Is there any reason for me to play MGS 2/3?

[JustRob]

I picked up Metal Gear Solid 2 + 3 in a deal from a friend awhile ago. I finally got a new ps2 to play stuff on and pulled these out of the box they've been sitting in for 8 months. I've never played a metal gear game. I remember watching a friend play the psx one once, but that's about it. The whole stealth thing just doesn't do anything for me. I play more for story than anything else, gameplay usually takes a back seat to storytelling for me. Now, the thing is, I've heard these games have awesome plots etc.

Should I bother playing these, or should I try to trade them for something that may be more my style?

[PsychoCandy]

There great games. You don't have to use stealth, it just might preserve you a little. The plot is great to and weird.

[Chuplayer]

There great games. You don't have to use stealth, it just might preserve you a little. The plot is great to and weird.

This. And if you haven't played MGS1, do that first. And if you didn't get MGS3: Subsistence, get that. It comes with the first two Metal Gear games from the 80s. (Maybe MG2 came out in the early 90s. I forget.)

[Soviet Conscript]

This. And if you haven't played MGS1, do that first. And if you didn't get MGS3: Subsistence, get that. It comes with the first two Metal Gear games from the 80s. (Maybe MG2 came out in the early 90s. I forget.)

agreed. the story is wierd enough without playing the earlier games (at least MGS1) so you have some sort of background to work with. personnaly i think they are great games and i'm also not a big fan of the stealth genre.

i will say it again though, the story is really wierd at points.

[walrusmonger]

play MGS3, MGS3 is AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING (holy shit it's amazing).

[JustRob]

Ok...so they're worth playing. Can you give me any reasons where the story is amazing, without spoilers?

[Half Japanese]

Here's a related question: a friend of mine who happens to be a huge MGS fan keeps telling me I need to play MGS3, but I haven't really played a MGS game since the ps1...so...is the extra content on Subsistence worth the extra $15 or so to a mild to non-fan like myself? I probably wouldn't touch the original MG games.

[walrusmonger]

from what i remember, the mgs3:s has got a better camera. i haven't played it yet, i still have my original MGS3:S Limted Edition sealed, and will not be opening it up. I would just get the regular one since you can probably find it for under $10, unless the market has changed from last year.

[JPeeples]

I'm pretty much a non-fan of the MGS games and I found the extra content on Subsistence to be worthwhile, although the lack of online now definitely hurts its value. I'd say snatch it up, as it is a very good deal considering the sheer amount of high-quality gaming provided on the discs.

[Kitsune Sniper]

from what i remember, the mgs3:s has got a better camera. i haven't played it yet, i still have my original MGS3:S Limted Edition sealed, and will not be opening it up. I would just get the regular one since you can probably find it for under $10, unless the market has changed from last year.

Toys'R'Us and Best Buy have regular MGS3 for ten bucks - at least my local stores did.

[G-Boobie]

I'd actually suggest paying the extra ten bucks or whatever for Subsistence. The free camera makes the game play much better than the original version, and the extras are pretty good too.

[Richter Belmount]

Here's a related question: a friend of mine who happens to be a huge MGS fan keeps telling me I need to play MGS3, but I haven't really played a MGS game since the ps1...so...is the extra content on Subsistence worth the extra $15 or so to a mild to non-fan like myself? I probably wouldn't touch the original MG games.

Mgs 2s plot will blow your mind

Mgs3 is on the other hand just a really kickass ps2 title , subsistence is worth it if you want a full 3d camera and hd output , plus you can play metal gear 1 and 2 from the msx

[Wolfrider31]

Ok...so they're worth playing. Can you give me any reasons where the story is amazing, without spoilers?

It's very post-modern and does a lot of breaking the fourth wall stuff. It can also get VERY political at points, and it's very critical of (and predicts - unfortunately) things like the game America's Army.

[Chuplayer]

and it's very critical of (and predicts - unfortunately) things like the game America's Army.

This is one of the few reasons why I wish I got a PS2 in 2001 instead of an XBOX. I could've been ahead of the curve. I didn't play any Metal Gear games at all until the middle of 2004, so while I still loved how ahead of the curve they were, I wish I could've been there to experience it. But it looks like MGS4 is going to be ahead of the curve, so I'm not going to fall out of the loop this time!

