I grew up with the Metal Gear series: Here’s what I’d want from Metal Gear Solid 6

You can’t keep a good soldier down, and developer Konami knows it. After releasing the remake of Metal Gear Solid 3, called Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, last month to rave reviews, fans are wondering what the series’ next move is. With hope that a Vol. 2 Collection will finally bring Metal Gear Solid 4 to modern systems, fans are wishing for something more.

As a fan of the series too, ever since Metal Gear Solid’s debut on the PlayStation console in 1998, I’ve always wondered what a Metal Gear Solid 6 could look like. Having played each title endlessly, there are gaps in the narrative that we’ve yet to see, and could look fantastic on modern consoles. With this in mind, here’s what I’d like to see in a future Metal Gear title.

The Escapist recaps

• The Metal Gear series began in 1987, with the first entry arriving on NES, MS-DOS, MSX, and other platforms.
• The last game, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, came out in 2015 as creator Hideo Kojima’s swansong, before leaving Konami soon after.
• The remake of the third game, Metal Gear Solid: Delta, came out on August 26 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and PC.
• Konami had let the series lie dormant after Kojima’s departure, but with Delta getting rave reviews, it has several paths to take, such as remaking another game or remastering others.

Where the series currently stands

The Metal Gear Solid series had been lying dormant for years, until very recently. But that’s not stopped me from playing the games. Thanks to owning many of the titles on my PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, and having my PlayStation 3 in my living room just so I can replay Metal Gear Solid 4, replaying the games never gets old for me. 

But developer Konami hasn’t touched the series since creator Hideo Kojima left the company in 2015, in murky circumstances. However, it’s clear that Konami finally recognised recently that Metal Gear is one of its crown jewels, which is why we’ve seen a remastered collection debut in 2023, as well as the remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater released last month to a great reception.

Right now, you can play most of the Metal Gear games on your console or PC, except for Metal Gear Solid 4, as it’s still locked to the PlayStation 3 at the time of writing. But although fans would love to see other titles remade, such as the first Metal Gear Solid, I’ve always thought there was potential for a sixth entry to delve deeper into the Cobra Unit from MGS 3.

We Will Fight Them On The Beaches

Titles of Metal Gear games can hint at the story. For example, the reason Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain isn’t named Metal Gear Solid 5 is because the ‘V’ stands for Venom Snake, the protagonist of that entry, and the plot twist that we won’t spoil here. I would love a hypothetical Metal Gear Solid 6 entry to be called “Metal Gear Solid: The Six”, and have it revolve around the Cobra Unit.

For those unaware, this unit consists of the bosses you fought in Metal Gear Solid 3, consisting of The Pain, The Fear, The Fury, The Sorrow, and The End, all led by The Boss. As you played this game or the Metal Gear Solid Delta remake, you would discover that the Cobra Unit was formed in 1942, during the Second World War. 

They would take part in battles like the Battle of Stalingrad, as well as take part in missions during D-Day in 1944 around Normandy. This day was also important, as it was when The Boss gave birth to her son, who would eventually become Revolver Ocelot.

Metal Gear Solid is steeped in the narrative of war, so why not go to one of the most tragic and barbaric wars that changed the world several times over? Players could go on missions, much like how Metal Gear Solid V laid them out, but you could also play as one of the Cobra Unit. You could infiltrate Nazi bases and use the powers that you fought against in the third entry. 

Playing as The Pain, for example, you could collect hornets and lead them into bases to distract guards in order to steal secret plans. Or, as The End, you could be in the trenches at Normandy during D-Day, using his powers of stealth and stamina to shoot down enemies.

This setting would give the Metal Gear series a fresh way of being part of a war, but one that many players would recognise far more than the other ones the series has mentioned in the past. 

Combine it with the famous battles of D-Day and Stalingrad, and you can imagine running past bombs on beaches as The Fury, getting plans while defending The Boss as she gives birth. It sounds like Metal Gear, and it can give every character here more depth as to why they play their part in Metal Gear Solid 3.

The World is Better Off Without Snakes

Yes, many want Snake to come back, but for me, that’s not possible as long as Hideo Kojima isn’t involved. Snake is his creation, and to add a new chapter to a story that definitively ended in Metal Gear Solid 4 feels cheap, no matter how hard someone may try.

Instead, a sixth entry that delves into the Cobra Unit in their prime could build on what Metal Gear Solid Delta has showcased to new and old players, by adding depth to these characters, but being freer to set the landscapes and missions by the new team at Konami. Snake’s story has ended, but there’s no reason why more stories should be told from the past to add even more emotional weight to when you finally face The Boss in Metal Gear Solid 3.

In the meantime, Konami should look to bring the rest of the Metal Gear titles to modern platforms to give new players a way of discovering how much of the story unfolds. Metal Gear Solid 4 is the next obvious choice to be re-released. It may have its detractors, such as long cut-scenes, drawn-out stealth sections, and tedious enemies like Gekko. But its story, locations, boss fights, and more make it a fine entry to Solid Snake’s final mission. If Konami did this, it would ease the wait for a new entry if they were working on one, and would only make the series more accessible on current platforms, especially the Nintendo Switch 2.

For now, if you’re a new fan of the series, you won’t go wrong by starting with Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, then playing a few more titles via the Metal Gear Solid Vol. 1 Collection, which has several entries ready to go. Sales will be the clearest indicator that a sixth entry is viable for Konami, so if you want to see it, buying these titles will certainly help the cause.

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