The thinking person's stealth/action game, "Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater" wears its academic, shamelessly geeky trappings with pride. You come for the sneaking, survival and close-quarter combat scenarios and stay for the cutscenes, injokes and non sequiturs that go on, and on. And on.
True fans of the source material wouldn't have things any other way, and that's why Metal Gear Solid nation has longed for the day that the game was updated and rereleased on current consoles.
Due out Tuesday, "Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater" pays loving tribute to what many hold as one of the greatest games ever created. The dev teams at Konami and Virtuous have approached the task and hand with the care and passion of a restoration of a masterwork painting. The bones of the 2004 original remain strong, and the teams respect the source material to enhance it rather than replace it. The story, which intertwines historical fiction lines with true stories of Cold War subterfuge, remains brainy and poignant.
The passage of time is rarely kind to landmark games. But "Snake Eater" seems to have been so far ahead of its time that its AI industrial complex obsessions and nihilistic geopolitical commentary register with even more resonance now than they did decades ago. Sure, David Hayter's narration was corny then and is outright goofy now, but accepting the dorky trappings of the retro dudebro that is Solid Snake is a prerequisite to enjoying his wild journey.
Listening to fan feedback from the generally well-recieved but somewhat clunky 2023 "Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection," the latest "Metal Gear Solid" restorative effort seems more like a well-preserved piece of history than an awkward attempt at reinvention. I was impressed with the seamless nature of the remake, which looks and plays with all the pizzazz and quality-of-life features gamers expect in 2025.
I appreciated the way the game made use of the PS5 controller to add subtle enhancements to the gameplay. The game's sandbox aspect, which challenges you to hunt for food and resources to attain buffs to help you in coming missions, is eased by a stream of casual, utterly helpful prompts that coax you toward your goals.
I found myself playing with a smile, encountering scenes and missions that lived up to the lofty heights of my memories, and finding new moments I either missed the first time around or forgot entirely. "Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater" is a vivacious and playful stealth combat endeavor that is every bit as fun and engaging as it was in 2004. This snake still has plenty of bite to it.
Publisher provided review code.
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