MGS: The Twin Snakes

[Guest EQ]

For those of you who don't know, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is the remake of the original Metal Gear Solid for Gamecube. It's kind of a joint project between Konami and Silicon Knights (Eternal Darkness). So far, it looks really awesome. Basically, it's MGS1 with an improved MGS2 engine. I can't wait.

[Insane Bump Machine 0]

Hell yeah I'm interested. MGS is one of my favourite video game series. After I played through MGS2 (in one night without pausing, mind you), I tried to play MGS1 again and couldn't handle it anymore because all the MGS2 controls were missing. The graphics were even worse than I had remembered as well. So a remake with new controls and graphics is exactly what I need. So far it looks really good, and Silicon Knights know their stuff.

 

I'll buy it.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Comes out either Thursday or Friday depending on who you talk to and what you believe as its in several of this weeks circulars.

 

I unfortunately dont have the money to buy it but Im going to try and rent it and eventually I'll probably buy it. Most reviews peg it at a 9.0 or better and some even say its the best MGS game ever (or until MGS 3).

[Anya 0]

I am pretty hyped. MGS and MGS2 are two of my all time favorite games, easily in my top 5, so this will rule.

[AndrewTS 0]

For all of its annoying and pretentious storytelling, MGS is a great game. Glad to see it getting upgraded.

 

MGS2 has good gameplay, but it is overshadowed by the game being a gigantic kick in the groin with a steel-toed boot from the increasingly evil Hideo Kojima. From what I've heard they've going to make this version of MGS2 more based on Substance, so we should get less of that fangirl-pandering fruit Raiden, his constant whining and Rose's bitchiness. Doesn't save us from the overwritten storyline with SWERVES!~ and "makes you think..." crap scattered all around, but it's a start.

 

Keep the soap opera crap the fuck out of my stealth action game, Hideo.

 

Otacon's little brat sister is one of the most annoying characters I've ever seen. She just screamed "feel sorry for me! Develop a bond with me! Come on, I'm so pathetic you know I'm going to die in about 20 minutes! I don't have much time to actually develop an actual character so let's lay on the pity!"

[Skywarp! 0]

IGN gave it an 8.5. The game has improved graphically, and you can do some of the actions that were introduced in MGS2, like rail-hanging. Plus there's an option to shoot in 1st person and all of the dialogue has been re-recorded.

 

Gamefaqs is saying it game out today. Has anyone played it yet?

[Jer 0]

I need to find someone with a GameCube so I can play it. I really want to play it, MGS is like my second favorite game ever, but I'm not willing to buy a GameCube just for it.

[Kardo 0]

For all of its annoying and pretentious storytelling, MGS is a great game.  Glad to see it getting upgraded.

 

MGS2 has good gameplay, but it is overshadowed by the game being a gigantic kick in the groin with a steel-toed boot from the increasingly evil Hideo Kojima.  From what I've heard they've going to make this version of MGS2 more based on Substance, so we should get less of that fangirl-pandering fruit Raiden, his constant whining and Rose's bitchiness.  Doesn't save us from the overwritten storyline with SWERVES!~ and "makes you think..." crap scattered all around, but it's a start.

 

Keep the soap opera crap the fuck out of my stealth action game, Hideo.

 

Otacon's little brat sister is one of the most annoying characters I've ever seen.  She just screamed "feel sorry for me!  Develop a bond with me!  Come on, I'm so pathetic you know I'm going to die in about 20 minutes!  I don't have much time to actually develop an actual character so let's lay on the pity!"

I shot Otacon's sister about 200 times before I actually finished that part of the game. Yes, I hated her that much.

 

The story was awful, made little to no sense. They destroyed every magic moment the game could have had. Especially when Snake gives Octacon that pep talk to save the people using the helicopter and the main theme music kicks in as he runs out proudly. Then the next scene is him crying in the corner having a 10 minute exposition session. I mean come on, it was an easy scene to do.... Have him save the people and wish Snake good luck while the music played like he's a hero.

