Metal Gear Solid 2: Progress (or lack thereof)

You would think that after such an enjoyable first time session with Metal Gear Solid 2 that I would have played it again and perhaps even be finished with the game by now, but unfortunately that is not the case.

I have already gone against the guidelines for my commitment to completing older games by not playing the game within a week of the last session with the game which is really disappointing to know.

The reasons behind it are relatively simple. After returning to Mass Effect to finish off some achievements and my second play through (now onto my third), the game drew me in again and I got hooked on it. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much because I had seen most of what the game had to offer but it turns out I was wrong. I was loving the idea of playing through it again and because I was playing it differently (as a Renegade and making a few different choices), it almost felt like my first time with the game again.

The second reason is because of Grand Theft Auto IV. Not only did I fall completely for the hype, I got to the point where nothing except GTA IV mattered in the lead up to its release. Even Mass Effect lost its enjoyment in the last few weeks before GTA's release and as such, I just completely ignored MGS 2 as a result. There were quite a few nights where I considered firing it up and at these times I knew that if I did, I would enjoy what I was playing but the lack of motivation for anything other than GTA just changed the way I played games for a while. Fast forward to the last week or so and naturally with GTA being out, that is all I have been playing. Last time I checked I have clocked over 50 hours of the game and I'm still not finished with the story and I still haven't tried half of the things that you can do in the game.

So that is why I haven't played Metal Gear Solid 2 recently and therefore, also why there have been no blog entries about it. As I said before it is disappointing to know that I have broken my guidelines, especially when you factor in that this is the first game I have committed to so far. Does that show something about me as a gamer, a possible lack of commitment? Or was it just a case of bad timing for starting MGS 2 in the first place? I can't answer that so all that is left to say is that, well, hopefully when I do return to the game (and I do intend to) I can get back into it and see it through to the end. When I do resume playing, I will also try my utmost hardest to stick to my own guidelines because if I can't, then what is the point in having them in the first place?

For now though, it's back to Liberty City for me...