This was to be "The One". "The One" that all others would be measured by. "The One" that all others would learn from. "The One" that would raise the bar for all that were to follow. "The One" that would justify the price tag of the Playstation 2. But could it meet those expectations? Could it meet the sheer mass of anticipation? Could it be a successful successor? "The One" Has Arrived. You may notice that perhaps I am a bit out of my environment. You may know already that I am a die-hard first person shooter fanatic. And you would be right to assume, from that statement, that I am a hardcore PC gamer. So why in blazes was I, SecretAsianMan, given the task of reviewing a NextGen console game? Quite simply, I killed the guy that was supposed to review it, thus gaining the chore of unwrapping the "just received" copy of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, courtesy of Konami, and inserting the disc into the deceased's PS2 system for said review. Damn the consequences of sin! Disclaimer: No Gamehelper.com lackeys were harmed in any way for the reviewing of the following media. All previously mentioned incidents are purely fictional and based upon the thoughts of one imaginative individual. Why would I, a PC gamer, ever want to have ANYTHING to do with a console game? Why would I, one that has surpassed the will and budget of the mere "gamer", wish to descend to a nature loathed by those alike? What would I gain from the Metal Gear Solid 2 experience? EVERYTHING that is missing from the PC gamer experience! There is just that something "mysterious" about console games, that something "allusive" that keeps even the most powerful PC's from being considered true "gaming machines" (not by PC gamers, but by the market in general). What is it, besides that ability to kick back in the comfort of one's own Lazy-Boy, that keeps console games selling? Why, with the sheer power and graphical ability, can PC's not be recognized for the gaming powerhouses that they are? Certainly no console game system could even begin to compete with what today's PC's are capable of (even the Xbox's specs will be outdated within months). The answer, my friends, is games like Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty! Why else would you want a Playstation 2? I can say, with more certainty than of knowing that I have 2 eyes, that the PC will never see a port of a successful console game that brings as much enjoyment than can be had playing the same game in it's native environment. And that is why, even in a day when most people already have a capable gaming machine (a PC that is) that console systems and games still succeed. Games like Metal Gear are what fuel the sales of systems. The "must haves" that wise marketers know will guide potential consumers. And in the case of Metal Gear Solid 2, it worked! Why else would you want a Playstation 2?

Solid Story Out to save the world once again from the threat of potential nuclear holocaust, Solid Snake dons his sleek, glove-like sneaking-suit, on a mission of reconnaissance that only he could pull off. Hoping to "solidify" leads of U.S involvement in a "Metal Gear" race, Snake finds himself at the "helm" of a well orchestrated plot, resulting in his supposed demise. In a twisting plot that never leaves you certain of who's playing who, and more turns of opposing power than you could shake a stick at (why you would want to "shake a stick" at it is beyond me) get ready for the most ambitious storyline you have ever tried to follow since I don't know what! Perhaps "overly-ambitious" would be more in synch with what's going on here. There is no doubt in my mind that Hideo Kojima is a genius of the media age however, and MGS2 shows that fact off in flying colors. While the story in completion may leave more than a reasonable amount of question marks, the journey is definitely worth it. I can only say so much about the actual storyline without giving the ending away due to the many plot twists, but I will say this: Darth Vader is Luke's father. Oh wait, wrong movie. Did I say movie? Aren't we talking about a game here? Not entirely sure actually. The percentage of in game cinematics is higher than any other game I have ever played, and it may even reach the 50% gameplay/ 50% cinematic barrier. The pessimist in me says, "It's a movie you play", while the optimist says "it's a game you watch". I really don't know which to listen to, but either way, it's a great game, err, movie, no, game……

Solid Visuals I don't recall ever saying, or hearing that a game was a "work of art". But I am about to say it, and you are about to hear it. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is a work of art! Anybody can implement the latest in visual effects, or push more polys than anything before it. The technology is even present for photo-realism in games (take a look at Myst 3: Exile). These are not the factors that amount to a "work of art" though. It is much more than just flashy effects, and accurate details. It is the package as a whole that amounts to a result higher than logically determined. Synergism is what it takes. Take the Rolling Stones for example. While they are a great band, and each member possesses musical skills decent enough to get them by, it is the "synergy" of all the members playing together that truly makes them great. There is that "something" that adds up beyond the sum of their individual talents. Case in point: Ever heard either Mick Jagger or Keith Richard's solo albums? I rest my case. I have never, and I repeat, never, seen a console game look so crisp and detailed… Now that I have you thinking that I am going to say that the graphics for MGS2 are par, or perhaps even sub-par, let me assure you that you are mistaken. They are far from it! There are only 2 games that I have played on the PS2, the other being Silent Hill 2. After having played SH2, I was convinced that a console game could never match the higher resolution and clarity of a PC, as long as it was bound to the NTSC standard (National Television System Committee). Boy was I wrong! MGS2 had me thinking that my TV was magically capable of displaying High-Definition signals, and the PS2 was broadcasting it! I have never, and I repeat, never, seen a console game look so crisp and detailed as I have after having played MGS2! It is a night and day difference between MGS2 and SH2, both of which are Konami titles. Just when you think you know someone…. I will even go as far as to say that the models (players and enemies) have a far higher polygon count than anything I have seen on the PC to date. The only game that I can think of that maybe comes close is Max Payne, but then again, I don't think even that game had characters as detailed. Unfortunately that fact is due to developers having to cater to people with PC's that shipped with Windows 95. But as I so often do, I digress… Not only were gobs of detail put into the look of the characters themselves, but their movements as well. Everyone, and everything moves with as much realism as Square Pictures (Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within) could have hoped for. Well maybe not quite that good, but darned close! And they had too. As in the first Metal Gear Solid, (not to be confused with the first Metal Gear game, or even Metal Gear: Solid Snake for that matter), all cinematics are rendered by the game engine. If Hideo was to pull of a game of theatrical proportions, and stick to game engine rendered cut-scenes, then he was going to have to build one helluva kick-ass game engine! And that he did.