 

And worse....

 

Mega Spoilers Below

 

 

 

 

 

They knew EVERYTHING before it happened. Who was going to turn on who etc... That's the definition of lazy storytelling.

[AndrewTS 0]

Thank you, Kardo. I'm glad I'm not alone in my opinion. The gameplay in MGS2 is good. Sadly, just like RPGs, your enjoyment of the game heavily hinges on the game's story. However, if the story collapses on itself, then you're left with a very poor gameplaying experience. I can't help it if so many gamers are easily entertained by them.

 

Even if they hadn't pulled that "...and Snake game over! You use whiny bishie now! HAHAHAHA, stoopid gamer! I have your money now! If want more Snake, wait for upgrade!" crap, that garbage still would have pissed me off.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

Just because others find enjoyment in something you have no interest in doesn't give you the right to be pretentious about it.

 

Metal Gear Solid 2 is, hands down, the finest video game I have ever played, and more than a worthy successor to the epic Metal Gear Solid.

 

Personally, I do not understand all the Raiden hate. I think he was a fine character and, by taking the role of Raiden, players recieved an opportunity to view Snake in another light, thus adding yet another dimension to his character.

 

Agreed, the story's twists and turns at its conclusion are, at first, impossible to keep up with, but that, for me, does not take anything away from the intoxicatiing gameplay and depth of the game as a whole. If anything, the ending of MGS2 has made me crave a sequel more than ever.

 

However, by the looks of Metal Gear Solid 3, we'll be getting a prequel featuring Big Boss (the individual by which Snake is an exact replica of).

 

Well, time shall tell.

 

UYI

[Anya 0]

I don't hate Raiden either.

[AndrewTS 0]

Just because others find enjoyment in something you have no interest in doesn't give you the right to be pretentious about it.

 

That's where you're wrong--I like the gameplay because it has been improved in many ways on MGS. However, they screwed up most of what it had going for it storyline-wise. Most of the skippable codec convos have become gratingly-annoying cinemas with really lousy characters.

 

How is it pretentious to point that out?

 

Whenever a game developer gets the Hollywood bug and seems to out of the blue think he or she is able to entertain in ways outside gameplay, then that person needs to do it very well. This one didn't. If you think this is some great accomplishment for media in general, you probably think Bad Boys II deserved an Oscar.

 

Kojima took a good stealth auction game and tried to add everything from romance to way-out-there sci fi elements, supported by characters that really sucked. That isn't going to work for me.

 

Metal Gear Solid 2 is, hands down, the finest video game I have ever played, and more than a worthy successor to the epic Metal Gear Solid.

 

The gameplay between all that crap was actually rather decent, but let's not go overboard here.

 

Personally, I do not understand all the Raiden hate. I think he was a fine character and, by taking the role of Raiden, players recieved an opportunity to view Snake in another light, thus adding yet another dimension to his character.

 

There's a difference between introducing a wet-behind-the-ears guy to the series who has the skill, brains, and toughness, but lacks the experience and introducing a whiny bishie who spends half the game bickering with his girlfriend (or a simulation), like anyone gives a damn. Would it kill you to remember to call him by his codename, you stupid bitch? Bring Mei Ling back, damnit. She did her damn job.

 

Raiden was a pathetic, transparent attempt to shoehorn a more "marketable" protagonist into the series and ax that mullet-wearing half-breed that didn't have the angst, the pretty hair, the soft skin, and femininity of Raiden.

 

Thank goodness plans for "Metal Gear Raiden" were flushed after the gamers refused to swallow him as the new hero.

 

Agreed, the story's twists and turns at its conclusion are, at first, impossible to keep up with, but that, for me, does not take anything away from the intoxicatiing gameplay and depth of the game as a whole. If anything, the ending of MGS2 has made me crave a sequel more than ever.

 

The ending was a half-ass, thrown-together load of crap that completely departed from the actual story (such as it was) for Kojima to trumpet some "morals" and give us some sort of "twist ending" that was completely unwarranted.

