After saying that I hoped Konami wouldn't offer up a weak sequel to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night as they did with Metal Gear Solid 2, I remembered a discussion that Ruffin and I had had a while back about what differentiated MGS from MGS2. In many ways, they are similar. Both are long on preachy cut-scenes interspersed with sneaking and occasional shooting. Both have gimmicky boss battles that break out of the normal flow of gameplay. Both have great music and, for each respective platform, amazing graphics. And on and on. Yet, there is one distinction, a huge one, that distinguishes the earlier game as a far finer work.

That distinction is the depth of the characterization and quality of the writing, especially for the villains. When I think back to the folks I fought in Metal Gear Solid, I can remember most battles quite distinctly. The square-room shootout with Revolver stands out more clearly than most, but taking on the Ninja amongst the cubicles and Psycho Mantis in the executive office still rank near the top. The improbably dressed Sniper Wolf is memorable more for her interaction with Otacon, and Raven is the weakest of all. Well, aside from Decoy Octopus, poor guy.

I recall watching with great interest the denouements after each of those battles, because they included some insights into the characters. The parallel that Psycho Mantis draws between his life and Snake's is unforgettable, as is the description of Wolf's heritage and how she became a cold, solitary killer. Ninja's finale comes much, much later than his battle with Snake but his masochistic pleading during his battle evokes in me the image of Cordwainer Smith's scanners (from "Scanners Live in Vain"), men who have become machines yet wish to feel human again. And, as with most tortured souls on Shadow Moses Island, you can't help by feel that Grey Fox finds peace in death that he could not find in life. Each is compelling in his or her own unique way.

Contrast this crew with the sorry lot in MGS2: Olga, Fortune, Fatman, Vamp, and Solidus. Olga is the most interesting of these, and not just because she's got those well-textured underarms either. Fatman is a little more fun, but could have used a little more Sydney Greenstreet bombast. Fortune and Vamp have some insipid romantic interest that's never well-developed nor in the least bit compelling. Aside from that, they aren't very interesting or even fun to battle; in fact, they're annoying more than anything else. You grind through the battles just to move the plot forward, and nothing of consequence or gravity is ever said to make you feel otherwise.

Finally there are the main characters, Snake and Raiden. I've read that Kojima wanted their relationship in MGS2 to be like seeing Sherlock Holmes through the eyes of Watson. Aside from Infocom's Sherlock: Riddle of the Crown Jewels, that a fairly original idea for a game, and one that would make a very interesting game. Yet it pays to remember that we're playing to watch Sherlock/Snake, not Watson/Raiden. So, when great gobs of MGS2 are spent watching Raiden and his girlfriend whine their way through relationship angst, the wheels quickly come off. Any day of the week I'll take Meryl reciting her cloying "war is ugly" monologue over a majority of the dialogue in MGS2. At least I can remember Meryl and her speeches; I challenge you to recall one specific, substantive thing that Raiden's girlfriend said. Or that Vamp said. Or Fortune. Or even Raiden. It's shocking, really, considering just how much time is spent talking in MGS2.

Anyway, I've said my peace. MGS was fun and filled with memorable characters and lines; MGS2 was fun, but filled with throwaway yammering and flat personalities.