In 2016, Konami released a pinball machine based on Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater that recreated the game’s iconic cutscenes. For fans of the series who have been hoping for a full-scale remake of the classic – especially in the post-Konami Kojima era – this is nothing short of a gut punch. It’s just a hint of a modern version of Snake Eater, but to see it you’ll have to sit in a pachinko parlor rather than the lengthy, cinematic Metal Gear Solid experience we’ve come to expect .
Eight years later, the dream of an official remake of Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater has come true. Announcing the news via the 2023 Playstation Showcase, it immediately raised questions about what we can expect from the update. Hideo Kojima has been absent from the Metal Gear Solid franchise for a long time, and his signature style of storytelling and game directing is perhaps the series’ defining feature. This first look lacks the humor, flavor, and “island factor” that fans have come to expect from MGS trailers. Is Delta destined to become a soulless rehash of the 2004 classic?
After playing through the entire Virteous Mission (essentially the prologue to the game) at the recent Konami event in London, I’m happy to report that all signs point to Delta being the game fans have been wanting for years. Snake Eater” remastered version. Unlike the polarizing Twin Snakes remake of the original Metal Gear Solid (which featured completely remastered voice acting and a ton of “artistic license”), Delta seems more interested in preserving and updating your interest in Eater Snakeman’s memory rather than showing its contents.
Despite Hideo Kojima’s tumultuous divorce from Konami, Delta hasn’t shied away from his name and direction. Naked Snake’s exploits appeared many times before he completed the world’s first Halo jump. Yoji Shinkawa’s character art is reflected in character vignettes and cutscenes. It’s clear from the opening minutes that there’s a reverence for the original that hasn’t been evident in Kojima’s other subsequent projects, like the confusing Metal Gear Solid: Survival and the humble Master Collection. Every cutscene feels indistinguishable from the original game, barring the visuals being significantly improved and the occasional stock footage being replaced for copyright reasons. Even small details like holding R1 to look through Snake’s eyes are perfectly replicated to the timing of the button prompts.
Once you take control of Snake (which takes a while – this is a Metal Gear Solid game after all), many of the welcome updates to the game become apparent. Older MGS games have always relegated inventory and weapon selection to trigger buttons, but Delta’s modern controls have more in common with Metal Gear Solid V by utilizing the left and right buttons on the d-pad. Press and hold the D-pad to quickly access the camo menu. By pressing and holding together, you can quickly access codec contacts. Your health, stamina, and camo meter are now displayed in the lower-middle corner of the screen instead of the upper corner.
One of the original game’s highly regarded gameplay features was its CQC (Close Quarters Combat) system. It doesn’t just snap guards’ necks: you can interrogate them, slit their throats, throw them to the ground, or use them as human shields. While it allows for more variety, it’s easy to perform unexpected actions due to its specific required inputs and utilization of the PS2’s pressure-sensitive face buttons. With Delta’s helpful tooltip system, you’ll no longer have to pull out your manual, do a Google search, or call your boss to remind you of “the basics of CQC.” Just grab the enemy with the right trigger and all your choices will easily appear on the screen.
The system also alerts you to Snake’s potential actions in various combat scenarios. As I hung from the bridge to avoid detection, I forgot that Snake could aim and shoot with one hand. Thanks to the tooltip, I drew my tranquilizer pistol and subdued the approaching guard before he could spot me. While Snake has always had these abilities, Delta’s quality of life updates reminded me of them, so I ended up using them more.
With modern action games eschewing frequent load times, it’s natural to wonder whether Delta’s gameplay areas will continue to be cordoned off into their own sections, or if they’ll be stitched together to form one larger continuous world. As with most aspects of this remake, the developers chose to maintain the flow of the original. You won’t experience any actual loading time when moving between zones, but the screen will still go black and then display the name of the new zone just like the original zone. This adherence to the original experience applies to most aspects of the gameplay. It’s not like Breath of the Wild suddenly becomes one where snakes can climb every tree and scale rock faces. He can still only climb the same ivy-covered tree from 2004.
In the pursuit of realism, individuality was not sacrificed. The giant anaconda remains neatly packaged in a to-go box after death. When you knock down a nearby hive, the guards will flail and rush away like cartoon characters. When you die, you will still be reminded that you have created a time paradox. If you choose “I love MGS2!”, Naked Snake will still wear the Thunder Mask. at the beginning of your mission. When I selected “I love MGS4!” I didn’t receive the old snake mask. However, the role of other game options remains to be seen.
One of the few complaints I had about the original game was the cumbersome survival viewer and curing system. When Snake takes damage, you’ll often need to enter the menu to perform a series of actions to repair his various wounds. In this world, that could have been cool. After all, Rambo was so badass when he cauterized the wound with gunpowder and lit it on fire. In this case, selecting from a menu of numerous hemostats and suturing kits isn’t exactly an immersive experience. It remains to be seen whether this system will be intrusive in Delta, as it was introduced after “Justice Mission” in the original game. That said, I did see a gray “Heal” option in the survival viewer menu, so it’s likely it’s back in some form.
In terms of truly new content, I did discover a few things during my 90 minutes of playtime. Snake’s starting equipment pack gives you a compass that displays cardinal directions as well as an objective indicator in the lower left corner of the screen. Rolling has its own dedicated button (triangle) and you can now dive to the ground from a standing position. Above the returning Croatan frog, I encountered a camouflaged GA-KO duck. It seemed to be wearing a ghillie suit, and when I shot it, it caught fire, causing the duck to start jumping and quacking. It’s unclear what this will accomplish, or if they’ll just be a bonus collectible.
Of course, the most obvious upgrade is the visual presentation. Delta Air Lines does not disappoint in this regard. The dense jungle has more detail than before, with more wildlife around and plenty of little details, like snakes trudging through the mud, leaving a unique trail. Since Snake takes damage over time, the damage will be permanently reflected on his body and clothing in gameplay and cutscenes. All the characters look great and stay true to the original designs too. Volgin’s scars are deeply detailed, the eyeballs of the end are unsettling, and the sad rain of blood is even more obvious. My trial version was locked to 30fps fidelity mode, but the final version promises a 60fps performance option.
When it comes to remakes, Delta’s ambitions fall somewhere between The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD’s enhanced visuals and quality-of-life upgrades and the numerous reimaginings of Resident Evil in recent years. It certainly doesn’t try to change everything like the newer Final Fantasy VII did. This is a relatively simple, modernized remake of the original, which is by no means a complaint. Snake Eater has such a distinct personality that tweaking it too much would risk losing much of its character. Delta’s development team is walking a tightrope with such a beloved title, and everything I saw during my return to Virtue Mission leads me to believe they’re handling it deftly.