Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is a special game, and part of what makes it so memorable is what came before fans could even play it. Prior to the big twist of Raiden actually being the main playable character, Konami introduced the PlayStation 2 sequel with the tanker mission starring Solid Snake. The game was marketed this way prior to release at E3 2000, with the trailer itself going down in the history books. Now 21 years later, Digital Foundry has essentially remastered the footage using an AI upscaler. This has produced a 4K version of the classic Metal Gear Solid 2 trailer.

Speaking in the video, tech wizard Richard Leadbetter explains how a special version of the trailer in question was printed onto a DVD in Japan, housing a better quality version of the footage in question. Digital Foundry uploaded this version to its YouTube channel a few years ago, and now the team has gone back to update it using deep learning tools, taking the 480i original and bringing it into the current 4K era. The results are sublime, and Leadbetter goes into great detail in the video to explain how Digital Foundry achieved all this.

"The results are certainly intriguing: text is easily upscaled, as are the HUD elements seen when Snake uses his tranquiliser pistol. Most dramatic at all is the model's treatment of Yoji Shinkawa's iconic artwork, showcased later on in the trailer. Elsewhere, the results are mixed but always interesting. The internal areas shown in the trailer are deftly handled, and it's actually quite remarkable to see how the external shots in the storm see detail dramatically increased - perhaps too much, to the point of over-sharpening at some points. Elements like the soldiers' fatigues gaining clarity and definition are easy to process, but the way that the AI model finds detail within the storm can beggar belief," Richard Leadbetter explains on Eurogamer.

Now all we need is the game itself remastered for PS5, right? Marvel at Digital Foundry's work in the comments below.

[source youtube.com, via eurogamer.net]