2nd Op By

Gene Park 8.0 RATING

The differences between Mike's view and mine about Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance are much more than just the two points between our ratings. I personally feel that the amount of interactivity was more than enough, with the experience beginning with the media hype that surrounded the game before the release of Sons Of Liberty. The game answered my questions to why I should continue to play videogames, or indulge in any kind of mass-produced entertainment product, like the newest album from a good but commercialized pop singer. Personally it felt less like a 'game' and more of an intimate (but pretentious) conversation with creator Hideo Kojima that somehow helped me sort out my values. Any criticism towards the thematic value of the game feels like a personal attack to me, which probably makes me seem like the wrong person to review this game.

But some of Mike's arguments are indisputable. The precarious balance between gameplay and cutscene, which many games today are testing, was thrown off when Kojima decided to add more 'film' than 'game.' It's conceivable that Kojima could've achieved his goals by editing certain scenes and if the level design of the second chapter of the game hadn't been so admittedly rushed. The playfulness and open-ended design of the first chapter greatly overshadows the limited gameplay presented in the Big Shell rooms, partly because it isn't restricted to a single hexagonal shape. And maybe the game would've been less laughable and not so easy to dismiss if it didn't have a Harrier-piloting vampire or a long, pointless speech by a bomb disposal guy who isn't essential to the core plot.

Then there are the missions and Snake tales, which is the focus of Substance. If these were released alone, then the game would receive a much lower grade because of its sad ploy at becoming a full-fledged videogame. Yet the VR missions make all the more evident what an excellent game engine Kojima has here. Even the aforementioned lacking design of the Big Shell stages is forgotten during the more difficult variety missions which take place in the setting. When given new and creative objectives, the Big Shell rooms have a few surprises in store for the players who thought they knew the levels inside out. Through each incarnation of the two main characters in the VR setting are roughly the same goals with added twists. Sometimes there would be an additional camouflaged soldier that throws your entire previous plan with Raiden out the window. Other times there'd be a limit to your arsenal, sometimes giving you just enough bullets to kill every enemy in one shot. And thanks to the time limit, things have become a lot more arcade-like because the game's stealth and combat engine is so versatile.

Unfortunately the game was optimized for the PlayStation 2, and the Xbox controller struggles to achieve the same comfort the Dual Shock 2 has with the game. It doesn't work in the default settings, and with other button configurations, I often found my left thumb pressing buttons on the other side of the controller, to compensate for all other fingers on my right hand holding down other buttons. The game originally called for some serious finger gymnastics, holding down one button, pressing two others alternately to dodge, or both to look up, and another finger shooting while your thumbs are busy moving and grooving. The Xbox controller's lack of two extra shoulder buttons really stilts some battles because of you playing finger Twister on the layout. And yes, there is noticeable slowdown on the Tanker level, which says to me that either the game was very rushed and that Kojima would make videogame magic if would work exclusively with the Xbox graphics engine.

Concerning the game's value, I will agree that Kojima's opus will appear incoherent to most people, and that the themes and narrative presented (or misrepresented) won't click with everybody. In the end it only serves to alienate the player, which Kojima should've seriously considered when creating his story. As I mentioned in the Shenmue II review, a game is nothing without its audience, the player. This is the type of art that stall's a critic's engines. Should it be held accountable for alienating its audience, despite its intentions? Kojima self-assigned obligation to provide answers in the game (thanks to the logic-based conspiracies of the first game) created resolutions that most gamers aren't ready to comprehend. But I have no doubt in my mind that, through its ambition and flaws, Metal Gear Solid 2 has somehow shaped the future of videogames, for better or for worse. It will ensnare some kind of reaction from you, whether awe or disgust, which makes it a singularity among videogames. For a game to connect in such an oblique and personal angle and for it to anger and enlighten so much of its audience is a rare attribute for any work. Most importantly it leaves little doubt that Kojima knows he has an audience. What he does with that audience is what makes Metal Gear Solid 2 like no other videogame in history.

Disclaimer: This review is based on the Xbox version of the game.

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