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1) Raiden
Metal Gear Solid has a new main man. Internet message boards are full of that Kojima let Metal Gear fans down by ditching Snake as the lead character. But thuis lot should have engaged their brains before talking. Who’s the real star of MGS1? When a guard is about to kick open the box he’s hiding in, do you think, oh no. Snake’s in trouble? No, you think, I’m screwed, and then you Panic.
Using Raiden allows the plot to twist and brain- bending shapes. Who the hell is this Guy? Good question - he barely knows himself. Snake on the other hand, is a known quantity. You known his past, and because of that you know what his agenda is. Meanwhile, Raiden has got all of Snake’s moves, but hasn’t got his experience. He’s more like you than Snake is. And having Raiden as the top dog means Snake is free to meander through the story at will, exciting you at every time you cross paths.
2) Attention to Detail
No videogame has ever gone as mad for the little details as Metal Gear Solid 2.
In normal games you shoot bushes and nothing happens. In Metal Gear Solid, leaves fall off and lie on the ground. Guards spot them. They wonder what’s happened. You kill the guard. The radio on his dead body crackles- its base wanting you to know why he hasn’t reported in. You break the radio. But its too late. The patrol is on its way.
Look around, and you’ll also spot little details that have been included in case you go looking for them. Try these:
Snake never runs out of ammo cos he’s still got his ‘infinite ammo’ bandanna from MGS1.
Smallest character in MGS2? That will be the flies. Buzzing around lights and old food.
Get splashed looking around in first-person view and water droplets bead in the camera lens.
3) Stealth
Metal Gear Solid 2 takes sneaking around to a new level.
Not getting caught in MGS2 required you to be on top of your game like never before. Guards spot your shadow if it protrudes round a corner. Open wounds leave tell-tale blood spots. Spy cameras are everywhere and suspicious boxes get checked.
The golden rule is to find a disguise and act like what your meant to be impersonating. So when the alarm sounds make sure you search like the rest of them or stay where you are and don’t move whatever. Its a lot to think about, but its what makes Metal Gear Solid 2 so exhilarating.
4) Dog Tags
Every character in the game has a set of dog tags. Sneak up on them and threaten them, and they’ll hand them over. It’s easy with one guard a room. With several, you need to distract or tranquillise the other guards first. There is a different set of dog tags on each level, over 300 to collect altogether.
The more you have, the better secrets you unlock.
5) The Weapons
All new for MGS2 is the first person aiming option that allows you to place an infrared bead right on an enemies head. Squeeze off one round and it’s goodnight - literally, if your using tranquillisers dart.
But some weapons are best saved for special occasions such as motion tracking Stinger missiles or the fly- by -wire Nikita rockets. That’s not to say you can’t nuke an unsuspected seagull with either, but you’re probably best to save them for the twenty something foot high mechs and swooping attack jets. Heres the full rundown, that Raiden ends up packing, even though he hasn’t got any pockets. #
M9- Your first weapon. A slow-firing tranquilliser gun with laser sight.
PSG1- This sniper rifle can open an enemy’s head at distance miles. Also handy for discharging bombs.
STINGER- One of the most lethal weapons, the Stinger automatically locks a target and fires a missile.
CHAFF- If you can’t sneak past a spy cam, chuck one of these to scrambles its circuits.
NIKITA GRENADE- A fly-by-wire rocket with extreme limited ammo. You get to guide the baby yourself.
SOCOM- Your basic handgun. It;’s not an automatic, so bash the fire buttons to bust shots pff.
AKS-74U- Ah, the delicious AKS 74U. Sprays automatic fire like a demon, and can even fit a silencer.
PSG1 -T- Specially adapted sniper rifle that shoots tranqualisier darts. Perfect for the pacifist
RGB-6- Six shell grenade launcher. Best used at medium damage to avoid gdamage yourself.
M4- The second of the machine guns. Less desirable than the AK because ammo is scarce.
STUN GRENADE- The grenade that doesn’t hurt anyone. What’s the use? It’s like a chaff generade but for people.
6) The Boss Battles
Metal Gear Solid 1 was famous for it’s ingenoius boss fights. MGS2 will be too.
