Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake Review (staticsnake)
Have been a big Metal Gear series fan for a long time, since around MGS1, yet I had never brought myself to play these older entries. With this new Master Collection, and a more official way to pay on Steam, with hopefully cloud saves keeping my saves for the future, and some achievements to earn, plus add-on bonus content like the Master Book and Screenplay, I decided to give this a whirl.
Even if you wind up using a guide (I did and I'm glad I did so I wouldn't miss anything), I think MG & MG2 have a unique charm to them that should be experienced by any fan of the series. Both games certainly felt underwhelming at first, but as I focused on objectives and got deeper in, it became impressive how much is actually included in and possible in these incredibly old games. The stories alone have some character development and deep progression not really seen out of games from that time, and it's honestly surprising that it really does lay a foundation to make Solid Snake seem the greatest soldier ever, even before you get to MGS (1998).
Another reason fans of the series should play these is the fact that there are an incredible number of references you will cherish. I was surprised how many iconic moments, sequences, and gameplay elements from later on in the series are in these two original entries. Things I thought began in one of the MGS games actually happened here first, and then later the MGS games were clearly paying homage to these games. It's deep full of what feel like easter eggs for fans of the series, if you're like so many of us and have extensively played the MGS games but not these two.
You also unlock a boss survival mode when you beat each game. You can also play on easy and get the experience. There's also a nice progression from MG to MG2 in how they added new interesting gameplay elements. It sets each game in its own atmosphere, and gives each game its own unique flair.
You are missing out by not playing these. It does add a bit more fullness to the overall Metal Gear story arc and lore, such as for characters like Gray Fox and Colonel Campbell. Additionally, some elements of the games are old fashioned and obnoxious, such as a lot of backtracking for things at times, or finding out the hard way you were supposed to know something you couldn't have known, or the fact that saves and continues only occur at specific points. However, I encourage you to push through those annoyances, because the experience is worth it.