If Matt K's Metal Gear retrospectives weren't enough for you - we've just received news that as part of the next scheduled Playstation Store update Konami will be releasing something special for Metal Gear fans.

Konami's new release will please both hardened fans of the series and those new to the Metal Gear universe. Cleverly titled the Metal Gear Solid 4 Database, it will be distributed on the Playstation store as a FREE downloadable interactive application. Containing information regarding the plot and characters the MGS4 Database will give many an opportunity to better understand the overall plot of the Metal Gear series.


Writing on the Playstation Blog, Brandon Laurino outlined some of the finer details of what that the MGS4 Database will feature:

The MGS4 Database is a free, downloadable interactive application that contains the official knowledge base of everything that is Metal Gear, reaching all the way back to the very beginning of the franchise. Including complete storylines, character profiles, relationship diagrams, and much more! The MGS4 database is a great way to catch up for someone new to Metal Gear, as well as a useful resource for any veteran of the series, with complete official details on every aspect of the intricate Metal gear lore.

In addition, the MGS4 Database will automatically 'lock' certain pieces of information in order to try and prevent spoilers for those who haven't completed MGS4 yet - pretty nifty, yeah?

In his post, Laurino also noted that there were a few downloadable extras already available for download on the Playstation - accessible through the MGS4 game menu under 'extras'. Promises of additional support for Metal Gear Online were also made - with downloadable content coming in the near future.

If you know nothing of the Metal Gear Series - Matt K's retrospectives (Part 1, Part 2) are a good place to start. Furthermore - if you're not sure what all the fuss is about, you can always check out a few trailers, or have a look at the screenshots on our mirror.