When asked what franchise symbolizes the PlayStation brand, most gamers will give one of two responses: Metal Gear Solid or Grand Theft Auto. I have Grand Theft Auto covered in terms of experience. Metal Gear Solid, on the other hand, has not pulled me into the franchise as it has many of the PlayStation loyalists.
With the recently released blockbuster title, Metal Gear Solid 4, hitting store shelves this week, I decided to return to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty to make sure I was caught up with the story line — and pray that I could comprehend it. I had already played about half of Metal Gear Solid 2 on the Xbox five years ago. My reason for abandoning the game back then now escapes me.
Most of the loyal fans of the Metal Gear Solid series and the Metal Gear franchise see Metal Gear Solid 2 as a disappointing stepchild simply because the main character of the series, “Solid Snake,” was not the main character this time around. Instead the player was introduced to “Raiden” about 90 minutes into the game. Raiden was a younger soldier who believed that he received all of his training from VR simulations. I didn’t mind that I played as Raiden for most of the game. It was quite similar — almost exactly, in fact – like playing as Snake, but Raiden was more aerobatic and a smart ass.
I believe that Hideo Kojima, the creator and director, wanted the player to relate to Raiden. Like the player, he had no real memories, just his VR training. And that made him into the badass soldier that you play as. This becomes even more apparent when the player is receiving messages from the Colonel and Rose after being captured. The Colonel says things to convince Raiden that this is just a video game, that he has lost, that he should turn off the console. The following video is a compilation of those messages. This part of the game sealed the deal for me. It was one of the more uncomfortable moments I have experienced in a video game.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pZWiDKho-w[/youtube]
One negative is that the controls are not perfect, although they are improved over the PS1 Metal Gear Solid. The camera can be devastating when you are being attacked. That being said, maneuvering through the areas and even swimming underwater is a breeze after an hour or two playing.
I believe Metal Gear Solid 2 is one of the top five PlayStation 2 games overall, as well as in terms of graphics and detail. From the bird crap that can cause you to slip and fall into the ocean, to the individual bottles of liquor in the crew’s lounge, Metal Gear Solid 2 set the bar for every high budget game that would precede it in that generation.
The story is all over the place. And it has the same number of 180 degree plot turns as the “24” and “Lost” television series. But the most important thing is that it is still fun, and for the most part interesting. The final act of Metal Gear Solid 2 is too long, clocking in at about 40 minutes just for cut scenes before the final battle, which was short and unimpressive.
After ten hours with Metal Gear Solid 2, I was in love with the game. It boggles my mind as to why I put the controller down five years earlier. Everything impressed me, from the movie-quality cinematic cut scenes to the detail of the environments to the excellent voice acting from David Hayter and the rest of the cast. The action is intense throughout and the pacing is spot on. Even with its minor flaws, Metal Gear Solid 2 is a masterpiece; a game that warrants the hype and fanfare it has received.
Score: A
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