Customer Reviews

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

5 star:		(558)
4 star:		(160)
3 star:		(87)
2 star:		(52)
1 star:		(51)

 

 

As promised I'd post an actual review of the game after beating it to a pulp.

Needless to say that this is an amazing game with a gripping story, and defintely a worthy sequal. To say that it has perfect top notch graphics and music that will blow you away. Not to mention its great character development and plot twists.

I won't give away any of the story where as to me (and a lot of other people) this game has some of the best Plot twist in history. All I will say is that the game is divided into two parts. The "Tanker" chapter and the "Plant" chapter. They both link in everyway and you can see if you play through the game.

The characters are a true treat in this game. There are several new characters introduced and they all have their own reasons for being where they are. However the main villian...compared to Liquid Snake isn't the best. Next to Kefka (FFVI) Liquid was probably the best villian of all time. In comparison, the main villian didn't live up to Liquid.

The music is breathtaking done by Harry Gregson-Williams (The Rock and Enemy of the State if you don't know him). The music will really catch you, and that intro music is just awesome!

I'm not much for graphics but I will say that the graphics are so good that when watching the cinema scenes they look like real people! Can't go wrong with that. Also, the voice acting is sheer brilliance. They actually show emotion and they have a change in tone when they're upset or sad.

It'll take you about 10-15 hours to complete the game your first time through but it is worth it. However, movie cinemas make up at least six hours of the game. This may bother some people as they said the first one was short. Sorry to say that the game is NOT short. But that means you actually HAVE TO WATCH THE CGs!!!! Also, watching the CGs is the only way to understand anything thats going on.

The game doesn't really present any BIG challenge. In fact with the new gear and stuff you can do I'd say it makes the game EASIER than the first (is that possible!?). To say the least though the new gear isn't much different from the old gear in MGS.

Lastly the fun factor. The game is very fun if you don't take it too seriously. What I mean by that is don't be ashsmaed to break some of the stealth rules and have fun with the guards every once and awhile. That was the funnest part of the first one.

One final note. In the HARD and EXTREME difficulty setting you can choose to have a game over if you're spotted. Being that you take so much damage I'd probaly suggest that you take that oppertunity on EXTREME.

OVERALL
Graphics: 10

Plot/Story: 10

Music: 10

Gameplay: 9

Fun Factor: 10

Overall score: 9.9

You won't be disappointed

alright people, i have played and finished this game in 16 hours non-stop in the NORMAL difficulty setting, here's is what i think..

being a hardcore MGS fan i had waited for this games arrival ever since the end of the first Metal Gear Solid, and after beating the game finally i could say that i am very excited but very disappointed at the same time.

the graphics and gameplay are dope, giving the surcimstances i don't think it could be any better, there is an insane amount of detail in the game, from tidbits like flies buzzing over your head to the incredible AI of the enemy, you can either go extremely tactical like me, or just dive in guns blazing and shoot every moving thing in sight, although that tends to give you a little more than you can handle it's still loads of fun, and with a truck load of new equipment and weapons, your task couldn't be easier, but don't let that fool you, this is still a tactical espionage game, and being foolish would leave you bleeding on the floor.

you can hang from platforms, hide in lockers, hide dead enemies in lockers, shoot in first person view, grab enemies in a choke hold and break their necks, or you could just take them hostage and use them as human shields while retreating from a barrage of bullets being fired at you, which really pumps up the realism, although the number of cut-scenes do get a little annoying after a while (some are 10 minutes long), if you're like me and love the whole story thing it's good enough, plus it gives you the break to do other things like go to the bathroom or get something to drink, although the whole thing starts to turn into a soap opera later on in the game, especially in the plant chapter, the game starts to act funny toward the end too, which really get's you confused.

that's another thing, the plant chapter, although letting you play another character than Solid Snake adds alot to the development of the games story line, it kinda made me sad, i was hoping to play with Solid Snake all the way through, but oh well, it's still as good, it gives you a different point of view to the game.

over all this game is one of the best in the world, but the thing that dissapointed me the most was the ending, i tend to get my self really cought with the story when i'm playing, trying to really feel the game, and when the game suddenly finishes leaving you hanging in the air, it's not that good anymore, especially when you have your hopes high for taking on Liquid Snake again, i guess it's in a way giving you a hint on a third installment of the MGS series, but still, i wanted to get that sucker.

so was it worth the hype?, i would guess so, as long as you don't get your self completely cought up with the story line, you're gonna have a lot of fun with this, the gameplay itself is waaaaay worth the money.

