Tetsujin
he/they
- AKA
- Tets
TLS 2020 Community Playthrough: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
- Thread starter Clement Rage
- Start date
Strangelove
AI Researcher
- AKA
- hitoshura
that would require konami to do something with their games that isn't pachislot machines
ForceStealer
Double Growth
I didn't even know there were HD releases of these before this, haha.
But it is fun to bust out the ol' PS2, too
But it is fun to bust out the ol' PS2, too
Tetsujin
he/they
- AKA
- Tets
See that's the weird thing, Zone of the Enders 2 got a PS4 release, but MGS HD Collection? MGS4? Still nothin'.
Strangelove
AI Researcher
- AKA
- hitoshura
bringing up zoe2 makes me sad that the original ps3 hd remaster was such a mess and kinda tanked the chance of a third game (also since they only really sorted out zoe2 afterwards is that why zoe1 didn't get a ps4 port as well)
this is a sorrowful sadpanda
this is a sorrowful sadpanda
Tetsujin
he/they
- AKA
- Tets
I play from disc and I only have a 285MB install from the patches.
Roger
He/him
- AKA
- Minato
- Feels like home. My skills have depreciated a great deal but I still know the levels and patrol routes like the back of my own hand.
- It's slowly coming back to me, square to shoot, circle to melee, unequip to drag bodies, all that. I forgot how less fluid looking around corners is in this title compared to later.
- The determination of the alert team stood out, if you tranq your way through the engine room, then interrupt the guy reporting he fixed the door by tranqing him, the search team will go through the whole level, kicking 6 guys awake in their path, reporting in every time, to get to the other side of the map. And then immediately give up if you've dragged him slightly out of sight.
- Snake's public status at the beginning is unclear to me. He is officially recognised by the UN but also considered a terrorist since Shadow Moses.
- Great establishing moment for Ocelot. The Marines could have tried a lot harder to get the upper hand tho
- Stealth, Flounder, Hide, Tranq, Reset
- Otacon's saying convoy about the fishes of the deep was terrible! He must literally only consume fantranslated Japanese media to be this dense. I like that Snake gives up on challenging him on his interpretations by the second save.
- Good starter boss, I wish the fight doesn't keep getting interrupted because she is saying something tho. Characterwise, I rather like that she had to visibly contain her excitement at being held up, as she had no good excuse to stick around before then.
- I did not, but I think it was illadvised of him to denounce the Sears administration and the Navy and so on so openly in front of a bunch of grunts. Makes these Marines look like a wholly independent cult almost.
- Snake should work the word "fringe" into even more conversations, I am disappointed he stops doing it after the tanker.
Prism
Pro Adventurer
- AKA
- pikpixelart
bringing up zoe2 makes me sad that the original ps3 hd remaster was such a mess and kinda tanked the chance of a third game (also since they only really sorted out zoe2 afterwards is that why zoe1 didn't get a ps4 port as well)
this is a sorrowful sadpanda
Not to mention that ZOE is a series that’s hard to get running well on an emulator due to all of its effects, so the ports were one of the only ways to get them in a modern context. Very unfortunate...
See that's the weird thing, Zone of the Enders 2 got a PS4 release, but MGS HD Collection? MGS4? Still nothin'.
Not even the Switch has gotten the HD collection, which is another really big missed opportunity. And I feel like it’s not asking for much from Konami, even in their current state. It’s gotten to the point where we even have to beg for ports, lol.
One can only hope for PS5 versions
Clement Rage
Pro Adventurer
How does it feel to be back here again? Looking forward to things? Afraid? Internally cringing?
I wasn't prepared for the rush of feelings once the intro started (before 'press start'. I think this is my favourite MGS title. According to my save file, I last played in 2014. I did cringe a bit on remembering
was in this game.
Did the gameplay come back to you easily, or did you need to adjust? Any mishaps?
Little of both. I got going easily enough, but not without some significant screwups like forgetting how to hang and drop and accidentally blowing up the ship with a missed shot or two. Died a few times. Forgot where the Marines logo was and had to do without it.
