Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is an action-adventure stealth game created by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and released by Konami for the PlayStation 2 in 2001. It is the fourth game in the Metal Gear series made by Hideo Kojima and the seventh game overall in the series. The game followed Metal Gear Solid (1998) and was first released on November 13, 2001. A version called Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance was later released for the Xbox and Windows in 2002, along with the PlayStation 2. A remastered version, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty – HD Edition, was included in the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PlayStation Vita. The HD version was later added to the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 compilation for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S, which was released on October 24, 2023.
The story centers on the Big Shell, a large offshore cleanup facility taken over by a group of terrorists named the Sons of Liberty. They demand a large amount of money in exchange for the life of the President of the United States and threaten to destroy the facility and cause a huge environmental disaster if their demands are not met. As the story progresses, the motives and identities of many characters change, and the main characters uncover a secret plan by a powerful group called the Patriots.
Metal Gear Solid 2 was praised for its gameplay, graphics, and attention to detail. Some critics were unsure about the main character and the game’s complex storyline, which explores themes like memetics, social engineering, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and the struggle for free thought. The game sold seven million copies by 2004 and is now considered one of the greatest video games of all time. It is also seen as an example of artistic creativity in video games. The game’s themes, such as post-truth politics, fake news, alternative facts, synthetic media, and echo chambers, became more important in culture during the 2010s.
Gameplay
Metal Gear Solid 2 has the subtitle "Tactical Espionage Action." The game focuses on the player controlling the protagonist as they move carefully to avoid being seen by enemies. A key feature is the variety of skills available to the player. The first-person aiming mode lets players target specific spots, giving them more choices for how to approach situations. For example, guards can be distracted by steam, a flying piece of fruit, or hit in weak areas. Players can walk slowly to move silently over noisy floors or hang off walkways to avoid being noticed by guards below. The "corner-press" move from the first game, which let players peek around corners, is improved to allow firing from cover. Other skills include jumping over and hanging on to railings, hiding in storage lockers, and sneaking up behind enemies to take items or ammunition. Players can also shoot out enemies' radios to stop them from communicating with others. The environment affects stealth gameplay, with factors like weather, smell, atmosphere, and temperature playing a role.
In Metal Gear Solid 2, enemy guards have more advanced artificial intelligence ("AI") to balance the game's difficulty. Unlike the first game, they work in squads. If they spot the player, they use radios to call for backup, then try to surround the player and block their escape while avoiding attacks. Some enemies wear body armor and carry riot shields, making them harder to defeat. Even if the player hides, enemy teams will search the area. The game uses collective AI, meaning enemies work together as a team, communicate with each other, and react more realistically to the player. This AI was widely praised as one of the best in gaming for many years.
The game improves on the cover mechanic from its predecessor. The player, as Solid Snake or Raiden, can hide behind walls or objects and shoot enemies while staying protected. The improved enemy AI also lets enemies take cover to avoid attacks. Enemies may hide to call for help, but during battles, they will hide and then pop out to shoot the player or throw grenades from behind cover. A laser sight feature helps players aim manually when using guns. Boss battles and special scenes still require finding ways to bypass enemy defenses. However, unlike most action games, players can complete the entire game—including boss fights—without killing anyone. This can be done using tools like tranquilizer guns, stun grenades, and melee attacks.
Synopsis
The story of Sons of Liberty takes place in a different version of history where the Cold War ended in the late 1990s. The game’s story follows two timelines around and near New York City: one in 2007, two years after the events of Metal Gear Solid, and another in 2009. This story is part of a larger plot involving the character Solid Snake.
The main character in Metal Gear Solid 2 is Raiden, a young rookie agent. He is supported by his commanding officer, the Colonel, and his girlfriend, Rosemary. Other allies include Lt. Junior Grade Iroquois Pliskin, a Navy SEAL with a mysterious background who knows about the facility; Peter Stillman, an NYPD expert who disarms bombs; Otacon, a computer specialist and friend of Solid Snake; and a cyborg ninja who imitates Gray Fox, first called Deepthroat and later named Mr. X.
