"All be told, MGS2 is an excellent package which does everything there is to do right."
MGS was a critically acclaimed and revolutionary tactical espionage action game (a stealth game), infusing amazing cinematics and story with intense and engaging gameplay. Everybody with a PlayStation loved MGS, so MGS2 had a lot to live up to. It had to raise the bar in a technical level, a gameplay level, and a storytelling level. And I'm pleased to say, MGS2 does live up to it's predecessor, and in fact is superior in every way.
The beginning of the game is the Tanker chapter, where you play as Solid Snake infiltrating a tanker (gasp!), investigating where Philanthropy (Snake and Otacon's orginazation dedicated to killing Metal Gears) has found evidence that a Metal Gear is aboard, and is being presented to the Marines Corps. Things get a lot more complicated though, as Russians also start patrolling the boat, and then a bunch of... ninja-looking guys. You find the Metal Gear, take a bunch of snapshots for proof, and haul ass out of there... or try to. Revolover Ocelot appears, turns against his other Russian comrades with his own, and takes the Metal Gear. Then Liquid "strangely" appears, sounding just as snobby as ever, and then Ocelot takes off with the MG, but not before blowing up the whole tanker.
It's a couple years later, and another soldier, who we come to know as Raiden, is infiltrating a rather large oil plant, with threats of more Metal Gear and terrorism. Once again, things unravel to be much more complicated than they seem, and we are witness to new and creative villians, and some characters refuse to stay out of the limelight. By the end, the story has literally defied reality and blown your mind with so many inconceivable plot twists you'll be dying to see how it all comes together. It's a great story, if a bit melodramatic, but given the weight of the situation, one would only expect so much.
Sneaking around in big boats and oil plants lathered with enemy guards bent on killing everything that moves isn't necassarily easy, and rightfully so. You need to make best use of all your equipment and abilities in combat and stealth to make it through the game. Your radar is especially handy, but unfortunately, once you get to the Plant chapter 2 or so hours into the game, you'll have to access security nodes to activate your radar in that one strut, which the Plant is divided by (each strut is essentially just an area of the map). The most important part of MGS is stealth. Not being seen in always the best way to go (except in MGS4). When in doubt, hide in a locker, a bathroom stall, a portable cardboard box, or just any secluded area in case you're caught by the enemy and the base goes into high alert. Just be sure not to leave a trail behind you, like blood droplets if you're health is low. Sneaking around corners and using the stationary first-person mode is also key to survive. You also have quite a heavy aresenal in case you do get in a jam, spanning from AKs, to grenade launchers, to sniper rifles, to tranquilizers, to silenced handguns, and many more. Overall, the gameplay is incredibly deep and polished, and there is never one way to go from point A to point B.
But what would MGS2 be without having amazing visuals and sound? Well, still an amazing game, but somewhat less amazing. The character animations are all realistic and react very well to the enviornment. The textures and lighting are top-notch, as well as the visuals. The AI is also very believable, which is a necessity in a game so centric on fooling it. Overall, just a gorgeous game for it's time, and forever. The voice acting is great, giving the impression the actors and actresses who did the voiceovers were very into their work, complemented by some pretty well written dialogue. The last touch is Harry Gregson Williams' phenomonal soundtrack, which will send chills down your spine, especially the main theme.
All be told, MGS2 is an excellent package which does everything there is to do right. Nobody with a PlayStation 2 deserves to miss out on this masterpiece. It does the MGS name justice, while creating laws of it's own for MGS3 and 4 to once again meet, and raise the bar. Here's to you, Hideo.