to Resident Evil 2 Remake or making dragon marriage legal in Skyrim, mods are capable of beautiful things. The latest example lets Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain players experience the game the way Hideo Kojima originally envisioned: with Ground Zeroes serving as a prologue at the beginning.

Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes was originally being developed as the opening mission and prologue to The Phantom Pain, but it was split off and released as a separate game because Kojima wanted fans to have something to play when the new generation of consoles, then the PS4 and Xbox One, released. However, Kojima reiterated in a 2023 social media post that the original plan was for Ground Zeroes to simply be a prologue quest in The Phantom Pain.

It only took 11 years, but you can finally play the two games as if they were one, as Kojima originally envisioned. Created by RLC and uploaded to NexusMods by CapLagRobin, the mod fully integrates Ground Zeroes' campaign, which takes place a few months after Peace Walker, to the beginning of The Phantom Pain, bridging the two games into a cohesive whole that theoretically is more true to Kojima's original vision.

The modder admits "many issues persist" and there are some "features not implemented," but if you follow the instructions (which require you to own a copy of Ground Zeroes), the Ground Zeroes mission will be added to The Phantom Pain's mission list on the iDroid. By default, the game will transition into the Ground Zeroes mission automatically after you beat Episode 1: Phantom Limbs, but there are options to let you turn off automatic transitions.

Of course, this also means Ground Zeroes' Camp Omega map is now fully explorable in The Phantom Pain's free roam system, allowing you to run around as Venom, do fun stuff like Fulton extractions, and even do side ops. There's no way of knowing if these elements were added in a way that's entirely faithful to Kojima's original plans, but until we get an official re-release bridging the two games together, this is by far the closest we've got to the developer's original vision.

10 years later, Metal Gear Solid 5 remains a masterpiece that was never going to live up to its own hype

Solid Snake is finally back on the right path once again as Rainbow Six Siege gives him bigger cheeks than his most recent appearances.

Snake had a hard life. Not only has Metal Gear Solid's star player not had an appearance in the games since 2008, but since then his crossover appearances have committed crimes against him. In Metal Gear Solid 2, 4, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Solid Snake is caked up, Kojima insisted that he has a better ass than Raiden, and boy did the team deliver which led to the iconic "the clap of my ass cheeks keeps alerting the guards" meme that even David Hayter himself got in on.

But Snake's first appearance in 10 years for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was the start of a worrying trend, yes it was nice to see Snake again, and some signs of life for the then-dormant Metal Gear series, but his cake was heavily nerfed, he had a flat ass. Then years later when he appeared in Fortnite, it got even worse, it was gone, he was so flat he made Hank Hill look like Aunt Fanny from the 2005 film Robots.

However, there is a spark of hope. As Twitter user HEITAIs points out (via machine translation) that with his upcoming appearance in Rainbow Six Siege, Ubisoft is trying to right one of the most horrific wrongs bestowed upon Snake, as he appears to be a bit more thick than his Fortnite and Smash days. Granted, he's still not the whole bakery as he was in his heyday, but it's a good first step in the return of Metal Gear.

Hayter even commented on the shrinkage, calling it "concerning if true", so with Snake himself alerted of some of the wrongdoings bestowed upon him, hopefully Metal Gear Solid 6 will have him as caked up as Kojima intended.

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2's included games disappear from storefronts without warning

Hideo Kojima is reminiscing over the Metal Gear Solid 3 Premium Package, and the impressive list of contributors for its included book.

Metal Gear Solid 3 is the best game ever made if you ask me (which you should, because it's true). Over 20 years later, there's a reason the game that was the worst-selling Metal Gear Solid game of the original four entries is one people still talk about to this day, and the one Konami elected to remake with 2025's Metal Gear Solid Delta. And even though he's no longer involved with the series, series creator Hideo Kojima has been reminiscing over his magnum opus.

Over on Twitter, Kojima posts images of one of the books included in the Japanese-exclusive Metal Gear Solid 3 Premium Package, recounting the wild list of contributors included. Names like future Kojima collaborator Guillermo del Toro, filmmaker John Woo, Parasite Eve author Hideaki Sena, and Polish author Stanisław Lem were included in the book. Kojima notes, "The lineup of contributors has now become legendary."

Kojima recalls, "At the time, neither the contributors nor I had any fear. The energy we had was incredible." He also includes photos of messages left by some of the contributors, with del Toro saying "all of a sudden, Pain, Fear, and Sorrow are things I look forward to" in reference to the game's boss fights, adding: "Konami has nailed the mood, the moves, the fights. Awesome!"

Woo says the series has "played an important part in the history of the video game industry," and adds, "The classic battles between Liquid Snake and Solid Snake definitely belong on the big screen."

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2's included games disappear from storefronts without warning

Without warning, Konami has delisted the games featured in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2.

Delisted games are nothing new – it feels like every other week there's a new story of a classic being removed, leaving no way to purchase them. Typically, these are due to rights issues, with Marvel vs. Capcom, The Simpsons Arcade Game, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game all being ripped from stores over the years. But other times, delistings happen to push you to the new version of the game, like we saw with Rockstar, which delisted GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas in favor of the anything but definitive Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition.

Metal Gear games have been delisted in the past, with historical footage used in Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 causing those games to be delisted in 2021. However, this time around it seems like Konami might have pulled a Rockstar.

