Hideo Kojima’s infamously lengthy set pieces are no match for the game-breaking antics of speedrunners, it turns out. On Tuesday, speedrunner Apel at last figured out how to skip the long ladder climb in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. As Metal Gear fans well and truly know, this is one hell of a climb otherwise, so Apel’s discovery is a public service.
In the exploit, Solid Snake assumes a T-pose after some menu glitching and — presto! — swan dives into the room above the long ladder climb. This clip comes from the HD remake released in 2011 on PlayStation 3.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater first launched in 2004, and by then Kojima was really finding his groove as a game director. The two-minute ladder climb is one of those notorious Kojima scenes where a burst of action and tension is followed by a long, long sequence of boredom. This one comes just after Snake defeats a deadly sniper, only to suffer through a long and quiet climb to the top. It’s a far cry from the action-packed super spy lifestyle Snake has committed himself to.
