Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater Revitalizes Konami's Most Beloved Franchise, Paves the Way for the Future

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Jake Wilkinson | Staff Writer

Metal Gear Solid changed the gaming landscape when it was released back in 1998. Alongside legendary entries like Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid solidified itself as one of gaming's greatest achievements. Showcasing a new form of storytelling on the PlayStation when it was first released, it showed what video games could be in the future. 


Hideo Kojima’s masterpiece was then followed by Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, which ventured into ideas previously unknown at the time of its 2001 release but have become far more prevalent in today’s ever-changing media landscape. The rise of artificial intelligence, information control, and what to pass on to our children has only recently come into the public's mind and has only grown more alarming as 2025 has progressed. 


However, no title Kojima or his former partner Konami Digital Entertainment has ever loomed as large as Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Konami finally dug up the once-buried series for the most loved titles long-awaited remake, after a long time coming- the king of action espionage has finally come home with Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater.


Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater is a fully Unreal Engine remake of the 2004 classic released on the PlayStation 2, one that, like the original, follows the tragedy of Naked Snake (David Hayter) or, as he’ll later be known in the series, Big Boss. Set in 1964 against the backdrop of the Cold War, Snake is sent into the jungles of Soviet Russia to the scientist, Nikolai Sokolov, who is building a weapon that could end the war, codenamed the Shagohod. After a botched attempt to rescue Sokolov, Snake is then ambushed by his former mentor, The Boss (Lori Allan), who defects to the Soviets.


After a nuclear missile is launched by Colonel Volgin, one of the Soviet top leaders, Snake is sent back a week later to destroy the experimental super weapon. With the FOX Unit, which includes Major Zero (Jim Paddick), Para-Medic (Heather Halley), Sigint (James C. Mathis III), and the mysterious femme fatale EVA (Jodi Benson), Snake must eliminate his former mentor, her elite squad named the Cobra unit, and stop the Russians from launching a nuclear strike. While the story may be convoluted and rely on flashy cutscenes, Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater’s theming and presentation are still leagues better than some games today. That is second only to the gameplay improvements on display.


Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater features improvements to gameplay via its “New Style” mode, which features an over-the-shoulder third-person camera, modern controls that rectify the often clunky aiming of the original game. This makes aiming far easier to control in the heat of battle or while sneaking up around guards in the various areas. The game controls far more like Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, excluding spiriting and the dive mechanic, and this makes playing around with the AI far more fun. From holding up guard from behind, to slamming them down with new close-quarters combat animations, stealth gameplay that erupts in a volley of shootouts is still as fun as it was in 2004.


For as much as Konami has improved the gameplay of Snake Eater, it is clear they stuck really close to what the original game was in order not to upset fans. While this is objectively the right move, it would’ve been nice to see a more radical remake in the vein of Capcom’s recent string of Resident Evil games. Taking out loading areas for each of the environments, for example, or updating some clunky animations for the boss fights with Ocelot (Josh Keaton) or the Cobra Unit, would’ve been great to see. However, there’s no denying the idea of future remakes; Konami will have to put in much more effort to maintain the spirit of what games like Metal Gear Solid and its sequel set out to do all those years ago.


With Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake, released in 2024, Konami relied on another studio to reinterpret the works of others in what ended up being one of the best survival horror remakes in recent memory. Now with Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater, Konami has finally found its footing. With newly expanded gameplay, tighter controls, and a timeless story at its back, Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater is walking so that the franchise can run going forward. While it may still be a little too close to the original, having this legendary franchise back in action is well worth sticking to Kojima’s original vision. Welcome back, Metal Gear Solid, you were sorely missed.


Jake’s score: 4.5/5

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