Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty – All Boss Battles, Ranked

Highlights

The boss battles in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty are more cinematic, compelling, and complex, offering visual flair and a wider variety of twists and attack patterns.
Some boss battles in the game have notable upsides and leave a stronger lasting impression compared to others, but picking out the best battles is not an easy feat.
The battle against the army of Metal Gear RAYs is the high point of the game's bosses, offering an open and spacious environment with intense action and a demanding endurance round.

With the increased power and memory of the PlayStation 2, Konami took the boss battles of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty to new heights entirely. Not only were they paired up with more cinematic intros and outros, but they also offered more compelling and complex battles on the whole. Bomb-defusing, swordplay, blasting knives mid-flight - it all came with visual flair and a wider variety of twists and attack patterns.

Naturally, picking out the best battles in Metal Gear Solid 2 is by no means an easy feat, though each of them has notable upsides. Some, naturally, just have a lot more punch and leave a stronger lasting impression compared to others. So, the question remains: which are the greatest of the bunch, and why?

8 Gurlukovich’s Soldiers

Gurlukovich’s Soldiers approaching Snake's position

A squad of Russian soldiers will assault Snake’s position.
Some will roll and jump out of cover to attack.
Killing, tranquilizing, or knocking them out are all viable strategies.

It’s a bit of a shame that Snake gets handed the weaker battles in the game, as the assault from Gurlukovich’s Soldiers feels more like a shooting gallery that shoots back. The troops will mix things up with some surprise entrances, but its narrow setting doesn’t really do it any favors.

It’s good training to get used to the first-person aiming mechanics, though one can’t help but feel like it’s a bit of padding to elongate the chapter. There are no bells or whistles to be found with this fight in particular.

7 Olga Gurlukovich

Olga Gurlukovich from Metal Gear Solid 2

Olga Gurlukovich fights Snake on the Tanker.
She will try to flush Snake out from cover with grenades.
The spotlight and waterproof cover over the metal girders will be used to obscure her position.

Olga is a decent boss to fight. She rambles about her life story during the battle, which is uninteresting to listen to. Still, it does have more than a few interesting tidbits to keep it from being too monotonous. She’ll shine a spotlight to blind the player, obscure her position with a tarp, and can lob grenades.

Since the powerful Olga is often running around for cover, there are ample opportunities to shoot her with the tranquilizer gun. Its single-shot capabilities make the battle a little slower and more challenging without making it overstay its welcome. Regardless, there are better fights after this introductory duel.

6 Fortune

Fortune cannot be defeated in this battle.
Her attacks must be dodged until the elevator behind her reaches the floor.
A cardboard box can help Raiden move around while keeping his head lower.

The fight against Fortune is strange, as she cannot be killed. So, the sole goal of this encounter is to survive. She’ll fire almost randomly if Raiden is not a clear target; shooting her will simply result in the bullets or darts being deflected while she lines up an easier shot.

It’s better than Olga’s fight because it requires constant vigilance from the railgun that will batter crates and metal, not to mention detonate barrels and even cause parts of the ceiling to collapse. Limited space and a gradual loss of hiding places do make it quite tense.

5 Harrier Jet

Raiden hiding from a Harrier Jet on a metallic bridge, equipped with an empty pistol

Solidus Snake pilots a jet.
It is equipped with miniguns, firebombs, and missiles.
The Stinger's homing missiles can chase the jet when it's looping.

The Harrier Jet is a tough cookie of a fight, as it has various attack patterns that must be memorized. Pliskin will supply Raiden with a Stinger, which is essential for this fight, thanks to its homing capabilities.

Compared to the Hind D in the previous game, the Harrier will frequently fly around the map, offering a chance to stock up or fire rockets to chase after it. The whizzing of incoming bombs with seconds to go until impact, combined with bullet showers and its other hit-and-run tactics, all add to the frantic nature of the fight.

4 Fatman

Fatman will drop explosives around the helipad that must be deactivated.
Melee attacks can knock him over to expose his unprotected head.
He will call out when he’s resuming or taking a break from his bombing run.

Fatman is a big threat. Sliding around on roller skates, it’s not so much his means of an attack proving to be the biggest threat here, though his fully-automatic pistol and head-on collisions will deal a nasty blow. Instead, it’s the explosives he’ll scatter around.

The nearby shelves offer ample cover, but will be home to his bombs he'll place hastily. Keeping the bomb detector in hand is essential, as it’s all over if the timer hits zero. That’s why it’s just that little bit more intense than the Harrier: Fatman just refuses to give breathing space.

3 Vamp

Vamp utilizes throwing knives and can freeze Raiden in place.
The surrounding waters will instantly kill Raiden.
Shooting the water with Stinger missiles while he’s swimming will reduce his stamina.

Players won’t have a lot of space to fight Vamp in. The surrounding waters will drag him under and not let go, but Vamp swims through them seamlessly. His freakish powers come to shine when he balances atop railings, tossing knives at a frozen Raiden for easy damage. Good thing they can be shot down.

Vamp’s skittishness and flair for acrobatics make him tough to hit, and the limited space makes the encounter uncomfortably close. Conversely, there remains more than enough room to dodge attacks and reposition oneself in order to sneak in some headshots.

2 Solidus Snake

Metal Gear Solid 2 Raiden Versus Solidus Snake Sword Fight Final Battle

Armed with HP Blades, Solidus battles Raiden alone in the final boss fight
He will remove his mechanical tentacles for increased speed.
Punches will damage his stamina, in case swinging the HP Blades proves inopportune.

The eldest of the Snake brothers, Solidus Snake takes things a step further with the last battle. No guns, just swords. That won’t stop him from pulling off some nasty tricks, like firing projectiles and bolting frantically across the rooftop of the New York County Courthouse before dealing a hefty blow. The fiery trails he leaves behind make him even more treacherous to battle.

It should be noted that Solidus will leave his guard open to a few swings from the blade at times. However, once he sheds his armor, he’ll zip around even faster. Well-timed parries and strikes in between his combos and precise kicks will guide a patient and observant player to victory in a befittingly epic finale to the game.

1 Metal Gear RAYs

Metal Gear Ray fight Metal Gear Solid 2 MGS2

A swarm of Metal Gear RAYs will attack the player in groups.
They use missiles, machine guns, and their high-pressure water cannon.
Shooting the legs and the exposed mouth will deliver hefty damage.

A truly amazing boss battle to almost round off the game, the battle against the army of Metal Gear RAYs is the high-point of Metal Gear Solid 2’s bosses. Depending on the difficulty, there may be only a trio for the easiest setting, with considerably more on Normal and higher. Water cannons, bullets, and heat-seeking missiles pepper the open, spacious environment on offer, which more than makes up for the lack of places to hide.

Metal Gear Solid - Cutscenes You Probably Haven't Seen COVER

Metal Gear Solid - 10 Hidden Cutscenes You Probably Haven't Seen

There are so many secret or alternate cutscenes that play out a bit differently in the Metal Gear Solid series.

Raiden is totally exposed at all times, and there’s nary a moment to rest. The amount of action going on is never overwhelming, yet it’s more than enough to leave a lasting impression in this demanding and impactful endurance round against these mechanical powerhouses.