5/5 ★ – wesleytypes's review of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.

Metal Gear Solid 2 is an incredibly ambitious game that wants to say and do significantly more than its predecessor. As a result, it also ends up being very avant-garde, and its "bigger picture" is so sky high that you'll wonder if any of the games that came before it are really as artful as you thought. MGS2 has the most direct crossover with high brow cinema discourse than any other game I've played, both for better and worse. For me, evaluating this game is primarily a struggle between its lofty ambitions and the strength of its individual parts. On one hand, its story and themes are some of the strongest examples of high art expression that I've ever experienced in the medium, as well as being eerily relevant and almost predictive of current real world events. On the other hand, as much as I respect Kojima's artistry, creative vision, and the message he wants to communicate, there are a few aspects of MGS2 that felt weaker than the previous game; and, as layers of the proverbial onion are peeled back, it gets progressively harder to follow along. Sometimes it's because of absurdity, but other times it's due to the density of the subject matter. It's less human and more philosophical in focus. Thankfully though, the philosophical elements are very rich, and especially as you get toward the end of the game, it feels like a stroke of genius. Characters, setting, dialogue writing, music, and boss encounters feel like a downgrade. However; the general gameplay is plainly an upgrade over MGS1, and the attention to detail is astounding. You'll get pooped on by seagulls, find cockroaches in your inventory, and have the ability to interrupt any Codec conversation with a well-timed "WHATEVER" or "GET REAL". If you think you should be able to do something in this game, there's a good chance you can. The Big Shell feels like a real place, and the gameplay systems function very logically. It's not hard for me to say that Metal Gear Solid 2 is a great game. In fact, I think it's an immensely important game, not only for driving the industry forward, but also for being one of the single best examples of video games as an art form. The only caveat is, I couldn't keep myself from constantly comparing it to MGS1, which to me is a much tighter and more immediately satisfying experience. MGS1 was very palpable and intimate, whereas MGS2 is sleek and postmodern in its ideas and presentation. Despite those things and some personal misgivings, I think the games are just two very different things, and that's fine. It can be great actually. As long as you are willing to endure some very long and wordy cutscenes, you will have a phenomenal time with Metal Gear Solid 2. It might even strike you profoundly.