Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater in 2004 is not only my favorite game in the long-standing series, but it is one of my favorite games. Metal Gear Solid isn’t even one of my favorite gaming franchises (strange, I know), but that third game hit all the right notes for me. A film-like spy-fueled adventure where a super spy takes over his former boss and a biologically altered super soldier gang to stop a nuclear war? Please sign up.
However, in 2005, Konami released Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence. Given the 360-degree camera control, it is a generally respected version, and as a result it feels more modern by today’s standards. In chronological terms, given that it takes place before most other games in the series, I would suggest you try this in some capacity.
And here we are. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a great remake visually, but it is a secondary self-sufficient version of both Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, both conceptually and mechanically. It’s not necessarily a criticism given that it holds what makes this game so great in the first place, but if you beat this a few times like me, the store will be less surprised.
What a thrill
Set in 1964, this Cold War-era plot rescues a Russian rocket scientist named Nikolai Sokolov from a clutch of the Soviet Union and sees a naked snake (also known as Big Boss in future titles) destroying a nuclear project known as Shagokhod. However, through a thrilling and well-paced introduction, we soon discover that the Snake boss, known only as the boss, will be in exile in the Soviet Union and, together with the Cobra Unit, a biologically enhanced team of individuals, will maintain Sokolov and allow the Soviet Union to hold the top of the nuclear war.
Credit: Konami
Snake is initially borne by the burden, but soon returns to the Soviet jungle to save Sokolov, finding a way to defeat his former mentor in the process. This remake gives Kojima Hideo a lot of nods. The characters stand in strange poses to enjoy it, and generally overreact to the strangest times, but it all serves a relatively simple story that is easy enough to follow and generally takes a bit of pace.
David Hater has also returned as a snake, but while that’s far from bad, his full-scale performance is also decent, leaving aside the outrageous writing aside. The 13-15 hour storyline feels short by today’s standards, but still feels like an explosion, and there’s no time to get from one point to another through a well-made blend of stealth, action, boss fights and a rather long but well-known cutscene.
snake? snake? snaaaakkkeeeeee!!!
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is very similar to the original and is a stealth experience. It is recommended as much as possible and is the best way to proceed in general. Because a bigger approach can lead to complete confusion, and usually ending mise of the snake. I’m not a huge fan of stealth games, but I love the old-fashioned approach to stealth here. The enemy will meet you from afar, and although they are suspicious, it is so easy that it is hidden and out of the way. But AI is incredibly far from believe, but I personally love the way each area feels like an escape room to find the route, distract you, crave and leave it undetected.
The camouflage system is back too. Here, a few next to the health bar shows the level of camouflage of snakes in a particular environment. Because snakes are hidden, the number generally increases and decreases when blind. The goal is to equip both camouflage and face paint that suits your environment and terrain, keeping the number as high as possible at all times, increasing the likelihood that it is generally hidden. It’s a great system that’s easy to access, but hasn’t really changed at all since the original title.
Credit: Konami
Also, combat is relatively easy and will quickly become familiar to self-sufficient people. The player aims his weapon over his shoulder, presses the R1 or RB button to aim the weapon for a better shot. Although it is recommended to use stealth, you are generally given a wide range of weapons, including the classic M911, AK-47, various shotguns, rifles, and even hand rena bullets. The game was never directed towards action, but it definitely isn’t afraid to let you play the way you like and generally gives you more ammunition than you need.
Along the way, the snake suffers a variety of injuries. By accessing these injuries in the in-game menu, snakes can treat several cuts, burns, breaks, and even leeches. Like ammunition, you’ll find plenty of these items to keep you healthy, even if it’s a little difficult to get food. Food also controls snake’s stamina levels, but lack of food can even cause snakes’ stomachs to snakes.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater doesn’t lack boss fights on each member of the boss unit and on his way to the boss. These encounters usually focus on high octane actions, but I personally like them to feel like a unique puzzle that solves them. You can choose to shoot these bosses down, but certain examples include snakes having to wait for the Ocelot to reload the revolver and get the correct shot, or using smoke hand rena bullets to remove the pain of the army of bees. Either way, they are real highlights and are skillfully placed throughout the story.
Finally, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater also includes some additional merchandise that go beyond the main story. There is a new game+ mode, with fun and crazy camouflage, plenty of returning frogs and even a list of new GA-KO rubber ducks. Snake vs. Monkey Mode is back. This sees Snake catching a monkey from Ape Escape Games. As mentioned earlier, newer versions of Snake’s Nightmare can also be played. Finally, there is a secret theater where players can see humorous cutscenes by finding special film canisters throughout the game.
Credit: Konami
Please look at the parts
Unreal Engine 5 feels like a star of the show when it comes to this remake. I think it works most of the time. Unfortunately, photorealistic graphics bring out some of the kunky face animations and gestures that ultimately do not translate to such a high level of fidelity, but are phenomenal in the environment. The jungle feels much dense and lush, and the overall lighting is stellar. It soaks through the trees during the day, and gently bounces off the leaves and water at night.
Reviewing this on the PlayStation 5 Pro was also an interesting experience. This console specifically leverages PlayStation’s Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) Upscaling to provide a mode that automatically targets 60 fps at 4K resolution. It’s fine in most cases, but at the most random moments, it makes you believe that the PSSR boost on the console is almost in the way. As a result, there is always a little more detail in the environment, but replace it with a locked 60 fps experience.
Credit: Konami
The base PS5 and other platforms include both quality and performance modes, with the former offering 30 fps in 4K, and the latter offering 60 fps in dynamically scaled 4K resolution. Once the game is as clean as it looks, this early blend of PSSR and Unreal Engine 5 converges in a way that feels almost too strong for today’s consoles, and it feels like it’s not even optimized in some high-end PC setups.
Without a doubt, the game still looks great and is extremely playable in the end, but the performance issues are somewhat noticeable.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a great remake that relies on the strength of the original 2004 release and the improvements to Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence in 2005. The Unreal Engine 5 looks great in location, but unfortunately, it helps with some performance hiccups here and there in terms of the game’s frame rate.
But when everything is said and done, this is the decisive way to play one of the best games in the long-term series with every stealth, action, eccentric characters, fierce boss fights, bonus features, unlocks and mini-games that stand the test of time.
4 stars (out of 5)
Highlights: Solid gameplay. Gorgeous visuals; a good-paced story. A fun boss fight. It’s enough to unlock and find it
Low Light: Unreal Engine 5 helps with certain performance issues
Developers: Konami, Virtuos, Konami Digital Entertainment
Publisher: Konami, Konami Digital Entertainment
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC
Available: Now
Reviews conducted on the PlayStation 5 Pro are conducted using pre-release code provided by the publisher.
Featured header images provided by the publisher.
