Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection

"$30? For these games? ...Did I fall asleep somewhere?"

Metal Gear Solid: has any other series about sneaking around baffled and captivated its players more than these games? Since the release of the first game in 1998, gamers have been captivated by this series. From the intricate levels of detail to the incredible (sometimes baffling) story lines, the Metal Gear Solids have always been some of the greatest games to grace the Playstation systems.

For those new to the series, Metal Gear Solid follows the story of Solid Snake (and later Raiden and Naked Snake), a retired member of an anti-terrorist unit called FOXHOUND as he is once again called into service. They are stealth games, which reward you for completing your mission without being detected. The stories are incredibly well crafted and are some of the most captivating on the market.

With the final installment of Snake's story looming around the corner, Konami decided to re release the three Metal Gear Solid games together in one bundle, some of which are the souped up versions. But is it worth it?

The first Metal Gear Solid returns for those who missed out on it the first time and are unable to find a copy of it. However, unlike rumors once announced, it is not a PS2 port of the game, it is not Integral nor is it the remade Twin Snakes version. The version packaged in this game is the 1998 US release of Metal Gear Solid for the Playstation. Unfortunately, that means if you've thrown away your old PS1 memory cards, you'll have to do some searching. The game is still incredible and worth every second you search for it, but it would have probably been a wiser decision to at least port it to PS2 (as was originally announced) or at the very least, give us Integral (which only saw stateside release on the computer).

The second Metal Gear Solid is probably the best reason to buy the compilation, if you already own the games. The version included is the upgraded Substance version, completely unchanged. For those new to the series, this contains the entire second game, as well as 300+ VR missions, 5 additional missions for Snake as well as some other bonus items that weren't included in the original game.

Metal Gear Solid 3 wasn't so lucky. The game included is the first disc of the upgraded Subsistence version, which only adds a controllable camera, as it says on the main menu. Unfortunately, because Konami was too lazy to remove the now closed online portion of the second disc, they decided to remove the disc in its entirety. This means no demo theater, no boss survival mode, no snake vs. monkey and, the worst part, the lack of the first two Metal Gears in their entirety. Including these would mean all five games would be in the collection, making it most definitive. But the main reason, Metal Gear Solid 3, is still there and it's still a wonderful game.

-GRAPHICS: 9/10

Metal Gear Solid's graphics were incredible for the time being. For 1998, a generation that was just entering 3D gaming, these graphics were incredible. Explosions that shook the screen, detailed level designs, fluid movements, you name it. The level of detail this game had for the time being was incredible and left a huge impression on the players. However, we've come a long way in 10 years and although the graphics are still pretty good, they're looking a bit dated.

Metal Gear Solid 2's graphics are still too incredible to believe it was an early PS2 game. The game retains the level of detail that the first game gave us, yet with the PS2 processing power. Everything was smooth instead of jagged, weather looked realistic, you actually started bleeding on the floor when your health was low, mouths moved when people talked, the graphics were, and still are, incredibly detailed for the PS2.

Metal Gear Solid 3 seemed to do the impossible and take it one step further. Pushing the power of the PS2 to the max, every detail shines in this game. From the buildings to the forest, everything looks great. It seriously doesn't get much better than this on PS2.

-SOUND: 10/10

All three Metal Gears have incredible sound. From the individual sounds made from the guns being fired, to the sounds made when hitting walls or breaking items, the sounds have been perfectly matched to their virtual counterparts. The voice acting is diverse and correctly conveys the emotions being portrayed at the time, drawing you into what their characters are feeling.

Every bit of sound in these games are incredible. The voice actors are diverse and do a great job conveying emotion, drawing you into their character's speech and making you feel their emotions. The sounds are all realistic as well, from the sound of a grenade bouncing on the floor to ambient drips in the caves, the sound is very well done. The music is exceptional, ranging from the soft, quiet sneaking themes to the full blown escape music. This is one soundtrack that will make you feel exactly what the game characters are feeling. Harry Gregson-Williams did an incredible job, adding the final touch to that emotional scene to put a tear in your eye.

-GAMEPLAY: 10/10

Metal Gear Solid's gameplay is top notch and pretty revolutionary for the time it came out. Instead of blasting your way to the terrorists main leader, narrowly escaping death and saving the girl, you have to sneak around, unnoticed, gathering clues and stealthily taking out the terrorists. The game actually rewards you for remaining undetected and sparing innocents. However, that's not to say it isn't fun, nor is it the path you have to take either. If you prefer, you can still pull the old John McClaine route, but it will be a lot harder, especially on higher difficulties. But when I say stealth, I mean stealth. Leaving footprints in the snow or in water will attract the attention of guards, as well as making noises such as
firing a gun. The game also features some very memorable boss battles (which I won't ruin for you but I will say they're awesome). The controls are simple, making them easy to learn so you can go ahead and play instead of taking long tutorials. Plus, in addition to the 20+ hour game, you have several "training" missions, which pit you in a virtual realm which is best suited to a specific type of training, such as weapons training or sneaking. The camera is fixed, which puts even more of an
emphasis on stealth, requiring you to peer around corners to see what's ahead, etc. Overall, it's an incredibly fun game. The only thing that detracts from this is the lack of first person aiming, as seen in the sequels as it's become quite helpful and almost necessary. Other than that, the gameplay is perfect.

