Incredible game. The gameplay has improved from MGS1, especially with the new first-person mechanics. Even though it still has some of tedious stuff that was also in MGS, stuff like backtracking feels way better in here (probably related to how the whole main area of the game is designed). The story in this game is also top notch, and probably my favorite in any game I've played thus far (obviously, the twist at last third of the game kinda carries it but that's besides the point). Absolutely terrifying how it still holds up today and even better than ever. The cast of characters, although probably inferior to MGS1, are still good here as well. I feel as if the game gets better after the mid-way point, or at least that's how it felt when I played it but even before that I still found it decently enjoyable, and of course everything in the last third of the game was just amazing.

I don't get the Raiden hate, he's cool.

The greatest game of all time. Every aspect is perfect. The graphics are perfect and look great for a 2001 PS2 game, the voice acting and writing is great for a Japanese game of its time. The gameplay is relatively linear with a few explorative segments but still feels open with the tools you are given to experiment and mess around with the really great enemy AI. Open world AAA devs take note. THIS is how you put freedom in a game without making it bloated and spread out over a mediocre world map. The story is literally the greatest and most meaningful and relevant story in a video game to date. every twist is delivered with perfection and will leave you in shock. The final twist is one of the most shocking and eerie moments in video games, leaving you trying to figure out what exactly happened. I would reccomend reading the script for what you just played after each session to get in your brain what just happened and who betrayed who. it greatly improved my enjoyment of the game. 10/10. My favorite game of all time.

Over 20 years later, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is still a fantastic game with a boat load of bombast and personality. However, at times, it still suffers from the same dated, clunky controls that I found within its predecessor -- albeit with some slight improvements due to the addition of the first-person view mode. Additionally, I quite enjoy Raiden as the primary protagonist in this game. I know many have severely criticized him as a game character, but the juxtaposition between him and Snake strikes a really nice balance in my opinion.

I had forgotten a majority of the plot since I last played this game in 2002, so replaying it again, it was almost as if I was experiencing it again for the first time. For the first 3/4 of the game, the plot really had a tight hold on me with its deep mystery and neat twists. However, in the final act of the game, I really felt like Kojima went completely off the rails. During the absurdly long exposition dump at the very end of the game, my brain nearly melted with all of the revelations that the game was trying to explicate. However, there is just something simply endearing about Kojima's absurdity, and I can't quite put my finger on it. As a result, despite being mostly in a state of confusion while trying to wrap my head around the metacommentary, I was still quite entertained -- almost in a comedic sense. Moreover, the idiosyncratic cautionary narrative regarding our foray into the digital age remains astoundingly relevant today in modern-day society, even more than it did back when the game released at the turn of the century.

Ultimately, even though I think I ended the game with more questions about the plot than I had at the beginning, I still found Sons of Liberty to stand the test of time, and I'm really happy I decided to replay through it again.