A game worthy of sneaking into your games console (Metal Gear Solid 2 - Sons of Liberty (PS2))

Member Name: DaveAshton

Product:	Metal Gear Solid 2 - Sons of Liberty (PS2)
Date:	05/10/09 (16 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gameplay, good plot with several twists

Disadvantages: Some won't like the amount of cutscenes

Metal Gear Solid 2 is (predictably, given the name) the sequel to Metal Gear Solid, and the first outing for Solid Snake on the PS2. Unfortunately, Snake doesn't feature as prominently in this game as he did in the original, the only chance you get to play as Snake is during the first stage, set on a US Navy tanker. This stage kind of acts as a preview, showing the player the basic controls, and introducing the concept of sneaking as you avoid the enemy forces on the boat.

The majority of the game is set in an entirely different area to a boat however, as you sneak about on a building called the "Big Shell". This isn't the only change either, as for the second, larger part of the game you play as a character called Raiden, who is as far from Snake as you could get without your character changing sex. Even the fighting styles of the two characters are different, such as Snake's forward roll being replaced with a forward cartwheel. One nice addition bought to this game is the ability to aim your weapons in first-person view, which makes targeting enemies before they see you much easier than in the original Metal Gear Solid game.

Plot-wise, the game works very well, although the end is a little... surreal, to say the least. That said, it's a very solid storyline, with very few gaps or pointless exposition. Some people criticise the number of cutscenes in the Metal Gear Solid games, but in this they all seem necessary.

Graphically, there are no real problems, although the game does look a bit dated now in parts. Despite this, the cut-scenes are almost as good as some of the most recent games, which considering MGS 2 was released in 2001 says a lot.

Being a game based on the whole on sneaking past enemies with a 3rd person camera, it won't be for everyone, but for me this is one of the best games I've ever played.

Summary: Buy it