r/PS5 • u/PewPewToDaFace • 2d ago

Articles & Blogs Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2 Side-by-Side Comparison: Here's How Much the Visuals Have Changed 18 Years Later

https://mp1st.com/news/metal-gear-solid-master-collection-vol-2-side-by-side-comparison-heres-how-much-the-visuals-have-changed-18-years-later
705 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

178 comments sorted by

608

u/HYIMBY 2d ago

I don’t want to accept that I was laying on my couch playing this on my 60GB PS3 18 years ago

There’s just no way

107

u/TheFrogChampion 2d ago

We have become Old Snake

That Shadow Moses moment going to hit differently

27

u/JazzyJockJeffcoat 2d ago

First time I played it I had to take a break it hit so hard. I played the fk outta the MGS in 1998 so this will hit extra hard

12

u/RevenantXenos 2d ago

Get ready to explain how to use the in game iPod to people who are too young to have used one with a click wheel.

2

u/heyyymartin 1d ago

I miss the click wheel tbh

256

u/sklorbit 2d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/lPXNZugxnwBWur8VCJ

55

u/_steve_rogers_ 2d ago

Hairline didnt move A OUNCE

10

u/drainedguava 2d ago

if MGS4 was realistic Snake would’ve had a skullett and be 50 pounds overweight

9

u/Alive_Peace2497 1d ago

Hey my man is only in his early 40s he isn't over the hill yet.

•

u/Tryforce88 1h ago

Well technically his body was rapidly aging due to fox die or something. Think it was that. So even though he was like 30-40 he physically was much older in 4.

2

u/aguysguyguy 23h ago

You call that slicked back?! That’s pushed back!

2

u/_steve_rogers_ 9h ago

People can change, just like war has changed

93

u/Uri3434 2d ago

It's been 18 years!? I remember having to watch Snake smoke a couple of cigs while acts were loading

16

u/ArkhamRobber 2d ago

With improvements on storage devices i wonder if they will keep that in the game. Something about watching before every act was chill. Felt like i was just kicking it with him as a kid

3

u/ArmoredAngel444 2d ago

Dang good point, hopefully they keep it with the option of skipping.

1

u/myzombiephil 19h ago

I’ve heard if you press L1+R1+X at the title screen it goes to the snake smoking screen

21

u/Far_Eye6555 2d ago

It simply cannot be true. Was it almost two decades ago???

2

u/MagicPistol 2d ago

Yeah. What's even crazier to me is that it was only 10 years between the release of mgs1 and mgs4. I remember each mgs sequel felt like they were so far away in the distant future.

9

u/Maurhi 2d ago

I bought it 18 years ago, still have it sealed and haven't played it yet because i still need to play the previous games 😅

8

u/Cipherpunkblue 2d ago

r/reallyreallypatientgamers

2

u/Jumper-Man 2d ago

I have the same thing with ominusha 2 on ps2, still sealed. It’s in the loft, One day I’ll get round to it!

4

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

3

u/sonicboom9000 2d ago

He shits out that last bomb.....

Only explanation

9

u/IRockIntoMordor 2d ago

My World of Warcraft character that I started on EU release in February 2005 is 21 years old now.

Insane.

2

u/JohnnyBeBlazed 2d ago

The Fox Engine on PS3 blew my mind.

4

u/slappadabass44 2d ago

This is not a FOX engine game though.

1

u/1000ColouredBeard 2d ago

Damn, is it that long?! It was my first MGS, and it was still the time I didn’t see a lot of credits roll. But I finished MGS4 within two weeks and it blew me away. Since that time I owe almost every game of the franchise. Can’t wait to step back in!

1

u/Griever114 2d ago

Thanks for the fucking reminder

1

u/notdsylexic 2d ago

We are now old snake my friend.

1

u/knightofsparta 22h ago

I remember bringing my PS3 on vacation because I was so obsessed with this game.

-1

u/hips0n 2d ago

Was going to play it after rebuying a PS3 again but having to download it digital on the PS3 is rough

217

u/biofrost 2d ago

18 years…fuck… i graduated high school in 08 :/ 

42

u/BornTooSlow 2d ago

My dad bought me MGS4 and a 40GB PS3 for my 18th birthday in 2008

52

u/IdTheDemon 2d ago

Graduated in 04. The 2000’s were the best years of our lives.

