Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15408 in Video Games
• Brand: Konami
• ESRB Rating: Mature
• Platform: PlayStation2
• Dimensions: .38 pounds

Customer Reviews

Ahead of It's Time
In 2001, the video game world was taken by several games at once. Super Smash Bros Melee dropped on the Gamecube and Halo on the XBOX. On the Playstation 2 games like Final Fantasy X and Devil May Cry were also blowing minds. But there was one game that shattered the competition: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Highly praised for its story and gameplay, Metal Gear Solid 2 still ranks as one of the Playstation 2's finest achievements, along with still having one of the most controversial plot twists in gaming history.

Metal Gear Solid 2 begins two years after the first game. With Snake and Otacon forming the non-profit organization known as Philanthropy. Their mission is to seek out and destroy all Metal Gears. Their objective takes them to the Tanker Discover where they'll expose that the United States has a new Metal Gear prototype. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned when the Tanker is taken over by the likes of Colonial Sergei Gurlukovich and Revolver Ocelot. The Tanker mission doesn't go as planned and the mission turns into a fiasco. The story then fast-forwards to 2009 where a Plant has been built where the Tanker went down, and Solid Snake is presumed dead. This is when gamers were treated to one of Metal Gear Solid 2's best... and most controversial plot twists. Gamers discovered they would not be playing as Snake for the whole game and instead would be taking control of an operative named Raiden. Because of this twists, several gamers began to dislike Metal Gear Solid 2. While players didn't resume the role as Snake, Metal Gear Solid 2 still managed to be a fantastic game.

For one, in terms of going above and beyond its predecessor, Metal Gear Solid gets a gold star. Where as the first one was very basic, the second game was very complex. You could now roll into guards and hold them up and make them drop items. The game also put a lot more emphasis on remaining anonymous. In the original game, guards who were killed disappeared. They didn't in the second game. To keep from being discovered, Snake (or Raiden) would have to hide the body. If a guard walked by and saw an ally down, he'd call for backup, and a search team would then be searching for you. Another fun aspect was being able to hang over ledges and do push ups to increase your grip gauge.

You were now able to go into first person and shoot your enemies to land more precise shots, which is great for boss fights and for ensuring you don't run around blindly.

Another new addition to Metal Gear Solid 2, was the ability to put guards to sleep using a M9 Tranquilizer pistol. This made it possible to go through the entire game without killing a single guard or boss for that matter.

The Metal Gear Solid franchise is known for its amazing boss battles, and the second one was no exception. While there were no mind reading psychos in Metal Gear Solid 2, you found yourself up against some worthy adversaries, and even being forced at one point to take down a harrier jet.

Everything you could do in Metal Gear Solid 2 made for an amazing game. One that could be approached in several different ways. To the point where you replayed it again and again to find different ways to go about certain areas. Top that off with multiple difficulty levels and seven years later, you probably still know someone who plays through Metal Gear Solid 2 to this very day.

Graphically, Metal Gear Solid 2 still stands as quite possibly the best looking and running Playstation 2 game out there, and it came out in 2001. No game on the Playstation 2 gives such meticulous attention to detail. Just in the Tanker alone there's a ton of small things you can do such as destroying bottles of glass one by one, destroying food in the pantry and much more. It also ran at a consistent framerate at all times. If you looked very closely you might see something that looks a little blurry, but you'll have to be very observant for it. The cinematics are also amazing, filled to the brim with such depth and emotion few video games, even in this day, can't touch. They're funny and well written. The music is even more memorable. The score done by Harry Gregson Williams is easily one of the best in the entire series.

Metal Gear Solid 2 isn't entirely perfect. It's a fantastic game filled with some of the greatest plot twists in video game history. However, where it mostly from one gigantic problem. It has a ton of cutscenes. You could play for ten seconds only to be treated to cutscenes that were several minutes long. Some of them becoming tedious or seeming useless. Even worse for the second installment was the number of dialog spoken through the codec through characters that would, at times, be right next to one another (Kojima has stated that he had to do this to fit the game on one disc!). While the story is well written and has some great twists, it becomes a little hard to follow in its final moments. If it weren't for the raw emotion expressed in the cinematics or the humor in some of them, it would've been less exciting. Luckily you can skip them and once you go through the story once, you can easily spend the rest of your time enjoying the gameplay.

Metal Gear Solid 2 was, and still is, an enormous game. One that even by today's standards, most games can't compare to. It's fantastic story and in depth gameplay made it one of the most memorable outings the Playstation 2 has ever undergone.

One of the best games ever made!
This game is second only to Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, the updated version. I do not own this game, but I have played rentals. It is difficult, but not boring or repetitive. It has a plot reminiscent of the first game, but is not predictable in the least. The first person view mode is the best aspect of the game, other than the smooth graphics, the ability to jump across holes in the floor, and not to mention that you can take enemy guards "hostage" and make them give you items. You can even shoot a guards radio before he can raise the alarm! I believe this is a must have for anyone who likes shooters, strategy, tense situations, or just plain fun.

Second Best MG game,to MGS3(Long Review)
I love all three MGS games,but MGS3 is the best and MGS2 and MGS1 parallel each other.
MGS2 is made up of two chapters-the Tanker chapter and the SHELL chapter,in the Tanker you play as Solid Snake in 2007 infiltrating the tanker to snap photo`s of Metal Gear RAY-Then you start the game.

