Metallic Gear Strong again with remake years after Kojima left Konami

Metallic Gear is likely one of the best-selling online game collection in historical past, shifting greater than 60 million copies.

The collection pioneered cinematics in gaming by mixing cutting-edge cutscenes, voice performing and dynamic digital camera angles to create one thing that will have seemed extra at house on the massive display screen on the time.

Metallic Gear tackled themes not generally seen in video games, similar to nuclear disarmament and youngster troopers, and posed philosophical questions whereas additionally leveraging offbeat humour.

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

The collection’ vital place in gaming historical past meant followers have been shocked when its creator Hideo Kojima stop recreation writer Konami in an acrimonious cut up in 2015.

Certainly one of gaming’s greatest titles was left directionless – and there is been no recreation within the best-selling collection since.

However now, a decade later, Konami has launched a remake of Metallic Gear Strong 3.

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

“The impression Metallic Gear has had on game-making makes it one of the heralded leisure franchises on this planet, and made Hideo Kojima one of many business’s most well-known creators,” business skilled Christopher Dring informed the BBC.

With such success, you would possibly assume it was a match made in heaven, however there have been points effervescent below the floor.

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

It’s not recognized 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 inner studio truly faraway from promotional supplies for Metallic Gear Strong V on the time.

Konami acquired the sport out the door, nevertheless it appeared to be scaled again from its authentic 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 obtained glorious critiques 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 turn into behind the scenes – when Metallic Gear Strong V gained an award, Konami knowledgeable the developer he was not allowed to gather it.

Just a few months later, Kojima was gone, and within the years that adopted, his former studio pivoted.

“Konami shifted its technique for some time, away from console video games, and targeted its efforts on the amusements markets, issues like pachinko machines,” Mr Dring mentioned.

“Additionally they targeted more and more on cellular.”

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

In the meantime, Kojima’s new studio signed a blockbuster cope with Sony to develop the monster hit Demise Stranding for PlayStation, adopted by a sequel this yr.

Gaming has pivoted in direction of remakes in recent times.

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

“It is a massively profitable and rising sector,” mentioned Mr Dring.

“The business is getting older, players are coming into center age and are nostalgic for traditional titles.

Mr Dring factors out that one of many best-selling video games of the yr to date is Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, a remake of a traditional Position-Enjoying Sport (RPG) from 2007, promoting hundreds of thousands of copies since its launch in April.

Konami has begun a return to publishing video games by focusing on this space, with a Silent Hill remake coming final yr and a brand new Survival Children recreation launched earlier in 2025.

So it’s a probably profitable transfer – however is Metallic Gear Strong 3: Snake Eater the best recreation to remake?

Followers of the collection informed the BBC Metallic Gear Strong 3 was chosen for good purpose.

YouTuber Zak Ras mentioned there was “immense significance” behind the sport.

“Most individuals will say their favorite entry to the collection is both Metallic Gear Strong 1 or 3,” he mentioned.

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

Ras mentioned Metallic Gear Strong 3 struck stability between gameplay and cinematic storytelling, making it a sensible choice for individuals who have by no means performed a recreation within the collection earlier than.

For instance, the sport opens with an introduction closely influenced by James Bond movies, which means new followers are eased into the collection’ weirder components.

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

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

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

The brothers mentioned, as lifelong followers of the collection, they have been “extremely excited” by the announcement.

The pair are at present enjoying the remake, and have been “very impressed” by its improved graphics and audio.

They described the sport as a “actually a devoted recreation”, including that it improved “the essence of the unique with out altering its elementary construction”.

Thus far so good for Metallic Gear Strong with out Hideo Kojima – which Ras put right down to the sport being true to the unique.

One instance he highlights is that the voice performances have been saved the identical, and gamers can select whether or not to make use of the unique management scheme or a extra fashionable take.

“There is no 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 Metallic Gear since as early as MGS2 and depart the collection within the palms of others to proceed.

“It could have taken him one other 14 years and 5 director credit for that to occur, however it’s now actuality.”

And nevertheless 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.