Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

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Being a long time MGS fan, my hopes were not particularly high with this game. The absurd title, the ludicrous box art (which looks like something from the 90s), the temporary cancellation of the project, and the departure from the MGS tradition, all led me to believe that this was a disaster in the making (despite Platinum's fine track record). Fortunately, I've been pleasantly surprised by the quality of this game... "Rising" is a blast to play for anybody who enjoys action games (whether you're an MGS fan or not).

Foremost, the game does manage to retain the feeling that it's actually occurring inside the MGS universe, despite its over-the-top nature (and in terms of physics, anything our protagonist does in "Rising" is not far from what Vamp achieved in MGS2 and 4). Longtime fans will be pleased by the inclusion of familiar sights, sounds, and themes, even if the gameplay is radically different. Raiden, of course, returns, and his inclusion as the protagonist is bound to please any MGS fan who has wanted to step into the shoes of a ninja on the level of the legendary Gray Fox.

The heart of this game, like any action title, is its combat mechanics, and here "Rising" shines. Raiden moves with an effortless grace, and when he strikes, it carries a convincing "weight" that exceeds even the likes of "God of War" and "Bayonetta". His "ninja run" while goofy in name, is a blast to execute, as are his assortment of magnificent combos.

When it comes to Japanese wackiness, I've pretty much seen it all at this point in my life. Giant robots, ninjas, and cyborgs generally come off as tired and cliched to me, but somehow, "Rising" makes these concepts seem fresh and EXCITING. What's the secret? The game uses a beautiful style of presentation that is incredibly slick, resulting in an artistic, vibrant mode of visual storytelling that is a pleasure to behold. Despite the ludicrous dialogue, mediocre voice acting, and marginal plot, the game's visual flair picks up the slack, and makes this somewhat-cheesy story work. It takes cyborg-ninjas (the "Winds of Destruction" are on par with finest of MGS bosses), and makes them viable, turning them into showmen that are simply a blast to watch and engage with. The gameplay is nicely balanced with expertly rendered cut scenes that always impress, and are kept to lengths that are actually appropriate (another breaking from MGS tradition). This game is so visually impressive, it actually made me want a bigger TV, to better digest the spectacle!

The limitations of this game are as follows: The camera will fight against you a bit too often, particularly during blade mode, when it will inexplicably perform a 180 and send you facing the wrong way (while you're using your limited energy to pull off this special move). I hope this is corrected with a future patch. Another weak spot is that the mechanics, while largely intuitive, could have been explained much better during the game. I must have missed the part where they tell you how to parry (a skill you need in order to even get past the first boss, much less complete the game), and I actually had to go online to figure out how to do it. There is no explanation of parrying anywhere in the menus. Hint: Press "square" (X on the 360) and flick the analog stick at the incoming attack at just the right moment, in order to parry.

The greatest weakness, however, is an ill-fitting soundtrack that simply does not fit with the world of MGS. Fortunately, you can go into the options from the menu and turn the music level down, while leaving the sound effects at their normal level. The soundtrack was a point of contention where Platinum butted heads with Konami. I feel that Platinum should have yielded to the judgement of Kojima and Konami on this subject, and once more retained the superb services of composer Harry Gregson-Williams.

I rate "Rising" at 4, possibly 4.5 stars. Depending on the enjoyment that can be gleaned from additional play-throughs and the acquisition of unlockables, I may bump that rating up to 5 stars. This is by no means the best Metal Gear game, but it's a fantastic, thrilling ride by any measure.

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Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a new take in a somewhat unexplored direction of the Metal Gear universe. We've always known there were cyborgs and soldiers who handled missions in ways that didn't require stealth. Rising gives us a chance to explore things from a different angle while still retaining the same feel of the Metal Gear series and it does so beautifully.