Metal Gear Solid 2's gameplay retains the "stealth is better than action" feel as the first one while introducing new concepts, some of which have spoiled me. The ability to use weapons while in first person camera, rolling, holding up guards for dog tags, hanging off ledges, etc. It makes for a much more fun experience and adds some side missions as well. The camera from the first game remains the same, which can be looked at as a pro or con. It also adds in tranquilizer versions of your favorite guns as well as stamina meters for bosses, which allows you to simply knock people out, rather than kill
them. The controls are still very simple, even when switching from first person to third person, which was integrated flawlessly. Also returning from the first game is the VR misssions, now 300+ of them divided across several characters. Overall, the gameplay is the same as the first game with a few necessary tweaks, which still makes it incredible.

Metal Gear Solid 3's gameplay takes what you love from the second game and adds in new abilities that better suit the jungle atmosphere of the game. For example, you can now use weapons while hanging, use camouflage to blend into the background, item limits, etc. They added the ability to use the static view from the first two games, or a new 3D camera which allowed you to control it. However, there are three new additions that are worth mentioning. First, the new CQC combat system. By pressing buttons with different amounts of pressure, you'll execute different moves. For example, while pressing the circle button while holding a guard still chokes the victim, pressing circle hard will make Snake slit their throat. Second is the stamina bar. Snake needs to eat in order to keep conscious and he can get food from the surrounding plants and animals. Lastly is the medical system. If you get hurt too bad, you can break bones, get rashes, etc which you need to fix yourself, or they'll decrease your maximum possible life. Overall, the new additions are more than welcome and make for a wonderful game experience while keeping the same feel from the first two games.

-STORY: 10/10

If it were possible, I'd give this a 15/10. Incredible is too dull a word to use in this case. The games are very story-heavy and are very cinematic, using diverse camera angles and facial expressions to convey a point, sometimes to the point where you feel like you are watching a movie.

The basics of the first game are as follows: you are Solid Snake, a retired member of the anti-terrorist group FOXHOUND. However, a group of terrorists calling themselves FOXHOUND have acquired nukes and are planning on launching them if they don't get a large amount of money and the remains of Big Boss, the antagonist from the first two games. Throughout the way are many plot twists and emotional encounters, along with a message to the players: life isn't about passing on genes, it's about your experiences. This game, in my opinion, has the best storyline found in a game, ever. You will not be disappointed.

The second game has a great storyline as well, although it's incredibly confusing. You return as Snake, now a member of a pacifist group called "Philanthropy", who has to infiltrate a tanker and obtain news about a new metal gear. More plot twists, as well as the huge shock of having to play as the newcomer Raiden for the majority of the game. The game also deals with constant reoccurring themes and has a message to share as well.

The third game, instead of continuing the storyline, takes us back to before the first game started and lets us play as Naked Snake, a short period of time after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Your job is to infiltrate Soviet Russia and aid in the escape of a scientist, but later evolves into so much more. It shows how current groups were founded, why certain characters did what they did and at the same time, provides an interesting, unique and unrivaled experience. As with the first two games, this one also has a constant theme: patriotism. It's not one to pass up.

-REPLAY VALUE: 10/10

First of all, the stories alone is worth playing through a few times, just to grasp the whole of it, as well as to experience it one more time. However, if that's still not enough, consider all the extras the games have to offer. Metal Gear Solid has multiple endings which allow you to unlock new items, as well as new costumes and several VR missions to complete. Metal Gear Solid 2 has additional missions, dog tags, 300+ VR missions and a skateboarding mode to boot. Metal Gear Solid 3 has different items to collect and multiple ways to do it. If that's still not enough, consider all the hidden easter eggs in
all three volumes and you'll never put it down.

-OVERALL: 10/10

For thirty bucks, unless you own all three special editions already, this offer is too good to pass up. All three incredible games (two of which are becoming rare) are included in this set, each in a DVD case with brand new artwork. Each game alone is worth the price and although it would have been nice to have Twin Snakes and the second Subsistence disc, this is still one heck of a deal (especially if you're new to the series) and worth every penny you may spend to own three of the best games in existence, and my personal favorites.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/07/08

Game Release: Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection (US, 03/18/08)