Metal Gear Solid Master Collection: Volume 1

Nintendo Life

Oliver Reynolds·Nov 1, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Still, there’s no denying the quality on display with Sons of Liberty, and rarely has a sequel demonstrated such a drastic improvement with its visuals and gameplay. For all its indulgent quirks, Sons of Liberty is another seminal video game that fully deserves its reputation as one of the greatest of all time. It’s just a shame that Konami couldn’t max out its potential for its release on Switch, as this is a game that deserves all the love and care in the world.

Nintendo Life

Oliver Reynolds·Nov 1, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

In terms of drawbacks, there really aren’t many to speak of. For this release, lines of dialogue that directly refer to specific button presses are muted, which is weird, but understandable given the difference between the PS1 and Switch controller layout. And sure, the visuals could have been spruced up considerably to match the efforts fans have achieved with emulations, but for the sake of faithfully recreating the original PS1 release, Konami has done an adequate job here.

Nintendo Life

Oliver Reynolds·Nov 1, 2023

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Are there any downsides? Well yeah, some of the mechanics can feel a touch cumbersome at times. Changing camouflage outfits is a tedious exercise in constantly jumping in and out of the main menu, and we’re almost certain this will be streamlined for the upcoming Delta remake. It’s not a deal breaker, by any means, but it definitely serves as a reminder that this is fundamentally nearly a two-decade-old game. Still a bloomin’ great one, mind.

Nintendo Life

Oliver Reynolds·Oct 25, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

If you've never played any of the Metal Gear Solid titles before, or indeed their MSX2 ancestors, then the Master Collection on Switch is a perfectly fine way to experience some of the most iconic games of all time. That said, Switch owners have undoubtedly been stung by Konami's decision to cut MGS 2 and 3's frame rate down to 30, and although moment-to-moment gameplay still feels satisfying, it's a frustrating approach that we're hopeful will be patched at a later date. As for the overall package, there's a lot here that will keep you entertained, but the way it's been presented feels less than ideal. Still, it's a compilation well worth investigating if you're itching to play (or replay) the Metal Gear Solid saga.

GameSpot

Richard Wakeling·Oct 23, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 bundles some of the most influential video games of all time in one comprehensive package, providing an extensive history of stealth-action.

Push Square

Liam Croft·Oct 23, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

The Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection bundles together three of the greatest games ever made, but does so in a convoluted manner. Spread across five separate apps on PS5, it can be a challenge to locate the specific version or the bonus feature you need. The digital packaging surrounding the three classics doesn't quite feel like the labour of love it should do, but once you sink into the PS1 original, Sons of Liberty, or Snake Eater, it's abundantly clear there's still nothing quite like Metal Gear Solid. Konami's Master Collection gets by on the ever-lasting quality of its fallen series, not the means that have brought it back.