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 Metal
Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is the much-anticipated sequel to
director Hideo Kojima’s acclaimed 1998 game (itself the sequel of
two previous titles). The
game begins several years after the Shadow Moses incident depicted in Metal
Gear Solid. It seems that since the last game took place, Metal Gear
units have become common place - every military power uses them.
Snake (the playable character from the previous titles) and
Otocon (who he rescued in the previous game) have left the United
States military and joined a fringe group dedicated to fighting the
proliferation of Metal Gear units.
(For the uninitiated, a Metal Gear is a huge walking tank
frequently constructed for use as mobile nuclear missile platforms)
The opening chapter sees Snake, with radio support from Otocon,
infiltrating a Navy ship they suspect is transporting a new type of
Metal Gear. One designed
to fight other Gears.
After
those events, the game resumes a year later with, surprisingly, a new
playable character, Raiden. Apparently his first real mission with the same military
group Snake used to work for, Raiden is given the enormous task of
infiltrating the “Big Shell” station in the middle of the ocean,
where the U.S. President is being held hostage.
Switching to a new playable character is disappointing.
For lack of a better word, Raiden just isn’t the bad-ass
Snake is and, therefore, just isn’t as much fun. Using
a new character does have the benefit of (in a sense) placing the
player in the game, rather than assuming the role of the almost
super-human Snake. It
removes any expectations the player may have about the character.
In some ways that allows the developers to better explore both
the Snake character, and some of the philosophy brought up later in
the game. It also gives a bigger feeling of the unknown, as the player
no longer knows for sure what motivates Snake or Raiden.
 As
in the previous game, Sons of
Liberty has a complex plot with the suspense and intrigue of the
best thrillers of any medium. Also
like the previous game, it deals with some deep philosophic issues.
Unfortunately, while Metal Gear Solid felt more emotionally real than nearly any other
game (or even most movies), Sons
of Liberty has many, many fantastic elements that I found
distracting, and kept reminding me that this was just a game.
Listening to conspiracies too complex for even the X-Files, or fighting a fat guy on roller skates will do that.
On the other hand, the sometimes other-worldly nature of the
game seems to induce a state of mind necessary to look at some of the
issues being presented. It
isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it just leaves the experience feeling
very different from the previous game.
As
is probably evident by the amount of space I spent describing it, the
plot of Sons of Liberty is a
very important part of the game. That’s not to say the gameplay doesn’t stand up on its
own. The game expands on
the stealth-based gameplay from the previous titles.
In addition to sneaking around guards and trying to avoid
direct confrontation when possible (so as not to trigger an alert,
bringing swarms of guards to your location), Liberty
makes better use of 3D then the previous game did.
It’s now possible to hang off the sides of ledges to avoid
detection, and more areas use more than one level, so that guards may
be moving above or below the player’s location.
Guards no longer disappear immediately if drugged or killed, so
it’s sometimes necessary to stash them in out of the way locations
so they aren’t discovered. It’s
even possible to hide or place guards in lockers.
Looking through the slits of a locker while waiting for a
search patrol to die down is as suspenseful as games get.
Even shadows and light can affect whether an enemy sees Raiden
(and vice versa). Of course the guns, grenades, items, and other toys from the
previous title also make a return.
Thanks to new non-lethal takedown methods, this time it’s
even theoretically possible to finish the game without taking a life
(not even the boss characters). The
boss battles are still fun and fairly original, but overall seemed
even less realistic than the previous game (like the aforementioned
fight with a fat guy on roller skates).
 Everything
in the game either plays like the previous title, or expands on it.
Despite that, Sons of
Liberty’s stealthy gameplay really isn’t the best available. Deus Ex, first
released in 2000, plays similarly and has similar themes but gives the
player much more choice about how to play through a level and what
actions to take. By
contrast, Liberty feels somewhat restrictive, but no more so than its
predecessor. Also, like
the previous game, the control works well but seems like it could be
improved in places, particularly when it comes to hand to hand combat. At least support for the analog stick has been improved.
Konami
has stated that graphics took a backseat in priority to the gameplay
and story in Sons of Liberty.
It’s somewhat ironic then that Liberty
is probably the best looking game ever made.
A few scenes have at least several dozen soldiers being
rendered simultaneously (probably as many as 50, if I had to guess).
Many of the exterior locations and objects look virtually
indistinguishable from the real thing; a bridge seen later in the
game, or one of the helicopters seen taking off, for example.
Environments have a gritty realism to them.
Characters look more realistic then even those in fighting
games (where, theoretically, more time and polygons can be spent
modeling them). Environmental
effects, from the torrential rain-storm assaulting Snake in the
opening chapter, to the fog rolling through open doors on the ship, to
a haunting sunset seen from across the Big Shell late in the game, are
the best I’ve ever seen rendered in real-time.
Smoke, shadows, and light from flashlights (all of which
actually affect gameplay) are the best ever done.
Some parts of the ending look so real, and are handled with so
much artistic care, that it’s almost unbelievable.
The
only downside to the graphics is the rather monotone look of
everything. The game is
mostly drab grays and browns-but then, so are the real-life locations
being represented. The
Big Shell rig, where most of the story takes place, isn’t really as
visually interesting as the Alaskan military base where the previous
game took place. But
it’s hard to fault the developers for taking the game to new
locations.
 Like
the graphics, the sound effects, music, and voice acting in Metal
Gear Solid 2 are as good as it gets.
The returning characters are voiced by the same actors as in Metal Gear Solid (including David Hayter -- writer of the X-Men
movies -- as Snake), and new characters are as well acted.
The music is composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, who has
composed the scores of films including Spy
Game, Enemy of the State, and even Chicken
Run. I preferred the
Celtic music from the previous game.
I thought it was more poignant, but that’s not really a
criticism given the incredible quality of the music in this game.
Gregson-Williams’ score is moving, and really as good as you
could hope for in a film - let alone a game.
The sound effects are film-quality as well.
I
couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed by Sons
of Liberty. The
gameplay, though exceptional, is not as deep as in Deus
Ex. The plot gets
almost ludicrous at times (even if it is mostly an intentional
artistic decision). After
finishing it, I’m not even sure I completely understand what its
message was (though how often does a game even have a message?).
But it’s also a game that simply demanded I play it to
completion, and almost totally absorbed my life for three days
straight. It wasn’t
exactly what I was expecting, but Sons
of Liberty is a worthy sequel.
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