The MGS franchise is probably one of the most well-known video game franchises to date, and it's all here in one complete, definitive package. Not long after the HD collection, this gets released with a small, yet interesting 100 page art booklet that features marketing, promotional, and artwork materials that have been released throughout the history of the franchise. This set also includes 2 Digital Graphic Novels, Metal Gear Solid: Bande Dessinee and Metal Gear Solid 2: Bande Dessinee, which were once a Japan only release. If you are a hardcore fan and a collector and already have the HD collection, you might find some value in this. If you are just a casual fan and already have the HD collection, there may be no need for you to purchase this. Some rightfully see it as a cashgrab, and others see it as a set for hardcore fans and longtime collectors. This set does include MGS4, which the HD set did not include, so depending if you already have or played that, may factor in your decision to own a comprehensive series set.
Now for a review of the games and the set broken down into sections (If you're familiar with the games and in a hurry, there's a rundown of what's included at the bottom of the page):
It's diverse, unique, innovative, and ground breaking gameplay withstand the test of time as each game evolves the series in different directions. Some like this, others don't. I personally like it. MG1 and MG2 brought Kojimas vision to life on the MSX2 and then later brought over on subsequent consoles and various other platforms.
Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2- 1987/1990
The games that started it all. These are available on this set under Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. These are the original versions that were on the MSX2.
Konami and Kojima later brought the series to what was a ground breaking game during the Playstation era. The now famous "Tactical Espionage Action" tagline lived up to it's name as it went on to become a massive success during this generation of consoles and brought the Metal Gear series to a new generation of gamers.
Metal Gear Solid- 1998:
Featuring Solid Snake, It blended unique elements of stealth game play with action/adventure elements set to the backdrop of an interesting cast of characters and intriguing story lines. Solid Snake investigates a remote Alaskan base taken over by the terrorist group known as Foxhound unit, his former unit. Mysteries unfold as the game progresses as you meet new allies to help you on your mission. This game is available in this set via digital download code so you can relive this amazing title or experience it for the first time in all it's glory. There is one code on one slip of paper in this set that redeems both MGS and MGS: VR missions.
Metal Gear Solid VR missions- 1999:
This game is it's own spinoff and expands the VR missions gameplay that were featured in Metal Gear Solid. This stand alone is unique from the original Japan release, which was Metal Gear Solid: Integral. Integral was basically just an expanded version of Metal Gear Solid. There are different modes and levels to engage in from murder mysteries to time attack modes, sneaking modes, and weapons training modes. There is one code on one slip of paper in this set that redeems both MGS and MGS: VR missions.
The highly anticipated follow up to Metal Gear Solid, and one of the most divisive games in the series among critics and fans, made it's way to Playstation 2 (later ported to other platforms and remastered in HD).
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty- 2001:
Not spoiling anything for players new to the franchise, but this game is arguably the most controversial of the series so far. It's divided into two parts, the first part being a sort of short "Prologue" with a familiar character and the second part being the main game (to current fans, sound familiar?). The controversy and character twist is revealed at the start of the second part (the main game). This new character takes on a terrorist unit known as Dead Cell who have taken over an offshore facility as the President and Vice President, along with other political figures, were touring the facility. Your objective is to infiltrate, locate and rescue the President and eliminate any threats along the way as stealthy as possible, but all is not what it seems. The graphics were quite a jump for it's time and the controls were revamped to utilize the new capabilities of a more complete and beautifully rendered world. The version on this set is the Substance version remastered in HD with all the original bonus content that came on the original Substance release.
3 years later a new entry into the series was released on PS2 (later to other platforms). However, this time, it featured a familiar and critical character in the series, but not one that was rendered in full 3D until this game. This isn't a direct sequel to MGS2 and is instead a backstory into the patriarch that started it all. This is basically an origin story for Big Boss in the franchise.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater- 2004
This game threw all previous MGS controls and conventions out the window and focused on the theme of survival. It is set mainly in a Soviet Union rainforest, but you encounter various terrain, environments, weather conditions, and scattered buildings and bases, all critical to the story. Stealth is also a brand new mechanic. You are given a "Camo Index" percentage based on the outfit you're wearing and background/pattern you are set against. The higher your index, the harder you are to spot. You can find camo suits throughout the game and change into whichever gives you the highest index for the situation you are in. You can also capture and/or kill animals for food to bring up health and/or stamina. It's the same with insects and fruits. Healing is also different as you use bandages, cigars, knives, splints, ointments, sutures, and other tools to heal specific ailments to prevent bleeding out and loss of life/stamina. This was a refreshing change for many and is hailed by some as the best MGS game to date. The survival mechanics were perfectly implemented with a very easy learning curve explaining how it works. It does not become intrusive but rather adds an element of strategy, tension, and brings a sense of strategic planning. This brings a level of gameplay that forces you to utilize the environment to your advantage to conquer foes and complete objectives. The story and characters are just as unique, quirky, and interesting as they were in previous entries. The cold war serves as a backdrop to the story as you are an agent of the government known as Naked Snake sent to rescue a Russian scientist who is defecting to the U.S. Plans go awry as certain unfortunate circumstances occur and your objectives change. You are then sent on a new mission to ease USSR and U.S. tensions by eliminating a main common threat to both nations, fighting various enemies, encountering a deadly group known as the Cobra Unit, all while sneaking through multiple terrains, conditions, and gathering valuable resources along the way. Survival, betrayal, Cold War espionage, politics and CIA/KGB/GRU tensions all make a well rounded Metal Gear Solid experience. MGS3 is the Subsistence version that was originally released on Xbox and PS2 remastered in HD. However, it does not feature some of the extras like Snake Vs. Monkey, Metal Gear Online, Secret Theater, and Duel Mode. The MSX2 versions of MG1 and MG2 are included.
