The Metal Gear Solid franchise has been around for more than 25 years, making it one of the oldest and most revered IPs in the industry. This series is loved by many due to its unique stealth and narrative elements, but Konami has disappointed fans again.
After a long hiatus following the release of Metal Gear Solid 5, Konami decided to revisit the series through a collection bundling many of the older classics. However, the games have been met with negative reception on Steam.
The PC port appears underwhelming and has received hundreds of negative reviews on the platform.
Why it matters: The Metal Gear Solid Master Collection is a full-priced release from Konami, but it hardly lives up to modern standards, delivering a subpart port in nearly every way.
While writing, 55% of the 123 reviews for Metal Gear Solid 2 are negative on the platform. Many players have acknowledged the core strengths of this timeless release, but this version falls short in every other department.
One major criticism of the Master Collection had to do with its resolution targets. Previously, Konami claimed that these games would run at 720p. The publisher later clarified that the games would target 1080p, but this target is upconverted from 720p.
This is the case for all versions, leading to a poor experience since many PC users are used to 1440p or higher resolution. The game also appears to be missing basic features, highlighting that little effort was spent on this re-release.
As the most modern and popular game in the collection, Metal Gear Solid 3 has attracted the most players on Steam. However, this has also resulted in the game becoming the most negatively reviewed in the collection.
With over 200 negative reviews, Steam users have shared similar grievances about this port. The game is not properly suited to mouse and keyboard gameplay, video settings are embarrassingly limited, and it appears to be unsupported on the Steam Deck.
All of this has resulted in a poor reception after critics were mostly pleased with Konami’s package.
Despite these issues, some players have left positive reviews, claiming to be happy that versions of the games exist on modern platforms. However, even these reviews come with various caveats, with users acknowledging the many flaws of the Master Collection.
Nonetheless, we think this is an unfair approach from Konami. If the publisher was finally ready to revive the series, it should have given it the respect Metal Gear Solid demands.
The series has sold over 60 million units, establishing itself as a juggernaut of the industry. Therefore, we can only hope that Konami’s upcoming remake and future projects will be treated better.
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[News Editor]
Obaid is pursuing a Law degree while working as a content writer. He has worked as a gaming writer for over three years because of his passion for the medium and reporting the latest updates in the industry. Having played hundreds of games, Obaid finds himself coming back to Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and Red Dead Redemption 2, with these games being among his favorites. He has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as Wccftech, Metro UK, PS Lifestyle, GamePressure, VGC, and Gamespot.