According to PS3M, it seems that Hideo Kojima is poised to reveal two titles at this year’s E3. And aside from gamers’ hopes for a Zone of the Enders 3 (a sentiment I could not agree with more) it seemed that the majority of the gaming sphere was convinced that Kojima-san would be unveiling Metal Gear Solid 5. Being a long time fan of the series,I can honestly say that I cannot get enough of Solid Snake and his espionage action. But if Metal Gear Solid 4 proved anything, it’s that Solid Snake’s era has indeed come to an end, and to continue the story of this worn-out warrior would only cheapen the emotional impact of his last mission’s conclusion. So I offer to Hideo Kojima, and to you my fellow readers, five Metal Gear projects that should be considered besides Metal Gear Solid 5.
Metal Gear: Ghost Babel Remake: A non-canon, alternate sequel to Metal Gear 2, Metal Gear: Ghost Babel (or Metal Gear Solid as it goes by outside of Japan) was one of the last great titles to grace the Gameboy Color. Telling a story as cleverly woven as its Playstation counterpart and starring a memorable cast of boss characters that would rival Liquid Snake’s infamous FOX-HOUND Unit (oh, Pyro Bison, you flame-happy lunatic), Ghost Babel is a Metal Gear masterpiece that needs to be revisited. It wouldn’t even be necessary for Kojima Productions to go all out for a Ghost Babel remake; I would gladly settle for PSOne-style graphics and a downloadable release on XBLA/PSN.
Metal Gear Ac!d 3: In the early days of the PSP, Metal Gear Ac!d gobbled up a lot of my free time. While the idea of a card/turn based Metal Gear title was a little silly at first, I grew to love this portable series. Given that Sony has recently unveiled its NGP (seriously, are we really supposed to keep calling it that?), Metal Gear Ac!d 3 would be a perfect title for the awesome new portable. And while I’m sure that Kojima has plans for the NGP with a possible MGS4 port (after all, the 3DS is getting a port of Snake Eater), a fresh entry in the Ac!d series is long overdue and deserves a spot in the NGP’s library.
Metal Gear Liquid: I’ll probably be the first to admit this, but I was a little upset when the character of Liquid-Ocelot was revealed to be a mind-warped Ocelot who knowingly underwent hypnotherapy to make himself believe he was Liquid Snake. Sure it was kind of interesting to see the sort lengths Ocelot would go to, but I've  felt that the relationship between Liquid and Snake was always far more interesting. And looking back at the ending scenes of Metal Gear Solid,  I could never get enough of the exchanges between the two brothers.  But one of the things I have always found fascinating about Liquid Snake is his unexplored relationship with Big Boss. Briefly mentioned at during his end-of-game chat with Solid Snake, Liquid hints at an abusive relationship with the man he was cloned from, and claims how he was more or less treated like garbage from the moment he was born.  Illuminating on Liquid's past, as well as delving into his relationship with the FOX-HOUND Unit he formed prior to the events of Metal Gear Solid, would make for a wholly satisfying experience.
Metal Gear Solidus: Solidus Snake is my favorite Snake – there, I said it. While Solid Snake has proven his skills on the battlefield time and time again, I must admit that Solidus happens to be my personal favorite of Big Boss’ offspring.  ‘The Boss to surpass Big Boss’ as he so eloquently puts it, Solidus Snake  is the quintessential badass – not to mention that he also kind of sounds like Alec Baldwin which works wonders for his image.  Like his brothers, Solidus spent most of his young adulthood on the battlefield – you can't escape your genes, after all.  A game that chronicles the actions of Solidus, from the time he first met and recruited Raiden, to the months leading up to his plans to bring down GW and the Patriots, is a Metal Gear narrative worth exploring. Oh and if Kojima could somehow work Solidus' Doctor Octopus tentacles into the game, well that would be just stellar.
Grey Fox/Ninja: Not to knock Metal Gear Rising, but Raiden pales in comparison to Grey Fox. I know that Kojima really tried to make the blonde-hair pretty boy something of a killing machine in MGS4, but seeing him in action in Guns of the Patriots only made him feel like a Grey Fox derivative. And if Raiden gets his own game, why not Grey Fox? As a character, Grey Fox has remained as one of gaming's truly tortured souls. With a history of genetic experimentation going back to his early youth, the boy known as Null would eventually earn the codename of Fox and become one of FOX-HOUND’s most valuable assets. His rise through the ranks notwithstanding, Grey Fox also has a very sorted past with Solid Snake. A game that would elaborate on the character’s history, as well as his activities during the events of Metal Gear – Metal Gear Solid, sounds too good to pass up. And besides, we all know he was the reason we picked up Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions.
Post contributed by Andreas Asimakis. Questions for the author? Send an email to andreas@gamesabyss.com. Follow him on Twitter: @pantsguy.