Metal Gear Solid 2

As much as I hated Raiden at first (and as lame as the big shell was, and Fortune) I think that currently, MGS2 might have had my favorite exposition of the games right now. (I haven't played 4, I don't have access to a PS3)

In a lot of the reviews I've seen for this game, people tend to say that too much exposition was crammed into the end. I disagree. I think that if you, instead of trying to take the waves of information as a single chunk, connect the dots all the way back to the beginning of the game, can see that everything being 'revealed' was really obvious all along. As a good story should be. In addition to this, I really, really liked how fucking weird the game got then too. The beginning and ending of the game were most certainly my favorite parts.

All of that, and then excellent music. Those were some intense damn bongos.

I was a North American Fall Webworm in my past life. Those were the good old days. What were you in your former life?

I like MGS3 the most because of how orchestrated the plot was with the Boss. It not only revealed everything in the game bit by bit but everything in the -future- as well, all up until the dissolution of FOXHOUND.

I completely agree with your reasoning. A big part of why I'm putting MGS2 ahead right now is probably because I played MGS3 quite some time before and I've seen the whole thing through twice now.

I don't see why everyone hates on Raiden so much. Yeah, he's a little more effeminate than Snake, and he doesn't have that whole war-hardened soldier vibe, but all things considered, I think he handled all the craziness remarkably well. I mean, he went through nearly twice the stuff Snake did, all while having his girlfriend nag him every step of the way.

MGS3 was good, but it just didn't stick with me like 2 did for some reason. I didn't really feel connected to the codec/radio contacts at all. In the other games, I usually had a few people that I enjoyed calling once in a while just to see what they'd say. Zero and Sigint were boring, and Paramedic was only interesting during her save convo's. EVA was also pretty uninteresting imo. I did like that the bosses seemed to be fleshed out more, and it was interesting to see how everything happened to cause all the stuff in the future.

Raiden was actually a good character, especially because it was starting to build up to his mental degradation as a child soldier. Kojima said after plotting MGS2 he wrote in bits and pieces of Raiden's history more to exemplify a possible future breakdown, ala MGS4 and Rising. I didn't really feel connected to MGS3's codec calls, it was really the cutscene driven plot more. The Boss is my favorite character and i've never found a scene more moving than the final battle and conversation in Life's End.

I don't see why everyone hates on Raiden so much.

Because he's not the cool character you'd identify with.
I think players forgive many things to a character, except (relative) unmanliness.

What bothered me about Raiden was Rose. Even in the ending I thought that whole relationship display was entirely trite. The codec conversations were literally the first time I held down the triangle button on purpose.

Raiden himself? I thought he was goofy at first. I got over that. Dislike him? eh, it's more like he was a font for the player, to me, for most of his early game. Yeah, he's talkin, but he takes on an empty, soulless role.

BUT THEN THAT WAS THE POINT AFTER ALL, WASN'T IT?

That's what makes him sorta cool. I'm not about to put him beside snake as an equal, but hey, as a support character he's real fuckin' neato.

Raiden was integral to the plot of MGS2. It was mandatory that you not play from Snake's point of view.

Oh I know that. In MGS2, him being the main guy, that is allllll good. I support that and I'm happy it was done that way.

But I don't really care to see him in another role like that unless they split the plot open again like they did in mgs2.

Speaking of playing as Snake in MGS2, did anyone play that bonus mission with the giant sea monster? That was freaking weird, even for Metal Gear.

I'm sorry, WHAT?

Yeah, the Snake Tales were cool. Pretty hard, though.

I'm sorry, WHAT?

It's a non-canonical side-mission thing in Substance. Otacon and Mei Ling get Snake to go take pictures of a sea monster on the Big Shell. Everything just gets progressively more bizarre. I never got past the last part because the guards kept boxing me in, but apparently Mei Ling reveals she's Solidus's wife.

Damn it, see, I knew I should have pestered gamestop about the special edition discs. I got the SE version of 2 and 3, but I only got one disc for each! TWICE for three, because I bought it for my uncle!

you know goddamn well raiden would not get as much hate as he does if he didn't have such a faggy ass haircut.

Heeeeeeey, I liked his hair. 

I'm really excited about rising. It looks like it's going to be pretty cool.

I still haven't gotten a good look at peace walker. Was that any good? I really miss owning a fucking psp.

I've never owned a psp unfortunately. :[
I've seen a few videos on youtube, and it looks decent. I've had the ending spoiled for me already in the process though.
Paz has a catchy J-pop tune for a themesong. Homoeroticism is rampant. Giant robot-things. Confusing plot. It's a Metal Gear game all around.

Apparently Peace Walker is REALLY GOOD.

It bridges the gap from The Patriots to Militaries Sans Frontieres, which is what my avatar currently is.

I KNEW it. I really want to play it now.

Peace Walker would be great if it was on a console. Unfortunately, the PSP's controls suck ass. I hate that stupid nub.

Me too. Y-y'know, when I actually had a psp... I MISS MAVERICK HUNTER X BAWWWWW

I hope they port it or something. I really want to play it.

Shit me too. PS2 port ploz

Without a shadow of a doubt, the box was the strongest of all characters in any metal gear solid game.


Such silent heroism should be commended!

*pat pat*

That'll do, box. That'll do.

I greatly disliked this game. I was not portrayed to any remote degree of accuracy! Metal Gear Solid 2 is a slanderous piece of trash!

Don't worry about it. That was the point. In MGS 2 you were actually an AI housed in Arsenal Gear. As far as I remember anyway.

I'll weigh in. The entire franchise was incredible, IMO, but if I was forced to choose a fave it has got to be the original. FOXHHOUND is a cool unit, even if the characters in it were slightly nuts- but I guess that's what made them so cool. It was also the first game I'd ever played that worked like it did, and I actually got nervous several times while playing. Almost equal footing with 2, but Raiden was... well, not easy to relate to. 3 was cool because of the thick-ass plot , and I enjoyed the survival aspects, but I thought some of the characters, like Volgin, were over the top. Choosing a favorite is like choosing a favorite child, but there it is.