MGS2 scores a 9.7 (same as Halo) from IGN...pasted review *Possible plot spoilers*
11-09-01, 11:10 PM
#1
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Thread Starter
MGS2 scores a 9.7 (same as Halo) from IGN...pasted review *Possible plot spoilers*
This is from IGNInsider Unplugged #8. This has not hit the general IGN PS2 site yet, but I felt you guys would like their view on the game. One important thing in case you don't want to read this review (it is pretty much spoiler free except for one thing): Do not read your instruction booklet with the game, it evidentally gives out major spoilers. I don't know why Konami would do that though *shrug*
I have put a spoiler tag in for a piece of this review that you may or may not want to read. It is a spoiler about the ending but does not give the ending away. There is also a spoiler in the last sentence that has been tagged as well.
It has so far gotten a 10 from PSM and 5 discs from OPM (both the highest rating). Here is the review:
Perhaps three-quarters of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of
Liberty comprise the finest videogame made to date. The
other bits, unfortunately, are a bit of a problem. This is, by
all means, the game you should get for your PS2 this
Christmas, because the parts that are cool are so
unbelievably cool, but there are still some significant
disappointments to be found, perhaps made all the more
disappointing by the glory they sit alongside.
I'm only going to say one thing about the game's story
in the factual sense, and that is this: everything you know
is wrong. Beyond that, you should experience it all for
yourself, which means that you should NOT read the game
manual. Amazing, that Konami could keep a granite poker
face for 18 months and then give everything away in the
manual. Bureaucracy is a silly thing.
So put that booklet aside, and play the game. You know
what you're doing, after all, and the superior MGS controls
have been fur ther expanded and refined. The new moves
aren't just icing on the cake, they're genuine and
significant additions to gameplay. Jumpout shot, diving
roll, and the all-important first-person shooting mode give
new life to the sneaking experience, which is even more
important this time around. In the original MGS, you could
survive an alert, and perhaps even a firefight. In MGS2,
once that klaxon goes off, your life ticks away with every
second. The guards are tougher, smarter, and more
numerous, meaning your choices are few: run, hide, or die.
Generally, you want to run and hide, since survival
means experiencing moments of unrivalled cinematic
excitement. Hideo Kojima is a brilliant natural director,
backed by some of the best technical talent in the
industry, and the result is more jaw-drops than you'll be
able to count. It would be criminal to give away any hint
of the surprises to be found beyond the early movements
of the game, but far more than the price of admission is
paid for. The graphics engine renders huge, realistic
worlds, meticulously crafted and shaded in with brilliant
effects -- just wait. The excellent score is intense or calm
as the situation demands, and the action rivals anything
Hollywood's imagination could produce.
Since there are so many scenes and so many moments
that are so drop-dead cool, though…perhaps that's why it
hur ts so badly when the game drops the ball. Yes, it
cer tainly does, with some unfortunate failings in character
development and plot construction. The satisfaction of
many moments is overshadowed by others that simply
should not be.
Again, it's hard to discuss this without spoilers, but it's
possible to describe some issues in general terms. For
one, the game trusts too many moments of great
emotional significance to the talking-heads setting of the
Codec screen. MGS2 sits atop the gaming mountain as
far as the quality of its writing and acting, but there are
still several sequences that should be shown, not told.
Minutes of conversation could be replaced by a thirty-
second cutscene that would drive the point home with far,
far more power.
In other situations, neither showing nor telling is
appropriate. Some scenes simply needed to be removed,
passages which develop characters in entirely
inappropriate directions -- you cringe or laugh when neither
is anywhere near the creator's intention. It's particularly
sad to see space used like that when there are other
characters who desperately need more development. In
the original MGS, every enemy got some time to flesh out
their personality and motivation. Here, some get short
shrift when we're begging to learn more about them. It's
also worth noting that the tally of boss battles is a tad
smaller than the original, and while they're still quite
inventive, there's nothing that can quite hang with the
Vulcan Raven battle, the brilliant Psycho Mantis duel, or
the impact of fighting Metal Gear REX for the first time.
If Metal Gear Solid 2 fails occasionally as a dramatic
creation, though, when you have your hands on the
controls, it's a grand slam. Playing through multiple times
is mandatory, even after the 12-15 hours of your first go.
In no way could you find all the wonderful secrets, details,
and in-jokes that are buried in every corner of the game by
just playing once. The commando simulation itself is a
brilliant toy to play with. Fiddling with the environment,
tormenting the guards, experimenting with gadgets,
exploring the nooks and crannies, there's entertainment
here to fill hours and hours.
In the end, that's what matters. This is a synthesis of
movie and game, but game should always take the
forefront, and Metal Gear Solid 2 most certainly succeeds
as a game, long periods of controller inaction
notwithstanding. What's more, during some of those
cutscenes, picking up the Dual Shock is the last thing
on your mind. This isn't perfection, but it's certainly
brilliance,
. -- David Smith
Ratings ::
Presentation :: 9.0
Graphics :: 9.8
Sound :: 9.8
Gameplay :: 9.8
Lasting Appeal :: 9.8
Overall Score :: 9.7
I have put a spoiler tag in for a piece of this review that you may or may not want to read. It is a spoiler about the ending but does not give the ending away. There is also a spoiler in the last sentence that has been tagged as well.
