Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 Reviews
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 games remain as masterful as ever, but the same can't be said for this rather rudimentary compilation.
Here, the question isn't whether or not Kojima's works are good, it's if Konami should have repackaged them. Again. I'd argue not. Or at least, I'd argue not in this fashion.
The games are good, MGS is good, the package is not bad... Visually, if they had a little makeover, it could have been perfect...
Review in Turkish | Read full review
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.
Quality wise this might not be that different from playing the first part and the HD Collecting on PS3, but as a rich celebration there are enough trinkets to make it a must-own for collectors.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 is a comprehensive and considered omnibus that, despite dearly missing its creator's input, makes for a definitive way to play one of gaming's greatest series.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 does precisely what it claims to do - bring the first three Metal Gear Solid games to all major platforms after a much-felt absence. While the technical updates given to each game are scarce, this still represents a great way to get into one of the most important and prolific series in video games. Could there be some more touch-ups to modernise these games? Absolutely. But it's hard to ignore the quality of the games included in this package, and it's a testament to their strengths that, even with slight improvement, they're still as compelling as ever.
The Master Collection Vol. 1 is a gem for its contents – with some of the most important and genre-defining video games ever – but feels like a lazy porting that made nothing to make those games shine even more.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 contains unmistakable classics and some of the best games of the genre and finally takes some older titles out of the dustbin of old platforms. Of course, the fact that Metal Gear Solid didn't get a 60fps tech makeover and that Parts 2 & 3 are almost identical to the HD Collection version is a sour note. But the many extras and the experience of playing all titles in a row on one system makes it a must-have for newcomers to the series. Fans can also just purchase the remastered MGS 1 from this collection instead.
Review in German | Read full review
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is a staggering piece of history that further cements the impact of Snake's legacy in gaming.
Until now there has been a weird gap where playing the Metal Gear Solid series legitimately was trickier than it needed to be, and it's fantastic that you won't need to go pricey second hand stores to go on another adventure with Snake (Solid, Liquid, Naked and the rest).
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol 1 comes complete with the same world class, incredible games but sadly doesn’t feel like a worthy collection of this world-class franchise. The presentation causes unnecessary confusion and the preservation is surprisingly lacking across all the featured titles. There’s some great optional extras in here, such as screenplays for all games, a compilation for the franchise and a fan-dream of being able to play the different MGS 1 territorial variations along with playing some games on respective platforms for the first time. But nothing has moved on for MGS 2 and 3 since the HD Collection and without Twin Snakes or any major, noticeable tweaks to MGS1, there feels like a lack of desire to really maximise the potential of today’s platforms. This should have been a huge moment, bringing the original trilogy together like this, but you can’t help thinking this could and should have been more.
This compilation isn’t quite what it could have been, but it is a worthy tribute to an iconic series beloved by millions. While it won’t blow you away, rest assured that it delivers the exact Metal Gear experience you remember.
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.
The Metal Gear Master Collection Vol.1 is nothing but the ultimate compilation for all fans of the franchise.
Review in French | Read full review
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
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
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.
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.