But what about the title that explores his later days? And does so with a lot of great additions to the franchise’s stealth-action gameplay loop? Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain, being Kojima’s last instalment in the franchise before his infamous split from Konami, is quite the solid experience and has been quite a successful outing in its own right.

We thought it best to give you a rundown of what each respective title gets right and perhaps doesn’t, pitting them against each other to see which one comes out on top in crucial areas of the experiences they offer. It’s time to dive in.

Stealth And AI

Comparing the stealth mechanics on offer in the two titles is a great place to start when thinking about which one of them is a better Metal Gear Solid experience. Let’s take a look at Delta first, and the manner in which its improvements have made the experience originally on offer in MGS3 feel more modern, and perhaps better in the process.

It must be said that Phantom Pain has been a positive influence on the remake, with many of its more modern trappings making their way to Delta. However, stealth in the remake does feel a little raw, but much more natural, a reflection of the fact that it is still a 2004 title at heart. Naked Snake’s infiltration of Volgin’s forces is a lot better in Delta when you consider how the new camera angles and the ability to seamlessly blend into the environment create an experience that’s quite riveting in the moment.

Snake Eater’s camouflage system and classic timer-based Caution/Evasion states add constant tension. While TPP uses the same framework, it pushes much of it behind the scenes, keeping you unsure of when the search will end. TPP’s stealth is more systemic and emergent, something its often sparse open world benefits from, where your tools and buddy choice shape every infiltration. Delta, by contrast, is more “man-against-the-jungle”: your camo and positioning matter, and enemies blend into the environment as well as you do. Both approaches are excellent, and both games are stealth masterclasses, but TPP just sneaks ahead thanks to the freedom it affords in missions.

An improved enemy AI is also on display in Delta, with enemies proving to be a lot more deadly when compared to the original title. They have quicker reaction times and have better hearing senses; however, Phantom Pain makes good use of the eleven years and several other titles before it, bringing additions to the franchise’s gameplay loop that give it a distinct edge over Delta as far as its stealth mechanics are concerned. Infiltrations are a lot more realistic, a fact made possible by a dynamic weather cycle, a very refined enemy AI, the ability to map out enemy routes and patrol changes, and so much more, which all lend an element of strategy to the experience that Delta simply cannot match. Heck, enemies in TPP even adapt to your playstyle: rely too much on headshots and they’ll start wearing helmets, infiltrate too often at night and they’ll equip NVGs!

As far as stealth and AI are concerned, Phantom Pain takes the win despite a very solid effort to breathe new life into MGS3’s aging mechanics by Delta.

Combat, Boss Battles, and Tools

In the event that you’re spotted by enemies, indulging in a shootout or a melee showdown does become crucial to surviving before you can get back to the shadows. In terms of its combat, Delta does ensure a smooth experience, but Phantom Pain offers a tighter, more focused experience that lets it steal the advantage from the more recent remake, not to mention it has a massive arsenal of weapons compared to Snake Eater.

However, the enemies that both Naked Snake and Venom Snake confront with their abilities are just as integral to the experience, leading us to the bosses they encounter throughout their respective adventures. On that front, Delta continues to be an undisputable champion, considering how the Cobra Unit, Volgin, and The Boss each bring a unique skill set, compelling back stories, and a lot of personality to the table in their encounters with Naked Snake.

Phantom Pain, on the other hand, does come with its own unique set of antagonists, but none of them are as memorable, or dare we say imposing, as their counterparts in Delta. The battles against the Skulls were nothing but bullet sponges, and you don’t even get to fight Skull Face, given the theme the game was going for. While the fight against Sahelanthropus and Quiet is certainly one of the franchise’s best encounters, Konami’s remake is the clear winner as far as the boss fights it offers versus Phantom Pain are concerned.

That brings us to another important aspect of the Metal Gear Solid experience: the tools you are given to use over the course of your adventure. While Phantom Pain might be the obvious choice here, considering how Venom Snake has a literal army at his disposal whom he can call on for help alongside a wide variety of tools that he uses with ruthless efficiency (the Phantom Cigar being our favorite), there’s a case to be made for Delta and the manner in which its comparatively limited selection of tools is put to use.

