Metal Gear Solid : HD Collection

Reviewed By Stephen Pastic

The Metal Gear Solid games have routinely been considered some of the best titles available for the systems which they have appeared on. 

Continuing Sony's recent habit of re-releasing many of their prestige titles in HD, this collection is primarily comprised of Metal Gear Solid 2 : Sons of Liberty (originally released on PS2), Metal Gear Solid 3 : Snake Eater (PS2), and Metal Gear Solid : Peace Walker (PSP). 

While critically acclaimed in their time, does this collection of titles offer value for money in comparison to other more current games, or is this a shoddy attempt to cash in on the series' past glories?

For any other game review, this is where I would usually attempt to touch on the basic plot points to give newcomers some context - but as anyone familiar with the series knows, the Metal Gear Solid franchise is largely defined by its complex and often labyrinthine story, and not easily nor quickly summarised without spoiling major beats of the narrative. 

Without giving anything important away (or turning the length of this review into the gaming equivalent of "War and Peace"), the common set-up involves a lone agent attempting to infiltrate enemy territory to stop a nuclear threat.  Betrayals, twists and outright bizarre occurrences are commonplace - as are allusions to social commentary, philosophy, geopolitics and history. Equal parts intelligent, heartfelt, ridiculous and flat out weird, Metal Gear Solid is a strange beast in regards to its narrative.

Newcomers to the series should also be advised that another of the franchise's hallmarks is its heavy cutscene to gameplay ratio.  Gameplay is frequently interrupted by the story in one way or another, and sometimes these sequences can take up the best part of half an hour - depending on one's investment in the plot, this can either be part of the appeal, or massively frustrating for gamers looking for an uninterrupted experience. 

Metal Gear Solid as a series heavily emphasises stealth gameplay - being detected will result in guards calling in reinforcements and raising alarms - so staying out of sight is often preferable, but players can also advance with a more aggressive approach (particularly on easier difficulties).

Kicking off from Metal Gear Solid 2, the game is primarily viewed from a mostly overhead perspective.  Whilst the camera is fixed, players can view their surroundings (and fire weapons) from a first person view in order to either scout for enemies, or to accurately place shots. 

In order to assist the player with remaining undetected, there are many gadgets and items available such as chaff grenades (to disrupt surveillance equipment), cardboard boxes (to hide in), and adult magazines (to lure a lecherous guard from their patrol) just to name a few.

Players also have a radar in the upper right corner of the screen which allows them to see both enemy positions, as well as their 'cones of vision', but being detected will render the radar useless until you have stayed out of sight long enough for the alarm to cease.  For the less subtle moments, the player also has access to lots of varied weaponry from tranquiliser pistols, assault rifles, to remote controlled missiles. 

Compared to the game's initial incarnation, while this HD version looks slightly sharper, it is still immediately apparent that MGS 2 was an early PS2 era title - unless the two versions were running next to each other, many people would be hard pressed to notice any significant visual difference.  However, fans will be pleased to know that features on the "Substance" version of the original game are included here such as the additional "Snake Tales" mode - while not a massive draw in and of itself, it is nice to see that it was included nontheless.

Metal Gear Solid 3 : Snake Eater builds upon the gameplay of MGS 2, but brings a few new elements to the table. Chronologically the first chapter of the saga, Snake Eater takes place in a jungle environment where the player must now make use of effective camouflage, treat any wounds sustained in combat, and maintain stamina levels by consuming the local flora and fauna.  Gone this time is the familiar radar, given the game's Cold War era setting - the player must rely on a more methodical pace than before if they wish to remain unseen. 

In terms of the game's transition to HD, the visual difference is more apparent than in MGS 2.  Particularly due to the crisper lines in this version, things don't tend to blur together as much as they often did on the PS2, making it is much easier to distinguish movement within the jungle environments.  Another feature in this version absent from the first release of MGS 3 is the player controlled camera. 

Originally featured in the "Subsistence" re-release, the player is no longer bound by the fixed viewpoint style of MGS 2, which makes a massive difference gameplay wise.  Also included within the MGS 3 menus are the original MSX Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 : Solid Snake games - given their age though (think NES era), only the hardcore Metal Gear fan will get much beyond nostalgia out of them.

Somewhat standing on its own is Metal Gear Solid : Peace Walker.  Opting for a more 'mission based' structure with slight RPG elements and online co-op functionality as opposed to the more continuous linear adventures of its PS2 brothers, Peace Walker is actually the biggest surprise on the disc. 

Originally released on the PSP, the controls were functional yet somewhat clumsy, but being able to play with the PS3 controller (with several available configurations) makes this title really shine.  Surprising too was just how good the title looks with its HD upgrade - while not anywhere near current graphical heavyweights, the fact that the game was made for a handheld and translates this well onto a large screen is commendable. 

For players who have pumped a lot of time into Peace Walker on their PSP, there is also the option to transfer save data both ways between the PS3 and PSP versions, allowing players to switch between systems as they see fit.

There are a few caveats worth pointing out, however.  Aside from the heavy emphasis on cutscenes and exposition which not every gamer will appreciate, Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 were never the most fluidly controlling games ever released.  While everything is completely serviceable, the gameplay can often feel a little 'sticky' and not as smooth as one would like when trying to delicately sneak around (particularly in MGS 2). 

Furthermore, on the easier difficulties, stealth is not heavily enforced by the game - making it just as viable to run around in the open and knock out/kill everyone in the room as it is to try to remain undetected.  Another minor gripe is the glaring omission of Metal Gear Solid 1 (although it is available on PSN), considering just how much the story in that game relates to events of Metal Gear Solid 2 particularly - unfamiliar players are likely to be completely lost at certain segments plot-wise.

For those who can appreciate the story/gameplay ratio on offer though, the Metal Gear Solid HD collection is an easy recommendation.  Two of the most acclaimed PS2 titles with a slight visual overhaul and one of the most highly regarded PSP titles (which translates to the console remarkably well) on the one disc really leaves it difficult to complain about much at all. 

As a complete package, this should be the new standard Sony's HD remakes are to be held up to.

Rating: 80%

(Ratings Key/Explanation)