Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (stylized as Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater) is an upcoming stealth-action game developed by Konami Digital Entertainment with support from Virtuos, and published by Konami. It is a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004), originally developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan (KCEJ) and produced by Kojima Productions as the fifth main installment of, and prequel to the Metal Gear, chronicling the origin of FOX operative Naked Snake who is sent into Operation Snake Eater and has to extract Soviet rocket scientist Nikolai Stepanovich Sokolov, while sabotaging the launch of the Shagohod, a nuclear-equipped superweapon which has fallen into the hands of the tyrannical GRU colonel Yevgeny Borisovitch Volgin to escalate tensions between the United States of America and the Soviet Union amidst the Cold War, and eliminate the defector and his former mentor, The Boss.
The remake is the first major project in the series to be released since the spin-off title Metal Gear Survive (2018), and marks a change in corporate strategy within Konami to refocus their efforts in the third-party gaming space after initially distancing themselves from the mainstream video games market to prioritize mobile titles and their presence in arcades. The remake was first reported to be in development in October 2021 before being officially unveiled in May 2023, and seeks to produce a faithful reimagining of Snake Eater that intends on evolving the graphical fidelity and accommodating for an improved user experience over the original title. The dialogue recordings made for the original game are being re-used, however they are now uncompressed and therefore higher quality than before.
According to Konami's tweet on the official Metal Gear Twitter account, the Delta symbol (Δ) was chosen because its meaning fits the concept of the remake project and delta means "change" or "difference" without changing the structure.[2]
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will be released for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Windows via Steam.
Plot[]
Cast[]
All voices performed in the remake are remastered from the game's original audio as opposed to having the actors reprise their roles. However, some have been re-recorded to match up with current systems and controller functionality.
| Character | English Voice Actor | Japanese Voice Actor |
|---|---|---|
| Naked Snake | David Hayter | Akio Ōtsuka |
| Major Zero | Jim Piddock | Banjō Ginga |
| Para-Medic | Heather Halley | Houko Kuwashima |
| Sigint | James C. Mathis III (credited as James Mathis) | Keiji Fujiwara |
| EVA | Jodi Benson (credited as Suzetta Miñet) | Misa Watanabe |
| Ocelot | Josh Keaton | Takumi Yamazaki |
| Colonel Volgin | Neil Ross | Kenji Utsumi |
| The Boss | Lori Alan | Kikuko Inoue |
| The Pain | Gregg Berger | Hisao Egawa |
| The Fear | Michael Bell | Kazumi Tanaka |
| The End | J. Grant Albrecht (credited as Grant Albrecht) | Osamu Saka |
| The Sorrow | David Thomas | Yukitoshi Hori |
| The Fury | Richard Doyle | Masato Hirano |
| Raikov | Charlie Schlatter | Kenyu Horiuchi |
| Granin | Jim Ward | Takeshi Aono |
| Sokolov | Brian Cummings | Naoki Tatsuta |
| Johnny | Michael Gough | Naoki Imamura |
| Lyndon B. Johnson | Richard McGonagle | Shinji Nakae |
| Nikita Khrushchev | David Thomas | Kōzō Shioya |
| DOD Official | Fred Tatasciore | |
| CIA Director | Paul Collins | |
| Commander | Jesse Corti | Yasuhiko Kawazu |
| Ocelot Unit member(s) | Tetsu Inada | |
| HALO instructor | Tetsu Inada | |
| Colonel Campbell | Paul Eiding | Takeshi Aono |
| Soldiers | Keith Ferguson Robin Atkin Downes Charlie Schlatter Matthew Kaminsky Michael Gough Philip Tanzini Scott Menville Chris Cox |
Naoki Imamura Yasuhiko Tokuyama Tamotsu Nishiwaki Yugo Takahashi Takahiro Fujimoto |
Gameplay[]
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater retains the core gameplay mechanics first implemented in Metal Gear Solid 3 and refined from the foundation of previous Metal Gear titles. It implements additions to Snake's moveset that reflect both subsequent games in the series as well as the following iterations to MGS3 from its original release. Just as in Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D for Nintendo 3DS, the player is able to walk while crouching as a faster means of both traversal and avoiding detection by hostiles, a mechanic carried over from Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Also returning from those aforementioned games is the ability to aim and use firearms in the third-person perspective. As an additional means of evasion, Snake is also able to dive into a roll as a means of more efficiently taking cover without being spotted during movement, a refinement of separate mechanics present in both MGS4 and Metal Gear Solid V. The remake also retains a freely controllable camera similar to Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence and the various other re-releases of the title. These newly added gameplay systems are part of the game's default "Modern Style", which introduces a revamped control scheme and various quality-of-life adjustments that suit modern gaming sensibilities, as well as reflect the stylings of contemporary action present in subsequent Metal Gear titles. Alternatively, players are able to toggle a "Legacy Mode", which faithfully reproduces the controls and presentation of the original PlayStation 2 release of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, including the restoration of the game's overhead view, fixed camera, and color filtering.
