Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is a video game that consists of 1 release

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The follow up to the 1998 bestseller, Metal Gear Solid 2 blends action and tactical stealth with intense, masterful cutscenes. The second game in the Metal Gear Solid series follows a new hero, codenamed Raiden, on a research facility seized by terrorists who are holding the President for ransom.

Overview

Aboard the tanker

The long awaited sequel to the beloved PlayStation game Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty was released on November 13th, 2001. Metal Gear Solid 2 does not, as many players had hoped, star the former FOXHOUND agent Solid Snake. Instead, Hideo Kojima took players into the mind of supersoldier Raiden, a stealth operative on his first live combat scenario. His objective is to stop a group of terrorists, calling themselves the Sons of Liberty, from blowing up a large oil cleanup facility and killing the President of the United States. Metal Gear Solid 2 wowed PlayStation 2 owners with its stunning visual quality and unparalleled (for the time) cutscenes (with the most believable animation yet seen in a video game). However, the game's convoluted story, excessive use of Codec conversations, awkward controls, and new protagonist turned off many players, relegating Raiden to a joke character(even with Kojima himself).

Plot

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty does not star MGS hero, Solid Snake, but instead a new character codenamed Raiden. Raiden himself received a lot of flak because gamers complained he was too whiny and effeminate. Additionally the game was touted as being far too convoluted by some, especially in its ending, and many elements of sci-fi and fantasy such as vampires and other immortal beings were introduced that didn't mesh well with some of the Metal Gear community.

Metal Gear RAY

The game opens with Snake as the main character in the prologue mission. Snake and Otacon have formed their own non-profit organization called Philanthropy between MGS1 and MGS2; the purpose of this organization is to find and hunt Metal Gears. Also between the two games, Ocelot has recovered the plans for Metal Gear REX and leaked them on the internet. As a result the world has gone Metal Gear crazy and new varieties of them are being produced. Snake, on this mission, is sent to take photographs of a new Metal Gear called Metal Gear RAY. This one was developed by the U.S. Navy thus it is aquatic and this mission takes place on a large freighter. The boat is hijacked by Russian terrorists led in part by Revolver Ocelot. Upon reaching where Metal Gear RAY is being held, Snake takes the photographs he came for. However, Ocelot then reveals himself and hijacks RAY whilst under the control of Liquid Snake (Ocelot having taken Liquid's arm after his was cut off by the Cyborg Ninja in MGS1). Liquid Ocelot escapes with Metal Gear Ray after sinking the tanker,and Snake is presumed dead.

The game's true mission opens with our new hero Raiden infiltrating the Big Shell research facility. The president has been taken hostage and the terrorists, known as Dead Cell are threatening to launch a nuclear weapon. The leader of the operation is the third clone of Big Boss, Solidus Snake. Raiden must confront Dead Cell, which features an immortal psychic named Fortune, a mad bomber named Fatman, and a man who acts like a vampire conveniently named Vamp. Snake is also along for the ride, disguised as a Marine by the name of Iroquois Pliskin. While you don't play as Snake he does provide key support and advice to Raiden during the mission.

Solidus Snake, the Perfect Clone of Big Boss.

Raiden finds his way to the President and learns several important things. First, Big Shell is actually a giant Metal Gear called Arsenal Gear. Second Arsenal houses a powerful super computer called GW which is responsible for controlling and organizing all information we humans are aware of in the digital age. Lastly, the president informs Raiden that the United States is in fact run by a small organization of people called The Patriots. Raiden and Snake recover Otacon's sister, Emma and install a virus to destroy GW but not before Emma is killed by Vamp.

Pliskin

A number of intense action sequences shortly follow with Raiden fighting off 25 Metal Gear RAYs alone. He then confronts Solidus, who was a twisted father figure of sorts for him, in a climactic battle on the roof of Federal Hall. Raiden learns that The Patriots were attempting to control what kind of information is kept and what is left behind on the internet in an attempt to make future historians see a history that The Patriots want them to see. The Patriots also reveal that the entire Big Shell Incident was an elaborate scheme of theirs to make Raiden into a soldier who was equally as skilled as Solid Snake. This new Snake would be forged in battle (as opposed to using VR Training), which explains how the events of this game were at their core so similar to those of the first Metal Gear Solid. This was Hideo Kojima's kick in the balls to everyone who said they wanted a sequel to MGS to be completely different and revolutionary but would in reality turn against him if the formula was tampered with. Solidus was trying to overthrow the Patriots and use Manhattan as his base of operations, and since he believed Raiden's neural implant could lead him back to the Patriots, they duel. Solidus is killed and Raiden meets Snake again to learn that he and Otacon are going to try to track down the Patriots. At the end of the game, Raiden and Rose are reunited.

After the credits, Otacon talks to Snake about the GW virus disc and reveals that all twelve members of the Patriots have been dead for approximately 100 years.

Gameplay

The quality of MGS2's cutscenes is great now, but in 2001 they were head-exploding.

MGS2 refined the control scheme from the original Metal Gear Solid rather than completely overhaul it. Players will once again try to sneak by enemy guards, avoid being seen on cameras, hide bodies, and fight ridiculous bosses. Players still viewed the action from a top-down perspective (though occasionally the camera would switch to more cinematic perspectives during key moments of the game).

