One of the big defining factors of Metal Gear Solid’s unique identity is the hardware it was relegated to. There’s a certain atmosphere from early 3D games that gets lost in the sauce with modern rendering techniques. One can almost feel the cold, desolate winds of the island. The entire experience retains that cold bluish filter throughout with the exception of the green-tinted codec calls. While the falling snow around Snake isn’t exactly groundbreaking today, the unpredictable trajectory of the flakes combined with the light mist and fog really set a mood of isolation and tension. This pensive and cold visual style is punctuated by the moody musical score, even if occasional comedic alert stings contrast that in a quintessentially Kojima way.

Another aspect of MGS1 that isn’t likely to be replicated today is its fusion of retro and innovation with regard to gameplay. Like the original Metal Gear titles from the ’80s, MGS1 is largely played from a top-down perspective. It’s a perspective exceptionally common in older arcade titles for its simplistic 2D routing and rendering, but it was quickly becoming outdated by the time MGS1 released. Metal Gear Solid dynamically fuses both the top-down view and breakthrough cinematic framing in a uniquely  unprecedented way.incredibly unique. The overhead camera resulted in more precise and capable stealth routing than an over-the-shoulder perspective could. This allocation of traditional perspective to gameplay and the newly developed 3D shoulder perspective to cinematics set a standard in story/gameplay framing. After MGS1, games started adopting more dynamic cameras that shifted based on story rather than sticking to just one perspective throughout.

This simple top-down camera angle allowed MGS1’s iconic stealth mechanics to flourish and thrive. First, there’s the iconic audio/visual indicators. The alert sting and accompanying exclamation mark have permeated pop culture just like Snake’s oh-so-clever box disguise became meme-worthy. These are all examples of super punchy and memorable feedback processes indicating an aspect of stealth gameplay. Just as the top-down camera allows ultra-precise radar-driven level design, so too do the various indicators and UX flourishes provide distinct and clear feedback of what’s happening to the player. Many modern games trip over themselves trying to come up with ultra-realistic stealth vision cones and sound mechanics. The sheer level of environmental detail in today’s games tends to obfuscate what matters most in stealth games: knowing what gets you caught. Metal Gear Solid’s simple and clean top-down layout and alert indicators are as much a breath of fresh air now as they were then. Players know immediately when they’re in the line of sight of an opponent, and it’s just as clear where to go to hide. No clunky textures getting in the way or even PS1-era fog effects to contend with. MGS1 is ultra clean and distinct. While indie games today love emulating retro visuals and mechanics, it’s unlikely we’ll ever get another AAA stealth game as punchy and precise as MGS1.

Nothing demonstrates the brilliant marriage of atmosphere and punchy mechanics better than MGS1’s boss fights. The Sniper Wolf encounter is a prime example. The industrial battlefield exposes Snake directly to the sniper’s line of sight. As a player, you’re tasked with navigating through the trenches, hiding from her rifle shots from above. It’s a tense feeling of being totally outmatched and utterly vulnerable—a theme that persists through other fights as well. A codec call from Otacon hints at the location of a sniper rifle that can greatly assist with the two Sniper Wolf showdowns, but most first-time attempts aren’t so privileged.

The tremendous scale of the hangar where players fight Vulcan Raven also emphasizes this feeling of vulnerability. Snake is like a tiny speck compared to Raven’s hulking mass and giant Gatling autocannon. It’s really only with the help of the convenient radar and minimap that Snake gets the better of him in the end. The shipping container pillars provide a fun and engaging environment to sneak up on Raven and maneuver around his shots.

And of course, how can a Metal Gear Solid retrospective be complete without the mention of Psycho Mantis? This boss fight became the de facto example of fourth-wall-breaking design in games for decades. It’s a psychological fight more than a reflex-dependent one. And it’s a fight that forced the player to think outside the normal rules of video game logic. What other boss in history was overcome by changing controller ports on the system console? Psycho Mantis even forms a kind of personal connection to the gamer with the memory card reading. This psychic trickery perfectly demonstrates the kind of gameplay/story integration Kojima has been so well regarded for.