It has so far gotten a 10 from PSM and 5 discs from OPM (both the highest rating). Here is the review:
Perhaps three-quarters of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of
Liberty comprise the finest videogame made to date. The
other bits, unfortunately, are a bit of a problem. This is, by
all means, the game you should get for your PS2 this
Christmas, because the parts that are cool are so
unbelievably cool, but there are still some significant
disappointments to be found, perhaps made all the more
disappointing by the glory they sit alongside.
I'm only going to say one thing about the game's story
in the factual sense, and that is this: everything you know
is wrong. Beyond that, you should experience it all for
yourself, which means that you should NOT read the game
manual. Amazing, that Konami could keep a granite poker
face for 18 months and then give everything away in the
manual. Bureaucracy is a silly thing.
So put that booklet aside, and play the game. You know
what you're doing, after all, and the superior MGS controls
have been fur ther expanded and refined. The new moves
aren't just icing on the cake, they're genuine and
significant additions to gameplay. Jumpout shot, diving
roll, and the all-important first-person shooting mode give
new life to the sneaking experience, which is even more
important this time around. In the original MGS, you could
survive an alert, and perhaps even a firefight. In MGS2,
once that klaxon goes off, your life ticks away with every
second. The guards are tougher, smarter, and more
numerous, meaning your choices are few: run, hide, or die.
Generally, you want to run and hide, since survival
means experiencing moments of unrivalled cinematic
excitement. Hideo Kojima is a brilliant natural director,
backed by some of the best technical talent in the
industry, and the result is more jaw-drops than you'll be
able to count. It would be criminal to give away any hint
of the surprises to be found beyond the early movements
of the game, but far more than the price of admission is
paid for. The graphics engine renders huge, realistic
worlds, meticulously crafted and shaded in with brilliant
effects -- just wait. The excellent score is intense or calm
as the situation demands, and the action rivals anything
Hollywood's imagination could produce.
Since there are so many scenes and so many moments
that are so drop-dead cool, though…perhaps that's why it
hur ts so badly when the game drops the ball. Yes, it
cer tainly does, with some unfortunate failings in character
development and plot construction. The satisfaction of
many moments is overshadowed by others that simply
should not be.
Again, it's hard to discuss this without spoilers, but it's
possible to describe some issues in general terms. For
one, the game trusts too many moments of great
emotional significance to the talking-heads setting of the
Codec screen. MGS2 sits atop the gaming mountain as
far as the quality of its writing and acting, but there are
still several sequences that should be shown, not told.
Minutes of conversation could be replaced by a thirty-
second cutscene that would drive the point home with far,
far more power.
In other situations, neither showing nor telling is
appropriate. Some scenes simply needed to be removed,
passages which develop characters in entirely
inappropriate directions -- you cringe or laugh when neither
is anywhere near the creator's intention. It's particularly
sad to see space used like that when there are other
characters who desperately need more development. In
the original MGS, every enemy got some time to flesh out
their personality and motivation. Here, some get short
shrift when we're begging to learn more about them. It's
also worth noting that the tally of boss battles is a tad
smaller than the original, and while they're still quite
inventive, there's nothing that can quite hang with the
Vulcan Raven battle, the brilliant Psycho Mantis duel, or
the impact of fighting Metal Gear REX for the first time.
Spoiler:
If Metal Gear Solid 2 fails occasionally as a dramatic
creation, though, when you have your hands on the
controls, it's a grand slam. Playing through multiple times
is mandatory, even after the 12-15 hours of your first go.
In no way could you find all the wonderful secrets, details,
and in-jokes that are buried in every corner of the game by
just playing once. The commando simulation itself is a
brilliant toy to play with. Fiddling with the environment,
tormenting the guards, experimenting with gadgets,
exploring the nooks and crannies, there's entertainment
here to fill hours and hours.
In the end, that's what matters. This is a synthesis of
movie and game, but game should always take the
forefront, and Metal Gear Solid 2 most certainly succeeds
as a game, long periods of controller inaction
notwithstanding. What's more, during some of those
cutscenes, picking up the Dual Shock is the last thing
on your mind. This isn't perfection, but it's certainly
brilliance,
Spoiler:
Ratings ::
Presentation :: 9.0
Graphics :: 9.8
Sound :: 9.8
Gameplay :: 9.8
Lasting Appeal :: 9.8
Overall Score :: 9.7
Last edited by AgtFox; 11-09-01 at 11:22 PM.
11-13-01, 08:46 AM
#3
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Thread Starter
New IGN review...
IGN has their review up, it's a bit different than the one I gave earlier, but by the same person:
http://ps2.ign.com/reviews/14538.html
http://ps2.ign.com/reviews/14538.html
11-13-01, 09:40 AM
#4
DVD Talk Limited Edition
I definitely have to question the 9.8 for "Lasting Appeal". I guess it would be cool to walk around looking at stuff, but come on, the game's only 12-15 hours long, and who knows if that includes dialogue. It's lame to add a couple more points for "nooks and crannies".
11-13-01, 10:02 AM
#5
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Thread Starter
I dunno Aghama...I pushed quite a few hours out of the demo even after I whipped through it the first time. There is replay appeal (you could kill everyone on your first time through, but try not to kill anyone the second time through). Yes, the story is the same, but the way you play the game can be different...look to GTA3 for reference (and yes, I realize that is far more open-ended than MGS2).
