Format: PlayStation 3/ Xbox 360, Release date: 3/2/2012, Genre: Action/Stealth, Developer: Konami.
Metal Gear Solid, what more can we say about it really? This game was easily one of the most popular and influential ever created, taking over the hearts and minds of millions of gamers across the world… when each version was first released. So, can the HD collection of past Metal Gear Solid games do the same in this day and age?
Before that question can be answered we have to take a look at what the actual content has to offer, 3 previous titles: Metal Gear Solid 2, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, and a few extras within each title, which admittedly isn’t all that amazing. You’ll find out yourself if you’re curious enough to venture into it. But if you’re a trophy hunter, some of these extras will be mandatory if you’re going to aim for that ever elusive platinum.
After originally being hyped up to play this game, it quickly became apparent that the HD collection didn’t offer as much fun as it did that first time around… and that’s the problem. The twists and turns within the game aren’t at all surprising because I’ve already seen it all before, and this will probably be the case with most Metal Gear Solid fans, you’d find yourself skipping most of the cut scenes and finding yourself mashing the X button to get back to the gameplay, and therein lies another issue.
The gameplay is very VERY short if you remember what you needed to do to progress though the game, and you definitely feel like you don’t get your money’s worth at the end of it all. Most of the game can be completed just by running from A to B, it feels empty and hardly gives the nostalgic feeling you thought you would have towards this game.
There are some positives however, though the gameplay can be dire at times, the boss battles within the games are frantic and lush to look at, although it doesn’t completely utilise the power of the PlayStation 3, you can still see a noticeable difference which is always an added bonus. I may have also lied a little about the lack of nostalgia. Whilst going through the game there have been some cases of that, and frankly the ever iconic death screen of “SNAKE? SNAKE?! SNAAAAAAA-(you know the rest of it),” did make me squeal and turn into something resembling a fanatical female teenager meeting her boy band idol- only without the boy band and the teenager- come to think of it, it was just me screaming. It felt like I was reuniting with an old friend after being able to reminisce and relive the series.
To conclude with, this game will not really offer anything new for the die-hard fans of the MGS series, but for some this may be the perfect thing. Whilst not for me personally, this game is a sound investment if you’re someone who played the Metal Gear series, but never actually got around to completing it.
Mo Miah
Tags: collection, HD, konami, metal gear solid, platform, snake
