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Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (commonly abbreviated MGS2) is a stealth-based game that was developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 in 2001. Directed by Hideo Kojima, it is the fourth game in the Metal Gear series and the sequel to the renowned Metal Gear Solid.
As with Metal Gear Solid, the trailer for this game was shown at the 2000 E3 to critical acclaim. Noted were the incredible level of detail, and the extremely high quality graphics to which normal gameplay graphics could double for in game movie scenes. Up to then, no game has had this level of quality in graphics even in their FMV sequences, bar Soul Calibur. The gameplay is largely unchanged from Metal Gear Solid, apart from allowing players to take 1st person aim when shooting and giving players the option to tranquilize, instead of kill, their enemies.
Plot Synopsis
Metal Gear Solid 2 opens on the George Washington Bridge in New York City. Solid Snake, aided by Otacon via codec, is investigating the development of a new Metal Gear, following Revolver Ocelot's general and indiscriminate sale of the REX blueprints to all interested parties. This new Metal Gear RAY is designed to guard against the proliferation of REXes. While it is transported offshore for testing by the Marines aboard the "oil tanker" Discovery, Snake manages to obtain photographic evidence of its existence. The mission rapidly turns sour, though: Shalashaska seizes RAY (claiming he is returning it to its proper owners, the La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo) and sinks the tanker, with loss of all hands, apparently including Snake.
The players then find themselves in control of Raiden, operating under Fox-Hound to rescue the President and other hostages from the "Big Shell," a facility constructed two years ago to clean up the oil spilled during the sinking of the Discovery. He is aided by Colonel Campbell as mission command, Rose (Raiden's girlfriend) as data management, and a number of other on-site specialists, including SEAL Team 10 Lt. JG Iroquois Pliskin (instantly recognizable as Solid Snake in mufti). The party responsible for seizing the Big Shell is the Army's Dead Cell terrorist-attack-simulation group (a clear spoof on the real-life Red Cell formation), aided by Shalashaska and led by a man who calls himself Solid Snake but is actually Solidus Snake, the third of the Snake twins and a "well-balanced masterpiece." It is revealed that the Big Shell is merely a cover for "Arsenal Gear", a mobile underwater fortress defended by a fleet of amphibious mecha (production variants of Metal Gear RAY), which is being secretly built as part of a conspiracy by the Illuminati-like "Patriots". It is largely unarmed. Instead, it carries a supercomputer called "GW" which is designed to monitor, block, and tamper with Internet communications, in order to further the totalitarian agenda of the "Patriots."
Raiden confronts the various members of Dead Cell, discovers the truth behind Solidus, the Big Shell, the reason for his mission, and his own life. There are also some cryptic revelations about the Patriots themselves. He is aided in his efforts by Solid Snake and Otacon. They succeed in delivering a virus into GW, rendering it and Arsenal useless. Raiden also defeats Solidus. Snake and Otacon then set off to find and stop the Patriots themselves, while Raiden is left to make peace (or attempt to do so) with Rose. What happens to Arsenal Gear itself, which crashes into Manhattan island in broad daylight, is never explained.
Fan Reaction
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty extends the series plot line and introduces a new main character into the series. For the first time in the series, Solid Snake is not the playable character in the majority of the game. Instead players control Raiden, a new member of Foxhound fresh from VR training. Almost immediately negative feedback erupted over this new twist in gameplay, with complaints including, but not limited to Jack's effeminate and whiny persona, Rose's long-winded speeches, and the blatant decrease in the quality of detail in the game.
The game is known for its focus on conspiracy theories, having as the main villains a group known only as "The Patriots"; twelve men who seek the establishment of a New World Order, having the President of the United States as their puppet. This is a clear reference to the Illuminati.
Release information
The game's European release was delayed; as compensation, Konami included, free of charge, a bonus DVD called "The Making of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty", containing an hour-long documentary on all aspects of the game's production, a comprehensive archive of trailers, a lengthy text article from the website Gamespot, concept sketches, and other familiar DVD "added value". This was later superseded by The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2. The actual game disk also included two new modes (Boss Survival and Demo Theatre; the latter allowed the player to view a cut scene and change the character models used).
Re-released as Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance.
de:Metal_Gear
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