Title: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
System: Playstation 2
Publisher: Konami
Circa: 2001



Intro
Not too many people took to the way this game pans out. The sudden shift in main protagonist threw many people off and upset a number of them as well. Others did see Raiden as a nice change from the kind of story supported by Snake. Raiden offered something very different and something that offers a lot of twists and turns.

Story
There are two stories that are effectively going on. Solid Snake opens up infltrating a covert Naval carrying a new model of Metal Gear. He encounters Revolver Ocelot, who has grafted Liquid's forearm onto his own amputated limb. Revolver Ocelot, fighting for control from Liquid steals Ray and sinks the vessel. When the story resumes a short time later, a new protagonist is introduced, codenamed "Raiden". He is infiltrating a cover-up environmental clear-up called "The Big Shell" he must also face down the renegade unit "Dead Cell". Raiden will encounter Solid Snake at various points throughout the story and he will have a solid impact. Otacon is also there, leading aid to our adventurers.

The story honestly has a good number of twists in it and it would take quite a while to cover, even in synopsis. Some people you would expect to live die and others pan out very differently. This game also introduced an "immortal" of sorts, with Vamp. He makes a very nice reoccuring character, not being overused and only offers something twist when mostappropriate.

Gameplay
The stealth aspect is still key to the game. The overall area covered is a bit smaller than the Shadow Moses setting. This makes it a bit easier when it comes to getting around thankfully. Raiden can move from one segment of the Big Shell to another fairly easily. With the backtracking, that is more common in this game, being able to move easily from one segment to the next becomes much easier. Raiden is a bit more acrobatic than Snake is. He uses an Aerial somersault for his roll and he can grip and hang from ledges and handlebars. This gives Raiden a notable number more hiding places than Snake had. Still, Raiden has a grip bar, so any time you are hanging on, be sure to watch it so he will not slip and fall.

The Boss fights are very different as well. While there remain specific strategies for each boss, some are more tricky than others. Finesse will be important in one fight, the discarded in the next. There are still a few segments where you are better off waiting things out, like when you encounter Fortune. The Codec remains key to getting the boss's weaknesses. Some of this also revolves around simple timing, like with the Water Room fight with Vamp. Also, that Raiden gets to face down multiple Metal Gear Rays followed by taking on Solidus gives him a very solid Final Boss fight.

The game also offered some smaller changes. Raiden can actually improve his grip bar by doing Pull-ups. There are also Dog Tags that Raiden can collect for holding up particular Guards. When enough Dog Tags are collected, across all difficulties, then special items open up to Raiden, like the Stealth Camo or the item for Unlimited Ammo etc.

Multiplayer
None.

Controls
Many of the controls remain consistent with how the game handled on the Playstation. The new abilities are well intergrated into the game though. While it remains a moderately technical game, it does offer a fairly easy time to learn how to do everything.

Graphics
The graphics have improved over the original Metal Gear Solid. They take solid advantage of the improved processors and overall storage. Raiden and Snake both look very real and there are numerous little things that help out too.

Sound Effects & Music
The musical score can grate a little bit. Still, I cannot complain too much as it is still a good musical score that is generally nice to listen to. Some of the taunts used by the members of Dead Cell get a bit old as well. Voice acting is well done and delievers on par, at least, with Metal Gear Solid.

Obscurity
This is not a favored title, but it still is part of a moderately well known series. It is overshadowed by the two more recent entries, Snake Eater and Guns of the Patriots.

Summary/Author's Take
While I fall into something of a minority camp, actually liking Sons of Liberty, I can see some of the things that people complain about. Raiden is more "emo" than Snake, but he gives a more human approach to things. He has a life we get to see outside of the infiltration that really comes into play. That he has someone who loves him very much and is there helping him in his mission. Snake is still in the game and it is nice to see him more as a secondary character. Sometimes, changes are a good thing in a series.

Story: 89%            After the shock of Raiden, great.
Gameplay: 88%        Very enjoyable, after you learn the controls.
Multiplayer: n/a        None
Controls: 76%            Very technical, taking some time to master.
Graphics: 91%            The PS2 was the console for this game.
SFX & Music: 81%        Solid.
Obscurity: 57%            Sons of Liberty?
Overall: 86%            Good entry into the series, if not the best received.