The classic Konami game Metal Gear Solid has one of the most cinematic openings in gaming, and fans have managed to recreate this magic using the power of Unreal Engine 5. The brainchild of Hideo Kojima, one of the most influential gaming figures in Japan, MGS is something of an iconic entry in the stealth genre. It is a bit of a shame the series has taken a nosedive since Kojima left Konami, but at least there are multiple installments for fans to return to.
Released in 1998, Metal Gear Solid is known for its fourth wall breaking gameplay mechanics. Making the most of the PS1 hardware, gamers were originally stumped when facing Psycho Mantis who could not only predict a player's every move, but could also read their console's memory card. Eventually, people figured out that switching the controller to the second port was the only way to defeat the boss. It was ingenious ideas like this that really made the game stand out, and the series only got better as the years went by.
However, some modders have gone back to this late 90s entry in order to give it a more modern facelift. A recent video by YouTube user JacktheLightning, as spotted by DSO Gaming, reimagines the opening cut scene to Metal Gear Solid in the Unreal Engine. While it retains the overall feel of the original, the user said they incorporated some camera shots from the Nintendo GameCube remake Twin Snakes, released in 2004. This newer take on the iconic MGS opening really does give some idea of just how much video game development has advanced over the decades.
It will likely make fans pine for a revival of the classic entry. In fact, there are rumors that Metal Gear Solid may be getting a remake. At the time of writing, nothing has been officially confirmed, and even if the game does get remade, it's unlikely that Kojima would be involved with the project given his rumored strained relationship with Konami.
As the world's most popular video game engine, Unreal is a seriously powerful tool when it comes to development. But it's not just for triple AAA studios. While many well-known games utilize Epic's software, there are plenty of independent projects that also make use of its versatility and might. This video uploaded by JacktheLightning is just one example of many where gamers fantasize about classic games being made in the newest Unreal Engine, perhaps hoping to see them make a return one day.
Metal Gear Solid was released in 1998 for PS1, with a PC port launching in 2000.
Source: DSO Gaming