Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Developer: Konami Computer Entertainment Japan Publisher: Konami Platform: PlayStation 2 Released in JP: November 29, 2001 Released in US: November 12, 2001 Released in EU: March 8, 2002 Released in KR: May 30, 2002 This game has unused animations. This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused models. This game has unused cinematics. This game has unused music. This game has unused sounds. This game has unused text. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden level select. This game has regional differences. This game has revisional differences. This game has a prototype article This game has a prerelease article

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Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is the highly-anticipated sequel to Metal Gear Solid. Rather than taking control of Solid Snake again, as many would expect from a straightforward sequel, MGS 2 instead played with everyone's expectations by making Snake playable only in the prologue, and then forcing them to play the rest of the game as new character Raiden, who desperately wanted to be just like Snake. How meta.

To do: Resize the cutscene previews. The Making of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty disc has a lot of scrapped content relating to this game along with prerelease material and concept art. It also has additional things, like alternative models of Snake, Mei Ling and the Metal Gear, that would belong on a development page. Apparently, the Master Collection re-releases fix quite a few of the issues from the HD Collection, among other things.

Sub-Pages

Prototype Info

Prerelease Info

Cut Items in UI Textures

UI texture showing multiple items cut from the final version of the game are present in all versions, some of the items were ultimately combined into a single item at the end of development. Some of these weapons were partially usable in the demo version of the game.

Dammy Doll

Gus Mask (phonetic spelling of Gas Mask)

FA-MAS

Ear Tap

X-Ray

Spray EOD / Fire Extinguisher (combined into just the coolant spray in the final version of the game.)

Tripack

Corpse Melting Spray

SPP-1M

Multiple icons for (presumably) status effects related to wearing the gas mask, body armor, and stealth camouflage.

Unused Items

Extra Wig Slots

Using gameshark codes to add unlimited items to your inventory you can find 2 additional unused wigs labeled "Wig C" and "Wig D", both with the generic description "Color Wig" Equipping them doesn't seem to affect any stats, nor does it change Raiden's hair color. Attempting to equip them as Snake either has no effect, simply crashes the game, depending on the scenario they're equipped in.

Unused Audio

Save Failure Codec Calls

Additional codec calls related to using an unformatted PS2 memory card, or due to card corruption.

Unused Models

American Flag (Federal Hall)

Cut due to 9/11, the original scene in New York was supposed to have numerous American flags on the flagpoles in the final area of the game. The original ending was also supposed to have Solidus Snake shred the New York Stock Exchange flag with his sword during the Arsenal Gear crash deleted scene, and have it fall / drape over Solidus's body after his battle with Raiden, with a SWAT officer dragging it off the body afterward.

Unused Cutscenes

NYSE B-Roll

A slightly extended version of the final game's codec dialogue between Raiden and Ames, discussing the effects of an EMP unleashed by the Sons of Liberty. Aside from the real-life footage, Raiden notes that "Black Monday would look like a picnic in comparison." It is unclear if this was cut due to 9/11. The cutscene is also present albeit still unused in Substance and HD Collection.

Lady Liberty's Green Card

This FMV was likely cut due to 9/11 and the fear of offending those shaken by the then-recent disaster. This clip would have been a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Statue of Liberty being a gift from the French.

Karen Hojo News Report

This FMV would have also been part of the original ending, revealing that the Statue of Liberty was displaced by Arsenal Gear and now rests on Ellis Island. The news reporter, Karen Hojo, is a reference to a character in Policenauts, much like Meryl Silverburgh was in MGS1.

Version Differences

US Version

The initial US release of Sons of Liberty (released November 13, 2001) featured bloodier textures and effects during multiple parts of the game.

This includes:

• The corpses of the Marine crew during the Tanker chapter have bloodier textures including increased / more defined stab wounds, and open wounds from their throats being slit open (the neck wounds actually having originally been part of the models themselves, leading to strange geometry being visible when viewing the models from certain angles.)
• Increased blood particle effects during execution scenes (ie Ocelot executing a Grulukovich soldier in the face), and Vamp slicing a SEAL's body (and ultimately slicing open his throat.)
• Two SEAL corpses (which shared textures) having more blood on their chest & arms after being killed by Vamp.
• Less blood and different camera angles when Peter Stillman's body is revealed in the Shell 2 Core.

