Metal Gear Solid 5 collector's edition includes cut mission hinting at future games

The collector's edition of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain includes a story mission that was cut from the wider spread commercial version of Hideo Kojima's stealth epic. Called Kingdom of the Flies, the episode would have been number 51 and appears in an unfinished, unplayable state on the collector's edition's Blu-ray disc.

The story is told without full cut scenes (storyboards fill in the spaces) but it is all fully voice acted. Intriguingly, the episode features story elements that could tie into future games in the series.

Gamespot discovered the cut mission, which is said to give insight into the motivations of Big Boss – the character who started out as the antagonist in the very first Metal Gear but became the playable protagonist in MGS 3 and now 5. The motivations of Big Boss clone Liquid Snake are also given insight – though it is not clear if the character features in the mission.

Further details have yet to be discovered, but we're keeping an eye out.

The hints at future games are especially intriguing given the well-reported rift between publisher Konami and series creator and creative lead Hideo Kojima – who is expected to depart the company and series in the months to come now The Phantom Pain has launched. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is out now for PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

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