Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake

Fixing nearly everything that was broken in part one, MG2:SS is the definition of what a sequel should be.

Several years after the Outer Heaven incident, Solid Snake is again called upon. World renowned scientist Dr. Marv has engineered an organism that refines crude oil, however he has been kidnapped during a terrorist revolt in Zanzibar Land. Snake must infiltrate the enemy compound and rescue him, though many surprises are in store for the legendary soldier.

The difference between the two MSX metal gears is astonishing. Judged against this sequel, the first game feels primitive. The graphics are more colorful with more fluidity in the movements, the controls are more responsive, and the sound is vastly improved, particularly the music, which was almost teeth grinding in the first MG. Other improvements include additional gear, more weapons, a refined alert system, and the god-sent ability to duck and crawl.

The most notable improvement in the game is the story telling. In the first game the plot was ill-developed; aside from the one major late game twist. Also, characters were devoid of personality and lacked meaningful bearing on the narrative. Not so with this (and all subsequent) entry. Snake is given much more to do and say this time, as opposed to his grunt like behavior in part one. The side characters get a lot more to do as well, enough that when something bad happens to one of them you feel it.

The game holds up amazing well given it's age. The design and complexity of the game are such that they remain almost unchanged throughout the rest of the series. The next game in sequence, Metal Gear Solid (PS1), is as much a remake in mechanics as it is a sequel in story.

A few small annoyances keep the game from retro-perfection. Enemies will occasionally spot you as soon as you enter/exit a door way and there is nothing you can do about it. The guns you are (eventually) equipped with fire bullets so slow that baddies will often out run them off screen. Also, while the card swapping shenanigans of the first game have been noticeably reduced, it's still tedious to cycle through several cards just to see which (if any) will open a door. Lastly, the game has a habit of throwing a complication at the play without providing any readily apparent solution; either get a walk-through or be prepared for LOTS of aimless wandering.

Despite the few grievances levied against the game, it is still a fantastic experience that all Metal Gear fans should check out.

8/10

Surpassed the original Metal Gear in almost every respect. The graphics were much improved and Snake got a little more personality this time round. (He also looked suspiciously like Charlie Sheen in Hot Shots 2). The stealth aspect was much more stable this time around, with none of the irritating rocket-man sequences that plagued the first installment. Familiar characters from Metal Gear turn up once again with new roles to play in the proceedings. The gameplay too takes a turn for the better. Notably the boss characters are a little more imaginative, in comparison to Metal Gear's 'man with shotgun', 'man with machine gun', and 'man with flamethrower'. The radar system is also a welcome addition, allowing you to make sure that your next screen change won't put you into the middle of five alert guards. All in all, an excellent sequel.

You are Solid Snake and you have been sent to stop another uprising in a secret military base!

+) The controls have been greatly improved. Snake has more weapons, he can actually crawl now and hide, and he has more items to use.

+)The story is better than the original. This is the "real" beginning of the Metal Gear saga. Codec calls now help tell the story instead of just "go here next Snake," that was in the original.

+)The music is great

~ Still you have to do some "trial and error" gameplay at certain points ~Item management still kinda is clunky ~Might required an online guide to get through certain parts as it is very vague.

It's a shame this is probably the least known Metal Gear game in the series, however this is probably down to the fact that it was only officially released outside Japan in 2006. When many people mention the Metal Gear Solid series they think of MGS (PS1) as the game which set the foundations of the series we all love today, in fact they are wrong, the foundations were set 8 years earlier, in this game. MGS1 merely converted MG2 into 3D, I'm not picking on MGS1, I love it and it totally revolutionised the cinematic experience of games with it's awesome voice acting and great cut scenes. But in terms of game-play the game doesn't differ that much from its predecessor. In fact a lot of elements from MG2 were carried over to MGS1 and reused!

Having to warm/cool a key. Running up several flights of stairs with guards chasing you. Meeting up with a woman dressed like a guard in the women's restroom. Getting a call from a person claiming to be one of your fans. Being ambushed in a elevator by 4 guards. A fist fight. Entering the first building using an air vent. A fight with a Hind D.

Anyway, like I said, this isn't a dig at MGS1, it's just that I think Metal Gear 2 doesn't get the credit it deserves.

What makes this game so good that I claim it's the best in the series?

Well, the story...which is a big improvement on the first Metal Gear (which didn't really have an in game story). It's got twists, turns, betrayals, returning characters, motives, love affairs and a huge confrontation between Snake and the second biggest character the in whole saga. The story is portrayed through text dialogue, mainly over the radio screen but it's to the point and not much waffle which is nice. There are some sad parts, some funny parts and some downright cool parts. Solid Snake's accomplice on this game is called Holly White and she's downright less annoying than Meryl from future MGS games, in fact her and Snake seem to hit it off well, they have chemistry and it comes off really....cute. They seem perfect for each other, where as with Meryl, she's like a damsel in distress, she acts immaturely and it seems like Snake is always babysitting her. With Holly it's different, Holly is funny, she has nice banter with Snake, she's got attitude and her and Snake just seem a lot more suited to each other.

Colonel Roy Campbell is here as your main point of information and unlike Metal Gear 1 you won't repeatedly get the same radio messages every time you visit the same area, that was an irritating bug in the first game. There are some other people here to help you out over the radio, each with their own specific knowledge who you will have to call at specific times in the game in order to understand what the hell you are suppose to be doing. That's another plus about this game, it has puzzles, it's not easy, some puzzles in the game will resort in you using trial and error methods unless you cheat and use an FAQ.

This game introduced a much welcome 9 screen radar system at the top right of the screen. The screen with Snake on will always appear in the middle and you can see where guards are on the different surrounding screens to help you get by undetected, it's a cool feature in the game and a feature used in the later games and it was amiss in MG1. Snake can now crouch and crawl, there are hole in walls you will need to crawl through and there are some spaces you can hide in if you trigger alert mode. You can knock on wall to lure guards, another big element used in the later games.

The sound is great. It has a nice variation of music, all 8 bit renditions of course but like I said; the variation is there....frantic, weary, calm, sad. The music is just all around excellent. A huge improvement on Metal Gear 1 where all you heard mostly was "Theme Of Tara" which is a good tune but it gets very monotonous quickly. Metal Gear 2 has many more songs suited to the different environments in the game and they're all very atmospheric.

A lot of MGS fans choose to snub these two games, because they are "BORING N CRAPPY 2D GAMES WITH NO STORY". MG1 might fit that description although I don't think it's boring, but MG2 just took it to a whole new level. I much prefer the story of Metal Gear 2 to that of the likes of Portable Ops or even MGS4. These fans call for these games to be remade and frankly, I'd hate for this game to be remade. It is so far ahead of its time and really did set the foundation for the games these "fans" enjoy. Remaking this would just turn what's already an great game into a 3D, over the top, retcon filled piece of garbage. This game explains itself well; it's got a story, a great story. It's got good game-play, solid game-play. In fact the dialogue between the final boss and Solid Snake is the best I've seen in the series, the intentions, the emotions and the motives of both characters are expressed brilliantly.

This game is worth 4 hours of anybodies time who likes a great game with fun game-play and a good story to boot. If you're an MGS fan then you really should have played this game by now, you can find this game along with its predecessor Metal Gear 1 on the second disc of MGS3: Subsistence for the PS2. The fact it was made in 1990s testament to what a great developer Hideo Kojima and his team are.

While I never finished this game, I still found it enjoyable and interesting. The building at the end of the game was just too tough for me, and I eventually grew tired of the game. But then again, I had no semblance of patience back in those days. If I had the chance, I would love to play this game again. This was a great send-off to a game which set new standards at the next level.