Category: Video Gaming

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, launching August 28 on PlayStation 5, is a remake of the 2004 PlayStation 2 classic, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. I had a conversation with the developers during a Tokyo press event to discuss the upcoming remake and its development process. 

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Faithfully replicating the thrill and impact of the original

PlayStation Blog: How important was it to your team to create a game that stayed true to the original?

Noriaki Okamura (Metal Gear Series Producer): We began this project with the intention of bringing a 20-year-old game to the present day. While we updated the graphics and certain game mechanics to ensure today’s players could fully enjoy the experience, we wanted to stay true to the original as much as possible.

What challenges did your team face during development, and what specific adjustments were implemented?

Okamura: I had no intention of altering the original story, so I insisted that we can just update the game graphics. Korekado disagreed and warned me that that approach will not work, but I initially had the team re-create the game just with new character models. Although the graphics improved, they appeared doll-like and unrealistic, so I finally realized that my plan was inadequate.

Yuji Korekado (Creative Producer): We began by reworking the animation and game mechanics. We implemented animation programming that didn’t exist two decades ago to make the game more realistic, but that also meant we couldn’t reproduce the original game mechanics. Metal Gear is a stealth game, so it’s crucial for players to be able to make precise movements. We put in a lot of effort to replicate the same feel as the original, while maintaining realism.

Are there any areas of the game that you wanted to recreate as faithfully as possible?

Korekado: We made sure that the jungle looked as realistic as possible. We devoted a lot of time modeling every fine detail like leaves, grass, and moss covering the ground. Since the perspective shifts along with the character’s movements, players will get a closer look at the ground when they’re crouching or crawling. To make sure the environment was immersive from every angle, we carefully crafted every element with great precision.

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Have any enhancements been made compared to the original PS2 version?

Korekado: We enhanced the visuals to be more intuitive. Thanks to increased memory and much faster speeds the user experience has improved significantly, including faster transitions to the Survival Viewer or having a quick menu to swap uniforms. On top of that, the audio improvements are remarkable. Sound absorption rates vary depending on the materials of the walls and floors, which allows players to detect enemies behind walls or nearby animals intuitively. In areas like caves and long corridors, unique echo parameters help distinguish different environments, which I think is a major advancement for stealth gameplay.

Extra content for players to enjoy diverse gameplay

The remake features Fox Hunt, a new online multiplayer mode. Why did you include this in the game instead of Metal Gear Online (MGO)?

Yu Sahara (Fox Hunt Director): The remake features significantly enhanced graphics, so we explored various online modes that aligned with these improvements. We decided to focus on stealth, sneaking, and survival, since those are also the key pillars of the main game. We landed on a concept that is based on hide-and-seek, that is classic Metal Gear, while also being reminiscent of the stealth missions featured in the earlier MGO.

Can players earn rewards by playing the Fox Hunt mode?

Sahara: While there are no items that can be transferred to the main game, players can unlock rewards like new camouflage options by playing Fox Hunt multiple times.

Were there any challenges or specific areas of focus while remaking Snake vs Monkey mode?

Taiga Ishigami (Planner): Our main goal was to make Pipo Monkey even more charming, cute, and entertaining. We developed new character actions, including the “Gotcha!” motion, and each animation and sound effect were carefully reviewed to ensure it captured Pipo Monkey’s personality. If anything felt off, we made changes right away.

I heard the new Snake vs Monkey mode features an Astro Bot collab.

Ishigami: Yes, a couple of bots from the Astro Bot game will make an appearance, and you can capture them just like the Pipo Monkeys. Capturing these bots isn’t required to finish the levels, but you’ll receive unique rewards if you do. Depending on the level, either a standard bot or a Pipo Monkey bot will be hidden away, so be sure to keep an eye out for them.

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Do you have any final words for new players as well as longtime fans of the original game?

Okamura: I rarely cry when playing games, but I remember bawling my eyes out while playing the original Metal Gear Solid 3. The development of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater was driven by our goal to faithfully capture the impact and thrill that players felt two decades ago. Metal Gear Solid 3 is the ultimate example of storytelling in games, and having dreamed of making a game like this, I now feel a sense of fulfillment. I hope everyone enjoys the story as much as I do.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater arrives on PS5 on August 28. 

Read a new hands-on report with the game.

It’s been over two decades since Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was first released on PlayStation 2. The game was praised for its story, characters, and possibly one of the greatest themes in video game history. After some brumation, it sheds its skin and emerges as Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater on August 28, aiming to recapture the spirit that made the original a beloved classic. After about eight hours of playing the game on PS5 Pro, I’m thrilled to share how it captures and modernizes the original’s spirit, and then some.

