For 20 years, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater has been revered as one of the greatest video games ever made. It’s a masterpiece of storytelling, stealth gameplay, and the bizarre charm of Kojima. So when Konami announced a full, ground-up remake in Unreal Engine 5, the collective fan base held its breath. Could they possibly do it justice without the series’ original creator?
The answer is a complicated, resounding yes… and a spectacular, resounding no. METAL GEAR SOLID SNAKE EATER is a “fanatically faithful” and visually stunning remake that treats the original story, characters, and voice acting with the reverence they deserve. Yet, this masterpiece is delivered in one of the most poorly optimized PC ports in recent memory, a technical disaster that sullies an otherwise brilliant return.
“Experience the classic jungle espionage thrill in a fresh light with updated visuals and immersive audio. A must-play for stealth fans and MGS enthusiasts alike.”
This is the core promise, and Delta delivers on the “thrill” and “fresh light.” But to experience it, you’ll have to fight the game itself every step of the way.
The Good: A Near-Perfect Recreation
Let’s be clear: the game itself is incredible. For veterans, this is exactly what we asked for. Konami has delivered a near 1-to-1, shot-for-shot remake. The original 2004 voice acting, iconic story, unforgettable characters, and level design are all preserved perfectly. Seeing these classic, emotional cutscenes remade with modern, hyper-detailed character models in Unreal Engine 5 is breathtaking.
The new battle damage system is a fantastic touch, as Snake’s uniform and body realistically collect bruises, bullet wounds, and tears that persist, telling the story of your unique playthrough.
The single best addition is the choice of control styles. “New Style” gives you modern, MGSV-like over-the-shoulder camera and controls, making stealth and combat feel intuitive and fluid. “Legacy Style” is a pure nostalgia trip, restoring the original overhead camera, classic intro, and even the original Cynthia Harrell “Snake Eater” theme. The new “New Style” intro, with a re-recorded track by Harrell, is also a cinematic masterpiece.
The Bad: A Technical Nightmare
The real strength of MGS3 has always been its story, but the real story of this remake is its abysmally poor performance. This game is a complete mess on PC. Even on the highest-end hardware, including RTX 4090s, the game struggles to maintain a 60 FPS frame rate at 4K, even with DLSS enabled. Stutters, VRAM leaks, and baffling frame drops are constant. It is yet another casualty of poor Unreal Engine 5 optimization.
For newcomers, this faithfulness is a double-edged sword. While the visuals are new, the gameplay design is straight from 2004. This means clunky animations by modern standards, screen loads every 5 meters, and gameplay that many new players will find boring or outdated for its full price. It’s a 20-year-old game in a beautiful new coat of paint, and it feels like it.
The Extra: Bonus Modes & The Awful “FOX HUNT”
Konami didn’t just remake the main game; they brought back the beloved bonus content. The classic “SNAKE VS MONKEY” mode returns, as does the humorous “Secret Theater.” Most excitingly, the “GUY SAVAGE” nightmare minigame, cut from all HD remasters, is back and has been fully reimagined by none other than PlatinumGames, the developers of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the new online multiplayer mode, FOX HUNT. This mode is an utter failure. It’s a buggy, clunky, and shallow experience that feels like a massive step back from the beloved Metal Gear Online. With only a few small maps, terrible weapon balancing, awful netcode, and no crossplay to unite a rapidly dwindling player base, it’s a tacked-on disaster that is best ignored.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ A Visually Stunning Remake: The UE5 jungle and character models are breathtaking. | ❌ Abysmal PC Performance: One of the worst optimized UE5 ports to date. Constant stutters. |
| ✅ Fanatically Faithful: A 1-to-1 recreation of the original story, voice acting, and music. | ❌ Outdated Gameplay Design: Newcomers will find the 2004-era mechanics clunky and slow. |
| ✅ “New Style” Controls: Modern controls finally let you play MGS3 like MGSV. | ❌ “FOX HUNT” is a Disaster: The new online mode is buggy, shallow, and has no player base. |
| ✅ “Legacy Style” Option: A perfect mode for purists who want the original experience. | ❌ Still Has Area Load Screens: The world is still segmented, breaking immersion. |
| ✅ Bonus Content Returns: Snake vs Monkey and a PlatinumGames-developed Guy Savage! | ❌ High Price: A steep price for a 20-year-old game with such severe technical issues. |
METAL GEAR SOLID SNAKE EATER: METAL GEAR SOLID SNAKE EATER: MGS Delta is a game of agonizing contradictions. It’s one of the most faithful and beautiful remakes ever created, honoring a legendary game with the visual upgrade it deserves. The "New Style" controls make playing it a dream. And yet, it’s also one of the worst PC ports of the year, a technical embarrassment that insults the very masterpiece it’s trying to celebrate. The multiplayer is garbage, and the core design will feel ancient to anyone without nostalgia goggles. If you are a die-hard veteran, the ability to play MGS3 with these graphics and controls is almost worth the pain. For everyone else, wait for a sale and a year's worth of patches. She was a true patriot, but this port is not. – Obsidian
