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Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance for the Xbox console was, in fact, the very first Metal Gear game Id ever bought a few years ago, along with a few others on a Saturday in a bargain bin in a certain games shop. Id never really been into the game series before, and its probably safe to say, as any long-term Metal Gear fan will testify, that owing to the complicated story it is the worst game of the series to start on.
But anyway, on with my main gripe. Despite being, overall, a very good game, it is NOT an Xbox console game and I do believe it suffers from this. Its the Xbox controller; its a hunking great big piece of plastic that allows me to feel like a man when hammering buttons on Halo, and it isnt the same as the subtler DualShock 2. The repositioning of the controls, against the layout of the PS2 version, is awkward and illogical; the trigger buttons are perfect for racing games, but dont feel right; youll mainly notice this when leaning around corners or obsticles in First Person View Mode. This mode is activated by clicking the left analog stick down, and I often find this clumsily knocks your view off when you activate it, and when youre aiming at an enemy during a critical moment its damn noticeable. Awkward controls, in a stealth game, are not a good combination.
The game itself is very impressive; it is, effectively, a limited edition version or whatever of Metal Gear Solid 2: The Sons of Liberty. As far as I can tell, playing both the original and this updated version extensively, there is no real difference in the main story game whatsoever. This version offers 500 or so VR Missions in a similar move to the bundle on the original Metal Gear Solid game. These are effectively bite-sized sneak from point A-to-B objectives in a wire frame environment; there are plently of variations, such as guard elimation and weapons practise, or a block of missions which revolve around a game level. Ive never been impressed by stuff like this at all; but if youre so inclined it offers time measurements and the like to prove your awesomeness.
The other main offer this game has is a series called Snake Tales which allows you to play as another character as the story progresses through the meat of the game. This had great potential to offer a different perspective to the excellent storyline, but unfortunately this really does feel a bit tacked on, the story being progressed by extensive blocks of text. The story in Snake Tales, though I havent been able to play too far, could also be detracting to the game; certain elements create massive plot holes or are just unbelievable to the point of me just considering it non-canon. For example, the character you play as is heavily implied to have only a partner in the facility during the main game, and this notion of the two acting sort of alone, as friends, is a great part of their chemistry. Yet suddenly (apparently) youre on an offical mission - by Roy Cambell. And a hostage, for some reason, is suddenly hiding in one area for you to contact, instead of being tied up like he was in the main game. It wouldve been easier to make a completely unrelated mission. Maybe patch up the plot holes created when Kojima forgot about Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel.
In any case, Metal Gear Solid 2 is a great game; read a review for that. Substance offers little more, though, hey, if theyre the same price in a shop, go for this; since either way the meat rests in the main story, and youre getting it whatever version you buy. The Subsistance package for the third Metal Gear Solid game is vastly superior, and it makes you wonder what could have been achieved if there wasnt some insane deadline, no doubt, for the poor Konami team.
Reviewed by: Amazon Reviewer Rating:  Date Reviewed: 08Jun2008 | | | First Things First this game is not as good as the original Metal Gear Solid,but it is much better than the original Metal Gear Solid 2 Because it Has LOTS of VR missions (Youll recognize them from the first game)and plenty of different characters to play as (in training) like Solid Snake in a Tux and Snake in his old MGS1 Costume also there is a chance to use a sword in the game too (very nasty). I reccomend this game to anyone who Likes Splinter cell or has played the original, By the way this game is a 15 (to anybody whoes kids have been nagging them to get this) Allthough there is a option to turn the gore off. BEST GAME IVE PLAYED.
Reviewed by: Amazon Reviewer Rating:  Date Reviewed: 03Aug2004 | | | I wouldnt have considered buying Sons of Liberty but now Substance has been released I bought it, mostly for the main game which is amazing. But the thing that clinches it are the hundreds of VR missions with Snake, Raiden, Ninja Raiden, Tuxedo Snake and MGS1 Snake. Plus some Snake Tales where the story gets really weird in some parts, but still good.
Once you have played the main came once you can go over it again collecting things like dog-tags, and moving up in the difficulty levels. All over a great game and the same as Splinter Cell but with more extras.
Reviewed by: Amazon Reviewer Rating: Date Reviewed: 07Oct2003 | | |
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