While Metal Gear Solid Delta aims to invoke fond memories of the original Snake Eater, series producer Noriaki Okamura is keen to ensure it doesn’t play like a 20-year-old game.
In Play issue 46, Okamura shared his thoughts on the remake, and how important it is to strike a balance between nostalgia and more modern creature comforts. “Our whole goal when we’re making this remake is to make sure that it still feels like the game that you played 20 years ago, but without making it feel like an old game”, he explains.
Initially, Okamura believed that a graphical upgrade was all the game needed, but when viewing the game with more modern visuals, the team noticed that “some elements don’t blend well with the new graphics.” For Okamura, simply modernising the graphics risks losing some of the feeling of the original game, and he wants players to feel that while the visuals are new, it’s still the same game they remember.
One area also in need of an update in Okamura’s eyes is the game’s controls. Classic control layouts will still be available for those who want to use them, but a ‘new type’ control system puts the game more in line with recent entries in the series. The aim, in short, is that Delta will feel how older fans “remembered it to be, but so that it doesn’t feel old and clunky.”, letting players control Snake far more seamlessly than in the original game.
“We didn’t want to make any unnecessary changes that would take people out of that experience.” explains Okamura, “But at the same time, we need to make sure that when people play the game, it doesn’t feel old, like they’re playing an old game. [We’re] making sure that when you play this game, that it’s still on par with some of the more modern games in terms of controls and without taking you out of the experience.”
Though MGS Delta’s modernisation is undoubtedly aimed at making the game more approachable for both new and returning players, it’s clear to see that Okamura has the game’s original fans at heart. “The best outcome for this is that [long-term fans] still feel nostalgic.”
Check out what we thought about Snake’s step back in time with our Metal Gear Solid Delta preview.