METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER [Review]

It wasn't that long ago that I've played the whole Metal Gear Solid franchise in one go, due to the release of the Master Collection Vol. 1, that I've even written something about it. Of the three games on that collection, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was my favorite to play, although having the story I related the least.

Metal Gear Solid Delta/Triangle/Δ: Snake Eater is one of those remakes that are very close to the original game in gameplay, but modernized, while also having the latest in graphics, retaining the original in format, scene, direction, and voice.

The thing is, the original game, readily available on the cheaper Master Collection, featured already a very tight and well done gameplay, iterating on the mistakes of the previous two games to create a real "tactical action" adventure. Relevant to say that this is very much the THIRD game and it is meant to be played as the third entry, otherwise, the narrative is campy nonsense.

Gameplay wise, here on Δ, the weapons are easier to use, it is possible to walk while crouching, changing the disguises is easy and fast and all the "modernization" performed to the gameplay actually made everything too easy, predictable and not that tactical. I relied less on the environment.

MGS:3 combat and gameplay were designed based on limitations and removing them made the already linear exploration even more on rails, loosing a bit of its relevance since now Snake is that overpowered.

Still, of course, it is fun to play because the bones of a great game are still here. Impressive interactions between systems makes the game believable and fun. Characters are scripted to react to different scenarios and the boss fights can be really memorable – even if easier, due to the new movement of this remake.

Visually speaking, the polygon count is higher alright. It is undeniable that every character is more defined and their lips actually match what they're saying, giving a more cinematic ambiance to it all. Yet, the ultra realistic approach in some areas, such as lighting and some texture work, clashes with the somehow stylized faces and designs. The result is messy, unfortunately. Some character look good, like Volgin, while other looks uncanny like Snake, Eva and The Boss. The original game and, thus, the HD Version have a more cohesive art style. There's also a very strong "silver filter" that permeates most scenes even when using the "legacy" filter.

While the scenarios and ambiances are great, there are some massive problems with the lighting engine (called Lumen). Lumen generates too many artifacts and ghosting and it is not well implemented in this game. Also there were heavy frame drops and moments with dynamic resolution that made the overall image quality of this game actually subpar, regardless of the polygon count.

There's traversal stutter (even if minimal, when compared to other UE5 Games) and some shimmering, this last one maybe due to the PSSR on my PS5 Pro. Still, even if the MGS:3 on the master collection looks simpler, it is clearer, prettier and it gets the job done without creating artifacts or blurry images in intense battles, that sometimes also suffer from frame rate drops.

So, is Metal Gear Solid Δ a bad game to play? No, but it is worse than the available remaster. Is it ugly? No, but it has a lower image quality overall and things are not as crisp as the available remaster. Still. it is good! Of course it is. But it isn't great. You know what is great?

The readily available and cheaper remaster that is part of a collection.

If you never played Metal Gear Solid, you should start with the first one, not the third. So, new players, no reason to start here. Returning players that never played the HD Remaster, go there instead. Otherwise, a fun time, even if too expensive.

7.5/10