Metal Gear Solid
Hideo Kojima (R), creator of "Metal Gear Solid," waves next to Don Mattrick (L), President of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business, as they announce the next chapter of the franchise "Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain" during the Xbox E3 Media Briefing at USC's Galen Center in Los Angeles, California June 10, 2013. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

During GDC 2013, eccentric videogame developer Hideo Kojima confirmed that "The Phantom Pain" and "Ground Zeroes" were both part of "Metal Gear Solid 5." He went on to reveal the first major trailer for "Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain," a trailer featuring lots of action, incredible graphics and some mysterious new characters. Speculation as to just who's who in the trailer has run rampant and it appears gamers now have a solid idea as to who one of the trailer's more mystifying characters was. Beware, possible spoilers for "Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain" and "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater" follow.

Thanks to some detective work and helpful tip, website GamingBolt has identified the trailer's "Man on Fire" as "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater" antagonist, Volgin. The character's identity was uncovered when a tipster sent in an email with a picture of a new figure from Square Enix's Play Arts Kai line, clearly labelling him as Volgin.

As PlayStation Universe points out, the possible return of Volgin poses questions of its own. Volgin, a Russian GRU Colonel blessed with uncanny strength and the ability to manipulate electricity, died at the hands of Naked Snake during the events of Operation Snake Eater. Volgin was struck by lightning atop the Shagohod, setting him on fire and igniting a series of ammo packs he carried on his person.

In the trailer, the man on fire is seen standing in the burning hallway of a hospital. Volgin's appearance in "The Phantom Pain" would seem to indicate that Kojima has decided to bring the character back from beyond the grave. As GamingBolt states though, without official confirmation from Konami, this should all be taken with a grain of salt.

"Metal Gear Solid 5" represents the series first foray into the open-world genre, but despite the game's daunting scope, it appears the team are intent on including the series' signature attention to detail. GamingBolt also mentions that Snake will be able to take a shower to get rid of blood and dirt that have accumulated during the course of a mission.

"MGS5" will also introduce a huge number of gameplay systems new to the series. An article by Gamespot notes the introduction of dynamic weather, sniper support buddy, Quiet, the Fulton Recovery System, destructible environments and much more. "Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain" is scheduled for release on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. A specific release date has not been announced, but the title is expected some time in the latter half of 2015.

(Credit: YouTube/GamesHQMedia)

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