Delta is a true from-the-ground-up remake that is extremely faithful to the original work in most aspects of the game, but what was immediately apparent was the level of detail the updated visuals and textures add to the experience. 

A new level of visual fidelity

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This updated version of Snake Eater is a visual feast on PS5 Pro, especially in the lush details. For example, rain droplets trickle realistically down a poncho, and Snake’s camouflage and uniforms become dirty with mud or forest debris. This filth even carries over into cutscenes, adding an appreciated level of realism.

The Metal Gear series showcases a range of grizzled warriors, many with scars that tell a tale. If you’re familiar with Snake Eater, you understand that scars hold a lot of importance throughout, and the devs took great care to make them stand out. One of the most notable examples is Colonel Volgin’s harrowingly scarred face. The believable tissue and its deformation when he speaks create a tragically beautiful portrait. 

Speaking of portraits, a new photo mode has been added with all the latest bells and whistles. Like most Metal Gear games, Delta definitely has its fair share of silly moments, and you can capture them all. With plenty of filters and settings, create a masterpiece on the mountainside, or dress up in a crocodile head and let antics ensue. Photo Mode is the perfect way to capture all the little details hiding within.

Game controls – New Style vs. Legacy

A new control scheme has been introduced to bring Snake Eater to the modern gaming era, dubbed New Style. Before starting a new game, players can choose between the New Style and Legacy, which retains the controls mapped after the original PS2 release. You can switch between styles, but be warned, this will reload the level/map and take you back to the beginning of the section.

New Style is geared for people who have never played the game before, or who might prefer a more modern playstyle. The control option provides a free-moving camera that lets you view your environment in 360 degrees, making it easier to avoid getting lost or having enemies catch you unprepared.

Combat and shooting feel reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid V, with a third-person over-the-shoulder camera. By default, aim assist is turned on, but can be toggled off. Even in New Style, you can still switch to a classic first-person view and still fully move around as if playing a FPS title. First-person view is especially valuable when lining up the perfect shot through a chainlink fence, which I couldn’t pull off in third-person.

The biggest saving grace in the updated control scheme is the remapped directional buttons. Holding left brings up your non-combat inventory, and holding right brings up your currently equipped weapons. Up brings up the quick-change camouflage menu, while down brings up your radio —a hugely welcome shortcut. No more digging through menus to change outfits based on your environment.

Snake sneaks through a range of environments in Snake Eater, each suited to different camouflage options The quick change menu conveniently shows the optimal face and body combo from your collection based on the current environmentIn one instance, I managed to seamlessly transition from a green texture to a stone grey-black getup, then to a rust-colored camouflage, all along the same crawl route. This new quality-of-life option keeps the action flowing.

Another great accessibility feature is the ability to fine-tune game hints. From always-on to none at all. I had it set to show helpful hints when they were relevant, like swimming controls appearing by a body of water and hanging controls on the cliffside. This is particularly helpful in rare gameplay situations, as it kept me from panicking in high-stress situations. 

What a thrill

The voice cast still delivers, and The Cobra Unit is just as compelling, with big moments still having the right impact. The ladder scene took me right back to playing the original on my grandmother’s floor all those years ago. 

Paradoxes, easter eggs, and all the details I’d expect are still in place. I didn’t encounter any moments that felt off or deviated too far in any way from the script. The opening theme and intro movie have been remixed, and while it will come down to personal taste, every note still hits for me. 

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater launches on August 28 for PS5, and is a day to mark on your calendar whether you’re a longtime fan or series newcomer interested in discovering the celebrated origins of the storyline.  

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater developers discuss the game in length in a new interview.

Double Fine is poised to release a brand new game called Keeper in October, but what comes after that? According to development chief Tim Schafer, he’s working on multiple projects at the Microsoft-owned studio, none of which are sequels.

Keeper is an atmospheric puzzle adventure in which a long-forgotten lighthouse is awakened and goes on a journey. It’s led by Double Fine’s Lee Petty, which means Tim Schafer is hands-off and free to work on other things.

What are those other things? Speaking to IGN at gamescom 2025, Schafer of course wouldn’t divulge Double Fine’s upcoming games, but did say the studio has multiple projects in the works and they’re all original IP.

“I’m working on other stuff,” he confirmed. “The studio is doing multiple projects right now and they’re all original IPs, because we did Psychonauts 2 and that will hold us for sequels for a while.”

