Western journalists have published the first reviews of the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2, scheduled for release on August 27, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and two generations of Nintendo Switch.
Judging by the initial reviews, Konami learned from the scandalous launch of the first part of the collection and delivered surprisingly high-quality ports. On the Metacritic aggregator, the average score reached 85 points on PlayStation 5 and 84 points on PC. Press ratings range from a solid 8 to a maximum of 10 points.
The main star of the collection — the adventures of an aging Solid Snake — has shed all the technical ailments of the original. Reviewers almost unanimously praise the performance: the game delivers a true 4K at a stable 60 frames per second without the drops that plagued players on PS3. Endless installation screens between chapters are a thing of the past thanks to modern storage.
Konami's lawyers delivered a pleasant surprise: the fourth part retains original product placement such as the iPod player, Playboy magazine, and Regain energy drinks, and the controls have been carefully adapted for modern gamepads with familiar trigger-based shooting.
In addition to the weighty numbered installment, the collection includes:
- Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker HD — a timeless co-op hit from PSP with improved textures and working online.
- Metal Gear: Ghost Babel — a rare 2D exclusive from Game Boy Color, an excellent gift for hardcore fans of the franchise.
- Metal Gear Solid 4 Database encyclopedia, digital artbooks, and full scripts for all included games.
The Japanese publisher's characteristic oddities were not absent. The main reason for criticism is the complete refusal to revive the Metal Gear Online 2 network mode, which many were looking forward to as much as the story campaign.videogameschronicle+1
Furthermore, Konami was once again too lazy to create a unified launcher: each game launches as a separate application. Critics also warn newcomers that Hideo Kojima's specific direction, with hour-and-a-half cutscenes in 2026, could cause a culture shock for unprepared audiences.