Why I Dislike Metal Gear Solid 2

[colubrid660]

A few recent posts in another thread brought to mind something I have been dying to write for a few years now, ever since I played Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. While it was cool to have new gameplay and updated graphics, as well as several other realistic (and not as realistic) innovations, I think in light of every other Metal Gear title, it sucked.

Now, a bad Metal Gear game is still a very good game compared to the rest of the crap out there, but considering Metal Gear is a franchise that nearly defines the phrase "really, really good game", why do so many people call this one of the best Metal Gear titles? The mind boggles.

I guess I could leave it at that, but I feel an argument with no support is a waste of time.

Raiden No list of MGS2 criticism would be complete without mentioning the new "surprise" protagonist, Mr. Raiden. Complaints levelled at this character are as numerous as they are...well...true. He's not tough. He's whiney. He has a terrible voice actor. His "skull suit" looks silly. He looks/sounds/acts like a chick at worst, a prepubescent boy at best. His Matrix-y fighting style is unrealistically stupid. He holds a pistol like he's never fired a gun in his life. His relationship with Rose is downright irritating. You have to stare at his bare ass for a long sequence in the game. Worst of all, you play the first segment of the game as Solid Snake, who is, next to the Master Chief and Doomguy, one of the most badass mofos in gaming history. Then you take of your mask and you are....this fancy boy? I'll concede that Raiden had his purpose in furthering the plot and themes of the game, but Kojima could have at least tried to make him likable to all us Snake fans.

Bad Music After Metal Gear Solid's epic and memorable soundtrack, I expected more in the sequal. I was let down, badly. Some of the music was okay, your standard espionage, spy movie-ish stuff. But compared to MGS' intense music, it was extremely trite. The boss music was not intense or epic feeling, it was just downright annoying.

The Bosses I don't need to re-iterate how genius the bosses in MGS were, how each had a great backstory, and weren't even all that evil. The battles were always creative and fun, and it sort of sucked when it was over. You had fun killing them, but after their monologue was over, you felt sort of bad for them. I didn't feel Vamp was a very believable, tragic or likeable character. His boss battle was frustrating and irritating. I was annoyed that this Psycho Mantis wannabe never seemed to actually die. Fatman was really annoying. His battle was sort of fun, but in the end, I was happy to see him bite it. Fortune was just plain....lame. Her dialogue was too angsty, and her whole character was one-dimensional and boring compared when compared to MGS' villains. That whole part at the end with her...come one. Solidus Snake's jet battle was a good time, and it was fun to hack him up with that sword Raiden oh-so awkwardly uses, but again, Solidus was as one-dimensional as you get. It seems like MGS2 was trying way to hard to include a cast of badass, likeable villains, and in doing so it failed pretty badly.

The Biggest Plot Hole in MG History Ocelot's Liquid snake hand. It takes a lot for this, in a game series of cyborgs, shamans, psychics and chaff grenades that do almost anything, to be the most flat-out unbelievable (and juvenile) plot device in the history of the series.

Length Its short. If you skip the lengthy and numerous cut-scenes, you only really get a good 4-5 hours of gameplay.

Others

-Why the AK silencer? Why at the end of the game? Why is is so difficult to reach? Did anyone actually find this at all useful, at least this far into the game?

-Low replay value. Substance corrects this "problem" and then some, but if you thought it was as lame as I did, there is nothing to make you come back for more.

-There is always "The Twin Snakes" and "Snake Eater". Get your MGS fix here if you have to.

-The naked sequence. Its..... interesting to say the least, but f someone happened to be looking over your shoulder at this part, it would be mighty embarassing. :p

-Metal Gear Rex, while badass in its own way, just reminds me more of something Godzilla might have fought.

[VampiricClown]

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[Despare]

I think VC hit this one right on the head, it was still a decent game it just wasn't what you were used to. You have played all the Metal Gears right? 1 & 2 (and the real 2 which wasn't available in the states for a long time). Anyway the complaints VC listed are a couple I hear all the time. For example:

Originally Posted by VampiricClown

"They changed and now they aren't as good."

- Metallica

Originally Posted by VampiricClown

"This album is just like the rest. Just another set of lyrics."

- Nickleback

[CrimsonFiend138]

VC as in Vice city? I remember when that came out and I thought it was gonna be awesome although I'm not an 80's fan, but I don;t know didn't have the same appeal liked III and SA better. That is a very good way to put things vamp I see where your comin from and yeah metallica sucked after the 80's.

Sorry to get off topic. I don't know I liked MGS 2. I agree there is no "bad: MG. I liked it for the most part but I didn't like any of the bosses. It was fun fighting on the metal gear at the end, just because it looked sweet. I HATED how they did the ninja you just can't replace Frank. I hated that. I didn't mind Raiden.

[Despare]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFiend138

VC as in Vice city? I remember when that came out and I thought it was gonna be awesome although I'm not an 80's fan, but I don;t know didn't have the same appeal liked III and SA better. That is a very good way to put things vamp I see where your comin from and yeah metallica sucked after the 80's.

Sorry to get off topic. I don't know I liked MGS 2. I agree there is no "bad: MG. I liked it for the most part but I didn't like any of the bosses. It was fun fighting on the metal gear at the end, just because it looked sweet. I HATED how they did the ninja you just can't replace Frank. I hated that. I didn't mind Raiden.

VC = VampiricClown

[colubrid660]

Originally Posted by VampiricClown

Look at it this way. Every music band out there, they change their style up a little bit, you get the reaction of "They changed and now they aren't as good.". If they were to stay the same, you would get the "This album is just like the rest.

And I agree. Lots of people bitched about RE4 because it was so different, and a lot liked it because it was a pleasant change of pace. I don't hate MSG2 for not being MGS; I loved MGS3, and it is NOTHING like MGS. I may have compared it to MGS in a few regards, but I could have also compared it to Snake Eater. I hated MGS2 because I thought a lot of aspects of it were lacking in quality, and little of this can be attributed to being different from the other titles.

MGS2 was different, and thats good. But it was not a good different, at least in my opinion. Similar to how "The Fragile" was a different direction for Nine Inch Nails, but it wasn't a good direction.

P.S. If you want to mention a band that never took the same direction with and album twice, look at Alice in Chains. No two albums are the same style at all, listen to "Facelift", then "Jar of Flies." You can tell its the same band, but the albums are nothing alike. This is the approach I expect with video games, with books, with movie series, etc. But its a very tough balance to find.

[colubrid660]

I will add, however, that this game has moments. The naked sequence was nerve-racking as all hell the first time around. The first time you battle Fatman is fun, and once you get the hang of fighting the Rex's, that never gets old. The addition of first person aiming was VERY welcome, as were some of the other additions to the gameplay mechanic. So its not a terrible game by far, I just never really liked the complete package that much.

[VampiricClown]

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[The Mothman]

i think its just a boring game.

[VampiricClown]

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