Can't, in all honesty, recommend this.
It's a beautiful remake visually. It's very faithful in most of the ways that counted. But something that always prevented me from going back and playing the original is how clunky it feels these days. You can't imagine my excitement that they were remaking it, because surely they would modernize the controls to actually feel good in 2026.
Well.. imagine my surprise when it's FAR clunkier than the original ever was. And I would know because basically right before the remaster was announced, I had tried to go back and play it MGS3.
It looks like MGSV, but it plays like RDR2 because of god awful intentionally input-laggy animations trying to create some kind of weight simulation. That's fine for RDR2 because of the style of game it is. Not OK for a stealth game where you need tight, responsive controls to respond to what's happening. Also has some other movement issues I really can't stand, of which I have a few examples for you out of many.
You want to climb up on this box that's directly against the wall to get the styptic sitting on it? Go up to it, and instantly take cover. No climb option. Back up, try to come up on it faster and press it in time, because you keep seeing the prompt show up just before he takes cover. Nope, takes cover. Anything you try, takes cover. I don't understand. Am I taking cover from the wall?? Because that's the only thing on the other side of this box. Never experienced this in the original.
Prone in a tunnel and you just want to poke out a little bit? Nope, all the way out and goes into a crouch. Everybody sees you. Your masterful plan 15 minutes in just went out the window.
Get within six feet of a ledge, now you're hanging. And you have to wait, I kid you not, 3+ seconds for the prompt to climb back up. And if you're slightly facing the wrong direction, or rather any direction except directly away from the ledge, STRAIGHT back into a hang. God help you if you're on a bridge, because it's like walking a tight rope trying to stay in the direct middle so Snake doesn't just decide to go over the edge so he can hang some more.
They also made some of the bosses far worse. The Pain was actually easier because the water controls are bar none the smoothest controls in the game, but The Pain will practically telefrag and stunlock you into oblivion. Before you can stand up, boom, another flamethrower blast and you're back down. Repeat until dead. I could get him to the last sliver every time, right before getting stunlocked to death. The only way I could find to beat him was to hide by the exit door with a sniper rifle, wait for him to walk by, POP POP POP POP POP, and he would run away and around the arena for a minute. Repeat. So much fun.
I'm pretty disappointed. Mostly in the controls. I've made it to Groznyj Grad and I don't think I'll make it any further. They could've literally just copied the movement mechanics from MGSV and made this game 80% better with that one decision.
