Metal Gear Solid series

Noriaka Okamura, the producer on the Metal Gear Solid IP at Konami, has revealed it would be a ‘dream’ to work with series creator Hideo Kojima again on the franchise.

Speaking during a Japanese live stream this week, Okamura-san made it clear he’s not speaking on behalf of anyone else, but on a personal level, it’d be ‘the dream’ to see Kojima-san return. Kojima of course departed Konami in 2015 after the completion of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, after which he established Kojima Productions and worked on Death Stranding.

When asked if there was a possible chance that any of the original Metal Gear staff could work on the series again, Okamura replied:

It’s not my place to answer on behalf of anyone outside the company, or to guess how they might feel about it. But just speaking for myself, personally, I’d like nothing better than to work with Mr. Kojima and the rest of the team again. If that could happen, it would be the dream.

But people have moved on to new things and new commitments, so that’s just our current reality. We can’t just take for granted that everyone would work with us again, or let ourselves be completely dependent on them.

Okamura added that “many” of the original Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater staff are working on the remake, which is titled Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Beyond this project, Okamura himself has had a long career working on the stealth franchise, having been involved with Metal Gear Acid 2, Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel, Metal Gear Solid: Portable OPs, and Metal Gear Solid Survive.

When Konami announced Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater on PlayStation 5, you could almost hear the iconic “!” alert ring across the gaming world’s collective ears. A remake of the stealth genre classic Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – originally on PlayStation 2 – coming our way? With a wealth of updates and enhancements? There’s no place for Snake to hide – the entire planet is watching…

I got to play a short demo of MGS Delta, as well as talk with the game’s producer, Noriaki Okamura, on how the game is shaping up to be much more than simply solid.

The right team for the job

It’s no small feat to remake a revered classic like MGS3. Which is exactly why Komani and Virtuos Studios’ combined development team has a mixture of talent new and familiar to the original, combining fresh eyes and safe hands.

“We had to sift out some old dev documents, but thanks to the expertise of some of the veterans who worked on Snake Eater we didn’t have to spend too much time figuring out preparation,” says Okamura. “We’re also aware that there’s an entire generation who have never played a single Metal Gear Solid game before.”

Revamped controls with traditional options

Keeping with the vital but tricky philosophy of ensuring Delta appeals to all, a strong focus has been on the controls. Traditionalists to MGS3 will feel right at home, but there’s also an option that will feel natural to modern audiences. So if you prefer to play with a third-person camera on the right stick while being able to move and fire simultaneously via an over the shoulder viewpoint, you’ve got it.

“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 ensure Delta was on par with some of those, so it doesn’t detract from the experience.”

This definitely had a desired effect on my playthrough of the demo, where the changes to Delta created a satisfying illusion of how I remembered MGS3 controlled even though it wasn’t. The transition felt natural, smooth and fun.

Accessibility considerations

The number of quality-of-life improvements also extend to a modernized menu design and a variety of accessibility options that will invaluably make the game better to play for a wider audience. This includes the ability to tweak how you ready and use your weapons/equipment, removing the need to hold down a button when grabbing enemies, and the chance to change visual elements such as color correction and the center dot display.

Utilizing Unreal Engine 5

Of course, the general presentation doesn’t fall short of upgrades, either. Unreal Engine 5 gives Delta an incredible visual punch. “We didn’t want new players coming to the game feeling that it’s old or retro,” says Okamura.

It’s an impressive feat. All the directorial flourishes remain, whether it’s taking in the deep detail and staggering background distance of the Tselinoyarsk jungle, or using the camera during a real time cutscene to zoom close enough to see the pores on Snake’s skin.

Visually blending the old with the new

Just like any Snake mission, however, such improvements don’t come easy. “Initially we thought we could just change the basic outside skeleton of the models,” laughs Okamura. “But once we saw them move around in the game with the old character movements, we noticed they didn’t quite blend that well anymore. So we had to tweak them – it was important to keep the player in the experience but also as close to the original way the characters moved and breathed, and still make it seamless.”

Showing off the battle damage system

Creating new looks that also feel familiar isn’t just around cosmetics, either. Konami has already highlighted that any wounds Snake picks up over his missions will be visible throughout the game, which led me to seeing how bloody Snake could get after being discovered by some guards. The answer? Well, let’s just say Snake was practically crimson by the time I was finished.

While cagey about how much this extends to the gameplay, Okamura confirmed that this will noticeably affect Snake, accentuating the original’s battle damage system. Want to keep Snake sharp? Better treat his breaks and fractures…

Playing in the Camo Index dirt

And then there’s the ever-intricate Camouflage Index System. Different uniforms, face paints and disguises help improve Snake’s chances of remaining unseen during his mission, but this is given a new dimension with the improved visuals. Roll around in dirt and mud and Snake will get convincingly covered in it, increasing his camouflage.

To test its enhanced faithfulness to the original MGS3, I dunked Snake into the Dremuchij Swampland mud, fully enveloping him (admittedly, this was after accidentally drowning him in an earlier attempt). His entire face and body became dripping wet brown, his hair sludgy and slicked… and his Camo Index maxed out, rendering him practically invisible to nearby crocodiles.

Fighting expectations old and new

If there was one final thing that was just as clear as some of Metal Gear Solid Delta’s improvements, it’s how seriously Okamura and the team take the task of reviving Snake Eater. “There’s only pressure all the time, every day,” he says.

“We have a lot of veteran staff at hand but they’re also aging out as well, so it might be the last chance for some of the critical members to work on these titles while they’re still at the company. But it’s our duty to make sure these games are still playable – not only to current players but future generations as well.”

Although the demo finished all too quickly at the fabled Boss bridge scene, it was enough to ensure to me that Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is going to do justice to its original and the lofty expectations placed on it. You’ll be able to experience it for yourself on PS5, with a release date to be revealed later this year.

Konami has committed to a second volume of its Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection, but right now, it has not decided what games will be included in it. Speaking in the latest Metal Gear Production Hotline video, developer representatives touch on how it already had HD remasters of Sons of Liberty and Snake Eater to use for the first volume, making things smoother. However, while more modern entries in the series are in HD, they're "really big titles".

The "rough launch" of Vol. 1 is also touched upon, with Konami wanting to avoid any technical problems in a second lot of titles. "We're also worried about how Vol. 1 had a pretty rough launch, with all the issues, so we're going to do everything we can not to repeat that, but we just have to ask for everyone to give us time." It all sounds like, overall, a second Master Collection is still fairly far out, as Konami explains "it's going to be a little while until we can get a clear picture, but when we do, we'll let you know".

After Vol. 1 delivered the first three mainline entries in the Metal Gear Solid franchise, fan expectations have landed on a modern port of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots for Vol. 2, alongside other possible titles like Peace Walker, The Phantom Pain, and Revengeance. Konami even teased that Guns of the Patriots may finally be released from its PS3 shackles in a second Master Collection, so it's aware the game isn't playable anywhere else natively.

What MGS games do you hope Master Collection Vol.2 consists of? Post your wishlist in the comments below.

On X, Hayter says he's been "in the booth ... Playing a role I've not played, since..." and follows this up with a GIF of Naked Snake. It's not too difficult to put 2 and 2 together here.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is currently in development, but the original audio from the PS2 title is being used for the remake, so it's likely Hayter is referring to something else.