Metal Gear Solid was a runaway success when it was first released on the Playstation in 1998. It was praised for its inventive gameplay and intelligent AI system. As such, the second game in the series had some big shoes to fill.

The story starts off similar to the first game. You infiltrate an enemy stronghold (this time an oil-rig) to neutralise a terrorist cell and rescue their hostages. As with the first game, there are plenty of plots twists along the way. One thing that I was disappointed with in terms of the storyline was that it didn't really develop the massive cliff-hanger at the end of the first game regarding Snake's health. Yes, it was mentioned now and again but only very briefly.

Gameplay is also similar to the first game, with the emphasis on stealth rather than brute force. You have an onscreen radar which shows where enemies are and their field of vision. If enemies see you, they call in backup and you have to fight or flight. Taking down an enemy is a riskier affair than in the first game as the enemies frequently conduct radio check-ins with each other to make sure everyone is still alive and kicking. Prevent an enemy from checking in and a search party will be sent out to investigate. This makes the game harder than the first one because now if you take down an enemy you have to make sure you can exit the area very quickly before the search party is sent in. Fortunately this time around there are even more ways you can hide from the enemy, such as hiding in lockers and dressing up in an enemy uniform.

While the gameplay is mostly enjoyable, one part that disappoints is the boss battles. They simply aren't as fun and inventive as the first game. For example one boss is a very annoying roller-skating fat guy who you have to knock over and shoot in the head while at the same time disarming the numerous bombs he places in the area. This can be really tedious, especially as he can move quickly, making it difficult to hit him.

However, by far the biggest flaw of the game is that you don't play as Snake. Instead you play as the uber-whiney Raiden who simply doesn't come anywhere close to matching Snake's coolness. His inferiority to Snake doesn't just manifest itself in his speech and intelligence (or lack thereof), it actually presents itself in the way you control the character. For example, if you perform a forward roll on some stairs instead of successfully pulling off the move you end up flat on your back! Yes, it may be realistic but it doesn't really enamour you to the character!

As I said before, this game had some big shoes to fill. Sadly, it fails due to bad gameplay choices by the producers and bland boss battles. That's not to say it's a terrible game. Some areas are quite enjoyable, such as a sniping section where you pick off distant enemies before they can attack your ally. It's just that for every fun area you encounter, a bland, uninspiring area is waiting just around the corner. Still, if you want to give the game a go the good news is its quite cheap now. I bought a second hand copy from cex for £2!