Sony’s recent State of Play event has passed, revealing fresh announcements, updates, and unexpected treats (such as Nioh 3). Silent Hill received a September launch date, along with additional spine-chilling visuals and gameplay. Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls seems to be an exciting venture for ArcSys and fans of Marvel vs. Capcom. Even Ghost of Yotei, though it didn’t make a big impact, will get a thorough exploration in July.
The exhibition showcased fresh gameplay for the upcoming (and highly anticipated) remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater by Konami, titled Metal Gear Solid Delta. This is scheduled to release on August 28th across Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC platforms. The demonstration lasted approximately one minute and fifty seconds, offering an optimal blend of gameplay segments, hints, and cinematic moments. The motorcycle chase sequence through the woods appeared exciting, as did the close-quarter combat with Colonel Volgin. Given that we’ve seen a lot of this game over the past few months, it’s amazing to still find hidden elements like Raikov’s brief appearance and what seemed to be Metal Gear Online. It’s hard to believe that it will hit the market in less than three months, especially since it will debut a month before Silent Hill’s release and its eerie atmosphere.
In the world of Konami, particularly with Metal Gear Solid following Hideo Kojima’s departure, things are seldom straightforward. Even amidst stunning animations such as the smooth takedown on Volgin, there were some peculiarities that stood out. For instance, in the early scenes, it appears Snake is walking around crouched, a detail that might not initially grab your attention. However, upon closer inspection, you notice his knees rising almost to his shoulders while his back remains stationary, which feels strange but not necessarily immersion-breaking – more odd than anything else.
In a different take, when we reach Ocelot’s reload animation, it seems oddly mismatched with his constant facial expression. It might appear as an amusing edit of the music, but in truth, that’s the genuine animation. His shooting running animation also appears somewhat rigid. Additionally, The Fury’s peculiarity becomes evident when he zips through a narrow corridor, spins around and shoots flames. It’s not terrible, but the flames casting minimal light or shadows on the environment feels unusual.
Although the trailer boasts stunning textures and character models, as well as exhilarating chase scenes, there’s still an unsettling roughness to it. Some speculate that this could be due to the original animations not blending seamlessly with the revamped, realistic visuals. However, Konami is unlikely to make any changes, since they aim to preserve everything that made Metal Gear Solid 3, only modernizing the graphics (and adding some convenience features for those who desire them).
Despite their initial plan being limited to updating visuals only, Konami later found it necessary to improve the animations too. Producer Noriaki Okamura mentioned this back in October 2024, stating that as long as the backgrounds and character models were refined, they chose to keep the game’s existing elements. However, a prototype demonstrated that the initial animation quality fell short of their expectations.
Okamura expressed a feeling of unease, remarking that while graphics had been enhanced, if the system, perspective, and character movements hadn’t evolved to align with contemporary hardware capabilities, the game wouldn’t perform optimally. This was a worry I harbored, but it solidified when I began developing the game.
In the remake, Konami significantly revamped and modernized nearly all the animations. The development team even delved into video footage from a knife-handling course for the original version to accurately depict those movements using contemporary technology, as explained by Okamura. Essentially, they recognized a discrepancy between the old and new visuals, and chose to enhance them accordingly.
The degree of improvement isn’t clear yet, and regrettably, a fast-paced trailer that switches between scenes can’t replace extended gameplay for truly understanding how it unfolds. Doubts are gradually mounting. Some people worry that the original’s appeal and atmosphere might have been sacrificed or significantly reduced (even with visual filters, they still feel unsatisfied). On the contrary, others judge it based on other remakes, particularly in the Resident Evil series, and find it less refined in comparison. It could be said that it shares some similarities with Silent Hill, whose animations also needed more polish, but NeoBards Entertainment doesn’t face the same expectations as a remake of an all-time great game, especially when Konami is directly involved and Virtuous is assisting.
Indeed, we’ve encountered comparable criticisms and apprehensions regarding another remake published by Konami – Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2. You might recall a trailer brimming with action that even the studio itself deemed not the most accurate representation of the gaming experience. To add to this, the performance and animations left much to be desired initially. However, upon its release, the overall experience was refined and polished to such an extent that it became one of the standout games of the previous year.
It’s plausible that the demo version of “Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater” has fewer opportunities to refine and fix issues, much like the remake of “Silent Hill 2”. Yet, it’s also conceivable that Konami is displaying footage from an earlier build. This might account for the inconsistency in quality – the fight with Volgin and the chase sequence look smooth while Ocelot appears underwhelming. Such discrepancies are often seen in video game trailers released well ahead of launch, but it’s uncertain if this is the case with “Delta: Snake Eater”.
Could it be possible that the current state of the remake isn’t necessarily a catastrophic failure on Konami’s part, but rather an indication of complex factors at play with the launch still months away? While it may seem that the development team is aware of these issues and any criticisms might appear redundant, it’s crucial to express concerns and identify areas where things aren’t quite coming together. This feedback could help enhance the overall experience, potentially adding the depth and atmosphere some fans feel is lacking. Here’s to hoping for continued improvement!
It’s possible that the trailer is subpar, given it features not just one but two alternate endings to hint at additional content. This isn’t entirely unusual for a game trailer to be better or worse than the actual game itself, as demonstrated with the remake of Silent Hill 2. Such instances are more common than you might think.
Just like many fans, we’re eagerly anticipating the remake, ready to venture back into the jungle and sneakily outmaneuver security teams before taking on Cobra Unit and The Boss. We can’t wait to hear “Snake Eater” once more, with Cynthia Harrell lending her voice to a fresh rendition that continues to captivate us. There’s still room for refinement, and we hope Konami takes full advantage of this opportunity.
Please remember that the opinions shared in this piece are solely the author’s own and may not reflect the collective standpoint or attribution of GamingBolt.
Read More
2025-06-10 15:44