Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty , a sequel to the espionage action game Metal Gear Solid , is set two years after the Shadow Moses incident. The player takes control of Raiden, a rookie agent, who must infiltrate the offshore clean-up facility Big Shell and rescue the President of the United States of America from a terrorist organization.
The gameplay involves sneaking past guards, outsmarting them using various gadgets, and defeating tricky boss enemies. The protagonist can pick up a range of weapons, including old favorites like the FAMAS and Socom, as well as new ones such as the AK-47. Martial arts combos can be used to disable guards, and there are options for crawling through small spaces, peeking around corners, and performing acrobatic leaps to evade detection.
The game also features gadgets such as a sneak suit, mine detector, thermal goggles, and others that can aid the protagonist in their mission. The radar system from the original game is still present, alerting the player to guards' positions and showing their field of view. However, it must be disabled when an alarm is sounded, and re-enabled in certain situations.
Like its predecessor, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is heavy on codec conversations and cutscenes, with all cutscenes utilizing the in-game 3D engine and motion captured animations.