As such, these tips and tricks remain relevant, whether you’re revisiting the franchise or diving in for the first time. Let’s get into it, starting with…

The Threat Ring (MGS4)

You’ll lean on the Solid Eye a lot in Metal Gear Solid 4, and not just because the series’ traditional radar is missing. But the Threat Ring can be just as vital when sneaking around. Appearing as a literal ring around Snake when crouching or crawling, it pulses when enemies are nearby, even when they’re behind walls. It points towards their location and even estimates their distance, making them easier to avoid.

Picking Up Duplicate Guns (MGS4)

The battlefield is a messy one in Guns of the Patriots, littered with weapons and whatnot that can be added to your collection. It might seem pointless to acquire multiples of the same gun, but they actually come in handy when Drebin becomes available later in Act 1. He’ll automatically convert any duplicates into Drebin Points for purchasing new weapons, parts and accessing ID-locked weapons. Even if you don’t have access to him for a while, it’s still worth picking up dupes since Snake will still obtain ammo from them.

Managing Stress (MGS4)

Solid Snake hasn’t exactly lived the most stress-free life, and in his old age, it can be his downfall in more ways than one. New to Metal Gear Solid 4 is the Psyche meter, which depletes as he takes on more stress and causes a multitude of effects. Poor aim? Potentially falling unconscious when taking damage? Liquid Ocelot-induced vomiting? All due to stress. The Threat Ring can also become less accurate as a result. While extreme temperatures, carrying too much and enemies detecting you will increase stress, it can be lowered by eating food, smoking, listening to music or being stealthy.

Playing Dead (MGS4)

That part about the messiness of battlefields? It also applies to the sheer number of bodies lying around. And while it can be tough to stomach, you can also use this opportunity to go prone and effectively play dead, thus avoiding detection. Think of it as a unique way to sneak around, even if the smell of corpses isn’t the most pleasant.

Non-Lethal Boss Clears (MGS4)

As challenging as it may seem in certain situations, a non-lethal approach is often the best in either game. For Metal Gear Solid 4, you should at least aim to defeat the FROGS in Act 1 and the Beauty and the Beast Unit in the remaining Acts without killing them, which will net five dolls. After finishing the game, the Solar Gun becomes available in the next playthrough, and it’s extremely useful. Besides being non-lethal, it causes enemies to drop their items, making loot farming much easier, and it can be especially potent against a specific boss later on.

Supporting the Guerrilla Fighters (MGS4)

The local guerrilla fighters in Act 1 and 2 may seem like just another faction like the PMCs, but there are benefits to getting on their good side. Kill enough PMC threats, and they’ll start to warm up to your presence, not attacking and even cheering when navigating through areas. Just don’t accidentally shoot them – they won’t like that.

FaceCamo Benefits (MGS4)

Besides OctoCamo, there’s also FaceCamo, obtained from defeating Laughing Octopus. On the surface, this can seem like a great customization tool, letting you change Snake’s appearance to Young Snake, the various Beauty and the Beast Unit members (assuming you defeated them non-lethally), and even Snake from the PS1 days. But it’s especially useful for raising your Camo Index to 99 percent when used with OctoCamo, resulting in the highest concealment possible. It may even help sneak by some PMCs depending on whose face you’re using.

Careful Solid Eye Usage (MGS4)

Going back to Solid Eye, the various functions can be a lifesaver at times. That includes the Night Vision, which is fantastic for navigating the dark. However, you need to mind the battery drain. Once depleted, you can’t use any of Solid Eye’s functions without it recharging. Night Vision can be particularly draining, so try not to lean on it too much.

Higher Challenges on the Next Playthrough (MGS4)

Aside from taking out the FROGS and Beauty and the Beast Unit in non-lethal fashion, it’s a good idea to save tougher challenges for the second playthrough. That’s because all your camos, weapons and even Drebin Points will carry over. So if you’re aiming for, say, the Big Boss Emblem – which requires completing the game in less than five hours on The Boss Extreme, the highest difficulty, without any continues, rations, or special items, without triggering any Alert phases or killing any enemies – this is the way.

R&D and Mother Base (Peace Walker)

Peace Walker is a different vibe from Guns of the Patriots because much of the gameplay revolves around Mother Base. The question is: What should you prioritize first? Rather than letting Auto Assign do all the heavy lifting, focus on R&D. Increasing its levels will ensure new weapons and items become available faster, providing more options early on.

Prioritizing the Medical Team (Peace Walker)

Another facet that you shouldn’t ignore throughout your time is Medical. Increasing it will provide improved tranquilizer weapons, making it that much easier to go non-lethal. It also improves your soldiers’ healing rate, getting them back into the action that much sooner.

