Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance

The "substance" is nothing more or less than a collection of disconnected additions to the core game Sons of Liberty, which remains unchanged from its original release: you play as Solid Snake in stealthy espionage/assault missions, infiltrating the lairs of bad guys to take down nuclear-powered bipedal creations called Metal Gears. Snake has all kinds of tricks up his sleeves: high tech weapons, the ability to sneak around undetected--he can even flip over the side of a railing to hide (a "Grip Meter" counts down, increasing the tension and making you pray the enemy walks away). Both a boon and a detriment to the game is its reliance on cinematic scenes to further the convoluted plot. They're well-rendered and professionally done, but you'll seemingly find yourself spending more time watching the game than playing it.

Substance is worthwhile for anyone who doesn't already own Sons of Liberty. That goes double for Xbox and GameCube fans, because the game looks much better on those consoles than it did on PS2. For those who've already played the original, this reissue just doesn't add enough, pardon me, substance, to merit purchasing it again. --Bob Andrews

Pros:

• New modes and missions
• Graphics improvements on Xbox and GameCube
• Skateboard mode on PS2

• New content too sparse for players who already have the original game.

I have to be hnest, I really didnt think I'd like MSG series, in fact, about a month ago was the first time I had ever heard about it. And I can tell you, What a world of fun I have been missing. Really I played Substance to fimiliarize me with the controls and kind of get a loose idea of the stuff that will be in MGS3:Snake Eater. My main reason for trying out this game was the much awaited Snake Eater. (By the way, there is no question I will buy that)

First of all, Hideo Kojima is a GENIUS, this guy is a master at making games, and any game he makes, I'm pretty much going to buy from now on. His storylines are great, the action's good and he knows what gamers want to do in a game.

Alright this game has AMAZING graphics, and everyhing looks so real. Like being shot at, you hear the bullets go wirring past your head and hit pipes, that in turn vent out steam, it's just amazing. You can tell Kojima doesn't mind going that extra step to please you.

Here's a Break down:

Graphics- 15/10 top notch, very real and reactive invironment.

Gameplay- 10/10 the controls are very naturaland once you learn them you're set for life.

Difficulty-9/10 not the hardest, but at times, it's a headscratcher.

Fun- 15/10 A lot of fun to just go on a rampage with a USP M9 and shoot up the Russians.

Overall- 49/40 This game is worth every penny.

This is a really awesome game, that no one should miss out on,an instant favorite and welcomed addition to any PS2 game library. By far one of the best games ever.

I recommend playing it and getting a feel for it before you rush out to buy Snake Eater, besides, it's fun and worth the money.


Metal Gear Solid Rules   May 23, 2004
Metal Gear Solid 2 rules. Konami has down it again. It has some of the same classic characters like Snake, Otacon, and Shalashaska(Ocelot Revolver). My only complaint is that you have to play half of the game as Jack Raiden. He looks just like a girl. I will always prefer Snake over the new guy... or girl, whatever Raiden is. I don't think this game is as long as the other one, but its still long. I am a hardcore gamer, and can usually beat a game within 3 days to 2 weeks. This game took me a little under a month. This game is cool but I prefer the first MGS, reguardless to its animation and graphics. Still this game is right up there with SOCOM, Halo, and Star Wars KOTOR. I wish they would make movie about MGS. And a reminder to all fans of mgs, MGS3 Snake Eater is coming out this fall.


VR missions are great   May 12, 2004
I gave it 4 not 5 because single player gets boring after 4 months because it's linear. The VR missions are alot more fun(in my opinion)but I think they should of releast them before playing the proper game but it would off taken adges to wait for the single player game anyway. Buy this if you want a decent action game(I was hooked for 4 months)and if you haven't, play MGS 1 first because it's so much better with the story line.


Much cooler after Twin Snakes!   March 19, 2004
I loved the original MGS. I liked MGS2, although it's storyline is a little on the convulted side. However, after playing twin snakes, I have found a new love for this game. There is a lot of gameplay compared to twin snakes, and it shows. The environments are a lot more inventive, and the graphics are somewhat better in areas(ie Tanker rain, outdoor areas of oil rig, and character models). In Twin Snakes, the areas are slightly darker and the gun models are on the black side, which looks cooler for a lot of parts. Still, this game's graphics are top-notch.

For those planning on buying Twin Snakes.... Well, this game is a lot better. The extras are incredible! Tons of VR, Dog Tags(In Twin Snakes, they do nothing), Skateboarding, Snake tales, Cinema Theatre, and the list grows. I love the extras now. I love the fact that everything looks great, especially the oil rig outdoor stuff. The extras in Twin Snakes are the same as the original(not alot).

As for cutscenes, they don't seem like alot after Twin Snakes. The game is basically much more fun after realizing that this is true stealth action. The gameplay and cinematics balance each other out. In Twin Snakes, the cinematics make the gameplay about 5 minutes total not including boss fights. This game is a solid investment and it truly has no flaws in my opinion.