So, that rules out Psychonauts 3 or — and this was always an unlikely one — Brütal Legend 2, at least in the short to mid-term. As game developers are fond of saying, never say never, but Schafer’s rather definitive comment gives us an idea of what to expect from Double Fine in the coming years — and that is the unexpected.

Psychonauts 2 was Double Fine’s first release following Microsoft’s acquisition of the company in 2019. Schafer has spoken before about how Double Fine had to cut boss fights from the game due to budget concerns, but the Microsoft buyout meant it had the resources to add them back in. Schafer described Keeper as smaller-scale compared to Psychonauts 2, but with an impressive level of quality.

Psychonauts 2 eventually came out in 2021. Now, four years later, Double Fine is about to release its next game. Keeper comes out October 17, 2025, on PC and Xbox Series X and S.

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Unlike past Call of Duty games, this year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will not allow players to choose a difficulty level for the campaign. Associate creative director Miles Leslie said that the difficulty scale for Black Ops 7 is “baked in” as opposed to being something a player can choose.

The reason for this comes down to how Black Ops 7’s campaign can be played in co-op.

“We’ve built it for solo or four-player squads as well. You cannot pick a difficulty like past games. We’ve baked it in because you have to approach a co-op campaign differently, and we wanted to make sure the missions felt right for solo players,” Leslie told IGN.

For players who enjoy a solo experience, Leslie said, “We’re not forgetting about you; we love you.” However, Black Ops 7’s campaign was designed to be a “social experience.”

“We want to make sure it’s fun, but the right amount of challenging for two, three, and four players as well,” Leslie said.

Call of Duty’s difficulty levels over the years have included things like Recruit, Regular, Hardened, and Veteran, along with a super-challenging Realism mode.

For Black Ops 7, the campaign difficulty will scale when playing co-op, meaning partying up with friends doesn’t necessarily make it easier, and teamwork is needed to get through missions.

Another thing that’s new for Black Ops 7’s campaign is how XP progression from the campaign is connected to multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone. Additionally, Black Ops 7’s campaign closes with a mission called “Avalon Endgame,” which is described as a “brand-new, replayable experience where you and your squad will need to survive overwhelming odds, adapt under pressure, and break the rules of what you thought a Black Ops campaign could be.”

Black Ops 7 launches on November 14, and a multiplayer beta will be held in October. The game is coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox, and PC, and it’ll be included with Xbox Game Pass.

The Battlefield 6 beta is well and truly behind us. By EA’s own admission, it had the most players in Battlefield history, for a beta or otherwise. There’s clearly significant interest in the game, but the beta also garnered a lot of criticism.

Following the beta’s conclusion, the developer promised that it would come back with an update on all the hottest topics coming out of the beta, and how it plans to address each concern. That day is now here.

Battlefield Studios shared a response to a few key areas of feedback from the Battlefield 6 beta in a new blog post. The writeup addresses weapon mechanics, movement, modes, player counts, playlist options, and the variety of maps.

Starting off with weapons, the developer said recoil is getting a pass to make tap-firing and burst-firing more rewarding. The full game will also better represent the range characteristics for each weapon, which likely refers to how SMGs were unreasonably more accurate at range compared to ARs.

Of course, the ever-annoying M87A1 shotgun was touched upon in the post. At launch, getting a kill will require more pellets. While Battlefield Studios does touch on discrepancies between time-to-kill and time-to-death in some situations in the post, the issue remains under investigation.

While movement in the beta was generally praised, some players attempted to push its limits in ways that try to resemble Call of Duty’s. In response, the full game will reduce horizontal momentum carried from a slide into a jump. Consecutive jumps are also being penalised with a lower height for each one. The inaccuracy gained by firing while jumping or sliding is also being increased. Finally, parachutes now have lower initial acceleration.

Map exploits are next on the list. You may have seen instances of players reaching out-of-bound spots (mainly rooftops) during the beta, and the developer is working on making them impossible in the final game.

Of course, the other complaint about maps is just how small they were, effectively making them all practically play the same. The blog post stresses that there’s going to be more variety at launch, but it also confirms that upcoming Battlefield Labs tests will feature Mirak Valley, and Operation Firestorm – two larger maps that will be available at launch.

One of the most discussed modes in the beta has been Rush, and the post clarifies the developer’s intent with its implementation in Battlefield 6. The beta featured 12v12 matches that some said were too small, though mainly because of the map design.