Did you notice anything new this run?
Difficult to remember. In FPS mode, you can hear the rain more loudly and there's a ' rain on window' effect.
What is your stance on dramatic coat shooting and those involved?
Bit of a gamble, but Ocelot probably has one of those
Very in character, being a combination of needlessly overdramatic and very well planned.
I wasn't prepared for the rush of feelings once the intro started (before 'press start'. I think this is my favourite MGS title. According to my save file, I last played in 2014. I did cringe a bit on remembering
Otacon's family life
Did the gameplay come back to you easily, or did you need to adjust? Any mishaps?
Little of both. I got going easily enough, but not without some significant screwups like forgetting how to hang and drop and accidentally blowing up the ship with a missed shot or two. Died a few times. Forgot where the Marines logo was and had to do without it.
Did you notice anything new this run?
Difficult to remember. In FPS mode, you can hear the rain more loudly and there's a ' rain on window' effect.
What is your stance on dramatic coat shooting and those involved?
Bit of a gamble, but Ocelot probably has one of those
bullet deflecting things
Describe your playstyle in five words or less.
Having fun despite being inept.
Any notable codec calls you want to talk about?
The one on Sergei Gurlukovich's background. He's basically Soviet Big Boss. There's a lot of good backstory waiting to be found if you check in on it.
Thoughts on Olga, mechanically or character wise?
I love this fight. It's simple, but there's a lot of good character work in it, in how she improvises advantages in whatever's nearby, and I love that Snake doesn't underestimate her, which is a trope that annoys me. First time through, this really made me sit up and go 'okay, game, you have my attention.'
Did you listen to the Commandant’s whole speech? How does he rate as a speaker?
Yes, actually. He repeats himself a bit, but takes breaks for stretches, which is nice. I love how the timer freezes every time he goes off script, which is both funny and great attention to detail.
Any other notable things I missed?
Well, past me, I've always been fond of how professional people are in this. Snake is so used to things going catastrophically wrong that he keeps up the mission even after mercs hijack the ship and a Cypher is watching them. Few games balance a super skilled lead and a lead obviously in danger so well.
Having fun despite being inept.
Any notable codec calls you want to talk about?
The one on Sergei Gurlukovich's background. He's basically Soviet Big Boss. There's a lot of good backstory waiting to be found if you check in on it.
Thoughts on Olga, mechanically or character wise?
I love this fight. It's simple, but there's a lot of good character work in it, in how she improvises advantages in whatever's nearby, and I love that Snake doesn't underestimate her, which is a trope that annoys me. First time through, this really made me sit up and go 'okay, game, you have my attention.'
Did you listen to the Commandant’s whole speech? How does he rate as a speaker?
Yes, actually. He repeats himself a bit, but takes breaks for stretches, which is nice. I love how the timer freezes every time he goes off script, which is both funny and great attention to detail.
Any other notable things I missed?
Well, past me, I've always been fond of how professional people are in this. Snake is so used to things going catastrophically wrong that he keeps up the mission even after mercs hijack the ship and a Cypher is watching them. Few games balance a super skilled lead and a lead obviously in danger so well.
Hope everyone's having fun.
looneymoon
they/them
- AKA
- Rishi
I dont think I will partake in this, but MGS2 is my favourite in the series so I am excited to hear what you all have to say!
Clement Rage
Pro Adventurer
Philanthropy is recognised by the UN but Snake is off the books, maybe?
Clement Rage
Pro Adventurer
Clever Banner Two
Hi all, hope things are going well. Last time, we played through the Tanker, for chapter 2, we move on into something different altogether. Anyone that hasn't played chapter 1, feel free to start, I once finished an LP seven months late, so if someone beats my record I will regard that as a success. Also, if anyone feels they need more time or I'm doing something wrong, feel free to PM me or post in the thread about it.
Chapter 2 ends After the Bossfight on the Helipad.
