Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, the remaster of the series classic Metal Gear Solid 3, brings the 2004 original up to snuff with a number of excellent new polishes and more than a few welcome quality-of-life touches to elements like the control scheme. At the same time, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater retains all the core features and feel of the original, making it a faithful recreation of one of the most beloved entries in the franchise and gaming at large.
Following the thrilling tale of the elite CIA spy codenamed Naked Snake as he is tasked with a delicate mission during the height of the Cold War, taking a non-lethal approach in Metal Gear Solid Delta is basically encouraged by both its multiple interweaving mechanics and the framework of the narrative itself. However, the game does also allow for and provide an array of more confrontational and deadly options, which is precisely the route I chose to take during my time with it.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is Built Around Stealth, But Still Lets You Go Loud
From their very origins, the Metal Gear and MGS games have always aimed to impart the “tactical espionage action” tagline that they tout through relevant and refined mechanics. This aspect is on full display in Snake Eater, as many of the tools and gadgets that Snake is outfitted with are geared towards maintaining a low-profile. Both Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater‘s improved gameplay mechanics and the story itself heavily encourage remaining stealthy, giving fans all the necessary ingredients to play it this way the entire way through. But this isn’t strictly required, and it’s also possible to employ a much more forceful and direct tactic.
Early on, during the Virtuous mission prologue and throughout the first few sections of Operation Snake Eater proper, I did my best to employ optimal stealth tactics. I would meticulously scope out each area, making note of guard patrol patterns and other obstacles, all the while planning how best to remove or avoid them without raising suspicion. Obviously, I made use of the famous cardboard box trick, and am likely not alone in having reloaded multiple times in instances where I was spotted. Eventually, though, I abandoned this mindset and essentially became “Rambo Snake.”
The turning point for me was the infiltration into the Krasnogorje region’s mountaintop fortress. The defenses in place and the number of soldiers in this area are ramped up, with the level design also making it trickier to creep around and eliminate them unseen. This area was also where I got my hands on a few of the more powerful weapons in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, like the assault rifle and machine gun, and decided to use them to their fullest extent, mowing down pretty much the entire base and never looking back afterward.
Continuing down this path resulted in a classic case of ludonarrative dissonance, which normally goes unaddressed in most games. But, of course, this is rarely the case with Hideo Kojima’s works. The legendary designer has a penchant for fourth-wall breaking in his games, with moments that reflect and directly comment upon players’ actions. The consequences of my choice were most apparent when I reached The Sorrow’s river of dead souls. My long walk through this famous encounter was absolutely littered with the ghosts of those I had sent to it, haunting my every step, making it a harrowing and arduous section due to my decision to callously gun down droves of enemies leading up to it.
While I recognize that my personal style here probably cuts against the grain, the fact that the game is flexible enough to accommodate it stands as a testament to the strength of its design. Playing Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater as an intense third-person shooter more along the lines of games like Just Cause instead of, say, Splinter Cell, can be just as satisfying, and is yet another reason why it remains such a timeless and enjoyable experience.
About The Author
