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From the first time the Colonel pinged Solid Snake over Codec, Playstation owners knew they had something special in Metal Gear Solid.
Shuffling around in cardboard boxes, waiting for the exclamation marks to vanish, defeating Psycho Mantis with a controller swap, or looking up Meryl’s radio code “on the CD case”… It was a meta-cinematic experience brought to life which (along with a few big-hitters like Half Life) changed how we look at storytelling in gaming.
And there are few video game series as intricately linked with a sole creator as Metal Gear and Hideo Kojima.
While other creators like Nintendo’s Miyamoto have passed on leadership of their iconic series, there have been only a few rare spinoffs in the MGS series without Kojima involved to some degree.
Since his falling out with Konami in 2015, Kojima has formed his own studio and a new franchise in Death Stranding. Meanwhile, Konami rushed out Metal Gear Survive to everyone’s disappointment before retreating from MGS entirely for over half a decade.
Between the release of the Master Collection and the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta – a remake of MGS 3 – the series once again has a pulse.
While we still have to see how this first remake turns out, fans are already asking one vital question: Will we get a Metal Gear Solid remake, and if so, would we even want it without Kojima’s involvement?
Is a Metal Gear Solid Remake Happening?
As of the time of this writing, there are no plans from Konami to remake the original Metal Gear Solid. However, fans are beginning to think the plan is to start with 3, aka Delta, and then continue backwards remaking the series.
This theory holds some water since Metal Gear Solid 3 is the first game in the timeline, so Konami could be planning to remake the games in chronological order rather than release order. This would also explain the name change from 3 to Delta so it wouldn’t confuse newcomers to the series.
When could a MGS Remake come out?
Assuming the theory about remaking the Metal Gear Solid series in chronological order is correct, it would be quite a while before the first Metal Gear Solid would be up for a remake.
A quick rundown of the timeline is MGS 3/Delta, MGS: Portable Ops, MGS: Peace Walker, MGS V: Ground Zeroes/ The Phantom Pain, the original Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, and then Metal Gear Solid.
Now, I predict two options for how Konami would approach remaking the series.
First, it could lean on the next installment of the Master Collection that comes out after Delta to include remastered versions of Portable Ops, Peace Walker, and The Phantom Pain instead of committing to full remakes of the portable titles. MGS V is the most recent game and wouldn’t benefit much from a remake, either.
Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 were in the first collection and not as directly relevant to the Solid series to necessitate full remakes. This would let Metal Gear Solid remake be the next full remake project after Delta.
The other option would be to remake both Portable Ops and Peace Walker but likely combine them as a single package since they are somewhat smaller entries. After that, then MGS could be done.
In either case, I wouldn’t expect to see a Metal Gear Solid remake within the next three to five years, if it even happens.
Who would make a MGS Remake?
Since Kojima and his core staff have long since left Konami, whoever is tasked with remaking Metal Gear Solid will have some very large shoes to fill.
Our only clue as to who Konami would use to make a hypothetical MGS remake is the current team making Delta. Metal Gear Solid Delta is a joint production between Konami Digital Entertainment, which is made up of some staff who worked on previous MGS titles, alongside Virtuos in a support role.
Considering Kojima has absolutely no role with Delta, and is even working on his own successor to the MGS series called Physint, there’s no reason to think he would have any involvement with a future Metal Gear Solid remake.
Designer and producer Noriaki Okamura did reply to a question regarding working with original staff members for the series.
“Well, it’s not my place to answer on behalf of anyone outside the company, or to guess how they might feel about it.
“But just speaking for myself, personally I’d like nothing better than to work with Mr. Kojima and the rest of the team again. If that could happen, that would be the dream.
“But people have moved on to new things and new commitments, and that’s just our current reality. We can’t just take it for granted that everyone would work with us again, or let ourselves be completely dependent on them.
“I just don’t think it’s right for us to be the ones to make that kind of demand of anyone.”
If this remake does eventually happen, it will likely be backed by the same partnership between Konami and Virtuos.
Why Fans Want a Metal Gear Solid Remake
It is hard to properly explain why Metal Gear Solid was so influential when it was released now that so many of its innovations have become expected and common.
Metal Gear Solid revolutionized game direction, narrative, performance, and interactivity. While it sounds a little reductive, it was the first game that felt like a movie. Cutscenes had artistic direction, the vocal performances were years ahead of anything else, and the plot was complex and gripping.
That’s all without mentioning the gameplay. At the risk of this turning into a massive tribute to MGS, I will just say that this is one of the few games older players hold in such high regard that deserves its status as one of the best.
A remake of Metal Gear Solid would smooth out the game’s few rough edges, namely its dated graphics and clunky controls.
Why Fans DON’T Want a Metal Gear Solid Remake
At the same time, a section of the most die-hard MGS fans are harshly opposed to the idea of a remake without Kojima steering the ship.
There are two big red flags for why a Metal Gear Solid remake without Kojima would be a disaster: the aforementioned Metal Gear Survive, and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. Metal Gear Survive was the first game Konami made post-Kojima and was seen as an unmitigated disaster.
It took the same engine and map of MGS V but warped it into a zombie survival game with base-building elements and microtransactions for unlocking additional save slots.
The Twin Snakes is a more direct comparison since it is a complete remake of Metal Gear Solid developed by Silicon Knights. There’s some debate about the changes made to the music, tone, direction, and re-recorded voice lines, but the changes to the gameplay were a sore point for most.
Twin Snakes added more features found in Metal Gear Solid 2, most notably a first-person mode. While that sounds great on paper, the level design and AI weren’t designed with the player having that mode in mind, leading to many encounters becoming trivial because of it.
MGS Delta has already shown new lighting and control options, though has since stated that you can opt to play with a more faithful filter and play style of the original.
In METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER, players can now move while crouched or while aiming.
You’ll also have the option of a play style that more closely replicates the original.
For the latest information, check out the video!https://t.co/8XC98Wmoo9#MetalGearSolid #MGSDelta pic.twitter.com/YLc1Fn5MLD
— METAL GEAR OFFICIAL (@Metalgear) July 3, 2024
#MGSDelta offers several different screen color filters to choose from in both New Style and Legacy Style.
This also includes a filter to closely recreate the look of the original game.
For the latest information, check out the video!https://t.co/8XC98Wmoo9#MetalGearSolid pic.twitter.com/cvqlfRihi3
— METAL GEAR OFFICIAL (@Metalgear) July 4, 2024
With the only exception being Metal Gear Rising – which is intentionally a vastly different game from a traditional MGS game – there has yet to be a good example of a Metal Gear game living up to the standard without Kojima.
The Bottom Line
Kojima is a true visionary and his influence on Metal Gear simply cannot be replicated. Now that he’s moved on to new projects, the fate of the iconic series hangs in the balance, and it may all come down to the success or failure of Metal Gear Solid Delta.
The Delta symbol (Δ) was chosen because its meaning fits the concept of the remake project.
Delta means "change" or "difference" without changing structure.#MetalGearSolid#MGSDelta pic.twitter.com/LRWrNzg3he
— METAL GEAR OFFICIAL (@Metalgear) May 25, 2023
As much as some fans would love a new and improved way to play the original Metal Gear Solid with a modern remake, trust in Konami to do it justice is very low.
For me, it all hinges on Metal Gear Solid Delta. If that remake remains faithful to Kojima’s vision and can keep the soul of the original game, perhaps there is hope that Snake can return without his Big Boss.
