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.
With that being said, the original Metal Gear Solid trilogy isn’t just a trio of great games that people have strong nostalgia for. They’re genuine masterpieces and deserve to be preserved into perpetuity. This collection is a perfectly adequate way of preserving them for this hardware cycle.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is a staggering piece of history that further cements the impact of Snake's legacy in gaming.
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. ❕
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.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 brings three classic stealth action games to a modern generation of players, and along with it, brings a host of goodies and books that are quite fun to dig through. The extra gameplay goodies, like different versions of classical games, are also fantastic additions.
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 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 pure fanservice on the one hand, but on the other hand it is also a welcome trip back into gaming history.
Review in German | 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.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection – Volume 1 serves as both a fantastic collection of video games and as an impressively detailed look at the evolution of the iconic video games series, but is unfortunately hampered by a sense of déjà vu due to providing few upgrades to the core games from the previous HD collection release. Despite this, the Master Collection remains the only way to be able to experience these games on modern consoles and each title is well worth revisiting. The real stars of this collection are the screenplay and master books which provide meticulously crafted breakdowns of each game and serve as a treasure trove of information for die-hard fans to pore over.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is, admittedly, a somewhat lazy remaster collection. It includes two copied and pasted efforts by Bluepoint released a decade ago, and a shoddy port of Metal Gear Solid, most likely taken straight out of the guts of the PS1 Classic. With that being said, those are still phenomenal games (well, Metal Gear Solid has aged like spoiled milk, but the point stands), and well worth your time.
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.
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