There used to be a great video on YouTube of the E3 crowd reacting to the first Metal Gear Solid 2 footage, but I can't seem to find it. Rest assured though, it was Melee '01-levels of disbelief in the audience.
I remember magazines at the time (Next-Generation, maybe?) talking at length about the Emotion Engine and how it would allow, among other things, for more detailed facial expressions.
I almost wonder if Sony specifically instructed Crystal Dynamics to try to use it in SR2 as much as possible for promotional materials, because the degree of lip movement and detail of facial movement on that game is way more expressive than almost anything else on the platform, despite being an early title.
I found that too, but I remember seeing some uncut footage from the back of the crowd a few years ago... oh well.
But yes, MGS2 was a real wake-up call for Western studios that didn't focus on strong direction and writing. Even though the finished product was notoriously panned at release, you can tell that Kojima's influence was being felt across the industry. Wish I wasn't playing stupid-ass Splinter Cell back then...
There used to be a great video on YouTube of the E3 crowd reacting to the first Metal Gear Solid 2 footage, but I can't seem to find it. Rest assured though, it was Melee '01-levels of disbelief in the audience.