Don’t Kill Enemy Soldiers (Peace Walker)

If going non-lethal is ideal in Guns of the Patriots, then it’s a way of life in Peace Walker. Any enemy that you come across can prove to be a valuable addition to Mother Base, so rather than going on a killing spree, use tranquilizer and other methods to knock them out. Even holding them up is ideal, after which Fulton away and reap the benefits.

Capturing Vehicles (Peace Walker)

In the same vein: Fulton away any tanks, APCs and even helicopters whenever you get the chance. Even if destroying them can seem tempting, it’s often better to take out their escort troops and then take down the commander rather than bombing everything to hell. Mother Base will thank you for the contributions in the long run.

How to Farm ZEKE Parts and AI Boards (Peace Walker)

If you’re interested in upgrading ZEKE, then it helps to prioritize what you want to farm beforehand. For instance, focusing on a boss’s AI pod and avoiding the body will net more components. On the other hand, if you want AI Boards, then target the body. Of course, the parts vary from boss to boss, but this should make it easier to target a specific category.

The True Ending (Peace Walker)

Even if it seems like completing the game is the end in Peace Walker, there’s plenty more to unlock, including the true ending. The conditions can be very stringent, though – besides completing the first four chapters and retrieving Zadornov whenever he tries to escape, you need to assemble ZEKE. It can’t be taken on any Extra Ops missions, though. As for Mother Base, Intel and R&D should be level 40 or higher while Mission Support is rank 2. Construct a second platform, and Kaz will inform you of Zadornov’s escape once more. Partake in Extra Ops 001 and head to the shooting range as Snake to kick off the fireworks.

“Super Mario Odyssey. It’s an action game that is basically very easy to get into, but at the same time contains lots of more dynamic and challenging parts, something that Nintendo is very good at,” said Nihei (via machine translation). “To give an example – when conducting an action (for example, a jump) in Odyssey, there is usually a reaction to that act (for example, gravity and landing). The specific feeling this brings to the controls in Odyssey is absolutely something that inspired me when I thought about how to get the same tactile feeling with our control in Onimusha.”

Kadowaki, on the other hand, responded with other games. While he brings up Silent Hill f in passing, he credits the Gundam series, and specifically the PS4 title Gundam Versus, with being a major inspiration for Onimusha: Way of the Sword.

“I have spent a lot of money and time on it. Something I think has influenced me from there in my work with Onimusha is probably the character design. The Gundam universe usually has very charismatic and deep characters that drive the story forward, and this is what I also wanted to bring into our work with Onimusha. So, I would probably say that my love for Gundam‘s character design was a source of inspiration there, absolutely.”

These influences have clearly paid off for Capcom, since the company announced that Onimusha: Way of the Sword sold more than a million copies on its launch day alone. This milestone contributed to the overall Onimusha franchise crossing the 10 million sales mark. This success has inspired Capcom to focus on “re-activating IPs that haven’t had a new title launch recently.” While no official announcements have been made, we might see the company bring back older games like its Breath of Fire RPG franchise or the gladiator combat-centric Shadow of Rome.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2. The title was released alongside a launch trailer that provided some more hints about the core narrative, which involves wandering samurai Miyamoto Musashi on a quest to become the best swordsman in the world and running afoul of Genma.

For more details, take a look at our review, where we gave it an 8 out of 10 thanks to Musashi being an engaging protagonist, great enemy design, and spectacular sword-fighting combat.

It definitely suits the high stakes of Rose Belmont’s journey through Paris, as she slays the monsters lying in wait. That includes Death, who promises to wait for her in Hell; a flying vampire boss that can split into multiple forms; and an incomplete golem who still poses a massive threat. A cavalcade of bosses are teased at the end, but developer Evil Empire saves the best for last.

Dracula finally appears, sitting on his iconic throne. For some reason, he’s saying farewell to Belmont. Addressing Rose, or her father Trevor? Thankfully, we won’t have to wait much longer to find out.

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse launches on October 15th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. As a successor to the old 2D titles of yore, it features the series’ classic side-scrolling action with new mechanics, like using the whip to grapple around and Tarot Cards, which provide unique abilities.

We also see one of the side activities, Wrangler’s Gauntlet. Players can take on other teams of monsters in consecutive battles to earn Points. You can spend these at the Gauntlet Goods Shop for Eggs, whether it’s different ranks of Slime Family Eggs or a Dragon Family Egg. If you’ve enjoyed the Coliseum from the mainline Dragon Quest titles, it may be worth checking out.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World launches on December 3rd for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. As Bianca and Nera, a pair of monster wranglers, you’ll explore a brand new world with over 500 monsters. Besides using their unique skills and classes in battles, you can synthesise them to form new monsters.

