Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2 Review – I Am No Hero

It’s great news that Konami is making every effort to preserve Metal Gear Solid’s legacy for modern audiences. Master Collection Vol. 1 got things started by bringing together several key chapters from a story that has spanned decades and built one of gaming’s most dedicated fanbases. Then came last year’s Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, a remake that preserved what made the original so iconic while introducing enough modern improvements to justify revisiting it.

Delta was also a great way to bring the beginnings of Big Boss’s acclaimed character arc to a modern audience, along with the themes of loyalty, duty, and a soldier’s devotion to a cause that would define his journey. Well, the story now continues with Master Collection Vol. 2, which brings a couple of important chapters for both Solid Snake and Big Boss to players who might not have had the chance to enjoy them when they were originally released all those years ago.

"When viewed as part of Konami’s broader effort to make Metal Gear’s most important stories readily available on modern hardware, MGS4 is arguably the linchpin of Vol. 2."

We’ve got Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, receiving its first-ever re-release as a fascinating non-canon adventure starring Solid Snake, alongside Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, and a collection of digital books and other extras. In terms of overall content, it’s definitely lighter than Vol. 1, but it might be more about quality rather than quantity with this one. It’s the first time anyone’s going to play Guns of the Patriots on anything other than a PS3, marking the end of 18 years of exclusivity with the aged platform.

We’ve already spoken at length about why that’s a big deal before, but this one’s legacy as the concluding chapter for both Solid Snake and Big Boss is something that’s relevant here. When viewed as part of Konami’s broader effort to make Metal Gear’s most important stories readily available on modern hardware, MGS4 is arguably the linchpin of Vol. 2. It was already an excellent game, blending stealth, action, and cinematic storytelling in ways that remain shockingly distinctive even today.

The new 4K/60fps presentation is immediately noticeable if you’re a franchise veteran, finally freeing MGS4’s visuals and performance from the limitations of the PS3. The higher resolution and smoother frame rate provide an immediate boost to image quality and responsiveness, even if the underlying assets naturally still show their age in places. You might find the graphics a tad dated if you’re picky, but it’s definitely a serious upgrade over the PS3 version. Loading times have also been dramatically reduced, which makes a surprisingly large difference to the overall experience. More importantly, the infamous act-by-act installation sequences from the PS3 release are gone entirely, meaning there are no lengthy waits while Snake sits around smoking before the next chapter begins.

The original game was a very polished experience already, and giving it this current-gen boost makes Vol. 2 the best place to play MGS4 today. Veterans certainly won’t miss those installation screens, and moving between major sections of the game now feels dramatically faster and less intrusive (although there is a secret way to actually bring it back!). That faster pacing also complements a campaign that constantly moves between stealth, enemy encounters, and lengthy cinematic sequences.

Solid Snake’s biggest enemy in this one is his own aging body, and he is once again confronted by his arch nemesis: Liquid Ocelot. Fortunately, he’s got a bunch of tools at his disposal to aid him, but with his own body working against him in the field, staying alive isn’t going to be as easy as it once was for the legendary soldier. Tools like OctoCamo and FaceCamo help him stay hidden, while the multifunctional Solid Eye remains one of the game’s most useful pieces of equipment.

"It is worth noting that Metal Gear Online 2 is not included, so this isn’t a complete preservation of every component that shipped with MGS4 on PS3."

MGS4 still packs a punch on the stealth front, and can even stand toe to toe with most of its modern counterparts if it comes to it. The story gels well with the gameplay while also taking the franchise forward towards its conclusion, although it has a plot that was designed with long-term fans in mind. You’re going to want to do a bit of homework if you’re diving into this one blind, and want to get the most out of the story. The included Metal Gear Solid 4 Database can help fill in some of those gaps, with sensitive information remaining hidden until you’ve progressed far enough to avoid spoiling major revelations.

MGS4 also offers a surprisingly decent range of PC settings including but not limited to DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 renderers, 30, 40, and 60fps caps and FXAA. We reviewed the collection on an RTX 3080 Ti paired with a Ryzen 9 5950X, and performance was fine at 4K with the game running at a largely stable frame rate.

Konami has even updated some of MGS4’s platform-specific jokes for the new release, including newly recorded Otacon dialogue surrounding the game’s famous disc-swapping codec call. It’s a small touch, but one that shows Konami’s surprising attention to preserving the spirit of the original. However, it is worth noting that Metal Gear Online 2 is not included, so this isn’t a complete preservation of every component that shipped with MGS4 on PS3. It is a shame that such a beloved online world wasn’t given a new lease on life within this collection.

Guns of the Patriots features phenomenal voice acting and choreography in its famous, exposition-heavy cutscenes. Nostalgia’s certainly a part of this one’s replay value but it also works well as a showcase of great presentation in video games that holds up remarkably well even after all these years.

The same can be said for Peace Walker, which began life as a PSP title before receiving an enhanced HD console release on PS3 and Xbox 360. It has often been described as the true bridge between Metal Gear Solid 3 and Metal Gear Solid V, and there are plenty of reasons for that. Its narrative significance cannot be overstated, as it lays much of the groundwork for Big Boss’s transformation and the events that eventually lead into Metal Gear Solid V.

"It’s quite easy to recommend Master Collection Vol. 2 to both veterans and newcomers alike."

Having Peace Walker alongside MGS4 also makes thematic sense, allowing Vol. 2 to explore two very different stages in the lives of Big Boss and Solid Snake, but that’s certainly not the only good thing about it. It expands on ideas explored in Portable Ops with the Fulton recruitment system and a much deeper base-building loop, systems that would later become fundamental to Metal Gear Solid V.

Its balance between gameplay and storytelling remains among the strongest in the franchise, particularly compared with the far more cutscene-heavy MGS4. When you combine that with an almost overwhelming amount of weapons and items to unlock, and a bevy of side operations outside of the main story to engage with, this one could keep you busy for even a hundred hours of gameplay. Online play also returns, with Co-Ops supporting up to four players and Versus Ops accommodating up to six, although the lack of cross-platform play is disappointing. Peace Walker also benefits substantially from Vol. 2’s presentation upgrades, running at up to 4K/60fps while offering multiple visual modes. The digital screenplay books are a nice touch, but I know I’m not going to revisit them beyond that first look. They’re still nice to have in a collection that’s going to be a trophy item to some of its buyers.

All in all, it’s quite easy to recommend Master Collection Vol. 2 to both veterans and newcomers alike. The main draw is certainly Guns of the Patriots, but Peace Walker and Ghost Babel provide enough additional value to make the collection feel worthwhile rather than like a vehicle for MGS4 alone. Vol. 2 may be lighter on games than its predecessor, but the quality and historical importance of what it preserves make it a must play for action-stealth players.

One can only hope that a subsequent volume featuring Portable Ops, The Twin Snakes, Ground Zeroes, and The Phantom Pain, complete with the elusive Episode 51, is currently being considered by Konami. Such a release would be a genuine dream for the fanbase and the ultimate conclusion to Konami’s fantastic Master Collection initiative.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Note: Varun Karunakar contributed to this review.