While the post doesn’t touch specifically on the map sizes for Rush, it does confirm that it’s going to continue to be a mode with a (relatively) small player count, leaving Breakthrough to deliver that large Rush-ish experience.

One of the most interesting (and welcome) parts of the post is a discussion on the studio’s philosophy when it comes to player counts per mode/map. Battlefield Studios said that maps and modes are each designed to fit different player counts, which inevitably means these numbers are going to vary.

In essence, player counts aren’t set in stone, and instead vary based on what works for each situation. The blog post gives the example of Breakthrough, a mode that will be available on maps with 48 players, and others with the full 64.

Another controversial topic from the beta has been the availability (and visibility) of playlists. The developer reiterates that Open and Closed Weapon playlists will continue to be options at launch, and that it’s “looking for ways” to make those options easily accessible.

The last takeaway from the post is that some of these changes – including the aforementioned larger maps – will be part of the next Labs sessions, which is exciting for those who have access to that.

For everyone else, Battlefield 6 will be available on October 10 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

From the moment you load up Metal Gear Solid Delta to when the credits roll, Hideo Kojima hangs over the production like The Sorrow, a long-dead member of the villainous Cobra unit who somehow still turns up for a boss fight. The Sorrow’s emotion, the game takes pains to point out, is sadness. The melancholy of lost camaraderie, and the scars of the battlefield that never leave. Yet the character is actually presented as a prankster, popping up in cutscenes with a smile and a jape. Like a jilted lover, The Sorrow’s defining characteristic is much simpler: he just can’t let go.

Metal Gear Solid Delta has been a long time coming and, you’d think, has been the subject of some truly tortuous soul-searching at Konami HQ. Metal Gear remains the company’s biggest series yet one that, until 2023’s Master Collection, it seemed scared to touch, let alone move forward.

The iBuypower gaming PC is generously equipped across the board. It features an AMD Ryzen 9 7900X CPU, Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and 2TB M.2 SSD. The Ryzen 9 7900X processor has a max boost clock of 5.6GHz with 12 cores and 24 threads. This is an excellent CPU for both gaming and multi-tasking and you won’t need to upgrade from it for a long time. It’s cooled by a very robust 360mm all-in-one liquid cooling system and runs off an 850W power supply.

The Radeon RX 9070 XT Received a 10/10 at IGN

We rated the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT a “perfect” 10/10. Even though it costs $150 less than the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, the 9070 XT beats it out in several of the games we tested. In a few benchmarks, the results aren’t even close. The 9070 XT is also comparable in performance to the older $1,000 RX 7900 XTX but with better ray tracing and upscaling performance than its predecessor. It does lose out on VRAM (16GB vs 24GB), but that isn’t really an issue for gaming. By “4K ready” I mean that this gaming PC can run pretty much any game at 4K resolution and at framerates of 60fps or higher. Any video card that’s weaker and you’ll have to compromise in order to get playable framerates.

One side note is that the product photo doesn’t accurately show what you’re getting in terms of components. PC system builders like iBuyPower, Skytech, CyberPowerPC, and ABS use off-the-shelf parts that are available and cost effective at the time. So, for example, although the image shows what appears to be an Asus ROG Strix graphics card, you’ll probably be getting the Asus PRIME card instead. If you want a PC that’s made more assembly-line style with predictable components, your best bet is to stick with bigger PC builders like Dell, Lenovo, or HP.

Hardware Unboxed Benched the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT Graphics Card During the Battlefield 6 Open Beta

The Battlefield 6 beta just finished its two-weekend stint with hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of players signing on to try it out. The initial impressions are mostly positive, including those from our own IGN staff.

For those of you looking to upgrade your rig specifically for this game, Hardware Unboxed tested out a few different Radeon RX 9070 XT configurations in-game. At 4K and with the maximum “Ultra” preset, the RX 9070 XT rig maintained an average of 70-85fps with a 1% low of 67fps. This was tested with both lower-end AMD Ryzen 5 and higher-end AMD Ryzen 7 X3D processors and the performance difference was minimal, especially at higher resolutions (1440p and 4K) where games are typically less CPU limited. What’s also impressive was that the GeForce RTX 5080 equipped PC only averaged about 8%-12% better, even though such a PC would run you over $2,000.

Keep in mind that these tests were not performed on a iBuyPower PC. Instead it is more of an indication of how well a typical RX 9070XT equipped gaming PC would perform in the game.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time. He is also an avid Battlefield gamer and absolutely played the heck out of the BF6 beta with over 200 matches across both weekends. Add him (eksblenny) if you’d like to squad up!