Konami’s official blog has announced that Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes will be released in Spring 2014. This appears to confirm rumours that the game would in fact be released in two parts, with The Phantom Pain coming later in the year.
The status of the game has remained seemingly in deliberate and eternal flux since its announcement as two completely separate games in 2011, with Ground Zeroes being a prequel to The Phantom Pain’s weirdness. What form this will take is still unclear: whether it will be a full release title, or a cheaper extended demo of sorts, much like Dead Rising 2: Case Zero. Konami have been somewhat cryptic on this issue, touting it as an “introduction to open world design”. This, of course, doesn’t rule out the potential for some kind of complete pack or special edition.
The other main confirmation is that the game will be released for both current and next-gen systems, with support for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Playstation 4 and Xbox One confirmed. This suggests the rumoured PC port may not be happening, which is a trifle disappointing for PC gamers. However, given the amazing grunt of the FOX engine already shown through the trailers and screenshots, if they can maintain a consistent frame rate, it might be a fantastic benchmark for the new systems.
While it’s a bit disappointing that the whole story won’t be in a neat bundle like Metal Gear Solid 2, this does perhaps suggest that we’re in for a massive experience, one I cannot wait to get my greasy tactical espionage mitts on!
