Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes

At PAX 2012, Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima showed off 11 minutes of the first gameplay footage from his upcoming PS3 game. Though running on a PC, Kojima stated that the footage was comparable to what would be seen on the PS3 version of the game.

The demo begins with an in-engine, real-time cinematic set in a rain-drenched prison camp, and ably shows off FOX Engine's advanced shader, lighting, and particle effects.

After the cinematic showing a mysterious man with a mutilated face and wide-brimmed hat leading troops from the prison camp into a mission, the gameplay footage kicked into gear as Snake moved into position outside the prison camp -- a huge open-world environment riddled with entry points. Kojima pointed out nearby APCs and helicopters, confirming that Snake can commandeer and pilot them if he so desired. As if to prove the point, Snake hopped into a Jeep to gain access, evading a roaming tank in the process. Kojima also showed that you can deploy a flare "at any time" to call in a friendly helicopter — it will let you fly between missions, and even to other countries. He even confirmed that the player can customize the music played by the helicopter, which in the demo blared out Ride of the Valkyries.

"We're not going to say that it's Metal Gear Solid 5," Kojima said after the demo, "but it is a prologue." Kojima also confirmed that the demo was running on PC hardware that was similarly equipped to PS3, and that the final game should closely resemble the demo video.

Kojima also confirmed that he is personally creating Ground Zeroes. Watch the video demo at the top of this post.

Extended footage from the Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes PAX 2012 demo.