Ten years on from the purpose the place it appeared just like the Metallic Gear franchise would by no means return, it’s about to return. Getting back from a decade-long hiatus (sure, I’m intentionally erasing Metallic Gear Survive from my reminiscence), the legendary stealth collection is gearing as much as take centerstage once more with Metallic Gear Strong Delta: Snake Eater, a remake of Metallic Gear Strong 3 that’s completely positioned to show past doubt (but once more) that the 2004 recreation stays a stealth masterclass to this present day with the kind of timeless design and excellence that few video games within the style have been in a position to match as much as within the two-plus a long time because it launched.
After all, this isn’t the primary Konami franchise to return from a hiatus of late, and never the primary to do it with a remake of arguably its most generally beloved recreation. Lower than a yr in the past, Konami and Bloober crew wowed every person with a remake of Silent Hill 2, a survival horror spectacle that turned out to be a much better recreation than Bloober Workforce’s beforehand spotty observe file had led many – ourselves included – to consider it will be. Although Metallic Gear Strong Delta isn’t essentially taking the identical strategy. Silent Hill 2 struck a terrific stability between sticking to the unique script and bringing its personal concepts to the desk, serving as a remarkably expanded and overhauled remake that saved the unique’s core intact.
However the place Silent Hill 2 straddled the road between these two paths, Metallic Gear Strong Delta: Snake Eater is committing itself nearly completely to only one- that of trustworthy recreation, relatively than radical reimagination. On one hand, it’s a must to admit that that may elevate some points that, for a lot of, may not be minor by any means. Take, as an illustration, the truth that Metallic Gear Strong Delta will, similar to the unique, separate screens and areas from one another, relatively than making the complete play area seamless the way in which you’ll think about issues to be in a AAA recreation releasing in 2025. For many who have been hoping for a Metallic Gear Strong 3 remake that may not solely recreate, however improve its gameplay expertise, that’s seemingly a irritating resolution on Konami’s half, and it’s a place that I do have sympathy for.
On the identical time, I can’t assist however take some solace from the truth that Konami is selecting to not mess with perfection. As a result of, actually, in so some ways, that’s what Metallic Gear Strong 3: Snake Eater achieves from a recreation design and stealth gameplay perspective- perfection. Enjoying the unique basic at this time even in its authentic type, it’s laborious to not be blown away by how good and enjoyable it feels to play. It’s a tightly designed, compact expertise that wastes none of itself on something that doesn’t contribute to its unbelievable gameplay core. Purely as a stealth expertise, Metallic Gear Strong 3 continues to be proper up there as the most effective video games within the style even today- not simply due to its legacy (which is unimpeachable, to say the least), but additionally due to its astonishing enduring high quality.
So sure, it is considerably of a bummer that Konami isn’t taking the chance with Metallic Gear Strong Delta: Snake Eater to do some actually bold gameplay reworks, and that the remake is, from a gameplay and design perspective, going to play issues fairly secure. However a) enjoying it secure is precisely what Konami must do proper now with Metallic Gear, given the state that the franchise has been in (because of Konami) this previous decade, and b) the sport that we’re going to get continues to be Metallic Gear Strong 3, and Metallic Gear Strong 3 is – I can not stress this sufficient – an absolute blast.
There are clearly elements of the unique MGS3 that do want updating. As nice as it’s, it’s not an ideal recreation, and particularly by at this time’s requirements, there are elements of it which can be fairly tough and janky. However fortunately, these elements of the sport are getting the facelift that they require. Metallic Gear Strong Delta: Snake Eater’s centerpiece goes to be its huge, radical visible and technical overhaul, which, from all that we’ve seen to date, is respiratory new life into the sport. Overhauling the visuals, modernizing the expertise with quality-of-life upgrades, and sanding out its tough edges with passes of polish may not be essentially the most thrilling option to cope with a significant, flagship remake- however the place MGS3 is worried, it’s a wise strategy. Replace the elements of the sport that want it essentially the most, and the elements which can be nonetheless nice – the gameplay and the design (to not point out the unforgettable story, in fact, however that’s a unique matter) – will be capable of shine brighter than ever earlier than.
“However take a look at Metallic Gear Strong 5!” you say, and you understand what? It’s laborious to not agree with that at the very least a little bit bit. For all of its flaws and inconsistencies, Metallic Gear Strong 5: Phantom Ache is a completely spectacular stealth recreation – one of many highest ever made – and it does so with fully seamless open world design. A Metallic Gear Strong 3 remake that constructed on these foundations (however, you understand, with a extra densely populated world that didn’t have the hammer introduced down on it partway by way of growth) was the dream for a lot of, and indisputably, if executed properly, that may have been an thrilling option to convey Metallic Gear again.
However once more, that’s not one thing that anybody is able to belief Konami with simply yet- and that clearly consists of Konami itself, too. And if the choice to a trustworthy Metallic Gear Strong 3 remake was no Metallic Gear recreation in any respect, I’ll gladly take the previous, as a result of, on the danger of repeating myself MGS3 continues to be an unbelievable stealth game- one that may stand as much as the largest and AAAest trendy video games on the market, and barring some very uncommon exceptions, come out on prime each single time.
If Konami continues remaking extra Metallic Gear Strong video games – which, let’s face it, they in all probability will if Delta proves to be a crucial and business success – expectations can be excessive that they’d be extra bold with their remaking efforts. However as their first mainline Kojima-less Metallic Gear outing after the franchise was given a swift and bitter (and public) execution years in the past, Metallic Gear Strong Delta: Snake Eater is well enjoying to its supply materials’s strengths, which is permitting it to take the most secure potential route. That route may be a bit too unexciting for a lot of, particularly given how profitable the much less typical remakes like Resident Evil 2 and Silent Hill 2 have been lately, however it is nonetheless a route that’s going to allow us to play by way of a stealth masterpiece.
After all, that’s all contingent on the truth that Konami doesn’t royally mess issues up with Metallic Gear Strong Delta. However then once more, that’s the point- that first by choosing Metallic Gear Strong 3 as the sport to remake, after which by selecting to stay as near the supply materials as potential, the corporate is, at the very least on paper, giving itself the absolute best probability of success. Whether or not issues will pan out that means stays to be seen, however we’re cautiously optimistic, on the very least.
Be aware: The views expressed on this article are these of the writer and don’t essentially signify the views of, and shouldn’t be attributed to, GamingBolt as a company.
