Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater

Snake Eater doesn't have classes — your loadout is camo, gear, and weapons you collect through the mission. For a first playthrough, prioritize CQC mastery (the throw, choke, and interrogation toolkit) over gunfights — Snake Eater is a stealth game first, and CQC is the most reliable non-lethal option. Keep the M1911A1 and Mk22 (tranquilizer pistol) in your slots, use the camo system religiously (face paint plus body camo, switched per environment), and stock food so the Stamina meter doesn't tank during boss fights. The snake-eating mechanic is real, not a joke — it's how you keep stamina up.

Source: Wikipedia

MGS Delta has six difficulty settings (Very Easy → European Extreme), and your camera choice silently adjusts the relative challenge. New Style (over-the-shoulder, modern controls) makes Snake more capable, so enemies have faster reaction times and wider awareness; Legacy Style (fixed-camera, original MGS3 controls) is more forgiving by default. New players are best on Easy or Normal with New Style. European Extreme is locked until your first clear, so you don't need to worry about touching that initially.

Source: TheGamer Difficulty Settings

MGS Delta is a linear stealth campaign with no traditional sidequests, so there's nothing to "miss" in the open-world sense. Optional content includes the Frog Battle, Tsuchinoko, The End's Mosin-Nagant, and camo collectibles — most are mid-mission and can be re-acquired on subsequent playthroughs, since the game encourages replays for different rank-evaluation runs (Foxhound, Big Boss, etc.). Camos and easter eggs unlocked in one run carry into New Game Plus, so a "perfect" first run isn't required.

Source: Game Rant Replay Value

No — Snake Eater is a remake of MGS3 (2004), which is the chronologically earliest entry in the Metal Gear timeline. It's actually the recommended series starting point for newcomers because the story stands alone, and the protagonist (Naked Snake / Big Boss) is the founding figure that later games reference. Playing the original MGS3 isn't required since Delta covers the same story with modern presentation. If you've never touched Metal Gear, this is a clean entry point.

Source: Game Rant MGS Delta Guide

Yes. The replay loop is the main draw — MGS3 is famous for its rank/grade system, so subsequent runs target Foxhound, Big Boss, or no-alert/no-kill achievements. European Extreme difficulty unlocks after your first clear, the Bandana (infinite ammo) and Stealth (full-game invisibility) items unlock on specific completion conditions, and unlockables carry forward via NG+. The campaign is around 18–25 hours, so a second pass for ranks plus easter-egg cleanup is an easy commit.

Source: Wikipedia