Graphically, it's amazing in places and so detailed but you kind of get the feeling that you've been here before with MSG1 and the gameplay has not moved on as much as I'd hoped

Rob C, UK

MSG2 is an enjoyable game. Highly detailed, atmospheric, and more akin to a movie and a game in some places. This doesn't ring some people's bell (mainly the BBC reviewer). For me it works.

Whatever your standpoint, this raises the standard of videogames as a whole, and provides a new target for rival gameswriters to aim for. Konami with this title, and Pro Evolution Soccer, have two of the greatest games existing in the current videogames market, and for that they are to be commended.
David Howlett, England

Good overall, but overhyped. The music is top notch as are the graphics, but sometimes you have to go round in circles which adds to the annoyance of the game.
FM, UK

Played it for a few hours now. Graphically, it's amazing in places and so detailed but you kind of get the feeling that you've been here before with MSG1 and the gameplay has not moved on as much as I'd hoped. Sure the AI is far better and your tactics have to be that much more considered but it's not perfect, far too linear in places and I feel a bit of deja vu already about some of the actions required to progress. Hopefully, it will improve as I go on.
Rob C, UK

Lack of interactivity? What about almost every sprite in the scene being breakable? MGS2 is the dictionary definition of computer interactivity, if you don't see that that then as Snake says "you should be sleeping with the fishes".
AJ, UK

I was expecting so much more from the hype surrounding this game and it so was such a big disappointment, a waste of �45 pounds.
GD, UK

I think MGS2 is the best game PS2 has released this year. The graphics are execellent and also the story line is quite impressive

Obed Narty, USA

Without a doubt the finest, most thrilling game ever released. A work of genius.
Alex, UK

After a long wait of two years, Metal Gear Solid 2 arrives in the UK. And from the minute the disc loads up, this game screams excitement. The infamous Gregson-Williams score playing in a cinema like introduction to what has started out as a truly great game. Although I am only at the beginning of this epic journey, the long use of cinema and codec conversations has only made me appreciate what Kojima has tried to do with this game. Impressive as I hoped, so far...
Craig Pemblington, United Kingdom

Having now played the game through I would argue that MGS2 is anything but a disappointment. The review claims the game is "too linear" but a certain degree of linearity must be allowed for in a story driven game. In the review MGS2 is paralleled alongside Grand Theft Auto 3 on the grounds of linearity, but storyline is definitely not one of the core aspects of GTA3.

Also, the review failed to point out that MGS2's Stealth based gameplay is both technically accomplished and greatly enjoyable, including a huge array of features. For example, the ability to "hold up" guards at gunpoint is one of many unique gameplay features. To reinforce this. MGS2 and Final Fantasy X are 2 story-based games that have been criticised for being plot heavy, and they are also the two biggest-selling PS2 games, having both sold over 4 million copies.

To brand this perfect blend of compelling story AND incredible gameplay as a "disappointment" would be an injustice to those gamers who haven't yet experienced it.
Michael, England

I think MGS2 is the best game PS2 has released this year. The graphics are execellent and also the story line is quite impressive, that will motivate you to finish the game. The ideas and the characters makes it feel like you are watching a movie, only that it is interactive. I will give five thumbs up for this game. Thanks!
Obed Nartey, USA

Forget it, too many other great titles to waste time on than this non-starter!

Stephen Klick, USA

I am 9-years-old and I got this game for my birthday. The graphics are very good. It's a very hard game but lots of fun.
Joshua Ditty, USA

I bought this game late on Thursaday night after Sony gave UK retailers the go ahead and it is BRILLIANT! I have been living and dreaming this game ever since. It is highly addictive and truly interactive gameplay. Best of all the number of glitches are minimal. I have seen one after playing the game for nine hours.
John, UK

Metal Gear Solid on Playstation was supposed to be more of an interactive techno thriller than a video game. If this isn't what you're looking for, buy GTA3.
The_Chaotic_1, Scotland

Could someone tell me exactly when Sony bought out the technology section of this site, it's less than a week until the X-box is released in this country but all that has appeared on this site lately has been thinly veiled adverts for the PS2 in general and Metal Gear Solid 2 in particular.
Barney, UK

Metal Gear Solid 2 is easily the best game I have played in a long time. This is in comparison with Grand Theft Auto, GT3 A'spec and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. The second version of Metal Gear is a ton better than the first. For example, the graphics, the game play, and the narrative.
Andrew, UK

Forget it, too many other great titles to waste time on than this non-starter!
Stephen Klick, USA

Stunning. Absolutely stunning. The best reason to buy a PS2

Ary, UK

Metal Gear Solid 2 is perfection on a disk! The atmosphere, the graphics, the sound, the look and feel of the whole game is amazing and it's the best gaming experience I have ever had and I'm sure the fun I'm having with it won't be replicated for a very long, long time!
Martin Chuter, England

MGS2 is a prime example of a third party game evolving from one generation of a platform to the next. It encompasses all the elements of its predecessor, and provides enough variety and depth to please fans of the original.

