Summary

  • The Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is a treasure trove of classic gaming moments from one of the most impactful franchises, despite its flaws.
  • Metal Gear Solid 2's bait-and-switch, where players start as Snake and then switch to Raiden, is one of the biggest surprises in gaming and would be difficult to pull off today.
  • While some players disliked Raiden, his perception improved in later games, and Metal Gear Solid 2's protagonist switch remains an incomparable gaming surprise.

Although it's not without its share of issues, the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is a veritable goldmine of classic gaming moments from one of the medium's most impactful franchises. The first three Metal Gear Solid games all represent time capsules of a bygone era of gaming, complete with the cinematic flair and high levels of strangeness that Metal Gear mastermind Hideo Kojima is known for. Perhaps no other iconic moment included in the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is as surprising as the incredible bait-and-switch that Metal Gear Solid 2 pulls on players by switching up the game's protagonist.

After providing plenty of promotional material for the game and a demo included with the retail release of Zone of the Enders that saw players controlling Snake, Metal Gear Solid fans were eager to get to play as the legendary soldier once again with the benefit of advanced hardware. In its time, Metal Gear Solid 2 was like a dream come true, a full realization of the promise that the original Metal Gear Solid represented, and Kojima keeping the game's true protagonist secret is one of the biggest twists in gaming. In the age of leaks and internet dissection and analysis of titles leading up to their release, it's also one that would be much harder to pull off today.

Metal Gear Solid 2's Big Twist is Just One of Several Memorable Series Moments

While the bait-and-switch of starting Metal Gear Solid 2 as Snake and then spending most of the game playing as Raiden is arguably one of the biggest surprises in a series known for them, there are plenty of other moments encapsulated in the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection that highlight Kojima's willingness to toy with his audience. Even before Metal Gear Solid 2's big twist, there's the iconic fight with Psycho Mantis in the original Metal Gear Solid where the boss reads players' memory cards and remarks on their gaming habits if any other Konami-published titles happen to be present.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is both the best game in the series and the one where Kojima turns the strangeness up to 11. Most of the game's bosses are series standouts, which says a lot given the caliber of series boss enemies. Perhaps most notable among these is the Metal Gear Solid fight against The End, in which players can manipulate their console's in-game clock to speed up time and have the foe die of old age before ever having to engage him in battle. Given Kojima's penchant for toying with the perception and expectation of the player, the benefit of hindsight shows gamers should have expected no less than for Metal Gear Solid 2 to unexpectedly switch up something as important as its hero.

The Lasting Impact of Raiden as a Core Metal Gear Character

Raiden sizing up his opponent

The unfortunate effect of players hoping to play as Solid Snake once again and being forced to control Raiden was that many strongly disliked the character. Compared to Snake, he's not nearly as iconic or as confident, and the final hours of Metal Gear Solid 2's bonkers ending do little to redeem his stature as a bona fide hero. Thankfully, perception of Raiden has improved dramatically in the years following Sons of Liberty's release thanks to how the character is fleshed out and given more development in both Metal Gear Solid 4 and Metal Gear Rising.

The original packaging for Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty goes to great lengths to hide the true nature of the protagonist and doesn't feature any screenshots or artwork including Raiden, and the lead-up to the game's release kept the hero's identity a well-guarded secret. Other games in recent years have attempted to switch up their protagonists with varying degrees of success, but each of these changes was either well-telegraphed or leaked prior to release. Metal Gear Solid 2's bait-and-switch, by comparison, is an instance of an inimitable gaming surprise.

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Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 Tag Page Cover Art

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1
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Action
Stealth
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Systems
super greyscale 8-bit logo PC-1 PlayStation-1 Xbox-1
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Top Critic Avg: 73 /100 Critics Rec: 62%
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Released
October 24, 2023
ESRB
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
Konami
Publisher(s)
Konami
Engine
Unity
Franchise
Metal Gear
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Released in 1998, this was the first 3D title in the METAL GEAR series. The game pioneers 3D stealth action against the threat of war and global nuclear weapons, using live action footage, cinematic cut scenes, interwoven with innovative gameplay.

The storyline, a whirlwind of intrigue and betrayal, has been hailed as the greatest story of the 20th century and was the third title in the METAL GEAR series to become a hit in subsequent years.

Also included: Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, an exclusive digital Screenplay Book and Master Book that details the story and characters in Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear & Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake.

Genre(s)
Action, Stealth