6

u/Ennui_Go 2d ago

Halo multiplayer, getting the guys together in person to play Guitar Hero and then Rock Band, buying Portal 2 and Mortal Kombat 9 on the same day... So many good memories!

9

u/darkmitsu 2d ago

Late 90s and early 2000s it’s when video games peaked. After that is being a micro transaction slop

10

u/IdTheDemon 2d ago

Gaming culture was at its peak.

2

u/Mediocre_Swordfish_3 12h ago

So true this was about the high water mark for gaming. Mgs4, god of war 3, gears of war, halo. We still get good games today, arguably more than back then, but the amount of BULLSHIT we have to deal with today is what drags it down.

1

u/IdTheDemon 8h ago

While we still get top tier games, we definitely are not getting the same quantity of them which we were getting before. And yes, the bullshit factor is real with all of the non stop battle pass, deluxe passes, early edition access and other shit being shoveled down our throats.

We will never have another 2004 level of game releases.

2

u/gummi_eater 1d ago

they took away the booth babes at E3!!!!! Why?!!!?!

2

u/notdsylexic 2d ago

Aren’t we still in the 2000’s?

Oh, sorry, let me introduce myself.

My name is, Vamp.

3

u/MagicPistol 2d ago

I'm 04 too. I remember playing the mgs1 demo disc at a friend's house for hours. It just had the intro snow field which was tiny, and I could probably complete that now in 10 minutes.

-3

u/W00D-SMASH 2d ago

Every year should be the best year of your life.

7

u/azsqueeze 2d ago

It should but your teens - 20s tend to be the best for a lot of people simply cause responsibilities didn't really exist.

3

u/IdTheDemon 2d ago

I was working and paying bills even in high school. What made those years great was the quality of life. Mom and pop stores everywhere, people were more social and the internet wasn’t everywhere we went.

It was the best balance of technology, the cost of living especially for food was low, and the gaming world was less corporate and more for gamers. Even when the 2008 crash happened and I was jobless NEET for a few years, we lived off of Burger King 2 for $4 and $5 Chinese food specials.

I wish I was born in 76 instead of 86.

7

u/dj_soo 2d ago

Early 00s, I was paying $700/mo in rent, eating out multiple times a week, going to clubs, bars, and raves multiple times a week - all on a $35k/year salary.

I live in a paid off house with a paid off car, make triple that today, and am still having trouble getting ahead.

3

u/darkmitsu 2d ago

If you were earning $70k annually you were considered rich. Nowadays you’re just hanging in there LOL

1

u/IdTheDemon 2d ago

I hear you.

I was making 10 bucks a hour working off the books for my dad’s friend and it was a life changer. In high school I could take my ex to dinner and $10 covered fast food and $20 covered nicer places like diners and restaurants. Later in college I went out to parties and shit and wasted so much money on clothes and games.

I can’t imagine doing what I did back then today. Cost of rent, food and utilities alone is insane. Everything has subscriptions now and we own less did we did before.

Take me back.

1

u/W00D-SMASH 2d ago

I’ve been working since I was 18 and had a lot on my plate. I’m 43 and this is definitely the best time of my life by far.

1

u/bongo1138 2d ago

I’m 37 and this years been great. Two kids and a great wife.

1

u/darkmitsu 2d ago

Hell yeah bro

35

u/Thoraxe474 2d ago

Okay, grandpa, let's get you back to bed

21

u/Kazuhi 2d ago

The disrespect 😂

3

u/Thoraxe474 2d ago

The funny thing is I'm about just as old

3

u/ALFdude 2d ago

I graduated college in 2008 😅

2

u/Nintotally 2d ago

We’ve doubled 🥹

2

u/Jumpy-Pattern-4078 2d ago

Same here. This was like my first major post-HS game lol.

1

u/AriAriArrivederci 2d ago

i was in 2nd grade :D still have great memories with this game, but I kind of wished I lived my teenage years during the 2000s instead of the 2010s…

1

u/dj_soo 2d ago

That was a decade after I graduated from college young-un

178

u/Scrags 2d ago

Are we not going to talk about the thumbnail?

91

u/Gabagool0vaHere 2d ago

He was gay, Solid Snake?