For the real gamers of the world expecting something new and innovative, you'll have to wait until May 5th when Nintendo's GameCube releases here in the UK. But for those unfortunate enough to own a system that's "killer-app" is a third party title no longer exclusive to the system, this is the game to own for your PS2!
Tim Giblin, England

A fantastic game with an outstandingly high quality of production. The story arc may be linear (as in almost all games!) but the freedom of second-by-second gameplay is vast. Most of the tasks can be approached from a myriad of different ways and puzzles often have multiple solutions. A joy until the last minute, with many extra features to keep you playing even after seeing the finale.
Phil Mansell, UK

Lookswise, the game is unsurpassed, however not in gameplay. There are more video scenes than anything else. It makes you feel like you're playing a really lame corny film. Not as special as I expected.
Sashito, UK

Stunning. Absolutely stunning. The best reason to buy a PS2. Forget the X-Box (a waste of money) and Halo. This is a work of art.
Ary, UK

I have been playing MGS2 for a couple hours now, and can't really fault the game on anything. The game is clearly so much better than the original and those people that love like cloak and dagger movies similar to "State Of Emergency" will love this game.
Andrew Staley, England

This game is incredible and is not disappointing in any way. OK, so the camera angles can get a bit frustrating but learn the controls properly and that ceases to be a problem. With games of this quality what future games can we expect?
Nick Allaway, England

Finally got my copy yesterday and I am mightily impressed by its presentation and play. The story has got me gripped after a few moments of play, and it continues to deepen...
Neil, UK

MGS2 like the Final Fantasy series, uses a detailed and well scripted storyline to draw the player in. True, the interaction is limited but it really makes the player feel like they are part of the movie being played out before them. MGS2 can be compared to a superb interactive book. It is as entertaining and rewarding in its own way as games such as Super Mario 64 which give the player full interaction.
David Williams, UK

It's simply fantastic!
Paul Munro, England

What does it take to please some people? Initially there is a lot of dialogue, but that is simply to try and add some depth to the characters. The first game was not purely a mindless shoot em'up and neither is this one. I guess some people just have no attention span.
Alister McAndrew, NI

I have been awaiting this game for a long time now and I was continually annoyed when the release date kept being changed. Having bought the game on Friday evening I am not disappointed. The attention to detail is unbelievable and I cannot fathom how the BBC reviewer can slate it as much as he has. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but this game is pure genius. Of course the designers have stuck to the original format of sneak tactics, we're talking world espionage here.

The only bad point is that I feel I'm perhaps working my way through the game faster than I hoped. But to cap off, it's the reason I bought a PS2 and it was well worth it.
Ross, Scotland

MGS2 is a masterpiece, maybe not be everyone's cup of tea, but everyone should try it out. Games don't come much better than this. The presentation, the music, the graphics, the tension and atmosphere - all top notch. It's a stunning piece of work. If there were Oscars for videogames, MGS2 would take all categories.
Jae, England

What can I say that has not been said. MGS2:SOL is a classic game that will set a new benchmark for all other future releases. The Graphics, sounds and the AI are truely astounding.
Man-Fai Wan, England

MGS2? A digital experience that deconstructs the very media that it manifests. A message to the moral majority who think computer games are dumb. This is art. Truly visionary.
Paul, UK

Been playing games since for 15 years and this has to be up there with the greatest. So what if there are cut scenes? They build tension and give you a chance to relax for a moment before moving on to the next part of the game. Totally first class graphics, soundtrack, touches etc.
Toby, UK

The original was the best game on the Playstation1, and this is following up to take over as the best game of all time. I disagree with the BBC reviewer. Yes, it's linear. But these days there are two types of games. Those without a story to drive it therefore have the freedom to be free-roaming (as in GTA3), and story-driven games. When you read a book you don't have a number of optional pathways through the chapters. It's a story, you read it from start to finish, and it's the same with this. It IS a story-driven type game. And as this type of game it excels, with a a storyline with more twists than a snake ('scuse the pun), strong, believable characters and an underlying moral message.

These points aside, it contains some of the most amazing graphics ever produced. They didn't even have to use a pre-rendered, higher definition graphics engine for the cut-scenes. Then there is the attention to detail. No other game has created quite such a life-like game world as regards the movement of hair, breakable objects - anything and everything - and the sheer amount of eye-candy.

It also a refreshing change from the mind-numbing blaster games of recent times. It was the original MGS, along with a couple of others, which knocked games developers to their senses and got them to start putting THOUGHT in games, and this game goes to show how well this can work. Enough of my rambling. But to sum up, yes it's linear, and if you want a free-roaming game go and get GTA3. If you don't get the point of this game you are missing out.
Adam G, England

This is possibly the worst game I have played. I have so far played the game for 10 minutes, which has taken two hours of watching video clips and listening to commentary. It's back to the shop with this one.
Paddy, England

I have to say I am very disappointed with MGS2. Simply, it looks astounding and with six different starting options a game that has longevity. But, the controls seem a complete afterthought. Yes, you sneak around trying not to get detected, but inevitably you always do result in a mad dash to the nearest hiding place. Which neatly is often lockers and cupboards. But 7 times out of 10 the control response doesn't work and you end up being gunned down while frantically opening and closing the aforementioned lockers.

