Late to the Party: Metal Gear Solid 2 - Substance

Consoleme.ca writes: It's hard not to get caught up in the media storm surrounding the release of Metal Gear Solid 4. What I find most intriguing about the series is how polarized the opinions can be. In one corner you have fans that rave about the cinematic presentation, the off-hand humour and the epic storyline. But at the same time there is a huge contingent of gamers that despise the series for overly long cinematics, a completely ridiculous and complicated story and terrible gameplay mechanics that leave your fingers as cramped and distorted as Luke's when Emperor Palpatine unleashes his force lightning.

So I have decided to again dip into my pile of shame and see for myself what Metal Gear has to offer. It was time for me to make up my own mind. To begin my journey into the Metal Gear universe I opted to start with Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (aka Sons of the Patriots). From what I've heard and read, it seems to be the most beloved game in the series and thus a good representation of what creator Hideo Kojima is able to create. I went into the game with no expectations and an open mind. It was time to meet Solid Snake.