Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance

"IMHO, the greatest game ever, made even better!"

Intro: That's right, you heard me. Back in early 2001, Hiedo Kojima and Konami unleashed on to our unworthy souls a masterpiece called Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty. The game got rave reviews and inspired me to also get the original Metal Gear Solid and the VR missions game (both also rock the house). Now, It is two years later. I Now pledge my allegiance to the X Box. And Konami has decided to re-release Metal Gear Solid 2 as an all new experience for the X Box called Metal Gear Solid Two: Substance. But enough about that, on to the review!

Story: The story is absolute gold. I don't want to spoil the storyline, but here is a brief description. Solid Snake has snuck onto a tanker that is supposedly carrying a new Metal Gear, code named Metal Gear Ray. His mission is to get photographic evidence of the new Metal Gear so his group Philanthropy (a anti-Metal gear organization) can put the pictures online and blow the thing wide open. But on the same night, a Russian private army, led by cornel Golukivich and revolver ocelot (you should remember him from Metal Gear Solid 1) is trying to hijack the ship and steal the new Metal Gear.
Two years later, a group of terrorists named Dead Cell, are holding hostage a facility called the Big shell. There was a government sponsored tour going on that day and dead cell are holding them hostage. One of the hostages is the president of the united states. You are sent in to save the hostages and to take out the terrorists. But there is a catch, you are not solid snake. Instead, you are another character named Raiden.
The story in this game has more twists and turns than a game of pac-man. There are only two things I hate about this games story. Number one is Raiden, I don't know what this guys problem is. But he is an annoying Character. First of all, he is way to sensitive for a trained killer. He has been whipped by his girlfriend rose who is, in fact, the most annoying person in video game history. Also, is it just me, or is Raiden an albino? He is pale as a ghost, has very white hair and non visible eyebrows. I mean, he is creepy looking. Second, one of the members of dead cell is a fat guy on roller blades, who drinks fine wine with a straw. He is the hardest boss in the game because he moves so fast on those blades. The guy has to be at least 300 pounds. How does he move so fast for so long. He is also very creepy looking. other than that, the story is flawless. 10/10

Graphics: This game is visually stunning. Some people say that this is a port of the original. But there is no way that this is a port. Everything is shinier, bumpier, and better. Everything looks so much better than the original. The game is so detailed. If you bleed, the blood shows up on the floor and on the wall and it stays there. The character models are beautiful. Their hair blows in the wind while you're outside. If it is raining, little rain pellets bounce onto you and bounce off. If birds are outside, than they will poo and leave a stain on the ground. Also, the VR missions look SO COOL! The enemy guards are very cool looking in VR. The only beef I have with the games graphics is the outside of the big shell looks very bland. Everything is very orange. But all around, beautiful. 10/10

Sound/music: Kojima went all out to make this game sound great. Everything from the explosions to the gunfire to the sneezes when snake is outside in the rain too much. The voice acting is the best ever. David Hayter is the voice of solid snake and that is the coolest voice EVER! I want that voice so bad. The music score was made by a man named Henry Gregson-Williams. Whose credits include the music of the movies Armageddon and The Rock. The opening theme song for this game has got to be my favorite song ever. Everything is perfect. 10/10

Game play: Ah, here we are. The core of every game. The game play. And metal Gear Is the best in the business. Metal Gear has its own genre called Tactical Espionage Action. Lets start with Tactical. Every situation in this game makes you think about your every move you make so you don't die. Especially when you need to disarm bombs. This game makes you do so many different things. It is so much more than a shooter.
Next is Espionage. This game is all about stealth. You can hide behind stacked boxes, squeeze into small places, hide under staircases, even hide under a cardboard box. Your main strategy should always be yo wait until your enemy has his back turned and shoot him in the head before he can call for reinforcements. You need to hide the body before one of his comrades see him dead on the floor and call for reinforcements. To survive, you must rely on your radar, the most important part of the game play. But in the harder difficulties, there is no radar. So you need to rely on your wits alone.
Lastly is action. For a stealth game, there are a LOT of weapons. Two assault rifles, three hand guns, four grenades, two rocket launchers, two explosives, a sniper rifle, and coolant spray. And you will use each weapon at least once. Like I said before, your gun should always be a last resort. Guns make racket unless they have a silencer on them. Guards will come if they hear a gun fire and things can get difficult. The action is so fun. I love holding up people and just leaving them there with there hands over there head. If you point the gun at their head or groin, he will tell you not to shoot and will give you stuff in return. The main gun you use in the game doesn't even kill them. It is a tranquilizer gun that makes them fall asleep. All in all, Metal Gears game play is in a league of its own. 10/10

Extras: Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance has an amazing amount of extras for you to love. It has over 350 VR missions and over 150 alternative missions that make you achieve a goal and get to the end point. These are more addicting than cigarettes. Six Snakes Tales that are very hard missions that involve you to do something and then fight a boss. There is no voice acting during the snakes tales and no radar. I don't really like the snakes tales. There is also a casting theatre where you can hear your favorite cut scenes with the voices of other cast members. It is pretty amusing at times, annoying at others. Un lockable characters are very cool. Being able to play the whole game as snake is the best extra of them all. The last extra is the boss survival mode. You can fight all the bosses in a row. It is pretty cool. The sheer number of extras is an awesome upgrade from the original game and makes it ten times better. 10/10

Play Time/Re playability: The first time you play this awesome game, it will take you around fifteen hours to beat. The second time, about ten hours. And about eight hours every time after that. It isn't the longest game ever. But it's like watching you're favorite movie. You're going to want to play it over and over again. This game can be easy and hard. It has six difficulty levels. very easy, easy, normal, hard, extreme, and European extreme (hardest thing ever). And with all the extras in this game. This game has limitless re playability. 10/10

Conclusion: This game is the greatest game ever made period. It is well worth the $50.00. Go out, buy it, love it, live it. And never leave your couch again.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/18/03, Updated 02/18/03