Classic intro of Snake Eater is remade for PS5 remake

Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater, a remake of the classic originally released in 2004, had its iconic opening in the James Bond style redone with new visuals and the return of Cynthia Harrell in the re-recording of the main theme. The video released by Konami shows an enhanced version of the original introduction of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, preserving its visual identity, the famous snake motifs, and game scenes - now in much higher resolution and with new animations.

The theme song, originally recorded for the PlayStation 2, now returns with a new performance by the singer, maintaining the same composition and arrangements, something that reinforces Konami and studio Virtuos' goal of staying faithful to the original material. The absence of credits in the new version was explained as a technical decision: it is a "clean version" used only for promotion. According to Konami, the team names and interactions with the icons on the screen - a feature present in the original version and accessed through the controller's analog sticks - will be available in the final version of the game.

"Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater" will be released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via Steam), but it does not have a confirmed date yet. The project is part of Konami's new strategy to revitalize the Metal Gear franchise, alongside the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection, which brings direct ports of the first three numbered games, including Snake Eater in its original version.

The remake is being developed with the Unreal Engine 5 graphics engine, and promises to maintain the original gameplay, level design, and story, but with updated graphics, improvements in physics, modern lighting systems, as well as classic and modern control options. Konami had also confirmed that David Hayter, the classic voice actor of Snake, will not return, and that the original dialogues will be reused through audio remastering.

Virtuos, the studio responsible for the production, is known for its work in remastering and supporting major productions, having worked on titles like The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition and ports for Switch of games like Dark Souls and Bioshock.

The new opening, despite the technical and visual changes, still carries the nostalgic weight of one of the most memorable sequences of the PlayStation 2 era. With the return of the theme song and the promise to maintain classic interactive elements, Konami seems to be trying to appease some of the skepticism surrounding its decisions with the franchise after the departure of Hideo Kojima, who has had no involvement with the series since 2015.