Development[]
In October 2021, former Video Games Chronicle writer Andy Robinson reported that based on information offered by an anonymous source, Konami was in the process of rejuvenating their presence in the mainstream video game industry by refocusing on their premium game development efforts, including beginning production on multiple new projects in franchises that had been subsequently de-prioritized by the publisher in their transition towards arcade and mobile game ventures. In addition to the report discussing the company's plans to rejuvenate the Silent Hill and Castlevania franchises through the production of new projects outsourced to external development partners, Robinson also detailed Konami's plans to take a similar approach to producing a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004), which would be developed by Singaporean art production studio Virtuos.[3] This would be the second remake of a title in the series following Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (2004), a remake of the original Metal Gear Solid (1998) for Nintendo GameCube. Soon after the initial report broke, a user on Twitter shared a finding on the LinkedIn profile of a lead programmer at Virtuos, which listed a "AAA Action-Adventure Remake" as a project in their portfolio which they had been working on since 2018, and described as developed from the ground up for an unspecified 4K-capable platform, adding credence to their association with the reported Snake Eater remake.[4]
Following the game's reveal as Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater in May 2023, Konami issued a press statement detailing further information regarding the remake's development philosophy. A spokesperson for the development team described the title as a completely faithful recreation of the original game's story and core design, that would focus on evolving the gameplay by accomodating for "stunning visuals and a seamless user experience."[5] The spokeperson also explained the usage of the Delta symbol (Δ) in the game's titling, remarking that it was meant to honor the symbol's meaning of a "change" or "difference" without changing structure, relating it to the game being a faithful remake of the original Metal Gear Solid 3.[6] Konami separately confirmed on their website that the remake would utilize the game's original voice cast, with entertainment news publication IGN later stating that the game's voiced dialogue would reuse audio from the original release of Snake Eater, as opposed to the actors re-recording their roles.[5][7] Konami revealed the following day that the remake was a co-production between the internal development team at Konami Digital Entertainment (KDE) responsible for previous Metal Gear games, and Virtuos as a support studio,[8] A Konami spokesperson elaborated in a separate interview conducted by IGN Japan, that the decision to remake Snake Eater over other Metal Gear titles was due to its nature as an origin story for the franchise, that depicted the character of Big Boss in his formative years. Furthermore, they detailed their choice to remaster the game's original audio for the voice performances as opposed to having the actors reprise their roles, largely due to the respective deaths of the Japanese seiyuus for the characters Donald Anderson / Sigint (Keiji Fujiwara; died in 2020), Colonel Volgin (Kenji Utsumi; died in 2013), Aleksandr Granin (Takeshi Aono; died in 2012), The Fear (Kazumi Tanaka; died in 2007), and the fictionalized President Lyndon B. Johnson (Shinji Nakae; died in 2007). Konami additionally confirmed that neither Hideo Kojima or original artist Yoji Shinkawa were involved in the remake, but that the goal of the development team was to produce a faithful adaptation of the original story, clarifying that there would be no new additions on top of the existing narrative.[9]
Releases[]
The game will be released on PS5, Xbox Series X and Steam, respectively. Available versions are as follows:
Digital releases[]
Digital Release
- Full Game
- White Tuxedo DLC (pre-purchase required)
Digital Deluxe Edition
- Full Game
- Sneaking Pack DLC
- 48 Hour Early Access (pre-purchase required)
- White Tuxedo DLC (pre-purchase required)