Of course, you’ll run into various other characters including King Withers, Ed (who’s a fellow wrangler) and many more while exploring a variety of regions. Stay tuned for details in the coming months.

There are improvements to defending and playstyles, for starters, while the game’s different modes are also slated to receive new additions to an addictive, rewarding loop. Well, a new addition to that list comes via the game’s PC version, an area EA has paid special attention to this year, per its announcement.

Various resets should make it easy to take advantage of your hardware. There’s also an Ultra Enhanced graphical mode for those of you with truly high-end PCs that are already pushing the limits of visual fidelity. Improved keyboard and mouse support is also crucial, and should make things much easier to control this time around. Meanwhile, improvements to responsiveness, load times, and performance are welcome changes which seem to have emerged from all the feedback FC 26 received.

If you’ve been thinking about stepping onto the pitch with your PC, this is all probably good news ahead of the game’s global release on September 25th, though Ultimate Edition owners can start playing on September 18th.

Other titles such as eFootball: Kick-Off! and Project Zircon will also appear. Sadly, you shouldn’t expect Bloober Team’s upcoming remake of Silent Hill 1 to appear – Konami outright clarified that there would be announcements for it.

With Press Start running for 30 minutes, it seems guaranteed that other titles will receive extensive new gameplay. While Silent Hill: Townfall is out later this month and Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse arrives in October, Rev. NOiR is interesting because there is no release window (though it is coming to PS5). Its first teaser trailer premiered at State of Play last June, confirming the RPG’s visual style and concept as vaguely as possible.

Perhaps Konami will finally reveal some combat gameplay and dive deeper into the overarching premise. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime. We may even have an appearance at Tokyo Game Show, which takes place from September 17th to 21st and features publishers such as Bandai Namco, Capcom, and more.

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.

Well, that’s now a thing of the past and while we’ve been saying that Guns of the Patriots is the obvious draw of the new collection, we must point out that it comes without the original’s online mutiplayer modes. The story’s that it brings is more than enough to make up for that omission though, and it’s one that’s going to blow your socks off if you’re a newbie, provided you do a bit of homework first.

However, Peace Walker doesn’t leave out its online options aside from bringing a chapter from Naked Snake’s life that has remained quite memorable over the years. Ghost Babel’s a nice diversion, while the Database and Sountracks are a nice dose of nostalgia and a welcome presence for collectors.

A new overbiew trailer, shwocased below, has accompanied the collection’s release, and gives you a rundown of what to expect from everything it has to offer before you dive in. Or you could just read about it all here.

The side-scrolling title will heavily encourage co-operative play between two players, since each one of the characters has their own unique abilities. For example, one of them can pass through a strange jelly-like substance, while the other can’t. The co-op mode will be available locally and online. Along with this, players can also take on Greak 2: Alliance of the Storms on their own with a solo mode.

The original Greak – Memories of Azur – was released back in 2021. The title was designed as a single-player puzzle platformer, and as such, the co-op and metroidvania elements of Greak 2: Alliance of the Storms are a more recent addition. The first game revolved around the adventures of three siblings – Greak, Adara, and Raydel – as they worked together to successfully escape an invasion.

While not too many story details about Greak 2: Alliance of the Storms have been revealed, the fact that Greak is a returning character indicates that all three have survived the events of the first game and are now working together on a grander adventure.

Greak 2: Alliance of the Storms is being developed for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch, and is slated for release in 2027.

The ability to equip and use chips is a major system in Mega Man: Dual Override, allowing players to fine-tune their playstyles by picking the right one. The three chips showcased in the video are built for survival, built for firepower, and one built for offering the pure Mega Man experience.

The one built for firepower automatically charges attacks more efficiently. Along with this, players also get a custom chip that allows them to use double Charge slots. The one built for survival, on the other hand, allows players to create a barrier to block enemy attacks. The final one doesn’t provide any extra support. It does, however, give players the ability to call Rush.

We also get a look at the Dual Override system during the boss fight against Big Press Don. The mechanic requires a gauge to get filled up through combat, and when it’s full, players can use it to enter a new, more powerful mode that makes Mega Man stronger and gives him access to massive new attacks.

The Dual Override system also works alongside the equipped chips to change the kind of super powerful attack that Mega Man can pull off. More chips can also be acquired by spending special collectible screws that are hidden all over the game’s levels.

The gameplay demonstration was wrapped up with Capcom confirming that one of the game’s 12 levels will be based on a robot master designed by a fan of the Mega Man franchise. More details will likely come as we get closer to release.

Mega Man: Dual Override is being developed for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. For more, check out the trailer that was released earlier this week. It is slated for release in 2027.