  
We'll say this early - one of the greatest controversies in videogaming history is beheld in Metal Gear Solid 2. We're warning you now, in case you haven't already been privy to all the fuss and hullabaloo - meaning you haven't read our review of the American code too- that if you're a PlayStation Metal Gear Solid die-hard this game may cause upsets. Don't worry - this review is relatively spoiler free - but do be prepared for liberal hints around the main issue that has all the fans gossiping like the world press when President Bush choked on a pretzel.
Much like the rather timely release of Hideo Kojima's game in the States, Metal Gear Solid 2 arrives just in time to spoil the Microsoft Xbox party, not only bringing with it a wealth of expectation and colossal Japanese and US sales, but also an extra bonus DVD to soften the blow to all European fans who have had to wait over three months for Solid Snake to return. A tidy little package, but it's unlikely that you'll be watching the making of the game and playing with all the goodies on the nice little DVD before trying your hand at the title a number of PlayStation2 owners brought the machine for all those months back. And you'll be rewarded with a title just about worth the wait�if you can get your head around aforementioned controversies that occur none too long after playing�
But we're getting ahead of ourselves again. The plot, which we won't go too much into -spoiler free remember- is a typically complex and craftily woven deal, as expected of Kojima. Opening up with one of the most elaborate and well-designed real time filmic intros in videogaming history, you guide Snake on an infiltration mission to a suspicious tanker full of guards in an attempt to find out what exactly is going on there and what its connection to the rumours of a new Metal Gear is. Needless to say, this all unfolds into something far more complicated and convoluted than first appearances, and you're soon dragged into a vast and confusing world of espionage, surreptitious characters and gunplay.
Despite feeling a bit familiar, albeit intentionally, your first few plays of Metal Gear Solid 2 are likely to evoke feelings of near euphoria. It becomes everything you wanted and more, taking the feel and concepts of the prequel to whole new levels. The PlayStation2 is used to what seems like full effect here, projecting a gaming world more convincing and intricate than most before it. Grand Theft Auto 3 may take the title for best videogame macrocosm, with it's huge living and breathing cityscapes, but paired down, Konami's gem here snatches the crown for its portrayal of a small-scale environment that sucks you in utterly. The graphics are astounding in their crisp, dark sombre look, effortlessly displaying minute changes in air and temperature amongst other things. The windswept driving rain effects not only look the part, seamlessly interacting with the characters, droplets splashing off uniforms and so on, but make you truly feel you're experiencing the cold, accentuated by the mimicked condensation on the screen when you finally haul our hero into the slightly warmer indoors - and that's just for starters. Animation is also world class, with detailed polygonal bodies moving smoothly and realistically without a disjoint or unnatural jump to jar you out of the wondrous graphical world. Snake's bandanna alone moves with more authenticity than many games' main characters. And for PAL enthusiasts, all these graphical charms aren't comprised by a lack of optimisation for European TV's too. Good stuff, Konami.
Of course, the rousing and absolutely superb soundtrack from film composer Harry Gregson-Williams adds to the filmic quality of the visuals and suit the game perfectly with the equally excellent sound effects and mostly great voice acting. It's a sensory overload that only increases when you play the game and see all these little touches demonstrate cause and effect, often to your surprise. Wet feet and blood leave trails for the enemy to follow. Shot and leaking fire extinguishers can blind troops and expose infrared trip beams. Hand dryers switch on and toilets automatically flush when you pass by them. Bird droppings from seagulls cause you to slip, causing noise�the list goes on. Guards are far more intelligent too, displaying pleasing levels of AI -which is far more convincing on the higher difficulty settings- such as patrolling in military trained formations, radioing each other when there are signs of trouble, investigating any bizarre occurrences like someone not answering a radio call or a irregular noise. So foiling them, as in the first game, inspires some great gaming moments that encompasses most of the playing parts of MGS 2 - capping a sentry's radio, then popping him without noise feels great, but it's even better when you drag his lifeless carcass to the toilets (steady on -ed) and prop him in a cubicle where no one can find him and raise the alarms.
The Dual Shock 2 pad is excellently utilised into the bargain, allowing pinpoint aiming, sneaking and general 'misdeeds in the name of good' easily once you get around the vastly numerous nuances. The pressure on the analogue buttons is important as is it alters the speed or degree of certain actions, and allows precise control. Better yet is the subtle trembling of the pad for particular moments, acting as a heartbeat when you're hiding away in an enclosed space from searching guards or just reacting to huge explosions and constant gunfire. All this - the presentational gloss, excellent control, the whole package adds up to a wondrous experience. We may have seen the stealth 'em up copied to death over the last year or so, but this raises the bar to a level few will be able to recreate. It's simply stunning.
But behind this initial slice of gaming heaven is a flaw that affected Metal Gear Solid and causes more of a problem here in the sequel. In the effort to make this the most filmic gaming experience ever, Kojima has stumbled across a major dilemma all others will have to solve in trying to blur the line between the mediums - namely, where does game start and film end? In trying to expand and evolve the main characters of the series as he would in a film, Kojima creates a potential narrative faux pas that may disgust or at least alienate some fans, as we suggested at the beginning of the review. The reason behind it is to push the characters forward with depth and give the gamer a new experience over what they may be expecting, which would be fine for a film or book, but in videogames where we are not a passive audience, it becomes distracting and discombobulating, sapping some of the will to play the game. Not to say the characters aren't good or are badly designed - one in particular is perhaps dangerously
ill-conceived, which starts this problem - as there are some excellent examples. Prominent baddies Vamp and Fortune are great illustrations of that. But its difficult to pull the rug from under gamers without them feeling slightly cheated, which what MGS 2 does several times with some strange plot twists and momentum changes. Making things worse is the fact that throughout the 13 odd hours of the game, much of it is cut scene material where you do nothing but watch the story unfold, again forcing you to be passive. Yes, there're well done in all their real time glory, but when you're watching the game more than you're playing it, you have to feel a little miffed, especially when some of the twists may come close to estranging players.
Which is a shame, as for a piece of software that arguably has the most meticulous game environment interaction yet seen, you don't get to play anywhere as much of it as you'd like - and it starts becoming a bit too much like a real time CGI movie, which isn't what you spent �40+ to see. Luckily, the extra DVD contains a number of goodies that make the whole package seem a lot more filling, and the well-made 'making of' documentary explains a lot of the negative issues raised here, making them easier to swallow. Regardless, the fact remains that as a gaming experience, as relatively little as there is here, there are very few titles to stand up to Metal Gear Solid 2. Let's just hope that the inevitable sequel doesn't make such a potentially dangerous mistake of trying to make the far more active gaming audience into a passively sitting and watching cinema!
We rate Metal Gear Solid 2:Sons Of Liberty an Extremely Good 9/10!
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