David Hayter, famed as the voice behind Snake in the iconic Metal Gear Solid games, shares a sentiment common among artists: the desire to refine past creations. Like many who hone their skills over years, he reflects on earlier performances with a critical eye, envisioning improvements. Whether it’s a slight vocal adjustment, a different turn of phrase, or a shift in artistic composition, the creative process often invites revisiting and reimagining. With the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater remake, Hayter expresses a longing to have re-recorded his original dialogue from two decades ago.
In a conversation with Inverse, Hayter joined Lori Alan, who voiced The Boss, and Cynthia Harrell, singer of the game’s theme, to discuss their experiences on the original Snake Eater, a PlayStation 2 hit from 2004. Each was taken by surprise, not only by the announcement of a Snake Eater revamp but also by Konami’s decision to involve them. Alan confessed to Inverse that she anticipated a full recast; however, Konami opted to primarily utilize the original recordings from 20 years prior. Both Hayter and Alan did contribute new lines specifically for the game’s tutorial sections. While grateful for the opportunity to reprise his role, Hayter admitted he wished he could completely re-record his performance, leveraging the acting expertise gained over the last two decades.
“I honestly believe I’m a more skilled actor now than I was back then,” Hayter explained to Inverse. “My past work was adequate for its time, but I would have loved to inject the knowledge I’ve accumulated over the past 20 years into it. But you don’t want the [new tutorial] lines to sound significantly better, as that could disrupt the immersive experience.”
Although Hayter’s involvement in the remake is limited, he hopes this signals a resurgence of the series after it seemed dormant following Hideo Kojima’s departure from Konami in 2015. This is especially true following the poorly received survival game, Metal Gear Survive, released in 2018.
“Whenever they ask me to portray Snake, I’m ready,” Hayter told Inverse. “It’s the most defining role of my career. The character is incredibly complex, deeply moving, with a multitude of facets in both him and Big Boss. Any opportunity to revisit that is something I welcome.”
To dive deeper into the Snake Eater remake, explore Kotaku’s comprehensive review.