With Alex trying something a little different in last week’s WeView, this week we’re going to use the winner of last week’s poll. Don’t let the temporal distortion confuse you, all it means is that this week’s WeView is for the Metal Gear Sold HD Collection. This lovely bundle, featuring Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, is something I’ve been meaning to pick up for a while. I absolutely loved MGS and MGS2, and a chance to replay MGS2 would be greatly appreciated.
I never got round to MGS 3, and didn’t own a PSP to play to Peace Walker on, although they don’t really hold much appeal. MGS4 falls into a similar category, it just doesn’t interest or excite me in the same ways that the first two Metal Gear Solid games did.
Back to the HD Collection though, and it was Alex who took a look at it on the home consoles and also gave us a less formal take on the Vita version. They’re brilliant games in their own right, so it wasn’t much of a surprise that the home console version came in at 9/10. There were a few issues, largely surrounding the now aged controls, but it’s easy to see why these didn’t detract from the games much. Here’s what he had to say:
Hardcore Metal Gear Solid fans will either have this ordered or imported already, the eager customer base a ready market. Everyone else can rest easy in the knowledge that this is a solid package containing plenty of gameplay that’ll last you much longer than most of the fluff that peppers the store shelves these days. Conflicts aside, I can’t help but think that everyone should have this collection, but maybe that’s just me.
As for the Vita version Alex bemoaned the lack of Peace Walker, although noted that even with it missing you’re still left with two absolutely brilliant titles as well as the MSX Metal Gear games. No, it’s not quite as good as the home console version, but it’s hardly bad either. As Alex put it “It’s not perfect, no, but for Vita fans it’s great value (it’s available for around £25) and absolutely warrants your attention.”
So the only question left to ask is what you thought of the game. You’re free to leave your opinion on the home console version or the Vita edition, although it would be handy if you let us know just what version you’re basing your opinion on, particularly given the differences in content. We welcome the whole range of opinions in WeView, so it doesn’t matter if you loved, hated or we indifferent towards the HD Collection, you can still take part by dropping a comment below.
All we ask is that, apart from your comment, you attach a rating to the game. On WeView we use the Buy It, Bargain Bin It, Rent It, Avoid It scale, so all you need to do is pick whichever category fits your opinion of the game and add it to your comment. If you feel like taking part remember that you need to get your comment in by Sunday afternoon if you want to be included in Monday’s verdict piece.
mcphatty
I’ll echo Youles in my love for Peace Walker. I happily sank 90 hours into it on the PS3, probably another 20 on the PSP, all of them frustrating but ultimately joyously satisfying. The dual analog support and nicely sharpened graphics make it a superb port, it’s a serious challenge that would probably have the Dalai Lama spitting feathers in the later Extra Ops missions. There’s got to be at least another 150 hours of sneaking to be had in the other four games too, plus the ludicrous plots that’ll have you curiously beavering away on Wikipedia for days, so I’d say its a safe investment for when the inevitable nostalgia pang strikes. Buy It.
The only gutting omission is MGS1, but if you can get the discs off eBay they’ll fit nicely in a CD sleeve behind the manual (which isn’t too fat) and the box will still close nicely on your slightly more complete collection, hurrah!
PoorPaddy89
By God, this is an easy one – BUY IT! Three incredible games on one disc? I’d happily pay full retail for each one individually, so this is a great bargain. I have both collections – on PS3 and Vita. I’m perfectly comfortable with the controls on PS3 (though going from playing 2/3 to can shake you up for an hour), but on Vita it’s a little messy. The weapon/item select isn’t brilliant, but isn’t particularly awful. And tiptoeing/peeking on Vita with the back panel doesn’t work anywhere near as well as on PS3 with R2/L2.
On Vita, this is an 8/10, let down by some messy controls and iffy load times. On PS3 (and I guess 360 too), it goes to 11.
stueeeee
As a long time MGS fan I would definitely say BUY IT. This is because u can’t describe the feeling of nostalgia when u return to mgs2 and snake eater, especially when u see what a great up scale they’ve done to it. They look just as good if not better than I remember the , especially snake eater.
The Vita edition I also have, but am less of a fan of. Lack of PW and a little less sheen to it. If u get the uk ps3 & vita version (unlike me) u can earn trophies on one console and unlock the same ones on the other leading to a double platinum. I made the mistake of getting the us ps3 version so my cloud save corrupts but that’s my own fault I guess.
Overall, an impressive package if u like the MGS series as a whole, or have played MGS4 and need to know what the hell happened before. Once again, BUY IT.
element666
Buy it! Its metal gear! That is all.