Pros:
-Beautiful graphics.
-Awsome sountrack.
-Insane realism.
-Gripping story line.
-A pretty good replay value.

Cons:
-Large amounts of long cut-scenes tend to get annoying.
-Some of the conversations in the game makes you think you're playing a soap opera.
-The ending sucks.

Overall, a good game, but not a great game. The graphics and sound are terrific, of course, and the analog control is sweet, so I have no problem with the game engine itself.

In fact, I actually found MGS2 easier than the original game. The ability to target enemies in first person mode is a real plus -- it's like having a sniper rifle right at the start of the game. When you do trip an alarm and alert security, you have more "duck and hide" options this time around, so you won't end up getting cornered and killed by security guards as often as you did in the first game.

However, I am surprised that MGS2 doesn't have a VR training mode. Veterans of the first game probably won't need it, but newcomers will. Also Snake/Raiden have a few new moves this time around, so it would have been nice to practice your moves in VR mode before applying them in the "real world".

Alas, the bad news you've heard is true: Solid Snake, the hero of the original MGS, is a non-playable character throughout most of the sequel. While this isn't a big deal as far as actual gameplay is concerned (Raiden can equip the same weapons as Snake and combat remains the same), I do think it's a big mistake storywise. Solid Snake is a fun, tough, macho character and Raiden... well... isn't. (Imagine "Gladiator" with Leonardo DiCaprio instead of Russell Crowe as Maximus and you get the idea.)

Also the storyline itself is ridiculous. It gets off to a good start (the tanker sequence with Snake) but once Raiden's character is introduced the game starts hammering you with one conspiratorial plot twist after another. (Character A is working for B who is really working for C who is pretending to be D so they can capture E who is really working for F, blah blah blah). You need a score card just to keep up.

Of course, you can always skip past the Codec/cut-scene stuff... but every once in a while you'll miss an important piece of game information and then you'll need to watch the Codec/cut-scene all over again. (Ugh!)

Then there's the ending... or, rather, endings. The finale to MGS2, comprised of almost an hour of nonstop cut-scenes and Codec transmissions (more conspiracies, more double-crosses, and lots of self-righteous preaching) has to be the worst I've ever seen. And just when you think it can't possibly get any worse, there's a love song! Then you have to sit through another cut scene. As Rambo once said, "AAAAAAARGGHH!"

Bottom line: if you don't mind playing Raiden instead of Snake, then MGS2 delivers... at least for a while. But if a Snake-less existence is not what you have in mind when you plunk down your hard-earned money, you're better off waiting for MGS3 and hoping that our grizzled hero has the spotlight all to himself next time.

The most import thing to know about this game is its heavy reliance on story and movie. I find linear plot and strong cinematic scenes to be an enjoyable genre of gaming, but many people won't agree with that and be frustrated by the seemingly endless cut scenes that constantly interrupt game play. I'd say you spend about half of the game in non-interactive scenes, and that's being conservative.

That being said, I'll talk briefly about the plot without any spoilers. The plot is weird, outlandish and never stops twisting. You can't know what's going on, because it changes quite often in ways you couldn't imagine. Along with it are large numbers of references to previous Metal Gear plots, so it's worth playing through Metal Gear Solid 1, or at least being briefed on it, because the Shadow Moses incident comes up time and time again. In fact, you'll notice a lot of subtle allusions to Shadow Moses if you watch for them.

The game play is amazing. It's strange to have an action game where the best strategy is not to get into any fights. Still, since you're an infiltration agent, this style of game play is very realistic. When you're seen by an enemy, their first reaction is going to be to call for backup and jam your radar, likely making you flee for hiding spot until the commotion dies down. Still, crouching, crawling, sliding along walls and hiding under cardboard boxes are a lot of fun. And for the times when there are enemies you can't sneak around, you can always shoot them with a silenced gun and drag their bodies out of sight.

For those who just want action, they'll likely be sated by the various boss fights. Taking out Harrier jets with the rocket launcher or even large forces of soldiers with a sword is action packed.

The environment is incredibly interactive. You can shoot mirrors and glass and watch them break. Shooting pipes can send out jets of steam that can hurt you or guards. Blasting something full of powder, like flour bags or fire extinguishers, releases a substance that can reveal IR beams, but will make you cough. You'll even find adult material that can distract guards if properly placed.

Replay value in such a linear story is somewhat low. Still, upping the difficult level and trying to collect dog tags from the various opponents can give the game some added life. It took me about 13 hours to beat (including story scenes) which makes it a prime candidate for a good weekend rental.

