Konami’s UE5 remake resurrects the best Metal Gear with spectacular jungle visuals and welcome control tweaks, but a few 2004-era creaks—and some 2025 tech foibles—keep it shy of perfection.
“What a thrill…” is a dangerous way to start a review unless you’re confident you can stick the landing. Konami largely does. Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater (2025) rebuilds Hideo Kojima’s 2004 classic into a lush, modern stealth sandbox without meddling with its gloriously unhinged Cold War melodrama. It’s reverent to a fault, sometimes too faithful, but when this remake is humming—when the grass parts, the cicadas whirr, and a guard radios “HQ, come in?”—it feels like the jungle has been reborn.
The jungle that looks back at you
Visually, Δ is a showpiece. Rebuilt in Unreal Engine, the jungle is dense, damp, and alive. Blades of grass shift as animals skitter through; mud cakes onto uniforms and stays there into cutscenes; foliage can cling to Snake’s gear; wounds scar and persist, turning your body into a diary of every bad decision. It’s the sort of tactile fidelity that makes even familiar patrol routes feel newly dangerous.
GameSpot calls out how the remake’s art direction elevates everything from The Fear’s eyes to The Fury’s inferno of a boss arena. PC Gamer, meanwhile, praises the jungle’s “visual triumph”—even the grass earns a shout—though notes the interiors feel less magical. Both takes match my experience: Δ’s outdoors sing; its concrete hallways merely hum.
The audio keeps pace. The original cast returns—largely via original recordings—but with some new dialogue captured by returning actors like David Hayter, Lori Alan, and Jodi Benson. The iconic opening theme and intro movie have been remixed; purists will debate, but it still slaps.
Snake moves like it’s 2025
The single best improvement is how Snake handles. You can choose Legacy controls (PS2-style) or a New Style scheme that borrows from later Metal Gears, with a free camera, smoother stance transitions, and snappier aiming. A quick-hold on the D-pad pops instant-access wheels for weapons, items, the Codec, and camo swaps—goodbye, menu-diving. Add optional hints and a handy compass if you want them, and this becomes a far friendlier stealth game without surrendering its bite.
The result is a kind of time-travel: the systems you loved in 2004—camouflage, wound treatment, stamina and food—are intact, but the friction is shaved down. You still cauterize cuts, pull bullets, and bandage wounds, sometimes repeatedly in boss fights; that’s part of Snake Eater’s survival flavor. The difference now is that reorienting, lining up a tranq shot, or dropping into a belly crawl no longer feels like wrestling your controller.
Faithfully absurd (in the best way)
If you’re new: Snake Eater is Metal Gear at its most approachable story-wise and its most James Bond in tone. Naked Snake is dropped behind enemy lines in 1964, tasked with a rescue that spirals into betrayal, nuclear brinksmanship, and a duel with his mentor, The Boss. The way Δ preserves this mix—documentary Cold War footage one minute, a boss literally made of bees the next—remains deliriously entertaining. It’s earnest, it’s camp, and it’s still one of the genre’s great yarns.
The faithfulness cuts both ways. Some cutscene pacing and tutorial walls can feel like artifacts from a different era, and a few gendered gags (hello, EVA) haven’t aged gracefully. TechRadar and The Guardian both flag these tonal leftovers, which the remake presents largely unaltered. That restraint will delight purists and befuddle newcomers in equal measure.
On voice and music, you’ll hear the classic performances that gave these characters their swagger. Reports last year suggested “the lion’s share” of dialogue is reused, with new lines recorded by the original actors to stitch the whole together. It’s mostly seamless, though some outlets note occasional audio mismatches compared to the new mix.
The Cobra Unit still rules
Δ’s boss gauntlet remains a killer mixtape of ideas. The chase against the Shagohod crackles with cinematic intensity; The Fury’s flames overwhelm your screen; The Boss’s finale lands like a gut punch, enhanced by facial detail and lighting that would have melted a PS2. PC Gamer’s playthrough captures that escalation perfectly, and in the moment you’ll remember why these fights are so revered.
The broader sandbox is still gloriously breakable: you can snipe The End hours early, weaponize hornet nests, or bait vultures—all systems that made the original feel alive. The remake even sprinkles new collectibles (keep an eye out for those cheeky rubber ducks), a wink that lands without breaking canon.
Extras, modes, and delightful weirdness
Konami didn’t stop at a glow-up. Two pieces of fan service headline the side content:
- Snake vs. Monkey—the Ape Escape crossover—returns on PS5 and PC with upgraded visuals (sorry, Xbox players). On Xbox Series X|S, Konami swaps in Snake vs. Bomberman, an exclusive Bomberman-flavored minigame that frankly looks like chaotic fun.
- The PS2-only fever dream “Guy Savage” is back—remade by PlatinumGames—as a hidden curio that nods to Konami’s action lineage. That sentence reads like bait, but it’s real, and it’s a perfect slice of Metal Gear oddness to rediscover in 2025.