After the announcement of Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2 last week, fans noticed that the PS3's Metal Gear Solid 4, PSP's Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker, and its console version Peace Walker HD have been removed from the PS3, PSP, and Xbox stores, meaning the upcoming release will be the only way to get both games digitally. I've personally checked on the PS3, Vita, and Xbox Stores, and can confirm the removal of these titles.

While this sucks anyway, it's especially bad for anyone still on Xbox One, as Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2 won't be releasing on the last-gen console. So now there's simply no way – outside of tracking down a physical copy – of playing Peace Walker on the platform. Plus, it's a bit unfortunate considering the collection is still six months away, meaning no one will be able to pick them up in the meantime.

As weird as it is to say, however, I really hope it simply is a case of wanting to push players to the new edition, because Monster Hunter content and The Carpenters' music are integral parts to the Peace Walker experience, and them missing from a future re-release would be a huge shame.

Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker co-op, inspired by the Monster Hunter craze, lives on in Master Collection Volume 2

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 2 was revealed at yesterday's Sony State of Play presentation, confirming that Metal Gear Solid 4 is finally being freed from its long-standing PS3 jail. The collection also includes the 2000 Game Boy Color game Ghost Babel and the 2010 PSP title Peace Walker, but there are plenty more Metal Gear entries not present here – including Portable Ops.

Portable Ops, released in 2006 for PSP, is something of a black sheep in the series. It's set after Metal Gear Solid 3, telling the story of how Big Boss first built the military unit that he'd lead in Peace Walker and MGS5. It'd make perfect sense for inclusion in Volume 2, since it bridges the gap between MGS3 in the previous collection and Peace Walker here.

But series lead Hideo Kojima only had minor involvement in the development of Portable Ops, and specific events from the game are only tangentially referenced in later titles. Its status as a semi-canon title might account for its exclusion here – but Ghost Babel, an entirely non-canon game, is still part of the package.

"Such an underrated game," one fan laments on Reddit. "Legitimately I think the story is the best sequel to 3 we ever got, and the gameplay is way overhated. Imo this game should be considered an integral part of the saga. Legitimately it’s story has more impact than V’s somehow."

It's not impossible that Portable Ops might sneak into the collection – after all, Konami did only reveal the NES games included in Volume 1 some time after the original announcement. "It'll either be a bonus game, Vol 3, or it's never happening," another commenter suggests, and yeah, that does seem to cover all the bases.

Likely the biggest reason we're not getting Portable Ops is that it's never previously been ported. The version of Peace Walker included in Volume 2 is based on the one included in the old HD Collection, which likely lessened the development load here. Portable Ops would need a whole new port, and given the resources Konami's already putting in to finally get Metal Gear Solid 4 off the PS3, well, maybe it figures that another bigger port project is better saved for a possible Volume 3.

There's still plenty of Metal Gear left to fill out future collections, too. There are the Acid games, PSP deckbuilders with big cult followings, and Platinum's excellent, over-the-top action title Metal Gear Rising: Reveangance. Plus, of course, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and its premium-priced preview, Ground Zeroes. Heck, there's even Metal Gear Survive if you really need to scrape the bottom of the barrel. Maybe it's premature to talk about all this when Volume 2 was only just announced, but there's more than enough material left to fill Volumes 3 and 4.

Metal Gear gave us some of the best PSP games ever released.

Konami has confirmed that despite online modes being stripped from Metal Gear Solid 3 and 4's Master Collection editions, Peace Walker will keep its online functions in Master Collection Volume 2.

Metal Gear Solid 4 finally escaping PS3 jail was the headline of last night's PlayStation State of Play for Metal Gear fans. But as an elderly person – aka someone who still has his PS3 hooked up – the biggest deal for me was that Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is back, and I'll be able to play it on Nintendo Switch 2. Not only is it the most underrated of the series canon entries, but having a portable version that doesn't require the dreaded claw hand technique for camera control is a big deal.

When it was confirmed that Metal Gear Online 2 won't be back with Metal Gear Solid 4 I did get a bit fearful, but the PlayStation Blog post about the collection spoke some beautiful words to me: "This title can be played online in CO-OPS, a cooperative mode for 2 to 4 players, as well as in VERSUS OPS, a competitive mode for up to 6 players."

Now I'm a big single-player guy but Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker's co-op is one of the best things about the game. You see, Peace Walker isn't really much of a Metal Gear at all – at least in terms of the games that came before it. No, Peace Walker was Monster Hunter all along.

The game introduced the mission-based structure later found in Metal Gear Solid 5, along with lengthy boss battles akin to Capcom's flagship series – which in turn, encouraged you to play co-op to take down them together. There was even three missions where you actually took down monsters from the series with a Tigrex, Rathalos, and Gear REX – an original monster based on Metal Gear Rex who I desperately want Capcom to add to Monster Hunter Wilds.

This is why, I suspect, it's often not liked as much as the other main entries, hell, even I didn't like it the first time I played it; it took a second playthrough for me to really get that it's a banger, and stands alongside the rest of the numbered entries. And keeping the co-op that makes that experience even better will hopefully give Peace Walker a chance to stick out once more.

Death Stranding 2 PC port out in March with “unlocked framerates” and ultra widescreen support, Kojima truthers rejoice

Fans of stealth action and over-the-top cutscenes can both finally let their PS3s rest, as Konami has finally announced Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 2. After a long, long wait, the collection was announced at today's PlayStation State of Play broadcast.