This really is a great game in many aspects. The graphics, the gameplay, the story line.....all top notch. Easily MGS2 has the best eye candy I have seen for PS2. The visuals are downright stunning at times. The gameplay is vitually the same as MGS (why mess with a perfect system?) The storyline is one of the most original, complex, and well written scripts I have seen on a game.
I only have two problems with this game. First, the animated storyline sometimes drags on too long. There were several instances where I felt I wanted to get on with the game instead of watching a 15 minute (I kid you not) movie. Also, the story line has so many twists and turns you really have to pay attention lest you become lost (an ill timed phone call made me miss a couple minutes of story and left me scratching my head for awhile). Finally, I thought the game itself was too short. I beat it in three days time (this on normal level). I was hoping for a longer game (not as long as say Grand Theft Auto 3 but definitely more than just three days).
Overall, though, and excellent game. It is definitely a must have for PS2 owners. I look forward to the next installment of this great series.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is without question, one of the finest games on the market today. It's predecessor, Metal Gear Solid, though a very good game, was not the fantastic achievement that Konami has worked hard to earn. Players assume the role of Solid Snake initially, but change characters several times during the game. While many people find this to be an annoyance, I found it to be a interesting change in the flow of the game. Graphically, the game is beautiful, one of the best out there, save for Final Fantasy X. And though Konami was meticulous in detail, they did a very good job of keeping the "blood n' guts" level down. The Mature rating is not for the gameplay itself (in my opinion) but for the cinema scenes, placed somewhere between a PG-13 and an R rated movie. Fantastically done, they sometimes make you think you're watching a sequel to "The Sixth Day" or "Minority Report"!

The gameplay is very nicely done. The character is mostly seen from a 3rd person perspective, with some switching to 1st person.
The controls are easy and comfortable, allowing you to move the character in almost any real position! The weapons are very diverse, as well as being based off modern guns and then upgraded to fit the future theme. Though great thought and detail has been put into the weapons, this is NOT a Golden-Eye style game where you walk through the levels blowing away anything with two legs. A strong emphasis has been put on the stealth/spy theme of the game, requiring players to disarm traps, disable sensors and cameras, bug rooms, repair vehicles and evade guards rather than get from point A to point B with as much kills possible. Due to the particulary smart AI, staying hidden is usually a smart idea.

With the difficulty set on hard, it will take most players around 20 hours to complete. As for replay value, two or three times will probably be enough to grasp the entire story, which is one of the most complex and well-thought stories in the Playstation 2's career. Voice-acting is superb, which makes it even more enjoyable second time around.

All-in-all, Metal Gear Solid is a wonderful game and a must-have for any PS2 owner.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (MGS2) is, without a doubt, the most advanced piece of interactive entertainment published to date on a console system. The graphics, sound, and gameplay are all top-notch, and it has more storyline and history than you can shake a stick at. If you haven't seen the demo or downloadable movie preview, download it or buy/rent Zone of The Enders and check it out. You'll be hooked. They've improved on the original Metal Gear Solid in every way possible; all the control and view issues I had problems with in the first game are gone, and the gameplay has more depth and new moves, weapons, and tactics for you to learn. The story picks up a few years after the first (or rather, third) game left off, and some very interesting documents you can access from the game menus give a fresh perspective on the behind-the-scenes events of the first game.

So what's wrong with MGS2? Nothing, if you ask me, but a number of reviewers have taken issue with it being "boring" and having an ending that mostly consists of an hour of watching video cutscenes instead of running around and shooting things (although there's a decent amount of that leading up to the end). This is *not* a shoot-em-up game. It says right on the box: "Tactical Espionage Action", not "Vaporize Terrorist Scum". You spend a lot of time sneaking around and avoiding people, listening in on conversations and the like -- your end-of-game ranking actually gets *worse* if you kill enemies (there's a tranqulizer gun available for those times when you have to incapacitate someone, if you don't want to kill them). And on the higher difficulty settings, you don't have a choice; you'll quickly be wiped out if discovered and attacked. The plot is long, twisted, and makes the one in Metal Gear Solid seem simple by comparison. Be prepared for surprises.

As for the ending, it isn't a simple "they stop the terrorists and all live happily ever after" affair -- and frankly, if you were expecting one, you'd be disappointed. It is fairly long (though punctuated by several boss fights), but if you care about figuring out *why* everything in the game is happening, and who's really behind the terrorist conspiracy (and who this Raiden guy you've been playing as really is), it's very interesting. After you've seen it, though, you'll probably have more questions about what was going on than you did halfway through the game. I'm already waiting for MGS3.

So, if you have some patience, feel sneaky, and want an incredibly cinematic gaming experience, pick up Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty. Otherwise, stick to Red Faction, where you can blow things up to your heart's content.

