Metal Gear Solid Delta Interview - honouring a classic

From the creative mind of legendary developer Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear is one of the most popular video game franchises of all time and has garnered a legion of loyal fans since the series made its debut on the NES in 1987.

With so many critically acclaimed entries in the series, many fans might be hard-pressed to pick out just a single favourite whether it be Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty or Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots to name a few.

Check out the Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater trailer below!

That being said, perhaps one game that may be on the top of many fans' lists would be Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Originally released for the PlayStation 2 in 2004, before making its way to other platforms, despite the number three in its name, Metal Gear Solid 3 is a prequel to the series which is why it’s a perfect starting point for a potential new flurry of remakes.

Enter Metal Gear Solid: Delta: Snake Eater, announced in May 2023 and dropping the number from its original name, this is a remake of Snake Eater powered by Unreal Engine 5 and recently, I had the honour of chatting with its producer, Noriaki Okamura who had previously worked on the likes of Metal Gear Solid Acid 2 and Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops in 2005.

After spending a short time playing a preview build of Metal Gear Solid: Delta, it became apparent that it was a very faithful remake, perhaps more than most games. From its cut-scenes, dialogue taken from the 2004 game and all areas remaining intact, it was an interesting approach rather than creating a game from the ground up with expanded areas as well as shiny new graphics as seen in Konami’s other upcoming remake of Silent Hill 2 developed by Bloober Team.

Konami

Speaking through a translator, Okamura explains “Metal Gear Solid 3 is a game that I love, I am very passionate about and it’s my favourite game in the series.” Revealing that while he never worked on developing MGS3, he was part of the testing team and it’s one of the reasons why this game is so important and has come full circle. “I want to create a remake that honours the original in its purest form which means its story, characters, locations and more will remain true.”

It’s been two decades since the release of Metal Gear Solid 3, so creating a modern remake as a 100% replica of the original, wouldn't cut it for most veteran fans as well as those new to the series. To make this classic appealing to all audiences, other than its new visuals, making quality-of-life improvements to the gameplay is arguably its most important addition.

For example, switching from a third-person and first-person perspective has never felt more fluid and now, rather than having to keep the analogue stick pressed up, Naked Snake will pop into a wall or tree, reducing the risk of accidentally moving away from the wall making your presence known to nearby soldiers who will trigger an alert. I’ve always believed that the smallest improvements can make the biggest difference and that seems to be the case with Metal Gear Solid: Delta.

Konami

Despite being a like-for-like remake of the original, taking Metal Gear Solid 3 from its engine used in 2004 to Unreal Engine 5, a choice some may find odd, instead of returning to the Fox Engine used for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Okamura explains that Konami chose the more modern engine as its software is used by many developers across the world. The publisher hopes that Unreal Engine 5 will be the universal choice going forward, which could perhaps be a tease for future remakes.

“We don't have a lot of experience using Unreal Engine 5 and as we decided this is the software we wanted to use for Metal Gear Solid: Delta,” Okamura explains that alongside creative producer Yuji Korekado, they are working with Singaporean studio Virtuos, who has a lot more experience then Konami with the engine. “We’ve been learning a lot from Virtuos and they have been a huge asset helping to remake the game,” reveals Okamura.

Konami

Metal Gear Solid: Delta as a remake is not only a love letter to veterans, but Okamura hopes that it will also welcome a new generation of fans with its new graphics and gameplay improvements, making it accessible to all.

Throughout the Metal Gear series, it features a cast of memorable characters that live long in the memory of fans. From Naked Snake, Revolver Ocelot and The Boss, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater perhaps offers the most diverse personalities in the series and with that in mind, before my time with Okamura concluded, I was curious to know which is his favourite character and he replies with a mischievous smile, “Eva”.

Metal Gear Solid: Delta does not have a release date at the time of writing but it will be released on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.