I've played every Metal Gear Solid multiple times, and Master Collection Vol.2 feels like the best way to experience two of the series’ most legendary games

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots has become something of a legend over the years, being the one big game in the franchise that never left its original platform – the PlayStation 3 .

Review info Platform reviewed: PS5 Available on: PS5, PC, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 Release date: August 27, 2026 Finally, the port once thought impossible has returned in the new Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol.2 .

The first collection packaged the classic stealth trilogy with the MSX and NES games that preceded it, and this time around the package is headlined by the return of Metal Gear Solid 4 and the duo of the PlayStation Portable’s excellent Peace Walker and underrated Game Boy Color spinoff Ghost Babel.

Off the bat, it may seem like a bit of a raw deal for the second to only feature one bonus title compared to the first collection, which offers three of the greatest games ever made along with four bonus titles and two graphic novels.

However, the work done on Metal Gear Solid 4 is far more than the bare-bones re-releases of the first game and Bluepoint's 2011 HD Collection versions of Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 found in its predecessor, while Peace Walker is a phenomenal mainline entry and Ghost Babel ranks among the series' greatest spinoffs (and is better than the NES games at least).

It's a fairer trade than the numbers suggest.

War has changed (Image credit: Konami) Metal Gear Solid 4 is the crown jewel of this collection, and unlike the first – which had some major issues at launch – I'm happy to report that this is a phenomenal port.

Running at 4K and a solid 60 frames per second (fps) throughout with massively improved loading times between areas, it's hard to see any flaws in this version of the stealth classic… well, aside from those that were already there.

Long thought unportable due to being made specifically for the esoteric PS3 system architecture and a hefty number of licensed products appearing in-game, Metal Gear Solid 4 remains mostly intact.

You still have the iPod; you still see the PS3 console in your plane.

However, Konami has gone back and remixed some elements to make sense on modern consoles, with the famous "we're on PS3" scene changed to your platform of choice – even if the almost 20-year difference in Christopher Randolph's voice is pretty obvious.

In fact, the only thing I noticed that was missing was the now-redundant installation menu featuring Snake smoking between chapters. (Image credit: Konami) Despite its notoriety, Metal Gear Solid 4 is a strange game.

I'd even argue it's the worst of the six main games in the series, even if it is still a great time.