Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance -- Game Review Written by Nicholas Mezza
System- XBOX, PS2
Genre-Action, Tactical Espionage
Play Modes / Features- Main Adventure (Plant and Tanker locales), VR Missions
(Weapons Training, Bomb Disposal, Sneaking Mode), Snake Tales (Additional
Adventures), 400+ Pages of back-story and literature.
Rating-M

About 5 years ago, Konami released Metal Gear Solid. The game was a hit, for several reasons. It introduced the genre of 'tactical espionage action' with flying colors. It also proved that an action game could have an incredible story behind it, one worthy of any best-sellers list. Last year, the sequel arrived on Playstation 2. It seemed as if only loyal Sony fans would be lucky enough to experience the game. Now it has arrived on the XBOX with plenty of extras to make it worthy of the title 'Substance'.

The graphics in the game are great. In some areas, they actually border on photo-realism. The detail of the Harrier and the Helicopters are astounding. The water effects are also very impressive. I have only one complaint about the graphics. When you are in an outdoor area or are looking at complex environmental effects, the game slows down a little or the refresh rate drops. However this problem is a minor one and has little effect on gameplay.

The music is perfect for the game's style. During moments of action you hear fast-paced techno music and slower music that blends in with the ambience when sneaking around. Sound Effects in the game are pretty good, but the weapon sounds are a bit tinny. Voice acting plays a big role in the storytelling of the game, and is pulled off very well. Very little of the dialogue is 'cheesy', despite the game being of Japanese origin. And that's good, as you will be hearing quite a bit of it. I'd estimate that for every 20 minutes of gameplay, I listened to about 5 minutes of transmissions and well made cutscenes.

The Artificial Intelligence has improved somewhat over Metal Gear Solid, but is still a bit lacking. However, if it were any better, the game would be nearly impossible. If the soldiers were as intelligent as a real person was, you wouldn't make it past the second area. Taking this into consideration, the AI is actually pretty good. Enemy soldiers will call for backup when attacked, or upon discovering a body. Because of this, you actually have to conceal some bodies in lockers, or around a corner. Unlike the original, soldiers can now see you from a distance, and come over and investigate. You can still hide in a cardboard box, but the soldiers will take a second glace at you if they get suspicious.

The control style of the game is very good and there are several different control styles to choose from. The only complaint I have is with your first person view, which you use to aim or look around. While you are in the view you can't change your current items, which is a pain, since you frequently find yourself trying to do this. Other than this, the controls are fluid and responsive. The difficulty of the game is very adjustable, considering there are six difficulty levels, ability to disable your radar, and whether or not to end the game if you are discovered. Easy proves to be fairly easy, with more ammo than you could ever need, and so much life you have to sit for half a minute for the enemy to dispatch you. On European Extreme, the highest difficulty, the tables are turned on both of these situations.

As if the main adventure wasn't enough, (I am on hour 6 and am not yet done) there are several bonus features with this XBOX release. This includes over 300 VR missions, which are like training missions and challenges. This would be plenty, as well, as 6% completion of these took me an hour. Also included are the 'Snake Tales', which are short alternative stories to follow which each take about an hour to finish. But wait! There's more! You can collect the dog tags of defeated enemies and look at photos you take within the game. Then, you can read the over 400 pages of back-story! Actually, I recommend you read this, or play the other 3 Metal Gear games to get the full effect of the story.

This is a great game, with one of the best stories I have ever seen in a game. I whole-heartedly recommend this game. You should try it out, unless you can't play a game without constant action. Well... I'm going back to playing, and this time I'm NOT going to knock over the pipe as I sneak by...