These effects were reduced / censored in the Japanese (released November 29, 2001) and European (released March 8, 2002) localizations of the game. The censored versions were used as the base for all future releases of the game, including Substance, the HD collection, and the Master Collection releases.

(Source: Movie Censorship)

Japanese Version

• Voices and text are in Japanese.
• Mr. X "uses a voice changer" when saying quotes from Shadow Moses to Raiden (playing corresponding audio clips from Metal Gear Solid 1.) For example, switching to Grey Fox when stating "watch out, there are claymore mines in that area", "neither enemy nor friend", and when telling Raiden to refer to them as Deepthroat and being questioned as if they meant "as from Shadow Moses", plays a newly recorded voice line from the original Grey Fox VA saying "Mr. X, then." An additional interaction involving Donald Anderson/the DARPA chief is below.

Mr. X (in the voice of Olga Gurlukovich): This security card will unlock all level 2 security doors, including the one into the core. 
The Ninja’s voice changes to that of the DARPA chief in the previous title. 
Mr. X (in the voice of Donald Anderson): It’s called a PAN card. It works together with your body’s own electronic field.

• Solid Snake and Solidus Snake have the same voice actor. This is to cause confusion as to whether Solid Snake is actually the leader of the terrorists until the reveal of Solidus.
• Olga Gurlukovich also shares the same actor as the voice actor for Meryl from Metal Gear Solid. This is to further confuse fans of the MGS1 as to whether it is Solid Snake conspiring with the terrorists. This is the reason Raiden immediately calls Pliskin over the codec after encountering Olga (who was talking to Solidus - whom sounded like Pliskin/Solid) on the roof of Strut E.

• When starting a New Game, a 1st Time option will be available which brings up a questionnaire (voiced by Rosemary) that asks the player about their experience with the first Metal Gear Solid and action games in general. This will affect which difficulty settings will be available and whether the game starts with the Tanker chapter or skips directly to the Plant chapter. Otherwise, if the game detects a cleared save file on the Memory Card, then the choice to play the Tanker or Plant chapters individually or on the same playthrough will be added as well.
• Difficulty settings are also labelled differently, going from Easy to Very Hard. In the American version (as well as all subsequent versions), the difficulty settings go from Very Easy to Hard.
• A short cutscene of Raiden crossing the Strut L oil fence was added after the second Vamp boss fight.
• Basic Actions mode was added, which is a gameplay tutorial accessible by choosing Special from the main menu. Boss Survival and Casting Theater modes are also added to the Special menu after completing the game once.
• During repeated playthroughs of the Tanker chapter on the same save file, a suppressor for the USP handgun can be found on the second floor of the crow's nest after defeating Olga Gurlukovich.
• After completing the second playthrough, Snake and Raiden will start wearing sunglasses on every odd-numbered playthrough (e.g. 3rd, 5th, 7th).
• This is the first version to remove the brown coloration from non-lethal weapon HUD icons, as it was in the US release. This change will persist through all future re-releases.

European Version

Three variants were produced: a multi-language version with text in English, French, and German (SLES-50383), an Italian version (SLES-50384), and a Spanish version (SLES-50385). Unlike the previous game, only English voices are available.

• In addition to the other added content and changes from the Japanese version, European Extreme was also added as a difficulty setting alongside the standard Extreme setting after clearing the game once. European Extreme ups the damage done by enemies and vastly increases enemy sights, letting them see you much further away.

Korean Version

• Voices are in English with text in Hangul.
• The 1st-Time option when starting a New Game was removed. Instead, the game makes you go through both the Tanker and Plant chapters on your first playthrough, just like the American version.
• The FHM-supplied posters that adorned various locations throughout the game were replaced by new public-domain ones. This change would also be in effect in The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2, as well as Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance

An expanded version of Metal Gear Solid 2. Released for Xbox first in November 2002 (US) and in March 2003 (Europe), followed by PS2 in December 2002 (Japan) and March 2003 (US/Europe) and Windows in March 2003 (US/Europe).