The enemies in the story are the Sons of Liberty, a group of terrorists who take control of the Big Shell, an environmental cleanup facility. They are joined by Dead Cell, a rogue anti-terrorist unit, and a Russian mercenary force. Members of Dead Cell include Vamp, a man who seems immortal and has vampire-like traits; Fatman, a large man with bomb expertise; and Fortune, a woman whose uncontrollable psychic powers protect her from harm. The leader of the Sons of Liberty claims to be Solid Snake, but is later revealed to be Solidus Snake, a third clone from the "Les Enfants Terribles" project. Other helpers to the Sons of Liberty include Olga Gurlukovich, the Russian mercenary commander, and Revolver Ocelot, a former FOXHOUND agent and enemy of Solid Snake.
Other characters include Emma Emmerich, Otacon’s stepsister and a computer expert; Sergei Gurlukovich, Ocelot’s former commander and Olga’s father; President James Johnson, who is held hostage by the Sons of Liberty; and Richard Ames, a DIA operative. Liquid Snake returns, seemingly by taking control of Ocelot’s body through a transplanted hand. The game also includes appearances by Mei Ling, a communications expert who helped Snake in the first game, and Johnny Sasaki, a soldier with digestive issues.
In 2007, Solid Snake infiltrates a tanker carrying a new Metal Gear model called RAY. The tanker is attacked by Russian mercenaries led by Colonel Gurlukovich, his daughter Olga, and Ocelot. Ocelot betrays his allies, destroys the ship, and escapes with RAY after being possessed by Liquid Snake.
Two years later, the Big Shell facility is built to clean up an oil spill. During a visit by President James Johnson, the Sons of Liberty attack the facility, take Johnson hostage, and threaten to destroy it. Raiden, a FOXHOUND agent, is ordered by the Colonel to rescue the hostages and stop the terrorists. Navy SEAL Iroquois Pliskin (who is secretly Solid Snake) and Peter Stillman help Raiden disable explosives planted by Fatman. A bomb kills Stillman, and Raiden defeats Fatman before encountering a cyborg ninja. Raiden and Pliskin plan to transport hostages by helicopter but are attacked by Dead Cell’s leader, who claims to be Solid Snake, flying a Harrier jet. Raiden shoots down the jet, but the leader escapes with RAY. Pliskin reveals he is the real Solid Snake and helps locate Johnson.
Johnson tells Raiden that the U.S. government is controlled by a secret group called the Patriots, who hide the real purpose of the Big Shell facility: to conceal Arsenal Gear, a mobile fortress housing an AI named GW. Johnson explains that the leader of Dead Cell is Solidus Snake, a clone of Big Boss, who plans to seize Arsenal Gear and overthrow the Patriots. Ocelot then kills Johnson.
Raiden rescues Emma Emmerich, Otacon’s stepsister, who plans to upload a virus into GW to disable Arsenal Gear. Vamp attacks Emma, but Raiden shoots him. Emma uploads the virus but dies from her injuries before it completes. Otacon helps rescue hostages while Raiden is captured by a ninja, who is revealed to be Olga. The Big Shell collapses as Arsenal Gear departs.
Raiden awakens on Arsenal Gear, where Solidus Snake reveals he raised Raiden as a child soldier during the Liberian civil war. Olga, a Patriot double-agent, frees Raiden and explains she helped him to protect her child. Raiden discovers the Colonel is a construct of GW, damaged by the virus. Rose tells Raiden she was ordered by the Patriots to be his lover and spy on him and that she is pregnant with his child. Raiden finds Solid Snake, who helped Olga capture him to gain access to Arsenal Gear. Fortune fights Solid Snake while Raiden battles AI-controlled RAYs. The virus causes the RAYs to malfunction, and Olga sacrifices herself to save Raiden from Solidus.
Snake and Raiden are captured and taken to the top of Arsenal Gear by Solidus, Fortune, and Ocelot. Ocelot reveals he is a Patriot agent and that the mission was part of the S3 Plan, a project to create a soldier like Solid Snake. Ocelot is possessed by Liquid Snake, who explains his severed arm was replaced with Liquid’s and plans to destroy the Patriots using RAY. Snake pursues Liquid as Arsenal Gear crashes into Manhattan.