Not that the quality of the story relied solely on gimmicks and tricks to impress. One glance at the voice talent confirms that. Without hyperbole, Metal Gear Solid gave us the best voice acting of the PS1 era, and it’s not even close. I love the cheesy voices in games like Mega Man 8, of course, but MGS1 supplied cinema-quality presentation that was simply unheard of in that era. And today, without David Hayter as Solid Snake, there’s nothing else that can replicate the voice cast from early Metal Gear Solid games, especially the first one. Much of the dialogue occurs within the context of the codec calls. Important exposition and mission details are handled through in-universe codec calls rather than some menu tab or text summary. What’s more, the codec was diegetic to the game world; it helped establish character development and context without breaking the immersion of the setting with extra menu clicks.

The plot itself was something of a rarity at the time. It took mature themes like nuclear war and genetic fatalism and didn’t reduce them to an arcadey, simplistic thriller. The themes of Metal Gear Solid are explored in depth throughout the series and sometimes expounded upon in lengthy diatribes by the characters. Many essays have been written on the themes of MGS—suffice it to say Kojima’s iconic stealth series helped catapult storytelling in gaming to new heights.

But nothing can quite capture that very peculiar and iconic atmosphere that the original PS1 Metal Gear Solid did. Even The Twin Snakes remake eliminated some of the old-school charm with its cleaned-up visuals and ramped-up action. The classic minimalistic tension of the PS1 original was lost in translation, if just a bit. I mean, Snake backflipping off missiles was admittedly rad, but admit it—some of that cold, isolationist grit was lost. As such, the original Metal Gear Solid remains a unique gem of the PS1 era, one that cannot easily be replicated or captured.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

What immediately stands out in the gameplay trailer is just how faithful MGS Delta is to the original source material. David Hayter’s recognizable gravelly tones echo from Naked Snake’s mouth like it’s 2004 all over again. Yes, all voice lines in MGS Delta are reused from the original game, as confirmed by Konami rep Tommy Williams. Speaking of sound, we can likely expect a lightly arranged version of the original soundtrack, if the trailers are anything to go by. The odds are pretty good that we’ll be able to switch between classic and MGS Delta soundtracks just like we are with the camera angles and control scheme, as we discuss further in the article.

And then there’s how the trailer is shot and framed. There are nearly a dozen 1-to-1 shots you can compare with the original, and it all looks so faithfully captured and enhanced. The cockpit inside the helicopter looks particularly stunning in MGS Delta. Just look at that dimly lit center console topped with oodles of dials and switches; it really does put the original shot to shame despite how good it looked back in the day. Slow panning shots make for great sun flare moments, and that’s exactly what the MGS Delta trailer showcases with its recreation of Snake shimmying across the bridge edge as the sun glimmers through the ropes.

The most interesting shot comparison to me is when Snake sneaks across the scaffolding above the broken wall. The original had a cloud of mist enveloping the surroundings, which provided lower visibility and a unique atmosphere. MGS Delta’s version of this scene clearly shows every bush and cranny with remarkable detail and narry a cloud to be seen overhead. I’ve heard some say they prefer the foggy atmosphere and color filter of the original, but the clarity of MGS Delta retains the classic MGS3 look with added realism giving a slightly different vibe.

Unlike other recent remake projects (I’m looking at you, Silent Hill 2), the redone characters look amazing without any instances of uncanny valley plaguing character faces. Snake looks exactly how we’d expect him to look with the modern fidelity treatment and I wouldn’t change a thing about his new design. Augmenting Snake’s facial design are his characteristic animations, which the trailer captures perfectly. I especially like Snake’s eyes scanning the environment with separate iris movement. MGS Delta’s character animations manage to look natural while fitting the mannerisms and familiar motions from the original. And you know what defined MGS3 back in the day? Rain. The rain looks spectacular in the Metal Gear Solid Delta trailer, with little dapples of drops flitting about in between the jungle branches. My goodness, it all looks so good. Konami is clearly putting that Unreal Engine 5 shadow technology and Lumen lighting to good use here.

