Metal Gear Solid 2 is such a uniquely crafted masterpiece of a game that it's not like anything I've ever experienced. It just blows my mind to pieces. It's a 20 hour long movie/game full of clever twists and interesting characters, coupled with a gameplay that is definitely superior to the original MGS. I played the game through the other day for the 8th or 9th time, and it did not let me down. I was still finding stuff I hadn't found before. Even after finishing it so many times, and having collected nearly every single dog-tag in the game, there was still some replay value left. Actually MGS2's replay value is endless if you happen to enjoy the story and characters like I do. The AI is fun too, at least they had a sense of humor with these things, and it probably would have been a mistake to go for ultimate realism, because you can never get there or even close enough. The story gets so ridiculously weird at the end -- when Colonel Cambell starts calling raiden over the codec saying stuff, like "I'm not home right now. Please leave a message after the beep. 'Beep!' " -- that it's basically making fun of its more or less convoluted plot.
Metal Gear Solid 2 takes teabagging to a whole new dimension with these fancy moves! Unfortunately, I finally realized just how excessive the story can be sometimes, especially in some of the codec conversations. Not to mention the Kojima-style melodrama you have to sit through. However, there's less of it and it's there for a reason. I used to be immune to the melodrama, but I just couldn't stand it anymore.
Gameplay-wise there was very little for me to complain, but that might be because I've played the game so much that I could instantaneously re-adjust to the controls and techniques. Another thing that should bother me as a fan of the series, is the shortness of the first part of the game, in which you play as snake, when comparing to the epicness of Raiden's part. But I can't say it bothers me that much. If anything, it allows you to look at Snake from another perspective, which somehow makes him seem even more heroic.
Aside from the masterful cinematic direction, MGS2 should be lauded for its massive attention to detail. Throw away your Metal Gear Solid 1's, because now you can do rolls, hang from ledges, peek, shoot in first person view, collect dog tags, use non-lethal weapons, get pissed on, slip on bird turd, do rolls without any clothes on, eavesdrop someone while he's taking a shit... Among other things a real spy would do! "Look, Snake... We know what you did to our sleeping comrade just now. Really, just come out of the closet now" Like I said, Kojima and his team really had a sense of humor and you can find these funny moments scattered all over the game, mainly in the codec conversations. It's really hard to describe the story in greater detail without spoiling anything, so all I can do is recommend getting the game if you haven't already. It's not like any movie you've ever seen, and it's not like any game you've ever played.
Presentation Not many games lived up to the hype this well, and not many games can stand the test of time this well.
Graphics The graphics were spectacular upon release date, and MGS2 is still very pleasant to look at. The game's cinematics are full of special effects that make it look unique and fresh.
Sound Great soundtrack, great voice acting, great sound effects.
Gameplay It's still fun and easy to play and it's depth is still impressive.
Lasting Appeal After spending dozens of hours messing with the gameplay, there's always the movie-side of the game to come back to.
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