There’s also a Photo Mode with the modern bells and whistles, which the PlayStation Blog used to showcase just how filthy and scarred Snake can get mid-mission (and then immortalize those moments forever).
What isn’t here at launch is the new online mode Fox Hunt. Konami says it’s coming in Fall 2025, a stealthy, hide-and-seek spin on Metal Gear that leans into camouflage and survival. Less exciting: Konami also confirmed no crossplay at launch, an odd miss in 2025.
Performance & platform notes (aka, the tech stealth section)
Here’s where Δ’s camouflage frays.
- PS5 / PS5 Pro: Multiple tech breakdowns report inconsistent frame-rate targets and dynamic resolutions that can get very low in Performance mode, with PS5 Pro sometimes faring worse than base PS5. PushSquare cites Digital Foundry’s findings of 720p–1080p in Performance and 1080p–1584p in Quality, with dips and frame pacing issues—surprising for a Pro showcase. The Guardian’s reviewer, playing on PS5 Pro, still found it a “stunner,” which suggests experience varies by scene and tolerance.
- PC: Reviews note a 60 FPS cap and no ultrawide support at launch—frustrating in the age of 144Hz monitors—though keyboard/mouse binding and accessibility options are solid. PC Gamer also hit a handful of hard crashes during its ~22-hour playthrough, despite otherwise praising the port.
- Steam Deck/handhelds: Δ can run with severe compromises, but specialist testing advises you play elsewhere if you can. Deck diehards can brute force it; everyone else should pick a stronger device or a desktop.
These aren’t deal-breakers for everyone—especially if you’re content with Quality modes on console—but they blunt what could have been an unqualified technical triumph. If you’re sensitive to frame pacing or you’re a PC ultrawide evangelist, go in eyes open.
So… is it the definitive Snake Eater?
If “definitive” means the best way to play MGS3 today, the answer is “yes, with asterisks.” The remake honors every memorable beat, restores the jungle’s menace, and lets newcomers experience the saga with controls that won’t make them wrestle the camera. Critics are broadly aligned: think mid-to-high 80s averages on Metacritic and OpenCritic as of this writing. The consensus: a gorgeous, faithful remake that could have dared more—yet still dazzles.
If, however, “definitive” means reimagined, Capcom-style—surprising structure changes, remixed encounters, bold trims—the answer is no. Δ is a museum-quality restoration, not a director’s cut. That conservatism gives us all the timeless stuff—The Boss, the ladder, the sorrow (and The Sorrow)—but also the long-winded briefings and the juvenile leers. For my money, that bargain is worth it.
Buy, wait, or skip?
- Buy now if you’ve never played Snake Eater and want the best version, or if you’re a fan who can’t resist seeing those iconic moments rendered with modern fidelity and far better controls. The story still sings; the jungle still scares.
- Consider waiting if you’re on PS5 Pro (hoping for performance patches) or PC and the 60 FPS cap / lack of ultrawide is a dealbreaker. Post-launch Fox Hunt may also sway multiplayer-curious players.
- Skip only if what you wanted was a bold reinterpretation. This isn’t Resident Evil 2 (2019) levels of reinvention. It’s the same great game, lovingly cleaned, sharpened, and framed for 2025.
The Verdict
Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater is a triumphant return for a series that’s been in limbo. It lets a new generation meet The Boss under a swollen sky and gives veterans a shock of déjà vu in 4K. It’s reverent, almost to a fault; but when reverence looks and plays this good, it’s hard to complain. A few technical blemishes and leftover quirks keep it from legendary status, but this is still tactical espionage action at its finest.
Score: ★★★★☆ (4/5) — Kept us waiting, but worth it.
Release date & platforms: August 28, 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam).
Notable extras: Snake vs. Monkey (PS5/PC), Snake vs. Bomberman (Xbox), and a resurrected Guy Savage minigame by PlatinumGames. Fox Hunt multiplayer arrives Fall 2025 (no crossplay at launch).
Sources worth your time
- Official: Konami’s release-date announcement and feature notes. (Konami)
- Hands-on (controls & QoL): PlayStation Blog’s deep dive into New vs. Legacy controls, instant camo swaps, and Photo Mode. (PlayStation.Blog)
- Reviews: PC Gamer’s verdict and performance notes; GameSpot’s analysis of visuals and systems; The Guardian’s launch-day review. (PC Gamer, GameSpot, The Guardian)
- Tech: PushSquare’s summary of Digital Foundry’s PS5/PS5 Pro findings; PCGamesN on the PC port’s 60 FPS cap and lack of ultrawide. (Push Square, PCGamesN)
- Modes: Time Extension / TrueAchievements on platform minigames; Gematsu on PlatinumGames’ Guy Savage remake; GamesRadar/TechRadar on Fox Hunt timing and crossplay. (Time Extension, TrueAchievements, Gematsu, GamesRadar+, TechRadar)
