Konami has enlisted actor Kiefer Sutherland to play the role of Snake in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, but we may not hear his voice very often in the game. Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima says in a new interview that Snake “won’t really speak much at all.” Keeping Snake somewhat silent was a design choice Kojima made so that he comes across as an extension of the player.

“I’ve said it many times, but I understand why people feel Snake is cool and admire him,” Kojima told IGN. “In realty, though, Snake is and always has been nothing more than an extension of the player. He’s your alter ego. Therefore, I made a very conscious effort this time to bring Snake closer to the player’s perspective. As much as possible, Snake will act based on the player rather than doing things like making spontaneous comments or flirting with women.”

“In fact, this time, Snake won’t really speak much at all,” he added. “Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is an open-world game focused on giving freedom to the player who will drive Snake’s actions. Snake himself will be more of a silent protagonist similar to Mad Max in Mad Max 2. It’s the characters around him who will expand the story.”

That wasn’t the only new detail Kojima revealed about The Phantom Pain. He also says that the game could be the final entry in the long-running “Metal Gear Saga.” Of course, he’s made claims of this nature before, but here’s what he had to say on the subject this time around.

“I always say, ‘This will be my last Metal Gear,'” Kojima said. “But the games in the series that I’ve personally designed and produced–Metal Gear on MSX, MG2, MGS1, 2, 3, 4, Peace Walker, and now MGSV–are what constitute a single ‘Metal Gear Saga.’ With MGSV, I’m finally closing the loop on that saga.”

“In that sense, this will be the final ‘Metal Gear Solid,'” Kojima explained. “Even if the ‘Metal Gear’ franchise continues, this is the last ‘Metal Gear.'”

The Phantom Pain launches worldwide September 1 across Xbox and PlayStation consoles. The PC edition, meanwhile, is scheduled to arrive two weeks later on September 15. We also now know all about the game’s limited edition, which comes with a model of Snake’s bionic arm, among other things.