Metal Gear Solid 2 was one of the best stealth action games for its time, and it holds up well today
It's hard to describe the story without spoiling it for a big surprise happens just at the end of the first level, the tanker mission. Bassically the main plot follows Raiden instead of Solid Snake this time (although you play as Snake in the first mission) as he is sent to a facility called "The Big Shell". Here he is tasked with finding out what this new terrorist threat is up to and discover the secrets behind this mysterious base. Just like any other game in the series, the plot may get a little preachy here and there but in the end, it's an enjoyable and involved plot. Raiden is ok as the new main character but he's not as well developed as Snake was. He's not bad but once you start playing as him, you'll wish you were Solid Snake again.
The visuals were absolutely stunning back in 2001. Metal Gear games usually will push the game system to its limits and MGS2 was no different from the rest. At the time, these graphics looked amazing from the character models to the realistic environment surrounding you. Of course the lip synching is a bit off and after 3 and 4, the graphics look mildly outdated, but for one of the earliest games on the system, it looked incredible. What's even better is the music, as always. Who could forget that feeling the music brought when you're spotted, or the epic boss battle theme? Like every Metal Gear before and after, the music really fits the mood and offers some of the best tracks in gaming.
As you probably already guessed, although you are given weapons in this game, you have to rely on your sneaking skills instead of blasting your way through. This is especially made clear with the fact you are given a tranquilizer gun at the start (although you get more weapons later in both missions). You certainly don't want the enemy soldiers to spot you for if they do, you raise the alert status and backup guards will come shoot you down (and they are better armed than you). After you hide and lower the alert, they will enter caution status where they will be looking for you, until the bar reaches zero. You can kill, tranquilize or knock soldiers out but leaving their bodies lying around only catches the attention of other soldiers and they'll call for backup, making your job difficult (luckily you can hide their bodies). This formula works here just as well and the difficult alert phases demonstrates why deadly force isn't a bright approach to begin with. This game is yet more proof that Metal Gear is one of the best stealth games on the market.
This game only offers two missions in the whole entire game; The Tanker level and The Plant level. First, you start off on the Tanker where you take control of the predecessor's protagonist, Solid Snake. The atmosphere of the tanker in the stormy rain is breathtaking as you make your way through the ship, inside and out. The second mission is what takes up the majority of the game as it takes longer to complete and it follows the story's real protagonist, Raiden. The Big Shell is bigger than the Tanker and is set up like a figure 8, with 6 rooms to visit on the outside, each connected by a bridge, and an even larger facility on the inside. Unfortunately, you only get to see half of the whole facility as the second half is cut off entirely, but there is still plenty to see on the one side. The industrial setting is a nice change of pace for the series and it is a breath of fresh air to see something different. Although the atmosphere and look of this part is also a sight to see, I prefer the Tanker myself, and not just because you get to play as Snake. Something about the Tanker has more charm to it due to its tone but nevertheless, the whole gme is fun from beginning to end.
Metal Gear Solid 2 was one of the best stealth action games for its time and it holds up well today. I kind of wish we could have spent more time with Solid Snake but the visuals and stealthy gameplay the the series is known for show up here rather well and it's worth playing to any new or old MGS fans alike. I'm not sure if I'd consider it the best game in the series, but I would still highly recommend it to any fan of the series for after over 11 years, it still holds up as a great stealth action experience.