And MG1 and MG2 are worth the price of Subsistence alone. I didn't like the new camera that much, though.

[Kitsune Sniper]

This is one of the few reasons why I wish I got a PS2 in 2001 instead of an XBOX. I could've been ahead of the curve. I didn't play any Metal Gear games at all until the middle of 2004, so while I still loved how ahead of the curve they were, I wish I could've been there to experience it. But it looks like MGS4 is going to be ahead of the curve, so I'm not going to fall out of the loop this time!

And MG1 and MG2 are worth the price of Subsistence alone. I didn't like the new camera that much, though.

It's a shame you don't go after Sean Connery anymore, though.

[JustRob]

Ok, was going through some sites and noticed there were two versions of each of these games. What's the difference between Sons of Liberty/Snake Eater and Substance/Subsitence?

[unwinddesign]

I thought MGS2 was a pretty solid game, but it was as much a tech demo and movie as it was an actual game. It's hard to describe it, but there's a certain feeling to the game that is just unique.

It's pretty brilliant, although the story is flat out fucking retarded at points. Play them. I never used stealth, I'd just run in with random ass guns and own the crap out of every enemy. The AI sucks in MGS2, so it's not really an issue.

For some reason, I never felt compelled to pick up MGS3, even though MGS2 is probably in my top 20 games of all time. Go figure.

Happy terrorist hunting.

Sons of Liberty was the name of Metal Gear Solid 2 (Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is the official name). Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance was an extended version of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty [i.e. bonuses/extras]. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was the original version of MGS3 released; Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence was the name of the extended cut. There was also an LE version of Subsistence that will now run you around $100+ on eBay.

[Chuplayer]

Ok, was going through some sites and noticed there were two versions of each of these games. What's the difference between Sons of Liberty/Snake Eater and Substance/Subsitence?

MGS2
Sons of Liberty: bare-bones storyline game
Substance: includes a shitton of VR missions, cutscene/casting theater, skateboarding (PS2 only), a reworked heat vision camera, Snake Tales missions

MGS3
Snake Eater: bare-bones storyline game plus a few Snake Vs. Monkey missions, old-style camera
Subsistence: online multiplayer (no longer functions), new official ports of the old MSX Metal Gear 1 and Metal Gear 2 games, new style camera (old-style camera selectable), cutscene theater, a shitton of bonus comedy cutscenes, new Snake Vs. Monkey missions, slightly reworked visuals (the plane in the beginning of the game is different)
Subsistence Limited Edition: all of the above plus a third disc that includes a movie version of the MGS3 storyline (not a DVD video, uses some sort of PS2 video format that's compressed horribly)

[j_factor]

MGS2's plot was just too ridiculous for me to swallow. I was never able to suspend disbelief for a second, partly because the characters were so retarded (Liquid Ocelot? Seriously? Lame.). I thought MGS struck the perfect balance between weirdness and believability, but then MGS2 just threw any semblance of logic out the window. It's not just the mere fact that the plot is retarded, either -- it's that the game spends so much of its time on a plot that sucks. I can't tell you how many times I was sitting through yet another annoyingly stupid cutscene (or long codec conversation) just thinking to myself, "shut the fuck up already... get on with it!" The gameplay is okay (some of the improvements on MGS1's mechanics are very welcome, especially the ability to shoot in first person mode), although the setting isn't as interesting after the first part.

MGS3 was a lot better IMO. The plot actually made sense, and tied into the other games in the series really well. The gameplay is really great too. From a plot standpoint, I would definitely not suggest playing it first (even though technically it's a prequel). Subsistence is well worth getting, both for the new camera and for the remakes of the first two games, which you should definitely play.

[Richter Belmount]

Dude the plot is the best part of the game you can't nitpick it so much and expect to have fun.
Well im not going to delve into your taste for games. But For myself personally when I dive into a metal gear solid title, I expect there to be a huge plot , some good gameplay , alot of science fictional elements and yes tons of cutscenes. Thats what I expect out of it and thus I take it for what it is.

