Konami’s latest entry in its Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection series packages together three fantastic games from the past into one modern package. Included in Vol. 2 are faithful and well-running versions of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Peace Walker, and Ghost Babel. Also featuring the MGS4 Database and other bonus content, this is a real treat for fans of Hideo Kojima’s iconic gaming franchise.
The biggest selling point to the package is Metal Gear Solid 4. Getting Guns of the Patriots finally off of the PlayStation 3 is a real treat. It runs at a stellar 60 frames per second and at 4K, a huge improvement over the original, which struggled to hit 30 FPS. Gameplay hasn’t been altered, allowing you to fully enjoy one of the wildest stories in gaming in its original glory. It’s a stellar end to Solid Snake’s story (yes, the cutscenes are just as long as you remember), although its weak points (such as some of the generic bosses) are understandably still present. Besides its performance issues being addressed, I wouldn’t want a thing changed about this game, and a faithful adaptation is exactly what I wanted.
The other major game is a port of Peace Walker, which melds MGS gameplay with Monster Hunter-style missions and co-op play. Originally released on the PlayStation Portable, it’s a unique blend that laid the groundwork for MGSV later on. The smaller mission structure is a ton of fun, especially with online co-op, so it’s great to see this playable on modern consoles. It has a great story, although it’s naturally the weakest mainline game in terms of presentation due to its portable roots. Definitely give this a go if you haven’t, as it’s an underrated game that has a ton of replayability.
Finally, the excellent Game Boy Color stealth game Ghost Babel rounds out the collection. If you dig the original Metal Gear games, this is definitely worth checking out as it blends the gameplay of the MSX2 games with some Metal Gear Solid ideas (such as Snake being able to squeeze through narrow areas). Featuring some great boss fights against some fun characters with great names (Pyro Bison! Slasher Hawk!), there are 13 stages that are all worth making your way through if you haven’t seen it before.
There’s also a lot of bonus content for diehard fans to enjoy. The MGS4 Database is a particularly cool addition, while there are also digital screenplays and master books for Peace Walker and Guns of the Patriots. Reading books on a television is never truly ideal, but it’s great to see them included even if there’s no new material properly explaining the series’ impact and why these games matter.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 is another home-run release by Konami, which continues to do a great job of making its back catalog available on modern systems. Metal Gear Solid 4 is one of gaming’s great stories, along with dozens of incredible moments that need to be experienced to be believed. These games have never looked or run better, so MGS fans will definitely want to pick this up.
SCORE: 9.5/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 9.5 equates to “Excellent.” Entertainment that reaches this level is at the top of its type. The gold standard that every creator aims to reach.
Disclosure: The publisher provided a PlayStation 5 copy for our Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 review.
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