Metal Gear Solid Delta Fans Divided Over Reused Voices
A finger on the monkey's paw curls: Fan opinions have quickly become polarized over "Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater," as Konami has confirmed that it will be reusing unaltered voice lines from the original "Metal Gear Solid 3."
Given Konami's previous handling of the franchise, perhaps it was only a matter of time before some kind of controversy reared its head. Ever since Hideo Kojima's high-profile split from the company, "Metal Gear" fans have been let down again and again, with flop sequel attempts and pachinko machine adaptations. Over time, fans have unfortunately become increasingly disillusioned and mistrustful regarding the series.
With the reveal of "Metal Gear Solid Delta," it seemed the "Metal Gear" franchise would finally be getting a modern, serious update for the first time in years. But as Konami releases more information about the game, it's becoming clear that this remake will be a divisive installment. Just under a week after the reveal, Konami has confirmed that "Metal Gear Solid Delta" will be recycling the voiceover work from the original game, rather than recasting or re-recording dialogue. Judging from reactions online, this is simultaneously the best and worst news fans have heard about the remake so far.
Hardcore faithfulness or sleazy cost-cutting?
The day after the reveal, the official "Metal Gear" Twitter account announced that the story and dialogue in the remake will "remain the same from the original game." The vague wording left fans somewhat confused as to whether this meant Konami was bringing back the original cast or quite literally reusing original assets. Clarification came from The Verge's correspondence with Tommy Williams — Konami's head of communications for the Americas — and it has caused quite a division in the fan community.
On social media, many fans have been quite happy about the decision. Some are taking it as a surefire sign that "Metal Gear Solid Delta" will faithfully recreate the magic of "Metal Gear Solid 3" with a modern polish — without "arbitrarily rewriting the game," as one fan put it.
However, a great deal of fans are also upset by the decision, for a variety of reasons. The fans who were expecting a full remake and not a "glorified remaster" are disappointed by the lack of new V.O., while others are apprehensive of how this might affect animation quality on newer models.
Other fans also saw this choice as Konami's way of cutting costs by refusing to involve the original or any new voice actors. Even fans who are happy about the decision are admittedly concerned that the original performers will most likely not be compensated.