Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty vs Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is an action-adventure game from Konami (2001) while Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is an action-adventure game from Konami (2004).
Quick answer: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty has the higher Metacritic, 96 to 91.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
What each one is
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is filed under Action-Adventure. In contrast, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater under Action-Adventure.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is a 2001 action-adventure stealth game developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2. Directed, produced, designed, and written by Hideo Kojima, it is the fourth mainline game in the Metal Gear series, the eighth chronologically, and the sequel to Metal Gear Solid (1998). The game was originally released in November 2001 for North America and Japan and March 2002 for Europe, while an expanded edition, titled Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance was released the following year for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Windows. A high-definition remaster, titled Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty - HD Edition, was first released in 2011 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as part of the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection compilation, with a PlayStation Vita port releasing the following year, and versions for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S following in 2023 as part of Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is a 2004 action-adventure stealth game developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2. It was released in late 2004 in North America and Japan, and in early 2005 in Europe and Australia. Written, produced and directed by Hideo Kojima, the game is the fifth mainline installment in the Metal Gear series and the first chronologically, serving as a prequel to the entire series. Set in 1964, 31 years before the events of the original Metal Gear, the story centers on the FOX operative codenamed Naked Snake as he attempts to rescue Russian rocket scientist Nikolai Stepanovich Sokolov, sabotage an experimental superweapon, and assassinate his defected former boss.
Story, characters and reception
Plot
Setting Sons of Liberty takes place within an alternate history of events, in which the Cold War ended during the late 1990s. The game's story focuses on two narratives that occur around and near New York City the first in 2007, two years after the events of Metal Gear Solid ; and the second in 2009. The game's plot is the fourth chapter of an overarching plot concerning the character of Solid Snake. (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: List of characters in the Metal Gear series The main protagonist of Metal Gear Solid 2 is a young rookie agent named Raiden . He is supported by his commanding officer, the Colonel , and Rosemary , his girlfriend. Allies formed on the mission include Lt. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Critical reception Metal Gear Solid 2 received "universal acclaim" according to review aggregator website Metacritic , where it is one of the highest-rated games on the website, and remains the highest-rated exclusive on the PlayStation 2. Game Informer gave the game a score of 10/10, while GameSpot gave the game a 9. 6 rating, stating, "It boils down to this: You must play Metal Gear Solid 2 . (Wikipedia)
Plot
Setting Snake Eater takes place in an alternate history of events, set within the Cold War during the 1960s. The game's story acts as a prequel to the entire Metal Gear series, exploring the origins of several events covered by previous games, as well as being the first chronological chapter in an overarching story following Big Boss. Characters Main article: List of characters in the Metal Gear series The protagonist of Snake Eater , Naked Snake ( David… (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: List of characters in the Metal Gear series The protagonist of Snake Eater , Naked Snake ( David Hayter / Akio Ōtsuka ), known as Big Boss in subsequent games, is a young former Green Beret assigned to the CIA unit FOX . During his mission, Snake is assisted by fellow FOX members over his radio: Major Zero ( Jim Piddock / Banjō Ginga ), commander of FOX and a former member of the British Special Air Service (SAS), who provides Snake with… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Snake Eater was a commercial success, selling 2. 38 million units in Asia and America by December 2004, and 3. 6 million copies worldwide by August 2005. (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | — | — |
| Steam rating | — | — |
| Critic aggregate | 96/100 | 91/100 |
| Price | Unknown | Unknown |
| Install size | — | — |
| Steam Deck | Untested | Untested |
| Released | 2001 | 2004 |
| Developer | Konami | Konami |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty vs Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of LibertyAction-adventure gameMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake EaterAction-adventure gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of LibertyNo descriptive tagsMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake EaterNo descriptive tagsThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ✓Metacritic 96Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake EaterMetacritic 91Metacritic's critic aggregate, from the game's Wikipedia reception where it was never on Steam.
Price
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of LibertyUnknownMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake EaterUnknownRead live from Steam and subject to change.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty takes 1 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The better reviewed of the two: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Metacritic 96)
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
Common questions
How different are Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater in scope?
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty lists little scope data. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater lists little scope data.
Is Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty or Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater better?
Neither carries enough reviews for us to score it reliably, so we do not call a winner. The table above shows what each does have.
Which is cheaper, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty or Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater?
One or both do not have a current listed price, so a straight comparison is not possible. See the table above.
Should I get Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty or Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater?
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty has the higher Metacritic, 96 to 91. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
All comparisonsHow we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.