Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
Developers: Konami, Virtuos
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: Xbox Series X (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, PC
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $69.99 USD – Available Here
Overview
When it comes to remakes, there happen to have been quite a few in recent years and many of these have touched upon some of the most famous and well-regarded titles in gaming history. These remakes have walked a line trying to bring something akin to a PlayStation or PlayStation 2 classic to modern day without changing too much of what made the original so iconic. Throughout these remakes some have deviated heavily or only added additional content to the original, while others have kept a tighter hold on things to try and deliver the most authentic experience possible only updated for modern platforms.
So when it comes to Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, a game so steeped in Kojima’s signature writing style and twists and turns, how close does one stick to the script? Well, it seems Konami has found that the best way is to keep it as authentic as possible all while delivering the best possible way to experience Kojima’s vision, even if he had no part in this particular release.
Story
It is worth noting that nothing in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater‘s storyline has been altered from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, for better or worse. This means that it is still as absurd as ever and beloved as a result, creating an over the top spy mission with ridiculous themed bosses, a femme fatale helper, and of course a giant action sequence against a signature weapon of mass destruction. All of the classic elements from the original game remain intact here, players taking on the role of “Naked Snake” as he takes on first the Virtuous Mission that ends in utter failure before beginning Operation Snake Eater proper. This means everything from talking with Major Zero, Para-Medic, and of course EVA through the Codec and their various conversations and quirks are just as fans remember as well.
For newcomers, this will be an enlightening experience of sorts as Metal Gear Solid Delta emulates all of the key pieces of a spy movie from the height of the genre and puts its own unique twist on them just as often as it plays them straight and we won’t spoil these types of plot details here. You’ll never know if one location might simply involve sneaking around a bunch of guards or holding one up for information might reveal a secret route or even drop a “secret reel” of joke footage that can be viewed later, and the next could drop players right into a ten minute long cutscene explaining everything that just happened and is going to happen all while giving them a history lesson or delving into the secrets of the world and how ridiculous some elements might sound, especially when it comes to Metal Gear’s fictional take on our modern world.
All of this culminates in a story that is just as memorable now as it was back in 2004, with some of the most intriguing or ridiculous boss fights and emotional moments one could hope for. Now, that being said, that also means that for those familiar with Metal Gear Solid 3’s storyline, there are no actual surprises throughout the game’s story. Everything remains the same as before though if players never touched the “Subsistence” release of the game a couple years later then they will find that the Secret Reels mentioned earlier are at least new, though these are simply the simply the same classic videos as before minus one that is specially unlocked when players complete the game and unlock the Secret Theater. In the end, this is far from a bad thing as it leaves Kojima’s original vision with the game completely intact and unmodified, though those looking for perhaps some extra scenarios or side-content will be a bit disappointed here.
Gameplay
Although the story is entirely intact to the point that some of the same classic cutscenes using old-school footage real-life footage or artwork from the original game remain the same, there are some actual new elements when it comes to playing the game and a lot of it boils down to the style players opt for. The “Legacy Style” will make the game play exactly the same it did over twenty years ago with a top-down camera and more limited controls when it comes to aiming and movement and a “New Style” setting that gives players full access to all of the modern quality of life elements that fans would expect from a game in 2025.
In the game’s New Style players will have access to various improvements in movement and firearm capabilities. This includes the ability to adjust the camera as needed, aiming over Snake’s shoulder in one mode or even aiming down sights for an even better shot, though bullet drop is a thing to worry about, and even the ability to aim and move at the same time. Similarly, players can enter a slow moving “stalking” phase to silence their footsteps to really sneak up on targets. Crouching is also quite effective and crawling remains the same as ever, though it is worth noting that trying to maneuver around while crawling can be finicky at times and a bit annoying in tight spaces. Similarly, players can quickly change camouflage sets by holding up on the D-Pad or call someone on the Codec, even if it is to save or play some “healing music” by holding down on the D-Pad.
Regardless of what version players choose to use, Metal Gear Solid Delta is still a stealth action game where players are tasked with sneaking through enemy locations, on surprisingly small maps in many areas now in retrospect, trying not to be caught by either sneaking around using the game’s camouflage system, stealthily taking down guards with silenced tranquilizer guns or silenced deadly weaponry, or even sneaking up on them and taking them out with some signature CQC. The camouflage mechanic remains as important as ever with players needing to adjust their camo combinations to best match the environment they are sneaking through to try and remain undetected. As mentioned earlier, this can be done through quick selections but players can still go to the menu screen to specifically select camo and face-paint sets as they wish, especially since some camouflage patterns, like those acquired from defeating bosses non-lethally, have special bonuses even if they might not be the stealthiest option most of the time.
Speaking of the bosses, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater still retains all of the familiar elements and bosses as before and, in at least a few sequences, can almost feel a bit like a boss rush in a few areas depending on how quickly players are sneaking through areas. For example, the first three boss battles players take part in can end up happening within forty minutes of one another for experienced players or those skilled at sneaking around guards. Or potentially four bosses if players take the cheap way out with a specific target of course. That being said, every single one of these boss encounters feels unique and engaging not only because of their presentation but also because of the gimmicks that they use and the environment players will fight them in. The Fear is in an area filled with traps, poisonous animals, and of course the boss himself capable of turning invisible and firing poison bolts into Snake. Taking on The End requires patience, attention to detail, and of course some stealth of the player’s own unless they want to take advantage of the cheap easter egg that remains within the game too. In fact, literally every boss has a unique mechanic in one way or another and while these mechanics are still the same as before, experiencing them in the New Style makes for an all the more interesting dynamic and this will be doubly so for new players.