Good luck and Enjoy Yourselves!
Hi all, hope things are going well. Last time, we played through the Tanker, for chapter 2, we move on into something different altogether. Anyone that hasn't played chapter 1, feel free to start, I once finished an LP seven months late, so if someone beats my record I will regard that as a success. Also, if anyone feels they need more time or I'm doing something wrong, feel free to PM me or post in the thread about it.
Chapter 2 ends After the Bossfight on the Helipad.
- We know the sunken tanker had no oil on it. What do you think this facility really is?
- We have now met all three members of Dead Cell. Who do you think is the most stable of the three?
- Sympathetic or not to Peter Stillman’s story and actions?
- Pliskin seems to be hiding something. What do you think his deal is?
- Any noteworthy differences in gameplay from the Tanker?
- Quite a lot of what happens here ends up setting up pieces of future instalments. Anything stand out?
- There’s also a lot of dialogue doing clever foreshadowing of what comes later in this game. Any particular gems?
- Favourite Codec so far?
- Which strut is the most fun to play in?
- What piece of equipment have you been using the most?
- What do you make of Raiden and his support staff?
- Ditto Dead Cell.
- What’s your favourite bomb? Which was the most difficult to defuse?
- Describe your experience in 4-6 words.
- Anything else you want to talk about?
Good luck and Enjoy Yourselves!
Tetsujin
he/they
- AKA
- Tets
Been doing more VR missions in the meantime.
I've completed 210 missions...out of 511
I do not feel like some kind of legendary mercenary yet. 
Haven't reached the frustrating stuff yet but...I'll get there eventually. Thank god the trophy only requires completion. If it was first rank on all missions...mother of god. D:
I've completed 210 missions...out of 511
I do not feel like some kind of legendary mercenary yet. Haven't reached the frustrating stuff yet but...I'll get there eventually. Thank god the trophy only requires completion. If it was first rank on all missions...mother of god. D:
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Tetsujin
he/they
- AKA
- Tets
Alright, "defused" Fatman.
Kind of appropriate isn't it. Tomorrow is the 75th anniversary of the Nagasaki a-bomb "Fat Man" being dropped.
Kind of appropriate isn't it. Tomorrow is the 75th anniversary of the Nagasaki a-bomb "Fat Man" being dropped.
Quite a lot of what happens here ends up setting up pieces of future instalments. Anything stand out?
First thing that comes to mind is their explanation for not being able to pick up enemy's weapons and having to find item boxes instead: Every weapon is ID tagged. That'll be a major plot point in MGS4, of course...
There’s also a lot of dialogue doing clever foreshadowing of what comes later in this game. Any particular gems?
Right in the beginning the Colonel says something about Pliskin not being a factor in the "simulation" and the first time around I guess I assumed maybe they ran some kind of simulation prior to the mission to determine success probability or something buuuut that ain't quite it now is it.
Favourite Codec so far?
Calling Pliskin right after seeing him cross one of the connecting bridges decked out in a cardboard box. Raiden will ask him whether he knows anything about a guy wearing a cardboard box and whether he might be Dead Cell and then goes on to say he wouldn't wanna fight a guy like that because it looks so dumb and anyone willing to be seen like that must obviously be an utter psycho.
Pliskin:
Which strut is the most fun to play in?
I like the sediment pool. There's some verticality there but it's easy to take people out, throw them into the water, increase your grip gauge by dropping down to the lower level several times etc
What piece of equipment have you been using the most?
Probably the trusty M9
First thing that comes to mind is their explanation for not being able to pick up enemy's weapons and having to find item boxes instead: Every weapon is ID tagged. That'll be a major plot point in MGS4, of course...
There’s also a lot of dialogue doing clever foreshadowing of what comes later in this game. Any particular gems?
Right in the beginning the Colonel says something about Pliskin not being a factor in the "simulation" and the first time around I guess I assumed maybe they ran some kind of simulation prior to the mission to determine success probability or something buuuut that ain't quite it now is it.