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 2 will launch on August 27, 2026 across PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, Switch, and PC. The headline addition here is, of course Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, which was one of the last big PlayStation 3 exclusives still unavailable on modern platforms.

In a PlayStation Blog post, Konami confirms that this version of MGS4 will feature "improvement in the internal resolution, increase of the maximum frame rate and customizable button control settings." A stable frame rate alone would make this the definitive version of the game, so here's hoping the port is a good one in all respects.

The other big game in this collection is Peace Walker, which is based on the "the PS3 HD Collection version of the PSP original." I remember that as a solid port, and all the original game's co-op and versus multiplayer modes will remain available here. Sadly, it doesn't seem that Portable Ops, the other MGS PSP game, has made the cut.

The most surprising addition is Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, released in the US as simply "Metal Gear Solid." This Game Boy Color title is a surprisingly robust adaptation of the stealth-action series, one that punches well above the weight you'd attribute to a GBC adaptation of a big console title.

For more upcoming PS5 games, you know where to click.

Although Metal Gear Solid spin-offs have tended to be more good than bad, most of them are pretty forgettable. A possible collaboration between series creator Hideo Kojima and Respawn, however, would likely have been a standout if it came to pass.

During a tribute to Vince Zampella at DICE 2026, Kojima revealed that conversations about such a game had taken place between him and the Call of Duty co-creator after the release of Metal Gear Solid 4. As reported by VGC, Kojima stated the notion was a first-person shooter set in the world of Solid Snake, and it was one of the potential ideas for a then-nascent Respawn Entertainment.

Zampella co-founded Respawn with Jason West in 2010, following them being fired from Activision after a period of tension between the publisher and Infinity Ward. A Metal Gear FPS was among the avenues considered to help the fledgling team get off the ground.

No reason is given for why it didn't happen, but ultimately, the devs went with an original idea, eventually making Titanfall. Zampella and Kojima maintained a relationship, as the Death Stranding creator says he sought advice when going independent himself, after parting ways with Konami to form Kojima Productions.

"Without him, the gaming industry wouldn't be what it is today," Kojima added. Zampella passed away late last year. As one of the central architects behind the Call of Duty series and Respawn, that description is more than apt. More recently, Zampella led DICE through the development and launch of Battlefield 6, breaking multiple records with the blockbuster sequel.

Metal Gear Solid 2 is "often mistaken for a story about AI," Hideo Kojima says, but it's actually about "what human life would become" in the digital age.

Hideo Kojima has decided to flex on everyone by saying creating things isn't actually all that special, but rather just a simple part of day-to-day life.

Kojima has a massive resume by creating a series that is almost entirely composed of masterpieces with Metal Gear, Death Stranding and its sequel, and has been involved with a ton of cult classics like Snatcher and Policenauts. It's not a stretch to call him one of the most creative game directors due to how wholly unique each of his games is, but as it turns out, being creative isn't a big thing to him.

During an interview with Wired (below) where Kojima is asked questions by fans, he's asked, "What does creativity mean to you, not as a creator, but as a person? And from your perspective, what is the true essence of creativity?" Kojima specifically notes the final question saying, "I'd like someone to tell me that."

He explains, "To me, creating isn't special. It's simply a part of my daily life," which is a flex on the likes of me who has missed deadlines simply because I needed to read the Wikipedia synopsis of WWE SummerSlam 2006. Kojima likens creativity to "sleeping, eating, walking, or bathing" as just something you do day to day. "It's built into my body. It's not unique to me."

Kojima continues, "From waking to sleeping, I'm always thinking. When inspired, I instantly visualize and conceptualize. Then I just go to the office and bring those ideas to life." He reckons that most creatives are the same as him, and says: "If creativity were taken out of my daily life, I probably wouldn't survive."

Hideo Kojima calls Death Stranding 2 his "masterpiece," but that's only because his "latest work" is always his best.

Hideo Kojima has shot down a common Metal Gear Solid 2 interpretation that reads into the game as a story about AI. To the famed auteur, his sequel is more about what happens to society in the digital age.

"MGS2 is often mistaken for a story about AI, but it's about digital society," Kojima said in an interview with Wired Japan. "MGS1 was about DNA. That's when I thought about the shift from analog to digital. In digital society, everything is preserved. Like social media today. Even graffiti remains without deteriorating. The internet connects everything, and opinions are exchanged directly everywhere. MGS2 explored what human life would become then."

He goes on to emphasize that the stealth sequel "wasn't about AI" - it was instead about "interweaving digital data gaining a will of its own." Unfortunately, his fictional future is inching closer to our reality.

"24 years have passed," he added. "It has become somewhat of a reality. I didn't predict it. [It's] rather a future I didn't desire, but unfortunately we're heading there."

The video game auteur also offered thoughts on generative AI, more specifically. in recent weeks, explaining that he thinks of the tech "as more of a friend" to be used to "boost efficiency" while he handles all the creative work. "I'd like AI to handle the tedious tasks that would lower cost and cut down on time," he said.

Death Stranding's Hideo Kojima wants to "pioneer a new genre," not "focus much on existing ones," but he'd still like to make a Western or space game

Konami's had a banner year, with big releases from both Metal Gear Solid and Silent Hill. With the former, we got the long-awaited remake of the third game in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, and a brand new installment in Silent Hill f for the latter.

Both have done well critically and, as a new financial report states, commercially. In a round-up for March through September of this year, the publisher notes that both games crossed the threshold of one million "initial sales" globally. In other words, they launched incredibly strongly.