The visual tone seems too good to be true, but what about the unique Kojima aspects? Kojima’s quirky tone even seems untouched in Metal Gear Solid Delta. For example, that classic Rambo Snake scream when firing the LMG is alive and well, along with the iconic exclamation mark visual cue and sound. Based on the trailer, we have little reason to doubt that Konami will keep all the zany Kojima aspects from the original into MGS Delta. Everything the trailer showcased has been an enhancement of the original game with little altercation to the intent or artistry of the original, so we’re hopeful the full experience delivers a full-blown modern enhancement of the classic.

This is exactly what fans want, and if the final game can stick the landing of what the trailer showed, how can Metal Gear Solid Delta not be a beloved remake? The original game wasn’t perfect though; certain gameplay elements are rough to return to, defining the janky controls of games from the era. Thankfully, MGS Delta is giving us a new control scheme that addresses many of the original’s shortcomings. Konami calls this modern control scheme, ‘New Style’ and will also include a classic ‘Legacy’ control scheme to compliment it. The New Style control scheme incorporates a dynamic over-the-shoulder camera and updated third-person shooter controls.

You can already see some of this control scheme in action with Snake smoothly going prone and aiming the gun while crawling backward in the trailer. And please, please give us finely tuned gradient aiming this time. The finicky sensitivity of the previous versions’ aiming is notoriously clunky. The Legacy controls feature the classic overhead camera and, in the words of Konami, “the original controls from the original Metal Gear Solid 3”. It’s such an awesome package having both control schemes in one, and it gives us hope that the original soundtrack will be an option as well.

We have yet to see or hear any details on how menus are implemented in Metal Gear Solid Delta. Based on all the improvements shown so far, it would be shocking if they didn’t fix the unintuitive menu hopping of the original. Remember having to manually update camouflage and refill stamina every time you stepped into some new terrain? That constant in-and-out of menus was a flow-breaker, but thankfully patching up wounds has been updated in a big way in MGS Delta, giving us confirmation that they’re overhauling healing.

Metal Gear Solid Delta is going all-out on the wound healing system, now making wounds permanently visible on Snake even after healing them. Footage shows just how detailed Snake’s wounds look. Bullet wounds and deep scars remain on Snake’s body even after healing him, resulting in a dynamic real-time wound system that adds even more player connection to Snake based on how we perform in the game. There’s plenty of other gameplay details that we don’t have info on. Like, are they overhauling the Survival Viewer? Is the Tranq Gun better balanced so it isn’t as game-breaking this time around? Only time will tell! I’m curious about boss fights. Konami has an excellent opportunity to fix the shoddy CQC mechanics of the Volgin fight, in particular. Some of the boss arenas were too open for stealth to function prominently in the fight, so hopefully we’ll get some enhanced stealth boss mechanics.

Lastly, MGS Delta also marks the first time we’ll likely have a version of MGS3 that is well-optimized for PC. The Master Collection is tied to the internal game speed making the game feel fast-forwarded and clunky when playing it above 30 fps on PC. MGS Delta is likely giving us that consistent 60 FPS PC release we’ve been waiting for. The unanimous fan approval the recent trailers have received is a clear sign that Metal Gear Solid Delta is shaping up to be a solid (pun intended) remake. Think about it, It’s not an easy task to satisfy fans for a game as sacred and beloved as MGS3, yet the latest MGS Delta showing did just that. Konami just needs to fulfill what the trailers have promised and we’ll have one of the best remakes we’ve ever had. MGS Delta hits all the requirements for a great remake: faithfulness, enhancement, and fixing archaic design. We’ll have to wait and see if Konami nails this one, but it already looks like it has the potential to be one of the best remakes of all time with what we were shown.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Jordan Vogt-Roberts has already stated before that he is fully committed to stay true to the vision of Kojima in adapting the Metal Gear Solid games into films. If you weren’t convinced about that, then perhaps the new video produced by him with the help of voice actor David Hayter, the instantly recognizable voice of Solid Snake (and Big Boss, up until Metal Gear Solid 5) will change your mind.

The short video, which Vogt-Roberts shared through a tweet, is a throwback to the old Metal Gear Solid games and was made to celebrate the franchise’s 31st Anniversary, which Vogt-Roberts has been doing over Twitter continuously over the past month or so. While it starts off making fun of how many questions the confused-sounding Hayter had to ask in those games, something that has become a bit of a meme at this point, it soon develops into a touching tribute to the series’ director Hideo Kojima and also for the loyal fans.

