Konami is making a comeback in gaming with well-received remakes like Silent Hill 2 and the upcoming release of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater on August 28. The choice isn’t just about following a trend; it’s about reviving a beloved character and franchise that has become difficult to access for new players.

Even with remasters, the narrative remains strong and the gameplay unique, but the graphics and pacing often feel outdated compared to modern titles, making the original games less approachable for younger and newer gamers.

While, after a difficult breakup with Konami, this remake doesn’t involve the creator Hideo Kojima or the original art director Yoji Shinkawa, it still brings back a familiar face. David Hayter, the iconic voice of Snake in the English versions of the series, is returning to reprise his role in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. 
As a prequel to the other titles, it features a younger Naked Snake portrayed in a modern style, aiming to relaunch the series for a new generation who missed the original releases on platforms like the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2.

Who is naked snake?

In Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, players take on the role of Naked Snake, a highly trained operative sent deep into soviet territory during the Cold War. What sets him apart is his exceptional skill and instinct, qualities that make him the ideal prototype for a secret experiment. His genes will later be used to create Solid Snake, Liquid Snake, and Venom Snake, shaping the entire future of the Metal Gear saga.

CIA’s special unit FOX issues Operation Snake Eater, which gives the game its name. At first, Snake must extract a defected scientist forced to build a new nuclear weapon: the Shagohod, capable of launching nukes from virtually anywhere. But the operation quickly takes a dramatic turn when Snake discovers that his mentor and mother figure, The Boss, has defected to the Soviet Union. He must now kill her.

The game is a spy thriller, telling a personal story about loyalty, identity, and the weight of duty. The narrative, supported by music inspired by James Bond spy movies, deepens the bond between Snake and The Boss, a relationship remembered as one of the most deeply emotional endings in video game history.

The original Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

The original Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, released in 2004, marked a turning point for the saga, throwing players into a radically new setting: surviving alone in the jungle. Snake now had to hunt or fish for food, treat his wounds, use camouflage to blend into the environment, and rely on CQC, a new close-quarters combat system that would become a signature of the series.

The game stood out for its boss fights, each one packed with care and detail that elevated the player’s experience. One example is the fight with The End: gamers can defeat him by simply saving the game, waiting a few real-world days, and letting him die of old age. The Sorrow made players walk through a river filled with the bodies of every enemy they had killed, forcing them to confront their actions.

Even the final battle with The Boss, set in a field of white flowers, became iconic for its cinematic staging, inspired by Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Akira Kurosawa’s Sanjuro. 

Where and How to play the Metal Gear Saga

One of the reasons behind the remake of Snake Eater is how hard it is for new players to access the Metal Gear series. Between non-chronological release order, old hardware, and a famously complex narrative, the franchise can feel intimidating. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater could be the first of many remakes, bringing the saga to modern platforms with updated visuals, refined gameplay, and hopefully a more accessible release structure.

For now, the best entry point is the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, available on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC. This bundle includes the first three mainline games in their remastered form (not remakes), offering an official way to experience the classics, even though some elements haven’t aged perfectly.

Konami has hinted at future remakes. In an interview with Famitsu, they explained that remaking the first Metal Gear Solid would be “far more challenging” than Snake Eater, but didn’t rule it out entirely. With enough interest, Delta might just open the door to more ambitious projects making the series shine once again.