colubrid660
02-04-2008, 08:37 PM
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.
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.