Remember the Pyscho Mantis battle in Metal Gear Solid. One of the finest moments in gaming history, no doubt about that. And Sniper Wolf and Revovlver Ocelot? Metal Gear Solid 2 has more that it’s fair share of boss encounters, and as usual its never as simple as just spraying lead at the bad guy. If you have played the demo, you will have fought Olga, so you’ll know what we mean.
The bosses are Vamp, Fatman Fortune, Harrier. I don’t want to say any more just in case I ruin it for you.
7) The Dream Team
Raiden has been stripped of his equipment and clothes. He’s alone and on the run from the enemy base. But his Saviour arrives; Snake.
Your heart leaps. One of videogamnings finest heroes has stopped to help you out. Then begins the slort of action movie buddy sequence that John Woo would sell his eyes to make. Covering each others backs, you and Snaketake the fight to the heart of the enemy base. Guards pour in and you cut them down with twin streams of hot lead. You’ve got to be careful not to shoot each other, and Raiden nerves are at breaking point. Trust me, it’s special.
8) The Plot
The final reason why Metal Gear Solid 2 is the best PS2 game yet is it has the most engrossing plot in game history.
What happens in MGS2? What doesn’t. After the brief Solid Snake episode, Raiden is called in to advert a hostage crisis on a giant off- shore clean up facitilty. You soon realise all is not as it seems and every bleep of the Codec brings new info and a different nunderstanding of events.
You’ll have to play the game twice to fully grasp all the twists and turns. The most complex plot ever? Yes. Being a Kojima game, there’s plenty of philosophy too.
Thanks for reading.
Liquid Snake
1) Raiden
Metal Gear Solid has a new main man. Internet message boards are full of that Kojima let Metal Gear fans down by ditching Snake as the lead character. But thuis lot should have engaged their brains before talking. Who’s the real star of MGS1? When a guard is about to kick open the box he’s hiding in, do you think, oh no. Snake’s in trouble? No, you think, I’m screwed, and then you Panic.
Using Raiden allows the plot to twist and brain- bending shapes. Who the hell is this Guy? Good question - he barely knows himself. Snake on the other hand, is a known quantity. You known his past, and because of that you know what his agenda is. Meanwhile, Raiden has got all of Snake’s moves, but hasn’t got his experience. He’s more like you than Snake is. And having Raiden as the top dog means Snake is free to meander through the story at will, exciting you at every time you cross paths.
2) Attention to Detail
No videogame has ever gone as mad for the little details as Metal Gear Solid 2.
In normal games you shoot bushes and nothing happens. In Metal Gear Solid, leaves fall off and lie on the ground. Guards spot them. They wonder what’s happened. You kill the guard. The radio on his dead body crackles- its base wanting you to know why he hasn’t reported in. You break the radio. But its too late. The patrol is on its way.
Look around, and you’ll also spot little details that have been included in case you go looking for them. Try these:
Snake never runs out of ammo cos he’s still got his ‘infinite ammo’ bandanna from MGS1.
Smallest character in MGS2? That will be the flies. Buzzing around lights and old food.
Get splashed looking around in first-person view and water droplets bead in the camera lens.
3) Stealth
Metal Gear Solid 2 takes sneaking around to a new level.
Not getting caught in MGS2 required you to be on top of your game like never before. Guards spot your shadow if it protrudes round a corner. Open wounds leave tell-tale blood spots. Spy cameras are everywhere and suspicious boxes get checked.
The golden rule is to find a disguise and act like what your meant to be impersonating. So when the alarm sounds make sure you search like the rest of them or stay where you are and don’t move whatever. Its a lot to think about, but its what makes Metal Gear Solid 2 so exhilarating.
4) Dog Tags
Every character in the game has a set of dog tags. Sneak up on them and threaten them, and they’ll hand them over. It’s easy with one guard a room. With several, you need to distract or tranquillise the other guards first. There is a different set of dog tags on each level, over 300 to collect altogether.
The more you have, the better secrets you unlock.
5) The Weapons
All new for MGS2 is the first person aiming option that allows you to place an infrared bead right on an enemies head. Squeeze off one round and it’s goodnight - literally, if your using tranquillisers dart.