Metal Gear Solid 2 is an excellent masterpiece made by Hideo Kojima. This game has superb graphics made with the excellent hardware the Playstation2 has. The gameplay is very good. I like the style of gameplay. The third-person view makes the game more realistic than some other some other first-person shooters on Playstation2 like "James Bond: Agent Under Fire" and "Time Crisis 2". The game runs at a nice, crisp 60 frames per second (fps). The game is violent in some ways, because you have to kill people with guns. The game has a very good story, with makes it more realistic, and the superb graphics tie it all together. I think that Hideo Kojima meant to make this game into a mini-movie in a way. There is many excellent FMV's (movies) which look very good. Some times in the game, there is too many movies, and to many Codec (communicator) calls. That gets in the way, and starts to get on your nerves. But it's okay. Some times the Codec calls last like 10 minutes, and that is annoying.

But even though they have minor problems, there should be no hesitation of picking this title of the shelves or off the online cart. If you don't have a Playstation2, get one, or if you have any Xbox,(which you shouldn't) Konami is being a good sport and is producing Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance for Xbox and Playstation2. You must play Metal Gear Solid for PSone to understand the storyline of Metal Gear Solid and Solid Snake. I believe it is available at Amazon.com for ... . Buy both today!

The GOOD
This game is spectacular! The graphics are extremly fluid and life-like. Everything you can think of is interactive, you can hold up guards, drag bodies, shoot pipes, step on cokroches, the list just goes on and on. Also when you shoot someone in certain part of the body, it causes a reaction other that just bleeding and dying. For example shoot someone in the arm, they can't use thier arm, shoot someone in the leg, they limp. Its just amazing at how much work went into this game. The enemy AI is quite intelligent, because they can notice shadows, hear and see foot steps, and hear you drop empty maginzes. It took Konomi over 3 years to perfect this game and I have to say that I am extremly happy with the final result.
The BAD
Ok now whenever a game is created there are always flaws in the storyline, gameplay, ect. The bad part about the game is totally outweighted by the positive side, but lets mention the bad anyway. Ok well the worst part about the game is that there are a lot of movies. This may not hurt some people, but others who want constant action may be afected. About every 10 minutes you will experience a short movie, but sometimes they tend to be quite long and tedious. Another annoying feature of the game is the fact that it is somewhat short with only about 14 hours of PURE gameplay. However the game has alot of replay value, and you can earn cheats such as infinite ammo, and play on extremly hard difficulty. And one final note is the storyline. The storyline is extremly hard to understand, even if you are an extremly smart 13 year old like me. It would literally take the intelligence of a college graduate to figure out the entire story.
Overall: 85% This is a very nice game and I would highy recomend it to anyone. [...]

Just like any wise gamer, I never buy games without reading reviews from reputable gaming resources. I have never played the first couple of installments of Metal Gear Solid, but figured I'd find out what the hype surrounding MGS2 was about; and upon completing the game, I was not surprised by the rave reviews.

Excellent graphics, sound, and a complicated storyline immerse you into the game. This is not Resident Evil - no monsters, ghouls, zombies or supernatural beings. It's an action-packed technological-thriller, complete with awesome weapons, espionage tactics, and extreme attention to environmental detail. Similar to Devil May Cry, it's a visual feast, and a lot more. Control of your character is flawless, and getting used to the analog controls was really easy. Crawling, hanging, running, drawing, aiming and firing weapons was also easy and almost second nature.

My favorite part of the game was providing sniper cover for Emma, a young girl who is key to the game's ending, as she crosses the pontoon bridges between the structures of a deep sea facility. Don your thermal goggles, arm your PSG-1 sniping rifle, and take position to blast some Claymore mines planted in Emma's path before she steps on them. As you struggle to place the mines (and enemy soldiers who try to take out Emma) within your crosshairs, down some Pentazamine pills to steady your aim. This was an awesome segment that begged for replay after replay. :) If there is one thing notable about this game, it would be how painstakingly detailed the environments are rendered, and yet how interactive they are to your actions.

In short, the gameplay is extraordinary, unlike any game I've ever played. The complex storyline was a bit too much for me, as I have never played the original series, but this didn't, and shouldn't, stop anyone from having a grand old time disposing of the baddies MGS2-style. If the dialogue gets too drawn out, do as I did and just "fast forward" through it. I've played several action games, but this ranks number one in my book so far... My bottom line to all people reading this is - Buy Metal Gear Sold 2: Sons of Liberty ... it's not just a game, it's an experience! -ecr