“Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Volume 1”- Return of Stealth-Action Masterworks
(Note: This review is based on the current version of the games available as of this writing. Your experience may be different depending on the version you’re playing.)
“Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Volume 1” is a compilation rerelease consisting of early installments of the “Metal Gear” franchise. With this release marking the first appearance of the games on this generation of consoles, it is the ideal way for newcomers to play these titles and for longtime fans to re-experience them.
The compilation consists of the bulk of titles that were developed by series creator Hideo Kojima and his company Kojima Productions. The series began with 1987’s “Metal Gear” on the MSX personal computer (a platform that only saw release in Japan and some countries in Europe). Though the technology may be a product of its time, the game; along with its 1990 sequel “Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake” laid the foundation for both the franchise and the genre of stealth-action video games going forward.
With 25 years having passed since “Metal Gear Solid” first released on the original Playstation, its legacy among the many beloved video games to come out of the year 1998 is secure. This release even has the ability to simulate controller swapping and memory card save data from other Konami titles for the boss fight against Psycho Mantis. Both 2001’s “Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty” and 2004’s “Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater” remain among the most acclaimed titles in the franchise since their initial release on the Playstation 2.
The collection also features a wide array of bonus content. These include a compendium of the series’ often mind-bending (and thought-provoking) lore, soundtracks; art books and the complete screenplays for each game. The 1988 Nintendo Entertainment System port of “Metal Gear” and the 1990 NES title “Snake’s Revenge” are also included in their entirety as bonus games. The early commercial success of this collection has also generated talk of a second volume of remastered games.
Overall, “Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Volume 1” is the triumphant return of masterworks in the stealth-action genre; well worth the time and money for newcomers and longtime fans alike.
“Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Volume 1”- Return of Stealth-Action Masterworks
By Steven Pryor
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Kojima Productions (Originals), Bluepoint Games (Remasters)
Platform: PS4 (Also available on PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Xbox Series)
ESRB Rating: M
My Rating: *****/5