But some weapons are best saved for special occasions such as motion tracking Stinger missiles or the fly- by -wire Nikita rockets. That’s not to say you can’t nuke an unsuspected seagull with either, but you’re probably best to save them for the twenty something foot high mechs and swooping attack jets. Heres the full rundown, that Raiden ends up packing, even though he hasn’t got any pockets. #
M9- Your first weapon. A slow-firing tranquilliser gun with laser sight.
PSG1- This sniper rifle can open an enemy’s head at distance miles. Also handy for discharging bombs.
STINGER- One of the most lethal weapons, the Stinger automatically locks a target and fires a missile.
CHAFF- If you can’t sneak past a spy cam, chuck one of these to scrambles its circuits.
NIKITA GRENADE- A fly-by-wire rocket with extreme limited ammo. You get to guide the baby yourself.
SOCOM- Your basic handgun. It;’s not an automatic, so bash the fire buttons to bust shots pff.
AKS-74U- Ah, the delicious AKS 74U. Sprays automatic fire like a demon, and can even fit a silencer.
PSG1 -T- Specially adapted sniper rifle that shoots tranqualisier darts. Perfect for the pacifist
RGB-6- Six shell grenade launcher. Best used at medium damage to avoid gdamage yourself.
M4- The second of the machine guns. Less desirable than the AK because ammo is scarce.
STUN GRENADE- The grenade that doesn’t hurt anyone. What’s the use? It’s like a chaff generade but for people.
6) The Boss Battles
Metal Gear Solid 1 was famous for it’s ingenoius boss fights. MGS2 will be too.
Remember the Pyscho Mantis battle in Metal Gear Solid. One of the finest moments in gaming history, no doubt about that. And Sniper Wolf and Revovlver Ocelot? Metal Gear Solid 2 has more that it’s fair share of boss encounters, and as usual its never as simple as just spraying lead at the bad guy. If you have played the demo, you will have fought Olga, so you’ll know what we mean.
The bosses are Vamp, Fatman Fortune, Harrier. I don’t want to say any more just in case I ruin it for you.
7) The Dream Team
Raiden has been stripped of his equipment and clothes. He’s alone and on the run from the enemy base. But his Saviour arrives; Snake.
Your heart leaps. One of videogamnings finest heroes has stopped to help you out. Then begins the slort of action movie buddy sequence that John Woo would sell his eyes to make. Covering each others backs, you and Snaketake the fight to the heart of the enemy base. Guards pour in and you cut them down with twin streams of hot lead. You’ve got to be careful not to shoot each other, and Raiden nerves are at breaking point. Trust me, it’s special.
8) The Plot
The final reason why Metal Gear Solid 2 is the best PS2 game yet is it has the most engrossing plot in game history.
What happens in MGS2? What doesn’t. After the brief Solid Snake episode, Raiden is called in to advert a hostage crisis on a giant off- shore clean up facitilty. You soon realise all is not as it seems and every bleep of the Codec brings new info and a different nunderstanding of events.
You’ll have to play the game twice to fully grasp all the twists and turns. The most complex plot ever? Yes. Being a Kojima game, there’s plenty of philosophy too.
Thanks for reading.
Liquid Snake
For Raiden, it just seemed like you copied what Hideo said on the second disc makin of. And for the plot, well, it's hardly the greatest plot ever. It may twist and turn alot but it was nothing on the MGS1 plot as it didn't allow for any stunning cut scenes. I mean yes, they were good but none of them had that same feel of the one where Meryl got shot or where Snipe Wolf died.
Has anyone completed European Extreme:
without any rations
without getting caught
no special bonuses to help you out
going it alone all the time (no Snake helping you out on the sniping situation).
no radar at all.
No no saving unless you are asked to? (so that you dont save after every room).
game over if discovered (that will put the pressure on).
I'm not saying that there can be some topics to look at.
when the guards are alerted and after a while go back to normal-instead they always stay alert (perhaps the area you have alerted or even all the level).
guards that go to investigate something hang around if they are suspicious (in other words more developed human behaviour).
Things like this COULD make the game harder but not by much. Points like above can be mentioned and put into the next MGS. But the popints above arent going to make that much of a difference and could make the game less likeable.
The plot.......
I'll argue for that later.
Don't complain about MGS2. Your making it too easy on yourself that's all.
Thank you.
Hmmmmmm...