“Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater” is the Definitive Way to Experience This Stealth Game Classic | Video Games | Roger Ebert

In an age of video game remakes and remasters, some developers have taken varying steps to modernize older titles. Last year, Konami and developer Bloober Team took a stab at their first remake of “Silent Hill 2,” which was built from the ground up and gave it both graphical and mechanical overhauls to modernize the horror classic. Remakes like “The Last of Us Part 1” were almost identical to their original versions, which puzzled some fans, as the PS4 remaster was perfectly playable according to modern standards.

As a beat-by-beat remake of 2004’s “Metal Gear Solid 3,” 2025’s “Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater” feels like a mix of both, though tilting towards the latter, but it has just enough tweaks and new additions to justify its existence. With drastically improved visuals and a modern control scheme, “Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater” is the definitive way to experience one of the greatest stealth games of all time.

The game takes place in 1964, during the middle of the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union. Our protagonist, Snake (David Hayter), must infiltrate the Soviet Union to rescue a Russian rocket scientist named Sokolov. It does a fantastic job utilizing real-world events to create a riveting historical fiction setting.

There’s a natural sense of escalation when Snake must also stop the Soviet Union from deploying a deadly superweapon that could destroy the US. As a result, the story manages to pull you in and keep you invested. Early on, his mentor, The Boss (Lori Alan), also defects to the Soviet Union, which adds a personal touch to Snake’s journey and makes us empathize with him more. These character dynamics and motivations elevate an already intriguing historical drama into a masterful act of storytelling.

This game is also unafraid of taking the “fiction” part of historical fiction to its limits. Along with confronting The Boss, Snake also has to deal with superhuman freaks like the bio-electrically enhanced madman Volgin (Neil Ross) and The Pain (Gregg Berger), who has the ability to control hornets. They make for eccentric antagonists and exhilarating boss fights that you wouldn’t expect in a seemingly more grounded stealth game.

It’s a wild and imaginative juxtaposition that makes “Metal Gear” stand out amongst its other stealth game contemporaries. For anyone who’s played “Death Stranding” and its sequel, you can see where director Hideo Kojima’s knack for wacky names and abilities manifested when he created the “Metal Gear” series.

Speaking of characters, “Delta” reuses the original voice lines from the 2004 game, and it’s impressive how well the voice acting has held up even after two decades. Hayter’s gruff portrayal of Snake complements Alan’s motherly tenderness as The Boss. The quality of voice acting wouldn’t sound out of place today, and that’s a testament to the original’s legacy.

For a game created in 2004, the original had stealth gameplay mechanics that were ahead of their time, laying the foundation that many modern games draw inspiration from. While you have the standard stealth game elements like choking enemies out, there are also some light survival mechanics. Snake’s stamina impacts his walking pace, aiming stability, and damage resistance. He’ll need to catch and eat the animals in the jungle to restore it. These mechanics may not be revolutionary by today’s standards, but there’s a sense of nostalgia and familiarity that kept me going.

The game’s unique stealth mechanic, however, is the camo index. You’re able to swap out Snake’s camouflage patterns at any given time. The jungle terrain is filled with various foliage, rocks, and bodies of water, so it’s essential to blend in. The camo index displays how well Snake fits into whatever environment he’s currently in, and that drastically impacts whether enemies can see him. It adds a strategic element to the stealth gameplay, constantly keeping you engaged with every enemy encounter.

The two aspects of “Delta” that received the most significant overhauls from the original game are the graphics and controls. All of the characters, including Snake, The Boss, and all other villains and allies, appear to have undergone extensive work to bring them into line with modern visuals. The new lighting also makes the game’s lush jungle environments more vibrant than before.

However, “Delta” doesn’t take full advantage of the current consoles and PC’s power. This game is a literal 1:1 recreation of the original, and that means the gameplay area segments are too. For example, a fortress you visit, called Groznyj Grad, is split into four different areas. When you travel between them using the doors, you’ll have to go through a loading screen, just like in the original game. Given how much more powerful modern hardware is now compared to the PS2, these segments could have been seamlessly strung together into one large area. Instead, we’re stuck with what was a byproduct of hardware limitations on up-to-date technology and platforms.

Fortunately, “Delta” feels great to play due to a new control scheme aptly called “New Style,” which mirrors the one in “Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain.” This lets you run around in a third-person over-the-shoulder view like in modern games such as “Mafia: The Old Country” and “God of War Ragnarok,” as well as rotate the camera freely. The original’s top-down and fixed camera is also preserved in the “Legacy Style” control scheme option for those who want to relive the authentic PS2 experience.

For fans who’ve played the original, this new version will feel right at home. Chronologically, this entry is a prequel, so those who’ve never played a “Metal Gear” game won’t feel intimidated by the franchise’s extensive history and can start with this one. It’s unknown whether we’ll ever get a “Metal Gear Solid 6” given that Kojima has long since departed Konami and his quirky idiosyncrasies would be difficult to replicate, but in the meantime, “Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater” is subsistence enough.

The publisher provided a review copy of this title. It launches on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on August 29.