In the Longer 2nd chapter which takes place two years later-Solid Snake is assumed dead-and you play a new soldier fresh from V.R. training and Force XXI trials who is sent to infiltrate a clean-up facillity to resque the U.S. President along with other hostages,Raiden also has to dispose of some C4 explosives,the Navy SEALs are also there(SEAL Team 10-Alpha and Bravo) for the same reasons although they don`t know that Raiden is there as he is on a Black op.Then you start the game.

MGS2 features stunning graphics,that pushed the PS2 to its limits
and possibly the best looking console game of 2001,the music in the game is done very well,it features music done by Harry Gregson-Williams which suits the environment,and time-the theme song for MGS2 is very well done(like in the opening of MGS2 credits).
For a game set on Espionage-i think the weapons in the game are brilliant,as they are all real world weapons(apart from Fortune`s Railgun) here they are:

Handguns:
Beretta M9 tranquilizer pistol w/Laser sighting.
USP semi-automatic pistol w/flash light.
SOCOM auto-matic pistol w/laser sighting.

Assault Rifles/Carbines:
AKS-74u,the shortened AK-74 w/laser sighting-it is carried by all the Tanker guards,and SHELL 1 Core guards-it is aquired by Raiden,to help him disguise as a guard.

M4 Carbine:Carbine version of the M-16 w/laser sighting-it is carried by the U.S. Marine`s in the Tanker,U.S. Navy SEALs in the SHELL,Solid Snake aquires one when he disguised himself as a Navy SEAL,Raiden can also aquire one optionally.


Sniper Rifles:
PSG-1 automatic Sniper rifle,aquired by Raiden and Solid Snake(only in the SHELL).
PSG-1 T:
Same as PSG-1 except fires sleeping darts,aquired by Raiden optionally.

Grenades:
"pine apple" grenade.
CHAFF Grenade used for stunning electronics like camera`s and so on for about 30 seconds.
STUN grenade:Non-lethal grenade that KO`s guards for a while.

other:
RBG6 Grenade launcher
Stinger missile launcher
Nikita R/C missile launcher
C4 explosives
Claymore Mines.

Weapons that cannot be used by the player:

AN-94 assault rifle-used by the all of the SHELL guards,except for the S1 CORE.
SPAS-12 automatic Shotgun-carried by attack troops when Snake/raiden gets spotted by a normal guard.
FAMAAS-Carried by Solid Snake in Tanker flashbacks-although you cannot use the gun in the Tanker,the flashbacks see Snake running away from tides of water.

SAA:Carried by Ocelot at all times,he is seen spinning them,they are also seen in Shadow Moses flashbacks,that see Ocelot in them(in PS1 graphics).

Makarov:Carries by all Russian soldier in the game as a sidearm,Sergei Gurlukovich also has one.

Mounted grenade launcher(M203 for M-16/M4)
Seen on Snake`s M4 when he tries to kill Solidus Snake,also a desperate Marine attaches one when he tries to disable RAY after Ocelot tries to escape in it.

Beretta M92F:Semi-Automatic pistol used by Marine`s as their sidearm.

GLOCK 18:a Machine pistol used by Fatman and some Attack troops.

FN P-90:Submachine gun used by Solidus Snake and Arsenal Tengu Commando`s(who themselves are commanded by Solidus Snake)

Railgun:(Fictional) used by Fortune

SPECIAL WEAPONS:

HF Blade:First used by Olga Gurlukovich in her Cyborg Ninja persona then hands it to Snake who then gives it to Raiden in Arsenal Gear,it is also used by Solidus Snake and most Arsenal Tengu Commando`s.
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Military groups in the game:

Gurlukovich Mercenaries:
Nationality:Russia
former suits:Ex-Soviet soldiers.
Weapons:AKS-74u,AN-94,Makarov PM,GLOCK 18,SPAS-12 and Combat Knife.
Commanders:Colonel Gurlukovich and Ocelot,then in SHELL by Olga and at times Ocelot.
Posts:Everwhere in Tanker except the Holds,then all over the Bog shell except the place where you meet up with Plisskin for the first time.
Component:Army(Ground Forces)

U.S. Marine Corps:
Nationality:United States.
Former suits:none.
Weapons:M4,Beretta M92F,M202 grenade launcher,combat knife.
Commader:Commandant Scott Dolph.
Posts:Tanker Holds,although there were crwmen posted in the Tanker but they got slaughtered by Gurlukovich mercs.
Component:Naval Infantry.

U.S. Navy SEALs;
Nationality:U.S.
Former suits:Any Naval role,Marines, since the SEALs are Special Forces.
Weapons:M4 Carbine,M202 grenade launcher,combat knife.
Posts:Anywhere in the Shell during the beginning bits,the place where you meet Pluisskin as they get slughtered by Vamp.
Commander:Unknown.
Component:Special Forces-Navy.

Arsenal Tengu Commando`s:
Nationality:Russia,some U.S.
Former suits:Gurlokovich mercs but they were bought out by Solidus to help defend Arsenal Gear.
Weapons:FN P-90,HF Blade.
Commander:Solidus Snake
Posts:Arsenal Gear,but some were tested in the Big shell as Attack Troops who had American accents hence my idea that some were from U.S.


All in all i reccomend this game to anyone with a PS2 or XBox that like action games.Its quite cheap now too! also try MGS3 and MGS1. bye.