The long wait for a new entry began. 4 years later a next-gen version of a new entry was released on Playstation 3. This, once again, changed MGS conventions for controls, gameplay, story, and graphics. Critically and commercially successful, but known for it's long cinematic cutscenes and "point A to B" gameplay. Regardless, the interesting and constantly changing stories combined with new and different set pieces, help distinguish this game from the rest.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots- 2008
This is chronologically connected to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and continues strands of storyarchs revealed in that game, along with others introduced in MGS1, and by some extent MG1 and MG2. The graphics are still, on a technical level, some of the best to date that other modern games can't even compare. They not only aged extremely well, but still remain, for the lack of a better word, flawless, as in hardly any glitches and screen tearing. From the wonderfully rendered environments to a new tightened control scheme, you can't help but get sucked in once again into the universe of Metal Gear Solid. You play as an aging Solid Snake, aptly codenamed Old Snake due to the age progression. Set in a not-too-distant future, the War Economy has become the lifeblood of the world and a booming business for PMCs, freelance mercenary groups, and weapons manufacturers. As the game states during the intro, war has changed. The opening monologue sets the tone for the game and is a sign of things to come. You are then thrown into the heart of a fast-paced skirmish with the control tutorial promptly shown to help you survive it. You continue to learn all the new control schemes as you progress through the game and the opening level. This game also takes elements from MGS3 as you can use a specially designed "Octocamo" suit that takes on the pattern you are crouching on, laying down on, or sitting on to help you blend in and avoid detection. This is a modern version of the "camo index" except you do not have to rely on percentages. You just have to use common sense and strategic placement away from enemy patrols. This game features a new take on the gameplay as you can choose to stealth your way through levels or run and gun it if you so choose. You are also finally placed on a battlefield where you can make those kinds of choices, along with helping the local militias fight off the PMCs, or ignoring both of them and simply sneaking past, avoiding detection from both sides. Those types of choices are a recurring feature throughout the game. MGS4 is also divided into separate Acts that features intermissions that take place on a flying base of operations known as the Nomad. This aircraft is full of familiar characters throughout the franchise and introduces some you've only either heard about or communicated strictly through the Codec. During your time on the Nomad, you can interact with characters and objects through the use of the MKII, a small operational tactical robot that can be used throughout the game. You can also find small goodies like health/rations, music, and other easter eggs. Each act also begins in a new location, terrain, and all have different objectives connected to the overall story. This is different from the previous titles as each title typically continues to have one overall objective, with plot twists along the way. This one constantly changes the objectives with each Act as the story evolves with an overall enemy group known as the Beauty and Beast Corp who you encounter throughout the game, all with their own abilities and fight mechanics. All of them bring their own emotional baggage to the fight and you discover more about them the more you play. The type of gameplay also changes with the objectives. You may need to tail a subject without being detected or losing the subject for one duration of a mission and then shortly fight off a horde of enemies the next part as the story unfolds accordingly. Your objectives also take you all over the world, which brings back other familiar characters you know and love throughout the franchise. You go from the Middle East to South America, to Europe, etc bringing along and encountering new and old characters. You are also graded on your performance at the end of each act, like amount of kills, rations used, number of alerts, time, etc. There are also plenty of unlockables based on performance. This diversity in these levels, dynamic, ever-changing gameplay, and incredible (heavy/emotional) story that closes a lot of loops make this a memorable and fresh experience in gaming and franchise history. This blends fine, grand, cinematic storytelling with engaging controls, characters, and ingenious, beautifully crafted level designs. It also brings a sense of bittersweet nostalgia to the longtime fan who plays this game. The version that comes with this set is the original PS3 version without the Metal Gear Online functionality. It now has trophy support and the option to install the game all at once instead of at the beginning of each chapter like it was on the original release. This is Disc 1 on the set.
2 years after this release, a new Metal Gear Solid title was released exclusively for the PSP. The overall system sales of the PSP was going into a decline, and like most PSP exclusive properties, they found their ways to home consoles and digital download networks.
Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker- 2010
Chronologically, this game takes places after the events of MGS3. Through the events of Snake Eater and left with an overwhelming sense of disappoint from the government he serves, Snake decides to break away and form his own militia, a Military without Borders (Militaires Sans Frontières), in Costa Rica. He intends on creating a military for the people, to help keep the world in a check and balance, to give a home to soldiers who have nowhere else to use their skills and who are not appreciated anywhere else. He forms his own army through an in-game recruitment mechanic that the player can assign them to different uses within the Motherbase. All recruited soldiers have their own strengths and weaknesses, like some may have a high "Mess" or cooking skill and others may have high R&D skills. This effects gameplay in the sense that you can use R&D to create new weapons, items, and you can even recover parts from bosses to build your own Metal Gear with the help of your Science and R&D staff. It's a small micromanagement mechanic that you add to as the game progresses. The peaceful balance that Snake and his military seek to obtain is threatened when a mysterious group, known as the Peace Sentinels, set up a base in-country with the latest weaponry and firepower. The Costa Rican government cannot do anything about it as they are not permitted to form any armed forces based on their constitution. This group threatens the peaceful balance of power between the East and West, and with no options left, the Costa Rican government then proceeds to unofficially ask Snake and his group to eliminate this threat in an attempt to retain the balance they intend to maintain. As it progresses, this fragile balance becomes disrupted and they realize that peace is harder to control compared to conflict. They continue to operate outside of any particular nations and ideologies and intend to build their own "military" nation known as "Outer Heaven". The game includes plenty of new characters and a few that are present throughout the series. This game features graphic novel-like interactive cutscenes and mission gameplay similar to MGS4 mechanics. The gameplay modes are divided between actual story Missions and Mother Base, which is the recruitment management simulation. The controls are very much like a stripped down version of MGS4 since it was designed for the PSP system. The version in this set is the HD remastered version with trophy support.
The items included in this set:
- Disc 2- Basically the HD collection disc with the following included games:
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Substance version)
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Subsistence version minus some bonus content that was on the original PS2 release.) w/Metal Gear 1 and Metal Gear 2
Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker.
- Digital Graphic Novels: Metal Gear Solid: Bande Dessinee, Metal Gear Solid 2: Bande Dessinee. These are accessible under
Video on the XMB and were originally only released in Japan.
- Disc 1- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
- 1 Download code for 2 games- MGS1 and MGS: VR Missions.
- 100 Page Art Booklet
= 11 items total
Here's a comprehensive timeline for the in-game MGS chronology (*=Included in this set):
1964- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater*
1970- Portable Ops
1974- Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker*
1975- Ground Zeroes (New, upcoming title, prologue to MGSV- March 2014, Pre-orderable on current and next-gen consoles)
1984- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Upcoming title, a ways out)
1995- Metal Gear*
1999- Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake*
2005- Metal Gear Solid/VR Missions* (VR Missions is not canon, but included)
2007/09- Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty*
2014- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots*
2018- Metal Gear Rising
All in all, the combined scores of all the games plus the bonus content for the going price is a [Metal Gear] Solid 5 stars (sorry, couldn't resist). This is a great set for new players of the MGS franchise and a great value for long time fans/collectors of the series that want a definitive collection. This set is all you need to just jump head first into the Metal Gear universe.
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Reviews with images
great series, nice collection for new or old fans.
Was a huge fan of the series since metal gear back in the Nintendo days and video games was still rising with Atari. Pretty much you get all the metal gear games in 1 package. This is a great set for those of us that just want the games mostly and don't care much about the extras or what the japanese version had. If I made millions or had my job then I would of bought that super deluxe boxset too because metal gear is worth it. I like how i can use my old ps1 game saves with the digital version of metal gear sold and vr missions. I still have my old psx versions on disc might try those out and see which is better to use. Never played the peacewalker or any of the psp metal gear games, so I cant wait to see how those go and hopefully they are great too.The art book or that huge metal gear bible that came with the 1st print edition I really don't see value for that unless your a art collector or that's your preference that's ok but the book doesn't take much value from games itself. if u really wanted the book or a huge fan should of bought the Japanese version. that cost a arm and leg but was way better than the American version.Those complaining or worried about the digital versions expiring or codes not working I can safely say MY CODES WORKED! all it takes is a American psn account and unused metal gear solid legacy download code to get your free metal gear solid and metal gear vr missons.Hopefully the next metal collection or the one that has ground zero/V coming up has good value to it as well. I don't want to spend another 100$ for stuff I already have and can easily get.New fans or old fans of the series that want to catch up might want to pick this collection up or if u lost, broke your old ps2, ps1 metal gear games this bundle should replace it nicely.
Top reviews from other countries
Francisco Martinez
Toda la leyenda del Snake
Reviewed in Mexico on December 27, 2022Matheus Antunes
Produto bom, chegou muito antes do prazo, o que faz da entrega excelente.
Reviewed in Brazil on January 13, 2021
Matheus Antunes
Reviewed in Brazil on January 13, 2021
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