Introduction
In 2016, Konami released a pachinko machine based on Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater that featured remakes of the game’s iconic cutscenes. For series fans that had been hoping for full remakes of the classics–especially in a post-Kojima Konami–this amounted to a gut punch. It was the slightest hint of what a modern take on Snake Eater could look like, but to see it you’d have to be seated in a pachinko parlor instead of getting the lengthy, cinematic Metal Gear Solid experience we had come to expect.
Eight years later, the dream of a proper remake is being realized with Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Announced via a 2023 Playstation Showcase, questions immediately arose about what we could expect from this update. Hideo Kojima has long been absent from anything Metal Gear, and his signature style of storytelling and game direction is perhaps the series’ defining feature. This first glimpse lacked the humor, flavor, and “Kojima factor” that fans expected from MGS trailers. Was Delta destined to be a soulless corporate remake of the 2004 classic?
Gameplay Experience
After playing the entire Virtuous Mission (essentially the game’s prologue) at a recent Konami event in London, I’m happy to report that all signs point to Delta being the Snake Eater remake that fans have wanted for years. Unlike the polarizing Twin Snakes remake of the original Metal Gear Solid–which featured fully re-recorded VO and an egregious amount of “artistic license”–Delta seems far more interested in preserving and updating your memories of Snake Eater rather than presenting its own dramatically altered version of it.
Despite Hideo Kojima’s messy divorce from Konami, Delta doesn’t shy away from his name and direction. His credit appears numerous times before Naked Snake completes the world’s first HALO jump. Yoji Shinkawa’s character art shows up in character vignettes and establishing cutscenes. It’s clear from the opening minutes that there is a reverence for the original work that hasn’t been evident in other post-Kojima projects like the baffling Metal Gear Survive and the bare-bones Master Collection. Every cutscene feels indiscernible from the original game’s, barring the dramatically improved visuals and occasional stock footage that has been replaced for copyright reasons. Even little details like holding R1 to look through Snake’s eyes are perfectly replicated down to the timing of the button prompts.
Once you gain control of Snake (which takes a while–this is a Metal Gear game, after all), numerous welcome gameplay updates become apparent. The older MGS games always had inventory and weapon selection relegated to the trigger buttons, but by utilizing left and right on the D-pad, Delta’s modernized controls share more in common with Metal Gear Solid V. A handy update allows you to swap your camo on the fly by holding up on the D-pad to quickly access the camo menu. Holding down, meanwhile, gives you quick access to your codec contacts. Your health, stamina, and camo index are now displayed in the lower middle of the screen rather than the upper corners.
Visual Enhancements and Upgrades
Of course, the most obvious upgrade is the visual presentation. Delta does not disappoint in this area. The lush jungle features far more detail than before, with additional ambient wildlife and tons of little details like Snake trudging through the mud and leaving a distinct trail. As Snake takes damage over time, it will be permanently reflected on his body and clothing during gameplay and cutscenes. All of the characters look fantastic and true to the original designs too. Volgin’s scars are deep and detailed, The End’s eye pop is unsettling, and The Sorrow’s blood rain is much more pronounced. My demo was locked to a 30fps fidelity mode, but the final release promises a 60fps performance option.
On the remake spectrum, Delta’s ambitions fall somewhere between the enhanced visuals and quality-of-life upgrades of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD and the substantial Resident Evil reimaginings in recent years. It certainly isn’t attempting to change things up as much as the newer Final Fantasy VII titles. This is a relatively straightforward, modernized remake of the original, which is in no way a complaint. Snake Eater has such a distinct personality that to make too many tweaks would risk losing much of what made it special. Delta’s dev team is walking a tightrope with such a beloved title, and everything I saw during my return to the Virtuous Mission has me confident that they’re handling this with a deft hand.