While many are wary, Metal Gear fans may finally be watching their fortunes turn around. The long-rumored Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater remake was finally announced, and with it came a new Master Collection promising HD versions of the initial MGS trilogy. A "Volume 1" in its title promises more remasters in the future, and some fans are wondering if that means Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will finally arrive on modern hardware. MGS4's PS3 exclusivity has been a sticking point for the past fifteen years, and it could end soon.
No one can say just how far the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection series will go, and there's a good chance that Volume 2 will have a heavy focus on the various portable titles. Peace Walker already got an HD console port, so including it alongside some smaller titles seems like a no-brainer. Many people would be disappointed if the Master Collections stopped there, however. A package including Metal Gear Solid 4 and other more recent entries would be ideal. MGS4 has plenty of faults, but it remains one of the most important titles in its franchise, one of the most acclaimed games on the PS3, and one of the most desired remaster projects from the past few console generations.
Metal Gear Solid 4 Was Something Special
Seeing a worldwide launch on June 12, 2008, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots took the world by storm. Right from the animated installation screen, players knew they were in for something special. Metal Gear Solid 4 was intended to be the ultimate conclusion of Metal Gear, and just about everything in the franchise was brought back as a reward for longtime fans. This did result in the over-explanation of some fantastical elements via nanomachines, but that's all the more entertaining now that Metal Gear Rising has turned them into a punchline.
Over-explanation is an operative term here, as Metal Gear Solid 4 quickly became famous for the long-winded delivery of its story. MGS4 currently holds the record for the longest cutscene sequence in video games, with four consecutive scenes taking 71 minutes to play out. Fortunately, gameplay was worth waiting for as well, as the gunplay and CQC were greatly refined, a new OctoCamo system provided plenty of sneaking opportunities, and every new Act was a radically different gameplay experience.
The Time For A Metal Gear Solid 4 Remaster Is Now
It's a shame, then, that Metal Gear Solid 4 is so hard to play these days. Digitally and physically, the game remains on PS3, with emulation being the only other option. With its Metal Gear Online servers having gone down, it's difficult to recapture the precise experience of playing Metal Gear Solid 4 as it was. The saddest part of all this is that just about every other mainline Metal Gear Solid title, including Peace Walker and the sequel subseries Metal Gear Rising, are available on modern platforms. Metal Gear Solid 4, the climax of the franchise, was the only game left behind.
There's a good reason why the new Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection has been viewed as a ray of hope by some. Even if MGS4's Metal Gear Online remains in the past, having Metal Gear Solid 4 on a modern platform would be a historic event. Many younger fans would finally be able to see the series through to its chronological conclusion, and would get the chance to experience all the wild swerves and novel gameplay concepts unique to MGS4. The fifteen-year-long wait has been a grueling one, but the time for Metal Gear Solid 4's return may finally be here.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is currently available on the PlayStation 3.
