David Hayter, the voice of Solid Snake and his former mentor, Big Boss, is back. He hasn’t been in a Metal Gear Solid game for over thirteen years and now, Konami has brought him back to front its new Metal Gear Solid Legacy retrospective.
No, that doesn’t mean we’re getting a Metal Gear Solid 6. Given that series creator Hideo Kojima has parted ways with Konami, that’s probably a good thing. But we can’t think of anyone better to front this look back at the long-running stealth game series, and that includes Brian Blessed.
Hayter first appeared as genetically engineered super soldier Solid Snake in 1998’s Metal Gear Solid, two years before he wrote the script for X-Men (no, really). He continued in the role up until 2010, becoming the de-facto English voice for Solid Snake.
However, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain saw him replaced by Keifer Sutherland. And while there’s an in-game reason for that, the decision proved controversial.
Now he’s back, fronting Metal Gear Solid Legacy, Hayter “
The trailer has Hayter praising the Metal Gear Solid series, calling it “a franchise that has reshaped the gaming world.” And he’s not wrong. Metal Gear technically began with 1987’s MSX game but for many, 1998’s Metal Gear Solid is where it all started.
Konami hasn’t released many details about the Metal Gear Legacy series, other than it’s a retrospective fronted by Hayter. There was also a half-an-hour Metal Gear Legacy video as an extra for Metal Gear Solid 5, so the series may also recycle some footage from that.
Even if you’ve no interest in playing the games, Metal Gear Solid has had such a cultural impact, that the Metal Gear Legacy series is one to watch.
Hayter signs off with “This is only just the beginning”, all but slipping into Solid Snake’s gravelly tones.
The first three Metal Gear Solid games are now available as part of the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1, though it’s not without its issues. For a start, it doesn’t do well on Steam Deck.
If you’re looking to take your PC gaming on the go, here’s a list of the best Steam Deck games. Or if you want to build your own Solid Snake in Baldur’s Gate 3, here’s our guide to Rogue builds.