Series lead character Solid Snake, the characters surrounding him and the ever-present Metal Gear weapons of mass destruction have served as the focal point for the stealth series since its debut in 1987.

"[Solid Snake] was a burden [for Kojima] because of all those loose ends," Payton explained to MTV Multiplayer. "I think he is kind of nervous about it. You can't continue from this step. You can't start next chapter. We really do close up the story."

"So when you play Metal Gear Solid 4 and when you get to the end, I think you're going to feel that 'wow, this is a nice closure.' All of the weird stuff that's gone on in the past, it's all coming to an end. All those weird questions--everything is answered."

A PlayStation 3 exclusive, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots arrives complete with iPod and Playboy product placement on June 12.