Comprising spruced-up versions of three "tactical espionage" classics, this collection is nothing if not a value proposition. Things kick off with 2001's MGS2, less a sequel than a postmodern meta-commentary on the game that preceded it (which, strangely, isn't included here). It's showing its age, but remains entertainingly audacious. The brilliant MGS3 pits the player against a cadre of psychologically damaged mercenaries and contains some of the most absorbing, ingenious and emotionally draining boss encounters ever designed. Then there's Peace Walker. Originally a hand-held game, it doles the action out in bus-ride-sized chunks and adds a surprisingly rewarding layer of RPG-style personnel management, plus a neat multiplayer mode.
All three shine in HD, with the higher resolution serving to foreground all those little touches – from cartoon frogs to pregnant commandos' underarm hair – that make the series special. In short, a pretty stellar package.
