Note. We’re still working on our review of the overall MGS Master Collection Vol. 2 package – keep an eye out for our verdict soon.
Reviewing Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots in 2026 is a tough proposition. Even back in 2008, its lengthy cutscenes were considered excessive by some and detrimental to the overall experience. Since then, social media has destroyed humanity’s collective attention span to the point where 10-second videos are somehow considered the norm. So how will newcomers take to Hideo Kojima’s epic, canonical conclusion?
Alas, I can only tell you what I think, and I still absolutely adore it. This is MGS at its most indulgent and bombastic, taking tactical espionage to a global scale while doing its utmost to wrap up series-long narrative threads.
Make no mistake, if you’ve never played an MGS game before, you shouldn’t start here. This is for those who have experienced Solid Snake’s journey from the beginning, with the 15-20 hour experience crammed with references and easter eggs both obvious and subtle. Thankfully, most of the series is now available on Switch, so you can easily catch up.
In terms of gameplay, MGS4 is largely an evolution of Snake Eater, implementing an impressive new ‘OctoCamo’ system enabling Snake to blend into any environment seamlessly without having to mess around with menus. Gun combat now includes an over-the-shoulder view when aiming that would later be used in Peace Walker and The Phantom Pain.
Structurally, this is arguably the most linear MGS game, with gameplay sections taking place across segmented environments with a handful of potential routes to your objective. Yet the vast number of mechanics available make each scenario a joy to explore. Will you crawl through undetected? Hide in a drum can? Or perhaps pick your enemies off one by one with your Mk. 2 tranquilliser gun?
As the game goes on, it funnels you into more structured scenarios, robbing you of some of the freedom that the earlier chapters granted as it wraps up its story. While it’s a bit top-heavy in terms of gameplay, the narrative pay-offs in the latter portions more than make up for this. MGS4 has some of my favourite character moments in the entire series, from memorable boss encounters to the return of iconic heroes and villains. It’s a true celebration of Metal Gear.
What it’s not a celebration of, however, is Sony hardware. I wondered whether the PS3 and PSP references would remain, and as expected, they’re gone on Switch 2. Visual appearances are replaced with generic hardware, while Otacon states you’re playing on “a high-spec platform” during the disc-swapping joke scene. The iPod’s still there, though!
With resolution up to 4K when docked (with the help of DLSS) and 1080p handheld, MGS4 has never looked so good, either. You’re also looking at 60fps gameplay, which is just a joy. I went back to the PS3 version briefly after this, and yes, it’s a huge step up. The only thing missing that really ought to be added via a patch is gyro aiming. You’re forced into some fierce firefights in the campaign, so having that extra layer of control would be a great benefit.