That’s because Delta is a more linear sort of adventure in which Snake’s options at any given point in a mission depend on the optimal use of his arsenal. To that end, his tools are a tad more limited, but are rendered all the more useful because of those limitations. It’s a tricky balance between offering up a challenge and giving players cool stuff that a stealthy spy would use in the field, and we would say that both games do a great job of offering up options based on the varying experiences they bring to the table.

As far as tools are concerned, it’s a tie between the two games. But what about their stories?

The Story, Animations, And Graphics

Pitting the narratives of Phantom Pain and Snake Eater is made tricky thanks to the unique situation that the former game faced over the course of its development. Kojima and Konami’s differences led to Phantom Pain coming under fire for feeling “incomplete”, a sentiment that was echoed on a critical front.

Despite bringing Cipher, XOF, Venom Snake, and a slew of new characters together for a story that was every bit as explosive and full of twists and turns as the titles that preceded it, Phantom Pain’s tendency to favor lore drops over exposition might give it a distinct disadvantage when it’s compared to Snake Eater, a title whose story could be seen as a legendary addition to the franchise’s canon.

Despite both titles following Big Boss, Delta’s explorations of the character’s origins as Naked Snake, made all the more immersive with Konami’s visual overhaul of the original release, are simply more polished, focused, and dare we say complete. It also helps that its cast remains as iconic and memorable today as they did back in 2004, and that the story is presented more directly than it was in Phantom Pain.

Of course, Episode 51 and its absence from Phantom Pain is an aspect that must be touched upon, considering how it feeds into the idea that there was a lot of content intended to make its way to the game but was ultimately left out of it. On the narrative front, it seems that Naked Snake’s journey towards becoming Big Boss takes the lead against Venom Snake’s representation of the character.

Although The Phantom Pain’s story, once understood, is simply amazing, we can’t help but give Snake Eater the win here, given that it tells a complete story, from start to finish.

In terms of pure animation quality, both Delta and The Phantom Pain shine. Delta borrows much of TPP’s polish to deliver a huge leap over the original MGS3, but the difference in move sets reflects who Snake is in each game: Venom Snake in TPP has a broader repertoire, while Naked Snake in Delta is earlier in his journey, so his moves are intentionally leaner. Even so, movement, CQC, and transition work look excellent in both; call it a tie on animations.

However, in terms of visuals, Delta is a class apart. Phantom Pain still looks fantastic a decade on, enjoying the advantage of having nearly eleven years of the franchise’s other titles to draw on, refine, and present to players when compared to MGS3. But Delta isn’t merely forced to bridge the gap between the original release and current-gen standards—it clears it. The character work, especially Snake’s model, facial rigging, and gear detail, sells the leap. Despite TPP’s enduring strengths, on visuals, Delta is the clear winner.

Naked Snake or Big Boss?

While all of these comparisons might make one title seem like the better one over the other, it does become essential to remember that Delta and Phantom Pain are vastly different experiences, made for successive generations of consoles with different goals in mind.

It can be hard to straight-up declare that either one of them is the better Metal Gear Solid experience overall, considering how each one adds a new layer to Big Boss on both narrative and technical fronts.

Choosing between the two would need to account for another crucial aspect of the experience: each player’s personal tastes and what they would like to take away from their time in a Metal Gear Solid game. That’s a subjective front, and one that comes with too much variance to be able to accurately measure and predict.

Putting ourselves under the same subjective scrutiny, we’re calling this one a tie. Delta, Naked Snake’s early days, has been an absolute treat, blending nostalgia with current-gen goodness in a way that brings back fond memories of the original release while ironing out a few of its flaws to present a vastly improved experience. At the same time, TPP’s systemic freedom and depth still impress. Each game edges the other in different categories, but never by much, enough strengths on both sides to make this too close to call.

Given how well the Snake Eater remake holds up after so many years after its original release, perhaps even Big Boss would look back and smile fondly at a time when things were a lot simpler, if a little harrowing, for his character.

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.