Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was perhaps the perfect game for Konami to remake and bring the series back to life with, because though it’s certainly an old title that could do with technical, visual, and quality-of-life enhancements, core aspects of the gameplay experience itself are strong enough that they don’t need to be changed too much in a modern take- which is why the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is going to be as faithful of a remake as it will be. That, however, won’t be possible if Konami were to remake earlier entries in the series- which is something that Konami itself is very much aware of.
Noriaki Okamura, Metal Gear series producer at Konami, was asked in a recent interview with Famitsu if the company intends to remake any other titles in the beloved franchise, and though he gave the expected answer of being focused on the upcoming release and waiting for feedback from fans, that isn’t all he said. Okamura went on to touch on potential, hypothetical remakes of earlier instalments – such as the original Metal Gear 1 and 2, or the original Metal Gear Solid – saying that they would require significant changes in gameplay and design compared to MGS 3.
“For the time being, I think we should think about it after we finish making this work. For example, if we were to create a new remake of the original Metal Gear Solid or Metal Gear 1 and 2, there would inevitably be some aspects that would not work with the same methodology as MGS Delta, including the redesign of the level design. As a result, there are many parts that have to be created anew.
“So, we wondered if we could make the next Metal Gear series, and how far we could go. I would like everyone to play MGS Delta, understand their opinions, and then move on.”
Okamura did go on to add, however, that with the number of original Metal Gear staff dwindling in the current Konami team, the company is going to focus on paving a proper future for the franchise.
“The number of staff who worked with the original staff has decreased considerably,” he said. “Before anyone else is gone, we will create a path to preserve the Metal Gear series for the next 10 or 50 years. I think this is something we have to do.”
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is in development for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It doesn’t yet have a release date.