Health and stamina management work the same as ever, though one unique element has been included that we will touch on in a moment. Players will still have a set cap to Snake’s LIFE meter that will slowly regenerate over time as long as he has enough stamina to do so. Stamina also dictates how long Snake can spend underwater holding his breath or dangling off of a cliff, tree, bridge, etc. and it is always slowly depleting, though some things can make it deplete faster. Players will need to either kill or capture animals while traversing the jungle and even waterways of the game and eat them to maintain a high stamina level. Various fruits, mushrooms, and even calorie mates and rations can also work just as well, but most of what players are eating will be wildlife.
Similarly, when Snake is injured there is a chance that he will need some form of medical treatment to restore his LIFE meter to full. Once again this is handled the same as before, with players needing to select specific items to help match the treatment necessary to cure an injury. Burns are simply treated with ointment and bandages, poison with a serum, and in more dire instances cuts with syptic to stop the bleeding, bandages, a suture kit, and disinfectant. There is ironically no punishment or even reward for treating wounds in proper order as players can toss a bandage on a bullet wound, then disinfect it, stop the bleeding, and finally yank out the bullet with a knife. That being said, there are times that treatment will instantly finish after a few steps, helping save players some materials. Now one element that was added to the game’s Survival Viewer is the fact that Snake’s major injuries leave actual scars on his body for a length of time. This means that it is entirely possible to have an absolutely brutalized looking Snake by the time the game ends should players be reckless and get into a lot of firefights.
Other things such as the collectable Secret Reels remain within the game as well as the Kerotans scattered throughout literally every area in the game but it is also worth noting that a brand new collectable called GA-KOs have also been implemented into the title, providing their own unique reward and implemented into every stage of the game as well. Optional bonus modes such as the trippy Guy Savage mode are unlocked upon completing the game as well as various other unlocks that can be carried over into a New Game+ run. There are a large number of unlocks available and challenges that players can only complete by taking part in certain runs of the game, making it highly replayable. It is also worth noting that the Xbox Series X version of the game comes with a Snake vs. Bomber Man mode that is fun to mess around with for a bit and while it may not feel quite as organic as the PlayStation exclusive Snake vs. Monkey, it is still interesting enough.
Audio & Visuals
Obviously the biggest changes are the fact that Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater has been completely re-built from the ground up using Unreal Engine 5. This has made the character models look absolutely exceptional and the cutscenes are as stunning as can be. There are some truly exceptional looking moments that take full advantage of a boss character’s unique features that were once too blurry or minimal to notice on older consoles that are now fully presented here in full effect. Whether this is Snake’s reflection in The Fury’s climactic finale, the heartbreaking final confrontation that stands as one of the most signature scenes in gaming against Big Boss, and more, the character models here have seen the most notable and in-depth improvement in detail.
The environments themselves have also all seen notable improvements and the jungle environments remain as absolutely lush as ever with players needing to truly navigate through thick brush or sometimes even underwater to sneak around. Some of the standard facilities, which are thankfully few in the game, are fairly standard looking without notable improvements beyond what one would expect for a modern game. The various camouflage and face paint options that Snake has are as varied as ever and it is interesting to note that if Snake is shot or bleeding, that blood will appear in his equipment, the same can be said for crawling through muck that will eventually shed off or drying out water, all giving players a little extra attention to detail. Similarly Snake’s body will bear the scars of some of the more grievous injuries that players receive depending on how they play and heal these injuries through the Survival Viewer, though it does appear that some of them fade away with time.
It is interesting to note that while Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater may have seen a full graphical overhaul, nearly all of the voice work remains the same as before only now presented in its completely uncompressed glory. That being said, there are some re-recorded lines that see the same famous actors return to reprise their roles for these lines, and they tend to involve spoken dialogue relating to pressing new buttons that are no longer the same as they were back in 2004. As far as the soundtrack goes, most of the background music sounds as stellar as ever and the atmospheric noises within the jungle are absolutely stellar, especially when sneaking through dense foliage or muck. It is worth noting that the signature theme song that everyone knows from the game has been entirely re-recorded and this may be a bit of a hit or miss for some. Cynthia Harrel was brought back in to perform the song exactly the same as before, meaning there has been no changes to the lyrics but instead some of the composition and instruments have been adjusted as well as the timing. The song is indeed still incredibly memorable and a hallmark of the franchise, especially with its unique implementation, but longtime fans may be a bit caught off by the fresh version.
Overall
Many wondered just how you remake a game that some already considered a classic, especially when the one who was responsible for creating the original was no longer part of the company. Well, Konami found the best way possible and that is to pretty much maintain everything that made the story so great by leaving it completely the same all while rebuilding everything around it, giving every element of the game a graphical overhaul, quality of life improvements with a new control scheme, and even another set of collectables to look for similar to the originals. By maintaining Kojima’s original vision and presenting it in modern quality, it is clear that Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is the way that fans should experience the game now, even if longtime fans won’t find many surprises along the way.
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