43. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
The black sheep of the Metal Gear Solid (sorry Portable Ops!) series. This game gets a lot of flack for the bait and switch of Snake to Raiden. Although if you acutally read the manual, Raiden is mentioned to be the only character in the Big Shell chapter but nobody reads those. Mechanically, MGS2 is much improved from MGS. You have first person aiming now, you can walk quietly and hold up guards. The AI is greatly improved too. The bosses are all fun and unique in their one ways, although sadly there are very few of them. The storyline explored themes like memes, censorship, postmodernism and generally just blew your mind. The AI is great in this game especially for 2001. So, why is it so low on the list? Well to be honest I am not the biggest fan of the Big Shell, the rooms were too narrow and it all kind of felt the same. Towards the end of the game it also feels very rushed, everything just kind of happens at once and kind of messes with the pacing when you realise you spent a third of the game spraying timebombs around the Big Shell in the end to fight ONE boss, who was not even a major villian. Also swimming, it sucks.
Hint for 42: Same world, new adventure.
). But other than that, this is the last main entry in the series to be created in a beloved style. It has recently gone on to live in the shadow of a god.
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