Konami and Kojima Productions have today announced that Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes is coming in Spring 2014.

The game is a budget title that will introduce gamers to the world and gameplay of the main event, which will be Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Both The Phantom Pain and Ground Zeroes have been developed with Kojima Production’s FOX Engine, which powers a number of Konami games. Kojima explained the reasoning behind the two titles:

“The advanced capabilities of the FOX Engine have allowed me to tell the new story in a new way. There will be a significant difference in what Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain brings to the series, so we want to ease players into the new open world environment and its potential. As such, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes has been designed to introduce key elements, allowing them to fully benefit from all that the new game will offer.”

Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes takes place after the events of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, and follows the story of Naked Snake – now Big Boss – as he infiltrates a Cuban prison camp, where events will occur that will unravel fully in Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. The two new games marks the first time the series has gone open world, with dynamic weather effects that Kojima Productions boasts will have an effect on the gameplay.

Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes is released in Spring 2014 for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One as both a physical release and a digital download on PSN and Xbox Live. On current-gen, the digital version will cost £19.99 and the physical version £29.99. On PS4 and Xbox One, the game will cost £29.99 regardless of medium.

What do you think? Will you buy the game on current-gen or next-gen? Let us know in the comments below.