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Summary
Metal Gear's second sequel sees series creator Hideo Kojima continue the overhead stealth gameplay and ignores the Snake's Revenge NES spin-off title made by Konami.
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake News
Metal Gear 2 is a massive improvement on Metal Gear. The gameplay had been greatly improved with better AI and with the inclusion of the radar system, which helps make the stealth feel much better.
Furthermore, the change to how the different screens work helps it feel more cohesive, as in the first game, it would reset all the enemies and items if you went to a different screen.
However, in this game, the AI can travel between screens, and all of the enemies and items will be saved and will only be reset when you go to a completely different area, like outside of the buildings or to a different floor.
Sorry for the rant. The story and characters in this game are much more fleshed out, and it's much more interesting. It also tries to tackle more complex ideas about war and mercenaries.
The art is also a huge improvement, especially in the re-releases, with the improved character art for all the characters. The environmental art is also much better and makes it more appealing.
The level design is another thing that might even be the most improved as the new Zanzibar Land area is much more cohesive and easier to follow and traverse.
Overall, this game is just an improvement on the first one in every aspect, and not just a small improvement. This game improved massively on the formula that was created in Metal Gear.
If I was recommending someone to play the Metal Gear series, I could tell them to skip Metal Gear, but they would have to play Metal Gear 2. This game is basically where it all started. All of the improved features that would go on to be the foundation for the rest of the series. Also, the boss survival mode is pretty good.
Was fine. But better
A large upgrade from the previous installment that laid the groundwork for where the series was ultimately headed. The lengthy exposition dumps of military lore, the familiar faces of the characters, the insane levels of betrayal and backstabery from all sides, and of course the newly incorporated mechanics that would deepen the stealth of the series. Although the gameplay is still a bit clunky, I still had a lot of fun with it more than 30 years after its initial release!
I enjoyed seeing where the series started with the first Metal Gear, but this game has a lot more of the troupes that the series is known for. It also contains a lot more depth with its characters, story, and convoluted lore/timeline that would only get more and more hectic as the series progresses. It feels a lot more in line with the epic, 80s action-flick vibe that Kojima was trying to accomplish in the first game, except it's much more fleshed out and focused narratively. The gameplay adds crawling and crouching, which adds a surprising amount of depth to the stealth. It also adds the ability to knock on surfaces to attract attention, which also plays a huge role in the series from this point forward. The ability to crawl through vents, hide behind crates, and lure your enemies with distractions gives the player so many different options to take on the scenarios, and that only deepens the immersion for the player. Thankfully the gameplay never stopped evolving from this point on!
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake isn't a necessary game to sit down and play, especially in a time where we have much more engaging and polished versions of this sort of gameplay, but if you're a fan of the series I would highly suggest checking this one out! Out of the two original games released on the MSX, this is obviously the superior game. It has a much more in-depth story, the gameplay is more challenging and complex, and the characters are becoming more filled out and memorable. The series only gets better from here!