Metal Gear Solid 4 arrives on PC and modern consoles
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Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 has now launched, bringing the long-divisive Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots to PC and modern consoles for the first time since its 2008 PlayStation 3 debut, alongside Peace Walker and the previously unreleased-outside-Japan Metal Gear: Ghost Babel. A fresh wave of reviews confirms strong overall reception, with Metacritic and OpenCritic scores of 85 and 84 respectively, as critics welcome the chance to revisit a title long considered inaccessible, even as they flag its self-indulgent pacing and heavy reliance on lengthy cutscenes.
Reviewers largely agree the game remains a fascinating, prescient work despite its flaws, with the new 4K, 60fps presentation marking a clear technical improvement over the original. Polygon called it "the year's most necessary game release" for its unusually blunt anti-war commentary, Kotaku framed it as a raw, metafictional reckoning by creator Hideo Kojima with his own series, and PC Gamer highlighted how its blend of stealth and heavy combat still feels distinctive today. VGC noted the collection's value extends beyond MGS4, praising Ghost Babel's first-ever rerelease and Peace Walker's inclusion as essential context for the wider franchise, while critics generally agreed Konami's remastering work, though basic, preserves the games faithfully and effectively.
- MGS4 finally playable on PC and modern consoles after years of PS3 exclusivity.
- Master Collection Vol. 2 scores well: 85 Metacritic, 84 OpenCritic.
- Bundle also includes Peace Walker and rare rerelease Ghost Babel.
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Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots first came out in 2008 as an exclusive title for Sony's PlayStation 3, part of Hideo Kojima's long-running Metal Gear series of stealth-action games. It followed an ageing version of series hero Solid Snake through a story dealing with private military companies, drone warfare and the ethics of modern conflict. Because it never appeared on other platforms, it became one of the best-known "PlayStation exclusive" games never to be widely replayed by newer audiences.
The game has now been made available on PC and current-generation consoles as part of a bundle called the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection: Vol. 2, which also includes two other older Metal Gear titles. This matters partly because it lets a much wider audience play a historically significant game for the first time, and partly because it comes soon after Sony closed down the PS3's online store, making older PS3-only games harder to access through official channels.
Discussion around the re-release tends to focus on two things: how well a game designed for 2008 hardware and pacing holds up by today's standards, and how relevant its themes around drones, private military contractors and technology in warfare still feel almost two decades later.
Coverage
- Polygon — There Will Never Be Another Game Like Metal Gear Solid 4
- GameSpot — Metal Gear Solid 4 escapes PS3 exclusivity in new collection