One of the things I had fun with was analyzing the game plot back and forth and trying to figure out what it all meant. People can go crazy trying to figure out what the plot means, alot of people post their own analysis online , thats where the fun is to be had. Not everyones idea of a good time but its kind of cool seeing what kind of substance the storyline is made of.
But I guess I found mgs3s plot to be paper thin compared to mgs2.

And in my book, Metal gear solids 2 plot > Snatchers plot. There I said it I am a an heathen.

[Aussie2B]

While I can't understand why someone would value story over gameplay when there are so many other mediums that have a much better record of telling good stories, I can tell you that Metal Gear Solid 3 has one of the best stories ever told in a video game. This is from someone who has only watched, not played. I have seen my family and friends play through the game countless times, and it's so captivating that I can never resist watching. Also, stealth isn't so important. My boyfriend kills every single enemy when he plays the game. He'll let the guys call HQ for reinforcements until HQ reports that there's nobody left to send. It's actually pretty funny. :)

As for Metal Gear Solid 2, that game's plot is a complete mess. It's really convoluted and all over the place, and some plot elements are just ridiculously stupid. I really wouldn't recommend it to anybody unless they're already a fan of the series.

[JustRob]

I personally play (most) games just for the story. At least on the PC, I'll cheat like a motherfucker, just to get to the next cutscene. It's a lot harder to do that with the consoles though, so I tend to pick and choose my battles there. The only genre that I value gameplay over story for is rythym games. I'm a HUGE whore for these things. Even then, there are some with decent cutesy tacked on storylines like Space Channel 5.

If I'm going to give myself over to the MGS series, should I take the time to collect the other games in the series first and play them in order? Would playing the original MG games help with the background, or does it even matter for the continuity?

[Oobgarm]

If I'm going to give myself over to the MGS series, should I take the time to collect the other games in the series first and play them in order? Would playing the original MG games help with the background, or does it even matter for the continuity?

Metal Gear on NES isn't a bad game to start off with, as it will help put you 'in the universe' so to speak. Snake's Revenge is a waste and unnecessary as it has nothing to do with series canon.

[Gorez]

ive been following this thread and i would like to know from others as well.

is playing/replaying Metal Gear Solid on PS1, MGS2 - MGS3 on PS2 worth doing before playing MGS4 when it comes out? I believe I have played all the way through MGS2 but dont remember much about it. The others I havent touched. Is it necessary in order to understand whats going on in the new one coming out this year?

[j_factor]

It shouldn't be "necessary" because each game (except the original two) recaps any relevant backstory. However, there are definitely things that you would appreciate more if you played them in order. I would actually suggest playing them in release order rather than chronological plot order.

Metal Gear (NES/MSX2/Subsistence)
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (MSX2/Subsistence)
Metal Gear Solid (PSX/Twin Snakes)
Metal Gear Solid 2 (PS2/Xbox)
Metal Gear Solid 3 (PS2)
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP)

Note that Metal Gear Acid, Snake's Revenge, and MGS for Game Boy Color are not part of the official canon and can be completely skipped (although I personally rather enjoyed the GBC game). Portable Ops is canon, and I haven't played it, but I'm told it is fairly skippable (in terms of plot) as its storyline is relatively minor (it's a direct sequel to MGS3). I can't really guarantee the truth of that, so perhaps someone will chime in.

If you want to trim down that list further, and your main concern is being filled in for MGS4's plot, then all you need are MGS and MGS2. MGS3 is awesome, but it's a prequel and can probably be skipped very "safely". If you find yourself craving more details on the backstory to the series, then definitely pick it up, though. MGS4 takes place directly after MGS2, which takes place directly after MGS. Metal Gear 1 and 2 are synopsized in MGS's manual, which should be "good enough" if you don't want to play them.

[Vectorman0]

Anyone who enjoys a good story or plays a game specifically for it, especially a confusing and intricate story, owes it to them self to play through MGS through 3. If you plan on playing MGS4 and want to have a grasp of the insane story that will take place, playing the previous games is a necessity. For those of you who aren't sure, just take a dive and start playing them.