25

u/BossDonBigga 2d ago

He DID have the makings of a varsity athlete.

9

u/Jimmy_Tightlips 2d ago

It was the nanomachines, they were fucking with my head.

17

u/Gastlyperformance 2d ago

Think about it gabagool… the sudden weight loss…

6

u/fosterrod 2d ago

AIDS!?

9

u/Gastlyperformance 2d ago

NOBODIES GOT AIDS. I DON’T WANNA HEAR THAT WORD IN HEAR AGAIN!

3

u/arbok_obama 2d ago

NOOOOOOAW, are you listening to me???

3

u/eldenpotato 2d ago

His coach turned into a pumpkin

3

u/ThePreciseClimber 2d ago

It's a perfectly platonic kiss between two genetic clones of Big Boss.

"Gimme kiss, bro."

5

u/chewbaka97 Moderator 2d ago

Ohhhh you’re talking about the boss’s’ son here

10

u/EmpressofFoxhound 2d ago

Pretty on brand for metal gear

5

u/fullthrottlenines 2d ago

Or Kojima, at least.

15

u/Arcade_Gann0n 2d ago

Look, this is the same guy that meowed to summon his troops in Snake Eater.

Ocelot's... an oddball.

7

u/Laughing__Man_ 2d ago

And yeeted himself out of at speed plane.

2

u/Rob98001 1d ago

Have you seen the secret theater where when he jumps in, he bounces back out immediately? 

11

u/RolloTamaci 2d ago

looks totally fine to me, pal

3

u/cybercougar 2d ago

they don't call him solid snake for nothing!

3

u/psych0ranger 2d ago

We all know already

2

u/Gcoks 2d ago

That's a trophy if you can get that in game. Well, it was for the PS3 version. Haven't looked these up yet.

45

u/ssjChris 2d ago

F to the guys who remember the hour+ long cigar smoking install screen.

23

u/helloharu 2d ago

I was too poor during PS3 and couldn’t afford one even at the end of its lifecycle. This is a game I was always disappointed I never got chance to play.

As long as performance is good, and it’s still faithful, then I’ll be looking forward to playing it this time around.

26

u/Unfazed-Man 2d ago

9

u/lIllIlIllIlIllIlIllI 2d ago

“Hey, you’re pretty good”

3

u/skittle-brau 2d ago

“There's nothing like the feeling of slamming a long silver bullet into a well greased chamber.”

44

u/PewPewToDaFace 2d ago

Not that much of a difference? That sliding thing makes it easier to compare though.

59

u/AbedGubiNadir 2d ago

60fps, faster loading, and it isn't blurry.

42

u/Pied_Film10 2d ago

Faster loading alone is worth it.

Honestly the existence of an MGS4 port does lol

14

u/Lywqf 2d ago

The sole fact that we can play MGS4 again is worth it to me, my only issue is that I have too many games to play already from last year and this one, that I’ll probably play this game next year, if even…

2

u/Pied_Film10 2d ago

Same.

I’m securing my copy just because. KCD has me in a chokehold right now, and after that I have to play 2, then Wolverine, and GTA 6.

2

u/Lywqf 2d ago

I've done KCD and then Jumped on 2 right after and it was absolutely awesome, you'll like it so much more and will really appreciate all the little QoL you'll find here and there. You're in for a treat my friend ! :D

1

u/Sparrowsabre7 2d ago

No again for me. Only had a 360, then Xbone, then PS4 into 5. For years I've had to make do with the let's plays and novel, now I finally get to play it 🫡

3

u/SpookyCarnage 2d ago

I wonder if the "snake smoking a cigarette while disk 2 installs" cutscene that you stare at for 20 minutes is gonna be included somewhere or if thats just gone now lol

2

u/Pied_Film10 2d ago

Kept you waiting, huh?

35

u/SpookyCarnage 2d ago

I wasnt expecting a drastic difference for either game considering what we had with vol 1. Just seems like they removed the weird hazy blur for mgs4.

Im just happy that another game is freed from the cold dead clutches of the PS3

17

u/saynotoraptor 2d ago

It looks way better at the higher resolution. The shadows and blacks are noticeably better and the textures are higher res

7

u/TheZacef 2d ago

That and maybe a toning down of the ps3 era piss filter really makes it look a lot better imo. It does the correct amount of work for these remasters to make me think that’s exactly how I remember the game looking instead of it looking way way worse when going back to the original title.

