Sometimes, as the video gaming landscape evolves into many different forms that either give success or even failure, it really shouldn’t be an issue to look back and see what worked before. And sometimes, you might get an insight into something new that makes sense.
The second Volume of the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection finally unleashes two games that were shackled to the console realm for quite some time, so to be free now and onto more Modern hardware, more people could now see what makes both MGS4 and MGS Peace Walker quite famous with the fanbase, especially the one that was stuck in PS3 jail until now.
“War Has Changed”![]()
What can be said about the curtain call for the soldier who was once called Solid Snake. The once PlayStation 3 exclusive for almost two decades has been unleashed onto modern platforms. And boy it has been a doozy to replay it once more, now without older tech holding it back and it has been incredible. The cutscenes look sublime running at a native 60fps, and the combat just feels right too playing at that same frame rate.
It’s a testament to the original devs (some of whom worked on this remaster!) work’s that when ported into this version we’re playing now, it just feels like how it’s intended to play. All in glorious detail we haven’t seen years beforehand.
“Paz Means Peace!”![]()
Meanwhile on the other side of the disk is the incredible and perhaps underrated for some, Peace Walker originally released on the PSP and has escaped containment on one other occasion later on during the MGS Legacy Collection release for both PS3 and Xbox 360.
Gameplay wise, it’s more familiar if you have the modern reiteration of this game in the form of The Phantom Pain, where most if not all of the mechanics are there as well. But due to limitation of the original hardware, PW is more creative in how it presents the Metal Gear Cinematics, with comic strips and intro/ending cutscenes for each missions, and CODEC calls are now within a singular tape reel audio log, it helps sells the experience for the handheld rather well. 
And how does it move over to the current machines? Konami has cleaned up most of the comic panels to look nicer on bigger screens, plus remapping controls to fit a more modern scheme (like how they did it in the previous release), and you have yourselves a pretty good game that has Mechs, J-pop Idol songs and even Monster Hunter missions, Peace Walker is quite a meaty prospect
Closing Thoughts ![]()
What else can I say about two of the most interesting entries for this series, with their own quirks and features that haven’t appeared before or since their release, both serve a great story plot detail in the entire storyline, and play somewhat differently to one another.
Metal Gear Solid Masters Collection Volume 2 could perhaps bookends this volume series rather neatly, should this be the final one for the Grand Saga of this Stealth Action Espionage game, and I do recommend getting it even at its full price due to it just being quite special titles in the droves of modern releases.
Review copy provided by the publisher.