Only The Most Deserving Metal Gear Games Need To Be Remade

With Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater selling over a million copies in less than a month, it seems Konami is already interested in going back to the sneaky well. The developer is asking eager fans what they want next from the long-dormant series, and I think there’s one obvious answer.

In a survey being conducted by Konami ahead of its Metal Gear-themed Tokyo Game Show presentation next month, the developer is asking prospective viewers about their past experiences with the series, what they would like to know more about in the near future (with a passing mention of Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2), and most crucially, which Metal Gear game they want to see remade next. While we can’t take this as confirmation that another remake is on the way, it’s clear the developer is weighing its options.

Listed under that multiple choice question are all five mainline Metal Gear Solid games, 2010’s Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, and the first two MSX Metal Gear games. And if Konami wants to follow up Delta with something that actually moves the franchise forward, a proper Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake remake is the right call.

The original 8-bit Metal Gear games are the only ones worthy of the Delta treatment at this point. Remaking 1998’s Metal Gear Solid seems like a waste of resources, as the game was already modernized in the 2004 GameCube exclusive The Twin Snakes. Metal Gear Solid 2 still plays and looks fantastic, a testament to the timelessness of the 2001 classic. Metal Gear Solid 4 needs a proper multiplatform release before a remake is even considered. And The Phantom Pain is too new (and good) a stealth experience to justify a remake just a decade after release.

While there’s merit to Peace Walker getting another refresh, a Switch 2 port would make more sense than a remake. Peace Walker’s commuter-friendly, episodic missions are such a crucial part of what makes that game special, and retrofitting that experience to modern handhelds seems like a match made in heaven.

Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2, on the other hand, are both nearly 40 years old. While it’s impressive to see how much of the series' DNA was present right from the beginning (wall leaning, Codec calls, an eccentric cast of villains), those games haven’t aged nearly as well as their PS2-era sequels. Cumbersome mechanics, obtuse puzzles and level design, and hardware limitations have always made these early chapters in the Metal Gear canon inaccessible without guides and a lot of patience.

Bringing Solid Snake’s earliest missions back to life would be smart for several reasons. If Konami is interested in eventually making a Metal Gear Solid 6, building a new version of an 8-bit stealth game from the ground up would be great practice. This could be the basis for new mechanics and ideas without feeling like it’s straying from the series' core identity.

From a fan's point of view, having David Hayter (Solid Snake), Paul Eiding (Roy Campbell), and even Kiefer Sutherland (if you know, you know) reprise their roles for this prequel duology would also be a treat for older fans. New cutscenes and setpieces could set a fresh tone for the series moving forward, while also closing the loop for those who never played the franchise’s most obscure titles.

If there were any questions surrounding Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, it was whether the game needed a remake at all. Rather than make that same mistake again, Konami should take on the challenge of remaking something that would produce a fresh experience for the largest number of people.

While Konami had retreated from the gaming business for the better part of a decade, it's been on a roll lately. Just weeks after the success of Metal Gear Solid Delta, the company struck gold again with the newly released Silent Hill f. The newest entry in the survival horror series has been a critical darling, with Inverse giving it our highest score. Now’s the time for Konami to swing for the fences.