Konami let slip last week (and confirmed this week at E3) that it will be porting HD remixes of the PS2 editions of some of it's most popular franchises, including Metal Gear Solid, Zone of the Enders, and Silent Hill for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
The Metal Gear Solid collection will include:
- Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty with 720p visuals. But not any of the Substance content? I'll have to keep an eye on this to find out what the deal is.
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, in the form of the Subsistence edition with 720p visuals.
- Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker completely remade with new gameplay and 1080p visuals. This game will also supposedly include support for transfering your PSP save file onto the PS3 version, so that you can pick up where you left off.
- Supposedly, Japanese PS3 version of the set will also include a voucher to download Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker for the PSP off of the PlayStation Store.
The Metal Gear Solid collection is going to be ported by Bluepoint, the same company that ported the first two God of War games into HD for the PS3 back when God of War III released. I didn't play the God of War HD Collection because I already had played the games on the PS2, so I can't comment on whether or not this company provided high quality ports. I'll leave it up to you to look up reviews for yourself.
Zone of the Enders HD Collection
The Zone of the Enders collection will include:
- Zone of the Enders Anubis Special Edition.
- Zone of the Enders.
- May include a transfer ability similar to Peace Walker, which I guess means you can either transfer the save from the PS2, there are PSP versions of those games which you can transfer your save from, or Konami is also planning PSP ports of the two Zone of the Enders games. I don't know which.
The Zone of the Enders games may or may not be in full 1080p, but they will at least be 720p.
Silent Hill HD Collection
Finally, the Silent Hill HD Collection will include:
- Silent Hill 2 in 720p. No idea whether it is going to be the Restless Dreams edition or the original.
- Silent Hill 3 in 720p.
The Silent Hill games were also not confirmed to be in full 1080p, so I can only say for sure that they will be 720p at least. I also have not seen anything regarding whether or not PS2 save files for the Silent Hill games will be compatible, or whether or not there will be a similar voucher for the purchase of Silent Hill for the PSX on the PlayStation Store. I also don't know why they aren't including Silent Hill 4: The Room in the collection, but whatever.
I'm not sure whether or not the Zone of the Enders and Silent Hill HD Collections are also being developed by Bluepoint or if they are being developed by separate studios.
Other Silent Hill News
In other Silent Hill game news, a new game called Book of Memories is being developed exclusively for the Next-Generation Portable (PSP2) from Sony. No idea who is developing this game either.
I've still got my reservations about Silent Hill Downpour, and a new portable game doesn't sound too appealing either. But with the release of Silent Hill HD Collection, at least we know we'll be getting one good Silent Hill game in the next year or so. It'll be the best Silent Hill game since Silent Hill 2 and 3!
UPDATE June 8, 2011 (3:46 PM PDT):
Just read the following article from PlayStation Universe:
"For starters, the publisher confirmed that its HD revamps of Silent Hill 2 and 3 will feature fresh voiceover work. No date for the Silent Hill Collection has been announced yet, though the set will be released for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360." -http://www.psu.com/E3-2011--Silent-Hill-Vita-to-include-multiplayer--a011942-p0.php
WHAT?! Are you kidding me? They're re-recording the dialogue for the games? Please tell me this is a mistake on the part of PlayStation Universe. They have to mean that the audio is being remastered or something. They can't possibly mean the game is going to have new dialogue. Can they? Konami, you wouldn't do this to us would you?
Allowing for voice-work to be redone opens the door to some of the dialogue being changed. You're gonna George Lucas the game! There's already enough confusion and misunderstanding in this game without fanboys having to have argument over whether James or Pyramid Head shot first!
Note to whoever is working on the HD Collection of Silent Hill: Making an HD port means you are upscaling the graphics and textures only! You are not to touch dialogue, change monsters, alter camera angles, rewrite puzzle text, or make any other changes to the game beyond upscaling the visuals!
Well, so much for my previous assumption that the HD remakes of Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3 would be the best Silent Hill games since Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3. With an announcement like this, nothing in those games is safe from ruin...
UPDATE to the update November 14, 2011 (4:28 PM PDT):
Apparently, the dispute between Silent Hill 2 voice actors and Konami has been (at least partially) settled, and it appears likely that the Silent Hill HD Collection will include the original vocal cast.
Update to the update to the update November 22, 2011 (3:18 PM PDT):
OK, so once again, the info provided for the HD Collection was not entirely complete. Apparently, there are also issues with the Silent Hill 3 cast. Namely, lead actress Heather Morris.
Sigh...