Among the many surprises at last night’s Game Awards was the introduction to Hideo Kojima’s return to Metal Gear Online. Accompanying the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, it has been almost seven years since MGO was shut down back in 2008. Check out the video after the jump to have your expectations completely obliterated.

Now I’ll admit that I never played Metal Gear Online when Metal Gear Solid 4 released back in 2008 – I did beat MGS4 on extreme, so cut me a break – but this gameplay preview looks absolutely incredible. I’m not sure how many takes it took for the team Kojima to orchestrate that video, but it was flawless. Between the customization of the characters to the fluid infiltration experience, MGO is on the top of my most anticipated list.

In the rampant world of rehashed multiplayer shoot war games, Metal Gear Online looks refreshing, especially with that Hideo Kojima charm. I will definitely be getting my paws deep within MGO this time around. And how could you not giggle at Snake’s selfie with Ocelot? A true codec moment.

(Click on the images to begin the screenshot gallery)

Here’s the official plot synopsis for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, courtesy of Konami:

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan has brought a new edge to the Cold War, and in 1984, a one-eyed man with a prosthetic arm appears in the country. Those who know him call him Snake; the ledgendary mercenary who was once swept from the stage of history and left in a coma by American private intelligence network Cipher. Snake is accompanied by Ocelot, an old friend who saved him from attack when he finally awoke. Now, Snake’s former partner Kazuhira Miller is being held by the Soviet forces in Afghanistan. Snake must undertake a solo mission to rescue Miller and prove to the world that the legendary mercenary is not dead and gone. The first step will lead to a path of vengeance against the very Cipher that slaughtered so many of Snake’s men, and to battle that will embroil the whole world… What started in Ground Zeroes… must finish with “V.”

There is no set release date yet for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, but expect it will release on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC in 2015.

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Source: Konami