Metal Gear Solid HD Collection

The sheer immensity of this collection continues to astound me, and while price should by no means be the ultimate deciding factor in a review, with the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, it's impossible to ignore. Simply put, this single disc will keep you highly entertained for several staycations to come.

In summary this is a series that anyone who loves great games MUST buy simply to see what great storytelling, intricate plots, grandiose design and a masterful attention to detail can achieve. The older control system might initially annoy younger gamers but after a short time the layout becomes second nature. It's a shame that the first Metal Gear title isn't on here as it fills in some big story holes but nonetheless Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is a must have title, and one that any and all gamers will be very happy that they took the time to experience.

One of the most obvious 'must buy' releases of this generation.

Features three different Metal Gear Solid games that have been improved graphically quite a bit. However, the basic gameplay remains unchanged, so there aren't any new changes to the old formula. This is only a good thing if you like the series' stealth action style of play but a very bad thing if you just hate sneaking around and prefer shooting your enemies. Nevertheless, even without any big changes this is still a great collection of some really good games for fans of the series. [March 2012]

Three games, one box and a hundred incredible game moments for 40 quid. Great value. [Feb 2012, p.88]

If you've never played these classics, you owe it to yourself to run out and pick up a copy this instant. If you've played them before, this is a budget-priced return to some of the most influential video games ever made. Either way, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is $50 you won't regret spending.

A loving package. [Feb 2012, p.80]

All in all, and as you might've expected, we have to recommend that you add this to your library. Rapidly.

As far as HD collections go, this one is packed to the gills. A $40 price tag like ICO had would have been a little sweeter, but at $50 you're still getting five amazing games (don't forget MG1 and 2) for less than a new release would cost. The fact that this includes (most of) the Substance and Subsistence versions, coupled with Peace Walker being available in a far more refined form, makes it a rare instance of a collection you might want to purchase even if you already have some or all of the originals.

In the Metal Gear Solid – HD Collection fans and newbies alike will find an almost perfect adaption of the classic games.

The games have aged well even though the restrictions of the PSP are quite apparent in Peace Walker. The HD update works great even though the texture resolution is a bit poor. The camerawork, overall design, music, voice over work, controls and storytelling is still a notch over what most of todays games have. Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection is a must have. Both for fans of the series and the uninitiated. Remember to buy the first Metal Gear Solid on PSN first though.

Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection is more than a convincing argument to upgrade from your old PlayStation 2 copies. It's an essential title in the library of anyone interested in narrative-lead gaming.

This HD collection offers almost everything that you could ask for. It's a fantastic product that allows you to have three timeless classics for trivial price.

The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is a must have for fans of the series and newcomers alike. Did you really expect anything different?

This collection brings three classic games back to life with updated HD graphics. These games has passed the test of time well, but where is Metal Gear Solid for the PS1?

Although the first MGS game, especially story-wise, is really missing from this collection, you can't overlook the overall quality of the package. A must have for fans and newcomers in Kojima's franchise alike.

Conflicts aside, I can't help but think that everyone should have this collection, but maybe that's just me.

Even with the lack of updated controls in two of the three titles, the intriguing storylines and updated graphics are well worth a look, giving you enough reason to sneak past the drawbacks.

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is a no brainer purchase. [January 2012, p.72]

A great compilation that nobody who loves videogames should miss.

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is definitely an huge collection, a quality and videogame culture rich one that should not be left out from any videogamer private collection. Series veterans and newcomers now have the opportunity to experience these games in HD.

Kojima's oeuvre is as bold as it is hokey, and for all its faults this is an engaging universe that is never dull except for when it is.

As with many other HD collections, this triple-pack offers the definitive way to play some truly classic titles. Series veterans and newcomers now have the opportunity to experience these games in HD, and it shouldn't be missed.

