Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty was one of the most fervently-anticipated video games ever released. It certainly deserved it, too--its predecessor was hailed by many as a virtual godsend, and it is still labeled by many as the best Playstation One game ever created. So, when the sequel came out, everyone was pretty eager to snatch it up and resume the stealth-laden adventures of everyone’s favorite grizzled hardcore one-man army, Solid Snake. People both loved and hated the original MGS2. It was a wonderful evolution of the first game’s engine and stealth mechanics, the visuals were groundbreaking (and still hold up very well by today’s standards), and the musical score was better than most Hollywood films. On the flip side of the coin, MGS protagonist Solid Snake took a backseat to a newer, younger, and whinier main character, a fresh-out-of-VR-training rookie named Raiden. As good as MGS2’s other aspects were, people just flat out resented the fact that they weren’t able to play as Solid Snake. Some time later, Metal Gear director Hideo Kojima announced that he was working on a special edition of MGS2, subtitled “Substance,” to reflect the additional content that would be added to the game. He claimed that this re-mastered version of MGS2 would allow fans to play more of the game through Solid Snake’s eyes, as well as providing a gauntlet of VR training missions, reminiscent of the Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions disc that followed the original MGS’s release. This, Kojima said, would be the definitive version of MGS2 that he wanted to release all along. In many ways, it is. At its core, MGS2: Substance (initially released for the XBox several months prior) is still the same landmark game that was released in 2001, with a deep story, astounding visuals, a jaw-dropping musical score, and a large helping of bonus material for those who have already gone through the motions with the original MGS2. Solid Snake is the epitome of hardcore. Previously tapped by the US government for a variety of one-man sneak-and-destroy missions versus terrorist groups who employ the technology of Metal Gear nuclear weapons, Snake has been busy since the conclusion of the original MGS. Alongside his gearhead partner Otacon, Snake has founded a small, independent anti-terrorist group dedicated to destroying all forms of Metal Gear technology. As the game begins, Snake has stowed away aboard a military tanker on New York’s Hudson River, charged with obtaining evidence of a new Metal Gear prototype being transported onboard. Saying virtually anything else about the story would be a disservice to those who haven’t played the game. Let’s just say it gets really complicated, involving lots of conspiracies, plot twists, and sneaking around. The gameplay is about as perfect as it gets--MGS2 is stealth action at its finest, emphasizing finesse over brute force. Sure, you can go in with guns blazing, if that’s what you want to do. But the game is more rewarding of sneaky, non-violent progress. Indeed, it is possible to finish the game without ever shooting a single enemy guard (aside from a few mandatory firefight sequences). It’s also possible to use the environment to your advantage; you can knock on walls to divert a guard’s attention, allowing you to sneak by undetected. Or, you might toss an empty ammo clip or a magazine down the hallway to distract someone. Sidling up against walls to avoid security cameras and peek around corners is another standard and oft-used precaution. For those who have honed their stealth skills, there are several difficulty levels--the hardest of which is near-impossible unless you know the game inside and out. The various difficulty settings add quite a bit of replay value to the game, as does the daunting quest of collecting dog tags from guards--either by taking them at gunpoint, or from their fallen bodies. Collect enough dog tags, and you get some nifty rewards at the end of the game. Foremost among the bonus features are the VR missions. Upwards of 500 VR training missions are available, playable as various permutations of Raiden and Snake (including a katana-wielding Ninja Raiden and an MGS1 Snake). There are several types of missions, all with specific rules and goals. Stealth missions end if you’re spotted before you reach the goal, while weapon mode tests your ability to take out enemy soldiers with the variety of weapons found in the main game. There’s a variety of alternative missions as well, including a self-explanatory first person mode, bomb elimination mode (disarm all the bombs in the area before they explode), hold up mode (get the jump on guards and hold them at gunpoint without being discovered), and photograph mode (capture snapshots of the indicated targets with your digital camera). If you’re the type who dug the old VR Missions disc, these should keep you busy for quite a while. Another new feature that might interest some is the inclusion of a new set of missions called Snake Tales. These scenarios offer alternative story-based missions starring Solid Snake. They’re a nice touch, although they’re short and there are only five of them. The story aspect of the Snake Tales consists of pages of dialogue text, with no new voice acting. This makes it feel a bit rushed and patched together; it’s a shame they didn’t record new dialogue for these scenes. Sadly, aside from the VR missions, this is the only area of the game to allow some additional playtime as Solid Snake. The final special feature, which wasn’t present in the XBox version, is the skateboarding mini-game. It uses the engine from Konami’s Evolution Skateboarding, allowing you to grind and ollie your way around MGS2’s Big Shell setting as either Snake or Raiden. Aside from its rockin’ guitar remix of the game’s main theme, there’s not much to be said about this feature--it’s short on both content and depth, and it mostly just feels like a big adverti****t for Evolution Skateboarding. Its inclusion here is pretty odd. But hey, if you’ve always dreamed of skateboarding your way to glory as Solid Snake, this should be right up your alley. Graphically, MGS2: Substance is still pretty breathtaking. Having been tailored specifically to the PS2’s hardware, the game boasts some impressive particle effects and an excellent frame rate--it moves at a near-constant rate of 60 frames per second. Characters animate extremely well, and the game’s many cut scenes are a beauty. Being a PS2-native game, none of the slowdown present in the XBox port is present here. For a game that was released nearly two years ago (ample time for impressive visuals to fade into obsoleteness in today’s day and age), MGS2 still holds up amazingly well. The audio quality in MGS2 raised the bar. So high, in fact, that I still believe there is little to nothing that compares to it. The musical score, by Hollywood composer Harry Gregson-Williams, would likely be an Academy Award candidate if it were in a film. The voice acting, by and large, is also film-quality. David Hayter’s performance as Solid Snake is, well, pretty solid; Raiden is mildly irritating at times, though that’s largely by design. Some characters are a bit bland, though the majority of the cast does a stellar job. It’s also nice to see that Konami managed to re-assemble the entire cast from the original MGS for this one--this lends a professional-looking and much-appreciated air to it. Substance’s one drawback is its price. Make no mistake about it, you’re paying for a quality game--but justifying a $39.95 price tag on a game you’ve likely already played to death is pretty hard to do. The bonus features are definitely a great addition to add some more replay value to the game, but not everyone’s going to appreciate them. The Snake Tales and skateboarding features are marginal bonuses that, in all likelihood, you aren’t going to spend much time with beyond an initial play-through. If you’re a hardcore Metal Gear fan (in which case this review isn’t going to sway you one way or the other), or if you’ve never played MGS2 (you can come out from under your rock now), then by all means, buy this game. If neither of the above allies to you, it’s definitely worth a rental. And hey, if you’re tight on cash, the original MGS2 is available as part of the Greatest Hits label for the low price of $19.99. Whatever the case may be, Metal Gear Solid 2 isn’t a game that anyone should skip.
Other Helpful Reviews for Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (w/The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2)
One year after Metal Gear Solid was released on the PS2, Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance was released on the Xbox. While a fantastic game, it wound up being somewhat buggy and lag-ridden on the supposedly more powerful con... Read Full Review
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is the continuation of the complex and ever twisting Metal Gear Solid storyline. It follows the stories of Solid Snake and a new character named Raiden as they try to rescue hostages a... Read Full Review