Raiden is contacted by an AI impersonating the Colonel and Rose. The AI explains GW was the only AI destroyed and that the S3 Plan’s goal is to control human thought to prevent society from being overwhelmed by trivial information. Raiden is ordered to kill Solidus or risk the deaths of Olga’s child and Rose. After defeating Solidus, Snake appears and helps locate Olga’s child and the Patriots, whose details are hidden in the GW virus disc. Raiden is reunited with the real Rose.
In the end, Otacon and Snake decode the disc and find it contains information about all twelve members of the Patriots’ highest council, the Wiseman’s Committee. However, the members are said to have died 100 years ago.
Themes and analysis
Colonel: In today's digital world, simple and unimportant information is growing quickly, stored in its basic form. This information never disappears and is always available. Rose: Stories about small problems, misunderstandings, and false accusations. Colonel: All this unnecessary information is kept without being checked, and it is increasing very quickly. Rose: This will slow down progress in society and make it harder for people to improve. […] Colonel: The digital world makes human weaknesses worse and rewards simple, half-true ideas. […] Rose: People hide in their own small, safe groups, afraid to join bigger discussions. They stay in their own small areas, sharing only the "truth" that helps them in the messy situation of society. Colonel: The main truths in the world do not fight or work together. No one is proven wrong, but no one is correct. Rose: Not even natural selection can happen here. The world is being covered by "truth." Colonel: This is how the world ends. Not with a loud noise, but with a quiet sigh.
Metal Gear Solid 2 is often seen as the first example of a postmodern video game and is widely studied as a creative work in video games. The story explores many social, philosophical, and cyberpunk topics in detail, including ideas about internet trends, how people are influenced, society, artificial intelligence, controlling information, new types of warfare, secret plans, politics and military actions, evolution, questions about existence, censorship, the nature of reality, the digital age, virtual worlds, child abuse, themes about being different, and the conflict between safety and personal freedom. Since its release, many writers, reporters, and scholars have studied and discussed the game's themes. MGS2 and its earlier version were shown in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's exhibition, The Art of Video Games, in 2012.
In his paper How Videogames Express Ideas, Matthew Weise from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology described Sons of Liberty as "a clear example of a game that uses the difference between how much control players have and how much control the game gives them to create a discussion about different ideas." He noted Solidus Snake's idea that the United States could be a "government that controls people's thoughts" and pointed out how the game shows "how the game's planned path for the player is like the strict control of a government," where, "like the player, Jack has no control except what others give him."
In the book Joystick Soldiers: The Politics of Play in Military Video Games, Tanner Higgin examined the game's "opposing and challenging view of military actions," describing its "complicated story and unusual gameplay" as a "criticism" of "the systems of control over people's lives and information that define modern military and posthuman ideas," and noted that the game "intentionally causes frustration and negative feelings" to "highlight the usual rules and hidden aspects of military video games."
Steven Poole wrote in a 2012 article for Edge, "the story of MGS2, with its clever and grand style, is still much better than most video game stories. … [H]owever, the fact that MGS2 still feels so new and different today might make people worry: does it show the best of a time that is no longer around, the time when experimental ideas were popular? This was, after all, a high-budget game that took big risks and changed common game rules in many ways. Modern big games are much more careful and safe by comparison." Gamasutra noted that the game deals with issues from the digital age and compared its themes to the ideas of Thomas Hobbes, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. The game's ideas about existence match the political ideas of Isaiah Berlin and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, focusing on the struggle between freedom and fairness, and Berlin's idea of "pursuing an ideal," as the player's conflict between different beliefs is a major part of the story.
The game is seen as ahead of its time for exploring themes and ideas that became important in the 2010s. The game has been called "deep," especially the final scene where Raiden talks to an AI pretending to be the Colonel and Rose. In 2011, Dugan Patrick of Gamasutra compared the game to social media and online games, saying it predicted parts of Facebook, such as how people can choose to hide parts of their lives on the internet. In 2016, Alex Wiltshire of Glixel said the game was "surprisingly ahead of its time" and compared it to modern issues like fake news, Facebook's news feed, and the 2016 U.S. election. Other comparisons were made to ideas that became popular in the 2010s, like fake news, echo chambers, and false facts. Cameron Kunzelman of Vice said Metal Gear Solid 2 was still politically important in 2017. In March 2018, GamesRadar compared the game to recent events, such as the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal and investigations into Russian influence in the 2016 U.S. election.
