Metal Gear Solid Delta Snake Eater Review, Gameplay Impressions, Videos, Top Features

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater from Konami arrives to massive expectations. 

One of the most beloved games of its generation from one of the best-ever series, Delta is a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater from 2004. 

As if that high bar didn't set expectations high enough, Delta is the first mainline effort in the Metal Gear series since 2018's Metal Gear Surive before a post-Hideo Kojima Konami steered away from similar big-budget titles. 

Now, Delta faces similar struggles to other remakes: Will the massive uptick in power bring the experience closer to the original vision that was previously held back by hardware? Or will the changes make it feel too different? Or will too few changes make it feel more like a remaster?

Knowing Metal Gear Solid, the answer won't be anything short of complex. Similarly, though, it's bound to be one of the biggest, most memorable releases of the year. 

Graphics and Gameplay

Delta doesn't just enhance the experience through the usual suspects found in modern games like improved lighting and shadows and sheer graphical fidelity. Dense foliage, realistic fabric and hair sway, etc., all look fantastic in the powerful Unreal Engine 5.

This effort goes overboard in an attempt to deepen immersion and individuality through the damage a player takes. Damage inflicted will leave scars on Snake that persist throughout the game. 

It's a little thing, and yet, one of those small touches that feel next generation at a time when, frankly, pretty much every game seems to look great these days. 

That's not meant to sell Delta short overall, though. It's a beautiful game in many respects, though a little jarring that the (excellent for its time) voice acting seems to be the exact same as original release. 

Those behind the game's direction spent precious time on more important matters, though. The very top example is a simple one: the revamped control scheme changes the game, literally.

Improvements from other games that came after MGS3 over the years include the ability to crouch walk and fire weapons from a third-person perspective. The fact a stealth-action game from a third-person standpoint didn't have these features even in 2004 is, in hindsight, pretty funny. 

Delta feels like a modern title because of the above two points. It's pretty snappy and responsive, whether we're talking about traversal, sneaking around, hiding bodies, gunplay, the works. Prone movement and cover systems feel good, too. At times, it's a little too modern, because enemy AI can sometimes seem stuck in 2004, but it's got that Metal Gear charm regardless.  

What players might find jarring, though, is the presence of loading screens between areas. A must-have barrier back in the PlayStation 2 days, the presence of them here and the fact enemy states and such reset between screens feels a little archaic. It's hard to knock it too much because it's impossible to say how hard remaking the entire game to fix this would be, but worth pointing out.

Of note, Delta offers up two major control and experience styles. Legacy offers the classic controls and gameplay, plus a fixed camera. New boasts a modern control scheme and a free-moving camera, among other modernizations.

Prettier and modern-feeling, Delta hits the right marks in these areas, making it more accessible to the average player with an interest in the familiar franchise. 

Story and More

Snake Eater was the fifth installment in the legendary Metal Gear franchise, but chronologically takes place first. 

It's 1964, which means Cold War themes, with players assuming the role of Naked Snake. It's Metal Gear, which means alternate history that explores complex themes. Snake gets sent to the USSR, assisted by major series names like Major Zero and The Boss and lots of zany chaos ensues, leading to branching, overarching storylines that course throughout the series. 

Those familiar with Snake Eater will feel right at home, as it's all here. Those who aren't…welcome to Metal Gear. It's got the charm, goofiness and reality-bending stuff that makes the series so enjoyable, just keep a Wiki handy for reference notes and expect lots of cutscenes. 

As far as progression goes, the game still rolls out nice weapons and camo upgrades. Newish, though, is a survival viewer that lets players more seamlessly manage the backpack and what stuff comes out via simple button prompts, including camo. Setting presets is handy, but working on the fly is much easier now, too. 

Beyond the story, the well-loved minigame "Snake vs. Monkey" makes a return. Delta also boasts a nice suite of options, too, including some unexpected notables such as the ability to customize the user interface (UI) and a handful of subtitle choices, too. 

Conclusion

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a complex blend of remake and remaster that settles somewhere in the middle. 

Delta doesn't go full-blown remake and overhaul levels to be a little more seamless, but it does revamp controls and feel to make it more modern. This will be super appealing to some because it stays true to the original, albeit disappointing to those who want to see the gloves come off and have everything truly remade. 

No matter how one classifies Delta, the core MGS3 experience is here. It's a blast to sneak through levels, do some wacky MGS stuff like point a gun at an enemy to make them dance and get lost in a faux-reality soap opera with super-long cutscenes and radio chats. 

Metal Gear Solid 3 was considered one of the best games of its generation for good reason and that feeling is largely preserved here. One can only hope it doubles as a catalyst of sorts for other remake efforts…if not full-blown new entries in the series.