Metal Gear Solid again with remake years after Kojima left Konami

Metal Gear is without doubt one of the best-selling online game sequence in historical past, shifting greater than 60 million copies.

The sequence pioneered cinematics in gaming by mixing cutting-edge cutscenes, voice appearing and dynamic digital camera angles to create one thing that may have regarded extra at residence on the large display on the time.

Metal Gear tackled themes not generally seen in video games, equivalent to nuclear disarmament and little one troopers, and posed philosophical questions whereas additionally leveraging offbeat humour.

The video games would usually break the fourth wall and ask gamers to search out options to puzzles in uncommon methods – equivalent to trying on the again cowl of the sport’s bodily field.

The sequence’ vital place in gaming historical past meant followers had been surprised when its creator Hideo Kojima give up recreation writer Konami in an acrimonious break up in 2015.

One of gaming’s largest titles was left directionless – and there is been no recreation within the best-selling sequence since.

But now, a decade later, Konami has launched a remake of the third recreation within the sequence: Metal Gear Solid Delta.

So what occurred between Konami and Kojima, and the way does the brand new recreation maintain up with out its unique creator?

“The impact Metal Gear has had on game-making makes it one of the most heralded entertainment franchises in the world, and made Hideo Kojima one of the industry’s most famous creators,” business skilled Christopher Dring instructed the BBC.

With such success, you may suppose it was a match made in heaven, however there have been points effervescent beneath the floor.

While nothing has been mentioned publicly, one usually accepted idea behind the break up pertains to the spiralling price of 2015’s Metal Gear Solid V, estimated by some at greater than $80m (£59m) – a really vital growth price on the time.

It is just not identified precisely what occurred between Konami and Kojima, however the studio was clearly fed up with the sum of money he was spending to make a single recreation – with Kojima’s inside studio truly faraway from promotional supplies for Metal Gear Solid V on the time.

Konami acquired the sport out the door, nevertheless it appeared to be scaled again from its unique imaginative and prescient regardless of the excessive price, with repeated ranges and a 3rd chapter that by no means emerged.

Even so, the sport nonetheless acquired glorious opinions and gained a number of awards, however the rift between firm and creator appeared unfixable.

And in an act that proved extremely controversial – and maybe reveals how heated issues had develop into behind the scenes – when Metal Gear Solid V gained an award, Konami informed the developer he was not allowed to collect it.

A couple of months later, Kojima was gone, and within the years that adopted, his former studio pivoted.

“Konami shifted its strategy for a while, away from console games, and focused its efforts on the amusements markets, things like pachinko machines,” Mr Dring mentioned.

“They also focused increasingly on mobile.”

It meant Konami’s different traditional franchises like Castlevania and Silent Hill additionally went with out new video games for a decade.

Meanwhile, Kojima’s new studio signed a blockbuster cope with Sony to develop the monster hit Death Stranding for PlayStation, adopted by a sequel this 12 months.

Gaming has pivoted in direction of remakes lately.

High-profile video games like Resident Evil 4, Final Fantasy VII and Demon’s Souls, all classics of their day, have been remade with the advantages of recent graphics and recreation design to huge fanfare – and robust gross sales figures.

“It’s a hugely lucrative and growing sector,” mentioned Mr Dring.

“The industry is getting older, gamers are entering middle age and are nostalgic for classic titles.

Mr Drings points out that one of the best-selling games of the year so far is Elder Scrolls V: Oblivion Remastered, a remake of a classic Role-Playing Game (RPG) from 2007, selling millions of copies since its release in April.

Konami has begun a return to publishing games by focusing in this area, with a Silent Hill remake coming last year and a new Survival Kids game released earlier in 2025.

So it is a potentially lucrative move – but is Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater the right game to remake?

Fans of the series told the BBC Metal Gear Solid 3 was chosen for good reason.

YouTuber Zak Ras said there was “immense significance” behind the game.

“Most folks will say their favorite entry to the sequence is both Metal Gear Solid 1 or 3,” he mentioned.

“Story-wise, given that it is the first prequel set on the very starting of the sequence timeline, it is one of many few entries you may go into utterly blind with completely no required information of the sequence, aside from very first Metal Gear from 1987.”

Ras said Metal Gear Solid 3 struck a good balance between gameplay and cinematic storytelling, making it a good choice for people who have never played a game in the series before.

For example, the game opens with an introduction heavily influenced by James Bond films, meaning new fans are eased into the series’ weirder elements.

And the brothers behind PythonSelkan Studios – known as Python & Selkan to their 122,000 YouTube subscribers – agreed.

“Completing the sport was an unbelievable expertise in itself,” they said. “Snake Eater’s gut-wrenching ending is what stood out most, leaving an influence on us that no different recreation had ever left earlier than.”

“This recreation holds a particular place in our hearts,” they added.

The brothers said, as lifelong fans of the series, they were “extremely excited” by the announcement.

The pair are currently playing the remake, and have been “very impressed” by its improved graphics and audio.

They described the game as a “really a devoted recreation”, adding that it improved “the essence of the unique with out altering its elementary construction”.

So far so good for Metal Gear Solid without Hideo Kojima – which Ras put down to the game being true to the original.

One example he highlights is that the voice performances have been kept the same, and players can choose whether to use the original control scheme or a more modern take.

“There’s little doubt it’s Kojima’s directorial ‘genes’ which might be being dominantly expressed right here,” he mentioned.

“Kojima expressed a need to maneuver on from Metal Gear since as early as MGS2 and depart the sequence within the palms of others to proceed.

“It may have taken him another 14 years and five director credits for that to happen, but it is now reality.”

And nonetheless the remake fares with followers, one family will not be selecting up a brand new copy – Kojima himself has laughed off the suggestion that he would play the brand new recreation.