Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Volume 1 Review – A Nostalgic Dive into Tactical Espionage Action

The Metal Gear Solid series is renowned for its captivating storytelling, innovative gameplay, and memorable characters. The Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Volume 1 offers newcomers and long-time fans a chance to immerse themselves in a nostalgic treasure trove that celebrates the long-standing franchise. This collection kicks off Solid Snake’s story, allowing a new generation of gamers to experience these iconic adventures that won over many hearts over a decade ago; while also providing Kojima’s dedicated followers with the chance to revisit his iconic work.

The first volume in the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection includes the first three entries in the Solid series, plus Hideo Kojima’s first 8-bit console release. This is a nice bonus, one that Konami has included with such collections in the past. While this might not be your first opportunity to check them out, it’s great for anyone who missed any of these previous releases.

Unfortunately, no improvements were made to the graphics for these classic entries. However, controls were updated to allow players to access items, weapons, and inventory with ease. These systems work similarly to Metal Gear Solid, resulting in a more cohesive experience. Other than these control updates, both Metal Gear games offer a similar enough to the original vision.

MGS remains faithful to the original release

For Metal Gear Solid, which initially debuted on PlayStation over a decade ago, it remains faithful to the original release. Unfortunately, this collection doesn’t include the superior GameCube version of Twin Snake. The game retains the same visuals, maintaining the original aspect ratio and still featuring somewhat cumbersome controls. Those who struggled with aiming in the original can expect similar challenges with this collection.

On the plus side, the narrative remains unchanged. This means players can explore the original cutscenes with their impressive cinematography without worrying about slight changes. The same is true for CODEC conversations. These choices allow players to experience these classics as initially intended.

Following Metal Gear Solid, players can dive into Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Unlike the other Metal Gear Solid games in this collection, both Sons of Liberty and Snake Eater are based on the HD Collection that BluePoint Games released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. If you’re playing the game on PlayStation 5, both titles will output at 1080p and run smoothly at 60 frames per second.

Additionally, the Substance and Subsistence features from prior releases are available in Metal Gear Solid Master :Collection Volume 1. Through this, players can choose between the original and an improved third-person camera using the right analog stick. Playing through both games is a spectacular and nostalgic experience from start to finish. All the content from the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, including the original voice actors, updated 1080p visuals, and true to the original cutscenes, remains present.

Both MGS2 and MGS3 features 1080p visuals on PS5

In addition to the classic games in the collection, many fans might be looking for extras. Most games in the collection feature a “Master Book” providing extensive information about the game series. Each Master Book is easy to navigate, offering in-depth lore, story details, and other information about the games. On the downside, the strategy guides provided can’t be minimized while playing, which can be somewhat inconvenient.

Unfortunately, some of the expected extras like behind-the-scenes videos, making-of features, and official documentaries are missing. In their place is text-heavy content, which might become dull quickly.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Volume 1 Review Verdict

[Editor’s Note: Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Volume 1 was reviewed on PlayStation 5, and a copy was provided to us for review purposes.]