Metal Gear Solid 3’s infamous ladder climb remade in Unreal Engine 4

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We'll just wait for the elevator, but you go ahead

MSG 3
(Image credit: Konami)

The iconic ladder climb from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater has been remade using Unreal Engine 4, and it looks gorgeous.

If you’re holding out for a Metal Gear Solid 3 remaster for the PS5, well you’re probably going to be waiting a long time, but at least you can feast your eyes on this stunning remake of one of its most iconic scenes. The remade cutscene comes courtesy of Erasmus Brosdau, a cinematic designer who previously worked on Ryse: Son of Rome. The whole thing has been painstakingly recreated using Unreal Engine 4 and it looks fantastic. This isn’t a high octane gunfight or epic boss battle though, it’s Snake climbing a ladder… for three whole minutes.

MGS3 Ladder Climb section remade with Unreal Engine by Erasmus Brosdau from r/metalgearsolid

While that might not sound thrilling, the ladder climb has become an iconic moment for Metal Gear Solid fans. It comes just after Snake defeats a master sniper called The End when Snake is forced to ascend to the top of the Krasnogorje mountains. Rather than just show you a few seconds of Snake climbing, like most games would, Metal Gear Solid 3 makes you do the entire climb yourself. It might seem a bit unnecessary out of context, but it’s a welcome bit of downtime and reflection in the middle of an otherwise grueling game of survival and combat.

The remake video looks utterly stunning. The textures, character models, and lighting have all been rebuilt from scratch to bring them up to modern standards. The camera work has been rejigged to account for this being a cutscene, as the actual ladder climb is all gameplay in the original Metal Gear Solid 3. If it wasn’t for the fact that Snake is looking a fair bit younger here, this cutscene would fit beautifully into Metal Gear Solid V. 

We’ve not heard much from Konami when it comes to what’s next for Metal Gear Solid, but you can check out our Metal Gear Solid 6 wish list to see what we’re hoping for in the next installment.

Ian Stokes
Ian Stokes
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Ian Stokes is an experienced writer and journalist. You'll see his words on GamesRadar+ from time to time, and he works as Entertainment Editor at our sister site Space.com.