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With the deluge of remakes and remasters recently, it was only a matter of time before Konami saw fit to remaster one of its most beloved games. Silent Hill 2 came first, which was a success for the most part; however, the Metal Gear games have only received the remaster treatment in recent years. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater serves as the first big entry in the Metal Gear series since 2018’s oft-maligned Metal Gear Survive. But where Survive was attempting to build something original, Delta does the opposite. It’s a starkly executed remake of the original Metal Gear Solid 3, for better or for worse.
Taking place within an alternate history of events, Snake Eater technically takes place at the beginning of the entire Metal Gear chronology. You play as Naked Snake, the soldier who would eventually go on to become Big Boss and father Solid Snake in an outlandish genetic experiment. However, this story takes place before all of that, as Naked Snake is thrown into the Russian jungle to rescue a rocket scientist and sabotage a secret super weapon. There are a whole bunch of twists and turns that I obviously won’t spoil here, especially since you’ve come this far without doing so. But take my word for it, it’s a great story.
Perhaps even one of my favourite stories in video games. The Metal Gear Solid games, and by extension, Kojima, have a reputation for being zany and unconventional. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater feels a lot more restrained when compared to Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2. It’s still weird and still has elements that are absolutely left of field, but it also feels like the most appropriate game to remake. For one, it’s one of the most accessible and approachable stories in the series. More importantly, it is the catalyst for events that kick off the entire series. You owe it to yourself to experience this story one way or another, but recommending Delta does come with some caveats.
Delta is touted as a remake of Snake Eater. Recent remakes, such as Resident Evil 2 and Silent Hill 2, have taken some significant liberties with the source content. As remakes, they alter the content and structure of the original games to provide an experience that’s similar yet different. Delta is no such remake. It takes very few artistic liberties with the source material, instead presenting a 1:1 recreation, at least in terms of content, of the original Metal Gear Solid 3, albeit with a fresh coat of paint courtesy of Unreal Engine 5.
If you enjoyed the game then, you’ll probably enjoy it now. The general gist of Metal Gear Solid 3 is that, in a world without the technology of previous games, you have to rely on things you can procure in the jungle to survive. Hunting animals to recover your stamina, administering first aid to your wounds, and, most importantly, wearing the proper camouflage to blend with your surroundings. It’s a systems-rich gameplay experience that, to this day, remains genuinely unique. It makes sense for Konami and Virtuous to be cautious in the changes they make with Delta, given how robust these systems are, though not all changes they decided to make are created equal.
The first significant difference is a new camera style that better resembles today’s third-person shooters, complete with over-the-shoulder aiming. This feels closer to the style of the Subsistence re-release of Metal Gear Solid 3 and is, ostensibly, the best way to play Delta. The game feels completely tuned for this, and I honestly feel like there is no better way to play this rendition of Big Boss’ origin story. The other mode, called Legacy, pulls the camera back to the overhead style of the original game. It’s a great idea on paper, but the aiming feels off and doesn’t feel as snappy as in the original Metal Gear Solid 3. In short, the Legacy mode feels like a pale imitation of the original game rather than an honest recreation of it, and I don’t recommend it at all.
Other gameplay improvements significantly enhance the experience. For one, Snake can now crouch-walk, a feat previously only included in the often forgotten Nintendo 3DS port of Snake Eater. It’s a much-needed addition to the game that I have always felt was missing from the original, even when playing it as part of 2023’s Master Collection. Other smaller quality of life improvements help you spend less time in menus, including a quick-equip feature for your camouflages and a quick-dial feature for your codec calls. They’re minimal additions that improve the flow of the gameplay considerably, especially in the later levels of the game, where you are jumping between dramatically different environments and need to change your camouflage regularly. Additional major features, including tips, tutorials, and a compass that essentially adds waypoints to the game, will be a boon for modern players. However, they’re optional and can be turned off if you prefer a more authentic experience.
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The other aspect that’s most impressive about Delta is its commitment to including everything that was included in the original. Previous re-releases of the game, both HD Collection and Master Collection, have been missing certain aspects of the original game for one reason or another. I won’t ruin one of the surprises, though hardcore fans will know what I’m talking about, but the game also includes the often forgotten Snake vs. Monkey mode. It’s a fun off-kilter mode in which Snake has to hunt down monkeys from the Ape Escape games, complete with its mini, non-canon story to play through. Snake vs. Monkey is included from the beginning too, with extra levels unlocked as you play the main game, so it’s a nice inclusion for people to jump straight into.
Beyond that, the game encourages multiple playthroughs. There is a New Game + mode included, as well as a whole bunch of challenges to complete that will unlock bonus items for Snake to use on his mission. The Kerotan frogs, the main collectibles from the first game, return, and their collection unlocks additional items as well. New to Delta are the Ga-Ko Duck collectibles, which offer up something new for players to find who know the original game like the back of their hand.
But, without a doubt, the aspect of Delta that I think will be most controversial, and ironically it’s biggest drawcard, is the visual presentation. There is no denying that, from a technical perspective, Metal Gear Solid Delta looks better than the original game. However, from an artistic standpoint, the greater fidelity introduces changes that diminish both the atmosphere and, in some cases, the impact of scenes from the original game.
Speaking from a purely technical perspective, Delta looks great. It’s the kind of photorealism that you dreamt of when you imagined the concept of a Metal Gear Solid 3 remake in your head as a child. The jungles are denser, the faces more realistic looking, and the lighting is incredible. However, the trade-off for this is a notable slowdown during certain scenes, even on a PS5 Pro. During cutscenes that take place in the open, the framerate drops are more noticeable than I’m used to, and I’m not usually sensitive to this kind of thing, having played and enjoyed the original game back in the day. During gameplay, especially in the jungle, moving the camera can also drop the framerate. Even a room full of unconscious soldiers, with the floating zeds above their heads, drops framerate. Some graphical display options would’ve done great work in alleviating these issues, but Delta offers no such thing.
The other major issue I have with Delta is that the game feels like it’s running over the top of the original animations and mocap data. The result is something that straddles the line between looking normal and existing in the uncanny valley. This is especially noticeable when the team has added new expressions to certain characters during specific lines of dialogue, and it feels mismatched. The result is that, sometimes, it appears as though the characters are wearing masks of the people they are meant to be, which can diminish the emotional weight of some of these moments. It feels like a very expensive remaster rather than a remake, in that regard.
This is all compounded by the fact that, unfortunately, the transition to Unreal Engine 5 means that the game loses a lot of the atmosphere and personality that the original game had. While this is undoubtedly a better-looking game from a purely numbers perspective, the original game’s hazy, almost humid-feeling atmosphere is gone. There are filters that you can activate to try and recreate the look and feel of the original game, but these unfortunately come up flat and don’t match the vibe of the original game. I recognise that this will be an entirely subjective take, but it is something that many diehard fans of the original will notice.
When all is said and done, the question will remain as to whether Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is the definitive way to experience what is arguably Kojima’s best game. The answer is not so simple and depends on you. If you cannot get past the fact that the original game looks less technically impressive than the games of today, Delta is the game for you. But if you’re somebody who wants to experience the original game and all of its atmosphere with performance that is arguably better than Delta, you can play Metal Gear Solid 3 in the Master Collection released two years ago. It is difficult to make a hard recommendation either way, but more options are always a good thing, even if Delta isn’t quite the definitive remake that it could have been.
