Metal Gear Solid Delta TGS gameplay: CQC, bullet drop, and an AI correction

Update: enemy-AI correction

Update to my previous post 🚨 In full transparency. In regards to the AI improvements, I stated earlier. I decided to test the claims myself by replicating the player's camouflage and hiding position. It turned out to be actually worse in this case. In the video below, you can see an example where a guard, not even in a cautious state, approaches me after I deliberately drew his attention. He immediately detects me despite a wall obstructing his view (to a degree).

Unfortunately, in this case, earlier observations are not true.

Watch the correction video on X

Original TGS gameplay observations

News 🚨 Here are some cool takeaways from a TGS off-screen demo video shared via @YUDAI_HIHITI

Enemy AI Upgrade
Producer Noriaki Okamura hinted at enemy AI improvements when using the New Style in Delta but never went into detail. In this video, you can see that Snake gets detected behind a wall because he’s partially exposed instead of fully leaning against it. This means you’ll have to be more careful with your positioning. Some have suggested that this behavior is typical for hard or extreme difficulty. However, the TGS demo only featured easy and normal difficulties, based on other videos we've seen.

Counter CQC Moves
Then, we get a glimpse of Snake using counter CQC moves. This great addition gives players more options in close combat situations. In MGS3, you could counter CQC against The Boss by pressing O at a specific time but this was unique to that fight. Now it seems you can make similar moves while throwing them to the ground. I really hope they introduce different variations of counter-CQC moves. There’s so much potential for exciting changes in this area, and I’m sure they could come up with some good options.

Bullet Drop Mechanics
Lastly, it’s a bit hard to catch in the video and I have seen this more obvious in other videos, but Delta now features bullet drop. This means you’ll need to think about how gravity affects your shots when firing from a distance, which adds another layer of realism to the gameplay.

Overall, I think these are welcomed changes that are making the game feel more immersive and challenging!

I'm looking forward to seeing what else the team has in store for us.

Follow-up

I’m interested to see how they might change The Boss fight and the CQC mechanics in the remake. It would be awesome to have more dynamic CQC animations that let you disarm enemies quickly and turn their weapons against them in an instant. I think adding bullet drop to the MK22 will really help balance its ability when shooting from long distances.

Source: https://x.com/MGSMGN/status/1843113186578538651

Source: https://x.com/MGSMGN/status/1843146710962573454

Source: https://x.com/MGSMGN/status/1843170160011784486

Source: https://x.com/MGSMGN/status/1843164152174657610