Metal Gear SolidΔ: Snake Eater(orMGS Deltafor short)is the upcoming remake ofMetal Gear Solid 3, which promises to include everything from the classic game updated for the PS5 and other platforms. It’ll have the classic voice cast, making it David Hayter’s return as Naked Snake, alongside the original locales in and around Tselinoyarsk.
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But it’s bound to make changes. Otherwise, fans could just buy the upcomingMetal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1to experience the original game for a cheaper price and withMetal Gear Solid 1&2as a bonus. Some features will get carried over, while others will be left behind. The question is which features should the remake include, and which will they exclude?
8Include: Sneaking & CQC Improvements
The originalMGS3was acclaimed when it came out, though it came with some caveats. Its top-down camera was really showing its age afterSplinter Cellintroduced a better, controllable camera. Then sticking all the CQC functions on the Circle button was really fiddly. It was meant to show offthe PS2 controller’s pressure-sensitive buttons, with different presses producing different actions.
But in practice, it meant a lot of players killed guards by accident when they just wanted to choke them. Since the PS5 controller doesn’t have buttons like that, the CQC controls will likely be overhauled. It’ll likely also feature the controllable camera every subsequentMetal Gearand action games use nowadays. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel if it already works fine.
7Exclude: Boss Battle Mode
TheSubsistencere-release ofMGS3was the first in the series to use that new camera, and it featured a bunch of fun little extras. One of which was a Boss Battle Mode. Unlike its equivalent inMGS2, players could select each ofthe game’s bosses(and the motorbike race in Groznyj Grad) and see how quickly and effectively they could take them down.
They could take them on in Normal mode, or in Special Mode where players had to use a limited number of weapons and items. Unfortunately, like many ofSubsistence’s extras, it wasn’t carried over for Bluepoint Games’Metal Gear Solid HD Collection. That’s also the version that’s going to be used in theMaster Collection. So, whileMGS Deltamay feature plenty of extras, it’s unlikely to feature this mode.
6Include: Special Camos
The game may put Snake’s eating mechanics in the title, butMGS3’s big new feature was the camouflage system. If players matched their field strip’s camo to the location, they’d be harder to spot by enemy guards, with a Camo Index showing how much they blend in or stick out. Navigating its menus could be a little clunky, yet it was a landmark addition to the series that continued through toMGS5.
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Players could also get special camo strips through downloads or by beating the bosses non-lethally. The former strips were largely cosmetic, while the latter had special effects like eliminating footstep noise or recharging stamina in sunlight. Whether these exact special outfits will make it intoMGS Deltais up in the air, but it’s bound to feature some playful patterns for players to peruse.
5Exclude: Snake Vs Monkey
Konami’s renewed interest in their back catalog of games has borne fruit for franchises likeSilent Hill, and now withMetal Gearvia this remake. If this keeps up, maybe their other top series likeCastlevaniaandContramight rise from their graves. EvenApe Escapemight return after a decades-long hiatus. However, it’s unlikely these apes will make an appearance inMGS Delta, despite having done so in the originalMGS3.
In the Snake Vs Monkey mode, Solid Snake had to run around different parts of the game, zapping any monkeys with a special gun to stun them, then grabbing them all to win the level. It was fun and funny in equal measure, complete with some fun quirks (Snake knowsSplinter Cell’s Sam Fisher andSyphon Filter’s Gabe Logan). But it wasn’t included in theHD Collection, and its chances of appearing inMGS Deltaare slim to none.
4Include: Easter Eggs
Sneaking, fighting, shooting, and watching cutscenes are big parts of theMetal Gearseries. Yet they wouldn’t be as entertaining if they didn’t have itsvast amount of easter eggs. It’s not enough to just use Snake’s CQC on Volgin. Players have to throw a tree frog out to distract him for an opening, then wonder why the big Russian colonel has a fear of one specific amphibian.
That’s not getting into dressing up as Raikov, Volgin’s Raiden-lookalike boyfriend, to run roughshod all over Groznyj Grad. Or turning the console’s clock forward by a week to make The End die of old age. Or holding R1 during cutscenes to see exclusive scenes.MGS Deltacould have the best stealth-action gameplay, though it would be a flop with fans if it didn’t give them these strange but fun ways to mess with the game.
3Exclude: The Nightmare Mini-game
If there’s one easter egg that’s likely to be axed, it’ll be the Nightmare mini-game. In the originalMGS3andSubsistence, if players saved in the jail cell, quit, then reloaded the save, they’d suddenly find themselves playing a different game. They’ll play a guy in a grayscale world attacking monsters with hookswords in a basic brawler for a few minutes, then Snake would wake up andMGS3would resume.
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This mini-game, called “Guy Savage” in the credits, was basically a demo for another game Konami was working on that was ultimately canceled. Evidence suggests it would’ve been either aZone of the Endersspin-off or evenits lost 3rd game. But its cancelation was likely why it was taken out of theHD Collectionand is unlikely to come back forMGS Delta. Then again, there’s always a chance (wafer-thin as it is) the developers could make their own nightmare game.
2Include: Online Play
Interestingly enough,Subsistencewas the firstMGSgame to feature online play. It was an odd game mode. While most players opted to play as Snake or Ocelot, players could also suplex players asRumble Roses' lead girl Reiko Hinamoto and her heel bad girl persona Rowdy Reiko. Nonetheless, every game since then has featured an online mode where players can sneak together or against each other, culminating inMGS5’s base-invading simulator.
So, it’s a safe bet thatMGS Deltawill feature the same mode. Chances are it won’t feature anyone fromRumble Roses, but if the CQC moves are spruced up, players will be chucking each other around like rag dolls as Snake & Co anyway. That is, if they can find each other through their camo patterns, and watch out for any cardboard boxes lying around.
1Exclude: Product Placement
The series has had references to real-life products sinceMGS2co-promotedZone of the Enderswith its own cardboard box. Later games would then feature Playboy & FHM magazines, Doritos, Pepsi, iPods, Walkmans, Regain 24 energy drinks, and Uniqlo T-shirts. That’s putting aside the series using real names for its weaponry like the SOCOM and FAMAS untilMGS5.
This was more series creatorHideo Kojima’s call, who included them because he “want(ed) to surprise the player.” Without him at the helm,MGS Deltamight skip using a real Triumph motorcycle for EVA and other such features. Still, it would be nice if it still kept the Calorie Mates as, aside from being a random addition and a good stamina boost, it produced some fun Codec conversations between Snake, EVA, and Para-Medic.
Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eateris currently in development for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
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