Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2)
	Developer Konami Publisher Konami Reviewed by Mark Megerian [Feedback] [Author Bio] Review Date March 19, 2002

Rating (out of 5.0) 4.0 out of 5.0*

Judge for yourself

Strengths Excellent graphics and cutscenes Solid gameplay elements A supremely polished product in almost every way Weaknesses Convoluted storyline Some corny voice acting Too many non-interactive sequences

* Notes Gaming Voice ratings are based on the technical and/or gameplay merits of a given product as well as the developer's choice of features and delivery of same. Our rating is not an endorsement of the thematic content of a given title. Gamers and parents are cautioned to determine if such content conflicts or coincides with their values and beliefs.

But beyond all the sales figures, and the hype, and even beyond the many awards that the game has inevitably received, how does it stack up against its predecessor? If you believe, as I do, that MGS raised the standard by which video games are measured, does MGS2 raise it yet again? My answer, controversial as it may sound, is no. I really enjoyed the game, perhaps even loved the game. I strongly recommend the game. But there were enough things about it that bothered me, that I would rate the entire gaming experience as slightly behind MGS in terms of overall enjoyment.

First, I should talk about some of the things that they did right in making MGS2. The visual experience is unlike anything else you will find, on any console. You really feel like you are on the deck of a tanker in the pouring rain, as the game begins. The sound is excellent, and as you control your character, Snake, you can take advantage of many of his different skills. Use the first person view, with a red laser sight on your gun, to take out guards with a tranquilizer dart to the head; hide inside a discarded cardboard box; use the very cool motion of peeking around a corner to survey the position of the guards. All standard stuff from MGS, but even more polished and smoothly animated in MGS2.

Just like in the original, your goal is to use stealth to avoid detection by the guards. Here, the consequences of being spotted are even direr. The guards will radio for backup if they see you, and they don't give up nearly as easily when they can't find you right away. In most cases, being discovered will get you killed, so you will learn to move with careful precision. The game has unlimited “Continues”, and you'll take full advantage of them.

I won't go into too many details of the story, but suffice it to say that you start out as Solid Snake, and your job is to expose the production of a destructive weapon called Metal Gear. You will spend a good deal of time communicating with others using a device called a Codec. The codec allows people to contact you via a tiny transmitter, and it brings up a visual and audio interface that you use to learn details about your mission, find out about various characters, and even save your progress.

Also carried over from MGS is the use of the radar screens. You will find this very helpful in judging the field of vision of the guards, and also of the devious little floating sentry robots. You cannot become impatient and just tear around the place, as you'll quickly learn. You have to move carefully and quietly. You have to take out a guard from time to time, but you must do it quietly, and you cannot allow another guard to discover his body. The only minor quirk is that if guards are chasing you, you can exit an area, which will often prevent them from coming after you. Other than guards, you will meet up with many other players in this complex plot, and will have some very challenging battles with several of them.

MGS2 is a plot-driven game in every respect. There are no random acts involved. You don't kill enemies for no reason, or run around areas collecting stuff. You have a mission and you carry it out. The details of the mission are revealed as the story is told, mostly via the codec and some extremely long cutscenes. You will also meet a dizzying array of characters -- some allies, some enemies, and some whose role is not always clear.

As well executed as most of this is, it did ultimately bring down the overall experience for me. It's just too much! There are so many different characters introduced, each with a back story and a motive, that after a while it became overwhelming. I enjoy a game with a good storyline, but this so complex, so convoluted, and so confusing, that I wanted to skip over portions of the story. But I didn't, because I felt that perhaps I would miss a key story element that would begin to explain the various intertwining plotlines. It almost became more of an interactive movie than a video game.

There were many long sequences of watching a cutscene, or following along with a conversation being held over the codec. I wanted to get back to the action! These non-interactive sequences were done very well, but seemed longer than necessary. My two primary complaints, and the reasons that I don't give the game a higher rating, are the convoluted storyline, and the overabundance of non-interactive sections of the game where you just watch and listen.

One other minor complaint I have would be considered a bit of a spoiler to those that haven't played the game, so if you don't want to know anything at all about the plot, skip to the next paragraph. The last complaint I have stems from the fact that you play half the game as Solid Snake, and the other half as a mystery character called “Raiden”. While this succeeds initially in throwing the gamer for a loop ("What the heck is going on now? Who am I?"), it ultimately detracted from my ability to strongly identify with one character. You really want to be Snake, at least I did, and this forced me to work from a different perspective. It was a very bold idea, but it didn't totally work for me.

All that said, I still highly recommend Metal Gear Solid 2. Its an exceptional product, and you can see how much effort went into its production, because it’s close to perfect in almost every respect. But my real recommendation is this: if you haven't played the first one, do yourself a favor and get it. It’s less than $20 these days, and it will play in your PS2, so you have no excuse. Then when you are done, play MGS2. You will have the total gaming experience, and many, many hours of entertainment. Plus, you will learn a bit more about the story to prepare you for the sequel. You still won't understand it, but maybe you'll only scratch your head half as often.