The world has waited for a game that would rival the impact of Mario 64 in 1995. Something so memorable that would strike your very core of being before you even realised what you'd witnessed. And afterwards such an adrenaline rush that your hands begin to shake and your voice tremble when you attempt to convey the experience.
This is what Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty achieved on the evening of May 10th 2000. Through reputation alone we knew the sequel would be outstanding. We didn't know that it would so boldly rewrite the rules.
In our interview with Hideo Kojima we asked all the questions we knew would be important to everyone reading this feature, and dug deeper into what exactly we had witnessed at that milestone event.
CVG: As an artist and creator do you have a message that you would like people to take to their hearts, or, in your view, are video games simply entertainment?
HK: Yes, there is a message in all my games. I always try to convey a message. It's a game, so it has to be fun, it has to be enjoyable, but at the same time I try to convey a message. And in this one too I try to convey a message where it gives a positive impact to the person who has played the game.
CVG: Do you hope that your entertainment will contribute to a better understanding within the world in the same way that the most important movies and novels have done?
HK: Ah yes, I do strive for a game that will leave an impact on someone's mind, like the memory for that person to keep forever in his or her life. But the game itself will be gone, especially when you have new machines. The game itself won't stay forever, but for those who have played the game it will always be in their minds. That's what I aim for.
CVG: In the original MGS there are many cut scenes to help describe the story, will this be the same in MGS2? Do you think it is essential for you describe the scene before the player enters and takes part?
HK: It's exactly the same. And it will be done in a more polite way and a more helping way than in MGS2. The demos will be heavier for the die-hard/hard-core MG fans, there will be more substance for them, but at the same time it will be very explanatory for those who have never played Metal Gear Solid before.~CVG: How difficult is it to make that balance? When everybody sees MGS2 they will be as impressed with that as with anything in Hollywood, and everyone will want to take part. But not everyone has played a video game before, so it could be confusing for them. How do you make it easy enough for everyone to enjoy it, while giving the maniac players something to really get there teeth into?
HK: First secret [laughs]. We have a revolutionary system that we cannot reveal now, but we will probably be able to talk about next year that will make sure that the people who've played Metal Gear 1 will definitely enjoy Metal Gear 2, because Metal Gear 2 is a sequel of Metal Gear 1. It's got to appeal to those who've finished the first one. At the same time it will be a very player-friendly game for those who've never played Metal Gear before.
