It is a running tradition in the Metal Gear franchise that each entry ends with a massive setpiece. Be it Raiden fighting Solidus Snake atop Arsenal Gear in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty or Old Snake engaging Liquid Ocelot in close-quarter combat (CQC) onboard Outer Haven, these battles are a far cry from the tactical espionage players take part in throughout most of these games.
The final boss fight of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is special. In addition to the chaotic clash between Snake and The Boss, this sequence is a culmination of everything the players have been through. Should Konami want Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater to have the same success as Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, it has to do right by this particular battle.
The Final Fight Between Snake And The Boss Is Legendary
After destroying the Shagohod and eliminating most of the Cobra Unit, Snake and Eva enter a clearing filled with white flowers. As Eva leaves Snake to prepare their escape via a ground-effect vehicle, the latter comes face to face with his former mentor and close ally The Boss. With her death as his final mission, Snake readies himself to face his toughest opponent yet.
The fight against The Boss is versatile in that it allows players to approach it either stealthily or guns blazing. The first method is the easiest, as players can make use of the white field and the Camouflage system to mask their presence until they get an opportunity to attack. Shooting wildly at The Boss is possible but difficult, as her white combat suit and quick movements allow her to easily get the drop on players. No matter which method they choose, players will eventually have to contend with The Boss's exemplary CQC skills. This switching between stealth, combat, and CQC is what makes players feel like The Boss is testing their knowledge of all of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater's available gameplay features.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Has to Get The Tone Right
There is another, more subtle layer to the fight against The Boss - one that deals with the feelings of the two combatants. The authenticity of Snake's past with The Boss has been in question ever since he found out about her betrayal to the United States of America. Unbeknownst to him, The Boss's defection was done out of loyalty to her county, as she needed to become a double agent to acquire a large sum of money collated by China, the Soviet Union, and the USA called the Philosopher's Legacy. It is during this final confrontation that Snake's and The Boss's beliefs are put to the test just as much as their physical abilities and words.
This clash of ideals and skills all takes place in a beautiful field to the tune of Cynthia Harrell's "Snake Eater" - a song that talks about giving up one's life and loyalty for another person rather than a country. But just as The Boss abandoned Snake for the sake of her country, so too does Snake uphold his motherland by killing his mentor with her own Patriot machine pistol. While Snake completes his mission and eventually becomes Big Boss, a part of him dies with The Boss on the field. Big Boss then spends his life going down the wrong path in an attempt to honor her legacy.
There is so much going on in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater's final battle that this fight alone has to be given the utmost attention in the remake. Not only does Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater have to get all the gameplay nuances right but it also needs to expose the feelings between Snake and The Boss as they duel for one last time. Seeing as this is the coup de grace to an unforgettable experience, Konami needs to cap off the remake in an unforgettable way.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
