Metal Gear Solid Collection Tested by Media [Update: Graphics Comparisons]
Konami invited representatives of several major editorials to test Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1. Their impressions, while generally positive, were disrupted by several minor flaws.
Update
The first graphics comparisons between the MGS collection and HD Collection (MGS) from 2011 are now available online. You can find them below:
Original news (August 21)
Since the release of Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is just over two months away, Konami has invited several leading editorials to test the collection, which includes the first three installments of the MGS series. Although the journalists were only able to test the Nintendo Switch versions, they managed to come up with some interesting conclusions, more or less positive.
Only 30 fps on Switch
According to the information provided by the IGN editors, the second and third installments of the series ran on the handheld at a locked 30 frames per second. This is all the more surprising, since these versions of MGS2 and MGS3 are from the HD Collection where they ran at 60 fps (the new collection is expected to achieve such results only on home consoles and PCs).
In this case, not only did testers have to forget about 60 frames per second, but they also experienced frame drops. However, as Konami assured, this problem is expected to be eliminated once Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is released.
Only 720p on all platforms
Another problem was the native resolution, which remained unchanged from HD Collection which is 720p. This resolution will be available even on PS5 and XSX/S.
A lot of content
Putting aside these inconveniences, the editors are still full of hope and optimism. Journalists have praised the content of Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, which includes VR and special missions, as well as Metal Gear Solid Integral, an expanded version of the original which includes difficulty settings and a special outfit for Snake.
The Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 clearly wants to be the definitive collection that every Metal Gear fan is going to want and, well, so far so good based on what I’ve played. What Konami has packed in here for 60 bucks – so many amazing Metal Gear games, and some spectacular fan service extras – has left a heck of a first impression after my two hours spent playing it," we can read in the IGN's article.
Since the game is displayed in a native 4:3 aspect ratio, it was also a pleasant surprise when the developers added some wallpapers to fill the empty area on the sides of the screen.
A duel with Psycho Mantis on PC?
One of the unknowns still bothering journalists is how Konami approached Snake's duel with Psycho Mantis in the port of Metal Gear Solid on PC. Originally, this extremely challenging boss could only be defeated by pluging the PlayStation 1 controller into another port.
Because of that, the developers had to take a completely different method when making the PC version. For now it remains a mystery, because as the Japanese company stated: "The way that particular boss fight will work has been addressed in the collection, but the team would like to keep this method spoiler-free for anyone who may not have had a chance to play the original/see how it’s implemented." (via PCGamesN).
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 will be released on October 24, 2023. The collection will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch. It was revealed today that it will also be released on PS4 at a later date.
