Genuinely took every aspect I loved of the original Metal Gear and perfected it. All the little details that they worked with to make a great stealth game in the original was worked with to make a perfect stealth game. Like the original Metal Gear, I played this one emulated, but made a rule for myself to only save state in areas I would normally use the MSX disc drive in order to try and enjoy the game as “authentically” as possible (YES, I’m an annoying nerd, I know!!!). It wasn’t remotely as difficult as the first game, where you always get sent back to the last elevator shaft you were in, now instead sending you back to the last time you got the cute little fox loading screen. It may seem like something small, but it makes the game INSANELY more enjoyable, especially for people originally playing the games on the MSX I imagine too. Additionally, I tried using a guide as little as possible, and found it incredibly easy to do so! I had to still use one a couple of times (fuck you ID card 9!!!), but found myself using it significantly less than in the original Metal Gear, which even then I didn’t use too often. It’s geeky, but I ended up writing notes to remember important stuff. But anyways, let’s talk about how much Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake improved upon the original formula:
- The added map is not only convenient, but completely changes the stealth aspect of the game. In the original game, stealth was an important aspect, but it was fairly easy to ignore if you shot the guards on screen. Things would just go back to normal afterwards. In Metal Gear 2, guards will keep appearing no matter how many you shoot. You’re forced to find a place to hide in order for you to be able to sneak around again. But! When you alert enemies, the map disappears! Something you rely on for information on where you’re going is now completely gone, making it much more difficult to escape. Metal Gear 2 FORCES you to sneak around and hide as it becomes evident the more you play how much more difficult it is to just try and run away.
- The weapons are great. While there was variety in the first game, the second game follows the duty that a sequel always should, and in addition to the weapons we came to love in the original Metal Gear, we gain even more awesome stuff to mess around with. The mines/bombs in particular were really nice to use in this game, with the plastic bombs now allowing you to explode from a distance whenever you’re ready. The mines now let you crouch and collect them for future use. Oh, speaking of which…
- Crouching. Just everything involving the crawl technique is such a chef’s kiss of perfection. It definitely took me a second to get used to, but once I did, I fell in love with the mechanic. It’s the perfect inclusion to a stealth game, allowing you to hide under tables, beds, grates, ANYTHING, to keep yourself hidden. It even works in keeping yourself hidden when sneaking past a guard that might be on a balcony.
- The cards are an insane upgrade that I can’t go without mentioning. Once you collect the last of a card pack (1-3,4-6,7-9), you can go to a room in the Zanzibar building where you learn you can unlock combined cards. Now instead of having to try fucking 8 cards to see which works like in the original Metal Gear, you just have to mess with 3. Again, something small, but really helps improve the gameplay experience.
- I’m obsessed with all the bosses in this game. While the first Metal Gear has fine bosses, that’s all they really are. Just fine. They do their job of being a difficult enemy to unlock the next part of the game. Metal Gear 2 has a lot of fun with its bosses. They all have different fight skills you need to learn, and have call backs to the bosses in the past game. They’re very well integrated into the story as well, allowing them to talk and have some deeper backstories. Oh, also they always explode when you defeat them, making scenes like defeating Fox HILARIOUS when they’re supposed to be the exact opposite. It’s cheesy, I like it. But emphasizing how unique all the bosses become, I loved having to think quick and use plastic bombs when Petrovich jumps on your back, and having the metal gear not be the real final boss this time (okay, Big Boss was the “final” boss in Metal Gear 1 but he was so quick and easy I don’t really count it outside story stuff) exchanging it for a desperate fist fight with all your items burned and gone was AWESOME. It really showed how much they focused on the story and mixing it into their gameplay. Big Boss in this game too was significantly more fun to fight too, as his fight was now a real final fight involving puzzles and working around a big acid filled room in order to defeat him.
- The first game shocked me with being so 4th-wall breaking when Big Boss commands you to turn off your MSX, especially being so immersion breaking for a game from ‘87, the year of Zelda II and Punch-Out. I went into the second game expecting some 4th-wall breaking again, and was very satisfied with how they did it, now with Marv’s important data being saved on an MSX cartridge and the game poking fun at itself (“what freak still owns a MSX” made me laugh pretty hard). It had the cute after credits scene too where they load the game up and see the MSX opening I fondly grew to know from the original Metal Gear, with the additional detail of Marv’s name being seen as backwards to Snake and Holly as they’re supposed to be inside the game looking out from the computer screen. God damn it though Snake, I was so head-over-heels in love with Holly and you just had to go and ruin it!!!
The biggest complaint I have with the game is definitely that stupid fucking brooch. FUCK that brooch. This game would be perfect if I didn’t need to rely on that stupid brooch and it’s changing shape to unlock things. The fact that the brooch changed because of temperature made it the MOST annoying thing. They could have at the very least allowed more than just ONE room for it to be affected by the temperature and change shape, but no, now I have to go all the way from the tiny back corner of the Tower and sneak back to the 4th floor women’s restroom in the Zanzibar building and then ALL the way back to the room in the Tower just to have the brooch change shape to unlock one locker!! UGH!!