The gameplay is phenomenal. Platinum has a gift with the Hack N' Slash genre and it shows with Rising. The combat is fluid and challenging while still being fun and accessible. The parry mechanic feature heavily in the game and while it may take some time to master for some, it's incredibly satisfying when you pull off a perfect parry and counter-attack an enemy for extra damage. There are certain fights that require you to have a decent handle of the move as well, and if you don't the game will help you out by beating it into you. The combat just feels GOOD. Zandatsu never got old, and cutting up enemies into tiny little pieces has never been more fun. It's obvious that a lot of time went into the gameplay and with how responsive the controls are and how many different attacks you can do, it doesn't get much better. There are fair amount of purchasable moves in the game, from a dodge to a break-dancing attack to a palm strike that sends opponents flying across the screen. Fighting is intense in this game and it requires your full attention, much more so on higher difficulties where the enemies are MUCH more aggressive and block and parry your attacks more often. They even give you different enemy types depending on the difficulty. Imagine my surprise when I started up Very Hard after my first play-through on Hard mode and the prologue tossed 3 Fenrir type enemies at me(Chainsaw Wolves)almost as soon as I started! I'm almost afraid to try Revengeance difficulty. Normal is a perfect place to start for people unfamiliar or just not well versed in the genre. It's a moderate challenge but one that won't cause too much frustration.

Without spoiling anything, the story is pretty good. It's not as in-depth as some of the other Metal Gear games, but it's good in it's own right and there are plenty of codec calls that delve deeper into things. Doktor for instance will happily chatter on about other cyborg's capabilities, pseudo-science, and how things have advanced in the Metal Gear world and occasionally gives you a bit of back-story on certain things while Raiden tries to keep up with him. The bosses have an usual method of telling you about themselves as well, while some do speak about their past, it's actually their battle themes that tell their story. When the lyrics kick in, they actually mean something to each one of them and I loved how it was done. While I wish there was a bit more exposure to some the bosses before actually fighting them, I thought the story and characterization of everyone was done well. I don't think there was even one character I didn't like. There are also a few references to old characters in the game, usually through codec conversations. Snake, Otacon, and even Rose get some mentions and there are plenty of easter eggs for Metal Gear Solid fans.

Spinning off of that, the music fits the game perfectly. It's heavy, loud, aggressive, and just like the game it wants you to pay attention to it. Depending on the stage of battles the music changes, boss fights and mini-bosses show this off more prominently but it is there in smaller battles. The music really sets the tone for the game and gets you pumped up during enemy encounters. Rules of Nature, which plays during the prologue is one of my favorite as it's "high point" kicks in during a particularly amazing section, but really all of it is fantastic.

The graphics are nothing to scoff at either, despite the environments being a little sparse at times. The colors are bright, and the models are smooth. The characters look gorgeous and well crafted, and it was nice to see Raiden's reactions to things playing out through his expressions as well as through his words.

The game also has a lot of replay value. Between the increased difficulty that makes the difference between Hard and Very Hard seem like entirely different games and all the un-lockable weapons, costumes, and VR missions there's a lot of time to be had with this game. There are also the DLC missions to look forward to, one of which gives you the opportunity to play as Jetstream Sam and the other which supposed to focus on LQ-84i.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a fantastic game and I really recommend it to everyone!

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I rate this game a 9.5/10 or 5 stars on Amazon. I'm a nerd for the Metal Gear Series, but I forgot about this until it came out. It's standalone and has only small connections to the Solid Snake Games.

The gameplay is fast, freakish, and fun. The game is hysterical if you don't take it seriously. It's meant to be a sort of Michael Bay meets old school macho Anime. You're a Cyborg ninja. Enough said. Just don't be serious about it. Have a beer, sit down, and prepare to have fun.

Improvements could be in the camera. The game could be a little longer. I played it through twice in a few days.

Buy it!

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I've been a big fan of the Metal Gear Solid series, and I thought it was funny they made this spinoff, but had no intention of buying it since stealth was a big part of why I was invested in the series. But after hearing all kinds of positive buzz about it, seeing hilarious lets plays, and learning that it's short enough to finish in a weekend (yes that's a plus to me), I decided to give the demo a shot, and I was sold. It was well worth it at around the $40 mark, and it has been a loooong while since I've played such a satisfying action title.

Want Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Discount?

Can't get enough of MGS

The Game play was Better than the last.

A little short on main story but still overall a good game!