 

The new characters pretty much as a whole suck, with a few minor exceptions. Yes, Hideo, we remember the ninja from MGS, shame you bring it back as a primarily as a nudge and a wink and secondly to cram a character from the prologue into the main story and give us another twist.

 

Shall I even start on the stupidity of a fucking grafted hand being able to take control of the rest of your body?

[Conspiracy_Victim 0]

This is all IMO, of course, but I agree with the "Raiden's a whiny bitch" camp. First, he looks like a Final Fantasy reject with his little androgynous look. Then, he's on a top secret mission to save the world, and he's more interested in reflecting on when he met his girlfriend and getting yelled at for forgetting their anniversary! Blah, give me Snake going through the rig whipping everyone's ass with a song in his heart and a pithy comment on his lips and I'll be happy. I want killing machine dammit! And as someone who never played the original MGS (horrors, I know) I found the plot to 2 pretty incomprehensible, especially just about everything after Raiden gets onto the Metal Gear. All in all, the actual gameplay was good enough with a nice mix of styles, but by the end of the game I hated Raiden, wanted Snake and Otacon to be the heroes, and Bishi-boy to end up impaled on a piece of rigging somewhere.

[AndrewTS 0]

All in all, the actual gameplay was good enough

 

Please everyone note, this part isn't really being denied. As far as actual gameplay goes, my only complaint was that you only get to use the sword near the end of the game. That's one of my fave parts of the game, and it uses a very cool and effective control mechanism, to boot.

 

I'm betting that it was a teaser of sorts of what Metal Gear Raiden could have been like, though, which renders me less enthused about what could have been.

[Anya 0]

"Final Fantasy reject with his little androgynous look" isn't a bad thing to some people.

[chaosrage 0]

For all of its annoying and pretentious storytelling, MGS is a great game.  Glad to see it getting upgraded.

 

MGS2 has good gameplay, but it is overshadowed by the game being a gigantic kick in the groin with a steel-toed boot from the increasingly evil Hideo Kojima.  From what I've heard they've going to make this version of MGS2 more based on Substance, so we should get less of that fangirl-pandering fruit Raiden, his constant whining and Rose's bitchiness.  Doesn't save us from the overwritten storyline with SWERVES!~ and "makes you think..." crap scattered all around, but it's a start.

 

Keep the soap opera crap the fuck out of my stealth action game, Hideo.

Seriously. MGS had a lot of that too though. "Snake, do you think there's love on the battlefield?!" Or my favorite part, the video at the end of the animals in their natural habitats while the credits are rolling. I couldn't stop laughing. That was way too cheesy.

 

Choose life Snake, choose life!

[Guest Askewniverse]

I basically agree with Andrew. I hated MGS 2's story, but I liked the gameplay. I can't remember the last time I watched the cut-scenes or Codec transmissions.

 

MGS: TTS looks pretty cool. I liked MGS's story better than that of MGS 2, but I liked MGS 2's gameplay better. Twin Snakes sounds like a combination of the two, so it should be pretty good. Between Twin Snakes, Viewtiful Joe, Zelda, and Resident Evil 4, I might have to pick up a GameCube instead of an Xbox.

 

Oh, and what's a bishie? Since Raiden's being called a bish-head, I'm guessing that it can't be a good thing.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

I find it pretentious that you imply one must be simple minded to find entertainment in the storyline of Metal Gear Solid 2.

 

UYI

[AndrewTS 0]

I find it pretentious that you imply one must be simple minded to find entertainment in the storyline of Metal Gear Solid 2.

 

UYI

I'd think the theory that a good bit of people who buy video games have poor taste and are easily swayed by the gaming press would be so far established it would be foolish to think the opposite. Pardon me if you think that is pretentious.

 

I basically agree with Andrew. I hated MGS 2's story, but I liked the gameplay. I can't remember the last time I watched the cut-scenes or Codec transmissions.

