Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater – Everything You Need to Know

by

After a significant period of wait, we’re nearly at the point where the first “Metal Gear Solid” game in a decade will be released. Fears are gradually decreasing as more details emerge about the upcoming title, “Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater“. This seems to be a devoted, almost pure re-creation of an unquestionable classic in the “Metal Gear” series. There’s a lot for both diehard fans and newcomers to look forward to, so make sure your communication devices are tuned properly and get ready: here are 15 essential facts to keep in mind before you decide to buy “Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater“.

Story

A chilling masterpiece from the Cold War era that Konami has chosen to remake first among Hideo Kojima’s mainline stealth action series, despite it being the third installment chronologically because it is set earliest within the franchise. The narrative unfolds in 1964 and offers an alternate perspective on the historic geopolitical tensions between the United States and USSR. Notably, this remake of “Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater” also functions as a prequel to later events in the series, providing the origin story for Big Boss’ larger narrative arc and setting the stage for subsequent developments.

Setting, and what’s at stake

In this retelling, we’ll make the narrative more accessible while preserving the story’s core elements:

A U.S. Government-assigned operative known as Naked Snake is sent to the Soviet Union’s Tselinoyarsk to rescue Nikolai Solokov, a former Soviet scientist who has defected and is being coerced into developing a nuclear-armed tank called Shagohod by the authorities. Joining him on this operation are Major Zero, Para-Medic, and The Boss, Naked Snake’s mentor from his past.

Unfortunately, the mission takes an unexpected turn when The Boss betrays the U.S., collaborating with her Cobra Unit to capture Solokov once more and leave Naked Snake for dead. As a result, the Shagohod falls into malicious hands, and its research facilities are destroyed. This act of sabotage leads the Soviet Union to accuse the U.S., while America maintains its innocence in the ensuing global nuclear crisis.

Miraculously, Naked Snake manages to survive The Boss’ betrayal and is later redeployed for a new mission: he must destroy the Shagohod and eliminate his former mentor, The Boss, herself. Get ready for an exhilarating adventure that’s nothing short of a thrill ride!

Antagonist characters

The Soviet intelligence agency GRU, headed by Colonel Volgin – nicknamed ‘Thunderbolt’ – spearheaded an effort to retrieve Solokov. This formidable and electrically conductive individual with a penchant for sadism served as the main adversary for Delta. Commanding the GRU’s Ocelot Unit was the young Spetznatz operative known as Ocelot, whose antagonistic beginnings masked his burning ambition.

This band is known as the Cobra Unit, a fascinating group of top-tier soldiers. Each member has unique traits related to combat scenarios, and they all possess special skills. The Emotional Leader commands swarms of hornets; Stealth Master wields two crossbows, sets traps, and moves swiftly like a ghost; The Psychic links with the deceased; the Firepower Wielder in a space suit fires a flamethrower. The Ancient Marksman, a renowned sniper, symbolizes ‘absolute extinction’. An expert at hiding, his parrot acts as a scout. The Commander oversees them all, and your allegiance will be proven through facing this leader.

Survival elements

In contrast to many of its predecessors in the Metal Gear series, Metal Gear Solid Delta stands out by featuring primarily jungle environments. This necessitates Snake to employ guerrilla warfare strategies for survival. He blends into his surroundings using camouflage and employs local plants and animals to distract or misdirect enemies. The jungle is treacherous, yet Snake is skilled at exploiting it to his advantage. Managing survival aspects, such as satisfying hunger and treating wounds, becomes crucial. It’s a Metal Gear game alright, but Delta offers a significantly different experience compared to other well-known entries in the series.

Secret Theater mode

To access the Secret Theater mode hidden within Metal Gear Solid Delta, Snake needs to collect 8mm film reels from opponents. This secret feature presents comedic outtakes from various game scenes and merges them with both the original Secret Theater videos from Metal Gear Solid 3 (in their original PS2 graphics) and freshly created clips. The creators of Metal Gear Solid 3’s cutscenes at Konami decided to preserve the vintage visuals for the MGS3 videos, as the humor in those videos is more effective when kept in their original style.

According to Yuji Korekado’s recent Metal Gear – Production Hotline update, it turns out that the individual responsible for the original video content is still part of the team and now serves as the cutscene director for Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. This person believes that the comedic elements work better with the original graphics, so if we were to use updated visuals, new videos would be made instead, even if it meant fewer of them. As a result, the existing scenes remain unchanged while some new ones have been created using the improved graphics.

