Highlights

  • The recently released Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection highlights the need for a ground-up remake of the original Metal Gear Solid, as it remains largely identical to its PS1 release.
  • Bluepoint Games, known for its remakes and remasters, is the perfect studio to tackle a Metal Gear Solid remake, given its proven track record and expertise in maintaining the essence of classic games while updating their visuals.
  • Bluepoint has dropped subtle hints about its next project being Metal Gear related, making it even more fitting for it to take on the challenge of remaking Metal Gear Solid, which not only needs but deserves a remake.

In addition to bringing the origins of the series onto modern platforms, the recently released Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection makes an incredibly strong case for the next project from Bluepoint Games. Bluepoint is a Sony first-party studio that famously deals in remakes and remasters of beloved classics, and the Master Collection makes it obvious that the studio's next project desperately needs to be a ground-up remake of the original Metal Gear Solid. Not only would the landmark title benefit the most from a remake out of the initial trilogy of games in the series, but Bluepoint has a proven track record of working on the franchise.

In fact, the versions of both Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater that are included in the Master Collection are the same versions from the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, a Bluepoint Games release. The original Metal Gear Solid is the only game in the trilogy of series titles included in the Master Collection that receives no sort of upscaling or HD textures and remains largely identical to its PS1 release. Metal Gear Solid is absolutely due for another crack at a remake, and not only is Bluepoint the perfect studio to tackle it, but the developer may have already hinted at it being a possibility.

It's Time for a Metal Gear Solid Remake (Again)

solid snake from twin snakes

Unlike the other games included in the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection, Metal Gear Solid does not run at an upscaled HD resolution. Instead, the title is still presented in its original aspect ratio and runs at its native 240p. While the efforts of Kojima and the rest of his team on Metal Gear Solid still help it hold up as one of the best-looking games on the PS1, there's little denying that the title is beginning to show its age. Comparing it to the HD Collection versions of its sequels included in the Master Collection makes the discrepancy between the first three games in the trilogy all the more apparent.

Silicon Knights, in partnership with Konami, attempted a remake of the original Metal Gear Solid for the GameCube as Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. While Twin Snakes is not without its fans, some players feel the remake took too many liberties over the source material, including completely missing the mark of the original Metal Gear Solid's tone and atmosphere and unnecessarily altering the original's score. If Bluepoint has proven anything throughout its tenure as a studio, it's that it is incredibly adept at remaking games with modern visual fidelity while maintaining everything else about them players loved in the first place, which is exactly what a Metal Gear Solid remake should entail.

Bluepoint's Track Record Makes it the Perfect Studio to Tackle Metal Gear Solid

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In addition to providing critical development support on several titles (including assisting with last year's God of War Ragnarok), Bluepoint is practically known as the premier studio to both remaster and remake games. Before the studio's more recent penchant for remaking first-part PlayStation titles, Bluepoint was the go-to team to remaster and compile titles from the PS2 era onto collections releasing on the PS3. Bluepoint's resume includes:

  • Blast Factor (2006) - PlayStation 3
  • God of War Collection (2009) - PlayStation 3
  • The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection (2011) - PlayStation 3
  • Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (2011) - PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
  • Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection (2015) - PlayStation 4
  • Gravity Rush Remastered (2015) - PlayStation 4
  • Shadow of the Colossus (2018) - PlayStation 4
  • Demon's Souls (2020) - PlayStation 5

After successfully working on the Metal Gear Solid IP in the past and having its two most recent projects be ground-up remakes of beloved PlayStation classics, it makes perfect sense for BluePoint to take on the responsibility of remaking Metal Gear Solid. The studio itself has subtly dropped hints regarding its next project being somewhat Metal Gear related, despite denying that it's currently working on the IP. Metal Gear Solid doesn't just need a remake, it deserves one, and Sony already has the perfect studio lined up for the challenge.