Metal Gear Solid 2 25th Anniversary: Raiden, the Big Shell, and Seven Million Sales

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty turns 25 on November 13. Konami released it for PlayStation 2 in North America on November 13, 2001. Japan followed on November 29, 2001, and Europe got it on March 8, 2002.

Hideo Kojima’s stealth sequel

Konami Computer Entertainment Japan made the game, and Konami published it. Hideo Kojima directed, produced, designed, and wrote it. It’s a single-player stealth action-adventure with the subtitle “Tactical Espionage Action.”

New ways to sneak

The sequel gave players more hands-on stealth tools. Here’s what you could do:

Use first-person aiming to target specific points.
Hang off walkways to stay out of sight.
Open storage lockers and hide inside.
Shoot out an enemy’s radio.
Hide bodies, a mechanic the design document outlined.
Finish the game without a deliberate death by using tranquilizer guns, stun grenades, and melee.

Raiden takes the lead

The main hero is a rookie agent named Raiden. Solid Snake is playable only in the prologue.

Spoiler note: the next paragraph covers the story’s big twist.

The Sons of Liberty group seizes the Big Shell. Later, the game shows that the whole event was an exercise called the Solid Snake Simulation, or S3 Plan. Critics were first divided on Raiden and on the game’s philosophical story.

A PlayStation 2 controller surrounded by scattered PS2 game cases and discs — Image Credit: Curtis Berry on Unsplash

Praise and big sales

Reviewers praised the gameplay, graphics, and attention to detail. The game also sold seven million copies by 2004.

The Substance re-release

Konami later reissued the game as Substance. The Xbox version reached North America on November 5, 2002. The PS2 version followed on March 4, 2003, and the Windows version on March 27, 2003.

Did you play it at launch? Tell us whether you wanted more Raiden or more Snake.

Image Credit: Curtis Berry on Unsplash