 

Okay, I'm not alone. I think if a story depends so heavily on exposition that gameplay plays a relatively minor part, then probably a video game is a poor medium for your vision. I'm more entertained by gameplay than talking, and more talking, and more talking, and more talking...

 

Yes, a story doesn't hurt, and can also greatly add to the experience--a "survival horror" style game's bread and butter is its storyline; that's why Resident Evil is cheesy fun and Silent Hill is actually scary. One accomplishes its purpose and one fails but entertains in another way.

 

Seriously. MGS had a lot of that too though. "Snake, do you think there's love on the battlefield?!" Or my favorite part, the video at the end of the animals in their natural habitats while the credits are rolling. I couldn't stop laughing. That was way too cheesy.

 

Choose life Snake, choose life!

 

True, but as you mentioned, that was funny. Plus it wasn't as overbearing as it was in 2.

 

Oh, and what's a bishie? Since Raiden's being called a bish-head, I'm guessing that it can't be a good thing.

 

Bishonen: Femmy male leads of somewhat indeterminate gender, Anime pretty boys and twinks.

[Invictus 0]

I wanted more Solidus in MGS2. Doing that bomb defusal thing and fighting characters like the fatman was just so...stupid, I wanted to see some epic showdowns with Solid Vs. Solidus, not a fat bomber on rollerblades.

[chaosrage 0]

If they would have just made the whole game like the Tanker mission, it could've been one of the best games ever. It's sad how much it fell apart after that.

[Anya 0]

I'd think the theory that a good bit of people who buy video games have poor taste and are easily swayed by the gaming press would be so far established it would be foolish to think the opposite. Pardon me if you think that is pretentious.

I for one like MGS and am not swayed by the press.

 

Also, I hope you never get on my case about not adding IMO ever again...

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

If they would have just made the whole game like the Tanker mission, it could've been one of the best games ever. It's sad how much it fell apart after that.

It is actually a very good game until after you meet the President and Emma and it gets bogged down into a bunch of stuff about the Patriots and so on...while actually letting you play once every half hour or so. Prior to that it is actually quite good, even during the Raiden part.

[AndrewTS 0]

I'd think the theory that a good bit of people who buy video games have poor taste and are easily swayed by the gaming press would be so far established it would be foolish to think the opposite.  Pardon me if you think that is pretentious.

I for one like MGS and am not swayed by the press.

 

Also, I hope you never get on my case about not adding IMO ever again...

I'm talking about those people who actually think that MGS2 has such a grand, epic, excellently-done story that it rivals the works of Kubrick in his prime. I hear garbage constantly about people holding up games like this and Xenosaga to legitimize a hobby of theirs and compare it to legitimate entertainment. It doesn't compare in any way, shape, or form to a quality film or book in regards to story.

 

I won't dignify the opinions of anyone that thinks that way.

 

If you liked the gameplay, fine, but the story wasn't very good.

[Anya 0]

I like the story. Don't care if you think that means I have bad taste, but there's no way yo ucan claim the press swayed me.

[chaosrage 0]

It is actually a very good game until after you meet the President and Emma and it gets bogged down into a bunch of stuff about the Patriots and so on...while actually letting you play once every half hour or so.  Prior to that it is actually quite good, even during the Raiden part.

I like it a lot, it's just that it could've been so much better. Yeah, the last hour or so was the only part that really flat out sucked.

[AndrewTS 0]

I like the story. Don't care if you think that means I have bad taste, but there's no way yo ucan claim the press swayed me.

I said "a good bit." If you take that to mean "everyone" then you skipped over that part.

[Anya 0]

Why make generalizations like that? How do you know why people like the story?

 

 

I'm playing Twin Snakes now...

[Anya 0]

So far I'm unimpressed, but the Snake vs. Ninja fight after Ocelot is INSANE.

[Kardo 0]

The best thing from MGS2, however was.

 

*points to bandanna*

 

Don't worry kid. Unlimited ammo.