Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Developer: Kojima Productions
Original Release Date: November 8, 2011
ESRB Rating: T-M
Over the last several months and years, there have been several games that for some reason or another slipped by us here at Pixelated Geek. So as a result of those games that ended up going un-reviewed, I welcome you to Looking Back, where for the next several weeks, yours truly will bring you all series of reviews of games past. And for the inaugural review, what better way to start things off than by taking a look at a personal favorite of mine? I am talking of course about the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection.
It’s been 14 years since the original Metal Gear Solid was released, not to mention 25 years since the franchise itself started, but the impact and legacy of MGS persisted, both through its impact on stealth and cinematic games as well as the several sequels and spin-offs that have been released. Of the numerous Metal Gear titles released over the years, three of them were collected and given the HD treatment as part of the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.
The Games
As an HD re-release, very little has changed aside from the graphical boost provided from the HD remastering process, so don’t expect much of a difference in terms of game play. Both Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 play pretty much exactly the way fans of the series remember them, with most of the added bonus provided in the updated re-releases Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance and Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence. The notable exception is Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, originally released for the PSP, which features an updated control scheme to accommodate for a second analog stick.
As a stealth action series, the Metal Gear games emphasize sneaking and non-lethal approaches to dealing with enemies rather than just killing them. Despite this, the games in this HD collection each have their own play style, approaching the stealth action genre in different ways. However, the big question at hand is simple: how have the games aged? Short answer: very well.
It’s not a stretch to say that the controls and mechanics for the Metal Gear Solid series have always been — no pun intended — solid. That much has not changed. However, in the case of Sons of Liberty and Snake Eater, the controls might take a bit of getting used to, given that gaming conventions have changed quite a bit since both games were released. After games like Metal Gear Solid 4 and Peace Walker, Metal Gear fans might need a moment to get reacquainted. Thankfully, it’s just like riding a bike.
With either the post-modern industrial styled Sons of Liberty or the James Bond-inspired Cold War jungle backdrop of Snake Eater, the games do what they do rather well. Fans of frantic, kill everything on-screen shooters might be a bit put off by the sneaky styling of the Metal Gear franchise, which rewards stealth and non-lethal force and punishes run-and-gun game play, but that’s the appeal of Metal Gear.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, however, is a bit of a different beast. While still a tactical stealth game at its core, the game play has been streamlined to better fit a portable experience, as it was initially released for the Sony PlayStation Portable. Rather than follow MGS2 and 3‘s example of having a short introductory mission followed by a longer mission that encompasses the bulk of the game, Peace Walker instead breaks it down into shorter bits, with the main campaign spanning several smaller missions while still managing to deliver a standard Metal Gear experience.
Aside from the core campaign, Peace Walker also does things differently by incorporating several sets of optional missions, a four player online co-op mode for both main story and optional missions, and a versus mode. What’s most impressive is the rich squad building feature of the game, which enables players to recruit enemy soldiers and expand their base of operations, gaining access to better weapons and equipment for use in the field, along with other perks that are better left for players to discover themselves.
Unlike MGS2 and 3, Peace Walker has been slightly reworked, much to its benefit, to take advantage of dual analog controls, the lack of which slightly hindered its initial PSP release due to an odd control scheme. However, aside from the reworked controls, the game is essentially the same as its PSP counterpart, which in this case is definitely a good thing.
The Plot
Aside from just stealthy game play, the Metal Gear Solid series is well known for its rich, engaging, and sometimes heavy-handed and convoluted plot lines. Then again, it wouldn’t be a Metal Gear game without all that, now would it?
As these are HD remastered versions of previously released games, there isn’t any change on this end, with the plot and dialog left virtually unchanged. Out of the three games, Sons of Liberty is arguably the weakest, due to its over-reliance on boring radio conversations to advance the plot. Taking its predecessor’s flaws into account, Snake Eater manages to maintain an intricate plot-line without being as dull. Lastly, just like the game play, Peace Walker‘s storyline is the most refined and streamlined of the three, maintaining a rich, involving plot, while making several long radio conversations completely optional and not necessary to enjoy the overall story.
Even at its weakest, the Metal Gear Solid games offer a vast and engrossing tale to those looking for a plot-heavy game play experience. Unlike many action games, Metal Gear Solid tends to avoid glorifying action and violence too much, taking a much deeper and philosophical approach in telling a tale of war and conflict. While some of the dialog can be a bit on the corny side, the games offer believable, well-developed characters that keep the player engaged, yet at the same time manage to poke some fun at themselves so as to not take themselves too seriously.
The Presentation
As an HD re-release, this is probably one of the most crucial parts of the MGS HD Collection. Thankfully, the games have been cleaned up and polished quite nicely for an HD experience, running at a full 60 frames per second. It’s not perfect, however, as the HD remastering doesn’t keep the games’ visuals from showing their age. Thankfully, with the exception of some minor graphical glitches, not to mention the sometimes poor lip syncing for Sons of Liberty and Snake Eater, everything looks quite beautiful, especially Peace Walker, which looks gorgeous for what was originally a PSP title.
The game’s audio has also been cleaned up for a rich, clear sound. However, the original dialog tracks have been kept, which means you’ll still hear some cringe-worthy dialog at times. Thankfully, those moments are few and far between due to a very good voice cast. Aside from just the voice acting, the musical score for all three games is simply fantastic, with a few exceptions for the Sons of Liberty score.
Additional Features
In terms of features, this is where the collection manages to lose a few points. While the versions of Sons of Liberty and Snake Eater included in the collection are based on the MGS2: Substance and MGS3: Subsistence re-releases, a few features from those games, such as the skateboarding mini-game from Substance, along with the “Snake vs. Monkey” and “Metal Gear Online” modes from Subsistence are notably absent, along with a few other features.
Thankfully, Peace Walker remains pretty much intact, allowing for full online playability through Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network, building upon the previously limited ad hoc multi-player of the initial PSP release. The PlayStation 3 release of the game also includes the “Transfarring,” allowing PSP owners to transfer their Peace Walker saves over to the console version of the game.
Lastly, while only a minor complaint, I do have to question the exclusion of the original Metal Gear Solid. While the title is available as part of the PS1 Classics line on the PlayStation Store, Xbox users hoping to play the original will unfortunately find themselves out of luck unless they own the original game along with a PlayStation or PlayStation 2 system to play it on.
Final Score: 9
Overall, the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is a must have for any HD loving Metal Gear fan. If a high definition port of PS2 and PSP games aren’t something that grabs your attention, you might want to pass this game up. However, the HD port of Peace Walker is more than enough reason to own this collection, with HD versions of Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 as an added bonus. And, with Trophies/Achievements to unlock, this definitely has a bit of replay value.
While the removal of a few features from MGS2 and MGS3 is unfortunate, they are ultimately inconsequential to the overall package. It would’ve been nice to see them included, but their absence doesn’t keep the collection from being a solid 9/10.
Appeal/Fun Factor
For gamers looking to immerse themselves in the Metal Gear universe for the first time, there’s no better way than this. Fans of standard action titles may be a bit put off by the heavy plot focus and emphasis on stealth and non-lethal take downs. For those of you who find that intriguing, definitely give it a shot. I would recommend giving the original Metal Gear Solid a try first, if you have a way to play it. If the game leaves you wanting more, then there is no reason not to own the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection.