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Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (Xbox) | 
| From: Konami
Category: Video Games
New (1) Used (14) from £3.89
Avg. Customer Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 1658
Platforms: Xbox, No Operating System
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Media: Video Game
Number Of Items: 1
Age: 15 - 18 years
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 4012927030554
ASIN: B00006958F
Release Date: March 7, 2003
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Amazon.co.uk Review
There's been an awful lot of confusion about just exactly what Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance is. Is it a proper sequel? Is it a mission disc? Is it an Xbox exclusive? Does Snake get to go skateboarding? Well, to answer all but the last question: no. Substance is kind of similar to the VR Missions disc that was released for the original Metal Gear Solid on the PSone; however, Substance is a stand-alone title that doesn't require the original game to run--and indeed contains within it the original version of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. In essence, Substance is kind of like one of those special edition, director's cut DVDs you get for films, in that it's the same old movie but with so much cool stuff layered on top it seems totally new. There's also a similarly scattershot approach to the new features, but the most obviously appealing are the chance to play through both missions as Solid Snake (or a bunch of others including Pliskin and the cyborg ninja) instead of the anaemic Raiden. Then there's a mountain of over 100 VR missions and five brand new mini-episodes for Snake to try his luck at. Any additional extras, and the answer to whether Snake really does get to do a Tony Hawk, remain secret until the final version is complete, but it's impossible to imagine that if you're a Metal Gear fan you won't enjoy this. For Xbox owners there's the extra kudos that your version will be out before the PS2's--and there are rumours of exclusive features that the Xbox's hard drive alone makes possible... --David Jenkins
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| Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
 Go for the PS2 version! June 8, 2008
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance for the Xbox console was, in fact, the very first Metal Gear game I'd ever bought a few years ago, along with a few others on a Saturday in a bargain bin in a certain games shop. I'd never really been into the game series before, and it's probably safe to say, as any long-term Metal Gear fan will testify, that owing to the complicated story it is the worst game of the series to start on.
But anyway, on with my main gripe. Despite being, overall, a very good game, it is NOT an Xbox console game and I do believe it suffers from this. It's the Xbox controller; it's a hunking great big piece of plastic that allows me to feel like a man when hammering buttons on Halo, and it isn't the same as the subtler DualShock 2. The repositioning of the controls, against the layout of the PS2 version, is awkward and illogical; the trigger buttons are perfect for racing games, but don't feel right; you'll mainly notice this when leaning around corners or obsticles in First Person View Mode. This mode is activated by clicking the left analog stick down, and I often find this clumsily knocks your view off when you activate it, and when you're aiming at an enemy during a critical moment it's damn noticeable. Awkward controls, in a stealth game, are not a good combination.
The game itself is very impressive; it is, effectively, a limited edition version or whatever of Metal Gear Solid 2: The Sons of Liberty. As far as I can tell, playing both the original and this updated version extensively, there is no real difference in the main story game whatsoever. This version offers 500 or so 'VR Missions' in a similar move to the bundle on the original Metal Gear Solid game. These are effectively bite-sized sneak from point A-to-B objectives in a wire frame environment; there are plently of variations, such as guard elimation and weapons practise, or a block of missions which revolve around a game level. I've never been impressed by stuff like this at all; but if you're so inclined it offers time measurements and the like to prove your awesomeness.
The other main offer this game has is a series called 'Snake Tales' which allows you to play as another character as the story progresses through the meat of the game. This had great potential to offer a different perspective to the excellent storyline, but unfortunately this really does feel a bit tacked on, the 'story' being progressed by extensive blocks of text. The story in Snake Tales, though I haven't been able to play too far, could also be detracting to the game; certain elements create massive plot holes or are just unbelievable to the point of me just considering it non-canon. For example, the character you play as is heavily implied to have only a partner in the facility during the main game, and this notion of the two acting sort of alone, as friends, is a great part of their chemistry. Yet suddenly (apparently) you're on an offical mission - by Roy Cambell. And a hostage, for some reason, is suddenly hiding in one area for you to contact, instead of being tied up like he was in the main game. It would've been easier to make a completely unrelated mission. Maybe patch up the plot holes created when Kojima forgot about Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel.
In any case, Metal Gear Solid 2 is a great game; read a review for that. Substance offers little more, though, hey, if they're the same price in a shop, go for this; since either way the meat rests in the main story, and you're getting it whatever version you buy. The Subsistance package for the third Metal Gear Solid game is vastly superior, and it makes you wonder what could have been achieved if there wasn't some insane deadline, no doubt, for the poor Konami team.
 The game your boss wished you never found August 31, 2004
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
After owning Metal Gear Solid for the PS1, I drooled over the next installment when I found it. Great, I thought, the game I loved with better graphics, AI, features, and options. Was I right? Oh yes.Forget work. You'll bother to call in sick the first couple of days, then you'll forget as the days blur into one. Each time you get to a cut scene you think "I'll just do this" or "I'll just find that guy" as the plot thickens, and sleep will be a long forgotton memory. Splinter cell wished it was as good as this game. This game has better camara angles, a better story, better graphics, better enemy AI, better . . . you get the idea. The only bad point (if you can call it that) is that the story does has too many twists and you may end up trying to work out who knows about who and who wants to do what to which country. Doubled with a lack of sleep, this can be very confusing. If you owned any other Metal Gears, get it. If you haven't, get it anyway. It's that good.
Amazing Game!!!! August 3, 2004
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
First Thing's First this game is not as good as the original Metal Gear Solid,but it is much better than the original Metal Gear Solid 2 Because it Has LOTS of VR missions (Youll recognize them from the first game)and plenty of different characters to play as (in training) like Solid Snake in a Tux and Snake in his old MGS1 Costume also there is a chance to use a sword in the game too (very nasty). I reccomend this game to anyone who Likes Splinter cell or has played the original, By the way this game is a 15 (to anybody whoes kids have been nagging them to get this) Allthough there is a option to turn the gore off. BEST GAME IVE PLAYED.
Best Steath game ever December 31, 2003
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
Im sorry but ive never liked splinter cell the enemy characters look like fat blocky rectangles and Tom Clancys scenarios are like the sad old goverment conspiracy films my dad watches.Metal Gear is a great great game the control system is perfect. I know people dont like the replacement of snake in the main chapter with raiden but lets face it this is snakes fourth computer game and he must be in his mid thirtys by now it wouldn't be plausible for him to be still working for foxhound and raidens allowed the designers to make a young agile character who can flip to dodge bullets, hang on to rails etc. Snakes a middle aged man it would be stupid if he done that sort of thing. The cut scences are varied most are very good but one of the sub story lines concerning otacon and his sister is just plain stupid. Saying that though Hideo Kojima always refernces hollywood and japanese film narrative snd im sure he recognises the indulgence of the story. This is a very interesting game its is to video games what pulp fiction is to films. To me this is the one of the first games to be as relevant as a book. If a film was ever made of this game it would be disasterous just like when films are made of great books. I think this is a historically important game. This game real depth I have even tracked down copys of the original MSX metal gear games because of it.
Brilliant October 7, 2003
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
I wouldn't have considered buying Sons of Liberty but now Substance has been released I bought it, mostly for the main game which is amazing. But the thing that clinches it are the hundreds of VR missions with Snake, Raiden, Ninja Raiden, Tuxedo Snake and MGS1 Snake. Plus some Snake Tales where the story gets really weird in some parts, but still good.Once you have played the main came once you can go over it again collecting things like dog-tags, and moving up in the difficulty levels. All over a great game and the same as Splinter Cell but with more extras.
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