There’s also a brilliant reference to the famous “War has changed” monologue from Guns of the Patriots, with a bit about how “movies… have changed” and have become “an endless series of proxy films created by mercenaries or machines.” The short video then ends with Revolver Ocelot saying, in his own characteristic fashion, that there’s no new information regarding the status of the film, while also providing assurance that they are trying to preserve everything that fans love about the franchise.

You can check out the video and Vogt-Roberts’ tweet below. The man’s a lifelong Kojima and Metal Gear fan, and it becomes clearer and clearer with every next thing he says and does.

❗️CLICK FOR CODEC❗️#METALGEAR31st was beyond expectations. Seeing the shared love of @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN’s series has been an incredible moment in time.

We left our motherlands behind. We are a community.

In Snake we trust! @DavidBHayter

VIDEO LINK: https://t.co/oj7WAK0Oly

— (((Jordan Vogt-Roberts))) (@VogtRoberts) August 15, 2018

It was noticed by one Resetera user that Konami Digitial Entertainment Co. Ltd. has filed for a trademark application at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This new patent mainly concerns gaming machines which accept a wager. We can speculate then that Konami has plans to make use of the brand in some way related to pachinko machines or some other such slot machines. Since the patent has been filed by Konami Digital Entertainment Co. Ltd. and not Konami Gaming, Inc., it seems likely that the patent has been filed mainly for commercial purposes and not for anything related to the video game itself.

For now, we’ll just have to wait and see exactly what Konami has planned for the Silent Hills franchise.

Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the director of Kong: Skull Island is now working on an upcoming Metal Gear Solid film. While we don’t know much about this upcoming film, it’s evident that Vogt-Roberts is passionate about this franchise as a whole and that he’s an admirer of Hideo Kojima’s direction style.

In a new tweet, Jordan Vogt-Roberts shared his admiration for Kojima’s direction in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. He went on to compare the direction in the game to the camera control displayed  by Derek Cianfrance in a baseball commercial. Of course, Kojima’s directing abilities aren’t very surprising given that he’s a huge fan of cinema and frequently draws from films for inspiration for his games. Additionally, Vogt-Roberts went on to share his love for Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and  Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and he stated that they are two of the most “brave and affecting entries” in the entire series.

When a fan stated that these games should be remade, Jordan stated that the original Metal Gear games i.e. Metal Gear (1987) and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake should ideally be remade first.

Overall, it’s clear that Jordan Vogt-Roberts knows the Metal Gear series  very well and he may be the right person to make a film based  on the games. You can check out the tweets below.

To be fair I think METAL GEAR & METAL GEAR: SOLID SNAKE (MSX versions) would be in line for a remake first. Those are such giant elements of the story that aren’t visualized like the others.

— (((Jordan Vogt-Roberts))) (@VogtRoberts) March 18, 2018

! @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN’s direction in PHANTOM PAIN is groundbreaking. The unbroken virtual camera shots remind me of the insane motion control rig Derek Cianfrance used in this: https://t.co/kHQjBwpQbf The camera moves through space & zooms in an imperceptible way to focus on story.

— (((Jordan Vogt-Roberts))) (@VogtRoberts) March 18, 2018

Just putting it out there that PORTABLE OPS and PEACE WALKER are two of the most brave and affecting entries in the MGS series and I don’t think they get the attention they deserve because they were on the PSP.

— (((Jordan Vogt-Roberts))) (@VogtRoberts) March 18, 2018

The cancellation of Silent Hills still rankles, more than a year later, and almost two years since we first learned of its existence. The game, which was made available in the form of a playable teaser, was going to be a reboot of the classic survival horror franchise, helmed by auteur Hideo Kojima, collaborating with Guillermo del Toro and Norman Reedus. In other words, it sounded like it was going to be the perfect horror title- but then Konami had to go and cancel it.

In a lot of ways, the reputation of Silent Hills has only grown since its cancellation, since it will now perennially be a ‘what if’ scenario, a mythical, mystical legend that people will build up in their heads based on their extrapolated expectations based on P.T. On the other hand, Silent Hills‘ very existence and subsequent cancellation saw a revival of horror games, as developers of all sorts flocked to fill the void with their own games.