In 2018, Adrian Mróz wrote a paper for the academic journal Kultura i Historia, where the game's idea of "Selection for Societal Sanity" was "used in a philosophical way based on ideas from Bernard Stiegler and connected to modern issues like fake news to explore how technology and filtering affect society and individuals." He noted that, even though the game was made during a time when economic ideas like neoliberalism were popular, its themes still relate to modern issues, such as fake news, the end of strict rules about behavior, confusion between different beliefs, and "the problem of filtering information in a society full of information." IGN said the game's final scene, which breaks the fourth wall, raised important questions about the amount of information in the digital age and how technology has made it harder to know what is real. The game has also been compared to deep fakes, artificial intelligence, and modern battles over information.
Development
The original design document for the game was created by Hideo Kojima in January 1999. This Japanese document was published by Konami in 2002 and translated into English in 2006. It stated that the game was originally named Metal Gear Solid III to represent Manhattan’s three tallest buildings. The document described new game features, such as hiding bodies, enemies detecting shadows, destroying lights to affect enemy vision, realistic enemy behavior that uses teamwork, and multi-level environments that create a sense of vertical tension in stealth gameplay. It also discussed themes like passing on memories, environmental problems, and social issues related to the use of technology in the military, digital simulations, planning, and daily life. The story aimed to include many betrayals and confusing events, making it hard for players to tell what is real and what is not. This was different from the clear story of the previous game.
The game’s production cost was $10 million, similar to the budget of a Japanese Godzilla movie. Kojima said that when he learned about the PlayStation 2 hardware, he wanted to create something new. He wanted to focus more on changing environments in real time instead of just showing details like facial expressions. The game took four years to make, with over 100 people working on it.
For Metal Gear Solid 2, the main character, Solid Snake, was only playable in the beginning part of the game. A new character named Raiden became the player’s main character for the rest of the game. This change allowed the game to show Solid Snake’s story from another character’s perspective and avoided the need to explain basic gameplay to a veteran soldier like Snake. Raiden was designed to appeal to more players after feedback from testers who wanted to see more diverse characters. Preview videos showed scenes involving Raiden, such as a battle on the George Washington Bridge and a fight with a Cyborg Ninja.
According to Kojima in a documentary, the original story involved nuclear inspections in Iraq and Iran, with Solid Snake trying to stop a weapon on an aircraft carrier. However, due to political concerns, the team changed the plot. The tanker in the final game was based on this original idea.
Metal Gear Solid 2 also included references to the novel City of Glass, such as character names. Some characters, like Colonel Daniel Quinn and Maxine “Max” Work, were inspired by the book but were not included in the final game. Their roles were taken over by other characters, like Colonel Campbell and Emma Emmerich.
A character named Chinaman was planned as a villain but was later removed. His abilities, like walking on water and walls, were added to another character named Vamp.
Changes to the game’s ending happened after the September 11 attacks in New York. Scenes showing the Statue of Liberty being destroyed and a newscast about its resting place were removed. Other deleted scenes included a flag being shredded by a character and American flags being removed from New York. The name “Raiden” was changed from katakana (ライデン) to kanji (雷電) because the original spelling resembled “Bin Laden” in Japanese.
Kojima chose Harry Gregson-Williams as the game’s composer after considering Hans Zimmer. Gregson-Williams received a mix CD of his work and agreed to join the project. To help with language barriers, he was given short descriptions of scenes to guide the music. He also adapted the original Metal Gear Solid theme for the game’s opening.
Norihiko Hibino, who worked on previous Konami games, handled the in-game music and reworked Gregson-Williams’ theme for cutscenes. The game’s music included orchestral and choir pieces for cutscenes and ambient music for gameplay. It also used more electronic sounds, like breakbeat, to reflect the story’s focus on technology. A jazz song titled “Can’t Say Goodbye to Yesterday” was performed by Carla White and included as the ending theme.