Favourite Codec so far?
Calling Pliskin right after seeing him cross one of the connecting bridges decked out in a cardboard box. Raiden will ask him whether he knows anything about a guy wearing a cardboard box and whether he might be Dead Cell and then goes on to say he wouldn't wanna fight a guy like that because it looks so dumb and anyone willing to be seen like that must obviously be an utter psycho.
Pliskin:
Which strut is the most fun to play in?
I like the sediment pool. There's some verticality there but it's easy to take people out, throw them into the water, increase your grip gauge by dropping down to the lower level several times etc
What piece of equipment have you been using the most?
Probably the trusty M9
What do you make of Raiden and his support staff?
They're not as fun as the MGS1 support. And then one of them dies once he outlived his usefulness too. Pliskin as support is cool though.
Ditto Dead Cell.
I kinda wish there were more of them, comparable to FOXHOUND in MGS1. I know they had to scrap at least two more planned members, Oldboy (who was recycled as The End in MGS3 iirc) and Chinaman who they kinda fused into Vamp for his boss battle.
What’s your favourite bomb? Which was the most difficult to defuse?
I liked the one in the distribution center. The entire conveyor belt is covered in the perfume and it's like ??? until you realize the bomb is on one of the boxes and constantly moving. This one doesn't appear on Normal and below if I remember right.
The most difficult one ended up being the one down in Strut A, before the Fortune battle. It's in a different spot on the sub from Normal mode and I briefly forgot how to reach it (you need to swing over the railing by the pool and then shimmy to the other side of the fence) and I panicked a bit with the timer almost running out.
Describe your experience in 4-6 words.
Somebody set us up the bomb
They're not as fun as the MGS1 support. And then one of them dies once he outlived his usefulness too. Pliskin as support is cool though.
Ditto Dead Cell.
I kinda wish there were more of them, comparable to FOXHOUND in MGS1. I know they had to scrap at least two more planned members, Oldboy (who was recycled as The End in MGS3 iirc) and Chinaman who they kinda fused into Vamp for his boss battle.
What’s your favourite bomb? Which was the most difficult to defuse?
I liked the one in the distribution center. The entire conveyor belt is covered in the perfume and it's like ??? until you realize the bomb is on one of the boxes and constantly moving. This one doesn't appear on Normal and below if I remember right.
The most difficult one ended up being the one down in Strut A, before the Fortune battle. It's in a different spot on the sub from Normal mode and I briefly forgot how to reach it (you need to swing over the railing by the pool and then shimmy to the other side of the fence) and I panicked a bit with the timer almost running out.
Describe your experience in 4-6 words.
Somebody set us up the bomb
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ForceStealer
Double Growth
Son of a bitch I'm doing terribly in this game, lol. Maybe I'll restart the plant section on easy 
Once I'm spotted and the map goes away, I'm basically boned. And in the areas before I have unlocked the map, I'm almost certain to be spotted.
Once I'm spotted and the map goes away, I'm basically boned. And in the areas before I have unlocked the map, I'm almost certain to be spotted.Clement Rage
Pro Adventurer
It's like X Com, that's all part of the experience.
Clement Rage
Pro Adventurer
Would anyone object if I held off on the next chapter for another week?
ForceStealer
Double Growth
Haha, I would not
looneymoon
they/them
- AKA
- Rishi
I remember at the end of these games they give you a rating/code name. Mine was "elephant." I was like wow game, you really don't pull any punches do you?
Roger
He/him
- AKA
- Minato
- It's weird to think about that though Raiden has a couple of good years before MGS4, he never gets his normal blood back.
- I'd been going through the Codec calls and I hadn't really realised to what degree Colonel was another Big Boss analogue, mercenary army without a nation and all that.
- Raiden getting a culture shock concerning Vamp is definitely best.
- Strut F is the most fun by my rememberance, though i didn't get a lot of chance to do stuff in this chapter. Kinda gunned through it.
