27-08-2025, 11:50 AM
(This post was last modified: 27-08-2025, 11:56 AM by starschwar.)
Early thoughts - pre-Sokolov meeting:
Graphics are outstanding. Coupled with Legacy filter, it's exactly what I wanted a modern Snake Eater to look like. Everything feels authentic, just more detailed and realistic.
Selecting "Legacy Filter" did not restore the original CQC/Camoflage title screen as some interviews said? Maybe if you enable legacy camera/controls, that's the trick?
Cutscenes are almost 1:1 with the original. I noticed some new flourishes - including some cross-fading between shots that the PS2 simply could never have hoped to do. You can still zoom in with L2 and pan the camera. First person interaction with R1 is still there, including the easter egg ones.
The stock footage looks the same as it did in the Master Collection. That is, SD resolution (maybe less? 360p?). Unfortunate that HD versions couldn't be used, but I'll take faithful low-res over something entirely new and out of place.
The original staff - including Kojima - are all credited as "Original Programmer," or other appropriate title.
The extended opening from "I like MGS2" is intact. With some visual flourishes that enhance the humor, right out of Secret Theater.
Due to my subtitle preference for "identify speaker", the parachute instructor's name is apparently "Load Hauler?" At last, the fate of the most mysterious Autobot is known!
Character voices over the radio now have a static filter applied to them. It isn't annoying, it's a little more immersive, but I can see this being a point of contention with purists. However, once and a while individual lines will NOT have the filter applied, breaking that new layer of immersion. Sloppy.
The weapon sounds and some other sound effects are new. Unsure if improved, but very obvious.
It plays something like a halfway point between Snake Eater and Phantom Pain. Even with TPP style remapping, my muscle memory for both games is tripping me up a lot. But I am having fun! The new CQC animations are very satisfying. Don't expect Consecutive or any other such - it's still very much built around the skeleton of Snake Eater and can be a bit clunky at time.
Stance and rolling are now separate buttons like Phantom Pain and I think this is for the best.
Maybe I just got really used to the way weapons handle in 5, but I haven't had any difficulty with all the bullet drop some reviews complained about. It's there, but I rarely find myself missing.
I keep forgetting to crouch walk! It's so weird, being in these familiar areas and having to remember how much things have changed in 21 years.
There are lots of little quality of life improvements. Picking up a new weapon or item gives you a D-Pad prompt to open the backpack accordingly. It's such a small thing, but it's a very welcome change. Likewise, fast camo swap gives you the chance to rapidly change to some logical presets for any given situation (unsure how dynamic it is), but fine tuning via the pause menu can still yield better results than just sticking with the mini menu.
There's better feedback for how much stamina food is expected to / actually does refill. Likewise, there's a handy animation on the health bar to indicate regeneration better.
Lots of new animations for weapons - holstering, reloading, etc.
Music seems unchanged so far.
Ga-Kos have camouflage - these ducks are cowards! But a convenient counter of both them and the unchanged Kerotans will make hunting them down easier for those seeking to catch them all. I am dreading the ones in the bike chase already.
However, the ability to load saves from the pause menu - rather than going back to title screen - will make that easier!
Even with a dedicated reload button, the good old unequip/reequip trick still seems to work?!
On Normal difficulty, enemy range of vision and overall AI seems much improved from the original.
All in all, I am very impressed. This is pretty much what I wanted. No serious complaints. It's a very faithful remake with the only changes being small modernizations - and dare I say improvements? It's certainly not a Twin Snakes situation. I never feel like it's being overly easy, or that the changes are detracting from my enjoyment. Still readjusting to it. What's old is new again.
Graphics are outstanding. Coupled with Legacy filter, it's exactly what I wanted a modern Snake Eater to look like. Everything feels authentic, just more detailed and realistic.
Selecting "Legacy Filter" did not restore the original CQC/Camoflage title screen as some interviews said? Maybe if you enable legacy camera/controls, that's the trick?
Cutscenes are almost 1:1 with the original. I noticed some new flourishes - including some cross-fading between shots that the PS2 simply could never have hoped to do. You can still zoom in with L2 and pan the camera. First person interaction with R1 is still there, including the easter egg ones.
The stock footage looks the same as it did in the Master Collection. That is, SD resolution (maybe less? 360p?). Unfortunate that HD versions couldn't be used, but I'll take faithful low-res over something entirely new and out of place.
The original staff - including Kojima - are all credited as "Original Programmer," or other appropriate title.
The extended opening from "I like MGS2" is intact. With some visual flourishes that enhance the humor, right out of Secret Theater.
Due to my subtitle preference for "identify speaker", the parachute instructor's name is apparently "Load Hauler?" At last, the fate of the most mysterious Autobot is known!
Character voices over the radio now have a static filter applied to them. It isn't annoying, it's a little more immersive, but I can see this being a point of contention with purists. However, once and a while individual lines will NOT have the filter applied, breaking that new layer of immersion. Sloppy.
The weapon sounds and some other sound effects are new. Unsure if improved, but very obvious.
It plays something like a halfway point between Snake Eater and Phantom Pain. Even with TPP style remapping, my muscle memory for both games is tripping me up a lot. But I am having fun! The new CQC animations are very satisfying. Don't expect Consecutive or any other such - it's still very much built around the skeleton of Snake Eater and can be a bit clunky at time.
Stance and rolling are now separate buttons like Phantom Pain and I think this is for the best.
Maybe I just got really used to the way weapons handle in 5, but I haven't had any difficulty with all the bullet drop some reviews complained about. It's there, but I rarely find myself missing.
I keep forgetting to crouch walk! It's so weird, being in these familiar areas and having to remember how much things have changed in 21 years.
There are lots of little quality of life improvements. Picking up a new weapon or item gives you a D-Pad prompt to open the backpack accordingly. It's such a small thing, but it's a very welcome change. Likewise, fast camo swap gives you the chance to rapidly change to some logical presets for any given situation (unsure how dynamic it is), but fine tuning via the pause menu can still yield better results than just sticking with the mini menu.
There's better feedback for how much stamina food is expected to / actually does refill. Likewise, there's a handy animation on the health bar to indicate regeneration better.
Lots of new animations for weapons - holstering, reloading, etc.
Music seems unchanged so far.
Ga-Kos have camouflage - these ducks are cowards! But a convenient counter of both them and the unchanged Kerotans will make hunting them down easier for those seeking to catch them all. I am dreading the ones in the bike chase already.
However, the ability to load saves from the pause menu - rather than going back to title screen - will make that easier!
Even with a dedicated reload button, the good old unequip/reequip trick still seems to work?!
On Normal difficulty, enemy range of vision and overall AI seems much improved from the original.
All in all, I am very impressed. This is pretty much what I wanted. No serious complaints. It's a very faithful remake with the only changes being small modernizations - and dare I say improvements? It's certainly not a Twin Snakes situation. I never feel like it's being overly easy, or that the changes are detracting from my enjoyment. Still readjusting to it. What's old is new again.
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