The most important refinement in MGS2 was to the game's shooting mechanic. In the original game, Snake had to fire at enemies from the same top down view. The perspective was optimal for sneaking, but

Refinements aside, MGS2 still plays like its PlayStation predecessor.

cumbersome in a situation that required accurate shooting. MGS2 added the ability to fire weapons from a First-Person perspective. Snake couldstill shoot without entering First-Person, but holding down the fire button while in a First Person View mode wouldcause Snake to raise his gun up, allowing him to aim using the weapon's sights or laser pointer. This posed a new problem however, as the only way to lower the gun without shooting would be to go to the weapons menu and unequip it while still holding down the First-Person button and the fire button. This pretzel grip was hard to grasp for some, but in general, players seemed to agree that this first person firing was preferable to the shooting mechanics of the previous game.

Raiden may have been able to dish out the lead, but MGS2 also provided players with a number of options should sneaking be the optimal course of action. Most obviously, Raiden came into combat with a silenced, one-shot tranquilizer pistol, which could knock opponents unconscious (faster or slower depending on where they were hit). Bodies could now be stored in lockers to keep them out of sight from other guards. Raiden could, like snake, press up against walls and peak down hallways, but MGS2 provided Raiden the ability to pop out into the hallway and fire shots. Raiden could also move much more slowly and quietly than Snake, keeping him moving without heard by guards.

Artificial Intelligence

That guard won't know what hit him.

MGS2 also offered significant upgrades to the guard routines featured in Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation. Similar to how guards could become suspicious when seeing footprints in the snow in the original, MGS2's guards will notice noises made by the player (hence Raiden's new ability to walk slowly and silently). Guards who spotted Raiden would automatically radio for additional units to combat the player. Avoiding the guards in their alert phase (by hiding in lockers, under tables, etc.) would trigger the guard's caution phase. Guards won't be actively pursuing Raiden, but will be much more alert in this phase, searching rooms and lockers, and constantly radioing back to headquarters. If the player stays for too long in the alert phase, additional, stronger units (armed with better weapons and shields) will try to overwhelm Raiden.

Players with a steady aim can stop a guard from calling for more units by quickly shooting his walkie-talkie before he has time to use it.

Soundtracks

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Original Soundtrack

Metal Gear Solid Main Theme
Opening Infiltration
Russian Soldiers from Kasatka

MGS2: Sons of Liberty Soundtrack
Olga Gurlukovich
Metal Gear
Revolver Ocelot
RAY Escapes
Can't Say Goodbye to Yesterday (Piano Version)
Big Shell
Fortune
Kill Me Now!
Vamp
The World Needs Only One Big Boss
It's the Harrier!
Arsenal is Going to Take Off
Who Am I Really?
Can't Say Goodbye to Yesterday (Full Version)

Metal Gear Solid 2: The Other Side

Tanker Incident
The Elevator Up To Hell
Vamp's Dance
Infiltration
Battle
Peter's Theme
Countdown To Disaster
Lady Luck Revisited
Yell "Dead Cell"
Metal Gear's Already Active
Arms Depot
Memories of Hal
Twilight Sniping
Will the Virus Still Work
Comradeship
Reminiscence
Arsenal's Guts
Prelude to the Denouement
Father and Son
Freedom to Decide

Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance

Can't Say Goodbye to Yesterday (Mix)
Opening Infiltration A (Original Mix)
Opening Infiltration B (Original Mix)
Revolver Ocelot (Original Mix)
Arsenal is Going to Take Off! A (Original Mix)
Arsenal is Going to Take Off! B (Original Mix)
The World Needs Only One Big Boss! (Original Mix)
Yell "Dead Cell" (VR Mix)
VR Weapon Mission (Mix)
VR Sneaking Mission (Mix)
VR Variety Mission (Mix)
Tanker Incident (Alt Mix)
Electronica Emma
Next Generation (Part 1)
Next Generation (Part 2)
MGS Main Theme (Doc Mix)
MGS Main Theme
VR Weapon Mission - Snake
VR Sneaking Mission - Snake
VR Weapon Mission - Raiden
VR Sneaking Mission - Raiden
VR Variety Mission
VS Genola
Tuxedo Snake
Mission in the Dark - Sneaking
Mission in the Dark - Action
Alternative Mission - Photo Shoot
MGS1 Weapons VR Mission
MGS1 Sneaking VR Mission
MGS Main Theme (Skate Mix)
Basic Actions - Beginner
Basic Actions - Intermediate
Basic Actions - Advanced

General Information Edit

Game Name	Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Publisher(s)	Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH
Developer(s)	Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, Inc.
Genres	Add a new genre Action
Themes	Add a new theme Sci-Fi Alternate Historical Espionage Modern Military
Original US Release	Nov. 13, 2001 need a fuzzy date?
Original US Release	know the real date?
Aliases	MGS2
ESRB	ESRB: M

Trivia

When playing as Solid Snake on the Tanker mission. you are instructed to take several photographs of metal gear ray's body, on one of the arms of metal gear ray has the name of one of the united states military branches which one is it?