Metal Gear Solid Delta: Escaping the Shadows of Metal Gear Survive

Konami recently announced the upcoming release of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, a remake of the third game in the series. However, the game faces significant challenges in order to achieve success, similar to those faced by Metal Gear Survive, the last installment in the Metal Gear Solid franchise. These challenges were largely a result of the departure of Hideo Kojima, the creator of Metal Gear Solid, from Konami in 2015 amidst controversy. While details on the situation remain scarce, it is widely acknowledged that Konami's video game output suffered in both quantity and quality following Kojima's departure. As a result, Metal Gear Survive struggled to live up to the standards set by Kojima's earlier works.

The Critical and Financial Response to Metal Gear Survive

The 2018 release of Metal Gear Survive did not fare well among players due to its poor design choices and heavy reliance on microtransactions. Despite being a spinoff of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, the game failed to impress critics and lacked the involvement of series creator Hideo Kojima, resulting in low interest from fans. The game's sales numbers were undisclosed, but it's widely believed that it did not meet Konami's expectations. The servers were eventually shut down in 2022, leaving Metal Gear Survive as an infamous example of a video game company's attempt at cash-grabbing. The lack of Kojima's involvement and negative reputation of Survive could prove to be a challenge for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta games.

How Hideo Kojima's Absence Might Affect Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater

The absence of Hideo Kojima from the Metal Gear Solid remakes has been confirmed, despite rumors to the contrary. Kojima left Konami amidst controversy, with the budget and development of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain being the most often cited reason. Additionally, Konami's decision to expand into other business ventures, such as pachinko machines, contributed to his departure. However, without Kojima's involvement, the upcoming remake may struggle to win over fans and could even be met with disappointment. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, in particular, faces the challenge of living up to the nostalgic memories fans have of the series' best installment, as well as lacking the unique charm, humor, and depth that Kojima brought to his games. Given that fans have such a strong loyalty to Kojima, it remains to be seen whether they will embrace a Metal Gear Solid game without his involvement.

The success of the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater remake is far from guaranteed, as it faces numerous obstacles. With the game's release date still unknown, the absence of Hideo Kojima's involvement is a significant challenge that even Metal Gear Survive failed to overcome. The developer has a daunting task ahead, and only time will reveal if they are up to the challenge. The game is currently being developed for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.