- SOCOM for holding up people, after which I choke them out.
- Colonel has been quite dislikable as has Raiden. Rose might actually be my favourite right now, which weird to think about. But having Pliskin around, and having him be the one telling us stuff instead of just repeating the last words of sentence like in MGS2 is major win.
- I appreciate just how divorced from reality this pack of crazies is. Fatman has a very memorable introduction cut scene.
- My favourite would be the one on the conveyer belt. A lot of thougt went into making sure being able to wait it's round through the conveyer belt on the side it would be on requires sacrifice stealth wise. The hardest would be the two in Strut D. The people on the upper level keep spotting me going by.
- Nothing to report... Freeze! *Choke*
- I've opted against picking up the M9 or the SOCOM silencer this playthrough, really humbled me about my skills, I've turned radar from off to Radar 1 otherwise it's too hard.
Clement Rage
Pro Adventurer
1.Quite a lot of what happens here ends up setting up pieces of future instalments. Anything stand out?
I'm almost certain it's by accident(as in, not intended at the time), but Raiden's suit is called the "Skull Suit". Definitely double taked (took?) a bit at that
2.There’s also a lot of dialogue doing clever foreshadowing of what comes later in this game. Any particular gems?
Everything to do with Jack and Rose. I'm actually hesitant to save because the dialogue that is cringeworthy when you don't know the context veers into horrifying.
3.Favourite Codec so far?
Predicting fandom sensibilities, Vamp's nickname is because of his bisexuality, not because he looks and acts like a vampire. Because relationships always trump everything else about a character. That or the one where Raiden talks about having to block out memories to focus on defusing a bomb. When you find out what he means by that, well, uurgh. I'm actually struggling to listen to them.
4.Which strut is the most fun to play in?
The strut F Warehouse is where all the cool toys are, plus there are a lot of angles and corners. Dining hall is also fun.
5.What piece of equipment have you been using the most?
Normally, it would be the M9 no contest, but I forgot to pick it up, and decided to try not to use it as much as possible. So the ever reliable cardboard box (aside from the obvious explosives detector).
I'm almost certain it's by accident(as in, not intended at the time), but Raiden's suit is called the "Skull Suit". Definitely double taked (took?) a bit at that
2.There’s also a lot of dialogue doing clever foreshadowing of what comes later in this game. Any particular gems?
Everything to do with Jack and Rose. I'm actually hesitant to save because the dialogue that is cringeworthy when you don't know the context veers into horrifying.
3.Favourite Codec so far?
Predicting fandom sensibilities, Vamp's nickname is because of his bisexuality, not because he looks and acts like a vampire. Because relationships always trump everything else about a character. That or the one where Raiden talks about having to block out memories to focus on defusing a bomb. When you find out what he means by that, well, uurgh. I'm actually struggling to listen to them.
4.Which strut is the most fun to play in?
The strut F Warehouse is where all the cool toys are, plus there are a lot of angles and corners. Dining hall is also fun.
5.What piece of equipment have you been using the most?
Normally, it would be the M9 no contest, but I forgot to pick it up, and decided to try not to use it as much as possible. So the ever reliable cardboard box (aside from the obvious explosives detector).
1.What do you make of Raiden and his support staff?
Colonel is a bit flat. Raiden and Rose are very well written, which is a lot of fun. (And Quinton Flynn is a very good voice actor, he really has to run the gamut of emotional responses.
2.Ditto Dead Cell.
I imagine Olga finds them frustrating to work with.
"WHY? WHY CAN'T I DIE TODAY?" "Can't help, making explosives"
I kind of want to read a fanfic of Scott Dolph having an awkward dinner with them all.
3.What’s your favourite bomb? Which was the most difficult to defuse?
Had to call Stilman to get to the one in the warehouse, because I assumed you had to crawl or slide in instead of hanging and dropping.
Last one I found was Strut D. Took a long time to look behind the door. Heh. Sometimes the silly tricks work.
4.Describe your experience in 4-6 words.
