Console: PS3
* Picks up right after the events of MGS and continues the story.
* Long game with huge amount of extra playable content
* Start of the Raiden story line, including his first sword
Cons
* Cant move while aiming or shooting
* Old school controls tough to get reacquainted with
* Most people still don’t like playing as Raiden through most of the game
This is the game in the Metal Gear Solid series that caused a lot of stir for the fans who at the time, had no idea the direction the series would take. Most fans were mad because they thought Raiden was a weak, unnecessary character and wanted to play as Snake. Faith would be restored later in MGS4: Guns of the Patriots when Raiden returns as a bad ass part human, part cyborg Ninja who returns the favor Snake does him in MGS2: Sons of Liberty. That’s what makes this game so unique to go back and replay, as it is an essential part of the story line.
Presentation : A
Graphics / Animation / Sound
About this time last year I decided to dust off my PS2 and replay Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. I put in MGS2 and got about five min into the game, but it was almost unplayable. I replay old games all the time, but the blurry grainy graphics combined with bad controls really killed it for me. Don’t get me wrong, for the day it looked great, but that was 10 years ago, at a weird time in video game history for graphics and processor usage. When the HD collection came out, i jumped at the chance to replay this game in particular.
The whole game just looks incredible. Keeping in mind my last replay of the game, i noticed a lot of small details. Rails are smooth when you hang off of them, the water under the ‘Big Shell’ part of the story looks amazing, and the laser sight on your guns is way more noticeable, which is very important.
The cut scenes have been redone, everything is 60 frames per second, and the animations look like they could be released for the current generation of consoles.
The voice cast is still impressive 10 years later, though this wasn’t redone (and I don’t believe it needed to be) It has been cleared up, and the sound effects fine tuned, especially during the usage of the Directional Microphone.
Single Player : B
Game mechanics / Length / difficulty
The Game play mechanics takes getting used to again, it is stiff at first and doesn’t feel right, but you eventually get the hang of it. It has the whole ‘stand still while your aiming or shooting’ which, during normal play isn’t too bad, but is horribly inconvenient during boss fights. There are some really intelligent mechanics in the game such as hanging off rails to pass by enemies undetected, and doing 100 chin-ups here and there to increase your grip meter.
The game does a great job of seeming long, but it is really normal length. What adds to it of course is the cut-scenes which at times are quite long. This is normal for the series, but one thing i really wish they would have added would be the ability to pause the cut-scenes, as some of them are 35+ min long.
The standard difficulty is ‘normal’ and if you know what kind of weapon combination to use the game isn’t too hard. If you are not sure where some things are, or what weapons to use on what bosses, it can get pretty difficult. If you want a real challenge you can play without your Soliton Radar, which basically turns it into a whole different game.
Multiplayer : F
Game mechanics / features / Online features
No multiplayer. For the time this game came out, considering the amount of extra content, and its part of a collection, i do not believe this it takes away from the game. Because of this being a stealth series, a two player co-op mode would not benefit this game.
Replay Value : A
Lasting appeal / Bonus Content / DLC
MGS2 has amazing replay value, as do any of the other games in the series. This is mostly due to the story which answers the questions brought up in MGS, deepens the character background of the staple characters, and introduces a new main character to set up a new story arc for the sequels. As with the other games, you unlock new items, and use your found items from the previous save when you replay. The goal of unlocking the ‘Bandana’, which gives infinite ammo, is always a challenge worth replaying.
There is no DLC, but there is an unbelievable amount of extra content. Boss survival, where you fight the bosses in succession, provides a fun replay and good practice. There are 200 alternate missions set through the levels, and over 300 VR missions to complete, which are addicting, and very challenging. There is so much extra playable content i cant even cover it all.
This game provides a great story for fans of the series, and unique experiences like being able to use a ninja sword, or fighting multiple metal gears at the same time. This is very reminiscent of the first MGS, and playing it in context with the HD collection is completely worth your time.
Overall : A
