When it comes to the most iconic and beloved franchises in gaming, Metal Gear Solid easily jumps finds itself in the upper echelon of all time greats. While beginning back in the late 1980s, it wasn't until 1998's Metal Gear Solid released on the original PlayStation that the series exploded in popularity and redefined cinematic action adventure games. Series creator Hideo Kojima has been the driving force behind much of the success that Metal Gear Solid has enjoyed over its many releases, with his last effort being Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain back in 2015.
After a few years absent from the spotlight, there are rumors of a new Metal Gear Solid game making the rounds. These rumblings are taking different form, with options ranging from a proper sixth installment to a full blown remake of the original Metal Gear Solid. As stated, the first game launched back in 1998, and while still enjoyable today, is showing its age in a few categories. Should the rumors of a remake prove to be true, there are many ways in which the development team can build upon the foundations in the original title. Metal Gear Solid is a big deal in gaming, and reinventing the original for modern day gaming should bring with it some significant improvements.
Improving the Graphics
It should go without saying that one of the most obvious expectations for a Metal Gear Solid remake would be a huge improvement in the graphical department. Jumping from the PS1 to the immense power within the PS5 results in leaps and bounds between what came before and what can potentially come in the future. While impressive for the time, looking back, the blocky character models in older PS1 titles (with Metal Gear Solid being no exception) look a little bit rough and funny nowadays.
Based on what the next generation of graphics has already shown off with titles like Demon's Souls, a remake for a game already so cinematic would be just the visual upgrade needed to bring it into the modern era. The PS1 original is still a great game all things considered, and in some ways is more clever and enjoyable than games released today. So if most of the core content is already well established, simply adding a flashy new coat of paint is the cherry on the cake.
Better CQC/Hand to Hand Combat
The original Metal Gear Solid, as well as its two direct sequels on the PS2, featured some fairly light combat moves for the player to use throughout the game. Actual physical attacks were limited to a single three hit combo (two punches and a kick, to be specific), with little other variations or combos to spice things up. To be fair, Metal Gear Solid is predominantly marketed as a stealth experience, with action usually taking a backseat to carefully navigating the environment. This simple attack combo, as well as firearms, were available to players should they need them, but they weren't exactly encouraged or the focus.
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, however, took a hugely different approach to the combat. Now, CQC (close quarters combat) was hugely robust, with a wide variety of hand to hand fighting and stealth takedown maneuvers, with a move set available for nearly every situation. Modern expectations for such a high profile stealth action franchise like Metal Gear Solid would have players clamoring for more in-depth fighting mechanics, as the aforementioned three hit combo simply would not cut it. A secret agent like Solid Snake is expected to be just as formidable at fighting as he is sneaking around, something which the remake should remedy. Simply incorporating the mechanics seen in Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, with a few more inclusions and tweaks, would suffice.
Including Full Camera Control
While some fans may be nostalgic for the "birds eye view" perspective in classic MGS titles, nowadays it feels a bit too restricting for players to truly get a clear idea of what's in an environment. Furthermore, locations in games have become far more complex and detailed and with so much to keep track of at any given moment, having a fixed camera angle may be more cumbersome than anything else. This isn't even mentioning that ever since Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, full camera control has become adopted for every subsequent Metal Gear Solid game, something which would be expected to continue in a potential remake.
For a title revolving around carefully traversing areas and needing to see what's around you at all times, full camera control is imperative for a big budget stealth game such as this. Gamers need look no further than the recent remake of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, which ditched the older camera angles for a more seamless third person experience. Furthermore, it would be odd for a remake to have impressive next gen graphics yet not allow players to view them in anything other than a fixed point of view. Despite this change being a must, it would be a fun inclusion for fans of the classic game to be able to switch back to the traditional point of view, just for the sake of comparison or nostalgia.
Small Contextual/Narrative Changes
The storyline in Metal Gear Solid is expansive and deep, with tons of lore and information for fans to dive into. Many pivotal moments for the franchise happen in the first Metal Gear Solid, and while it's not recommended to significantly alter these events and risk upsetting fans, the developers can still have a little bit of fun with the scenarios. For older fans, while seeing the classic get a glorious HD remake is exciting enough, perhaps seeing the exact same plot play out as it did back in 1998 may be a tad predictable and even mundane.
A remake presents the opportunity to shift narrative beats ever so slightly, taking advantage of new gameplay advancements to ensure that it is an enjoyable experience for both the new audience and veterans of the original. The now infamous Psycho Mantis boss battle can play out a bit differently for example, where instead of the villain reading the player's memory card, he now "locks" the triggers on the PS5 DualSense controller, making guns unusable. Without spoiling anything, the recent Final Fantasy 7 Remake follows this mindset, altering just enough of the original to keep the experience engaging and fresh for older fans. As such, a Metal Gear Solid remake should consider doing the same.
A Metal Gear Solid Remake is rumored to be in development.