Silent Hill f actually became a standard-bearer for the embattled horror series to sell one million copies, narrowly outdoing the Silent Hill 2 Remake's time of four days. This is the first wholly new entry in over a decade, signifying genuine investment and interest from Konami in after years of Pyramid Head and that mysterious and terrifying town languishing in limbo.

There’s a small note on f's conception, stating the idea was to make something "beautiful yet horrifying." The use of 1960s Japan and more plant-based monsters, the game lives up to that description. Even though it's a spin-off canonically, taking place decades before the mainline games and well removed from them geographically, it just goes to show what all that pent-up desire does for a franchise.

Solid Snake's return, then, actually enjoyed one million purchases around the world in just 24 hours. A beloved game, from an S-tier property, remade for modern hardware, is truly an equation for success. The only note given here is, "allows players to enjoy extreme survival stealth action in a jungle setting," and, yep, that is correct.

Coincidentally, Silent Hill f and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater both take place in the ‘60s. Does this matter? Probably not. But Konami, if you're wondering what to do with Zone of the Enders, maybe consider going retro-futuristic with it.

Silent Hill f's Hinako actor is playing her own game on stream and I feel bad for how hard I'm laughing at her terror

Hideo Kojima has revealed he was unaware of the pitch that he would make a game based on The Matrix, despite reports that the Wachowski sisters asked him to do so directly.

Earlier this week, reports surfaced from an interview with former vice president of licensing at Konami Digital Entertainment, Christopher Bergstresser, that Lilly and Lana Wachowski pitched that Hideo Kojima make a game based on The Matrix, with a further anonymous source saying Kojima would continue to "show strong interest" despite working on Metal Gear Solid 2 at the time. However, the man himself has come out to say that he was utterly unaware that such a suggestion ever happened.

In a post on Twitter, Kojima says, "I was surprised to see on social media that the Wachowski sisters had 'offered me a Matrix game project!' back in 1999. In all these 26 years, no one ever told me such a conversation had taken place."

Kojima explains that he and the Wachowski sisters had exchanged emails as they were "mutual fans" and that they met three times when The Matrix was released in Japan.

One of those times was when "they were invited to the headquarters of Konami’s CS Division," where Kojima notes, "When I arrived at the headquarters, their meeting with Mr. Kitaue, the head of the CS Division, had just ended."

This meeting with Kitaue was where the Matrix game pitch supposedly took place, which Kitaue turned down, although the previous report said Kojima and Aki Saito were also present (Kojima said that "Aki wasn't even there").

So while the meeting to pitch a Kojima-led Matrix game may have happened, Kojima wasn't present for it (which, to be fair, this was 26 years ago, it's easy to mix up details, especially when Kojima was present directly afterward).

While Kojima being unaware of the project does conflict with the anonymous report he was still interested in the project after it was rejected, he does note "I was already extremely busy with MGS2 and probably couldn’t have accepted the offer right away. But if someone had told me, maybe there could’ve been a way to make it work."

Hideo Kojima's overlooked cyberpunk adventure game is one of the three games Atari's CEO would love to remaster: "I don’t know if it would do well, but I’d probably push it through."

Hideo Kojima says Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding only exist because of him visiting the 1970 Osaka World's Fair.

Despite Kojima's games being unique experiences, he loves to pull inspiration from a wide variety of cultures, with the Metal Gear series being heavily inspired by American action movies (plus, Snatcher is pretty much just Blade Runner), while Kojima's recent games have showcased his infatuation with Hollywood stars. Death Stranding 2 in particular speaks about the idea of a fully connected world (especially in a post-Covid world) and everything that comes along with it.

In an essay for Japanese magazine an-an (translated by Automaton) Kojima reflects on the 1970s Osaka World's Fair as the current 2025 expo in Osaka comes to a close later this month. Kojima says that visiting the event as a child had a major impact on his outlook, describing it as the dividing line between a "personal B.C and A.D."

"I experienced up close the 'future and harmony of the world'," Kojima says, adding, "It also showed me the coexistence of different countries, races, religions, customs, and histories. It was the embodiment of 'the past and future,' 'the world and harmony' itself." Kojima goes on to say that without the event, his "futuristic mindset and globalism would have never developed, and as a result, Metal Gear and Death Stranding would not have come into being either."

Kojima then expresses that he found this year's edition disappointing compared to the 1970 event, saying he believes is a lack of ambition and futuristic vision (although granted, seeing an event in your 60s is probably far less wondrous than when you're a child).

Hideo Kojima seemingly confirms that OD will be an anthology horror game with his segment based on the "fear of the knock"

10 years and one month to the day that it launched, fans have managed to get a missing cutscene from Metal Gear Solid 5 running in-game.

Metal Gear Solid 5 turned 10 back in September, and since the game released it's been hit with the label of being unfinished, thanks to an ending chapter that felt rushed and a DVD featured in the collectors edition that showed off the concept for a 51st mission called Kingdom of the Flies.

While it does address what happened to Liquid and Metal Gear Sahelanthropus after they disappeared during the events of the game, in reality, Kingdom of the Flies doesn't actually tie up the story much more than the actual game does. And while some consider it the true ending, its omission is a symptom of a greater issue with the game.

Despite tireless investigation from the Never Be Game Over contingent, no secret ending was there to be found. The DVD footage was pretty much all we had to go from. However, a decade, a Metal Gear Solid 3 remake and two Kojima games later, someone has managed to get elements of the cut mission into the game.

