Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance



Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance is a multi-platform updated version of the original MGS2 released for the PlayStation 2, as well as the Xbox and PC. The game contains the main Sons of Liberty game with some subtle alterations (including new infrared effects for the thermal goggles and a new set of dog tags), as well as the inclusion of Boss Survival and Casting Theater modes that were missing in the North American version of the original game. The "Substance" subtitle was inspired by Hideo Kojima's love of the bands Joy Division and New Order, both bands sharing members and releasing singles compilations titled "Substance".

The main addition of Substance is the inclusion of nearly 500 stand-alone missions (similar to those from VR Missions/Special Missions) with 300 missions set in a VR environment (including a set of missions played for a first person view) and 200 "Alternative Missions" (including bomb disposal missions) that take places in areas from the main game. In Missions mode, the player can choose between Solid Snake and Raiden, as well as five alternate versions of both (such as Raiden in the Cyborg Ninja exoskeleton or Snake in his original sneaking suit from Metal Gear Solid). Substance also includes five plot-based "Snake Tales" missions starring Solid Snake. Due to the low production value of these missions, there is no spoken dialogue (plots are narrated through on-screen text displayed at key points) and all of the enemies and areas are from the main game (the majority taking place in the Big Shell). Exclusive to the PS2 version is the inclusion of a bonus skateboarding mode, based on the Evolution Skateboarding engine and featuring Snake and Raiden on the Big Shell.

Substance was originally released as an Xbox timed-exclusive in North America on November 5, 2002. The PS2 version was held back until March, 2003 and released alongside the PC version. All three versions of the game were released almost simultaneously in Europe, the PS2 version being bundled with The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2 to make up for a substantial delay in its release. Substance was released in Japan on December 19, 2002 for the PS2 only. The Xbox version is not compatible with the Xbox 360.

Missions
These objective-based missions are divided up into alternative missions where the action takes place in the environments from the game and VR training.

The different mission modes are as follows:


 * Photo Mode - The player must take a photo using the Camera to complete the stage.
 * Bomb Disposal mode - Similar to an objective in the main game, the player must disarm bombs on the stage using Coolant spray.
 * Weapon mode - Standard VR mission consisting of weapons training.
 * Sneaking mode - Standard VR mission consisting of sneaking training.
 * Eliminate all - Missions themed where the player must kill, tranquilize, or knockout all of the guards in the area before moving on.
 * Holdup mode - The player must hold up all of the guards before they can proceed.
 * Variety mode - These missions can vary from eliminating all of the enemies on the stage while in the dark with limited ammo, to protecting a bowl of curry from incoming guards using a PSG-1.

Snake Tales
Due to some fans dislike of Raiden as the main character of Metal Gear Solid 2, a series of stories were created involving Snake in the Big Shell environments. The missions are described using screens of text instead of the usual codec, as no voiceovers were recorded for these missions.

Boss Survival
The player must fight all the bosses from the main game in sequence as either Snake or Raiden.

Skateboarding
In the North American version of Substance, a demo of sorts was released for Evolution Skateboarding, an upcoming Konami skateboarding game. The player can choose from either Snake or Raiden, and you can skateboard around Big Shell strut environments completing different objectives, such as grinding on rails, doing tricks, and destroying enemy Cyphers.

The Skateboarding minigame was only included exclusively on the PS2 version. Xbox and PC users were left out, even though the Xbox version was the first to be released.

Casting Theater
This is a mode that allows you to select cutscenes from the main game and select different character models for each of the roles. Included in the models you can choose, besides the main cast of characters, are MGS1 Snake, Tuxedo Snake, and 1998 Snake and Ocelot.

Trivia

 * An early in-game pic included a picture of Raiden on the Tanker with his H.F. Blade fighting an attack squad. However, there is no mission where Raiden is on the Tanker. The picture can also be seen on the back of the Xbox game case.