The game’s main theme was featured in a compilation by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and is played during the Video Games Live concert. A part of the theme was also used in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
Release
Sons of Liberty was first released in North America on November 13, 2001, before it was released in Japan. Because of this, the change in the main character was not kept secret in the Japanese version before its release. A preview event was held in Zepp Tokyo on the same day as the North American release, where the character Raiden was introduced to the Japanese public. As a result, the Japanese packaging shows Raiden standing next to Solid Snake, unlike the American and European versions, which only show Solid Snake. A questionnaire was added in the Japanese version to ask players about their experience with the original Metal Gear Solid and action games. The answers to this questionnaire determine the game’s difficulty and whether players start the game on the Tanker chapter or skip to the Plant chapter (an option available only after completing the game once in the American version). The Japanese version also includes two extra game modes: Boss Survival, where players replay boss battles as Snake or Raiden, and Casting Theater, where players can watch cutscenes and replace character models.
The Japanese version was released on November 29, 2001, two weeks after the American version. Like the original Metal Gear Solid, Sons of Liberty was sold in a limited "Premium Package" edition alongside the standard release. The Premium Package included a black box with a reversible cover (showing Snake on one side and Raiden on the other), a video DVD with Metal Gear Solid-related content, a metallic Solid Snake figurine, and an 80-page booklet titled Metal Gear Chronicle.
The European version was originally scheduled for February 22, 2002, but was released on March 8, 2002, nearly four months after the American and Japanese versions. It included the same features as the Japanese version, plus a new difficulty setting called "European Extreme." The European version came with a video DVD titled The Making of Metal Gear Solid 2, which included promotional trailers, a GameSpot feature, and a documentary filmed at KCE Japan West’s studio. This DVD was included as an apology for the delay, which caused European gaming magazines to cover the game’s details extensively.
Substance, the expanded edition of the game, was released on the original Xbox, Windows, and PlayStation 2. The Xbox version was a timed exclusive in North America, released on November 5, 2002, followed by the PlayStation 2 version in Japan on December 19, 2002. Substance was later released on PlayStation 2 and Windows in North America and on all three platforms in Europe in March 2003. The console versions were developed by KCE Japan, while the Windows version was made by Success.
Substance includes additional game modes beyond the main story, such as Boss Survival, Casting Theater, and European Extreme. Players can now start the main story at the Tanker or Plant chapters without answering a questionnaire. New collectible dog tags were added, and the thermal goggles’ visual effects were updated. FHM-licensed posters in the original version were replaced with public domain images. The Xbox and Windows versions changed some dialogue to use "thumbstick" instead of "analog stick" and adjusted controls for the Xbox version. The Xbox version also supports 5.1 surround sound.
The main addition in Substance is the "Extra Missions" mode, which includes 350 VR missions and 150 "Alternative" missions set in the main story’s locations. Players can choose to play as Solid Snake or Raiden, with alternate outfits unlocked as they progress. These missions are divided into eight categories, though not all are available for every character. Another new feature is "Snake Tales," a set of five story-based missions featuring Solid Snake in the Big Shell and other locations. These missions are not part of the main story and use text instead of voice-acted cutscenes.
The PlayStation 2 version of Substance includes a skateboarding minigame, where players control Snake or Raiden in Big Shell-themed levels. This game uses the same engine as Evolution Skateboarding, developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Osaka.
Famitsu magazine gave the PlayStation 2 version of the game a score of 35 out of 40.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty – HD Edition was released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2011 and on PlayStation Vita in 2012. This version is part of the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection and is available as a digital download. The HD Edition features a 720p resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, compared to the original PlayStation 2 version’s 480i resolution and 4:3 ratio. The PlayStation Vita version runs at qHD resolution. Cutscenes can now be viewed in fullscreen or letterboxed format, and online achievements/trophies were added. Most content from Substance, such as Missions and Snake Tales, was included, though the skateboarding minigame was removed. The PlayStation 3 and Vita versions allow players to transfer save data between platforms via Wi-Fi or a cloud network. The Vita version supports touchscreen and touchpad functions for certain gameplay features.
