8. When Snake Became Raiden (Metal Gear Solid 2)
KonamiNow let's get one thing straight, although there'll be loads of you out there who just nodded in approval at this entry, MGS 2 is still a phenomenal game. It still features Solid Snake - albeit in one level that most fans played for 'free' as a demo alongside Zone of the Enders - and it still had a very weighty, thought-provoking plot that dealt with patriotism, politics and power-hungry octopus-suited villains. So far,
so Metal Gear. However, what we're referencing with this point was that moment you realised you were in the eye of the bait n' switch. That moment when all the previous trailers and gameplay footage of Snake boiled over into an immense rage, and we realised we'd been deceived. We all thought 'Snake' sounded a bit different in these newer levels before he was introduced properly, and all our fears were confirmed when it turned out to be Raiden - the foppy-fringed albino with a penchant for wussery who ended up one step behind Snake at all times. Hideo Kojima's gamble did pay off in the long run, as he noted himself the only way to add extra dimension to the character was to make you see him through someone else's eyes. But come on Koj, did you have to be so cut and dry about it?