Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Review

When Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater launched in 2004, players worldwide experienced the next evolution of Konami’s iconic stealth franchise. Its impact on the industry—particularly in storytelling—continues to resonate today. Two decades later, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater seeks to remake this classic while honoring its legacy. Fortunately, Konami’s team has done the 2004 game justice, delivering a thoroughly solid experience from start to finish.

What a Thrill

Despite the absence of original team members like director Hideo Kojima and artist Yoji Shinkawa, their influence permeates Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. The game’s credits still acknowledge the original creators, ensuring their legacy endures beyond their departure from the company. This reverence may explain why the game feels like a shot-for-shot remake of the original Snake Eater.

If you played Snake Eater in 2004, you’ve essentially played Delta. It doesn’t reinvent itself, which makes sense for a remake, though returning fans might find it familiar territory. However, you’d miss out on the new features if you skipped it. Chief among these is the modernized control scheme, which allows camera control and movement similar to The Phantom Pain. Having only played that entry, I found the new system adaptable and engaging; easy to master, though longtime fans will surely appreciate Legacy Mode, which preserves the original controls.

The visual upgrade deserves special mention, beautifully rendering Metal Gear’s world in 4K. Playing on a base PlayStation 5 in Performance Mode, I experienced consistently solid frame rates and impressive graphics. Given the two-decade gap, the visual improvements are expected but no less appreciated. While occasional textures appear plain, the attention to detail in Snake’s camouflage, environments, and character models is evident.

Silent But Deadly

Most of Snake Eater involves hiding and stealthily navigating enemy bases, lush forests, and mountain ranges. While going loud is possible, it’s rarely optimal. Metal Gear shines when you embrace the quiet approach. You’ll leverage every environmental advantage, as your customizable camouflage, varied weapons, and hunting skills prove essential for survival. The mechanics can feel overwhelming initially, especially hunting, but as you traverse the Cold War-era jungle, you adapt alongside Naked Snake. Camouflage proves particularly valuable, allowing you to blend seamlessly with your surroundings. Selecting the right pattern and becoming one with nature never lost its appeal, regardless of how often I employed it, which was frequently.

Combat in Snake Eater offers remarkable versatility, allowing you to approach situations according to your preferred style; assuming everything goes according to plan. While primarily gun-focused, you have options including CQC (Close Quarters Combat) and tools like grenades or even live animals. The modern controls make aiming and shooting more intuitive, though ammunition conservation remains crucial. I enjoyed entering new areas and determining my approach. I favored stealth, relying on my MK22 and CQC, with stun grenades as a backup when needed. Every player will develop their own style, showcasing Snake Eater‘s unique gameplay flexibility.

Shedding Its Skin

As mentioned, Delta is a faithful remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, so don’t expect new story content. You will find entertaining Easter eggs, including expanded features like Snake vs Monkey. That said, if you’re new to Snake Eater, I cannot recommend Delta highly enough for its narrative alone. It’s a slow burn that builds momentum beautifully. The exploration of war, trust, and patriotism reveals their true nature in ways few games achieve. While it retains Kojima’s signature eccentricity, the serious moments land perfectly. Twists and turns abound, enjoyable even for veterans of other Metal Gear titles. When the credits rolled, those final beats lingered for days in the best possible way.

Unfortunately, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater inherits some of the original’s weaknesses, particularly its script. While the corniness can be entertaining, the exposition-heavy dialogue often becomes overwhelming. The cast, led by the iconic David Hayter, delivers solid performances, though the delivery feels dated. Delta suffers from adhering too closely to its source material. While Snake Eater is arguably the series’ pinnacle among fans, it had flaws. A remake presented the perfect opportunity to address these issues, but the team played it safe which is a somewhat disappointing choice.

Virtuous Mission Successful

Nevertheless, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater offers much to admire. Like its 2004 predecessor, it isn’t perfect, but it remains a memorable and substantial experience that resonates long after its 12+ hour runtime. If the remake team can deliver original content matching this quality (combining excellent gameplay with stunning visuals), the Metal Gear series may yet find fresh life, even without Kojima’s guidance. This is the definitive way to experience Snake Eater, and newcomers are in for an unforgettable journey.