While saying the graphics are top-notch is accurate, it isn't all-inclusive. I did say that the character models were the best I have seen, as well as the animations, but there was a little something, not really a big deal, but something nonetheless that was missing. Two words: Bump Mapping. That is something that PC gamers have been seeing a lot more of lately, and console gamers will relish in soon enough thanks to the Xbox. I am not entirely sure whether the PS2 is incapable of it, or if it was opted out for MGS2 due to memory restrictions, but environments came off as flatter than I am used to. Bump Mapping basically gives developers the ability to give depth to a texture, for example, the cracks and crevices in a rock or mountainside. The effect gives much more depth than is possible than a flat texture, and very pleasing to the eye. Read this for more about Bump Mapping. Had Bump Mapping been implemented into the environments of MGS2, I would have no problem giving it a perfect score in the visual department. Regardless, the detail was still very high, and still gets the "top-notch" design award. Solid Sound While not "the" best sound I have witnessed in a game, it is far from second rate. This seems to be something that more and more game developers are paying attention to, and not without it's rewards. If you are a reader of my usual PC game rants, then you already know how important sound is to me. Being legally blind, I rely upon the sound to play a game. [And how exactly can you rate the graphics S.A.M.? –ED] Seriously though, the audio is every bit as important as the video, whether it be the soundtrack, dialogue, or environmental sounds. And MGS2 delivers on all 3 counts. Although in this case, I think I could have done without a few of the musical scores, especially the "love scene" ones. They came off a bit corny, and felt like they were trying really hard to push me into an emotion that seems laughable in a game. There also were a few times when the soundtrack became annoying, usually when played as a backdrop to an overly long dialogue fest. This did not largely detract from the overall audio department though. At least the recordings were clear and obviously well recorded [can you say big budget? – ED]. Out of all the characters that partake in any amount of dialogue, and there are a ton, there were only a few that straddled the line of annoying. Unfortunately, one of them was that of the main character, Raiden. His character came off too anime, if you will. I know I have heard that voice somewhere else, and for some reason or another, it annoys me. Compared to most of the other characters, especially Solid Snake's, Raiden came off as a cartoon character. Had it not been for the return of David Hayter as the voice of Solid Snake, the game would have been lacking very much in the voice-over department. Maybe it's just me, but he has one of the more believable voices I have heard in a game, even when speaking passionately of something that would typically come of campy. See Raiden dialogue for campy. Solid Control And no game would be complete without a way to actually, you guessed it, control it. Say it with me… C-O-N-T-R-O-L. Something we all want, but few have. MGS2 will DOUBLE, yes DOUBLE (in caps and all) the amount of control you have! Just you wait mister… or misses… or whoever I was talking to… If you have ever played Metal Gear Solid on the PSONE (formerly known as the Playstation… does that mean it gets a symbol for a name now?) then you already know how to play MGS2, for the most part anyway. There are a few new tricks up Solid Snake's sleeve to master, such as hanging from railings, and mastering first-person perspective, but you'll feel right at home in no time. If you have never played Metal Gear, then it may take a bit of time to get used to the controls, as ALL of the buttons are used in this game. There are even times when you will be holding 3 buttons down at once, auto-aim, first-person view, and fire, just to get a nice bead on your opponent. Talk about finger cramps! The control is done masterfully though. I could never decide on which to use though, the analog stick, or the d-pad, to move Snake or Raiden, and found myself alternating depending on the task. It should be noted that the D-Pad's pressure sensitivity is used in MGS2. In other words, the harder you press, the faster you run/walk. Just the same, the further you push the stick in a particular direction, the faster you move. Also, the weapon button is pressure sensitive as well. Further in the game, when you finally acquire such weapons as the M4A1, holding down the fire button lightly will aim the weapon, and pressing it further will unleash a fury hell hath no business! Although I did have troubles with the shoulder buttons, this is mostly due to my lack of PS2 gaming. I am confident that a PS veteran will have no problems with the controls, and will not constantly mix up the button that peeks around corners with the one that switches your items to the "enemy attractant cologne", which I conveniently did oh so often. He [Hideo] makes the console do more than we thought possible. Solid Fun Highlights of the game include such scenes as Raiden running around in the buff, Snake's blue bandana (Metal Gear Solid junkies know what I'm talking about), the first time you see Metal Gear Ray in action (simply amazing scene), and too many others to name. You'll just have to play the game to see it all. Metal Gear Solid 2 offered more fun than I have had in a while, in a game that is, and I truly hope to see more from Hideo Kojima. While his endings tend to leave more questions than answers, as he did with Metal Gear Solid, it is the story and game in between that is truly amazing. He did it with the Playstation, and now with the Playstation 2. He makes the console do more than we thought possible. Hideo, keep 'em coming! Related Links: MGS2 (official site) BradyGames (get the guide!!)