Is Metal Gear Solid 2 actually a good game?

[Next_Genner]

I played the demo and I don't think so. It is dubbed a one hour playable demo which can be beaten in 3 minutes easily. The classic case of a lack of VRAM. Sure the environments are pretty, but by the same token are rather small and cramped, and to give the game the graphics and A.I. it needs the developer will need to keep it relatively short. Just like Onimusha, ZOE, Red Faction, as well as other less impressive games, MGS2 will fall victim to the "This game is too short Syndrome". I hate games that you can beat it one sitting, and due to the PS2's lack of VRAM most of the games are just that. Sure with the proper amount of developement time a game on PS2 can be somewhat lengthy, however most publishers want to get games on the retail shelves as soon as possible, and MGS2 is not exception. So MGS2 will have small cramped levels, so it will be shorter than what most would like (Konami even said so at E3), so the A.I. may not be up to the standards originally set. Does this make it any less of a game?

The answer is yes. Oh well at least we have Xbox and GC, two consoles with plenty of VRAM for longer, better playing, more immersive, less cramped games which have shorter developement times, and cost less to develop for.

[Kenny_73]

VRAM has nothing to do with how long a game is. I would give a full explanation, but I don't feel like it. But I will say that the ps2 has so many short games because of the dev time. It takes so long and costs so much money to make games for these next gen consoles, that developers think they can make more money by spending less time and money on a single games, and thus spending less money. :cool:

[cube4life]

mgs2 is great . it is hard once u put the dufficulties up 2 hard instead of easy . u probly had the damn game on easy. because u probly was a beginner. mgs2 will be great i don't care what u say u are just weird . red faction was great. u psycho j/k u have different game tastes i guess.

[Next_Genner]

A lack of VRAM does make most games shorter because this is how it works. A developer sets out to create a game and is most likely given a specific time window to complete the game from the publisher ala Fall 2001 for MGS2. Now With the lack of VRAM corners have to be cut, and certain things have to be eliminated in order to meet that time window. Theoretically a game on PS2 could be just as ambitious as say an Xbox game, but the PS2 game because of the developement environment would have to go through a much longer developement cycle. Look at the Getaway for PS2. It's pretty ambitious, and was originally scheduled for PS2's launch however now will most likely be put off until sometime in 2002 so the team can reach their goals. If Ps2 was like Xbox this game could have been just releasing now instead of having to go through the extra developement time, and costs. Same with MGS2, only the Fall 2001 date was fixed from the begining. Unless this game gets delayed till around late 2002, Kojima and crew will never even come close to reaching their goals.


As for the demo, yes I did explore the A.I., and it is terrible. When a guard is alerted he calls for help, and two guards come. However the guards are pretty dumb and can't find you unless you're cornered. Thing of it is they never send more than two guards after you. What is the game engine that weak? As for another complaint why do all the environments in MGS2 look like pea soup? I can understand outside in the storm, but indoors the lighting still has that pea green soup look. Pathetic!

[Kenny_73]

Next Genner, I wish you would drop this. Amount of VRAM limits how many textures can be used at any given time. It doesn't have anything to do with how long the game is. If you stream the textures correctly, having a lot of textures won't even be a problem.

They actually toned down the AI to make the game more fun. There was a time when the guards were much more difficult. But they believed that it made the game to hard and took away from the fun factor. So the AI was toned down. :cool:

[cube4life]

the game is long that was just a short demo PUT THE GAME ON HARD I BET U CAN'T WIN.

[Temjin]

Like Kenny was saying, the amount of VRAM doesn't mean a thing. The length of MGS2 will be about the same as the first MGS, Kojima said this.

You gotta realize, Next Genner, that the PS2 works very differently than the Dreamcast, Xbox, and Gamecube. The VRAM is used as a buffer... Bah, I dont want to go in-depth, I'm tired. I might give an explanation later on, though. v.v;

[cube4life]

no kojima said mgs2 will be longer then mgs. The mgs demo was 5% of the game completed . they didn't want to spoil the rest of the story line of the game by making longer boards. that was just 5% of the game kojima said. they are completing 95% of the game now.

[Temjin]

Originally posted by cube4life
no kojima said mgs2 will be longer then mgs. The mgs demo was 5% of the game completed . they didn't want to spoil the rest of the story line of the game by making longer boards. that was just 5% of the game kojima said. they are completing 95% of the game now.
Funny, I remember him saying that it would be the same length as the first...

Bah, we'll see when it launches this fall, right? :)

[Kenny_73]

Yeah, we'll see when it launches. I don't remember hearing anything about how long it is. :cool:

[cube4life]

Temjin mgs was a easy easy game that can be beaten quick. mgs2 will be twice as long i bet one million dollars lol. i guarantee it.

[Temjin]

Originally posted by cube4life
Temjin mgs was a easy easy game that can be beaten quick. mgs2 will be twice as long i bet one million dollars lol. i guarantee it.
WE!... WILL!... SEE! ^_^;

[magicalfish]

I've heard that you use cheats to get a high score and then post them on the Internet site you get banned.