Opinion: Cautious optimism for Metal Gear Solid Delta

We remain cautiously optimistic about Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater. Based on the pre-alpha footage shown so far, the remake looks promising, even as the team faces a difficult balance between preserving MGS3 and updating how it plays.

We do not find “hire this man” dismissals useful. Some criticism appears more interested in Kojima’s absence, Konami, or Unreal Engine than in what the footage actually shows. The originals also remain there for those who prefer them.

Presentation and the original performances

Some fans would like the original game’s colour treatment restored. We understand the attachment, but colour grading and other artistic choices can also work alongside the technical constraints of a particular release. The footage so far appears to pursue a more realistic presentation. We are not especially concerned about that choice at this stage.

We also discussed Konami’s stated plan to reuse the original voice recordings. For us, the more interesting question is what changes around those performances, including how the remake accommodates them while updating the surrounding game.

Changes have consequences

Snake Eater has already changed across releases. We initially misidentified when the free camera arrived, and corrected that in our reply: it debuted in Subsistence, rather than the HD Edition. The 3DS version later introduced crouch walking.

New mechanics can alter difficulty, encounter design, and the way players approach a familiar game. The Twin Snakes is a useful reminder of how substantial those effects can be. Nothing shown so far raised a red flag for us, but the balance needs careful testing.

In our follow-up, we raised questions about alerts and area transitions: could changes make escaping a zone too easy, or create exploitable AI behaviour? Alternatively, the structure could remain the same. There were too many unknowns to draw a firm conclusion.

We also wondered about pressure-sensitive controls and PS5 haptic feedback. That was a question, not a confirmed feature. Our position remains encouraged but cautious: the team has a chance to surprise people, and a demanding remake to get right.

Sources

Our original post

Our follow-up on alerts and area transitions
Our Subsistence camera correction
Our question about controls and haptic feedback