How far is too far? That is a question that many in the gaming industry are asking themselves right now across a variety of topics. However, regarding video game remakes, “How far is too far?” often applies to the question of how far they want to “improve” the title based on how it was before versus the various improvements gaming has made since it was first released. Studios like Square Enix, Capcom, and others completely overhauled certain titles to make them familiar but match the new gaming standards. In contrast, the Metal Gear Solid Delta team is striving to upgrade the visuals but not much else.
This thought process is taken from the special video series dedicated to the upcoming remake. In it, production producer Noriaki Okamura highlights how the game might look “brand new” with its modern PS5 visuals and certain other things that point to modern gaming influences, and yet, he also noted that between “going too far” and “not going far enough,” his team fell on the side of being “almost too faithful” to the original PS2 game that Hideo Kojima made long ago.
For example, we’ve seen PS5 games get rid of loading screens for key titles, but in this remake, they’re still there for a basic reason:
“That’s just how the game was designed. The rhythm and the shifting pace of gameplay flows from that choice. If we had done anything to change that overarching design it would have changed the game entirely.”
One of the other “key changes” to the game is that while Hideo Kojima will be in the credits, it won’t be a “Hideo Kojima game,” as he didn’t have a hand in this remake. That being said, the game will include all the credits from the original developers, as they were the ones who literally laid the groundwork for this title to be remade in the modern day.
Some might question the “faithful” approach to Metal Gear Solid Delta, but what this speaks to is the reverence that many have for not just Kojima, but the game itself. The third entry in the “Solid Saga” is hailed as the greatest of the lot, which is ironic, as it’s a prequel game that helped set up everything that followed.
Still, there are elements to this game that remain iconic to this day, so you can understand why, outside of graphics and some much-needed gameplay improvements, things would remain the same.
