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Now that Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater has been announced, people are free to speculate on how Konami plans to improve the original game. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater showcased Hideo Kojima's fictional spin on the Cold War and became one of the best entries in the Metal Gear franchise. Whether Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will succeed or fail without its original director remains to be seen, but it is safe to assume fans are eager to see how it pans out.
Due to its nature as a Metal Gear remake, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will use modern technologies to its advantage. Konami has already stated that the game will have "stunning visuals and a seamless user experience", which means graphics and gameplay will be getting an overhaul. One gameplay component in particular needs to be addressed for Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater to truly say it is an improvement over its predecessor.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater's Camouflage System Is Clunky
At the heart of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater's stealth gameplay is its camouflage system. Using a wide array of face paints and uniforms, Snake can blend in with his surroundings and make it harder for enemies to spot him. A percentage meter on the top right-hand side of the screen allows players to see how well-hidden they are. This meter doesn't matter much when enemies are far or don't have line-of-sight on Snake, but every number counts the closer foes get to him.
Snake is provided with a couple of face paints and uniforms when he begins the Virtuous Mission and Operation Snake Eater, but he can obtain more specialized camouflage throughout his missions. Defeating bosses like The End and The Fear non-lethally will award players with their uniforms, as will completing certain tasks like shooting all the Kerotan frog Easter eggs in the game.
The biggest problem with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater's camouflage system lies in its application. To switch face paints and uniforms, players must pause the game and enter the character menu. From here, they must open up the "Camo" menu and choose one from their inventory. Once players are satisfied with Snake's appearance and camo capabilities, they can close the menu and resume gameplay.
If pausing the game and sorting through multiple menus sounds immersion-breaking and tedious, that's because it is. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is full of unique environments that require players to constantly switch their camouflage. Splitter camouflage is best for urban settings and indoor environments. Meanwhile, outdoor areas like jungles and deserts have their own unique camo requirements. If dealing with these breaks in gameplay wasn't enough, people need to remember that the original game was first released on the PlayStation 2 in 2004. This means slower render and load times which can lead to extended pauses in the action.
Modern Advancements Can Make Switching Snake's Camos More Intuitive
There are multiple ways Konami can improve the camo system for Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. First off, adding a submenu like a weapon wheel but for camouflage would allow players to actively change their appearance without pausing gameplay. This submenu can house players' favorite camouflage, which they could then manually choose and sort from the main Camo menu.
A smart system that allows the game to read players' current situations and surroundings would also work wonders when it comes to applying camouflage. On the other hand, stealth-heavy sections would call for special camos like The End's Moss uniform. Given the multiple combat and stealth scenarios the original game presents, adding these quality-of-life improvements in the remake would allow players to enjoy the core gameplay loop more. The camouflage system may be clunky, but with a little tweaking, it could be remade into a seamless gameplay element that players will be happy to make use of.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.