Metal Gear Solid 4 is coming to modern consoles this August, and a fresh gameplay demo confirms that the remaster will preserve the original game's irreverent humor and real-world brand tie-ins, even as it modernizes the visual presentation.
Japanese freelance writer Mafia Kajita and voice actor Yuichi Nakamura played through Act 1 of Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 on their YouTube channel over the weekend, offering the first detailed look at what players can expect. The footage reveals that Kojima Productions and Konami have kept many of the game's signature in-jokes intact.
One infamous scene early in the game features Snake hiding in a cardboard box while Geckos hunt him down. The box in the remaster still bears the meme-worthy text "No place for Hideo" before the Geckos crush it. However, the original version also included a URL to Hideo Kojima's blog on the box, which has been removed from the Master Collection version. The omission almost certainly stems from the fact that the blog no longer exists online.
The remaster retains other quirky items from 2008's original PlayStation 3 release. Snake can still acquire an iPod to listen to music and podcasts scattered throughout the game world, with Apple apparently approving the device's return. A Playboy magazine remains available to distract enemy soldiers, alongside bottles of Regain 24, a Japanese energy drink brand that originally had a promotional partnership with the game. The fictional Hide-chan Ramen also makes the cut.
On the technical side, the visual upgrade is immediately apparent. Character models and environmental details are now sharp enough to read small text clearly, such as the "Snake Eye" label on Old Snake's bionic eyepatch. The original game's distinctive yellowish color grading, nicknamed "the piss filter" by fans, has been replaced with a more naturalistic appearance.
The completeness of Master Collection Vol. 2 remains an open question. The first Master Collection volume disappointed fans by omitting features from the original games, including MGS3's Subsistence Secret Theater and the Snake vs. Monkey bonus game. Konami has acknowledged the rocky launch of Vol. 1 and stated it is taking more care with Vol. 2, but whether all of MGS4's original extras will make the transition is still unknown. Kajita and Nakamura demonstrated a demo build, and as with all pre-release footage, the final product could differ.
Author Emily Chen: "The fact that Konami's actually keeping the self-aware humor and brand partnerships shows they get what made MGS4 special, even if updating it for 2024 means making some practical cuts."
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