MGS HD Collection Tech Analysis

As Peter aptly stated in his recent review, the Metal Gear Saga divides gamers the world over. There are those, like me, who hold it as a pillar of the industry. A beacon which proved time and again that games could be tailored specifically for adults, challenging them with mature notions while entertaining them with sophisticated gameplay.

“I'll say this once and only once. I'm not taking out any more Metal Gears! Not rescuing any old men, or VIP. If it's a hot damsel in distress, I'll think about it.” Solid Snake [getting lonely in his old age]


Then there are those who see them as slow games bookended by laborious, self-indulgent drivel. These people are wrong.*
However there is one facet of the Metal Gear Saga which remains undisputed: Snake and Co have always, ALWAYS, represented the pinnacle, the very cutting edge of console presentation.

That’s a fact [with a capital FACT!]

So what better series for Bluepoint Games to juice up for the modern audience? Four years on and MGS4 remains among the generation’s most beautiful. So it’s about time MGS2: Sons of Liberty, MGS3: Snake Eater and MGS: Peace Walker got a spit polish.

SOUND

Sound plays a pivotal, often overlooked role in games. But it’s vital in Metal Gear Solid. From the clack of reloading clips to the shuffle of patrolling footfalls, decent audio can mean the difference between ghosting an area like a damn ninja and fleeing a half dozen armed troops with your tail between your legs.



The acoustics impress across the board, from the gentle slither of a reticulated python in Snake Eater’s Russian Jungles to the beep and whir of Peace Walker’s otherworldly death-mobiles.

Yet it sounds exceptional throughout Sons of Liberty, notably the soft clank of rubber soles on metal rails as Raiden traverses the hauntingly vacant platforms of Big Shell. The iconic ALERT claxon blares with a clarity absent in the original, while the buzz of overhead drones or the squeal of the infamous Metal Gear Ray expand the experience.

The series reputable voice acting remains a cut above, each syllable crisp and distinct. And though the infamous CODEC conversations still divide fans, the sharp (albeit peculiar) writing and earthy delivery are an aural delight.

“Snake, when you capture a monkey, yell out the password. With the password, a warp device will activate.” Colonel Campbell [Revealing a vital mission objective]

PRESENTATION

While Peace Walker was a 2010 PSP release, Snake Eater is now 8 years old while Sons of Liberty has seen 11 long years since its release. Needless to say Bluepoint Games had their work cut out for them stretching and ironing this series to an impressive 720p.

Similarly, it goes without saying Bluepoint Games nailed it!



The MGSHD Collection’s may be their finest effort to date, with vibrant visuals capable of filling TVs of all sizes! More impressively, all three titles run at 60 frames/second, converting both the gameplay and innumerable cut-scenes into gloriously silky events.

In fact, knife fighting The Boss looks so good you might forget to, you know, NOT get stabbed!
It’s not perfect, as jagged edges, rough textures and general model detail, Sons of Liberty being the biggest offender, date the bundle. However, it remains technically accomplished, as texture pop and screen tear are non-existent while buffed textures and improved particle/wave effects (rain, fire, water, EXPLOSIONS) impress.

Fittingly, series highlight Snake Eater doubles as Bluepoint’s flagship. Its visuals are SO remarkable, 2011 GOTY contenders Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Dark Souls should hang their heads, ashamed. Yes, the lush jungle setting helps, but the sheer detail in equipment, flora, fauna, whether effects and characters, sleuthing about at 60fps makes for a frankly stunning visual experience.


PREASENTATION: FACES

If Bluepoint spread their techno-wizardry evenly across the bulk of the package, they clearly kept their most potent voodoo for the facial expressions! The detail etched across the troubled visages of Snake, Raiden, Otacon and The Boss bends the mind. Nuanced, emotive, these faces, THESE EYES are astonishing across the board.


Despite humble beginnings, Sons of Liberty and Peace Walker perform admirably. But Snake Eater is nothing short of glorious, showcasing Snake's hardened resolve, EVA’s sultry looks and The Boss’ soft yet totally impenetrable exterior.
With so much of the narrative revolving around lengthy dialogue, and shocking revelations, it was a sagely decision on Bluepoint’s end to spare no effort upon the famous faces of the Metal Gear Saga.

“What the Hell?!!” Solid Snake [Last utterance in Sons of Liberty]

GAMEPLAY

Alike all HD collections, the objective is to upgrade AV presentation while retaining the original, nostalgic core mechanics. In this regard, Bluepoint and Konami have certainly taken a liberty or three... and for the better.

MGS2 plays identically to its PS2 counterpart. Unfortunately 11 years of increasingly precise controls means it won’t play as you remember. Memory is a bitch like that! The imprecision of movement is more telling of the games age than the graphics ever were.


Mercifully Snake Eater fairs far better, implementing the camera controls of the Subsistence edition. With one stick to move and another to pan the camera, it’s far easier for Snake to stalk about the fortress of Groznyj Grad than the myriad corridors of Big Shell.

A PSP conversion, Peace Walker enjoys the most substantial improvement. With the inclusion of the right analogue stick, commanding Big Boss through Peace Walker's bite size chunks of tactical espionage action is a more precise endeavour than previously. The definitive way to play.

“I love barbecues.” The Fury [On his love of barbecues]

VERDICT

In the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, Konami and Bluepoint Games have outdone themselves, making the former Two-Title template of previous bundles seem not only obsolete, but downright stingy by comparison. It helps that the games in question were bar-raisers and boundry-shovers in their day, but this doesn’t diminish this splendid re-mastering.

And for a reduced retail price, the bundle remains a viable option, as most gamers haven’t played every one of them.

Naturally, you’re personal enjoyment will be far more dependent on personal feelings on the topics of exhaustive narrative and patient gameplay. And, just as Snake peeks his camouflaged mug up from the overgrown shrubbery, the tricky issue of subjectivity rears its ugly head once more.

Me: I love Metal Gear. I love how intentionally nuts it is. I love how it’s not scared to compound quality mechanics with an expansive story. I love how it’s not scared of existentialism, high-brow science fiction, historical resonance and its own, increasingly batty lore.


I love how it treats me like an adult, and not an adolescent.

However I do have a rule with games, one I’ve touted once or twice before. Never go backward. It only leads to disappoint. But now I’m unsure.

It might be Bluepoint’s fine work, my own bias or quite simply the nostalgia talking, but with the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, it’s not disappointment I’m currently feeling.

In fact, it might be Joy....



*I jest. That’s the value of opinion, to each their own, right?**
**But they’re still wrong...