Kentzz reviews | Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance on PS2 | [ENG]

Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, Konami's PlayStation2 release, is an addictive linear shooter that breaks through dangerous waters. What makes the game so effective are the graphical features and the way the game draws players into the suspense of the scenario. Snake sneaks through the portal into the interior of the ship, his radar indicating risk on the road ahead of him. Killing those he faces would be an easy approach, but it would undoubtedly lead to greater risk. However, the risk he faces is his own decision. Stealth is his guide, and the group he works for, Philanthropy, is after information, not a killing rate. It would benefit if the enemy were to feel the same way.

The first scenario is Snake on the deck of a ship on the Hudson River. Apparently, the ship is holding the newest technologies in Metal Gear (a system of weapons that is lethal, but the latter iteration is more powerful than the ones to date) and is guarded by the U.S. Marines. Marines. Snake's job is to sneak into the boat's hold, take pictures of the computer, and then get the photographs back to Otacon (his link with Philanthropy). But just as he was about to make his move, the Russian troops came down from the maelstrom, killed the Marines, and took over the boats. These guys don't play fair, and the job just got harder.

This could ring a bell for the fans of Metal Gear, and there's an explanation for that—it. that's This is Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, but with different game modes, secret playable characters, and news stories. The game's latest additions include 350 augmented reality missions and 150 alternate missions; five new Snake stories; as well as continuing the Sons of Liberty story while adding multiplayer modes to the Casting Theater and Boss Survival; and a skateboarding mode that encourages players to navigate the Big Shell as Raiden or Snake.

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Alternative missions are just tweaking the adventure. You have to practically keep back all enemy troops in the Hold-Up mode. There's also a timed mission like Photography Mode, and Elimination Mode is basically challenging you to get rid of the opponent. Certainly, the game does not cater to the fans of the Sons of Liberty, since it is simply an expansion pack. But it's filled with new missions, and definitely, any player not familiar with the series would find this addictive and exciting return to the franchise. The game of Hideo Kojima is definitely well crafted. It's filled with cutscenes, with a dialog that is sometimes-somewhat lame because of the backstory it's attempting to hide, but these cutscenes are a good guide to the action that follows. When Snake travels from the downpour to the inside of the ship's hull, the shadows indicate that the opponent is in relation to the corners. He also leaves behind the wet footprints on the ship's deck.

It's that kind of attention to graphic detail that makes this game so unique. Although much of the game is played from a fixed camera positioned above and behind the action, you can also easily turn to the first-person mode to get a clearer view of the situation. The first person will show details that you would forget otherwise. The soundtrack to this game is also fantastic. The musical score provides the right frame for the plot, and the voice characterizations are well performed. With a range of difficulty modes, this is a game that will cater to players of all abilities.

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Although Substance is more or less an extended version of the Sons of Liberty, the game can cater to players who have never seen the franchise but enjoy action games, as well as to the Sons of Liberty fans who are looking to expand their experience. This is a well-made game, filled with choices, adventure, and adrenaline-pumping action.