Game of the Week: celebrating the ragged energy of the MGS Digital Graphic Novels

The closest we got to a game review this week isn't particularly close. The first three Metal Gear Solid games are available in a new collection, and while we don't think they've been handled particularly brilliantly, I am still very happy to have them on Switch. In between all sorts of bits and pieces this week I've found time to play through the openings of the first and second game. I'm still in love with these characterful, inventive, oddball espionage adventures.

While it's been wonderful heading back to Shadow Moses and exploring one of gaming's greatest acts of misdirection in MGS 2's tanker opening, for the last few days I've been drawn to the bonus materials in the collection. Last night I played through all of MGS 2 - not the stealth game, but the Digital Graphic Novel of the stealth game.

I still have the Digital Graphic Novel for the first MGS on UMD somewhere. I am a sucker for things like this: spin-offs and weird ideas delivered with flair and intelligence. The Digital Graphic Novels tell versions of the MGS game stories, but they do this as semi-automated comics, with lovely sketchy art and stripped back versions of the plot.