Steel Gear Strong again with remake years after Kojima left Konami

Steel Gear is among the best-selling online game sequence in historical past, shifting greater than 60 million copies.

The sequence pioneered cinematics in gaming by mixing cutting-edge cutscenes, voice performing and dynamic digicam angles to create one thing that might have appeared extra at dwelling on the large display screen on the time.

Steel Gear tackled themes not generally seen in video games, akin to nuclear disarmament and little one troopers, and posed philosophical questions whereas additionally leveraging offbeat humour.

The video games would usually break the fourth wall and ask gamers to seek out options to puzzles in uncommon methods – akin to wanting on the again cowl of the sport’s bodily field.

The sequence’ important place in gaming historical past meant followers have been shocked when its creator Hideo Kojima give up recreation writer Konami in an acrimonious cut up in 2015.

One in all gaming’s greatest titles was left directionless – and there is been no recreation within the best-selling sequence since.

However now, a decade later, Konami has launched a remake of Steel Gear Strong 3.

So what occurred between Konami and Kojima, and the way does the brand new recreation maintain up with out its authentic creator?

“The influence Steel Gear has had on game-making makes it probably the most heralded leisure franchises on this planet, and made Hideo Kojima one of many business’s most well-known creators,” business knowledgeable Christopher Dring informed the BBC.

With such success, you would possibly suppose it was a match made in heaven, however there have been points effervescent underneath the floor.

Whereas nothing has been mentioned publicly, one usually accepted idea behind the cut up pertains to the spiralling value of 2015’s Steel Gear Strong V, estimated by some at greater than $80m (£59m) – a really important growth value on the time.

It isn’t identified precisely what occurred between Konami and Kojima, however the studio was clearly fed up with the amount of cash he was spending to make a single recreation – with Kojima’s inside studio truly faraway from promotional supplies for Steel Gear Strong V on the time.

Konami acquired the sport out the door, but it surely appeared to be scaled again from its authentic imaginative and prescient regardless of the excessive value, with repeated ranges and a 3rd chapter that by no means emerged.

Even so, the sport nonetheless acquired wonderful opinions and received a number of awards, however the rift between firm and creator appeared unfixable.

And in an act that proved extremely controversial – and maybe exhibits how heated issues had turn into behind the scenes – when Steel Gear Strong V received an award, Konami knowledgeable the developer he was not allowed to gather it.

A couple of months later, Kojima was gone, and within the years that adopted, his former studio pivoted.

“Konami shifted its technique for some time, away from console video games, and centered its efforts on the amusements markets, issues like pachinko machines,” Mr Dring mentioned.

“Additionally they centered more and more on cell.”

It meant Konami’s different basic franchises like Castlevania and Silent Hill additionally went with out new video games for a decade.

In the meantime, Kojima’s new studio signed a blockbuster cope with Sony to develop the monster hit Demise Stranding for PlayStation, adopted by a sequel this yr.

Gaming has pivoted in the direction of remakes lately.

Excessive-profile video games like Resident Evil 4, Closing Fantasy VII and Demon’s Souls, all classics of their day, have been remade with the advantages of contemporary graphics and recreation design to massive fanfare – and robust gross sales figures.

“It is a vastly profitable and rising sector,” mentioned Mr Dring.

“The business is getting older, players are coming into center age and are nostalgic for traditional titles.

Mr Dring factors out that one of many best-selling video games of the yr to this point is Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, a remake of a basic Function-Taking part in Recreation (RPG) from 2007, promoting tens of millions of copies since its launch in April.

Konami has begun a return to publishing video games by focusing on this space, with a Silent Hill remake coming final yr and a brand new Survival Youngsters recreation launched earlier in 2025.

So it’s a probably profitable transfer – however is Steel Gear Strong 3: Snake Eater the precise recreation to remake?

Followers of the sequence informed the BBC Steel Gear Strong 3 was chosen for good purpose.

YouTuber Zak Ras mentioned there was “immense significance” behind the sport.

“Most individuals will say their favorite entry to the sequence is both Steel Gear Strong 1 or 3,” he mentioned.

“Story-wise, given that it is the first prequel set on the very starting of the sequence timeline, it is one of many few entries you possibly can go into fully blind with completely no required data of the sequence, apart from very first Steel Gear from 1987.”

Ras mentioned Steel Gear Strong 3 struck an excellent stability between gameplay and cinematic storytelling, making it a sensible choice for individuals who have by no means performed a recreation within the sequence earlier than.

For instance, the sport opens with an introduction closely influenced by James Bond movies, which means new followers are eased into the sequence’ weirder parts.

And the brothers behind PythonSelkan Studios – generally known as Python & Selkan to their 122,000 YouTube subscribers – agreed.

“Finishing the sport was an unbelievable expertise in itself,” they mentioned. “Snake Eater’s gut-wrenching ending is what stood out most, leaving an influence on us that no different recreation had ever left earlier than.”

“This recreation holds a particular place in our hearts,” they added.

The brothers mentioned, as lifelong followers of the sequence, they have been “extremely excited” by the announcement.

The pair are at present enjoying the remake, and have been “very impressed” by its improved graphics and audio.

They described the sport as a “actually a trustworthy recreation”, including that it improved “the essence of the unique with out altering its elementary construction”.

To this point so good for Steel Gear Strong with out Hideo Kojima – which Ras put all the way down to the sport being true to the unique.

One instance he highlights is that the voice performances have been saved the identical, and gamers can select whether or not to make use of the unique management scheme or a extra fashionable take.

“There is no doubt it’s Kojima’s directorial ‘genes’ which are being dominantly expressed right here,” he mentioned.

“Kojima expressed a need to maneuver on from Steel Gear since as early as MGS2 and go away the sequence within the palms of others to proceed.

“It might have taken him one other 14 years and 5 director credit for that to occur, however it’s now actuality.”

And nevertheless the remake fares with followers, one family will not be selecting up a brand new copy – Kojima himself has laughed off the suggestion that he would play the brand new recreation.