There’s no rulebook for how much a developer should change when remaking a game – classic examples range from subtle updates (Metroid Prime Remastered) to complete reimaginings (Resident Evil 2). Both paths have their risks: change too little and the outmoded elements may alienate modern players; change too much and you risk making a different game entirely.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater leans towards the former approach, delivering a graphical overhaul atop largely unchanged gameplay. A few antiquated quirks aside, the result is a success – faithful enough to placate nostalgia-tripping veterans while giving newcomers a clear view of why 2004’s Metal Gear Solid 3 is often considered gruff protagonist Snake’s greatest outing.
Much of the original’s renown stems from its story, a gripping Cold War satire, Hideo Kojima (not involved here) at his absolute wildest. Set in 1964, it follows Naked Snake (genetic father of Solid Snake, the series’ usual focus) on a top secret mission to retrieve Soviet scientist Sokolov, a bargaining chip in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Sokolov has been forced into developing a nuclear-equipped tank called the Shagohod, and the US wants that kiboshed. But this rescue – forming the game’s tutorial – goes awry when a rogue Soviet unit, led by electricity-wielding Colonel Volgin, abducts him. Snake must retrieve Sokolov to prevent atomic armageddon.
The story ranks among the best Cold War melodramas in any medium, a potent mix of the silly and the serious. Much of that charm comes from a gallery of Bondesque villains, with Konami wisely opting to preserve the original’s iconic voice acting and cutscenes. There’s ‘The Fear’, a warped Spider-Man with dislocatable arms and snake-like tongue, and the bug-eyed “father of sniping” ‘The End’ who rises from death to make you his final prey. And, of course, there’s fan favourite Revolver Ocelot, in all his cat-calling, gun-spinning, slow-reloading glory.
The graphical leap Konami has achieved is striking: the dense green jungles and murky swamps look vibrant and lush, though occasional frame rate drops can spoil your crawls through the undergrowth. Like Bluepoint’s 2020 remake of Demon’s Souls, gameplay remains largely the same. Konami does let you choose between camera angles and control schemes: ‘New Style’, with a freely movable 3D camera and over-the-shoulder perspective that lets you move and fire weapons simultaneously, and a ‘Legacy Style’ layout featuring the original overhead point of view, with aiming done in first person. It’s the option for purists but it’s a welcome inclusion for completionists.
A remake this faithful inevitably offers up some old-fashioned mechanics. Manually clicking through splints, ointments and bandages to heal a single injury felt antiquated in 2004 – pausing to do it mid-boss fight feels even clunkier in 2025. To stop you speeding through small arenas, Snake retains his original hunched gait, giving the unfortunate impression of a de-aged Robert De Niro in The Irishman, feebly booting a downed mobster with pitiful force.
Not every boss holds up and the preamble cut scene banter sometimes outshines the fights themselves. ‘The Pain’, for instance, controls a swarm of hornets that can form an armoured shell or, amusingly, conjure up a Tommy Gun. But in practice the fight boils down to you jankily ducking underwater and waiting for the right moment to shoot.
Thankfully, the classic Metal Gear Solid formula makes up for these duff notes. The loading screens between tight jungle and lab arenas give each area a distinct, compact ‘level’ feel: a refreshing contrast to the modern bloat of open worlds. Swapping camouflage to avoid the guards’ dreaded alert chime remains as thrilling as ever – and taps into players’ universal love of dress-up. And if that loop grows stale, you can always don the shiny gold outfit and go full Rambo with an AK-47.
‘Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater’ is out August 28 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S
VERDICT
Remakes serve a double purpose: they aren’t just about introducing classics to a new generation, but about preserving them. Metal Gear Solid 3’s story is a corker: it was always going to hold up brilliantly. But it’s a relief and a blessing that the gameplay stands up surprisingly well too. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is surely the definitive way to experience one of the greatest games of all time.
PROS
- Wacky, brilliant tale, along with the usual hilarious Kojima-isms: the long Tarantinoesque asides about classic monster flicks are particularly fun.
- Gorgeous graphical upgrade
- Stealth gameplay loop still compelling
CONS
- Frame rate drops
- Actual boss fights sometimes don’t live up to boss characterisation
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