Metal Gear Solid 4 Finally Getting a Remaster Highlights How the Series Did What Few Franchises Ever Could

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As a gamer, it’s kinda rare to see a character actually stay dead. Sure, they get into tough spots all the time, but with big franchises, a lot of important characters just… don’t get a proper ending. They keep coming back! Sometimes it works really well, like with the older Kratos in the new God of War game – it’s cool seeing him deal with the stuff he did way back when. But other times, it just feels like they can’t let go of a character, even if their story should be finished.

Typically, video game characters don’t have definitive conclusions to their stories. However, Solid Snake, the main character in the Metal Gear Solid series, is a notable exception. After appearing in games for many years, he received a satisfying farewell in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, which remains a highly praised ending for a video game character. Now that the game is being re-released for the first time on modern platforms, fans will have another opportunity to experience this memorable conclusion.

Metal Gear Solid 4 Is Finally Getting A Modern Re-Release

Released in 2008, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots was a fantastic game and a satisfying conclusion to Solid Snake’s story – a decision the series has stuck with. The game puts players back in control of Solid Snake on a mission through a battlefield. This time, he’s trying to stop his twin brother, Liquidus (who now controls Ocelot’s body), from taking over the “Sons of the Patriots” AI system and using it to disrupt the world.

When it first came out, the game was a huge hit with critics and players, earning excellent reviews, award nominations, and strong sales. Although the Metal Gear series has continued, it hasn’t picked up the story from Metal Gear Solid 4 directly, except for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, which mostly told its own story. This makes Guns of the Patriots the true conclusion to the main Metal Gear Solid storyline, which is why fans were disappointed it remained exclusive to the PlayStation 3 for so long. Now, it’s been announced that the game will be remastered as part of Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2, allowing players to experience Solid Snake’s final adventure once again.

Metal Gear Solid’s Ending For Solid Snake Was Great, And It Shouldn’t Be Messed With

Solid Snake was the hero of most of the main Metal Gear Solid games, so it was unexpected to see him as an older, failing man in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. The game reveals that Snake was artificially created as part of a super-soldier project, which ultimately shortened his life. The story centers on Snake facing both his past and his own sense of right and wrong. He’s shown as a weary soldier struggling to find his purpose. Guns of the Patriots offered a rare narrative where the main character truly aged and found closure. It tied up loose ends from Snake’s own experiences with war, as well as the tragic history of Big Boss, which was explored in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. The game gave Snake a powerful and emotional ending, allowing him to finally retire and live a peaceful life, “not as a snake, but as a man.”

Solid Snake’s story in Guns of the Patriots is particularly special because it’s the last time we see him as the main character in the series. Later games focused on Big Boss or Raiden instead. It was a genuinely moving and satisfying conclusion, and rare for a video game icon to get a real ending. Often, popular characters don’t get their stories fully resolved, even when it feels natural, because game franchises tend to prioritize ongoing series over complete character arcs. While some franchises, like Grand Theft Auto or Mafia, can tell complete stories, long-running heroes like Master Chief, Kratos, and Samus rarely get a definitive ending. That’s what makes Solid Snake’s finale so significant – it shows a series can continue successfully while still giving its beloved characters a proper send-off. With Konami bringing Snake’s final adventure to new consoles, it’s a great opportunity for players to experience how a video game hero should have their story conclude.

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2026-02-23 23:11