As spotted by a user on ResetEra, a group called ModdersHeaven has managed to get the cutscene found on that DVD running in Metal Gear Solid 5, where Snake approaches Metal Gear Sahelanthropus guarded by Eli and the child soldiers while XOF soldiers approach. Granted, it's in a fairly incomplete state, with Snake and the soldiers walking across a blank river that looks like the boss arena for Rom in Bloodborne with the character models present.

Of course in the grand scheme of things this doesn't add too much to the game, but it's an interesting look at what the future of the game could bring. It's highly unlikely we'll ever get proper closure on Metal Gear Solid 5 from Konami and Hideo Kojima, but after 10 years of fans trying to uncover everything, we could see a variant of this missing content made for the game.

Konami finally gives an update on Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2, assuring that development is moving forward, and I hope that means Metal Gear Solid 4's escape from PS3 is close at hand.

While the collection still hasn't officially been announced, Konami releasing "Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1" pretty much gave away that there would be more releases, with the developers acknowledging that "we are making a Vol. 2," and including it in a recent survey However we have finally gotten our first update on the development of the upcoming collection.

Konami hosted a live version of the "Metal Gear Production Hotline" series at TGS, focusing on Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater's upcoming Fox Hunt multiplayer mode which is set to launch at the end of October. Following the Fox Hunt presentation, the devs took questions that had been sent in from fans, one of which asked about "updates regarding Master Collection Vol 2."

Metal Gear series producer Noriaki Okamura responded (via fan translation cited by VGC, and further verified with YouTube's auto translate feature) noting that fans held on to the "Vol. 1" name meaning there must be a second. He reportedly adds, "we've been working on it properly while also producing Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. When the time is right, we'd like to share."

And while he wasn't able to give any major updates on the collection, Okamura did apparently say "the project is moving forward properly, and we believe it's shaping up to be something really enjoyable." The producer previously cited that the rough launch of Master Collection Vol. 1 made the team take a step back and make sure the same mistakes weren't made in the future.

Okamura also wasn't able to confirm which games would be included in the upcoming collection, but the general consensus among fans is that Metal Gear Solid 4 and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker are pretty much guaranteed.

Metal Gear Solid 4 in particular is a major one as it was never released outside of the PS3, leaving no official means to play the game on modern platforms Okamura previously said "we definitely are aware of this situation with MGS4," and that "you can probably connect the dots" as to what games would be included in Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2, and as someone who just replayed MGS4 a couple weeks back, I'm choosing to believe Metal Gear Ac!d 2 will be a bonus game.

Metal Gear star David Hayter thinks Solid Snake is "misunderstood": "What really draws me to him, and I think what subconsciously draws the audience to him, is his inability to turn away from anybody who needs help."

Konami is asking players which Metal Gear games they want to see remade next, from the MSX2 originals to Metal Gear Solid 5.

A few days before the 10th anniversary of Metal Gear Solid 5, which was the final mainline release for the series, Konami released Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, an extremely faithful remake of what many consider to be the best Metal Gear game. And while fellow Konami series Silent Hill also returned with a remake of its most beloved title SH2, Silent Hill f also brought the series back with an original entry. However, it sounds like Konami is keen to do more Metal Gear remakes.

Ahead of the Metal Gear Production Hotline stream at Tokyo Game Show 2025, Twitter account Metal Gear Network noticed a survey which is seemingly intended to be sent out after the show has some interesting questions on there. For example, one question relates to what fans want to see from future streams, including "information on Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2" which has yet to be formally announced.

More notably, question 10 asks you to select which Metal Gear games you would like to see be remade. This list includes every main series title (barring MGS3 of course), from the MSX2 titles Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake, all the way through to Peace Walker and the Metal Gear Solid 5 duology of Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain. Plus, there's an option to select "other" if you want to request a Metal Gear Rising or Acid remake.

While it was a fairly obvious conclusion that Konami would be interested in more Metal Gear remakes (there's already a Silent Hill 1 remake confirmed, after all), it's surprising to see Metal Gear Solid 5 in the list there given it still feels extremely modern. If you ask me, a remake of Metal Gear 1 and 2 that fleshes them out into a complete story given the sheer amount of retcons and other weird plot bits that have happened to those games over the years would be ideal, but it's probably going to be Metal Gear Solid 1 next.

Silent Hill f's Metacritic score pairs it with Silent Hill 3, but doesn't quite hit the highs of the original two games or 2024's Silent Hill 2 remake.

If playing Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater has taught me anything, it's that we should all be more considerate of the memories we keep and those we allow to fade. It has been 20 years since I last infiltrated the wilds of Tselinoyarsk, an experience which left such a mark that I still consider Metal Gear Solid 3 to be one of my favorite video games of all-time – not to mention a true titan of the industry.

I remember MGS3 as this playful love letter to the sheer audacity of the best James Bond movies. A cinematic masterpiece, one which deftly wove interlocking stealth-action systems with an emotionally-resonant storyline. And as this bold reinvention of what a Metal Gear game could be, as Konami traded away the series' defining urban environments for an ambitious Soviet jungle setting. Back in 2004, Snake Eater was as close to perfect as a developer could hope to get.

