Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater review - a controversial and outdated remake

Metal Gear Solid is one of the most iconic gaming series of all time and it returns after a decade away with a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

Developers wanted to remake this title in particular because they say it's the easiest entry point for new fans in the series while still delivering a dose of nostalgia for returning fans.

And so we have Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater - a remake of the 2004 original that doesn't really stand up in 2025 because it feels too faithful to the original and all of its controversial features return.

Developers seemingly anticipated this being an issue as one of its opening screens says: "This game contains expressions and themes from the original version which may be considered outdated and have been included without alteration to preserve the historical context in which the original game was made and the creator's original vision. Player discretion is advised."

And yes, keeping in the option to use black face paint on a white character, sexualised content and violence against women do make it feel very outdated, to say the very least.

I played through the first half of the game on PS5 at a press event in New York City before being given a review code by the publisher to carry this on and finish the second half at home. For full transparency, I have not played Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater in full before playing the remake and I'm approaching this review from the perspective of a new player in 2025 - which I am.

Snake is the main protagonist in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater / Konami

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater story and modes (spoiler free)

The game opens up by saying it's "based on Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater" but speaking with other reviewers (and watching long plays of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater), the story itself is pretty much identical.

Players take on the role of the legendary Snake who initially infiltrates the Soviet Union in the middle of the Cold War to escort a defecting scientist called Sokolov back into American custody.

But the mission fails when Snake's former mentor called The Boss, a soldier who is known as the mother of the Special Forces, herself defects to the Soviet Union with Sokolov being captured by Colonel Volgin of the GRU.

A week later, Snake returns to Soviet territory in an attempt to rescue Sokolov, eliminate The Boss and stop the Soviet Union from launching a nuclear attack on the US.

The way the over-arching story plays out is great and it kept me intrigued throughout with all the twists and turns that happen along the way - although there are some specific scenes that left me in disbelief that I'll come on to.

As well as the main campaign, there's Snake v Monkey on PS5 and PC and Snake v Bomberman on Xbox Series X/S.

As Snake, players are tasked by Colonel Campbell to capture monkeys causing chaos in the jungle. It's part of an Ape Escape crossover. Because Ape Escape is PlayStation IP, this has been replaced with Bomberman on Xbox Series X/S. This mini game was in the original too. It's fun enough but didn't hold my attention for that long.

Multiplayer mode Fox Hunt has been delayed to post-launch and I did not get the chance to play this.

Eva always seems to undress in front of Snake whenever she can - and how she is shown feels so outdated in 2025 / Konami

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater presentation

In terms of the visuals, the game looks great graphically in terms of character models and landscapes and it runs incredibly smoothly. Not once did I play through and encounter any tearing, frame-rate dips or oddities.

There are two different camera modes the game can be played through, which are Legacy style, the game's original fixed top-down camera, and New Style, a modern, over-the-shoulder third-person preview which I used throughout.

The original voice acting from the 2004 game has been used and while its authenticity can't be denied, Snake does sound odd to begin with in a modern day context until you get used to it.

Now for the controversial stuff.

Eva is a female character introduced early on in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and not only does she seem to undress to show Snake her bra whenever she can but the player can switch certain cutscenes to first-person perspective to see her deep cleavage.

First and third-person perspectives can be changed at any time during gameplay and there are instances where this can be done in cutscenes, which is great in some aspects to be able to see what enemy targets Snake is seeing through binoculars, but the option to stare at Eva's barely dressed body in certain scenarios is just weird.

There's also a scene where a villain called Ocelot grabs Eva and he gropes her breasts to see if she is a woman.

Volgin, the main antagonist, is a sadist and there is a scene where he tortures a female character called Tatyana in front of Sokolov. There's also another scene where Volgin grabs Snake's crotch.

And according to the game's official rating, there's a "Peep Demo Theatre allowing players to view cutscenes of a female character's body from a first-person perspective".

This is an unlockable extra found in the Subsistance and HD Collection versions of Metal Gear Solid 3 where Snake can move and zoom the camera in cutscenes where Eva is in her underwear and this seems to have made its way into Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater too.

We'll cover the option to wear black face paint in the gameplay section.

Speaking in a translated group interview which indy100 was in, Noriaki Okamura, Metal Gear Solid series producer, said: "We're keeping it as faithful to the original version as possible and in doing so, we're really trying to fully respect as much as we can the original game's creativity and work on the game.

"In terms of things not fitting the current generation of video games, we understand that, but we wanted to be as faithful as possible and bring the original experience of Metal Gear Solid 3 to current audiences as closely to the original as possible."