I have only played MSG2 for 3 hours and I picked up a number of nagging points that the playtesters have missed. For example, why can you walk up right next to a guard out of his line of sight and not been seen/heard? Why can�t you disarm guards? Where is the option to reload saved games from the 'gameover' screen. Why can't you quit from the in-game menu screen, etc, etc.

Come on Sony, can we really see some innovative games well playtested and not get sucked in by 2nd Gen games, hype and eye-candy?
Andy K, UK

I would just like to respond to Paddy from England's review. The cut scenes may pop up a bit too constantly as do the codec messages. But if you really paid attention to the amount of work that Hideo Kojima has put into this, you wouldn't be bitching on about how linear it is. Great job Hideo mate, looking forward to a third Metal Gear (if you do one).
Ben Wilson, Wales

I did finish the game in one weekend, but that's not too important. The improved AI, the brilliantly clever puzzles and Boss Battles were all to be expected from Kojima and his team. The one thing no-one seems to have picked up on in this forum is the interesting addition of non-violence in the gameplay. In previous episodes the player would run around with gay abandon strangling or shooting/killing guards.

In this game, your starting weapon is a tranquiliser gun, and you get bonus points on your end score if you "kill no-one", even Bosses!Tthis is going to sound weird, but I felt a little shocked when I finally got a proper weapon and killed a guard instead of merely knocking him out! That's an odd sensation to feel after years of playing everything from Doom through to Counter-Strike.
Arash, UK

This game was a waste of my money and time. I barely got to play and nothing happened in the game unless you did some specific event you had no idea how to accomplish. I buy games to play, not watch. I don't know if it's in the UK yet but the 007 game for PS2 has much better gameplay and is much more interesting and entertaining.
John, US

So PS2 finally gets a game on a par with PC games, only taken a year or so. I have a PS2 by the way and this is the first game to even come close to the PC version of Half Life which came out over 2 years ago. Borrowed MGS2 from a friend and will not bother buying it, nothing new in it at all.
Dom, UK

Darren Waters has missed the point of this game. "Disappointment" - the best PS2 game around with the best graphics on any platform (I mean console or PC for those who work at the BBC). Video sequences, hmmm, well as they were not pre-rendered and then thrown onto a MPEG2 video stream, the proper term is demo sequence because the PS2 renders all the models and enviroments using the emotion engine.

As for gameplay, well without the sequences the game will still take 9 hours to complete and that is rushing through it without doing all the extra stuff.
Alex Downes, UK

Whatever album Alanis makes is doomed to be compared to the super-successful Jagged Little Pill.

Give the girl a break already! She can't make the same album over and over.

Personally, I love all three of her studio releases. Each has its own personality.

Under Rug Swept has a pleasing mix of sounds and emotions. Alanis' voice is as stunning as ever and her production is wonderful. Bravo Alanis!
Lisa Cole, Canada

It's an expensive game, but pretty much the average price you'd expect for a "flagship title" Just don't forget that in Europe and Japan, that includes the bonus "The making of MGS2" DVD. Personally, I hope this idea is carried on for many futher large scale games.

Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase. It may be "short but sweet" But at least this time there is a genuine effort to make you play the game more slowly or to explore around more carefully, such as how you know have to locate and activate a node to get the radar working. And collecting the dog-tags for rewards.
Bry, UK

So what of Metal Gear 2? Well, with the best graphics I have ever seen and the real type effects are unmatched. The shadows, the underwater physics and detail on their faces are nothing short of amazing. Snake is I think the best console character, he has an aura about him. It was however a shock to play with raiden because I know nothing about the man.

To be honest I was a little disappointed with the game but after watching the making of the DVD I really started to appreciate the effort put in by the producers. The more I play the game the better it becomes. To cut a long story short I fail to see why people complain about the extensive use of cut scenes. Metal Gear is so far ahead of all other games.

To fully understand the game the player needs an understanding of history and life itself. Unfortuntately most people do not have this. Most of the people I know do not even play the game properly. The whole game itself is for more mature people but not to dwell too much on the game as a visonary and artistic masterpiece, the gameplay is astounding.
Michael English, NI

Disappointment?!?! For those of you out there who are "real" fans of quality computer games, then you would agree that this is simply "ONE HELL OF A GAME!"

So okay, people whine about how many cinematics there are - or limited the actual gameplay is. I bought this game because I am a lover of all things beautiful and this is A BEAUTIFUL GAME!!!

Hell - anytime I see Snake, the guy gives me goosebumps, he's got so much momentum with him. We look up to these kind of people - these guys are heroes. But this game got a twist - he ain't no perfect hero, you know what I'm saying?! That's why I like it - storyline, speech, action, everthing is excellent. A must buy!
Maurice Dunford, ROI

I think MGS2 has a lot of detail in the game, but I was a little disapointed with the story lines. I was quite shocked when they added a new character, Raiden. You suddenly relised that you were playing Snake for an hour and Raiden for most of the rest of the game. My opinion is that they have made the game too short, not enough bosses and you should have stuck to just one character, Snake.
Francesco, UK

Best game ever! Truly amazing. Hideo Kojima is a genius.
John McCormick, UK