Once again, rumors are circling about Metal Gear Solid‘s possible return to PlayStation consoles. There have been multiple unsubstantiated leaks, and Snake’s former voice actor, David Hayter, indicated that Konami has a Metal Gear Solid project in the works. Fans have been hungry to return to the tactical espionage action thrills the series had become famous for delivering.
While the rumors vary wildly between a Metal Gear Solid remake to a port of the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, even if these turn out to be true, it’ll likely be quite some time until gamers can get their hands on whatever this turns out to be. Luckily, Metal Gear Solid has left its mark on gaming, and there are no shortage of titles that recapture some of the series’ magic. Here are some titles to hold fans over until Konami reveals the future of the series.
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Hitman 3
Hitman 3 perfects the payoff for stealth-based gameplay, offering players countless ways to assassinate their targets. Large, open set-pieces allow players to sleuth for intel, disguise themselves, acquire new weapons, learn the target’s schedule and manipulate the environment to their advantage. There’s a sense of accomplishment that comes with shadowing your prey and discovering the quirks that make that character unique. When it’s time to pounce, it feels calculated and earned. Alternatively, if players prefer (or if the initial plan falls by the wayside), they can go in guns blazing. Hitman 3 smoothly transitions between stealth and action gameplay.
Hitman 3 released this January and has received favorable reviews since launch. It’s available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC and Google Stadia.
Splinter Cell: Blacklist
Splinter Cell: Blacklist contains many of the same elements that players love about the Metal Gear Solid series. The title plays from a third-person perspective, has a strong emphasis on stealth gameplay and supports different approaches and problem solving when completing objectives. Players can go through entire game segments without being discovered by enemies and interact with the environment in different ways, like shooting out light sources for easier sneaking. In truth, Splinter Cell has long been a contemporary and competitor to Metal Gear Solid, since the original title was released a year after Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. The two series have even referenced each other on multiple occasions.
Blacklist is the series’ most recent title, and it was released in 2013 for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii U.
Batman: Arkham Series
The Batman: Arkham games put players in the suit of the caped crusader as they fight to save Gotham from certain doom. The titles prioritize stealth, often pitting Batman against groups of enemies unaware of his presence. Players pick off foes, trapping areas of the map or luring goons away to eliminate. In most cases, encounters can be resolved exclusively with stealth, but the option always exists to jump into the mayhem and beat up remaining bad guys. Backing up his martial arts abilities, Batman has an array of gadgets that can be used in and out of combat.
The first game in the series, Arkham Asylum, released in 2009. Its sequel, Arkham City, released in 2011, and the final game, Arkham Knight, released in 2015. There is a Batman Arkham Collection available that contains the three main entries for Xbox One and PlayStation 4; PC players will have to purchase the titles individually.
The Last of Us
The Last of Us blends stealth-based gameplay with a fresh take on the zombie apocalypse. The world, ravaged by a fungus-based infection turning large portions of the population into zombie-adjacent creatures, is on the brink of collapse. Players embark on a journey across the U.S., encountering monsters born from both this infection and human desperation. Luring foes into advantageous positions or sneaking by them undetected are common occurrences as players try to cobble enough resources together to defend themselves if needed. Stealth takes the forefront of the experience, but a run-and-gun approach is always on the table if the supplies are available.
The Last of Us was released in 2013 on PlayStation 3, with a remastered version coming to PlayStation 4 the following year.
Sniper Elite 4
Sniper Elite 4 takes the best of Metal Gear Solid‘s stealth elements and fine-tunes it for a World War II setting. At its core, the game revolves around using a trusty sniper rifle to eliminate targets and complete objectives, but this entry in the series has more depth than previous ones. Levels are bigger and more open, adding more verticality and allowing players to move and position freely. There’s also a more extensive arsenal of weapons, many of which work with the series’ impressive X-Ray kill-cam feature. Add in some formidable enemy AI plus additional stealth features, and you have the closest World War II contemporary to Metal Gear Solid that exists.
Sniper Elite 4 was released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in 2017. It was ported to Nintendo Switch and Google Stadia in 2020.
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