The remaster of Metal Gear Solid 4 is finally coming to current gen consoles this August as part of Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol 2. A recent reveal of gameplay not only showed off the enhanced graphics, but also suggests that many in-jokes and brand tie-ins from the 2008 original will still be found in MGS4’s wartorn future.
Over the weekend, Japanese freelance writer Mafia Kajita and voice actor Yuichi Nakamura played through Act 1 of the upcoming Master Collection Vol. 2 version of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots on their popular YouTube channel (Fun fact: Nakamura played Kevin in the Japanese version of Metal Gear Rising: Revengence).
Right at the start, there is an infamous tongue-in-cheek joke in the cutscene where the Geckos hunt for Snake. Fans will be pleased to know that the meme-able scene still has the “No place for Hideo” quip on the watermelon-filled cardboard box, which gets stomped on by the Geckos. However, the url for Kojima’s blog, which was also hidden on the box in the original MGS4, has been removed from the Master Collection version (likely because the page no longer exists).
Among the items that Snake could stuff in his pack in the original MGS4 was an original iPod- allowing you to listen to a bunch of tunes and even podcasts that you could find scattered throughout the game. From the demo playthrough, it seems that Apple have okayed the iPod being in the Master Collection, though it’s not clear at the time of writing whether all of the same tracks will be available to hunt down in the game.
Other items that show up in the MGS4 livestream playthrough include a Playboy magazine (for distracting enemy soldiers) and bottles of Regain 24, a Japanese brand of energy drink that MGS4 had a promotional tie-in with back in the day. The joke fake brand, Hide-chan Ramen, also seems like it will still be in the game. However, it is worth noting that Kajita and Nakamura played through a demo version, with the usual disclaimer that the content is subject to change.
The graphics for this enhanced MGS4 re-release are much sharper than the PS3 original, making it much easier to make out minute details in the surroundings and on character models. Especially noticeable is that small logos and writing, such as “Snake Eye” on Old Snake’s bionic eyepatch, are consistently readable, instead of the slightly blurry textures of the original. The original game also had a stylized, gritty yellow tint that got nicknamed ‘the piss filter’- this has been replaced in favor of a more natural, realistic look.
Upon its release, Master Collection vol. 1 caused some disappointment among fans for missing content from the original games. For example, the Master Collection of MGS3 failed to include the Subsistence Secret Theater and the Ape Escape tie-in minigame, Snake vs. Monkey (although with the MGS3 remake, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, these extras got added back in). It remains to be seen whether this current gen remaster of MGS4 contains all the secrets of the original PS3 release, and whether Master Collection Vol 2 manages to have a smooth, performance issue-free release across all platforms. Konami previously said it is being more careful with Vol. 2 to avoid the rough launch that Vol. 1 had.
Image credit: YouTube / Washagana TV.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.
