REVIEW – Exactly ten years after the release of Metal Gear Solid V, Konami is bringing back one of its biggest hits. Riding on the success of the Master Collection Vol. 1, the company is now betting on a full-fledged 4K remake: Metal Gear Solid Delta. It’s a return of the legendary Metal Gear Solid 3, arriving 21 years after the original – but does the classic magic still shine without Hideo Kojima at the helm?

In recent years, Konami has been making a noticeable push to claw its way back into traditional video game development. After years of focusing on mobile titles and pachinko machines, the company is once again putting emphasis on premium console and PC releases. Following several retro collections, we’re clearly in the era of remakes – almost as if Konami is testing the waters before committing to entirely new projects.

After the success of the 2024 Silent Hill 2 remake, the spotlight now shifts to Metal Gear Solid. Returning in the form of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, this is the reimagining of the iconic Metal Gear Solid 3. But the stakes are far higher here than they were with Silent Hill. Fans still vividly remember Hideo Kojima’s explosive departure from Konami after the painful development of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Many argued back then that the series couldn’t survive without him – the man and the IP seemed inseparable. And yet, after the nostalgic wave of the Master Collection Vol. 1, here comes a full-scale remake… without Kojima. The question is unavoidable: after 21 years, does Metal Gear Solid 3 remain a masterpiece?

Snake Eater: Still one of gaming’s greatest stories, even 21 years later

For those too young to play the original at launch, it’s worth noting that Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is chronologically the first entry in the entire saga. The story takes place in 1964, right in the middle of the Cold War. Two years after the Cuban Missile Crisis, Jack – codenamed Snake – is sent into the Soviet Union to extract a scientist planning to defect to the West. But the mission quickly collapses: Snake’s mentor and surrogate mother figure, The Boss, betrays him, siding with Colonel Volgin, taking the scientist, and leaving Snake half-dead. The disaster escalates into a nuclear explosion on Russian soil, sparking an international crisis.

Snake is redeployed with a new mission: return to Soviet territory, recover the scientist, defeat Volgin… and eliminate his traitorous mentor. Looking back now, the story feels eerily relevant. The Cold War backdrop, the superpower tensions – especially between the United States, Russia, and China – all echo today’s headlines. Once again, Kojima proves he wasn’t just telling stories – he was predicting the future.

But more than the political subtext, it’s the narrative craftsmanship that still holds up. The pacing is tight, plot twists drop with precision, and while the cutscenes are lengthy, they’re exquisitely directed. The boss fights are legendary, and the characters unforgettable – especially The Boss, who remains one of the most layered and powerful antagonists in video game history. And then there’s the trademark Metal Gear flavor: philosophical monologues intertwined with surreal, almost absurdist sequences. It’s that unique duality that gives the series its unmatched tone, one no one else has managed to replicate.

The result is a story that sticks with you long after the credits roll – and at 15-20 hours, it never overstays its welcome. Of course, some aspects haven’t aged as gracefully: EVA’s overtly sexualized portrayal was controversial even back in 2004. Konami, however, has chosen not to alter a single frame from the original – even the cutscene direction remains pixel-perfect. This is a 1:1 remake, only now in crisp 4K. Kojima’s name remains untouched in the credits – perhaps out of respect, perhaps out of fear of fan backlash, or maybe both. The biggest difference lies not in the content, but in the visuals alone.

Rebuilt in photorealistic 4K – how a legend comes back to life

With Metal Gear Solid Delta, there was never any doubt about where fans’ eyes would go first: the graphics. Back in the day, Metal Gear Solid 3 was one of the most visually impressive titles on PlayStation 2, though by modern standards its art direction feels stylized and almost painterly – a deliberate choice by legendary character designer Yoji Shinkawa. In the remake, Konami has preserved the characters’ iconic looks, but thanks to Unreal Engine 5, the visuals now push photorealism in 4K. The result? Familiar faces reborn in a cutting-edge, technically stunning new world.

The only caveat is that the colors feel more subdued compared to the sharp contrasts of the PS2 era – that distinctive vibrancy that gave Snake Eater part of its identity has been toned down. Still, this makes sense in a photorealistic reinterpretation. What matters is that the artistic vision remains intact: the remake captures the unique atmosphere of MGS3 without being drowned in technical polish. Though the game is set in the Cold War ’60s, the series’ trademark sci-fi flourishes remain – at times evoking a retro-futuristic vibe. Jungle wilderness still sharply contrasts with cold, militarized interiors, where technology often feels too advanced for the era – deliberately so. All told, Metal Gear Solid Delta is the ideal entry point for newcomers. But when we shift to gameplay, things aren’t quite as smooth…

A remake in every sense – flaws included

No matter how gorgeous Metal Gear Solid Delta looks, the gameplay doesn’t always match the polish. Konami’s near-religious devotion to the original design means the remake retains elements that feel archaic by modern standards. The game still alternates between tense stealth sections and over-the-top, anime-like boss battles – which is fine in theory. The problem is that 21-year-old mechanics simply don’t hold up as well today.

Snake’s controls feel not just heavy, but downright clunky, and movement often comes across as stiff rather than natural. Having to mash buttons to “crawl back to your feet” while enemies dance around you is more frustrating than thrilling. Likewise, crawling itself is imprecise, leading to constant mishaps with traps you meant to avoid. And the map is still divided into segmented zones – a hardware limitation in 2004, but an immersion-breaking relic in 2025.

To Konami’s credit, there are attempts at modernization. A “modern style” control scheme now lets Snake move and aim at the same time – a bare minimum in 2025, but still a welcome addition. In practice, this mostly builds on the 2006 Subsistence version: free camera control, smoother movement, and a few quality-of-life touches like a directional compass on the map or instant camouflage swaps during stealth sequences. Still, this is fundamentally the 2004 game – just dressed up in 4K. And that means the old flaws remain. Enemy AI is as inconsistent as ever: sometimes spotting you through foliage from across the map, other times oblivious even as you breathe down their neck. It’s all part of the experience – for better or worse. Hardcore players can, of course, crank up the difficulty from the start.

Is Delta the definitive version?

As the credits roll, one thing becomes clear: Konami didn’t hold back. Metal Gear Solid Delta isn’t just a re-skinned classic – it’s the most complete edition of Snake Eater ever made. All the bonus content from past releases is here in one package. That includes the Snake vs. Ape mini-game – a bizarre but beloved Ape Escape crossover – and the dark, out-of-place Guy Savage sequence, a surreal hack-and-slash detour. Then there’s the “Secret Theater,” a menu of parodic, absurd cutscenes recreated with the new engine.

Hardcore fans will also be pleased to find the HD Collection’s digital manual, packed with Yoji Shinkawa’s stunning illustrations. Kojima’s name may no longer be on the box, but Konami has done everything possible to ensure his spirit lingers. This remake isn’t just a respectful tribute – it’s a monumental shrine to one of gaming’s greatest works.

-Gergely Herpai “BadSector”

Publisher: Konami
Developer: Virtuos
Genre: Action-adventure, TPS, stealth
Release: August 28, 2025