These are the memories that I retained, which are largely supported by my returning playthrough in Metal Gear Solid Delta. The memories which have been allowed to decay over time center around how utterly outrageous Snake Eater truly is. There are a lot of reasons I could (and do) recommend a playthrough of the MGS3 remake, but the opportunity to reappraise it fairly against modern standards for storytelling, controls, and graphical fidelity is simply too good to pass up.

One must live

There's a scene early on where Naked Snake is given an M1911A1 pistol. Upon receiving this gift, the FOX Unit operative spends minutes enthusiastically, exhaustively detailing each of its custom parts – yes, Snake, the feeding ramp is polished to a mirror sheen, and yes, it is fascinating that the interlock with the frame is tightened for added precision. There are multiple cutscenes dedicated to one character twirling and juggling a procession of different weapons – a slow burn of character development, as long-time fans of the series witness Ocelot transform into Revolver Ocelot. One climactic encounter is interrupted by a swarm of homicidal hornets. Every boss battle concludes with a body exploding.

That so much of this audacity unfolds under the shadow of a second Cold War and threat of a third World War is astonishing. It wouldn't be difficult for me to make the argument that Metal Gear Solid 3 is among the stupidest, most ridiculous video games to exist. The thing is, while that sentiment may be undoubtedly true, Snake Eater is also undeniably brilliant. There's a sincerity to all of its excess. A purity in every one of its tangents, and an unbridled joy inherent to all of its cinematic flourish. It all contributes to the experience feeling like this wondrous, singular entity which remains peerless.

Metal Gear Solid Delta has made me consider how few modern AAA video games are just utterly unrestrained. My brain is drawing a faint line to the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise, wherein developer Ryu Ga Gotoku still blends gritty crime drama with audacious characters and distractions aplenty. And then of course Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima is still at it, having recently delivered Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – an exceptionally silly video game, although certainly not as cohesive as Snake Eater.

I suppose that what I'm trying to tell you is that Metal Gear Solid Delta is still absolutely worth your time. The likes of Hollow Knight Silksong, Dying Light: The Beast, Borderlands 4, and countless other titles are vying for your time and attention in September, but delving into the chaos and considered-action of Snake Eater is still of paramount importance. I have to believe that there's value here beyond mere nostalgia. I'm exceptionally curious to hear first impressions from newcomers (please do drop a comment below if you're one of them!), particularly as it's been 10 whole years since the last release in the franchise from Kojima.

I suspect that many new players may find MGS3 to be something of a time capsule, a strange relic from a distant past. But there's still vibrancy to the core action, insight to be gleaned from this politically-charged thriller, and nearly endless amount of smiles to be drawn from its bizarre scenarios. Snake Eater in 2025, what a thrill!

"I almost gave up": Hideo Kojima on looking into the abyss, Death Stranding 2's Australian setting, working with his idols, and connecting with koalas

David Hayter has revealed the strangest line he's ever had to do while playing Snake wasn't actually for a Metal Gear Solid game.

The Metal Gear Solid series features some of the greatest stories in gaming history, but they are also home to some of the absolute dumbest moments in games. Metal Gear Solid 3 has an incredibly emotional ending that still gets me teary-eyed every time I replay it, but it's also the game featuring the character who shoots bees from his mouth. Metal Gear Solid 4 features Snake grappling with his own mortality, but also has him come across a guy crapping himself inside of a barrel and has Snake exclaim "diarrhea?" (something Snake voice actor David Hayter mentioned unprompted when I interviewed him for this feature).

Speaking to Lady Dimitrescu actor Maggie Robertson as part of the Future Game Show, Hayter was asked what the weirdest line of dialogue he ever had to record was. And shockingly, it's not a Metal Gear line.

When Snake appears in Super Smash Bros., he can call his team to gather intel about his opponents, which Hayter recalls. "In Super Smash Bros., they describe to me my opponent Jigglypuff, who gets around by farting, and I had to say 'by… farting…'"

Now the Pokemon diehards will no doubt question when the lore says Jigglypuff is farting constantly, but this was actually an error from Hayter. The codec call in question was actually about Wario, who has the devastating Wario Waft move, which sees him deem that you get his Wario steam and send opponents flying with a mushroom cloud out of his rear end. This move also sends him flying into the air through the sheer force of ass ripping.

Sadly, they only recorded codec calls for Super Smash Bros. Brawl and not for Snake's return in Ultimate (although the Brawl ones still appear there), which is a huge shame because I'd love to hear Snake talk about how crocodiles taste in relation to King K Rool or hear his reaction to Minecraft Steve. And presumably he just means lines he's said officially in a game, because...

Metal Gear Solid Delta replaces the original game's bikini model posters with new pictures and family photos of the same women 21 years later.

Solid Snake voice actor David Hayter has revealed that he only found out about Metal Gear Solid 2's Raiden twist while in the booth recording for the game.

Metal Gear Solid 2 may be beloved now and correctly cited as one of the best games ever made, but at the time, people were upset. It's not entirely an understatement to say it was the most anticipated game of its time, with all the pre-release (and even the box art) material showing Solid Snake on a new mission. Only for the game to come out, have Snake 'die' after the first two hours, and have the player be Raiden, who wasn't quite as cool, calm, and collected as his predecessor.

And it turns out that it wasn't just the people playing Metal Gear Solid 2 who were taken by surprise from the twist, as Solid Snake voice actor David Hayter told PC Gamer that he didn't know this crucial bit of info going in either. "I was surprised as anybody that Snake wasn't going to be the protagonist," Hayter says, adding, "I found out in the booth while we were recording. And I'm like, 'What the hell?' And they were like, 'No, no, it's gonna be Raiden as the player character.'"

