For the uninitiated, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is a stealth adventure that originally released on PlayStation 2 way back in 2004, with a heavy emphasis on storytelling and cinematic cutscenes. Since then, it has had countless re-releases, including Substance, which made drastic improvements on the base game. Metal Gear Solid Delta is arguably the biggest re-release of the game so far and the first “new” (if you can even call it that) entry in the series since the mixed bag that was Metal Gear Survive. 

To put it bluntly, it is one of my all-time favourite games. It was basically a James Bond spy thriller in the Metal Gear universe. An incredible story, some of the best characters in all of gaming and immersive stealth survival gameplay that was years ahead of its time. With the success of Capcom’s recent Resident Evil 4 Remake, it was inevitable that MGS3 would also get the similar treatment. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is precisely that. A faithful remake of one of the gaming industry’s most impactful games. 

Story

Set at the end of the Cold War, you play as Naked Snake. A spy was sent into a country to rescue Sokolov, a defector of the Soviet Union.  The virtuous mission goes wrong, Snake is caught by Colonel Volgin and his old mentor, The Boss, who has defected to the Soviets.  To clear his own name and expose the involvement of the US Government, Snake is once again sent back to Tselinoyarsk to not only rescue Sokolov from Colonel Volgin’s grasp, but also to put a stop to his plans and kill his former mentor, The Boss. 

Snake has never looked this good.0

Snake Eaters‘ story is shockingly good. It takes a straightforward spy thriller premise and giving it a crazy twist that only Kojima can do. Just about every character here is fantastic; Naked Snake is one of the series’ most complex characters, and this is the chance to see his story from the beginning. Alongside him, we have Ocelot and Eva, who play pivotal roles as some of gaming’s most memorable characters. It’s a tightly packed story with lengthy cutscenes that delve into the world’s politics and character motivations, yet not a single one feels dragged out. It has a powerful ending that lingers long after the credits roll. 

If you played the original release, then you are already very familiar with the story, unlike Resident Evil 2 or even the Silent Hill 2 Remake, which retell the same story in differing ways. This is a direct remake of the game, with every line of dialogue remaining unchanged. It’s full of drama, double crosses and all the campy moments that make a Metal Gear game… Metal Gear. It’s a must-play and a great new entry point into the franchise. 

A (Metal Gear) Solid Remake 

From a design perspective, Metal Gear Solid Delta is essentially a 1:1 recreation of the original 2004 game. From every patch of grass to every enemy placement, boss encounter, and even loading screen between zones is still there. If you played it in the previous releases, then this will be all familiar to you here. There are no surprises to be found, and for the most part, all the tricks you used previously will work here. However, whilst the design is identical, it’s the core gameplay mechanics that have seen a bulk of changes. Borrowing mechanics from later versions, such as Subsistence and 3DS builds, as well as future Metal Gear titles. 

The story of Eva and Snake’s relationship throughout Metal Gear is one of the best in the franchise…

This time, you will be controlling Snake from an over-the-shoulder perspective, bringing it much more in line with the likes of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The game features the following: controls have been completely overhauled, making Snake much more responsive than before. Snake can crouch walk and also enter a new stalking mode that gives you much more control. Stalking mode will cause Snake to move incredibly slowly and is essential in order to sneak up on enemies to hold them up or grapple them with CQC without getting spotted.  

All of the same elements are still there. On top of being a stealth espionage game, Snake Eater also has some inventive survival mechanics that still feel refreshing after all this time. You will need to monitor Snake’s stamina, which will drain over time. Let it get too low, and Snakes’ stomach will rumble, indicating you need to eat food, which you can hunt for anywhere in the game. This can also alert nearby guards. Also, if you get shot, poisoned, etc., you need to open up the survival viewer to operate on Snake yourself. These sorts of survival elements are what make Snake Eater truly stand out in terms of gameplay, and I’m happy to see that return here. There are so many layers to the gameplay that aren’t apparent on your first playthrough, making this one of my most replayed games of all time, and I will continue to replay it here. 

There are even several thoughtful touches. You can change camos seamlessly without needing to enter the survival viewer, which you will need to do a lot to proceed through the game optimally. CQC combat is much more consistent and more in line with later entries in the series. Yes, it’s an easier game than the original in that regard; however, it doesn’t dumb down the experience. In fact, it arguably enhances it in so many other ways. With the improved controls and reactivity, combat feels much more engaging, and it’s just an absolute joy to play. However, I would recommend adjusting your normal difficulty setting to a higher level for a better overall experience. 

… But not as strong as the love between Snake and his custom M1911A1

I won’t lie and say I wasn’t a little conflicted on this approach to a remake. Overhauling the gameplay without altering the level design is a bold move, and while it does pay off, a part of me wishes they had been a little more ambitious. Touching the story would have been a mistake; though they did add some extra stuff hidden away.  It would have been great to see them expand on some of the levels and add new areas yet. What a thrill this remake is, regardless of it being a safe entry in the series. 

Kept ya waiting, huh

Aside from these changes, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater remains largely faithful to the original release of Snake Eater. Every enemy placement, patch of grass, boss fight, and building is perfectly recaptured in stunning 4K. Metal Gear has never looked this good, and seeing the original game in a brand new engine remade from the ground up was a surreal experience. The End’s epic sniper boss fight feels incredible, thanks to the newer, denser feeling of the forest area. One thing I would suggest every single player do when first booting the game up is to go into the settings and turn on the Legacy colour filter. By default, this is off, making the game look somewhat bland and generic; legacy, on the other hand, brings a lot of the green back into the game.

Yes. They kept the absurd stuff as well.

Unfortunately, the PC version is less than perfect. First up for the fellow Ultrawide users, there’s absolutely no Ultrawide support here. The game will render at 16:9 with black bars, so we don’t have to worry about stretching. However, both gameplay and cutscenes lack official support outside of modding. There are also the standard UE5 issues that have crept into nearly every release. Minor stuttering and performance hiccups, but for the most part it’s been a smooth experience.

As for the sound, there’s not much to discuss here, as Metal Gear Solid Delta primarily uses the original audio tracks. So Snakes’ iconic voice from David Hater’s gravely voice is here in its full glory, whilst the rest of the cast help deliver a memorable story. The only significant difference is the theme from Cynthia Harrell, which takes the song a slightly different direction. I won’t say it is better than the original, but it’s not much worse either. It’s just different, and, of course, it accompanies an incredible opening credits sequence (that doesn’t omit Kojima’s name).

Verdict 

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater takes an all-time classic and faithfully recreates it for modern audiences. It feels somewhat safe with its dedication to not expand on the original, recreating every single moment faithfully, but its new gameplay mechanics make it feel fresh once again. This is a must-play for long-time fans and newcomers to the franchise. 

 Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is available now on PC, Xbox Series and PlayStation 5. 

Reviewed on PC with an RTX 4070, Ryzen 7 7800X3D and 32GB RAM.

A copy of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater was provided by the publisher.