Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (Xbox)

OK, the game lacks the gritty atmosphere and to die for realistic environments of splinter cell but you have to remember they are entirley different games and designed with different experiences in mind, they cannot really be compared because they are so different (i believe it is an injustice to both games to pit one against the other in a popularity contest) - i think the only similarity (and why people compare them) is the stealth aspect.

One of the very few gripes about the game i have is the fact that for a stealth em up - light and dark dont play a particularly big role - i found that you still get discovered even when cowering in what is seemingly a dark corner but this does add to the suspense - am i going to get caught, will they walk straight by? what should i do if i get seen? in fact what should i do if i dont?!!

Yeah i agree some of the codec messgaes are absolutely pointless and yes it did annoy me but you dont always have to answer it and you can always skip the interruptions - but that simply strips the game of all that Hideo Kojima wanted us to experience. On the other hand there are subtle messages which can be very clever hints that at the the time you dont realise or just amusing sub texts - or both.
The plot exceeds that of Hollywood and it is like watching an interactive movie, but thats the point of it.
To fully appreciate the plot and character development you have to be fairly open minded but by the end of the game my eyes were opened to a whole new way of thinking, especially the way i felt about the first installment. I think that Kojima has portrayed his story so well that the player (if they are actually interested in the story and not just there to pop necks) actually feels deep emotions similar to those that the character in the story must be feeling - such as relief, confusion a sense of betrayal or regret etc.
The whole adventure is full of secrets and hidden aspects - some have a function others are purley there for fun - to be discovered by the gamer - meaning that the 5th time you play it something might surprise you that you hadn't seen/realised before.
During the game certain characters get very philosophical and it is actually a breath of fresh air as opposed to the usual point and blitz games with cheesy and repetitive catch phrases, the plot is something you can discuss with your mates (well the ones who have cleared the game) and is something to really think about. Towards the end, Snake talks about legacies and what people want to be remembered by -

I believe this is Hideo Kojima's legacy, the man is a genius.

Roll on MGS3!!

The main games is split into two chapters, the tanker and the big shell plant, the latter being longer. Without spoiling the story, solid snake and otacon have now set up there own anti-metal gear organization known as philanthropy. Everyone thinks snake died after the tanker incident, but then Raiden, the main character of the plant chapter meets a guy there called pliskin, who mysteriously looks, sounds and acts iddentical to snake...

The actual gameplay isnt as good as splinter cell, but the main strong point of this game is the storyline, its fantastic, just like the first. You get to use many different guns and gadgets aswell.

There are some bad points about this game though, the graphics have ps2 written all over them, they could have, and should have been improved for xbox. Also there is some noticable slow down in places aswell. The other main complaint could be about the fact that for a lot of the game you are sitting listening and watching them talking and video clips.

The "substance" part is the 300+ VR missions and the 150+ alternative missions. Also, there are 5 new snake tales which you get to play as snake in. These should make up for his playable absense during the plant chapter.

So all in all buy MGS2: Substance becuase it is a fantastic game and certianly a worthy addition to the ever growing collection of xbox games. Buy it, and you wont be disapointed...