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Metal Gear Solid 2 is one of gaming's most critically acclaimed titles, a PS2 classic that cemented the reputation of Hideo Kojima as an auteur games maker who could also be hugely commercially successful. But it wasn't without controversy, especially when Kojima pulled a fast one, as it was revealed on release that players would spend the majority of the game's playtime as Raiden instead of fan fave Solid Snake. But now, some 21 years later, a mod adds a third-person camera that'll allow players to view Raiden's especially perky behind for the entire duration of the main game (you didn't see that coming, didya?).
Modder Boris Larin was inspired by the updated version of Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, and players who use the mod will swap out the top-down-ish camera viewpoint of the original version of MGS2 for a more active camera (thanks PCGamesN).
But in order to try out the mod, which is available via GitHub, players will need to already own a copy of the PC version of Metal Gear Solid 2 as Konami no longer has the game on sale online due to the title's use of historical footage. Larin, however, has offered his assistance to the Japanese publisher on this front.
"Konami, if it is not possible to renew the licenses, and you need any technical assistance, I will be happy to help remove/replace the problematic content. I will even do it for free so more people can enjoy the game (with my mod)," the modder said, via PCGamesN.
According to the modder, it was not a simple or easy project to complete. "The code to have a normal 3rd person camera was never present in the game, and in order to implement it, I had to reverse engineer and rewrite many things in the game engine," he writes on GitHub.
Both MGS2 and its sequel Metal Gear Solid 3 are currently unavailable to purchase online since both games use licensed material that has since expired their use agreements. However, players can take heart that Konami is planning to bring the games back.
This year, Metal Gear, the 2D stealth title that kicked off the series, marked its 35th anniversary. The cult classic launched on July 13, 1987, and in a Tweet from the official Japanese Metal Gear account, Konami said that it was "preparing to resume the sale of titles that had been temporarily suspended". VGC also reported that Konami intends to release remasters of the original Metal Gear Solid games for current-gen consoles, although this mention dates to 2021.
While Konami appears to have much on its plate, considering the slew of Silent Hill games it has in its pipeline, the Metal Gear Solid games remain some of the most beloves titles it has in its catalog. The Japanese publisher has not been doing so well financially of late, so the release of games that should have an eager customer base could help bring in much-needed income.
Gamers curious about the classic series meanwhile have little choice but to hunt for second-hand copies, and there is little chance to buy digital versions as of yet. The stealth action titles are known for their dense, complex plots, and with MGS2 especially, seemed to predict much of the events and themes that dominate the current world. Kojima was also clearly influenced by American cinema, taking inspiration from films such as Predator, Escape from New York, and the first two Terminator movies, among others.
But there is also a proper movie adaptation of Metal Gear Solid 2 that has been in development for some time. Last month, Hollywood actor Oscar Isaac commented on the situation. "We want it to happen," he told ComicBook.com. "Be excited. What's the script? What's the story? What's the take? [...] But hopeful that it comes to fruition becuase there's so much potential for that. It's an incredible game. It's my favourite."
The movie project is reportedly progressing with Isaac attached as the lead and with Kong: Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts helming. We'll have to be patient to see if all these MGS projects will actually see the light of day. But for now, if you are fortunate enough to own the PC version of MGS2, there's at least a cool new mod to try out.