Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear Solid franchise, has always held his cards close to his chest. He has always left gamers guessing what the next Metal Gear Solid installment will offer, right until the very last moment.
This time Kojima has really excelled himself. The new Metal Gear Solid 5 trailer was revealed yesterday at the 2013 Game Developers Conference, and it raised many more questions than it answered.
The Phantom Pain’s epic new trailer
At the risk of speculation, let’s discuss what the new trailer appears to reveal.
First of all, the trailer confirms that the new Metal Gear Solid will once again star Big Boss (aka. Naked Snake), and take place directly after the events of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.
The video appears to show Snake fighting a losing battle defending Mother Base; the headquarters Snake built during Peace Walker.
Snake is somehow injured, possibly during the battle, but manages to escape via helicopter. Next, Snake awakens from a nine year coma, with one hand missing.
Beyond these small clues, the actual plot of Metal Gear Solid 5 is a mystery. How does The Phantom Pain trailer tie in with earlier trailers? And how does Metal Gear Solid 5 tie in with the larger plot line of the franchise?
And of course, it wouldn’t be a Hideo Kojima game if there weren’t some genuinely bizarre moments added in. The Phantom Pain trailer features a burning man, a flaming winged horse, and a giant flying whale which also happens to be on fire. That’s a lot of strangeness for a video of less than six minutes.
The new trailer for Metal Gear Solid 5: “The Phantom Pain”
httpvh://youtu.be/xw5t45tEPWQ
The original trailer for Metal Gear Solid 5: “Ground Zeroes”
httpvh://youtu.be/L5IVOs5Pxh8
What we actually do know
All we really know is that game will be split into two sections. Kojima has confirmed that the first section will be a tutorial, which will introduce players to the game, and set the scene. This tutorial section will somehow be linked to the new Phantom Pain trailer.
We also speculate that the tutorial section may began when Snake wakes up in hospital.
After the tutorial there will be a second section containing a bulk of the gameplay. It is unclear whether the events of the original Ground Zeroes trailer will play out here.
Finally, it is apparent that Snake will not be voiced by David Hayter, a first for the franchise.
Metal Gear Solid 5 will be released on the Xbox 360 and the PS3. No release date has been announced.
Do you think the first trailer was purely a technical demo, or do you think that the two trailers will somehow fit together? Feel free to add your thoughts about the new Metal Gear Solid below!