As we make our way through the Metal Gear Solid Legacy collection we learn that while Famincon’s Metal Gear planted the roots of the franchise it’s the MSX2 release Metal Gear 2 that saw the concept grow in to the series we know today. Staples such as an on-screen radar, fourth wall breaking puzzles and recurring characters feature heavily in this second adventure for Solid Snake (not including the out of house pseudo sequel Snake’s Revenge).
First thing worth noting is the jump in visual quality. Brighter colours and more varied environments are immediately noticeable with a greater range of animations rounding things out. The enemies can move their heads, increasing their field of vision, and Snake can crouch and crawl under small areas. The boss fights are given more distinct personalities with a specific look to each one. Combat has been improved as well, with Snake’s gunplay being on par with the enemies, meaning that it’s their numbers that prove a challenge rather than the gameplay.
Enemies also have different levels of alertness. A minor alert with only affect the screen you are on, but an extra alert covers the whole floor and will follow you from screen to screen. Being able to hide under trucks and some buildings becomes more essential. The timer system for running out alarms makes a debut, giving players a time limit to remain out of sight before the enemies halt their search. Guard have also become responsive to sound, and will investigate steps on certain floors and the beeps of elevator buttons. The on-screen radar shows enemy movement on the current and surrounding screens, creating gameplay more about quick decisions rather than pattern recognition. All these factors lead to a richer, more immersive experience.
The game time has expanded from 2 hours to 6-7, with much less repeating difficult sections. Rather than learning from mistakes the player is more likely to be slowed down by imaginative puzzles. A prisoner tapping out a radio frequency, trying to identify a woman disguised as a guard, luring a pigeon, feeling your way through a swamp and finding a way to check wind direction before a hang-gliding jump all turn up in this story to space out the sneaking. Items include basics such as the gasmask and cardboard box with new ones including robot mice, camouflage mat, body armour and even live animals. Some elements of the item collection have been streamlined with every three keys being replaced with a master key for the area.
As it became expected in later games the boss fights are smart and unique. Predator/Jungle Evil hides among the long grass to ambush Snake, Color Black/Black Ninja teleports, Night Sight/Night Fright wears a stealth suit and so forth. There’s some experimental work to be done in finding the weakness of each and defeating them. Later in the game coming face to face with Snake’s arch-rivals Grey Fox and Big Boss tests the players relaxes as much as anything else, with the claustrophobic fist fight with Fox feeling particularly satisfying.
The story is more complex than before, with the recurring (and often ponderous) philosophies about war making their first appearance. As Snake progresses through the fictional Zanzibar you’ll notice increasing numbers of number wandering around. It is revealed that they are war orphans who Big Boss is looking to turn them in to the next generation of soldiers. Before throwing down with Big Boss at the end of the game (not that his return is explained) you’ll have to work through some heady dialogue about the role of soldiers in the world.
If you’re wanting to see the beginning of the series this is a better experience than Metal Gear. It’s a better game and has more in common with the franchise. In many ways it is echoed by Metal Gear Solid on the PS1, with similar openings to the game and similar boss fights. This parrallel makes for a novelty more than anything else, and it’s interesting to see how it grows and develops over time.
