Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 Announced With Release Date (and It Frees MGS4 From the PS3)

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Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 will contain Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of Patriots, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, and, unexpectedly, Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel, as well as a digital soundtrack. This bundle will come out on August 27th for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2 at an undisclosed price. The original collection was $59.99, but it also included one more full game (and a few extra “bonus” games, too).

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 Will Finally (Legally) Free MGS4 From Its PS3 Prison

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As shown by the above trailer, 2008’s MGS4 is finally being released on a system outside of the PS3. The notoriously hard-to-emulate system has meant this seminal title hasn’t been widely playable on other hardware, as PS3 backwards compatibility on future PlayStation consoles is limited to streaming and PS3 emulation on PC isn’t foolproof. Konami stated this version will have a higher internal resolution, a better maximum frame rate, and customizable controller settings. There’s no word on how it will handle the lengthy installs from the original, though, or if the meta PS3-specific lines will make it through unchanged.

Peace Walker first came to the PSP in 2010 and was also in 2011’s Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection for the PS3 and Xbox 360, which is the version that will be in Master Collection Vol. 2. This cooperative-focused part of the Big Boss saga will include customizable button inputs and retain the online co-op and competitive multiplayer modes from the original.

Ghost Babel is probably the least well-known of the three, as it came to the Game Boy Color in 2000. It takes place in an alternate continuity seven years after the original 1987 game. This isometric title is like a combination of Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear with its camera angle and collection of mechanics that pull from both eras. This new port will include screen filters, a rewind function, and customizable controls.

Those who pre-order the bundle will receive in-game items for MGS4 and Peace Walker: cardboard camo for the former and the Love Box uniform for the latter. Players with save data from Master Collection Vol. 1 will receive Gold Camo in MGS4 and the Gold uniform for Peace Walker. Master Collection Vol. 1 also just received an update that increases the resolution of the gameplay and text, something it was criticized for back when it launched in 2023 and is an aspect Konami has slowly been improving since.

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