Konami continues its archival reissues of the Metal Gear back catalogue with Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Volume 2.

This new collection follows on from the well-received Vol. 1 released in late 2023. That collection featured the OG Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake as well as the more modern incarnations: Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater.

This second collection features the elusive Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, previously available only on PlayStation 3, and the PlayStation Portable game Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, previously reissued as part of the Metal Gear Solid HD collection. The Game Boy Color game, Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, is included as a bonus. The package also includes the formerly PS3 PlayStation Network exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4 Database, upgraded with Unreal Engine 5.

The games feature the series protagonist, Solid Snake, in his various iterations, woven with sometimes outlandish plots. The overblown dialogue will be familiar to fans of Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding games. Tactical espionage games at their heart, the gratuitous use of cutscenes makes them much more than just action games.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Volume 2 has three installable apps, working in a similar way to the earlier collection: the two main games and a bonus app with Metal Gear: Ghost Babel. Alas, there are no digital graphic novels or other gems like with Vol.1. However, both Metal Gear Solid 4 and Peace Walker are complete with detailed digital game guides as well as the screenplays.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots starts slow. Whilst the graphics are upscaled to 4K for the PS5, this is still the 2008 PS3 game. Though apparently also upgraded, I still found that the controls are a bit dated and take a bit of getting used to. It does have the improved full camera control of the original PS3 version, which Konami also upgraded for Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater Delta. But for a game that’s nearly 20 years old, it’s still pretty good.

Guns of the Patriots was a turning point for the series when originally released, benefiting from the PlayStation 3’s technological advancement over its forebears. The game doesn’t change up much from the series staples. Predominantly a stealth game, whilst it’s possible to run-and-gun, this approach can be challenging. It’s much better to survey the environment and use it to your advantage.

The game does add a Psyche Meter affected by Snake’s stress in the combat zone. For this outing, players control “Old Snake”, who is suffering from premature aging and has one year of life left. Snake is after Revolver Ocelot, who has been missing since the Big Shell Incident of Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty and is possessed by the mind of Liquid Snake. The plot is convoluted but still gripping if you like a bit of esoteric hardcore intrigue.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker still feels like a mobile game, although it is also upscaled to 4K. It’s a small-scale entry, built for bite-sized gameplay sessions. Set in the 1970s, Big Boss, AKA Snake, is transported to Central America on the trail of a mystery nuclear weapon. The missions borrow gameplay mechanics from Metal Gear Solid 4; the two games having been developed in parallel.

Beyond the missions, the Mother Base option adds a base-management aspect to the game. The game is better than fellow PlayStation Portable Metal Gear games, Portable Ops and Portable Ops+ (both curiously missing from the Master Collections). It refines the portable gameplay from its predecessors to make a game that narratively feels better integrated into the Metal Gear saga.

This collection feels a little barren compared to how well we were treated with the first volume. Whilst it’s good to be able to play Metal Gear Solid 4 again, the visuals are showing their age. This is especially noticeable having recently been spoilt by Konami with the stunning Unreal Engine 5 remake of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, last year.  Peace Walker, whilst fun on a PSP back in the day, doesn’t have the same appeal on the PlayStation 5.

As a companion to Vol. 1, however, this museum collection of the misadventures of Snake and Hideo Kojima’s other colourful characters is worth your time. The Metal Gear Solid 4 Database, the scripts and game guides round off this particular iteration of Snake’s story, before he returned for one last outing in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Volume 2 is a little disappointing, but to be fair, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots alone is worth the price of admission and is still an excellent game. This archival second volume completes the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection and is an essential purchase for Snake fans.