Metal Gear Solid: Ranking The Series From Worst To Best

4. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty

Speaking of which, 2001 saw the realisation of the first major sequel to Metal Gear Solid as it existed across the late 90s and early 2000s. Stealth as a genre was firmly established thanks to the PS1 version, and with its Hollywood sensibilities and overall production value, the string of teasers and trailers made for a game that was hyped up with wide-eyed anticipation.

What happened next fractured the fanbase. It established Kojima's "F*** my fans, I'll do what I want" mentality, and cemented the expectation that if you're going on the Metal Gear ride, you're going to need to cheer whichever direction the tracks take you - that being; Snake was no longer the main playable character.

It's the stuff of gaming history now, the whole 'You're actually going to be Raiden' switcheroo, but he didn't come with any sacrifice gameplay-wise. Quite the opposite in fact; the foppy-haired whiner could do everything Snake could and more, still managing to frame David Hayter's character in a far stronger light by comparison, as back then Snake was cooler than Sub-Zero's mini fridge.

We popped headshots, held up and interrogated guards, played with explosives and fought life-regenerating vampires - and when the game's themes of socio-political control, family ties, virtual reality and A.I. programs overtaking human thought were as fleshed out and detailed as they were, it all came together in a way that truly made this a landmark release.