But whatever, this game overall is an absolute masterpiece, and again, having me incredibly excited to play the Solid series as I heard it only gets better and better from here! Now I no longer have to be "one of those freaks still playing on their MSX" hehe.
- The added map is not only convenient, but completely changes the stealth aspect of the game. In the original game, stealth was an important aspect, but it was fairly easy to ignore if you shot the guards on screen. Things would just go back to normal afterwards. In Metal Gear 2, guards will keep appearing no matter how many you shoot. You’re forced to find a place to hide in order for you to be able to sneak around again. But! When you alert enemies, the map disappears! Something you rely on for information on where you’re going is now completely gone, making it much more difficult to escape. Metal Gear 2 FORCES you to sneak around and hide as it becomes evident the more you play how much more difficult it is to just try and run away.
- The weapons are great. While there was variety in the first game, the second game follows the duty that a sequel always should, and in addition to the weapons we came to love in the original Metal Gear, we gain even more awesome stuff to mess around with. The mines/bombs in particular were really nice to use in this game, with the plastic bombs now allowing you to explode from a distance whenever you’re ready. The mines now let you crouch and collect them for future use. Oh, speaking of which…
- Crouching. Just everything involving the crawl technique is such a chef’s kiss of perfection. It definitely took me a second to get used to, but once I did, I fell in love with the mechanic. It’s the perfect inclusion to a stealth game, allowing you to hide under tables, beds, grates, ANYTHING, to keep yourself hidden. It even works in keeping yourself hidden when sneaking past a guard that might be on a balcony.
- The cards are an insane upgrade that I can’t go without mentioning. Once you collect the last of a card pack (1-3,4-6,7-9), you can go to a room in the Zanzibar building where you learn you can unlock combined cards. Now instead of having to try fucking 8 cards to see which works like in the original Metal Gear, you just have to mess with 3. Again, something small, but really helps improve the gameplay experience.
- I’m obsessed with all the bosses in this game. While the first Metal Gear has fine bosses, that’s all they really are. Just fine. They do their job of being a difficult enemy to unlock the next part of the game. Metal Gear 2 has a lot of fun with its bosses. They all have different fight skills you need to learn, and have call backs to the bosses in the past game. They’re very well integrated into the story as well, allowing them to talk and have some deeper backstories. Oh, also they always explode when you defeat them, making scenes like defeating Fox HILARIOUS when they’re supposed to be the exact opposite. It’s cheesy, I like it. But emphasizing how unique all the bosses become, I loved having to think quick and use plastic bombs when Petrovich jumps on your back, and having the metal gear not be the real final boss this time (okay, Big Boss was the “final” boss in Metal Gear 1 but he was so quick and easy I don’t really count it outside story stuff) exchanging it for a desperate fist fight with all your items burned and gone was AWESOME. It really showed how much they focused on the story and mixing it into their gameplay. Big Boss in this game too was significantly more fun to fight too, as his fight was now a real final fight involving puzzles and working around a big acid filled room in order to defeat him.
- The first game shocked me with being so 4th-wall breaking when Big Boss commands you to turn off your MSX, especially being so immersion breaking for a game from ‘87, the year of Zelda II and Punch-Out. I went into the second game expecting some 4th-wall breaking again, and was very satisfied with how they did it, now with Marv’s important data being saved on an MSX cartridge and the game poking fun at itself (“what freak still owns a MSX” made me laugh pretty hard). It had the cute after credits scene too where they load the game up and see the MSX opening I fondly grew to know from the original Metal Gear, with the additional detail of Marv’s name being seen as backwards to Snake and Holly as they’re supposed to be inside the game looking out from the computer screen. God damn it though Snake, I was so head-over-heels in love with Holly and you just had to go and ruin it!!!
The biggest complaint I have with the game is definitely that stupid fucking brooch. FUCK that brooch. This game would be perfect if I didn’t need to rely on that stupid brooch and it’s changing shape to unlock things. The fact that the brooch changed because of temperature made it the MOST annoying thing. They could have at the very least allowed more than just ONE room for it to be affected by the temperature and change shape, but no, now I have to go all the way from the tiny back corner of the Tower and sneak back to the 4th floor women’s restroom in the Zanzibar building and then ALL the way back to the room in the Tower just to have the brooch change shape to unlock one locker!! UGH!!
But whatever, this game overall is an absolute masterpiece, and again, having me incredibly excited to play the Solid series as I heard it only gets better and better from here! Now I no longer have to be "one of those freaks still playing on their MSX" hehe.
Reviewed on Mar 29, 2023
FranKle
1 year ago