Fox Hunt

Nestled within the game world of “Metal Gear Solid Delta” is an entirely new multiplayer experience called Fox Hunt, distinct from “Metal Gear Online.” Fox Hunt leans into hide-and-seek style gameplay where players need to employ their stealth and survival skills in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse between two rival teams. As for the return of Metal Gear Online, that’s uncertain at this point. Given that there’s already a separate online mode available, it may be best to manage expectations accordingly.

Seamless gameplay-to-cutscene

It’s clear that Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, with its stunning visuals, truly stands out. The team’s application of Unreal Engine 5 has brought jungles, swamps, and vegetation to life with an unprecedented level of detail and complexity. While using advanced technology to enhance existing aspects is one thing, creating something entirely immersive, like the smoother transitions between cutscenes and gameplay, is quite another. For instance, in the original game, Snake’s retrieval of his hanging backpack was a pre-scripted sequence where he dropped from a tree, moved to cover, all controlled by the computer. However, in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, this scene exhibits a new sense of dynamism. As Snake drops from the tree, the game transitions seamlessly into a cutscene, offering a more engaging and interactive experience.

Cutscenes can be paused

The update for Delta players isn’t just about cosmetic changes, but also enhances the overall gaming experience with quality-of-life upgrades. One of the most appreciated features is the brand-new capability to pause game cutscenes, making it easier for gamers to step away from their screens during extended periods of dialogue and action sequences. This pause function will undoubtedly prove very helpful for many players.

New game selection

Enthusiasts who have been following the series for a while will appreciate that in the new installment, Delta, you can opt to choose your preferred Metal Gear title at the start of a new game. Previously, in games like Snake Eater and its expansion Subsistence, you could only select 1, 2, or 3, with these choices opening up specific rewards and hidden features. However, in this version, players have more freedom to lean towards titles such as Peace Walker, The Phantom Pain, or even all previous MGS games. This choice unlocks unique camouflage patterns for DPM, bananas, and grenades, among other perks. If you’re new to the series, there’s an option for you as well, granting you access to all three of those camo styles.

Photo mode

As a gaming enthusiast, I’m thrilled to announce that the game now includes an exciting new feature – a photo mode! Just like any other in-game photographer, this mode allows us players to immortalize our favorite moments. With adjustable camera settings such as focal points, perspectives, apertures, focus, and more, we can fine-tune our shots to perfection. To add the final touch, you can also customize frames and filters for your images before sharing them with friends. It’s an amazing way to relive and showcase our gaming adventures!

Ape Escape and Bomberman side games

Players on PlayStation 5 and PC can have fun engaging in the “Monkey vs Snake” mini-game from Metal Gear Solid Delta, where the iconic characters taunt each other while Snake chases the monkeys around the map. As Ape Escape is a Sony property, Xbox players won’t be left out – instead, they will get their own unique side game: “Snake vs Bomberman”.

Graphic modes

In the game “Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater,” players will have two visual modes to choose from – Quality and Performance. The Quality mode prioritizes a high-quality framerate, specifically offering 4K resolution at 30 frames per second. On the other hand, the Performance mode focuses on achieving a smoother gameplay experience with a targeted 60 frames per second, although it runs at 1080p resolution. However, it’s also been noted that the Performance mode can adjust and potentially run at higher resolutions dynamically.

PS5 Pro-specific enhancements

It has been confirmed since September 2024 that players of Metal Gear Solid Delta on the PS5 Pro will enjoy the console’s enhanced performance. Yuji Korekado, the game’s Creative Producer, explained that thanks to the PS5 Pro’s PSSR technology, the game’s jungle will appear more dense and vibrant with smoother gameplay and better frame rates consistently throughout. While we may have more details about the PS5 Pro support in the future, it is certain that the game will look visually stunning on this console.

PC requirements

According to Delta’s Steam page, the least hardware necessary includes either an Intel i5-8600 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 CPU, an RTX 2060 Super (with 8GB of memory) graphics card, and 16 GB of RAM. However, for optimal performance, they suggest either an Intel i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 processors, an RTX 3080 GPU, and the same amount of 16GB RAM. Additionally, it requires a significant storage space of 100 GB.

The Sneaking DLC Pack

The Sneaking DLC Pack contains a collection of stealth items for the character Snake within the game. This includes different outfits, facial appearances, and accessories that are accessible through the Tactical and Digital Deluxe Editions of the game, or can be bought separately. Among these items are glasses and sunglasses, the GA-KO and Kerotan masks, and six uniforms: Battle Dress, Sneaking Suit, two Naked uniforms – known as Woodland and Ammunition Belt, a golden suit, and the Crocodile Suit. As seen on Konami’s social media, the Crocodile Suit camouflages Snake among swamp crocs, making it more impressive than the original MGS3’s crocodile headdress.

Read More

2025-08-13 21:45