Game Play
Plot
Characters
Graphics
Sound
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a Metal Gear spin off title developed by Platinum Games. As opposed to the previous Metal Gear titles, Rising features only Raiden, not one of the Snakes. Furthermore, this game is unique in that it is a “Hack ‘n’ Slash” Metal Gear title as opposed to the usual stealth and tactical espionage we are so used to in these games. The purpose of this review is to see if that is done well.
Game Play:
The Game Play in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is spectacular. It is very precise and has very tight controls. Usually, when an action oriented game has excellent controls, you would still face some problems on the higher difficulties. I, however, have found absolutely no flaws with the controls even on Very Hard and in the most hectic of situations. I originally thought that the parry mechanic was not done well, but after getting the hang of it I realized that they had made the right choice mapping it to the same button as the light attack. Nevertheless, the game does have its flaws, and like almost all other action games, it is the camera. There are times where it is unreliable, and does not give you the view you need. Sometimes, it could even end up being the reason why you lose.
Plot:
Metal Gear Rising: Revengence’s plot mostly deals with Raiden and how he copes with his past, dealing with a few terrorists in the mean time. The plot is mediocre in that it keeps having characters spout philosophy and ideals, and it gets tiring very quickly. What basically happens is that you go on a mission to recover something from the terrorists (not saying what due to spoilers) and it is really very straight forward, but nearing the end of the game you are hit with a plot twist… not really. What happens is you see the game’s attempt at a plot twist, and it really isn’t done all that well.
Characters:
There are only a handful of characters that stand out in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. These are Raiden, Samuel, Wolf, and one more character that makes a reappearance from Metal Gear Solid 4 nearing the end of the game. The reasoning being is the way Raiden attempts to cope with his past is interesting and fleshed out, even going as far as making it a game play mechanic. Samuel is my personal favorite, as he is a very round and deep character, not at all like the other one dimensional ones. Wolf is the game’s interesting take on an AI attempting to figure out the true rules of this world, and I truly felt an attachment to him. Finally, that last character… well who CAN’T love him/her?? Unfortunately, as previously mentioned, almost none of the other characters are nearly as well made as these few. Furthermore, another disappointment was the codec. All the codec in this game did was serve to remind me how good the codec in the Metal Gear Solid series were, for example Snake and Otacon’s interactions. It is a minor hurdle when viewed in the grand scheme of things, but it is a pity for it not to be excellent in a Metal Gear game. Also, it should be mentioned that the final boss in this game is kind of like Necron in Final Fantasy IX. That is, absolutely needless, and the game would have been better off without the boss.
Graphics and Sound:
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is easily one of the best looking games on the PlayStation 3. No slowdowns or screen tears were encountered, nor any other visual glitch. The areas and characters are beautifully made, and the level of detail is astonishing. Furthermore, the soundtrack in this game is also incredibly superb. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it has some of the best music this generation, especially the boss music.
Other:
With all that said, it must be noted that Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance can be conceivably completed in two hours. Normally, it should take around six, and it might take you eight hours if you really take your time. However, it will not take any longer than that, which is a pity.
