What an incredible sequel, fixing damn near everything with the original Metal Gear while also showcasing just what makes the franchise so iconic (and absolutely ridiculous).

Right from the start everything is improved. The production value is up and the story is much more complex, delving into the consequences of the first game and exploring a new land in Zanzabar, a haven for those affected by war with Big Boss in charge (and a new Metal Gear to deal with). Unlike Outer Heaven, this area feels much better to explore with the frequent backtracking actually making things feel much more fluid compared to the often confusing nature of MG1. Another fantastic addition is that of the alarm system, making things more like a stealth game and not a random shitshow. Alongside the ability to go prone and much more utility items like the mouse and mat, the overall gameplay of MG2 feels so damn smooth. Progression has also seen several revamps, with the multiple cards being streamlined and health upgrades being given after each boss and not through a dumb ranking system. Finally the music continues to be really damn good, with "Tears" being my favorite piece.

It's not all perfect but thankfully the issues aren't many. Biggest would probably be the fucked up save system still being a thing, with the only way of saving being at the beginning of areas. With how many instakills exist it can make the trial and error pretty annoying. Another issue is just how rough the first half can be in comparison to the original, with enemies hitting much harder and bosses being able to completely mop the floor with you (fuck the Hind D). Also while I like the streamlined items/weapons I'd still say the game has way too many items, with things like the rocket launcher and mines only being important for one or two encounters and being useless for the rest.

Despite all that I absolutely adored my time with Metal Gear 2 and consider it one of the finest sequels I've played in a while. It'll be interesting to look back to with the Solid games taking center stage but even with the antiquated design I'd go back to it any day of the week. Also the first boss is a NINJA FROM NASA WHO EXPLODES KOJIMA WHAT WERE YOU ON???

9/10

It starts out quite promising. Evoking a solid mixture of Metroid Prime and Zelda at the best of times even.

But it really starts to show the cracks in the latter half. Puzzles start to feel a lot more obtuse by introducing mechanics that never had any introduction as a thing that was possible, the level design feels a lot more slap dash with paths that don't even feel legitimate, the combat feels awful all through out, and it has a pacing that feels like you're almost at the end but it just keeps going and going. Simply put, the game is bloated for how otherwise small it would be.

It feels just a bit too over ambitious for how scrappy and janky it is.

But it's not without it's positives for sure. I like the setting a lot (I'm a sucker for rat maps always), and I love what the game is trying to do. It has the sensibilities and charm of a 6th gen game and that hits right where I want it to.

It's ALMOST really good, it just needed a lot more polishing and trimming. At the very least, it has me interested in it's sequels just to see how the devs refine it.