Physical releases[]
U.S. ‘Tactical Edition’
- Full Game
- Sneaking Pack DLC
- White Tuxedo DLC (pre-purchase required)
U.S. ‘Collector’s Edition’
- Full Game
- Miniature Terrarium Dirorama
- Snake’s ID Card Lanyard
- FOX Iron-On Fabric Patch
- HALO Jump Rubber Patch
- Exclusive SteelBook
- Sneaking Pack DLC
- White Tuxedo DLC (pre-purchase required)
European ‘Day One Edition’
- Full Game
- White Tuxedo DLC (pre-purchase required)
European ‘Deluxe Edition’
- The Day One Edition
- Exclusive SteelBook Case
- Metal “!” Keyring
- FOX Iron-On Fabric Patch
- Art Cards
- Custom Packaging
- Sneaking Pack DLC
- White Tuxedo DLC (pre-purchase required)
European ‘Collector’s Pack’
- Custom Packaging
- Snake Elite Bust 23cm Statue
- Original Vinyl Soundtrack
Japanese ‘Day One Edition’
- Full Game
- White Tuxedo DLC (pre-purchase required)
Japanese ‘Tactical Edition’
- Full Game
- Sneaking Pack DLC
- White Tuxedo DLC (pre-purchase required)
Japanese Premium Package:
- Full Game
- Custom Packaging
- Snake Elite Bust 23cm Statue
- Original Vinyl Soundtrack
- FOX Iron-On Fabric Patch
- Exclusive SteelBook Case
- Sneaking Pack DLC
- White Tuxedo DLC (pre-purchase required)
Japanese Animate Limited Edition Set:
- Full Game
- FOX Enamel Pin
- Set of 14 Acrylic Stands
- Fork and Knife Set
- T-shirt
- White Tuxedo DLC (pre-purchase required)
- Record Style Coaster (pre-purchase required)
Japanese Amiami Online Store Exclusive Set:
- Full Game
- Skateboard Deck
- White Tuxedo DLC (pre-purchase required)
- Pass Card (pre-purchase required)
Japanese Famitsu DX 3D Crystal Pack:
- Full Game
- Metal Plate
- Stack Cup
- White Tuxedo DLC (pre-purchase required)
- 3D Crystal Ornament (pre-purchase required)
Japanese WonderGOO Limited Edition Set:
- Full Game
- Stainless Steel Tumbler
- Metal Keychain
- A4 Clear File
- The Boss, Ocelot and EVA Acrylic Stands
- White Tuxedo DLC (pre-purchase required)
- Naked Snake Acrylic Stand (pre-purchase required)
Preordering physical versions of the game are also bundled with preorder bonuses. Pre-purchasing any format of the game (in-any region) will be bundled with the White Tuxedo DLC, which will make Snake sport a tuxedo mimicking the one fictional British Secret Service agent James Bond (alias 007) portrayed by British actor Sean Connery wore in the 1964 movie Goldfinger (a subtle allusion to how the elder Big Boss's overall design was partly modeled after Sean Connery).
In Japan, preorder bonuses vary depending on provider. Buyers will receive a A4 clear file and PC/Smart Phone Wallpaper (Konamistyle), a wooden design postcard (Amazon), a cardboard storage box (PAO), a acrylic board (BookOff), GA-KO acrylic stand (Melon Books), a acrylic keychain (Rakuten Books), and a magnet sticker (PAY Market Direct.)
GAME Spain have announced on X (formerly Twitter) that pre-purchased physical copies of the game will receive a cardboard storage box (similar to the one given out in Japan at PAO stores) as a bonus.
Gallery[]
Key art[]
Official screenshots[]
Trailers[]
References[]
- ^ a b c METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER Official Website
- ^ Tweet on Metal Gear Official
- ^ Konami is set to revive Metal Gear, Castlevania and Silent Hill (en-GB) (2021-10-01).
- ^ Moore, Jared (2021-10-11). Studio Rumoured to Be Remaking Metal Gear Solid 3 Is Working on a AAA Remake (en).
- ^ a b A Legendary Soldier Returns; METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER Brings the Pinnacle of Tactical Espionage Action to PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam® (en).
- ^ Konami, METAL GEAR OFFICIAL (May 24, 2023). The Delta symbol (Δ) was chosen because its meaning fits the concept of the remake project. Delta means "change" or "difference" without changing structure. #MetalGearSolid #MGSDelta.
- ^ Bailey, Kat (2023-05-24). Konami Releases First In-Game Screenshots from Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake (en).
- ^ Square, Push (2023-05-25). Virtuos Assisting Konami on Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake Development (en-GB).
- ^ Posted 2023年5月30日16:55, 重田雄一 (2023-05-30). MGS3のリメイク『METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER』に小島監督と新川洋司は関わらない KONAMIへの問い合わせで判明 (ja).