20 Mind-Blowing Things You Didn't Know About Metal Gear Solid 2
15. The Tanker Chapter Originally Ended With An Escape Sequence
The game's Tanker prologue ends with Revolver Ocelot stealing Metal Gear RAY and the tanker being sunk, at which point Solid Snake is presumed dead to the outside world.
But originally the level ended not with a lengthy cutscene but a gameplay sequence where Snake tries to escape the tanker before it sinks.
The set-piece reportedly had Snake running back through the tanker while taking on guards, racing against a clock as the water begins to rush into the tanker.
Though snippets of the sequence were used for a cutscene flashback later in the game, and clips were also included in early trailers, Kojima allegedly scrapped it because it wasn't deemed fun enough during the testing stage.
It's a damn shame, because that sure sounds like a blast.