The wait is finally over. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater has landed on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, bringing one of the most iconic stealth adventures of all time into the modern era. For me, this one hits differently because Snake Eater was not just another sequel when it launched back in 2004. It was Kojima and Konami taking everything they had built in Metal Gear Solid and Sons of Liberty and going backwards in time to show us the roots of Snake’s story. It was daring, it was strange, and it became one of the most beloved chapters in the series.
Seeing it rebuilt now, twenty years later, feels surreal.
Release date, platforms, and editions
The remake officially arrives on Aug. 28, 2025 across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Konami has split the release into a few different versions depending on how deep you want to go. The Standard Edition gives you just the game itself, with PC pricing running slightly cheaper than the console versions. The Tactical Edition, available physically for PS5 and Xbox, includes a code in the box that unlocks the Sneaking DLC Pack as well as Snake’s slick White Tuxedo uniform. Then there is the Digital Deluxe Edition, which bundles the game with that same bonus content but also gives players the chance to start playing 48 hours early. Only the digital version comes with early access, while physical copies stick to the official launch. At this point, paying out extra for early access isn’t worth it.
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On PC, you will want to brace for a serious download. Preloads came in at around 76GB, expanding to nearly 100GB once installed. Consoles are in roughly the same ballpark, so clear some space before diving in. If you bought the Digital Deluxe Edition, you have probably already been crawling through the mud since Aug. 26. I cannot say two days of early play is worth rearranging your whole edition choice around, but I get the appeal of starting early.
Mashable Light Speed
What is actually new in this remake?
This is where things get interesting. Metal Gear Solid Delta does not rewrite the past. It is not pretending the original did not already nail the fundamentals. Instead, it takes the bones of that 2004 classic and rebuilds it with Unreal Engine 5. The difference is immediate. Dense jungles ripple with shifting shadows, Snake’s injuries appear on his body in real time until you patch them up, and enemies react with sharper instincts than ever. Guards will follow the sound of a twig snapping under your boot, spot a blood trail on the ground, or even notice the sway of long grass. It makes every movement feel heavier and every mistake riskier.
I really appreciated the camera options. You can stick with the fixed, pulled back perspective of the original, something purists will probably cling to, or you can switch to a more modern over the shoulder viewpoint that makes sneaking around feel fluid in a way it never quite did before. On top of that, the fiddly menus of 2004 have been smoothed out. Healing wounds, changing camouflage, and even grabbing trophies can now be done in real time without pausing the action. These are small changes on paper, but they add up to something that feels both familiar and refreshingly modern.
How the gameplay has shifted
Combat and stealth flow differently now too. Close quarters combat has been reanimated to look and feel more physical. You can seamlessly throw, choke, disarm, and interrogate enemies with far less stiffness than in the PS2 era. The jungle does not just look alive, it sounds alive. Every rustle of leaves or distant animal call has been layered into the soundscape, pulling you deeper into Snake’s lonely trek. Even the boss fights, which are still staged almost identically to the original, feel smoother thanks to subtle tweaks in pacing and enemy behavior.
And then there is the curveball. Remember the strange “Guy Savage” minigame that was buried in the original? It is back, but this time reimagined by PlatinumGames, who turned it into a short but stylish action sequence. It is bizarre, it is self indulgent, and it fits the spirit of Metal Gear perfectly.
Why it still matters
Looking back, Snake Eater was the game that proved stealth did not just have to be about hiding in shadows. It asked you to survive, to hunt for food, to camouflage yourself, to treat your wounds when the jungle itself seemed set against you. It balanced espionage drama with surreal humor in a way no other series could pull off. This remake does not just preserve that, it emphasizes it. It is still a story about loyalty and betrayal, but now it plays and feels like the definitive version.
Two decades later, the question is not whether Snake Eater holds up. It is whether a game so meticulously rooted in its time could be translated for a new one. After spending time in this remake, I think the answer is yes. Snake’s story is timeless. The only thing that has changed is how good the mud looks caked on his face.
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