Summary
Perfectly timed with the 25th anniversary of the release ofMetal Gear Solid, this October will see the arrival of theMetal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, the first in a planned multi-volume collection that brings all the titles in the legendary stealth-action franchise to modern consoles. While there hasn’t been any confirmation yet regarding what players can expect in the anticipatedVol. 2of theMaster Collection,Vol. 1’s contents have been fully revealed. Now that several have gotten their hands on theMetal Gear Solid:Master Collectionat recent events, more details have emerged regarding the particulars of each version of the collection based on the platform.
Notably, theMaster Collection Vol. 1contains everything that was included in theMetal Gear Solid Legacy Collectionon PlayStation 3, with the sole exception being theinclusion ofMetal Gear Solid 4. However, even without the perpetually PS3-lockedMGS4, theMetal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1provides fans with the HD versions of the first three games in theMetal Gear Solidfranchise along with the series' beginnings on NES and MSX. As expected, the collection also digitizes and curates several important multimedia artifacts across the history of theMetal Gearfranchise, including the original instruction manuals for each game and the digital graphic novels that retell the events of the first twoMetal Gear Solidgames.
RELATED:The Biggest Unsolved Mysteries of the Metal Gear Solid Franchise
Everything That’s Included in the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1
The primary contents of theMetal Gear Solid: Master Collectionare what Konami is dubbing the “Master Collection Versions” ofMetal Gear Solid,Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, andMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Regarding the PlayStation original, theMaster Collection’s version ofMetal Gear Solidincludes the VR Missions and Special Missions as well as a “Digital Screenplay Book” and a “Digital Master Book”. The Screenplay Books contain the character dialogue, briefing files, and scripts for each of the game’s Codec calls, while the Master Books contain useful info including maps, hidden item locations, and iconic quotes and background info for important characters.
The versions ofMetal Gear Solid 2and3included in theMaster Collectionare the same HD versions released in 2011 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. These are also the sameversions included in theMetal Gear Solid Legacy Collection. Similar to theMaster Collection’s version of the originalMetal Gear Solid, the Master Collection Versions ofMGS2andMGS3also include their own respective Digital Screenplay and Master Books. Thankfully, theMaster Collectionalso includes both the Western NES and Japanese MSX original versions ofMetal Gear, as well as the MSX sequelMetal Gear 2: Solid Snakeand the NES exclusiveSnake’s Revenge.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Features by Platform
Althougheach version of theMetal Gear Solid: Master Collectionwill contain the same games and bonus content regardless of platform, there are some subtle differences that exist across each version. Specifically, the resolution and frame rate have been confirmed to vary across versions. With the one exception of the Nintendo Switch version of the title, all other versions (PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S) are presented at 1080p/60fps. By contrast, the Nintendo Switch version of theMaster Collectionwill run at 1080p/30fps when docked and 720p/30fps when in handheld mode.
When it was originally announced, Konami confirmed that thePC version of theMetal Gear Solid: Master Collectionwould not support keyboard and mouse controls. However, in the wake of considerable fan feedback, the publisher has since walked that back and announced that the title will indeed support keyboard and mouse controls, albeit in a varied capacity across titles. Due to their lack of extensive first-person modes, the MSX and NESMetal Geargames as well as the originalMetal Gear Solidwill only feature keyboard support, whileMGS2features keyboard and limited mouse support.MGS3: Snake Eateris the only title in the collection with full keyboard and mouse support.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol 1releases on October 24 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE:Every Metal Gear Solid Game In Chronological Order (And The Year They Take Place In)
