Elite supersoldier Solid Snake is going to attempt a slightly less than usual covert infiltration mission under the cover of darkness this Wednesday in the UK, on the eve of Metal Gear Solid 4's worldwide release.

　　High street giant Zavvi will be opening its doors at midnight, but only at the flagship Oxford Street store in Central London. The first 25 Metal Gear fans can snag a copy of the game that has been signed by creator Hideo Kojima (ahead of the event, naturally) and all who attend will also receive a swag bag and "have the chance to enter a competition to win a 'money-can't-buy' Metal Gear Solid 4 prize," according to the retailer.

　　Meanwhile, Zavvi's main high street competitor, HMV, has said it won't be opening at midnight. HMV Oxford Street hosted an event last Monday where Kojima signed 300 limited edition slipcases available exclusively to those who preordered the game on the day. In addition to Kojima, lead artist Yoji Shinkawa and actress Yumi Kikuchi, who plays one of the game's Beauty & the Beast characters, were also on hand to sign autographs.

　　Lastly, for those living in the Hull area, the local Gamestation will be open from 11 p.m. A spokesperson for Gamestation said that while the retailer wasn't planning any official midnight openings some other stores may open at their own discretion and customers should phone their local store for more details.

　　At the time of publication, specialist retailer Game had not yet returned GameSpot UK's request for comment.