Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker due May 25

Another piece of the puzzling Metal Gear Solid series plotline is about to fall into place. Konami today announced that Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is set to launch in North America on May 25, 2010. It will ship three days later in the UK.

A sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and previous PSP entry Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Peace Walker puts players in the role of Naked Snake/Big Boss once more and gives them a look at the earliest stages of his Outer Heaven mercenary group. Series creator Hideo Kojima and Konami are emphasizing Peace Walker as a "full-scale sequel" in the Metal Gear series and not a spin-off or side project.

One of the big new additions to Peace Walker is cooperative multiplayer action for up to four players. Gamers can pick from one of four Snakes, each with its own equipment and focus on stealth, combat, or a mix of the two.

Peace Walker also plays with the standard structure of past Metal Gear games. Players will be able to revisit previously completed missions, and Konami is borrowing a page from its recent Metroid-inspired Castlevania games to give them a reason to. Snake will earn new abilities as he progresses through the game, enabling him to reach secret areas from earlier levels on a repeat visit.

For more on Peace Walker, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.