Image: Konami
Konami has shown off first-look gameplay from Metal Gear Solid 3’s upcoming remake, and it looks stunning.
This week’s Xbox Partner Preview showcase held an unexpected surprise: Konami showed up to deliver the first in-engine look at Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater’s upcoming remake. The remake is being rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5 and seems to be taking full advantage of the game engine, with a photorealistic take on the jungles of Tselinoyarsk and a modernised design for Naked Snake.
And in case you’re unfamiliar with Metal Gear lore, no, he’s not actually naked. Here’s the trailer:
Our first look at Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Konami is revitalising Snake Eater with nigh-photorealistic visuals, if this in-engine trailer is anything to go by. The trailer takes us through the wilderness of Tselinoyarsk, which is where Naked Snake (later known as Big Boss) gets sent on a dangerous mission. The trailer focuses on Tselinoyarsk’s moss-covered forest floor and mud-caked pools, which Snake has to navigate through unseen by enemies.
The jungles are rendered in unexpected levels of detail - you can actually see the mud shift around Snake as he wades through the muck, and later see it drip off him as he crouches on soil. The jungles are also teeming with fauna, from watchful alligators and writhing snakes to more harmless creatures like crabs and rats. This is pre-alpha footage, but Konami stated that the environments shown were captured in real time in-game.
The remake was first revealed in May this year, and will bring back, “the original voice characters, rich storyline and expansive features of combat survival in harsh environments evolved with unprecedented graphics and immersive sound,” according to Konami. The publisher has yet to reveal a release date for the game.
Is Hideo Kojima involved?
Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima will not be involved in the development of this remake, according to Konami. The publisher noted that while Kojima isn’t involved whatsoever, key developers from the franchise who worked with Kojima are now working with game studio Virtuos on the remake. Kojima, meanwhile, is busy working on a sequel to Death Stranding alongside other projects.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is set during the Cold War, following Snake as he heads into the wilderness of Tselinoyarsk on a dangerous mission. The U.S. and U.S.S.R. are close to waging nuclear war, and Snake will have to sneak into the bowels of hostile territory to sabotage third parties scheming to stoke the fires of war. The game is stealth-focused, though we’ll likely see its somewhat dated gameplay updated for modern times.
Metal Gear Solid 3’s remake will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.