Highlights
- Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 brings all three legacy titles to modern consoles but excludes Metal Gear Solid 4.
- The collection includes HD versions of the first three games, as well as the series' beginnings on NES and MSX.
- There are slight differences in resolution and frame rate across different platforms, and keyboard and mouse support varies by game.
Perfectly timed with the 25th anniversary of the release of Metal Gear Solid, this October will see the arrival of the Metal 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 anticipated Vol. 2 of the Master Collection, Vol. 1's contents have been fully revealed. Now that several have gotten their hands on the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection at recent events, more details have emerged regarding the particulars of each version of the collection based on the platform.
Notably, the Master Collection Vol. 1 contains everything that was included in the Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection on PlayStation 3, with the sole exception being the inclusion of Metal Gear Solid 4. However, even without the perpetually PS3-locked MGS4, the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 provides fans with the HD versions of the first three games in the Metal Gear Solid franchise 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 the Metal Gear franchise, including the original instruction manuals for each game and the digital graphic novels that retell the events of the first two Metal Gear Solid games.
Everything That's Included in the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1
The primary contents of the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection are what Konami is dubbing the "Master Collection Versions" of Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Regarding the PlayStation original, the Master Collection's version of Metal Gear Solid includes 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 of Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 included in the Master Collection are the same HD versions released in 2011 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. These are also the same versions included in the Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection. Similar to the Master Collection's version of the original Metal Gear Solid, the Master Collection Versions of MGS2 and MGS3 also include their own respective Digital Screenplay and Master Books. Thankfully, the Master Collection also includes both the Western NES and Japanese MSX original versions of Metal Gear, as well as the MSX sequel Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake and the NES exclusive Snake's Revenge.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Features by Platform
Although each version of the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection will 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 the Master Collection will run at 1080p/30fps when docked and 720p/30fps when in handheld mode.
When it was originally announced, Konami confirmed that the PC version of the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection would 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 NES Metal Gear games as well as the original Metal Gear Solid will only feature keyboard support, while MGS2 features keyboard and limited mouse support. MGS3: Snake Eater is the only title in the collection with full keyboard and mouse support.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol 1 releases on October 24 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