• Voices are in English for all regions, including Japan.
• All the content from the European version is present.
• The 1st Time option after starting a New Game was removed. Instead, you are given a choice to play through the Tanker and Plant chapters in one playthrough or individually from the get-go.
• The visual effects of the Thermal Goggles when the item is equipped by the player was changed.
• Solidus Snake's line when he comes out from hiding in Arsenal Gear's Rectum (yes, that's the name of an actual location in the game) was changed from "No more games, Raiden" to "No more games, Jack", keeping it consistent with Solidus' characterization (as he never addresses Raiden by his codename in any other instances and always uses his real name).
• In Sons of Liberty Snake can say "Good" and "All right" when correctly taking a picture of Metal Gear Ray. In Substance he only says "Good". This change carries over to all future versions.
• All particle / smoke effects run at double speed on the Xbox and PC ports. This issue is carried over to all versions of the HD Collection and Master Collection.
• Vector based rain effects are not scaled properly on the Xbox and PC ports. This issue is carried over to all versions of the HD Collection and Master Collection.
• Clouds during the Plant intro cutscene do not render correctly.

Original (Sons of Liberty) Plant Intro	Substance

Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection

Ported by Bluepoint Games and released in 2011 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with a PlayStation Vita port released in 2012. This list compares the PS2 and PS3 versions.

• UI textures remade, textures upscaled using Sony PCL's "Real Scaling for HD" algorithm.
• All textures now have an alpha layer to them, leading to numerous instances of z-fighting and invisible textures (for example, being able to see Ray's water cannon through its head during the Tanker hijack, and the M9's laser device being transparent and missing the front texture all together.)
• Entire game reframed for 16:9. This means expanding and/or cropping every area of the game.
• Length of Solidus's button mashing torture reduced.
• Extended load time added before every codec conversation.
• Grenades take too long to explode.
• Raiden can use Sensor A before node interaction on PS2. On PS3 Raiden must interact with the node first.
• Mochizuki Saya poster (Deck-A, Crew's Quarters - left locker) significantly darkened. Several other posters of girls were darkened as well.
• Depth of field blurring is diminished throughout.
• In two instances the DOF effect is missing from foreground objects (a Gurlukovich soldier's leg in the cutscene before the shootout in the Tanker holds, and a US Marine's gun on the left side of the screen in the game over cutscene which plays if Snake is discovered in the very first area of the Scott Dolph speech section). These omissions are shared with the PC version.
• One alternate camera angle during gameplay - first shot of first area of the Scott Dolph speech section, when Snake starts at the top of the ladders. This curious change is shared with the PC version.
• Light beams emanating from Snake's suit as the stealth camo shorts out render too small.
• Color filters missing from 5 scenes.
  • Snake's stealth camo shorts out during introductory cutscene - cyan filter.
  • Raiden interacts with node and is electrocuted - high contrast filter.
  • Raiden's face reveal going up the elevator to the top of Strut A - cyan filter.
  • Otacon cries with parrot in Shell 1 Core B2 - dark blue filter.
  • Olga as Mr. X hits Raiden with her HF Blade - high contrast filter.

Light Beams & Missing Color Filters

• Crossfade effect missing in cutscenes.
• The lightning from Fortune's railgun charging mostly doesn't render.
• Weird audio quality for UI. Codec bleep and menu beeps sound tinny. When scrolling through options, the beep randomly becomes louder than it should be.
• Campbell's swimming tutorial re-recorded to change "left analog stick" to "left stick".
• Background textures for clear screen and Snake Tales text scenes are improperly stretched from 4:3 to 16:9.
• Convex lens effect missing from sniper rifle scope.
• Cutscenes rendered in full 16:9 widescreen, 1.85:1 inside 4:3 frame on PS2.
• New typo introduced in one prerendered cutscene. "George Sears" on PS2, "Gorge Sears" on PS3.
• Node interaction on PS2 defaults to "Exit" option. PS3 defaults to Radar mode selection. The PC version defaults to Vibration toggle.
• In addition to the clouds not rendering correctly during the Plant intro sequence as with the Substance version, a light source is layered incorrectly resulting in a large white light circle being visible during most shots.

Original (Sons of Liberty) Plant Intro	HD / Master Collection