How do you feel about Metal Gear Solid 2? 🔫

We makin it off the big shell with this one boys.

Just met David Hayter last week at Fan Expo. He came out a little late and adressed the line with a “Kept you waiting huh” it was well worth it (Got MGS2, and EGM Oct 2001 issue signed)

Little known fact about swimming with Emma, if you have Raiden take pentazemin she can hold her breath longer. This is because he told her to listen to his heartbeat, which is slowed by the drug.

"Touch grass" -Genius Kojumbo

This game came out in the perfect time of my development as a human. Completely changed the way I look at media and how media can have a message and deeper meaning than just entertainment if done correctly. One of the best games ever.

I love the idea that a vampire is over the top after the "haunted arm" reveal. I mean things were already batshit cuckoo.

This is one my favorite retrospectives now 👍 All sorts of emotions. I went from "enjoying the video" to "questioning my entire life" to "being happy and hopeful for a better future" while watching this one. just like the video game you were talking about, this KZfaq video is passionate piece of art

This game was the first time I remember having my expectations subverted so heavily. Its aged like a fine wine and is still my favorite Metal Gear game by far.

I'll never forget November 13th 2001 and I put that Metal Gear Solid Sons of Liberty disc in my PS2 tray that I still have and was completely blown away as soon as I seen Snake smoking a cig in the pouring rain on the George Washington mind blowing visuals for its day..... Can't even describe how geeked I was for this game, an absolute classic video game and will always be one of my favorite games , pure gold... I recently bought the MGS collection for my Switch because I travel for work and I just started playing Sons of Liberty again and the nostalgia and makes that 4 hour flight go quickly ... And 2 days later on November 15th 2001 I bought The Xbox and Halo and was blown away again and was excited for the future of gaming

You can NEVER talk too long about metal gear solid 2 ……

your video about mgs is one of my favourite videos about any mgs game, great work. This is going to be an awesome mgs2 vid, i know it.

This game really blew my mind, way back in the day. Also was the first Metal Gear game I could beat. After that, I was absolutely hooked on the franchise.

I've watched hundreds of MGS2 essays/retrospectives and I have to say, this is among the best commentary and observation wise. It just hits and articulates things so well that show a genuine understanding, BONUS points for not showing your face every 2 minutes and injecting try hard memes while keeping a semi dry but still attention holding narrative. This is how you do it.

This is THE game of my teenage years.

The bosses in Ghost Babel almost have Trigun villain energy, especially the guy in a world of guns who uses a giant fucking boomerang. lmao

It can be easy to fall down into the pits of despair when talking heads on flickering boxes start getting to you. But just as Raiden steps out into the sun and gets a boost from Snake, we can remember how important the human connection is. We can find our Snakes, or be him to others in need. Just as you can't build a house upon sand, it's strengthening communities and helping each other that will build a future, starting with the foundation. There is no top-down approach to fixing things, there's no vote. There's only what we do for each other. Uhhhh I mean... great video! I love Metal Gear Solid 2 :D

Naively optimistic... 2 hours 30 minutes and 51 seconds it took me to listen to you, while finding your take on this timeless game refreshing, and informative. Well presented, written and researched. Subscribed finally to you, though this is perhaps the 7th Retrospective I have listened to of yours. Can I ask... Your Favourite Son? Are you close to your dad? Or has he passed? I know this is personal so sorry, you do not have to answer.

Semper Fi(delis) is a Marine Corps motto meaning "Always Faithful", not a Navy SEAL motto.

This is my favorite analysis youve uploaded, fantastically done

omg dude this was a blessing! ive been binging codec calls and cassette tapes from the games for weeks! cant wait to watch this

This was my first start into Metal Gear Solid, and is what started my love for it, I was and still am obsessed with MGS, and this has and always will be my favorite in the series, I legit yelled YOOOOOO out loud at 3am when I saw you were doing this series, and was excited for MGS2, this video sits deep in my heart, i was a poor kid and lived in hotels most my life and my only friend at that time was video games, so MGS2 was my best friend during those depressing times, love the video and can't wait for for more!

I met Hideo, and he is an amazing man.

Very solid analysis (no pun intended). One little detail I think you glossed over was how for the first time in the series the game provided a way of beating the entire game non-lethally. Every time you deal with an enemy in a lethal manner it's always a player decision, conscious or not. MGS3 makes it more obvious by confronting the player with their choices during the boss battle with the Sorrow, but the idea started here.

Just to point at a little detail that it seems like you didn't see, there's one extra thing to really put an emphasis on the fact that Raiden is under the influence of whoever talks to him: his codec's volume indicator is shaped like a gun pointed towards his head, unlike Snake's during the tanker part of the game.

I played this game at 11 and I still remember the prediction of the future it offers. I’ve kept it in mind all these years as I’ve watched the world’s events unfold.

Still my favourite MGS game. One of the rare games I will happily play through to completion when I pick it back up every few years.

As a very casual listener/watcher of your videos (I’ve seen a few, these new MGS videos and some of your silent hill videos), your Metal Gear videos are great (but not to discount anything else you’ve done - your other videos are great too). Your analysis, depth, and maybe even more importantly, your presentation, is perfect. Much appreciation for what you do. Great job. I look forward to more.

You literally made my day !

Another great vid on to celebrate SonDay! Cant wait to see you cover 3!

The craziest thing is that Vamp isn't actually a vampire. He's a dude that had to survive under rubble by drinking his family's blood, and is unable to die because of nanomachines. "According to Solid Snake, his codename is not a reference to his vampire-like behavior, but to the fact that he was bisexual."

I loved the sound of the harrier flying over you at max speed.

28:20 Based Kojima man, I wish more triple A games had this philosophy! I don't care if my horse's balls shrink in the cold, give me better enemy AI and more variety!

My favorite game series and my favorite new channel? I've never been prouder of my son. 😅

I loved this. Cant wait for 3.

You're the man now dawg

I knew you'd bring honor to my personal favorite in the franchise. Well done. I'm proud of you, son.

This was masterfully done

god I hope this gets the remake treatment

Ahh my weekend chores audio experience is here 😊

i missed out on the series as a whole growing up and didn't get into it until 5 excited to go back and play through all the games as i do own the ps3 collection

Good to see you, boy ❤

2:15:05 That's TS Eliot from 'the Hollow Men". Instructive expansion on the theme, poetry foundation has it for free online.

I think the reason Raiden is no longer looked at as negatively is less that people actually came around to understand the game and his story/purpose (which of course people did, due to great works like yours!), but also that he got a cool sword and went from "I don't know what to believe in" to "I will cut your memes in half, mister cyborg". Probably easier to grasp than having to actually follow the codec calls for most people.

My favorite series and one of my favorite video essayers? Lets go??

If Kojima wanted me to touch grass more, he should’ve made games with shorter cutscenes. 😅 Wonderful video, son, amazing coverage as always! One of my all-time favorite games. 🔥

Unbelievably hyped for MGS3, my favorite in the entire series. Great video thank you!

This was a formative game of my youth. I played this when I was probably 8 or 9 years old and it has continued to influence me for years to come.

Whenever people end the conversation about this game at “it predicted modern Internet culture and how everything sucks,” it feels so incomplete, and I’m really happy with how you articulated the flip side to that idea that Snake presented. These games don’t always end with a perfect happy ending, but no matter what happens, there’s always a pervading sense of hope by the end of it all. It’s a big part of what makes them so beautiful!

I talk too long about MGS2 Neat. 2 Hours 30mins? Aight, this must be part 1. Can't wait for part 2. Jests, aside. Always love the content and thank you for the hard work and time you put into the videos brother.

I’m a new father and I’ve spent most of the time after my daughter was born feeling anxiety about the world she’s going to grow up in. I really appreciated hearing your thoughts at the end section there, it’s given me some perspective and made me feel a bit more in control, I guess. Thanks, - Dad

Metal gear 2 have interesting story to tell and you presented it elegantly and clearly. Thanks for the video

1:09 LORD HAVE MERCY 💀 This cameraman is a serious legend.

Hey son. I want to thank you before I watch this. I played MGS2 as a boy. As a boy, it was an amusing stealth/action sandbox. But as I grew, I knew there was more to the story that I was too young to understand fully. But as a man grown, I haven't had the time to commit to replaying and ruminating. Yes, I know I can finish it in the run time of this video, but I can't put the depth of thought into it that it deserves. Son, thanks for this. I'm now going to reexamine a part of my childhood easier and quicker than I could have otherwise.

Fun story on my most recent playthrough of MGS2, which was this year after not playing for 3 years and it being over a decade since beating it, I fought the final boss on the day that it happens to be in the game. When he said the date I almost lost my poop. 57:57

I remember Snake being so damned OP during the Tengu sequence that i started tranqing him just so i could actually fight them.

Just woke up after having a crazy nightmare of being stuck on the big shell with Mr. X from Resident Evil chasing me. Had bo idea why... got over it. Hit play again and you were talking about Olga being Mr. X

This is what I was waiting for, Son. You’ve certainly got the superior genes compared to your brother, YourLiquidSon. Keep up the good work!

Son, you made a worthy addition to the canon. We're so proud of you.

god im still so happy thiis is a thing now when i saw the notif i exclaimed hell yea out of joy

This is my favorite Metal Gear Solid plot. I adore MGS2 and everything it was trying to say. Even when i was like 12 playing it for the first time and not quite "getting it". I still loved the surface level stuff. Then I played it again while in college and it just blew my mind with the messages. This game is a masterpiece. When it comes to gameplay of the first 4 solid games. Its 3. (V is technically my favorite because of how much action it is but thats not Tactical Espionage Action fo me)

My favorite son talks about my favorite game series. I'm in.

Thanks Son! This is Leland from the podcast's favourite game, sent him a link because I'm sure he'll enjoy 2.5 hours of retrospective lol.

the ending of MGS2 i never understood, but the way you describe it really does put it into perspective. i always just thought it was just Nonsense.

The death of Ema is incredible. It's so powerful. The parrot. It's crazy. The affair is a bit of bad taste but i remember, even as an edgy teenager, i felt so touched by that scene. Then the friendship between snake and Otacon. With the music. Man that's so good. Then after this point the game becomes so crazy lol

Oh yeah My favourite son with another heater. I just watch anything he puts out, but it's even better when it's about an absolute classic like MGS2

I literally love your retrospectives! You do a great job. That said, I have one small critique for this vid: You got a couple details wrong in this video about a couple military related things. Semper Fi is not a Navy SEAL saying. It is a Marine Corps saying. 1:04:51 And you also referred to Scott Dolph as a Sergeant. 42:15 for this one. He is a Commandant. Thank you so much for all your work that you do on these incredible videos ❤ I'm really loving this series in particular. But I've watched most of your retrospectives at this point and I really love them :3

Can't believe you didn't talk about what happens if you actually turn your console off at that point

Saw this video in my recommendations yesterday, watched the previous video first and just finished this one today. I cant wait for part 3! And while MGR Revengence isnt made by Kojima, i do hope you cover it as well for a wee follow up on Raiden later. (I dont even know if those events are canon)

Can’t wait till you eventually do this for 4

I had no idea that “substance” was inspired by the Joy Division album or that Kojima was a fan. That’s an awesome little tidbit.

Kept me waiting, huh

This. This is what I've been waiting for. This game specifically is my upbringing. I was 11 when this game came out. It's the defining game for me that made me realize that games are more than just something for fun. It's a medium for storytelling. It's the game that made me switch from N64 to PS2 instead of getting a GameCube.

Was introduced to you through the worst reviewed steam games, then saw your metal gear videos and now im a fan lol

Son, you're doing a great job and haven't missed since I followed you last year. Would you ever cover Peace Walker or Half-Life?

Literally was a kid playing this and was playing for 4 hrs straight . Then out of the blue it told me to turn the console off at 3am . Did not know what to do with myself after that, but I still kept playing.

One of the GOATs, both the game and our favorite son.

When I first played and met snake I knew it was him right away. I also thought since I know he’s alive there’s gotta be a chance I’ll play as him later in the game. That wasn’t the case but it made snake look like a badass. Back in the day this max payne and gta had the streets on lock.

Cant wait for your elongated talk about Snake Eater

My all time favorite game….thank you🥲

I remember watching the making-of documentary of the game and Kojima talking about how every type of media always got wrong how soldiers carry their guns and that it's idiotic to hold a gun's barrel up James Bond style. I'm not a gun enthusiast myself, but this has stuck with me ever since and I will always check if a movie, series or game does it right. This was probably my first time seeing anyone care that much about accuracy in a video game.

My beautiful wife, who was 31, passed away suddenly on the 23rd of this month..and the ending minutes of this video really spoke to me..about the memories we have being real And shit like that.. Miss u babe, love u a whole lot

My favorite son reviewing one of my favorite games of all time? Let's go!