We decided to ask one of those developers, the team behind the Friday the 13th game, what their take on the cancellation of Silent Hills was. Overall, it sounds like they have come to terms with it and made peace with it.

“There are lots of team members who are fans of the Silent Hill games. Of course those who are fans are disappointed by the cancellation, but we know that business decisions need to be made for any number of reasons and hope that more Silent Hill games will be made in the future,” they said, in an exclusive interview GamingBolt had with Illfonic lead producer David Langeliers, president and co-founder Charles Brungardt, lead artist Shane Stoneman and producer Bryce Glover.

Business decisions do need to be made, of course. Sadly, they are often at odds with artistic vision.

A fan project has been slowly recreating Kojima’s iconic Metal Gear Solid in Unreal Engine; the recreation has been in development for years now, and the final product seems like the effort will have been worth it. Metal Gear Solid in Unreal Engine looks absolutely gorgeous, with Shadow Moses getting moody, dark colors, that cloak the entire game in a new, edgier, grim sort of mood, more in line with the tone the series would go on to adapt in later installments.

Apparently, creator Airam Hernández has been working with Konami on getting the right permissions for this project, implying that, while not officially sanctioning it, they may be willing to let the recreation continue. For a company that has acted so dickishly in the recent past, that’s honestly pretty cool of them.

You can check out some screens from the project, as it is stands right now, for yourself below. Be sure to let us know what you think of them in the comments section.

Kojima may have left Konami, but Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will continue to be supported for the foreseeable future (if not with the kind of story DLC that many hoped for or expected). The game will be getting a massive update this month, which is actually available today.

The update introduces new features, such custom camera and mine placements in an FOB, a new FOB Mission Event called The Skulls Attack, the ability to use the Raiden and Cyborg Ninja outfits in FOBs, new challenge tasks which will award players a variety of rewards for completing specific tasks, Advanced Player FOB missions, new Grade 9 weapons and more.

The update is out right now on the PS3, PS4, Xbox One, and PC worldwide- Xbox 360 players will have to wait, as Konami confirmed that they don’t get the update right now- we don’t actually know when they’ll be getting it either, actually.

Konami has been taking some rather unprecedented heat when it comest to the way it handled parting ways with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain director Hideo Kojima. Kojima has actually helmed a good number of the most recent Metal Gear games though it appears his relationship with the video game company is officially in tatters. We already saw Konami take quite a bit of heat at last week’s Video Game Awards.

Now one of the firm’s top former competitors is weighing in and it’s pretty clear that former Square Enix chief Yoichi Wada doesn’t agree with the way Konami has handled the whole thing. Wada took to his Facebook page in order to make his thoughts clear saying, “As I know Mr. Kojima, I want to say, ‘I can’t believe this cruel treatment!’ But, here I’m going to give my thoughts as a corporate exec, however you think about this, this is a negative for business. Maybe leaving the home console market is management’s plan, but going out of your way to make enemies with the world has no meaning. Generally, this kind of thing happens when there’s a lack of leadership. I think, perhaps, there isn’t someone in charge who is paying attention and laying out all the little details for whole enterprise.”

This diatribe appears to be the most scathing of all and the criticism of Konami appears to have been sparked by recent reports that the firm wasn’t letting Kojima come and accept various awards for his latest project. Perhaps it’s time for Konami to rethink the way it’s handling itself during its split with Kojima.

Thanks, Kotaku.

Like so many other big releases, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will also be getting a midnight launch in India, courtesy of leading Indian games retailer Games The Shop. The store announced today that the midnight launch will be held at Games The Shop store at Oberoi Mall, Mumbai on 31^st August starting 11.PM onwards. All the MGS fans who attend the midnight launch will stand a chance to get hold of the Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pains official T-shirts.

Games The Shop is also promising a few ‘unexpected surprises’ for the fans, as they all queue up to collect their pre-ordered (or not) copies of one of the biggest game launches of the year. What these surprises are is as of right now unknown, but Games The Shop has been known for some memorable launch events in the past, so it will probably be something good.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will be available in India on 1^st September on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One & Xbox 360.