Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 Reviews
I still like that this Master Collection exists, despite its flaws. It's definitely a time-capsule and if you are hungry to experience the brilliant stealth-action saga on modern consoles, you will find much to love. But you still have to remember that this is just a re-release and what was good back then in terms of controls, might feel rather alien nowadays.
The Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection’s package is impressive, especially when you consider the amount of content you get for the price. The developers could have taken a leaf out of Nintendo’s book and created a 3D All-Stars-type collection with just the games and called it a day, but to their credit, Konami has crammed a lot of stuff into the collection to keep you busy for days. While there are no graphical improvements, they run fine as long as expectations are adjusted accordingly. If you have no way to play any of these games or would like to experience the Metal Gear series for the first time, I absolutely recommend Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol 1. If you already own the originals or the HD Collection, your money is probably best saved for the inevitable remakes.
Metal Gear Solid Vol. 1 Master Collection slips into a game library like a good old book at home. It's necessary, even essential, to ensure that the great titles of the last few decades are still playable today.
Review in French | Read full review
Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol.1 clearly has a light and a dark side.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Konami could have put in more effort to bring Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 up to modern standards, along with a higher resolution and frame rate, but I can’t deny that playing MGS 1 on my Series X didn’t bring a nostalgic smile to my face. It may not be the Master Collection that Solid Snake deserves, but it’s at least one we can play now without any issues.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 could have been up there with the best retro collections published in the last few years, however, Konami has shown that all they care about by releasing a quick cash grab with no decent extras or even the best versions of the games included in the collection. Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is an example of how NOT to treat beloved franchises that could still draw money by the name value alone… I hope Silent Hill isn't next.
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.
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
An undeniable merit of Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is the opportunity to enjoy these classics on modern platforms, making it a valid collection. However, the absence of graphic customizations on PC along with the absence of the enhancements of Snake Eater's 3DS port and the omission of titles such as the MGS1 remake for GameCube and the excellent Game Boy Color title Ghost Babel, make it an incomplete package.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
In the end, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1 is, indeed, recommendable but with some caveats. If you're looking for a revival or first time to play these seminal classics, who are predecessors to the cinematographic adventures that are so common now in the game industry, this collection will give you that. However, it leaves an expectation that a future Volume 2 will get more attention; new and old fans will definitely appreciate.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
If you don't have access to a regular computer or 7th generation consoles and you haven't played the Metal Gear Solid series before, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection is the best opportunity to experience some of the best games in history. Otherwise, considering the other options available to you, buying this collection at the standard price may not make much sense.
Review in Persian | Read full review
METAL GEAR SOLID: Master Collection Vol.1 includes some of the most groundbreaking video games ever made so even if the featured ports aren't all that special, you still get one awesome package and the extras are quite lovely to boot. ❕
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1 brings to the PC platform the most influential titles of all time. However, in doing so it not only doesn't try to change anything but also hides behind the excuse that they don't want to disrupt the original vision of the creators. And it is a shame because it would have taken so little to have the ultimate way to play the Metal Gear Solid trilogy on modern platforms
Review in Slovak | Read full review
The absolute basic collection of the first five Metal Gear games with no improvements whatsoever. Only get it if you're a hardcore Metal Gear fan or wait for some fixes.
Some technical issues aside, Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 is a great way to experience some of the greatest games ever made.
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.
This was a very tough call. Considering this is a collection of some amazing games in an iconic videogame franchise, we would want you to rush and get them right away. That is, if, and only if, you’re a complete newcomer to the series. For longtime fans who have likely bought and already lived through these games during their release, we can only recommend them if you have a really bad Metal Gear itch that you want to scratch. These are practically unchanged from the originals, so if you have the previous iterations, then you're not really missing out.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 isn't as solid as most modern remasters but the sheer amount of legendary content alone might be worth the price of admission.