Despite its age, Metal Gear Solid HD still does bang-up stealth, and couples it with some of the maddest storytelling ever pressed to disc. Still essential. [Feb 2012, p.100]

Graphics age and controls grow outdated, but genius never fades. [Jan 2012, p.85]

There's enough in this collection to keep you busy for many sneaking, box-hiding, and bad guy eliminating hours.

All three titles have been given visual facelifts and their execution on today's gaming systems is excellent.

Despite some missing pieces, Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection is a good value for fans of the series and those who like stealth games.

As an overall package, the quality and quantity on offer here is irresistible. Slightly smudgy textures and some framerate issues mean these HD upgrades don't match the lofty restoration work seen in the Ico/Shadow Of The Colossus HD combo – yet when it comes to supreme stealthy fun, Snake's collection remains Solid gold.

The transition into HD isn't as good as it could have been, but you're still getting three of the best games in the series - of all-time even - on one disc for one low price. If that doesn't make an exclamation point appear above your head, I don't know what will.

Metal Gear Solid is a potpourri of ideas that insists you take the good with the bad. Certainly indulgent, it's also melancholy, exhilarating, clever, and ludicrous. It's never entirely clear what, if anything, Kojima and company are taking seriously - and the end result, in this collection, is a fascinating chronicle of one of video games' strangest successes.

The fight against The Boss, Colonel Campbell going nuts, the haunting tune as Chrysalis flies by – these are the kind of memorable events that define Metal Gear, and they are just as awesome as you remember.

Melodramatic monologues and clunky controls aside, there isn't a whole lot else I can say about the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection outside of this: if you loved these three gruff, gravel-voiced games on their original releases, or missed them the first time around, they're certainly worth adding (or re-adding, or, if you're like me, re-re-adding) to your library.

The controls, stories and content so many fell in love with years ago are here, but time shows up as Solid Snake's greatest enemy.

If it weren't for the omission of the original Metal Gear Solid, this would probably be the prototype HD collection that all publishers should aspire to emulate. These games have withstood the test of time, and all of the enhancements and extras ensure these are the definitive versions. If you passed on these games before, there's no excuse this time.

Kojima-san spent most of his childhood in front of the television and always wanted to be a movie director. Even though he might not have made it to Hollywood, his genius and cinematic talent are what made this series and its characters so iconic. [March 2012, p.90]

Even if we would have preferred the first chapter instead of the more recent PSP title, this collection contains one of the most important legacies of the videogame industry to old gamers and new generations.

The dated graphics can't stop a great storyline from being great.

Despite the years, Metal Gear Solid saga is still great, and this HD Collection is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the best adventures from Snake. If you have never played these games, these are a must have, but if you have the originals it's a recommended purchase.

And there you have it: three Metal Gear Solid games for your HD console, updated with care, and still with all the elements of the series you may love or despise. The lack of the original MGS is, once again, really stupid. But otherwise, if you're a fan of these games, you shouldn't hesitate in grabbing these versions if you're looking to play them again.

Engrossing, challenging and exciting entertainment, spiced up with a solid dosage of humor and kitsch. A blast from the past that still holds up today, if you know what you're getting into.

The games on this disc aren't altered that much, but Metal Gear Solid 2, 3 and Peace Walker are still amongst the best action games you can play right now. Still, the first Metal Gear Solid is the best game in the series and is truly missed here.

One of the best classics collections in years. [March 2012, p.62]

A typically awful boxed set for such an influential series, but the games themselves work well in HD and this is still a useful primer for the series.

This franchise, like no other, is a conglomerate of almost indescribable uniques, which sometimes take themselves a little bit too serious, sometimes not serious enough, but will never fail to captivate.

Quotation forthcoming.

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is your best chance to replay, or play for the first time in case you hadn't before, three of the best games in videogames' history. It's a very good HD port, the best you can do while being faithful to the original games, and it inclues the original MSX2 games and Peace Walker's online modes.

Sporting three all-time classics and two retro gems - all for the price of an average new release - the compilation represents unbelievable value for money.