Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 Reviews
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 bundles some of the most influential video games of all time in one comprehensive package, providing an extensive history of stealth-action.
VR Missions may lack the narrative heart of what many love about Metal Gear, but in its sheer volume and insistence on segmenting and delivering a near endless supply of challenges, it proves to be a fascinating and worthwhile pursuit that helps you develop remarkable levels of mastery over its systems and pushes the series’ stealth gameplay to places it doesn’t go anywhere else.
The Master Books are bursting with interesting tidbits that helped me to contextualise each game and the storyline as a whole better than ever before, but there’s relatively little within the games themselves to make this a real must-have if you still have access to previous collections and releases.
Metal Gear and Metal Gear Solid remain some of the best stealth action games on the planet, so it’s disappointing they’ve been treated with such disregard. With that said, at the very least the Maser Collection is beautiful time capsule of how the series has evolved, even including translated encyclopedias of the games. Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 has plenty of technical frustrations, but at least it remains true to the classics.
Still, there’s no denying the quality on display with Sons of Liberty, and rarely has a sequel demonstrated such a drastic improvement with its visuals and gameplay. For all its indulgent quirks, Sons of Liberty is another seminal video game that fully deserves its reputation as one of the greatest of all time. It’s just a shame that Konami couldn’t max out its potential for its release on Switch, as this is a game that deserves all the love and care in the world.
In terms of drawbacks, there really aren’t many to speak of. For this release, lines of dialogue that directly refer to specific button presses are muted, which is weird, but understandable given the difference between the PS1 and Switch controller layout. And sure, the visuals could have been spruced up considerably to match the efforts fans have achieved with emulations, but for the sake of faithfully recreating the original PS1 release, Konami has done an adequate job here.
Are there any downsides? Well yeah, some of the mechanics can feel a touch cumbersome at times. Changing camouflage outfits is a tedious exercise in constantly jumping in and out of the main menu, and we’re almost certain this will be streamlined for the upcoming Delta remake. It’s not a deal breaker, by any means, but it definitely serves as a reminder that this is fundamentally nearly a two-decade-old game. Still a bloomin’ great one, mind.
If you've never played any of the Metal Gear Solid titles before, or indeed their MSX2 ancestors, then the Master Collection on Switch is a perfectly fine way to experience some of the most iconic games of all time. That said, Switch owners have undoubtedly been stung by Konami's decision to cut MGS 2 and 3's frame rate down to 30, and although moment-to-moment gameplay still feels satisfying, it's a frustrating approach that we're hopeful will be patched at a later date. As for the overall package, there's a lot here that will keep you entertained, but the way it's been presented feels less than ideal. Still, it's a compilation well worth investigating if you're itching to play (or replay) the Metal Gear Solid saga.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is a staggering piece of history that further cements the impact of Snake's legacy in gaming.
At best, the Metal Gear Solid HD Master Collection is a cynical cash grab that is trying to repackage and resell you on nostalgia. There are very few reasons to part with your cash at this point: wait for a proper ground-up remake.
If there are indeed plans to continue, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is a hell of a first volley. From tweaks and fixes of previous re-releases to an abundance of supplemental material across a whopping seven (arguably more) games, Konami really rolled up its sleeves. Even with some problems and weird choices here and there, this collection exceeded my expectations for sure. Whatever follows this will really put the format to the test, as there’s less precedent and/or existing ports for games like Metal Gear Solid 4 or Metal Gear Acid. The foundation laid is awesome though, and shows that despite past drama there are people at Konami who definitely care.
Having these games on current platforms is fantastic and yes, they are still masterpieces that we would recommend with our eyes closed. But a series like Metal Gear Solid deserves more than just a compilation without any substantial novelty, which seems more like an attempt to silence fans than an honest way to revitalize Snake.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 does not have everything that a modern collection should have. Its inability to ubiquitously implement modern features like save states and rewinding only keeps players from fully celebrating the history this compilation seems intent on celebrating. But the extras paint a decent portrait of its accomplishments by delving deep into its lore and speaking to almost every entry’s significance within the medium. And even though the actual games haven’t seen many improvements, they are still unique marvels generations later that lovingly balance quirky jokes and deadly serious diatribes about nuclear proliferation. The bundle largely captures what makes the franchise so beloved, even if some useful quality-of-life features have sneaked on by it.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol 1 celebrates the early years of the legendary tactical espionage epic. Each game comes with region-specific versions, a wonderful companion book and even a screenplay. This allows fans of the franchise to delve deep into the iconic world but also provides newcomers with the material to engage with the series. Extra content such as graphic novels and the soundtrack give even more incentive to revisit the groundbreaking games. While the package itself has a strange segmented design that requires you to switch applications, everything that’s included is magnificent.
From the today's Konami you would expect a lazy port of the HD Collection and of the original Metal Gear Solid. But in Tokyo someone still love the series, and this first of volume of the Master Collection really shows some heart in reselling three masterpieces of the video games history and a bunch of the 2D chapters (including Snake's Revenge).
Review in Italian | Read full review
If you expected spruced-up versions of these titles, you'll leave disappointed. But if you're after a way to play one of the best video game series ever made on modern platforms wrapped up in a nice package, you won't be disappointed.
The Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection bundles together three of the greatest games ever made, but does so in a convoluted manner. Spread across five separate apps on PS5, it can be a challenge to locate the specific version or the bonus feature you need. The digital packaging surrounding the three classics doesn't quite feel like the labour of love it should do, but once you sink into the PS1 original, Sons of Liberty, or Snake Eater, it's abundantly clear there's still nothing quite like Metal Gear Solid. Konami's Master Collection gets by on the ever-lasting quality of its fallen series, not the means that have brought it back.
Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol.1 leaves a bittersweet taste in the mouth of whoever tries it. The fact that these games come back to life is extremely special, as they are some of the best in history and pioneers in their genre, everyone should give them at least a chance in their life. Of course, there is a lot of wasted potential, because although the game has a huge amount of content, this is typical of the games themselves and not of their additions have been minimal, nothing really remarkable that substantially improves the experience.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1 is a product full of iconic games that have not benefited from significant improvements, while continuing to shine in their own light, despite the many years that have passed since their debut.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is a disappointment. Konami just threw a ton of content that already sold, and try to make look new. A shame.
Review in Spanish | Read full review