David Hayter has talked about the potential of Metal Gear Solid games being made without Hideo Kojima, and potential fan reaction to it.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is the first new release for the series since Hideo Kojima left Konami back in 2015 (we don't count Metal Gear Survive, that never happened). And while the new game is an "almost too faithful" remake of the 2004 classic it represents what is hopefully the return for the legendary franchise.
"With many of the original staff members are now pursuing new paths, we are aware that there are still elements lacking in our ability to fill the gaps left by their departure" says Metal Gear series producer Noriaki Okamura who spoke to PC Gamer magazine (issue 413), positioning the remake as almost an exercise to train up a development team who could lead the franchise into new games.
He adds, "Through the development of MGS Delta, we have also gained a new sense of what our team is capable of."
But of course, there's not really any game developer with a more fervent fanbase than Hideo Kojima, whose DNA is all over the Metal Gear series, with some wondering if a new entry without him is even possible. When asked about whether it's possible to make a great new Metal Gear game, Snake voice actor David Hayter said, "I think it's absolutely possible."
Hayter adds, "Will it be the same? No. There's no way to replicate [Kojima's] exact genius, his exact weirdness, his specific personality. However, to Hayter, that's not a huge deal. "When I was a kid, I loved Tim Burton's Batman, and was like, 'that's how Batman should be done.' And then Chris Nolan does Batman, and you're like, 'Oh, that's pretty badass as well.' So will it be the same? No. Could it be amazing? Sure."
Of course, whatever Konami decides to do with Metal Gear from here on out will be judged through the lens of Kojima, especially when he's working on his own Metal Gear spiritual successor with Physint, which is still another five or six years away, meaning both games could end up competing against each other.
Metal Gear Solid Delta producer views the remake as "both" a companion and a replacement to the OG Snake Eater, but Konami "would like to leave that decision up to the players themselves."
