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Rumors of a remastered Metal Gear Solid have been circulating for quite some time, but now it's more likely that a remastering of the first three entries will happen. If the first three Metal Gear Solid games are being remastered, Konami could be looking to reinvigorate the stealth gaming franchise. The potential remasters will almost certainly be done without the aid of the series creator.
Considering the public falling out between the series creator, Hideo Kojima, and his former employer Konami, it's pretty much guaranteed that he will not be involved with any of the company's future projects. Though this might not sit well with fans of Kojima, they can likely rest easy knowing that the rumor specifies that Konami is looking to remaster the trilogy, not remake it.
Fans have long begged for a remastered version of the 1998 PlayStation smash hit, Metal Gear Solid, and they eventually got a decent one for Nintendo GameCube. Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes was pretty well received at the time, but since then, fans have wanted a remastered version on an HD or 4K console. This rumored remastered trilogy from Konami is exciting for fans as it presents a precedent for something more prominent on the horizon.
The first game, with the tagline "Tactical Espionage Action," is undeniably revolutionary. Metal Gear Solid introduced fans to a whole new playstyle wherein enemies investigated disturbances, called for backup, and could even follow suspicious tracks in the snow. The sequels built upon these stealth mechanics while introducing a couple of their own. These features and the fantastic locales within the games would greatly benefit from remastering.
Though the first game is a classic, a remastered version would likely give players the option of going into a third-person view instead of sticking with the fixed camera. Being able to take in all the details of Shadow Moses Island and fight in a high-definition version of Metal Gear would be sublime. The dialogue would undoubtedly be re-recorded and hopefully rewritten in the more cringe-inducing areas of the game. The sequel would benefit from high-def cutscenes for the more emotional sequences, and the jungles of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater would undoubtedly look stunning remastered.
A remastered trilogy would be massive for Metal Gear Solid and Konami, specifically for fans that have wanted it for years, but it could also help Metal Gear Solid reach a new audience. Younger fans who may have never experienced the first three Metal Gear Solid games are a target market, as they will bring a renewed interest in the series. Depending on how well a remastered trilogy will do, Konami may decide to remaster Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and finally allow Xbox owners to experience Solid Snake's final mission.
Remastering the original trilogy will certainly satisfy seasoned fans, and maybe Raiden will be better received this time around as well. Raiden has always been compared to the gritty Solid Snake, but he has since grown into an amazing character of his own. A successful remastered trilogy could also potentially lead to a remastered version of the surprisingly great Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance game. Though the gameplay is vastly different, the Raiden-centric hack-and-slash title is fantastic and deserves a second chance.
The rumored remastering of the first three Metal Gear Solid games is exciting because if the remastered versions do well, Konami may consider other remasters. By successfully introducing a new generation of fans to the series, Konami could revitalize Metal Gear Rising and work on new entries, despite Kojima's absence. The entire MGS series is filled with exciting characters and the potential to expand into new stories, so a remastering of the first three games might just be the beginning of a new era of Metal Gear entries.