Summary
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the release ofMetal Gear Solid, and while it’s not the first game in theMetal Gearfranchise, the PlayStation classic is perhaps one of the most important and influential games ever released. Not only did the title single-handedly birth one of the most critically acclaimed franchises in gaming, but it brought stealth gameplay to the masses alongside a hyper-stylized cautionary tale about the dangers of war and nuclear proliferation. With a full-scale remake ofMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eaterin the works, it’s likely that players will be diving in headfirst to either rediscoverMetal Gear Solid’s convoluted lore or try to decipher it for the first time.
Series mastermind Hideo Kojima has a penchant for intentionally misdirecting fans or hiding tons of secrets in his games that reference his previous work. This tendency toward obfuscation and mystery has contributed to theMetal Gear Solidseries having some of the most intricately detailed lore, with longtime series fans connecting the dots between Big Boss' first appearance andthe Guns of the Patriots incidentfromMetal Gear Solid 4. That said, there are still some lingering mysteries from the franchise that will likely never be resolved without Kojima shepherding future games.
RELATED:Metal Gear Solid May Still Have a Future, But It’s Not MGS6
Where is Big Boss Between MGS5 and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake?
One of the larger prevailing mysteries intheMetal Gear Solidcanonis the whereabouts of Big Boss following the events ofMetal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain.MGS5’s prologueMetal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroesends on a cliffhanger, with Big Boss critically injured in a helicopter accident. The accident results in Big Boss and the medic that saved his life both being in a coma for nine years. During that time, the medic is turned into the exact genetic clone of Big Boss, eventually dubbed Venom Snake. Venom Snake is the version of Big Boss that players control duringMetal Gear Solid 5, as well as the same version of Big Boss that players face off against in the originalMetal Gear.
While it is revealed that Big Boss is given a US passport and instructed to live in obscurity by Ocelot, his whereabouts and activities during the intervening years betweenMGS5andMetal Gear 2: Solid Snakeremain a mystery. The only information players are given about the actual Big Boss during this time is that he establishes Zanzibar Land, the site of the Zanzibar Land Disturbancefeatured inMetal Gear 2. All other references to Big Boss, including his role in building Outer Heaven and the events of the firstMetal Gear, are all actually Venom Snake. With his “phantom” assuming the visible role of Big Boss to the world, what the real Big Boss was up to during this time is shrouded in mystery.
The Real-World Metal Gear Solid Mystery: Who is Suzetta Minet?
One of the other prevailing mysteries in theMetal Gear Solidfranchise has connections to the real world. For years, fans have theorized about the identity of EVA’svoice actor fromMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. The credits for bothSnake EaterandPeace Walkerlist the actress as Suzetta Minet, but this is simply a pseudonym adopted by the actress for the purpose of her identity remaining confidential. Questions about her true identity directed towardMetal Gear Solid 3’s casting director and David Hayter, the voice of Solid Snake, have only yielded responses that add more mystery.
That there is an unsolved mystery of theMetal Gear Solidfranchise that has real-world implications should come as no surprise to fans of Hideo Kojima’s work, as he has a precedent of engaging in meta-narratives related to his games. What will be interesting to see is if Suzetta Minet returns as EVA in theupcomingMetal Gear Solid Deltaremake, raising even more questions and reigniting the fan debate about the actress' true identity.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eateris in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE:14 Facts You Didn’t Know About Venom Snake In Metal Gear Solid
