Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Overview

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is a 2001 action-adventure stealth game developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2. Directed, produced, designed and written by Hideo Kojima, it is the fourth mainline Metal Gear game and the sequel to Metal Gear Solid. The short Tanker chapter follows Solid Snake as he infiltrates a hijacked ship to get proof of a new Metal Gear, RAY. The main Plant chapter follows rookie FOXHOUND agent Raiden as he infiltrates the Big Shell, an offshore clean-up facility seized by a terrorist group called the Sons of Liberty, who hold the US President hostage.

Most of the game is about sneaking. New to the series were first-person aiming that lets players target specific points, hanging off railings, hiding in lockers, and shooting out an enemy's radio. Guards work in squads, call for strike teams, flank the player and take cover, and the enemy AI was considered one of the best in gaming for many years.

The game was developed over four years by more than 100 people, with a production budget of about 10 million US dollars. Raiden was kept out of the marketing, which showed Solid Snake in his scenes, and the story went through changes, including an earlier Middle Eastern setting and late edits to the ending after the September 11 attacks. Harry Gregson-Williams and Norihiko Hibino composed the score.

It came out in North America on November 13, 2001, in Japan on November 29 and in Europe on March 8, 2002. Because the North American release came first, the Japanese version added a questionnaire, Boss Survival and Casting Theater modes, and the European version added an extra difficulty setting and a bonus DVD, The Making of Metal Gear Solid 2. Japan also had a limited Premium Package. An expanded edition, Substance, followed on PlayStation 2, Xbox and Windows.

It received acclaim for gameplay, graphics and attention to detail, though critics were split at first on Raiden and on the philosophical story. In Japan it sold 400,000 units on its first day. In the US it sold 500,000 within two days and 680,000 within five, and the game sold about seven million copies by 2004. It is often listed among the greatest games ever made and is still the highest-rated PlayStation 2 exclusive on its review aggregate.

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Action-adventure, Stealth

Developer

Konami Computer Entertainment Japan

Publisher

Konami

Series

Metal Gear

Composers

Harry Gregson-Williams, Norihiko Hibino

Designers

Hideo Kojima

Writers

Hideo Kojima, Tomokazu Fukushima

Producers

Hideo Kojima

Directors

Hideo Kojima

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

No

Release dates

Editions

Check out the store

Playable today

Playable offline todayYes

Single-player only, with no online features.

Online

Plays offlineYes

Reception

Aggregates

Outlet	Platform	Score	Scale	Reviews
Metacritic	PlayStation 2	96	100	42

Critics

Outlet	Score	Scale
IGN	9.7	10
GameSpot	9.6	10
Game Informer	10	10
Electronic Gaming Monthly	38.5	40
Eurogamer	9	10
Famitsu	35	40
GamePro	5	5
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine	5	5

Staff and cast

Staff

Role	Name
Director	Hideo Kojima
Producer	Hideo Kojima
Writer	Hideo Kojima
Writer	Tomokazu Fukushima
Programmer	Kazunobu Uehara
Artist	Yoji Shinkawa
Composer	Harry Gregson-Williams
Composer	Norihiko Hibino

Notes for collectors

• Raiden was left out of the marketing on purpose, so many players expected to play as Snake all game.
• Late changes after the September 11 attacks removed a scene of the Statue of Liberty being moved and the American flags on the New York flagpoles.
• The Japanese spelling of Raiden was changed from katakana to kanji because the first looked like Bin Laden in Japanese.
• In the North American version, skipping the Tanker chapter is only possible after you have finished the game once, while the Japanese version asks a questionnaire first.
• The original plan was to call it Metal Gear Solid III, after the three tallest skyscrapers in Manhattan.
• This is the original release. Substance is a separate, expanded game.

Credits

Publisher

Konami

Developer

Konami Computer Entertainment Japan

Director

Hideo Kojima

Released

2001-11-13

Region

US

Time to beat

about 13 hours