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]
Comments 34
Now let me play a Metal Gear Game on PS5 will ya
Cant stand digital foundry the kings of mountains out of mole hills. "This is unplayable" but i hardly ever notice what theyre on about when i play the game
Oh, if only there was a way to upscale Raiden out of the game... Played it once and won't ever do that again. As for the trailer itself, it looks better but not shockingly better in any way.
MGS2 a very overrated game
Remake the original metal gear solid
Been seeing a ton of metal gear stuff popping up online. Seems like a new game/remake is imminent.
Played this a couple of years ago and was baffled that people who liked the first one didn’t like this one.
@gollumb82 Raiden is unquestionably the best character in the entire Metal Gear saga. No apologies.
That's just my personal opinion, though.
That trailer made MGS2 the first "Game of E3" really. It sold the PS2 to the world, heck it sold me on the franchise, I had the July 2000 edition of Official Playstation magazine when I was on holiday which was full of pictures of the game. It was mind-blowing cos it was so far advanced then any other game out there and it was all in game. So in a matter of days I bought MGS1 with the VR missions add on.
MGS2 was divisive but it was pretty daring in what it set out to do, namely it was a commentary on making a sequel on something so popular and what fan's expectations of wanting the same but different.
Heck the game even predicted social media and in opening up the world community it actual makes the world feel smaller.
@RogerRoger
Better than Big Boss? Ok. You are absolutely entitled to your opinion.
MGS2 blew my mind when I played it years ago. I haven't really gone back to it in years but I would love to play it again. I definitely played MGS3 a lot more than 2.
@Deadlyblack
3 is the better game in my opinion, just felt more grounded (well as grounded as mgs gets)
@nessisonett (I actually don't like Metal Gear Solid 2 very much. It's fine. But my least favourite of the four.)
@trev666 things like "the difference is staggering", while the video is at 400x zoom on the corner of the screen.
@gollumb82 As are you, my friend. There are so many phenomenal characters throughout all the games, so there really is somebody for everybody to connect with. That's the beauty of the Metal Gear saga, I reckon, and its real strength.
Among my favorites of the series. I've played MGS2 literally countless times at this point. The opening is still one of the most hype inducing intros I've ever seen in a game. Really miss this series. 😢
@RogerRoger
You are right about that. I wasn't trying to argue with you It's certainly an interesting pick, though.
Not exactly sure why this is such a marvel. Is this to show off the power of AI upscaling or show off MGS2 in 4K?
One could just get MGS2 Substance for PC and set it to render at 4K resolution - and there are already videos out there that show that off.
We need metal gear solid 1-4 4K & 60 fps collection for ps4/ps5, like uncharted trilogy collection
Modern Vintage Gamer has just done a Video about PS1 games running on a Series S at 4k and 60fps with DuckStation emulation that allows you to upscale to 4k (and beyond) and increase the frame rate - also can add Texture Filtering and Texture Warping too to correct some of those 'issues'.
@GamingFan4Lyf the purpose was an exploration of the abilities of AI Upsampling and the amount of 'detail' it can resolve compared to a 4k TV's upscaling. It has little to do with MGS or Playstation at all - it just happened to be the 'content' they used to demonstrate the AI
@gollumb82 Nor I you (sorry, in hindsight my initial reply to you does seem quite combative on behalf of poor ol' Raiden)!
Unfortunately the YouTube 4k video still looked heavily compressed on my TV.
@RogerRoger
Nah, it's all good. I've read your comments here RogerRoger and I know you are not the type who gets worked up over such petty stuff 😉
@trev666 I love it when they mention some artifact or error that you'd have to be an idiot savant to notice. So much of it I can't even see after they point it out.
@MetalGear_Yoshi
I like their DF Retro series where they discuss the tech behind old games because i find that stuff generally interesting but yeah some of the things they say in their main videos are straight up comical.
@gollumb82 Much obliged, you sick Raiden-hating son of a... wait, you said not, er... [flees comment section]
@RogerRoger
Haha! Good one 😁
Ah yes. Paid £35 for Zone of the Enders to get the free MGS2 demo disc.
Worth every single penny.
Also remember when I worked in a game shop ZOE halving it's trade in value if you didn't bring the demo disc too.
What a time to be alive.
I must of played the demo a BILLION times on my PS2 + watched the 1st video of it a BILLION times to What an AMAZING game it was(just like MGS1+3+4) You could somehow feel the rain on that Tanker to!?!?(difficult to put in words) That is how good Kojima is
@AdamNovice Hi there friend.
I´ve watched "that" trailer so many times before I got my PS2 with Zone of the Enders, great game by the way, and the MGS2 demo.
I still remember being completely flabbergasted with the Intro on the brige. It was so impressive at the time, that I invited some friends and family members to watch it with me.
They thought it was a movie at first.
And it very divisive with the Raiden being the "protagonist" instead of Snake. Kojima was very "sneaky" about it.
It is still a great game and Raiden actually became a fan favourite over the years.
And yes, Kojima was absolutely right about his prediction of the future. People can say whatever they want, but the man is a visionary.
Cheers, stay safe and have a good one
@RogerRoger Hi there friend.
Like I said before, Raiden became a fan favourite for a lot of people, especially after MGR: Revengeance and it´s awesome OST.
Having said that, for me personaly, it has to be Solid Snake with Big Boss a close second.
I mean, he even has the same name as I have as well as he´s iconic english voice actor 😜 So there is that.
Cheers, stay safe and have a good one
@Carl-G Hi there friend.
You are absolutely right. The Metal Gear Saga is one of the very best gaming sagas of all time.
And yes, before the amazing Dualsense and it´s fantastic haptic feedback, you could almost feel the rain outside the Tanker chapter in MGS2. Snake could even get a cold for staying outside too long. Just like in MGS1 in the area of Sniper Wolf.
Man, those games are so awesome.
Cheers, stay safe and have a good one
@RaZieLDaNtE Hold on, your first name is "Solid"...?!
@RogerRoger Hi there friend.
Yes, my name is Solid Snake, "Son" of Big Boss, Naked Snake, "Brother" of Liquid Snake and Solidus Snake........
Not really 😜 Actually my first name is David, just like Snake´s real name when he tells Otacon, Hal Emmerich, in a dialogue scene if you do something specific in the game 😉
It would be funny if I was called Solid David Pederneira Snake.
Cheers, stay safe and thank you for the laughs
@RaZieLDaNtE Hey, there's always a worse option, your first name could've been "Naked" and then... well, I doubt you'd have survived your school years!
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