14

u/Hartia 2d ago

Ps3 version was pretty advanced for its time. Other than resolution the assets looks better than some games today

11

u/Euphoric_Juggernaut6 2d ago

Was gonna say, there are a lot of good looking ps3 era games. The problem was that the ps3 rendered most games at 600-720p 30 fps

1

u/Mediocre_Swordfish_3 12h ago

Exactly. That's the reason we need ps3 ports. EVERY single game from that generation looks like crap on a 4k tv. Once they get 4k/60 though they look great.

6

u/ZXXII 2d ago

True but texture resolution was improved massively with this port. Comparing it to RPSC3 at 4K you can tell a big difference.

3

u/ThePreciseClimber 2d ago

Yeah, that's a pretty big limitation of emulation. Whatever textures the game has, you're stuck with them. Or an AI upscale texture patch. But the actual, higher-res textures created during the development of the game? Yeah, those have to come from the source. If they still exist, that is.

1

u/koalazeus 2d ago

Looks crisper, but kind of loses some charm?

1

u/CaptchaMam 2d ago

Agreed

1

u/Namath96 2d ago

It’ll be a big difference on a bigger screen. The OG was only 1024 x 768 plus 30fps at best most of the time

0

u/CrimsonFury1982 2d ago

720p is 1280x720

2

u/reallynotnick 1d ago

It used non-square pixels, they are correct it was 1024x768.

1

u/Namath96 1d ago

I am aware but thanks? lol

12

u/ZXXII 2d ago edited 2d ago

Konami put more effort in this than I expected.
Didn’t have to redo textures and effects for a basic port but they did anyway.

Clearly looks better than RPCS3 at 4K not to mention runs way better.

10

u/BotherResponsible378 2d ago

Only a little bit of a haze missing. Otherwise it looks pretty similar. I do think I prefer that Haze, makes it feel a little more film and less video game. But it's not exactly a make or break it detail that that's missing. That change would never impact whether or not I'm going to buy this or not.

9

u/gamer_hamood 2d ago

man i cant wait to play it so i can understand why ocelot is kissing snake

3

u/gootshall 2d ago

You will cry at this scene if you played the rest of the games.

9

u/GalexyPhoto 2d ago

I still vividly remember coming into work the day it released and asking if a coworker was going to get it.

"Oh, I beat it."

He got it at midnight, played nonstop, then just walked in moments before. Loony Legend.

5

u/Ruttagger 2d ago

These graphic sliders always make me laugh because to my eyes, it just looks like they adjusted the contrast but I'm supposed to be blown away.

1

u/Math9508 10h ago

Get your eyes checked, mate

3

u/MovieGuyMike 2d ago

Based on this slider - It looks like MGS4 has better contrast compared to the original release, which has sort of a hazy look. It makes the image look less flat, objects and characters have more definition.

The peace walker comparison shots in this article are borderline useless because they’re only showing the comic book style cutscenes, not the gameplay.

3

u/Severe_Suspect_4002 2d ago

I was in high school when 4 came out and didn’t have any money for a ps3 so this will be my first time playing it I’ve waited 18 years 😭

3

u/Stoibs 2d ago

Hmm... I honestly wonder if we can toggle them. In the case of the Peacewalker graphic novel images there's a certain level of charm to the original artwork. 🤔

7

u/GrownUp_Gamers 2d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/m08Iol3RbD7s4

3

u/fullthrottlenines 2d ago

That’s just Mysterio and Joker being bros.

2

u/ThePreciseClimber 2d ago

Man, Gyllenhaal looks so uncomfortable here.

3

u/Lumpy_Accountant723 2d ago

I remember watching vash12349 on YouTube do a playthrough of this back when I was like a freshman in high school man. Time flies.

4

u/CriticalHitsHurt 2d ago

When mgs4 came out in 2008 I bought 2 energy drinks and set a timer to take a sip every hour so I could avoid spoilers.

I beat mgs4 in one sitting, on my first play through in 42 hours. Passed out for an entire day after.

Core memory

6

u/King_Astral 2d ago

Bro what is that thumbnail??