But this all just feels so outdated, unnecessary and a bit tasteless. It shocked me this has all been included in a game releasing in 2025.

Stealth is king as always in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater / Konami

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater gameplay

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater recreates the gameplay from Metal Gear Solid 3 in a way that's a little bit more modern but returning players will recognise.

You have to survive in a Russian jungle using the limited tools and equipment you have, your survival instincts and mastering the art of Tactical Espionage Action.

Not only does Snake have to survive, he also needs to fight through different groups of enemies using weapons and equipment he finds throughout the game and there are a number of ways this can be done.

The quiet approach can be taken, which is usually the best way, you can go in guns blazing or use stealth to a certain point before raising hell and there are so many different unique ways this can be done.

Snake can hold a gun and a knife at once, melee attacking one enemy while firing at another, shoot with one hand while hanging from something, use enemies as human shields, the list goes on. Enemies can be shaken to yield ammo. However if you want to perform stealth, you have to make sure you don't have any weapon equipped unless you've selected the specific pistol and melee option.

Some equipment such as sonar and detectors use battery charge which slowly regenerates when not in use. Finding thermal goggles early on is a game changer.

However Snake has a backpack with limited space meaning players will need to prioritise what equipment and weapons they need at all times. A heavier backpack also drains stamina more quickly too.

When Snake gets hurt, you need to ensure you've got all the medical equipment required to heal properly as you'll be curing his injuries and ailments, both physical and those caused by poison, including digging bullets out, sterilising wounds, bandaging them etc.

Snake needs to regularly eat food or else his stamina will drop, which affects his ability to aim as precisely, move as quickly or swim underwater for as long. This can be done by killing and eating animals found in the jungle, including snakes of course, or by finding different meals by exploring.

If Snake is hungry, his tummy will rumble and I got caught out by this on a number of occasions when it alerted an enemy when I was trying to stealthily get past them.

There's a radio where Snake can contact comrades and chat about things such as tactical and medical advice, weapons and technology information and save the game.

Some of the dialogue that plays through the radio can be very long and waffling. I found myself skipping through some of it and I don't usually do that. I like to listen to everything but there were some parts I just couldn't bring myself to sit through.

There's the option to switch between first and third-person perspectives at any time to give players an edge in battles. I generally stuck with third-person as first-person felt a little too imprecise and loose when in combat.

That feeling carries over to movement which feels quite floaty and there's no option to sprint either. Enemy animations and movement feel a bit outdated too.

Again, sticking to its roots, the environment is not open - there's basically a series of rooms with short loading times between each one telling you what area you're in.

This is something, again, that feels a bit old in 2025.

In some sections, there are no map markers or anything telling you how to how to complete the next objective. Sometimes you just have to work it out for yourself and die trying a few times in the process.

The boss fights are the true standout sections of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater / Konami

However what Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater should be commended for is the boss battles. There are quite a few through the game and each one offers a unique challenge that requires a different skill to be mastered before they're taken down.

These sections were the true highlights.

One key element of gameplay is using camouflage to blend in with the environment and this can be done using different outfits and face paints which can be changed in the pause menu.

Each outfit has a score value which tells you if the outfit is more or less likely to get you noticed.

But the option to use black face paint on a white character returns. The game has it from the very beginning and tries to justify it as 'good at night or in the dark'.

Just take it out of the game. It isn't needed.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater verdict

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a faithful remake of 2004's Metal Gear Solid 3 - but it's too faithful as it includes all of the content and themes from the original as well as an element of how the gameplay feels from then too.

By taking this approach, developers have done what they set out to do in that regard and have acknowledged that some may feel the game is outdated.

But acknowledging this, explaining it and including this content anyway just does not land in 2025. Other remasters and remakes out there, such as Dead Rising Deluxe Remastered, removed its controversial content.

Speaking of other remakes, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is nowhere near the same league as the likes of Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth, the Resident Evil remakes or Silent Hill 2.

Not only could any potential new fans of Metal Gear Solid be pushed away, perhaps even returning fans keen for a dose of nostalgia will now think 'that's odd'.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater sadly feels outdated in 2025 / Konami

Metal Gear Solid 3 was groundbreaking 21-years-ago and those that want to experience the game as it was then won't be disappointed here.

But for me Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater feels outdated as a new 2025 release and the inclusion of such controversial elements detracted from my overall experience. It feels more like a shiny remaster than a remake.

5.5/10

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater releases on 28 August on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Elsewhere from indy100:

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