Fun fact, Jack and Rose are a reference to Titanic (1997)

2:12:30 About the mental or social progress thing... From my perspective I think it can go both ways simultaneously, because of the Internet we have marginalized and minority groups of people able to share and validate each other's life experience. What is like being a black or Hispanic person living in Japan, what is it like being Japanese living in America what's it like being a homosexual in a country that vilifies homosexuality and glorifies heterosexuality, whats it like being color blind in a world of full of color? Now I could go on with this but I think you see the point here, because the Internet not being "filtered" we have the opportunity to learn from,support, and grow as individuals in a society that brainwashes us into keeping the status quo for those who benefit from the careful manipulation of social progression, societal ideas, ways of thinking, and the collective perception of our reality.

I never understood the Raiden hate at the time; I loved playing as Jack!

I remember when it first came out on ps2. Me and my cousin spent a whole weekend going through it, it was a game changer( pun intended)

I played this when it first came out and its my favorite in the series. I can promise you that when i met Pliskin i knew it was Snake right away and wondered why he wasn't working with Campbell. I also suspected that at some point control would go back to snake and that control would swap between snake and raiden each chapter but i was very wrong about that.

One last thing. It's sad to think how the game ends up possible positive for raiden, then finishing his story later

"Semper Fidelis" is the Marine Corps motto, "who dares wins" is the British SAS motto. Snake saying these was a giveaway that he wasn't a navy SEAL.

When its time to sleep but a random youtuber makes a 2 hour long analysis video on metal gear:

The ONLY time having my expectations "subverted" actually paid off. This and maybe Psycho.

MGS2 was much more sand-box like especially with the tanker demo level being so replayable and having soo many easter eggs and phyics to mess about with. MGS1 is the foundation though, has to be played from CD in the large jewel case no exceptions. I remember understanding the later game more than MGS1 as a kid because my young brain couldn't compute the story line or plot which obviously dilutes its impact somewhat.

2:12:59 Garbage in, garbage out.

The last game that really surprised me. Game magazines at the time, when reviewing/making guides for MGS2, did a great job of keeping Raiden a secret. So well that I had no clue by the time I got to play, months after release, and boy oh boy was I taken aback. Makes me miss the days of not spoiling myself on the internet.

Mgs 2 certainly gives you lots to think about. Before I played the game, I had only seen the codec call where the patriots explain everything. The lack of Snake's final speech made the game (or at least the idea I had of it) seem much scarier and more threatening than when I finally played it and got to experience what it had to say for myself. On top of that, even though the retainment of "garbage" data is something that does happen, a lot of people work to maintain versions of media that would have otherwise been deleted or altered. People have the ability to even restore some of the versions that they preferred, because they find meaning in them. Finding what matters to you, that's something we all have to keeping working on. In short, thank you, I anticipated this video and it made my day, will be there for 3.

One of my favorite parts of the MGS series is the anti-war sentiment, and to me, it's most prevalent in both 2 and 4. The War Economy is a very real thing, and Kojima did very well at putting the concept out to the public in his own way. I have to wonder if he enjoys Philippe Le Billon. I am from a fairly simple, rather stereotypical midwestern small town. The military maintains a good presence here, and most people look at it in severe reverence. I remember the day the military brought out one of their gaming trailers to the front of my school. I never entered it myself, but I saw pictures of it, and many more could be found online. It struck a cord with me, knowing they were using games - it was COD, in fact - as a way of marketing themselves to as many impressionable teens as possible. "War as a video game - what better way to raise the ultimate soldier?" Yet.. I didn't go into that trailer, as I said. I don't follow the military mindset or accept the opportunity to be a soldier. Still, I do respect the people who have fought for my ability to not join their ranks. I hate war, yet I'm grateful to be on the winning side. I don't trust the government. I don't trust many things easily. Call it trust issues or a lack of naivety, it doesn't matter. At least I am free to not trust, no? I am free to get out my own thoughts and let people ruminate. ... La Li Lu Le Lots of words

We seriously need a fire emblem video!!

01:05:03. Unfortunately it's a US Marine corps motto not navy. Stillman even says it in his lines lol. But great video always look forward to watching about games I have played or still play. P.S. 01:39:02. When you find out what kind of man Otacon's father is in later titles. it's actually poetic justice!!!! P.P.S. 01:50:13. If you okay it on the hardest modes you have to fight 22 of them which leads into Solidus destroying the final 3 in the cut scene!!!!

Awesome