Game Review: Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection

With the upcoming release of "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots" and "Metal Gear Online" this summer, Konami re-released the first three titles in the "Metal Gear Solid" series at a budget price, branded as "The Essential Collection." The $29.99 package includes the original Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation (PSX), without any extras, as well as the re-releases of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Substance) and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Subsistence).
The games themselves have been unchanged from their original release. MGS is still the same as it was for the PSX when it was released almost 10 years ago, and doesn't include the later extras, such as the VR Missions or updated PC graphics. MGS2 includes the VR Missions and Snake Tales included in its re-release, and MGS3 receives the updated camera from Subsistence but has no extras, aside from the downloadable camouflage present in the original Snake Eater release.
While the games are still enjoyable after ten years, it's the package as a whole that is rather under-whelming, due to three major areas: lack of new content, missing content and incorrect labeling.
For a budget package, expecting a large amount of new content is foolhardy. That said, the only new content on offer is box art, which varies from very good to utterly forgetful. Each of the three titles comes in their own DVD case. MGS, which was originally released in a fragile jewel case, also receives a DVD case, one worthy addition for those who want to keep their games in pristine condition. Each of the cases receives its own cover art, which has been drawn from scratch, and the cardboard cover surrounding the three games has its own cover art. Unfortunately, the cardboard cover has the weakest box art, so ardent collectors may want to junk it after purchasing.
The next big issue is missing content, specifically from MGS3. Subsistence was originally released in 2- and 3-disc versions, but The Essential Collection only includes the first disc, which actually strips out the "Snake vs. Monkey" mini-game from the original "Snake Eater" release.
The second disc, included in all the Subsistence versions, is not included here, and so the emulated versions of Metal Gear 1 and Metal Gear 2 are missing. A less notable absence is the original incarnation of Metal Gear Online, which shut down in early 2007, and the under-whelming re-cut of the cut-scenes into a long digital film.
The most egregious issue; however, is that the box is incorrectly labeled. MGS has not been updated at all, and as such requires a PSX memory card, which are no longer readily available. This is not an issue for PS3 owners, who can use the hard drive to save, but PS2 owners will be caught by surprise, since the box doesn't mention a need for a PSX memory card (a PS2 memory card is mentioned, but will not work for PSX games).
Ultimately, a collection of three great games is partially ruined by the package that brings them together. At a budget price, this is a great deal, provided that the issues can be overlooked.
Final Score: 8/10

Review: Assassin’s Creed third-person action game

Assassin’s Creed is a very strange kettle of fish indeed.

Originally released for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 towards the end of last year, it has taken several months for this third-person action title to come out for the PC.

There’s nothing particularly unusual about that, nor about the fact that very little in the way of extras is included with this ‘Director’s Cut’ edition, other than a handful of mini-game missions.

More out of the ordinary is the game’s setting. The majority of the game takes place in the year 1191, during which the Third Crusade is tearing apart the Holy Land.

It’s a controversial backdrop for a computer game but it's one that's handled surprisingly well. Sections of the game that take place in modern day are less effective, however, and the two elements fail to mesh satisfactorily.

The visuals are exceptional. They’re every bit as good on the PC as they were on the console editions, though we recommend making sure your computer’s spec is up to the job.

You may also want to consider investing in a controller: the game can be played with a keyboard and mouse, but it’s much better with a console-style gamepad in your hand.

Even then, the control system is a little quirky: it can be a joy to fling your agile protagonist merrily around the rooftops, but getting him to do what you want in the heat of a battle can occasionally be a bit frustrating.

What really sets Assassin’s Creed apart, though, is its odd gameplay structure. There are essentially nine levels (three cities, each with three districts each and an assassination target for each district), and each level is split into three segments – information gathering, assassination and escape.

What will strike you after playing only a couple of these levels is that, while it might seem open-ended, the game can be extremely repetitive in practice. Essentially, you’ll be doing the exactly same thing nine times over, and whether or not you can forgive this flaw will largely depend on how much you enjoyed doing it the first time.