Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance

Published by Konami
Developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan
Platform: PlayStation 2
Released - Out Now
Price : £39.99

A short while ago we reviewed Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance for Xbox. For Xbox owners this edition was a blessing because it was the first Metal Gear game on the console. For PlayStation 2 owners though it's a different story, as the core of this pack, Metal Gear Solid 2, was released early last year and fans of the series would have already played the game. You can read our review of Metal Gear Solid 2 here. If by some strange coincidence you own a PlayStation 2 and didn't play MGS2 then without a doubt this comes heartily recommended. For the rest of you there are some great extras here so let's look and see if they are worth paying for.

So what are these extras then? There's the small but certainly interesting Snake Tales and more importantly there are over 300 VR missions, which will be worth the asking price alone for Metal Gear fans. The VR missions are basically skill tests that will require all the skills you can muster to complete them. If you intend to complete the game on the highest difficulty level they will prove an invaluable training aid. All the instructions for the extra material is given completely in text. You can even put Snake on a skateboard in what can only be termed as a light hearted attempt at a Tony Hawk's Pro Skater game.

PlayStation 2 owners benefit from an extra disk entitled the 'The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2'. This disk is for the Metal Gear connoisseur and it shows design notes from Hideo Kojima, polygon based sequences, project proposals, staff profiles and much much more. There is a sound section which is kind of like a soundtrack album and this is perhaps the only part that deaf gamers will not be able to fully enjoy.

The whole package is excellent value and any fan of the series is going to want it. Yes you've probably played the game before but the extras here justify the price tag. The VR missions alone will take a lot longer than the original game ever did and in some respects they are more challenging. The comments we made about the game's suitableness for deaf gamers in the original Metal Gear Solid 2 review still holds true here. If you like the series even a little then this release has to be a must.

Overall Game Rating: 9.2/10
It's still a classic, a year after it's original release. The extras are superb value for money and are worth the price on their own. No Metal Gear fan should be without this title.

Deaf Gamers comment:
The cutscenes are subtitled and the objectives can be recalled at any time. There are some niggles for deaf gamers but nothing that can spoil the game (take at look at our original review for these niggles).