Related media
The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2 was released as a PlayStation 2 software on September 26, 2002, in Japan and North America. It is an interactive guide that provides detailed information about the development of Sons of Liberty.
The document includes 3D models of characters, scenery, and objects used in the game, as well as unused assets. It also features concept art when available. All real-time cutscenes (also called polygon demos) can be viewed without sound, with the ability to pause, change camera angles, and move through the scenes frame by frame. Additional content includes storyboards, behind-the-scenes footage, preview trailers, music tracks (with alternate patterns when possible), the finalized screenplay, Hideo Kojima's original draft (available only in Japanese), a timeline of development, and a gallery of Metal Gear Solid-related products and merchandise.
The disc also contains a selection of VR training missions later included in Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance. In Europe, the disc was bundled with the PlayStation 2 version of Substance instead of being sold separately. It was also included in the Japanese 20th Anniversary re-release of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty in July 2007.
IDW Publishing released a 12-issue comic book adaptation titled Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty from 2006 to 2007. The comic was illustrated by Ashley Wood and written by Alex Garner. This version changes some scenes from the game, replacing scenes with Raiden with those featuring Snake.
A digital version of the comic, titled Metal Gear Solid 2: Bande Dessinée, was released in Japan on June 12, 2008. Originally planned as a PlayStation Portable game, it was instead released as a DVD film. A fully voiced version of the graphic novel adaptation of the first Metal Gear Solid is also included.
A novelization of the game was written by Raymond Benson and published by Del Rey. The American paperback edition was released on November 24, 2009. Most character interactions in the novel are taken directly from the Codec conversations in the game.
A second novelization, written by Kenji Yano under the pen name Hitori Nojima and titled Metal Gear Solid Substance II, was published in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten on September 24, 2015. This novelization describes events from the Plant chapter in real-time from the perspective of a young man living in Manhattan.
Reception
Metal Gear Solid 2 received very high praise from reviewers on Metacritic, a website that collects game reviews. It is one of the highest-rated games on the site and the highest-rated exclusive game for the PlayStation 2. Game Informer gave the game a perfect score of 10/10, while GameSpot gave it a 9.6 rating. GameSpot said, "You must play Metal Gear Solid 2." Critics praised the game's stealth gameplay, improvements from the first game, and its detailed graphics, especially how the game used in-game graphics to create story scenes.
The game's storyline was at first controversial. Hideo Kojima, the game's creator, wrote a script that explored many social, philosophical, and cyberpunk themes in depth. Some critics called it the first postmodern video game. However, others found the story confusing and too complicated for an action game. They also said the long dialogue sections interrupted gameplay and were hard to follow. The game's choice to use a new character, Raiden, as the main player for most of the game instead of Solid Snake, the series' longtime hero, also upset some fans.
Blake Fischer, who reviewed the PlayStation 2 version of the game for Next Generation, gave it five stars out of five. He said, "MGS2 is everything we hoped it would be, and more. Great action, an enthralling story, and plenty of surprises make this the PS2 game to get this holiday season."
Many gamers were excited about the release of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. The game's E3 2000 demo showed the PlayStation 2's potential, with many praising its realistic look. Hyper Magazine called it "the most anticipated game for the PlayStation 2" in 2001.
In Japan, the game sold 400,000 copies on its first day and had 600,000 pre-orders. It sold 687,000 copies in 2001, becoming the tenth-best-selling game of that year in Japan and the best-selling Konami game in the country. In the United States, it sold 500,000 copies in two days and 680,000 copies in five days. It was the top-selling game in November 2001, with 1.8 million copies sold, and topped the video game rental chart that month. It was one of the top four best-selling games of 2001 in the U.S. By July 2006, it had sold 2 million copies in the U.S. alone and earned $85,000,000 (equivalent to $155,000,000 in 2025). Next Generation ranked it as the 16th highest-selling game for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in the U.S.
In Europe, the game had 1.57 million pre-orders, more than Konami expected. In the United Kingdom, it sold 200,000 copies and earned £9 million ($13,000,000 or $23,000,000 in 2025) within three days. The PlayStation 2 version received a "Platinum" sales award from ELSPA, meaning it sold at least 300,000 copies in the UK. It also received a Platinum Award in Germany for selling more than 200,000 copies.
