Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 2 Switch 2 Review
Version Reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Kept you waiting, huh? Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 set a rather high bar for MGS fans, containing three of the most iconic games in the series while providing a comprehensive collection of bonus materials to satiate any fan’s thirst for the history of the franchise. Now, Konami has released Volume 2, consisting of MGS4 and the sublime Peace Walker, marking the first time Metal Gear Solid 4 has been available outside of PlayStation 3 hardware and bringing this game to a new audience, with many, myself included, being able to experience it for the first time. What’s It Like? Equip your sneaking suit, grab some lozenges for that raspy voice, and turn your Codec to silent as we review Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 for Nintendo Switch 2.
Peace Walker
Starting off with Peace Walker, which originally released on the PlayStation Portable, we have some bite-sized Metal Gear on the go. The version included here is the HD version from when it was ported to the PS3 and Xbox 360 era. I have a real soft spot for Peace Walker, which follows on from the events of MGS3 and sees Big Boss, now operating as the legendary soldier he has become, building his own private army alongside Kaz Miller. Set during the Cold War, what starts as a relatively straightforward mission soon grows into something much bigger, as Big Boss becomes increasingly entangled in nuclear deterrence, political conflict, and the mysterious Peace Walker project.
What I really loved about Peace Walker is that despite having fond memories and high expectations, the game still managed to live up to them, and has aged remarkably well. Its gameplay missions are perfectly designed around handheld play, offering up small areas to navigate, usually lasting only 10–15 minutes, where you must sneak around and complete objectives any way you see fit. The main selling point, in my personal opinion, is the Outer Heaven base management system, in which you can recruit opponents using the Fulton system and assign them to different sections of your base to enhance your missions. These include segments like R&D, which lets you develop new weapons and equipment; Medical and Food, which help develop first aid supplies and keep your troops going; and a Combat Unit, which you can send out to complete missions or even choose to play as one of its members during Side Ops.
Clever players will even be able to capture hardware like APCs, tanks, and even choppers to add to their arsenal, and the ability to repeat and grind missions for personnel and hardware makes building up your own army such an addictive gameplay loop. Outside of this, the main campaign offers a lot of fantastic story and set pieces, including massive boss fights that fill the screen and can take a while to defeat. It all works really well, and there is a fantastic sense of progression as your little army gradually grows into something much bigger.
Visually, despite showing its portable roots, Peace Walker holds up surprisingly well, and I never found that the visuals got in the way of me enjoying revisiting what is easily my favourite MGS title in the series. Sure, it’s low-poly and has some older tropes from that era, like smaller areas separated by loading screens, but this does little to dampen the adventure. On Switch 2, it also runs at a smooth 60fps, and I experienced no technical issues during my playthrough.
Metal Gear Solid 4
Metal Gear Solid 4, as mentioned, is the first time this game has become available outside of the PlayStation 3 architecture, and is quite different in its approach, which might be divisive for fans of the series. MGS4 is a much more cinematic experience, with cutscenes actually lasting longer than the gameplay overall. There’s even a sequence of cutscenes that lasts over an hour. Set in 2014, we take control of an ageing Solid Snake, now known as Old Snake, who has been given one final mission: assassinate Liquid Ocelot. With his body rapidly ageing and the world increasingly dominated by private military companies and an economy built around endless war, Snake is once again dragged into a conflict involving the Patriots, Liquid Ocelot, and plenty of familiar faces from the series. It’s essentially the culmination of the story that began with the original Metal Gear Solid, bringing Snake’s journey to its conclusion.
For me, despite the slower pacing, I actually found myself enjoying MGS4, and when I was finally unleashed into the world, I ended up playing much more aggressively than in previous games. The sneaking action is there for more traditional MGS players, but as you are usually placed in situations where two sides are fighting, I found myself joining the rebels in order to push forward faster with my objectives, gunning down opponents rather than patiently sneaking about. When I was forced into stealth situations, I took advantage of the OctoCamo system, which lets you adapt your camo to your surroundings, blending in with the pattern you choose, even wallpaper.
MGS4 also introduced Drebin, an arms dealer from whom you can sell enemy weapons and influence the war economy in order to purchase new items and gear for yourself. Run into an armoured opponent? Simply order a LAW launcher from Drebin, equip it, and away you go. While I enjoyed MGS4, I did find the pacing to be significantly slower than Peace Walker, and the first two acts played it a bit slow and steady before opening up to some surprises in the following acts. So I encourage players to do their best to get to the end of Act 2 before deciding whether the game is or isn’t for you, as there’s a lot of fan service and surprises that I won’t spoil here.
Visually, MGS4 still looks great. Each act offers something different and does a great job of immersing you in the experience. There’s an incredible amount of attention to detail here, from the way Snake holds his rifle to enemy formations and firing stances, something we have become accustomed to in the series. MGS4 also runs flawlessly at 60fps on the Switch 2, with no performance hiccups or technical issues.
Extras
Now, being a Master Collection, there are a few bonuses here. Each of the two main games gets its own Screenplay Book, containing the dialogue and story scenes from the game, alongside a Master Book covering the characters and story in much more detail. This database, which is essentially a massive encyclopedia, covers the history and lore of the series, a Digital Soundtrack, and a copy of Ghost Babel, the Game Boy Colour game that was originally released in 2000.
Ghost Babel is an interesting little piece of Metal Gear history in its own right, as despite being released around the same time as Metal Gear Solid, this isn’t a Game Boy Colour version of that game. Instead, it’s an alternate story set seven years after the original Metal Gear, with Solid Snake called back into action after a Metal Gear prototype and its nuclear payload are seized by a rebel group. Snake must infiltrate their fortress and destroy the Metal Gear, but naturally, things become much more complicated once he uncovers a conspiracy connected to his past.
It’s a great step in game preservation and fan service, and I really enjoyed reading through the Master Book and learning more about the Metal Gear series as a whole. While these extras aren’t going to be the reason you buy the collection by themselves, they add a surprising amount of value for fans who want to dive deeper into the history, characters and lore of this incredible franchise. At just under $70 AUD, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 is great value for money, providing two fantastic games, a wealth of bonus content, and Ghost Babel as a nice touch. There’s roughly 80 hours of gameplay here across both main games, with even more on offer for completionists, making this a collection that can keep you busy for a very long time.
While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the Master Collection Vol. 1, which set a very high bar with the first three iterations of the franchise, the Vol. 2 Master Collection does a great job of continuing to bring this beloved franchise to modern platforms. For fans of MGS, this is an essential purchase, especially considering it’s the only way you can play MGS4 on modern platforms unless you still own a PS3. For me, though, the biggest surprise was just how much I enjoyed returning to Peace Walker. I had fond memories of it going in, but it still managed to live up to those expectations, while MGS4 finally gave me the chance to experience one of the most important chapters in the series for myself. Add in Ghost Babel and the wealth of archival material, and there’s a lot here for both longtime fans and newcomers looking to understand why Metal Gear has left such a lasting legacy.
So What’s it Like? Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 2 is like Vol 1.
In the interest of full disclosure, a review copy was provided by the publisher, but this doesn’t influence my score.
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