Metal Gear Solid 2 is another masterclass by Hideo Kojima and Kojima productions in storytelling and narrative exposition. It's hard to review Metal Gear games without going into the extremely convoluted storylines that stretch far and wide in scope, so I will avoid that here.
The gameplay of MGS2 is uh... interesting. The player takes control of Jack, codenamed Raiden and originally codenamed Snake, after playing as Solid Snake for the first few hours of the game. Departing from MGS1's purely top down combat in which action occurred on the four cardinal directions, MGS2 goes first person (sort of) in it's combat. This is cool in how it changes how the player discovers solutions to the mini puzzles and sneaking sequences, however can make boss fights and getting spotted extremely frustrating. MGS will follow this combat method for the rest of the series (barring spinoffs,) becoming much more normalized and easier to perform as the games go on.
MGS2 takes place in two locations, one where you play as Solid Snake on a tanker ship that you must infiltrate in which you discover the source of conflict for the game, and one where you play as Raiden on Big Shell. These locations are not too interesting, however that's not what matters in MGS2. Shadow Moses was the same way in MGS1, its just snow and a lot of snow, however the narrative and characters make this feel worthwhile, it's the same on Big Shell.
Characters are always MGS' strong suit and its no stranger here. Both Solid Snake and Raiden are extremely interesting characters, especially as you learn the tragic history behind the latter. Teamates like Rose, The Colonel, Otacon, and Emma Emmerich each have their fair share of intrigue and contributions to the series lore that will leave you always wanting more. Villains like Solidus, Ocelot, Fortune, and Vamp can all be absolutely hilarious at one point and rather captivating at others, which is something only Kojima has really mastered. There are moments these characters will make you laugh (see: Vamp running up Big Shell and Raiden's "Colonel, we managed to avoid drowning") but also times where they'll craft a thought provoking speech with extreme ramifications.
Narratively MGS2 is probably my favorite in the series (Snake Eater might be tied) with the implications that nuclear arms and geopolitics play in the story. It's something that is legitimately impossible to understand unless you've played the game so I want to avoid it (also spoilers) however I strongly urge people to play through these games despite being dated because of this.
MGS2 Plays like an old game, but the story and impressive cast of characters make for a historic gaming experience.
The gameplay of MGS2 is uh... interesting. The player takes control of Jack, codenamed Raiden and originally codenamed Snake, after playing as Solid Snake for the first few hours of the game. Departing from MGS1's purely top down combat in which action occurred on the four cardinal directions, MGS2 goes first person (sort of) in it's combat. This is cool in how it changes how the player discovers solutions to the mini puzzles and sneaking sequences, however can make boss fights and getting spotted extremely frustrating. MGS will follow this combat method for the rest of the series (barring spinoffs,) becoming much more normalized and easier to perform as the games go on.
MGS2 takes place in two locations, one where you play as Solid Snake on a tanker ship that you must infiltrate in which you discover the source of conflict for the game, and one where you play as Raiden on Big Shell. These locations are not too interesting, however that's not what matters in MGS2. Shadow Moses was the same way in MGS1, its just snow and a lot of snow, however the narrative and characters make this feel worthwhile, it's the same on Big Shell.
Characters are always MGS' strong suit and its no stranger here. Both Solid Snake and Raiden are extremely interesting characters, especially as you learn the tragic history behind the latter. Teamates like Rose, The Colonel, Otacon, and Emma Emmerich each have their fair share of intrigue and contributions to the series lore that will leave you always wanting more. Villains like Solidus, Ocelot, Fortune, and Vamp can all be absolutely hilarious at one point and rather captivating at others, which is something only Kojima has really mastered. There are moments these characters will make you laugh (see: Vamp running up Big Shell and Raiden's "Colonel, we managed to avoid drowning") but also times where they'll craft a thought provoking speech with extreme ramifications.
Narratively MGS2 is probably my favorite in the series (Snake Eater might be tied) with the implications that nuclear arms and geopolitics play in the story. It's something that is legitimately impossible to understand unless you've played the game so I want to avoid it (also spoilers) however I strongly urge people to play through these games despite being dated because of this.
MGS2 Plays like an old game, but the story and impressive cast of characters make for a historic gaming experience.