It’s High Time That Metal Gear Solid 4 Is Freed From Its Prison

Classic titles jailed in ancient prisons are a story we’ve all heard before. Game preservation has been a hot topic for many years now and with that in mind, I believe it’s finally time for Konami to do the right thing.

Free Metal Gear Solid 4 from its prison.

But wait a minute. I’m not someone who likes to count their chickens before they hatch but there’s a good chance that it’s about to happen. Here’s why …

The Master Collection Is A Full Series; MGS4 Might Be In Vol. 2

Yes, you read that right. I know it sounds too good to be true and we fans all knew somewhere in our minds that Vol. 1 of the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection was just the beginning but hear me out: There’s a message on Konami’s official website that piques my interest.

Again, I don’t count my chickens until I see the chicks walking around all healthy. But I’ll think twice when there’s a notice like that right in front of me.

As part of God’s plan, Konami came back to its senses a while back. It halted the deep dive into Pachinko machines and refocused its efforts on gaming. Despite the lack of some quality-of-life, accessibility features, and horrid pricing, the company released Vol. 1 of the Metal Gear Master Collection.

While I wholeheartedly question the amount of effort that went into it, I can’t help but be glad that the company that owns the IP finally gave Metal Gear the right kind of attention. I’ll never forget the atrocity known as Survive and that whole Phantom Pain arc. 

Ultimately, I’m a consumer and I speak with my wallet. I love Metal Gear and will support every entry that’s true to the series’ soul while rejecting those that belong in the pile.

Coming back to Vol. 2 and looking at the chronology of Metal Gear games & their significance, there’s a high chance for Guns of the Patriots to be in the second part alongside other titles such as The Twin Snakes, Portable Ops, and Peace Walker.

And I couldn’t be happier. MGS4 is a prominent part of my life and a work of art by all measures, and this isn’t bias speaking. 

Metal Gear Solid 4 Is A Masterpiece

There’s nothing better for a fan of a long-running saga than a conclusion up to par and that’s exactly what Metal Gear Solid 4 is.

Snake in Metal Gear Solid 4 is at the epitome of his character development.

Nine years after discovering Metal Gear Solid and going through Sons of the Liberty, Snake Eater, and the original Metal Gear duology, I got my hands on Guns of the Patriots. Ready to witness the final chapter in the life of Solid Snake, I dived in and I’m glad I did.

The series is infamous for its abnormally long cutscenes. Now before you raise your pitchforks, read this carefully. Metal Gear Solid 4 does have a full movie on offer which many outlets criticized. Players unfamiliar with the franchise also said the same.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots has a single continuous cutscene that’s over 70 minutes long, and over 8 hours of cutscenes in total. This makes it one of the longest movies ever made, with some people still mysteriously referring to it as “a video game.”
byu/tdsjay inmetalgearsolid

However, is it really a flaw when the quality of said cutscenes along with the context is so high up on the scale that you can’t help but shed a tear? I shed quite a few during the story and I’m not afraid to admit it. 

To this day, I fondly remember Raiden pushing past his limits to stop Outer Haven. Not only does he dislocate his shoulder, he amputates his arm to crawl out of the rubble before stabbing himself in the foot to buy Snake some time.

That’s just one of the many moments in Guns of the Patriots that have an impact I can’t put into words. Going through the microwave corridor, Raiden’s return, and the final sendoff. 

It’s a sin for this game to have been trapped on the PlayStation 3 for almost two decades.

Plus, with how influential it was back in the day in terms of driving the console’s sales, I’m confused about why it wasn’t remastered for the PS4. Perhaps it was due to Konami being busy with Kojima, Phantom Pain, and Pachinkos, yes.

I Just Hope It’s Not A Butchered Experience Like Vol. 1

Honestly, charging 60 bucks for games as old as this and without up-to-par quality-of-life features is a travesty of unforeseen proportions. On one hand, Konami won a few points for going through with this but on the flip side, the obvious lack of effort is kind of a blow under the belt in my eyes.

I can’t ignore the facts though. It’s clear that Metal Gear is on track to get a revival of some kind. My only hope is that it’s treated right. Konami’s practices over the last decade have dealt fatal damage to its reputation.

Aside from the price tag, Vol. 1 of the Master Collection launched with a ton of problems. Initially lacking keyboard and mouse support, the games even had stone-age FPS. With how much money the industry pours into overrated technology, I believe allocating funds toward smoother performance should be easy.

Especially if you’re re-releasing games from console generations before 2006.

But hey, at least they added some features as time went on so maybe it’s not all so bad after all. Fingers crossed for Metal Gear Solid 4. It’s a masterpiece and needs to be treated the right way—free from performance hiccups, corporate greed, and modern-day agenda peddlers.