Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain (15)

Another E3, another chance for Metal Gear Solid to once again steal the show. The series has a knack for turning up big at the convention, like it did last year, but this year's trailer is going to be much "tougher" to watch than in years past, says director Hideo Kojima in a Twitter post.

Kojima is still intent on turning his tonally schizophrenic series down the much more edgy path he feels it needs to critique the real world. His newest game touches on subjects you wouldn't expect to find in the series where a mulleted man crawls around in a cardboard box, and Kojima feels the need to warn you about the content of the new trailer, as translated by IGN.

"Finished the mix. Like last year, this trailer contains no explosions, collapses, destruction, gunfights, car chases or people mobbed by reporters. Nor any zombies, aliens or giant spaceships. Just men descending into madness. A lot of fans said the 2013 GDC trailer was tough to watch. This one may be even tougher."

While always serious in nature, the Metal Gear Solid franchise is famous for traditionally having a infantile sense of humor at the most awkward of times. Constant sudden tonal shifts make it very hard to take the series' message, themes, and commentary too seriously.

Kojima has already given us a taste of the new and "improved" Metal Gear Solid with the retail demo Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and all of the sexual assaults, torture, and violent surgeries you can expect. We reviewed it and liked all other aspects of the game, but this new tone didn't sit with us well as it came off as cheap shock value rather than the serious critique of the world that Kojima is aiming for.

Regardless, it's going to be one of the biggest games at the show, but I doubt very much that the trailer will top the "edge" that Metal Gear Solid 4 showed when Snake put a gun in his mouth just before cutting to black.