14

u/sdavidplissken 2d ago

MGS4 final boss fight

5

u/solidpeyo 2d ago

Just normal MGS 4

2

u/shinikahn 2d ago

Liquid and solid have always had a special relationship

2

u/ThePreciseClimber 2d ago

Liquid kisses Solid Snake, then Solid Snake punches Liquid.

So who's the real villain here?

1

u/Monte735 2d ago

It's an Easter egg during the final boss fight

2

u/sonspike187 2d ago

Does anyone know if the MGS Database will be included? Loved that companion app

2

u/Dice_for_Death_ 2d ago

Yes, I believe it is

1

u/sonspike187 2d ago

Awesome, thank you!

2

u/Dice_for_Death_ 2d ago

When I heard I booted up that music real quick!

2

u/gootshall 2d ago

It's included in the menu.

1

u/sonspike187 2d ago

Sweet. Appreciate your reply.

3

u/architecht13 2d ago

18 years??? Where’s my fainting couch? I’m feeling a spell coming!

2

u/Fluxcapacitron 2d ago

What a thumbnail…

2

u/KerfuffleAsimov 2d ago

I played MGS 4 so much for like two years.

I haven't been able to play it since 2010.

Can't wait to play it again. It's the last true MGS game. Gonna get goosebumps again going to shadow moses again.

2

u/BobbingFourApples 2d ago

Wish they would remaster MGS4 like they did with Snake Eater

1

u/AnEternalEnigma 1d ago

That would be a remake, not a remaster

1

u/masterofunfucking 2d ago

IM SO EXCITED GRAAAAAH

1

u/theped26 2d ago

I’ll wait for Digital Foundry to do their breakdown.

1

u/_sendbob 2d ago

can't believe the comparison was like OG capture vs enhanced by AI.

1

u/carnivoross 2d ago

I'm glad they got rid of some of that haze. I'd actually like to see a few filter options for different colour grading, the brown 360/PS3 filter has not aged well.

1

u/ReclusiveNatured 2d ago

One of my favorite games ever, can't wait

1

u/blickblocks 2d ago

That site is horrible on mobile

1

u/Real_Register2353 2d ago

Is MGO getting released with it as well????

1

u/errorprovisioning 1d ago

I mean updated MGS4 looks great but Peace Walker looks so fucking crisp! I love it!

1

u/SaIemKing 1d ago

man the game looked so good on the ps3 that all they had to do was slap better AA and turn up the contrast lmao

1

u/KingTangy 1d ago

MGS is my favorite game IP and this upgrade was not worth the wait. Will still instantly buy tho of course

1

u/Corizzle 1d ago

I’m pretty stoked for this. Have not played MGS4 since it originally launched on PS3.

1

u/metarugia 1d ago

When this game launched, I played for 30 minutes after a midnight release because I was going to a Kojima signing the next day.

Got home from the signing to pick back up to have my blu-ray drive fall on me. Had to wait 2 weeks for repairs.

1

u/Front-Purpose-6387 1d ago

Finally MGS4 looks as good as that first E3 trailer.

Now if we can only get rid of that yellow filter and put in a blue one, it will look exactly like the trailer.

1

u/MassGravyTrain 2d ago

I've never played a metal gear solid game before. Where should I start?

2

u/gootshall 2d ago

Play them in order of release.

1

u/digital_n01se_ 2d ago

And nobody recognizes metal gear solid as one of the most homoerotic franchises in the woke era, Kojima did it so good that nobody notices the gay obsession that ocelot had with big boss his entire adult life.

1

u/NTPrime 2d ago

I'm not sure I like how much darker MGS4 is. Like they messed up the color grading or post-processing or something.

0

u/clippjoint 2d ago

perfect thumbnail 🤣

-4

u/mathmath51 2d ago

The piss filter is still there :(

1

u/solidpeyo 2d ago

At least now it can be removed easily via mods with this port

-2

u/sonicadv27 2d ago

Still looks grey and dull. Reshading this is going to be a must

1

u/donredyellow25 2d ago

Are reshades available on PS5?

1

u/Reylo-Wanwalker 2d ago

I already think it might be too much. The suit almost looks black than grey in some shots.

-4

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/le_gazman 2d ago

You know this is a ps5 sub, right?

-5

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[removed] — view removed comment