Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater’s first trailer dropped today, with MGS fans from all over the world excited to see how 2004’s Metal Gear Solid 3 will look in today’s graphics. There has also been an outpouring of comments from Japanese-speaking fans- particularly regarding The Boss.

The trailer showed iconic clips from the first part of the game’s story including Naked Snake’s HALO jump opening sequence and the memorable encounter with The Boss on the bridge. The power of Unreal Engine 5 seems to bring to life MGS3’s lush jungle environments and mangrove swamps in vivid detail. We got a good look at Snake, Major Zero, Para-Medic and The Boss, as well as glimpses of Revolver Ocelot and even Sokolov’s head.

Many aspects have drawn praise from fans so far- including the realistic graphics, the decision to keep the original voices, the seemingly shot-for-shot fidelity of the cutscenes and the option of two control schemes (modern and classic). However, a number of Japanese commenters have taken to X to express the feeling that something is a bit “off” about the appearance of Snake’s mentor The Boss.

でもザ・ボスはなんか別人感ある pic.twitter.com/GKFbANZRId
— siesta (@siesta_core) June 9, 2024

Post translation: The Boss somehow looks like a different person.

ザ・ボスの違和感すごいな
あとパラメディックはメイリンみたいになってた pic.twitter.com/cHOAbOLeag
— 我謝どくろ (@GashaDokuro_0) June 9, 2024

Post translation: The Boss looks really weird, and Para-Medic looks like Mei Ling (from Metal Gear Solid 1).

Metal Gear Solid 3 The Boss — *The Boss in the original Metal Gear Solid 3*.

In the Metal Gear Solid Delta trailer, the boss’s hair color seems to be darker and her face a little fuller. However, it is hard to put into words what exactly looks “wrong.” However, it is worth noting that the original MGS3 had a warmer, sometimes almost greenish lighting, as shown above. The remake seems to be going with much more realistic “colder” lighting, which may be what made The Boss’s hair appear darker in the short scene in the trailer. One commenter came to a similar conclusion:

というかライティングの問題がデカい気がする
元々黄色がかっててグローが掛かったようなグラだった原作では
ザ・ボスの髪の毛は金髪で、肌は白くか輝いて見えたのが
リアル寄りになった事で明暗がはっきりしてしまって茶髪に見えるのが違和感かもしれんな……
肌や髪の色で人ってかなり印象変わるし
— でーのしょーゆ (@D_SoLoOse) June 9, 2024

Post translation: I think the lighting is a big problem. In the original, the graphics were yellowish and had a glow to them, so The Boss’s hair was blonde and her skin looked white and shiny. But with the more realistic graphics, the contrast between light and dark is more pronounced, so it might feel weird that her hair looks brown…
Skin and hair color can change people’s impression of someone quite a lot.

There are still some key characters the trailer didn’t show. Many commenters are eager to see EVA. We are also intrigued to find out how antagonist Volgin and the Cobra Unit will look after being given the Unreal Engine 5 treatment.