Test – METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION Vol. 1: A Solid Compilation?

– Published on December 23rd, 2023, 7:15 p.m
– By Damien B.

The compilation “Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 1” is aimed at both early fans and beginners and offers you the opportunity to (re)discover seven games in an already extensive first volume. While we wait for a hypothetical future installment of Konami that is not for tomorrow, especially since the departure of Hideo Kojima. We assume that a second volume will see the light of day with Metal Gear Solid 4 and 5 and a few other games, but let's ignore the hypotheses and go back in time with this first salvo of Metal Gear! This review is more about the compilation aspect than individual games that haven't been featured in a while. Verdict below thanks to a code provided by the publisher for Xbox Series.

Metal gray?

Compilations are in fashion, there is no denying that, since Konami has previously offered some of its sagas in condensed form like Contra or Castlevania, or even various arcade titles with shmups that smell of mothballs.

On the menu of this Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 1 you are entitled to titles of different generations, starting from the first titles on MSX, translated into French for the occasion, to the games released on NES, which are huge garbage (nostalgia sometimes makes you blind, it's better to leave memories in the closet) But the main course here is the first Metal Gear Solid trilogy. But no Metal Gear: The Twin Snakes released on Gamecube, a remake of Metal Gear Solid that we would have liked to see here. Certainly an obscure question of rights

Having tested the dematerialized version provided by the publisher for this test, it should be noted that all titles can be installed individually, with the exception of the MSX versions, which are installed in the same package, as well as a final version that includes the NES Versions of Metal Gear and Snakes Revenge as well as graphic novels and game soundtracks. Some would prefer it concentrated in one place, but this allows you to install exactly what you need, which is useful if you're limited on space, for example. Not that the titles take up much space on the hard drive, but the division is sometimes good.

A solid compilation?

For retrogaming fans or those justifiably curious, we highly recommend checking out the MSX versions of Metal Gear 1 and 2, which are small nuggets that are often underestimated, often in favor of the NES versions , which were not supervised by Hideo Kojima and are pretty bad.

Metal Gear Solid are the original versions of the Playstation 1 and 2, with the possibility of choosing from the different versions and languages available to rediscover the sensations of the time, call who will play MGS in the French version with unforgettable dubbing (or neither)! We also think VR missions and other bonuses, as well as saves for discovering Easter eggs, are a nice intention.

The decision to keep the raw versions of these games is a divisive tendency, because on the one hand respect for the original material will please a part of the public, on the other hand others would have options for smoothing, filters and upgrades in terms of resolution, here Kap, preferably in 1080p and 30 FPS. Especially since MGS 3 will be released again in 2024, interest is therefore limited to a pure nostalgia session for this title.

As for the gameplay, there is nothing new either, we find both the joy of the controls of the time and the frustration of certain passages or certain deficiencies of the original games that were not corrected since the titles were in their juice.

We don't want to go into detail about the quality of the games, which are all legendary for various reasons and are still fueling debates among fans of the saga today. The question here is whether this compilation is worth its price. So from a collection perspective, absolutely, because buying the original games (and consoles) would cost a lot more than the price of this Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 1. But since the games come separately, it would have been nice for those who just like some of the titles If you like it, it might be possible to buy them separately as there is no connection between the titles, which would still have given a more compelling character by linking all the titles together.

Full point

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 1 is a compilation full of good titles, at least for the majority, but we regret that they were delivered as is, rough and ready. The intention is good, but the execution feels passive and we would have appreciated the presence of the Twin Snakes or at least a global menu with all the games and bonuses at a glance. If the feelings are the same, I'm not sure the games on offer in their current form will appeal to newcomers.