Two years have passed since the crisis at Shadow Moses. Snake and Otacon think that they can become members of the professional managerial class if their fledgling anti-Metal Gear NGO, Philanthropy, takes off. But in their quest to get some pictures that will convince Alex Soros to give them $10 million, they run into a different type of PMC: the Gurlukovich Mercenaries and Revolver Ocelot.

Yes, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty marks the start of the infamous "arm subplot." But it's also a technological marvel that pushed past the PS2's limits, a clinic on level design, and you can call Otacon while Snake is jacking off within the first 10 minutes of gameplay. You simply cannot name a single better work of fiction that contains both a multigenerational diarrhea curse and a multigenerational pants-wetting curse. 

You've seen video essays on this game called things like "Metal Gear Solid 2: Wallhugging In Plato's Cave." Guess what: it's time to throw that loot of narrative distinance (?) shit in the TRASH! This is the ONLY valid interpretation of this game ANYWHERE. Fake your death, check your rations for disgusting sea insects, and present your genitalia to President James Johnson. From this day forth, we are the Uncs of Liberty.

Art by Josh Lynch. Theme song by Brendan James, inspired by the work of Tappi Iwase, Kazuki Muraoka and Norihiko Hibino.

[Last episode being a live drop was an accident. I will never do that shit again.]