Metal Gear Solid Delta trailer praised by Japanese fans, except one character’s appearance seems a little “strange”   

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. 

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

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.  

Metal Gear Solid Delta Snake Eater Naked Snake

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is scheduled to be released on PS5, Windows and Xbox Series X|S in 2024. 

Verity Townsend
Verity Townsend

Automaton West Editor and translator. She has a soft spot for old-school Sierra adventure games and Final Fantasy VIII (yes, 8!). Can often be found hunting down weird forgotten games and finding out everything about them. Frequently muses about characters and lines from Metal Gear Solid and Disco Elysium. Aims to keep Automaton fresh and interesting with a wide variety of articles.

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