By 2003, the game sold over 7 million copies worldwide. By 2004, the original version had sold 5.64 million copies, and the version called "Substance" had sold 1.39 million, for a total of 7.03 million copies sold globally, making it the highest-selling game in the series.
Awards and honors include:
– E3 2000 Game Critics Awards: "Special Commendation for Graphics"
– E3 2001 Game Critics Awards: "Best Console Game," "Best Action/Adventure Game"
– Edge: "Innovation of the Year"
– Game Informer 2001 Game of the Year Awards: "Game of the Year"
– Japan Game Awards 2001-2002: "Excellence Award"
– AIAS 5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards: "Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design"
GameSpot named Metal Gear Solid 2 the fourth-best console game of 2001 and gave it its annual "Best Music" and "Biggest Surprise" awards. It was nominated for awards in categories like "Best PlayStation 2 Game," "Best Sound," "Best Story," and "Best Graphics." At the 5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the game won the "Sound Design" award and was nominated for "Art Direction" and "Character or Story Development."
"Substance" was nominated for the 2002 "Best Music on Xbox" and "Best Story on Xbox" awards.
Legacy
Since its release, Metal Gear Solid 2 has often been considered one of the best and most important video games ever made. In a 2006 poll by Japan's Famitsu magazine, which asked readers to rank the top 100 games of all time, Metal Gear Solid 2 was listed at number 42. In 2009, Game Informer Magazine included it in a list of the top 200 games of all time, where it was ranked number 50. The game also ranked number 7 on Game Informer's 2008 list of the top ten video game openings. In 2010, GamesRadar included it in a list of seven games known for surprising plot twists. The game was also mentioned in a 2011 book titled 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by Tony Mott and Peter Molyneux. John Linneman of Digital Foundry said the game was a major technical achievement for its time. It showed what the PlayStation 2 hardware could do, with features like realistic lighting, detailed environments, and advanced enemy behavior. These elements allowed players to explore levels that felt like small, interactive worlds. The excitement around Metal Gear Solid 2, especially after its 2000 E3 demo, helped make the PlayStation 2 the most popular console of its generation. It also contributed to the decline of Sega's Dreamcast. John Szczepaniak said, "MGS2 was the game that made the PlayStation 2 popular with many people." In 2008, the game was listed in The Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008 with other Metal Gear games. Major outlets like Electronic Gaming Monthly, Empire, GameFAQs, GameRankings, IGN, Metacritic, Slant, and Stuff have also praised it as one of the greatest games ever made.
In 2009, Wired magazine included Metal Gear Solid 2 in a list of "The 15 Most Influential Games of the Decade," ranking it number 13. The magazine said that many video games that surprise players with unexpected stories owe their ideas to Metal Gear Solid 2. The game's artistic style influenced later titles, such as Killer7, Portal, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, and BioShock, which shared similar storytelling techniques. Features like the cover system and laser sight, introduced in Metal Gear Solid 2, became common in stealth and shooter games, including Kill Switch, Resident Evil 4, and Gears of War. The game's release also inspired Splinter Cell, which Ubisoft created to compete with Metal Gear Solid 2. According to the game's creator, Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear Solid 2 focused more on showing the environment in real time, a trend later seen in games like Call of Duty. Neil Druckmann, a game developer, said the surprise of revealing a character named Raiden in Metal Gear Solid 2 inspired the unexpected twist in The Last of Us Part II (2020).
In a 20-year review, Christian Smith of Collider called Metal Gear Solid 2 a "controversial masterpiece" that changed how video games were made after the year 2000. In 2021, PC Gamer listed the PC version of the game as one of the worst PC ports, noting problems like flickering images, missing effects, and frequent crashes on some systems.
Beyond video games, filmmaker Jordan Peele said Metal Gear Solid 2 inspired him, calling it the work of an artist who creates unique experiences. Some critics have compared parts of Metal Gear Solid 2 to the 2014 movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier, noting similarities like stealth gameplay, villains, close combat, and choices about giving up freedom for security. A review by Eye For Film said the movie's opening scene reminded people of the opening of Metal Gear Solid 2.