Konami’s “Metal Gear Solid” series of stealth-action games have an incredibly devoted following, even if the jabbermouthy dialogue and esoteric turns the overarching plot has taken over the last decade have been off-putting for some. (Arm-transplant mind control! Secret world-influencing societies! A.I.-spearheaded information control!) The release of a new entry in the series is a big event.

And hey, would you look at that — a new one is coming out tomorrow! “Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots” is notable not only for being the presumably final and hopefully loose-end-tying chapter in gravel-voiced operative Solid Snake’s story. It’s also an exclusive for the PlayStation 3, which has been gaining steam since late last year but still needs a game that people will buy the system to play. The series has been a PlayStation staple since 1998’s “Metal Gear Solid,” so “MGS4″ will likely be that game.

It’s also a video game with an old hero. Solid Snake is chronologically in his mid-40s — already older than average for a game protagonist who’s not an immortal vampire demigod or something. He was cloned in the 1970s from the genes of Big Boss, an extremely proficient warrior whom Snake would eventually kill.

But imperfections in the cloning process mean Snake is aging rapidly — he was never a spring chicken in these games, but now he looks at least 20 years older than he is, and that mustache doesn’t take any years off. I’ve been tired of playing as teenagers in video games since I was a teenager — it’s good to see a capable, tough old dude in the lead role, especially when he’s taking over for that sissy boy Raiden from “MGS2″ (who looks like he redeems himself in this installment as a badass robo-ninja).

“Guns of the Patriots” has been a long time coming for gamers who want to know what happens next in this twisting tale — “MGS3″ took a trip back to the 1960s to explore the origins of Big Boss and his warmongering vision, so Solid Snake’s been hanging in Schrödingerian limbo for almost seven years. I hope it was worth the wait; guess we’ll find out tomorrow!

(McClatchy Tribune handout photo)