Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) is not a reimagining of the PlayStation 2 classic, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake EaterIt’s the exact same game and story created by Tomokazu Fukushima and Hideo Kojima, remade from scratch, updated and improved enough to pass for a modern game. Noriaki Okamura –who worked on other titles in the series– is the producer in charge of bringing Big Boss’s (Naked Snake) origin back to life.
High degree of fidelity
It’s no small feat to remake a revered classic like MGS3. That’s exactly why the combined development team of Konami and Virtuos Studios has a mix of new and familiar talent from the original.
“We had to review some old development documents, but thanks to the experience of some of the veterans who worked on Snake Eaterwe didn’t have to spend too much time thinking about preparation”says Okamura. “We are also aware that there is an entire generation that has never played a single video game. Metal Gear Solid before”.
Maintaining the vital but complicated philosophy of ensuring that Delta appeal to everyone, a great emphasis has been placed on controls. Traditionalists in MGS3 will feel right at home, but there’s also an option that will feel natural to modern audiences. So you can play with a third-person camera on the right stick, or move and shoot simultaneously through an over-the-shoulder viewpoint.
“Initially, our goal was to keep things as close to the original as possible”explains Okamura. “But obviously, over the course of 20 years, the way people play games has evolved and changed. So we looked at modern action games to make sure that Delta was on par with some of them, so that it didn’t affect the experience.”
Fast as a snake
The wealth of quality-of-life improvements also extend to a modernized menu layout and a variety of accessibility options that will make the game invaluable to a wider audience. This includes the ability to adjust how you ready and use your weapons/equipment, removing the need to hold down a button when grabbing enemies, and the ability to change visual elements such as color correction and center point display.
Of course, the overall presentation is not short on improvements either. Unreal Engine 5 gives Delta an incredible visual impact. “We didn’t want new players coming into the game to feel like it was old or retro”affirms Okamura.
Every detail of the direction is preserved, whether capturing the deep detail and astonishing background distance of the Tselinoyarsk jungle, or using the camera during a cutscene in real time, getting close enough to see the pores of Snake’s skin.
The old and new world
However, as with any Snake mission, these upgrades are not easy to achieve. “At first we thought we could change the basic exterior skeleton of the models”Okamura laughs. “But once we saw them moving in-game with the old characters’ movements, we realized they didn’t blend so well. So we had to tweak them – it was important to keep the player in the experience, but also as close as possible to the original way the characters moved and breathed, and still have it be fluid.”
Creating new looks that also feel familiar isn’t limited to cosmetics. Konami has already highlighted that any wounds Snake receives during his missions will be visible throughout the game. While he’s cautious about how much this extends to gameplay, Okamura confirmed that this will noticeably affect Snake, accentuating the original’s battle damage system. Want to keep Snake on his toes? Treat his wounds and fractures instead.
Camouflage index
Different uniforms, face paints and disguises help improve Snake’s chances of remaining invisible during his mission, but this takes on a new dimension with the improved graphics. Roll through dirt and mud and Snake will be convincingly covered in them, increasing his camouflage.
You can submerge Snake in the mud of the Dremuchij Swamp, completely enveloping him. His entire face and body will turn brown and soaked, his hair muddy and slick… and his camouflage rating will be maximized. Thus making him practically invisible to nearby crocodiles.
Time is running out
“We have a lot of veteran staff on hand, but they are also aging, so this might be the last chance for some of the critical members to work on these titles, while they are still with the company. But it is our duty to make sure that these games remain playable, not only for current players, but for future generations as well.”Okamura concludes.
The release date of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will be revealed later this year.
Fuente: PlayStation Blog
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