Snake Star Plays Metal Gear Solid 5 After Sutherland's Role

David Hayter, the longtime voice actor behind Snake's iconic gravelly tones, has finally "forgiven" series creator Hideo Kojima for replacing him in 2015's Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain after personally experiencing the "amazing" game.

At the time, Hayter was replaced by Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland. Hayter admitted that playing the game back then would have felt like "60 hours of humiliation," stating: "I've got no particular love for Kojima. I don't feel any need to go back and work with him again."

Now, with the benefit of time, Hayter told PC Gamer, "There was reluctance. I didn't want to play the game because I thought it would hurt my feelings. Then, you know, ten years passed and I thought, 'To hell with my feelings. What do I care?' [...] I'm a screenwriter; getting fired is part of the job. I get let go from every single gig eventually. I'm not a child.

"I told myself, 'Stop being a baby and play the game.' So I did. It's amazing."

Hayter has also "forgiven" Sutherland. After running into him at a Dallas bar, the two "had a bunch of drinks." "He's a great guy, you know? No ill will. All is forgiven," Hayter said.

So, why does Hayter rate The Phantom Pain so highly?

"Every time you approach the same scenario, the enemies follow the same patterns, but you can choose completely different routes or attack strategies. It makes the game feel like time travel… It was truly badass. As far as I'm concerned, all is forgiven."

We also considered it a masterpiece. In IGN's 10/10 Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain review, we wrote: "The Phantom Pain is the kind of game I thought was impossible—one where every minute gameplay detail serves a real purpose. Its lighter story focus may divide Metal Gear fans, but the resulting emphasis on my personal tales of Espionage Action easily makes it my favorite in the series."

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