Hayter himself saw the backlash to the decision coming, adding, "I was like: 'Wow. Okay… well, we'll see how people feel about that.' The game came out and was amazing, but there was understandable conversation about that." That isn't to say he's not a fan, as he called Metal Gear Solid 2 "an astounding game."

However, its follow-up was welcome news to Hayter, who said, "Metal Gear Solid 3 really came back home again, my favorite game in the series. It just really dialled down into what Snake is about, what Metal Gear is about." And ultimately, it wasn't too big of a deal; we got one of the best games ever made, albeit with a different protagonist who would go on to become universally beloved in his second starring role, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, while players got to play as a "Snake" again in Metal Gear Solid 3 (and got the best game ever made out of it).

Metal Gear Solid Snake actor says "there's no way" Konami can replicate Hideo Kojima's style, but don't write off another series entry yet: "Will it be the same? No; Could it be amazing? Sure."

Hideo Kojima is reflecting on the original Metal Gear Solid, saying that there's only a few team members left who are still with him at Kojima Productions.

Less than a week after the release of Metal Gear Solid Delta, and two days after the 10th anniversary of Metal Gear Solid 5, September 3, 2025, marks the 27th anniversary of Metal Gear Solid (or its release in Japan, at least). And 27 years later, Hideo Kojima is still creating games, with his studio, Kojima Productions, releasing Death Stranding 2 just a few months ago.

Reminiscing on the launch of Metal Gear Solid over on Twitter, Kojima noted that "There are only a handful of people who participated in MGS1 back in 1998 who are still a part of the new 'Kojima Productions.'" The names listed by Kojima include "Shin-chan," who I assume has to be longtime Metal Gear artist Yoji Shinkawa and not the famous anime character, and Matsuhanaan, who I'd wager is Yoshikazu Matsuhana, who has been working with Kojima since Snatcher.

Kojima also namedrops "Bei-yan," "Let's," and "Aki," which are far less identifiable names; however, he mentioned Aki was "from the International Consumer Division," which presumably means it's Akiyoshi Saito.

There are still staff from earlier games in the series at Konami, with current Metal Gear series producer Noriaki Okamura being a special thanks listing in the original game, and having worked on earlier Kojima titles like Snatcher and Policenauts, before joining the series with Metal Gear Acid 2.

Metal Gear Solid Delta replaces the original game's bikini model posters with new pictures and family photos of the same women 21 years later.

The Metal Gear Solid Delta Tsuchinoko is a legendary cryptid that, if you catch it in MGS 3, earns you the Infinity face paint when you get to the end of the game. There are several opportunities to trap this strange snake but as it's hard to detect - not showing up on sonar or thermal goggles - it's largely a case of knowing where to look, and where to place a mouse trap to get it.

You also have to watch for a point in the game where you can drop it and need to pick it up again to make sure you role credits with it still on you. It's not tough to find at least - you just have to know where to look and remember to pick it up after it's lost.

Here's where I caught a Tsuchinoko in MGS Delta, and what you need to catch and keep it.

How to get a moustrap in MGS Delta

You should pick up some mousetraps generally as you explore, and they're useful for catching live food that won't go off. If you haven't found any yet you can usually find them in the food stores near bases. You can also try shaking down some guards to see what loot they drop.

Here are a few MGS Delta mousetrap locations if you're having trouble finding one:

• Bolshaya Past Base - in the food store, and also under a bed in the sleeping area.
• Ponizovje warehouse - in the food store on the second floor.
• Gorki Lab B1 East - in the cell at the end of the corridor.

As one of the easiest locations to catch a Tsuchinoko is where you fight The Fear, the Gorki Lab B1 East option is probably the best choice as it's where you go immediately after the battle. You'll need to sneak in using the Scientist camo and reach the basement but once you've finished there, you can leave and head back to the boss fight area.

How to trap a Tsuchinoko in MGS Delta

The easiest place to catch a Tsuchinoko in Metal Gear Solid Delta is probably Graniny Gorki South, the area where you fight The Fear. This is where I caught mine by placing mousetraps where you can see the white squares on the map above, after you've defeated him.

A lot of guides and the wiki talk about having to clear the area of animals using sonar and the thermal goggles to find the Tsuchinoko as a mystery sonar ping left after all the animals are gone. This did not work for me, and instead I cleared most of the animals around the southern entrance and placed three traps there. When I left and immediately came back two of the traps had random animals, but one had the legendary Tsuchinoko!

If you don't get a Tsuchinoko first try, just keep setting traps and you should catch one eventually.

If you have no luck at Graniny Gorki South or have gone past it, there are a few other options to catch a Tsuchinoko in Metal Gear Solid Delta:

• Sokrovenno West, after you defeat The End in MGS Delta.
• Bolshaya Past South after fighting Ocelot soldiers at the Rassvet factory.

There are other locations and methods you can look up, but the three places I've outlined here are the simplest. Once you have it make sure to talk to Para-Medic as this will trigger some dialogue about your find, including strict instructions not to eat it - you need to finish the game with it still in your inventory to get the Infinity face paint that unlocks infinite ammo. However, there's a problem with that...

How to find the Tsuchinoko in MGS Delta after you lose it

You have to finish the game with the Tsuchinoko still on you to unlock the Infinity ammo face paint. However, after being captured by Volgin and escaping you'll lose all your gear, including the weird snake. Meeting up with Eva under the waterfall will get you most of you gear back, but not the Tsuchinoko.

