It took me six years to finally get around to playing it, but it was well worth the wait. Find out why inside.
Flash forward to now. Six years later.
Here I am, just about six hours removed from the end of one of my alltime favorite gaming experiences, and it just happened to be the game I despised back in 2001: Metal Gear Solid 2. Isn't irony beautiful?
I'll answer that for you. Frick yes.
And speaking of beautiful, lets start this review with the graphics. Even by today's higher standards, they're still among the best on the system. Hideo and his team left no stone unturned when it comes to detail. Pretty much everything is destructible, from locker doors to ketchup bottles. And the particle effects? Unbelievable. The camera fogs up and drips water after swimming. Blood splatter appears on even the riot shields of the elite guards. You name it: This game probably has it. This game is so freakishly detailed, its hard to believe anyone could top it. Thats a major thing I love about MGS2. Sure, the base models are outstanding, even awe-inspiring, but its the little details. The "heatwaves" over a setting ocean sun. A mirror fogging when hit with coolant. Little things like that are what make this game a complete and total graphical masterpiece that has and will continue to stand the test of time and technology.
The sound is impressive too. The voice acting, while not always perfect, is great. A couple times, I thought there was a little too much overacting, mainly in the crying scenes. While I could feel the emotion while the characters spoke in those moments, I just couldn't believe the crying. It was like listening to a cheerleader in a principal's office trying to weasel out of trouble. Totally fake. Aside from that, though, the acting was good. Musically, Harry Gregson-Williams and Norihiko Hibino's score was fantastic. In most games of this genre, I'll find myself listening to my headphones or Media Player while playing, but this time, that didn't happen. The music fit every situation like a velvet glove. Be it a high intensity boss fight or a slow, romantic moment, GW and Hibino failed to disappoint me. Oh, and just for the record, stick around during the credits. The ending song is beautiful.
In terms of story, I've never been so engrossed and confused at the same time in my life. For me, personally, I had several moments where I'd be like "That was incredible! Now what in blazes was it?". For some gamers, that can be a frustrating experience. Need proof? Play Final Fantasy VIII, but thats another story for another time. But for MGS2, its the confusing storyline that really made me want to come back and play more. The characters? Brilliantly written. Snake? Awesome. Otacon? Hilarious. Raiden? Engrossing. Emma? Cutest digital girl I've ever seen. Every character, even the ones that straight up annoyed me, was brilliant. I know some gamers might not want to pick this up because they haven't played the original MGS, and they fear they wouldn't understand anything about the game. Well, take it from me. I never played the original game, and was able to catch all of the references.
Now, for the big category. Gameplay. Normally, a game with such detail to the above categories fails at this all-important one. Need proof? Play Final Fantasy XII, one of the prettiest sounding and looking games I've ever played, yet had horrid gameplay. Well, rest assured. This is not Final Fantasy XII, and it doesn't contain FFXII's fatal setback. MGS2's gameplay is the shining diamond in a field full of the precious jewels. Every move you make is important. Whether it's what time you make your move past a guard, or even something small, like what gun you're carrying, every move counts. One tiny slip, and you'd better be finding your way towards the nearest empty locker. And even then, you still aren't safe. These aren't your run-of-the-mill lackies. Oh no. These are smart guards. Just when you think you've evaded them, blam! There they are, AKs pointed at your head, and a rather angry riot team backing them up. That alone sets this apart from 90% of action games. The fact that you can't just run away and they'll forget about you. These guards are tenacious, and dang intelligent.
I could go on and on about how great this game is, but chances are, you already know. In fact, I'm probably the last gamer on the planet to be singing MGS2's praises. If you haven't played this game, though, I seriously recommend you pick this baby up. It made a believer out of me.