I should be better at this.
5.Anything else you want to talk about?
Liberian Civil War was still ongoing in 2001. I don't know how to feel about that. The writers did a great job, admittedly, but that's pretty, uh, close to the surface at the time.
Colonel is a bit flat. Raiden and Rose are very well written, which is a lot of fun. (And Quinton Flynn is a very good voice actor, he really has to run the gamut of emotional responses.
2.Ditto Dead Cell.
I imagine Olga finds them frustrating to work with.
"WHY? WHY CAN'T I DIE TODAY?" "Can't help, making explosives"
I kind of want to read a fanfic of Scott Dolph having an awkward dinner with them all.
3.What’s your favourite bomb? Which was the most difficult to defuse?
Had to call Stilman to get to the one in the warehouse, because I assumed you had to crawl or slide in instead of hanging and dropping.
Last one I found was Strut D. Took a long time to look behind the door. Heh. Sometimes the silly tricks work.
4.Describe your experience in 4-6 words.
I should be better at this.
5.Anything else you want to talk about?
Liberian Civil War was still ongoing in 2001. I don't know how to feel about that. The writers did a great job, admittedly, but that's pretty, uh, close to the surface at the time.
Clement Rage
Pro Adventurer
CLEVER BANNER THE THIRD
Hey folks, hope things are going well for you. Last time, we started swimming into a plant through a hole in the fence and ended defusing a bunch of explosives on a helipad. We also got introduced to some new characters and naturally things got a bit out of hand.
My keypad appears to be speaking Parseltongue today, so if I start sssssspeaking like thisssssss, that's why. I'm sure you understand. But on to business.
Chapter 3 starts at the Helipad and ends Standing on a Burning, Broken Bridge after Rose Prompts you to Save.
All going well, this will be a short chapter, but there are a lot of long cutscenes and codecs in it (and if you play like me, it may not go well.)
Good luck, and enjoy yourselves! (I know I'm a little early with this, apologies)
Hey folks, hope things are going well for you. Last time, we started swimming into a plant through a hole in the fence and ended defusing a bunch of explosives on a helipad. We also got introduced to some new characters and naturally things got a bit out of hand.
My keypad appears to be speaking Parseltongue today, so if I start sssssspeaking like thisssssss, that's why. I'm sure you understand. But on to business.
Chapter 3 starts at the Helipad and ends Standing on a Burning, Broken Bridge after Rose Prompts you to Save.
All going well, this will be a short chapter, but there are a lot of long cutscenes and codecs in it (and if you play like me, it may not go well.)
- So, we meet the cyborg ninja. Thoughts? Do you have a theory on who they are/what their agenda is?
- These people sure do love wiring their base to explode. How long did it take to get through the net of bombs on the bridge (a rough estimate is fine)?
- We keep getting conflicting opinions on what the terrorists’ goals are, what do you think they really are/who do you think is telling Raiden the truth? Or are they all lying?
- Have any of your opinions of the characters changed since your first impressions?
- Are you saving much? How do you find the conversations with Rose?
- What do you think would have happened if Fatman actually blew everyone up? What was plan B? Seems like a large risk for all these super planner types.
- Are you a well-oiled machine by this point, or still getting to grips with the controls and remembering where things are?
- Please rate the following characters in ascending order, based on the levels to which they are being plotted against by Ocelot: Snake, Raiden, Olga, Fortune/Vamp, Solidus. You may use a 1-10 scale if you will find it helpful.
- Ames appears uniquely straightforward and honest with Raiden. What’s the deal with that?
- What is your most anticipated moment in the game from this point on? Anything you are not looking forward to?
- Any trouble getting into the core?
- What is your main takeaway from that long overheard conversation with the D Mic in the Shell 1 Core?
- Did you enjoy the fight with the Harrier? What do you make of Solidus’ intro?
- Any notable Codec calls?
- Anything else you want to talk about?
Good luck, and enjoy yourselves! (I know I'm a little early with this, apologies)