REVIEW – Eighteen years. That’s how long it took for this game, which had been a PS3 exclusive until now, to finally become multiplatform. However, this doesn’t diminish MGS4‘s value: it’s still the high-quality game we’ve come to expect from the franchise, though with a slight twist—Solid Snake is, to put it mildly, getting on in years. Despite this, it’s just as sophisticated as the first (and, to some extent, second) MGS installment. So, how does Kojima’s game hold up in 2026?

It’s no longer accurate to say that Konami tailored the game so heavily to the PS3’s Cell processor that it couldn’t be ported elsewhere. That’s a good thing, though it was possible to emulate it before. But let’s not get into that.

Six Years After MGS2

The game is the finale of the franchise in terms of the story. War has engulfed the world, and many people make a living off military contracts. Everything has become a war zone. At the top of it all is Liquid Ocelot, who controls the five largest private military companies. Snake has already retired, but he’s been sent back into action. Due to accelerated aging, he’s aged considerably in six years. This makes the character, now known as Old Snake, more human and relatable. He’s in poor health, which is precisely why stealth plays a bigger role. With the OctoCam, we can easily blend into the environment, saving lives in large urban areas.

Fortunately, it runs smoothly now. On the PS3, the frame rate could be as low as the twenties, but in the Master Collection Vol. 2, it consistently hits sixty. This makes the gameplay more dynamic and makes Snake’s movement and combat feel more responsive, creating a more polished overall experience. Even though the game is from 2008, it still holds its own today! The ruined environments and detailed character models are all properly animated. It’s clear that this game was made with love, not just for money (ahem, Metal Gear Survive, ahem, ahem…).

But alongside the gameplay, there are also plenty of cutscenes. A lot of them. Hideo Kojima has always wanted a more cinematic experience, and he achieved that with MGS4. There are over eight hours of cutscenes with fantastic choreography. The story is multi-layered and features nuanced details within those layers, and these scenes really bring it to life. And yes, there are plot twists, too. Even if we were to watch just the cutscenes, which are available on YouTube, the experience Konami created in 2008 is still remarkable!

The 2026 version hasn’t been unnecessarily modernized. You’ll see an iPod here and a PS3 there; they’re still visible. Most of the licensed products have returned from the past. However, the installation menu, which wasn’t used by a PS3 game, was left out. Anyone curious about how Snake smokes a cigarette definitely missed out.

Can we criticize MGS4 for changing its pace and approach after an explosive start in the Middle East and South America as if it were veering off course? It’s worth examining this in more detail because it can’t be answered in a single sentence.

The Strange Lord of Cells

At the beginning of the game, stealth lets you manipulate conflicts between private military forces and rebels, even on the battlefield! This is useful in the first act. It’s useful in the second act, too. But in the third act, we end up following Vaak instead. The fourth act is still very good, especially the final boss fight and the way the chapter begins. There’s a bit of a dip in the game, dare we say, in its polish. It’s a shame that the new and exciting gameplay elements fall by the wayside.

One negative stands out, though: Metal Gear Online is missing! There’s no way to play online. We could sarcastically say that FoxDie finished it off before Solid Snake could bite the dust because of it. Also, the fact that the game is available on new platforms doesn’t mean the gameplay has become more modern. After MGSV, it takes some time to get used to the controls and Old Snake’s limitations.

It’s Legendary, but Still Not Perfect

If we were to evaluate Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots purely as a PlayStation 3 game, it would undoubtedly score around 9–9.5/10. Back in 2008, that was an incredibly high score. However, in 2026, as part of the Master Collection Vol. 2, it has lost some of its luster. That doesn’t mean we look down on it, though, because of the 8.5/10 score.

The absence of Metal Gear Online and the fact that familiarity with the storylines of the previous three MGS games is still essential have lowered its rating. Yes, if you’re not familiar with the story so far, you won’t have the slightest clue what’s going on here. Still, it’s a masterpiece that we can now play in 4K at 60 FPS. It tugs at your heartstrings, sweeps you away, and is simply magnificent.

Of course, you can’t judge the collection based on this alone because there’s also Peace Walker for the PSP and Ghost Babel for the GBC. However, we won’t discuss those here. We’ll focus on how Snake delves into the past while hinting at the future. That’s why Kojima is a genius.

-Gergely Herpai „BadSector”-

Publisher: Konami

Developer: Konami

Genre: Stealth, TPS

Release: August 27, 2026