To find the Tsuchinoko after you lose your equipment head back out of the waterfall to the area Snake's standing at on the map above. The Tsuchinoko will be crawling near a tree in that area. Remember to catch it non-lethally before you take it on its way to the end credits. Once the game's over, the Infinity face paint will be among a range of camos and face paints you'll unlock that include all the options from the MGS Delta quiz about what MGS game you like.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Between the months of December 2012 and September 2015, I don't think a day went by when I didn't think about Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. I've never been that excited for a game before or since. The game was poised to be the most important MGS story ever, bridging the final gap between Big Boss' story and the first time he and Solid Snake faced off in Metal Gear, finally showing when he turned into a bad guy.

It's hard to overstate just how hyped up the fanbase was for Metal Gear Solid 5. The game's trailers were among the best ever made and inspired a ton of discussion and theorycrafting (the big twist was guessed after the first trailer, by the way).

Little did we know that few of our questions would be answered, with a game that was by all accounts 'unfinished,' or that this would be Hideo Kojima's final Metal Gear. And yet despite what should have been a massive disappointment, I still think of it as a masterpiece.

Here's to you

Now, Metal Gear Solid 5 is hardly derided. It received rave reviews and countless Game of the Year nominations and wins (including here at GamesRadar+). That was mostly down to the gameplay. While it was heavily touted as the game where "MGS goes open world," that alone didn't make it shine. It was how the player can interact with that world – having more in line with immersive sims than the typical open world formula people were used to at the time – and being the first game I can think of that felt truly free.

The core of Metal Gear Solid 5 is the player having an idea, trying it out, and 99% of the time it works. In one mission, Snake has to assassinate an PMC official that is meeting an arms dealer on an airfield. You could run in guns blazing and take him out as soon as he lands, extract him and the dealer to join your ranks at mother base, sneak into the airport and stick a C4 to his contact's ass, or strap a C4 to a car and send it flying off a hill into the helicopter as he tries to escape. You have so many ways of going around a mission, which is a far cry from the likes of sprawling Rockstar games, which get pissy when you try and walk five feet off the intended path. This is a game where you can end an intense sniper duel by calling for an equipment airdrop and having the box land on the enemy's head.

Of course, there's also the long-touted reactivity. If you exclusively do infiltrations at night, enemies will start wearing night vision goggles. Go for headshots, they'll start wearing helmets. It's not often that a game is so good that it can ruin an entire genre, but since The Phantom Pain, I've not been able to vibe with the generic open worlds, with only a select few like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Dragon's Dogma 2 captivating me. And the core of that is freedom of expression and allowing the player to make their own way.

From the man who sold the world

As alluded to earlier, Metal Gear Solid 5 was "unfinished," but what does that actually mean? The game's second act consisted of few new missions, instead many repeated missions with challenges (beat without bringing any kit, etc.), and there was a cut mission which was detailed on the collector's edition. We never actually saw the event that causes Big Boss' heel turn, which would lead to him being the villain in the MSX games (with the E3 2014 trailer feeling like it was setting it up how bleak it was). That part wasn't unfinished at all – it just wasn't something that was in Metal Gear Solid 5.

At the end of The Phantom Pain, you learn that – as Venom Snake – you weren't playing as Big Boss at all. You were a medic that was caught in the explosion during the events of Ground Zeroes, who through surgery and hypnosis, was led to believe he was the former Naked Snake. At the end of the game you get a monologue from the real Big Boss, thanking you for helping create the myth of "Big Boss" and saying that the title is shared. Venom walks off into the darkness of Outer Heaven, presumably about to meet his end at the hands of Solid Snake in Metal Gear (and thus finally explaining how Big Boss came back to life in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake).

We weren't playing as Big Boss at all – so when did he turn evil? And while Metal Gear Solid 5 has an underwhelming story, the way it actually gives us the answer – effectively "Have you been paying attention?" – is a stroke of genius.

In every game we play as Big Boss, he's a heroic figure, the protagonist who saves the day. But in the previous game, Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker, he's also the guy who runs a PMC, profiting from all sides of wars, forcibly taking soldiers to work for him, recruiting Chico – who was not even a teenager – and after averting a nuclear launch, kept Metal Gear Zeke and ensured Militaires Sans Frontières was equipped with nukes. Plus, stealing a guy's life and identity so that he can continue your legacy in aid of recruiting more soldiers is pretty messed up too, huh?

At the end of the E3 2013 trailer, we hear Big Boss say, "Kaz, I'm already a demon," and I don't know if I'm overthinking it, but that perfectly underscores how this game handled it. There was no big dramatic event that caused Big Boss to snap and become a bad guy; there was no monologue, or massive betrayal. Big Boss is a heroic figure, but he was already a demon when The Phantom Pain took place.

It's been 10 years since The Phantom Pain was released, and I have still never been as excited for a game since. It's not an exaggeration to say my anticipation for it helped me out during some rough spots. The ideal, finished version of Metal Gear Solid 5 in my mind is the perfect game, and while that never happened, what we got was one of the best examples of an immersive sim with a story that – while barebones – made me re-evaluate previous entries. It may be flawed, but it's still a masterpiece that I can't stop thinking about a decade on.

See where Metal Gear Solid 5 ranks on our round-up of the best open world games