Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Sony PlayStation 2, 2001)

OK, I absolutely loved MGS1, it was one of the best titles for the original PS1. Whether you're a fan of the series or a first timer, this game is definitely worth the purchase price. You start out playing the series main character "Snake" for the first 1/4 of the game, and then you assume the role of a new character named Raiden for the rest of the game. Snake is still involved in the entire storyline of this game, which ends up playing out pretty awesome. Controls are smooth, cinematics are awesome, all in all, you should definitely check this one out.

One of the most anticipated titles in PlayStation2 history absolutely lives up to the hype. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is the follow-up to one of the most captivating and intelligent adventures on the original PlayStation. Solid Snake, everyone's favorite mullet-sporting supersoldier, is back, along with many other familiar faces and voices. While its predecessor was lauded for telling a complex story, this sequel has even more fascinating twists and turns. Also, like Metal Gear Solid, MGS2 takes console-game storytelling to an entirely new level with stunning in-game movies, great graphics, and game mechanics that let you find your own solutions to challenges. The game's twisting and at times bizarre plot will undoubtedly keep some gamers perplexed.
Konami has replaced the moronic enemies from the first MGS with more cerebral and capable foes; this causes an even greater emphasis on stealth than the original. The controls have been refined and Snake's repertoire of moves has grown, significantly deepening the gameplay. This is, technically and stylistically, one of the best-looking PS2 games on the market. The sound is also topnotch, with a fabulous score and outstanding voice acting. What makes this game such a standout, however, is how all of these sight, sound, and story elements combine to immerse the player into an entertainment form somewhere between movie and game. It will be years before Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is surpassed. This is interactive entertainment at its finest.

This game is another excellent installment of the Metal Gear series. A sequal to Metal Gear Solid, this game goes deeper into the story of the new mobile nuclear weapons known as Metal Gear. Play as Raiden, an agent of the reformed FOXHOUND, on a mission to uncover the mysteries of the Patriots, vanquish the threat of the terrorists who plan to destroy the vital detoxicating oil rig known as "Big Shell", in an attempt to turn the city into a toxic wasteland. Team up with Solid Snake (from Metal Gear Solid) to prevent the enemy take over of a new Metal Gear to decimate the inhabitants of New York City.


Review written by Rob Vince (megamantheory@hotmail.com)

Konami's legendary action hero Solid Snake makes his PlayStation 2 debut in Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Once underway, players take the role of a one-man army determined to stop a deadly high-tech weapon from falling into the hands of a highly elite resistance group known as Dead Cell. Gameplay mirrors that from its PlayStation predecessor; as users must once again utilize their skills in stealth, weaponry, and counter-terrorism to fight off the competing powers; and as they progress through a twisting storyline, eventually destroy the gigantic war machine, Metal Gear Ray. New to the series is the ability to hang from ledges, drag bodies, and interact with almost every object in the environment.

It is all the same stuff that made the first game great to play with some grapical improvements and some minor gameplay tweaks which makes it better.