Will Raiden's return as the core protagonist of a Metal Gear title be met with controversy and distaste like his role in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty where he replaced Solid Snake? Is this game worth your hard earned cash? Let's find out shall we?
Note: For those of you who read my review of the Rising (1/22/2013) demo, this full retail review will take concepts from that review and add onto it to ease repetitiveness. Besides, I don't want to sound like a broken record repeating myself. I'm literally going to take that demo review and expand upon that information with feedback from playing the entire game from start to finish.
Overview:
The game was originally announced in 2009 under the title of Metal Gear Solid: Rising, and was intended to act as an interquel between the events of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. This form of the game was to be produced solely by Kojima Productions.[10][11] However, the Kojima Productions team met with difficulties in developing a game based on swordplay, so the franchise director Hideo Kojima cancelled it. A solution was found, in late 2011, with Platinum Games taking over development. Under the guidance of the new team, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was revealed, with a significant change in gameplay. The game's setting was changed to give Platinum more creative freedom. Kojima Productions retained responsibility for the game's overall plot and Raiden's design.
Plot: (Some Minor Spoilers)
Members of a rival PMC, Desperado Enterprises, are the main antagonists. One of its operatives, Samuel Rodrigues serves as Raiden's rival with a conversation between the two in the beginning influencing Raiden. Rodrigues is assisted by a trio called the "Winds of Destruction". They comprise Desperado's virtual leader Sundowner, an advanced cyborg swordfighter, Mistral, a female cyborg possessing multiple arms and wields a whip-like weapon, and Monsoon , a ninja with segmented body parts. A quadruped robot named LQ-84i, known also as Bladewolf, is both Raiden's enemy and eventual ally. Additionally, a Colorado senator and potential Presidential candidate, Steven Armstrong, is involved in Desperado's activities. The game is a spin-off that is "not part of the Metal Gear Solid series", although it is considered part of the same universe, and thus "canon".
Gameplay:
Controls:PS3/Xbox 360:
Cross/A button - Jump
Square/X button - Fast Attack
Triangle/Y button - Heavy Attack
Circle/B button - Action/Interact
L1/LB - Sub-Weapon
L2 /LT - Blade Mode
R1/RB - Switch Lock-On
R2/RT - Ninja Run (Hold)
Radar Visor - Up D-pad
Sub-Weapon selection - Left/Right D-pad
Parry - Left analog towards incoming attack + Fast Attack
What is Blade Mode?
That shiny new cyborg body affords Raiden an impressive arsenal of new abilities, the favorite of which is easily Blade Mode. By holding down the left trigger, you can send Raiden into a zen-like state of deadly concentration, slowing time to a crawl and using the control sticks to carefully aim horizontal, vertical and diagonal slashes of his razor-sharp katana. Alternatively, you can simply hit the light and heavy attack buttons to strike multiple times in succession without precisely aiming your strikes.That's when things got really fun. Metal Gear Rising's most unique mechanic is one that swordplay buffs have been dreaming about: the ability to graphically dismember opponents with surgical precision in the heat of battle.
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| Properly dissecting specific foes' left hands will net you a "special" gift after clearing the game. |
Slice an enemy the right way and you'll be prompted with a button press. Nailing it causes Raiden to reach out and into his opponent Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom-style and rip out their beating, pulsing…energy implant. These implants recharge Raiden's health and refills the Blade Mode gauge entirely.
Okay, Raiden doesn't really run around tearing enemies' hearts out and devouring them. He's not Vamp, after all. But harnessing a dismembered opponent's energy can provide him with a boost that will allow him to stay in Blade Mode longer, making it one of his most useful moves.
Later in the game, you acquire Ripper Mode as an "upgrade" of sorts for Blade Mode. What the game does NOT tell you that it's pretty much near useless unless you have a ton of fuel cells to burn and plenty of opponents around you to draw Zandetsu from. It is best suited for heavily-armored foes and even then I highly recommend deactivating it after disposing of them.
What is Ninja Run?
One thing Ninja Run does NOT do, is deflect incoming missiles or other projectile weapons, such as grenades. Luckily, if you see these projectiles coming in enough time, you can react with Blade Mode and cut them out of the air.
The Verdict:
Prior to picking up my pre-order at Gamestop last Tuesday when this game released, I was reading advanced reviews on both IGN and Kotaku whereas the editors are complaining and whining about how hard this game is and how little is explained to the player. I was literally sitting at my desk at work laughing saying to myself, "Hello? This is shit you should have learned in the damn demo for Christ's sake..."
I understand that not everyone is savvy in this genre, but at the same time, a lot of gamers this generation (myself included at times) are spoiled to death by this modern era of gaming. I actually miss the days of yore where I would draw out dungeon maps in The Legend of Zelda (NES) and Vagrant Story (PSX) back in those days where everything wasn't readily at your figure tips in-game or handed to you with ease online. If you couldn't handle the demo that was released a few weeks prior to this release or the one included with the Zone of the Enders HD Collection then don't expect for a second that this retail release will have any mercy on your poor soul.
If you're really interested in buying the game, I suggest you do what I did for the weeks prior to the retail release. I played the demo over, and over, and over again until I could make it look like a cakewalk. I mastered the parrying mechanic to the point where I was satisfied with it, along with a few special moves as well. I know not everyone is going to take that much dedication and commitment but you will not get far in this game mindlessly slashing at your enemies and not learning to master parrying your opponents' attacks.
For those wondering about the story, your fears will be eased knowing that you will NOT have to play Guns of the Patriots to understand what is going here. Those events are not mentioned at all in their entirety, just merely glossed over. The story is focused on Raiden and his resolve to maintain his "sword of justice" or give into his murderous nature and revert back to his Jack The Ripper persona. Most other reviews and some of my fellow gamers have reported the game averages about 4-6 hours to finish the story, but my first playthrough was done in about 7 hours. Much like other action titles in this genre, such as Lollipop Chainsaw, DmC, and Bayonetta, this game is made for multiple playthroughs. So if you're looking for a long haul with this title in terms of story, you're going to be disappointed if you're looking to just experience the story then drop it afterwards. If that's the case, then I highly suggest you plow through this title as a weekend rental.
There is NO way you are buying out all of the skills, abilities, and weapons acquired from bosses in a single playthrough. Hell, those of you who pre-ordered have the Gray Fox costume skin and Fox Blade to unlock and earn upgrades for. The Fox Blade alone costs a whooping 200,000BP to unlock for use in-game. Other players will be hunting and collecting foes' special and unique Captain arms requested by Doktor for unlocking special "wigs". Infinite Wig A works like the Bandana from the Metal Gear Solid series, giving Raiden infinite ammo for sub-weapons, while Infinite Wig B provides Raiden with infinite fuel cells for Blade Mode. Other collectibles include saving all civilians, finding all enemy soldiers hidden in cardboard boxes scattered throughout the game, and collecting miscellaneous ID cards of the developers and programmers of this game. Once you have acquired all of that, you still have VR Missions (20+ to complete with more on the way via DLC) to complete, then Hard, Very Hard, and even the deadly Revengeance difficulties to conquer.
One thing that I am sure that most gamers will overlook is a LOT of the Codec dialogue between your Maverick squadmates. Character development for those 4 individuals (well 5-6 after you reunite with Sunny) happens entirely through Codec conversations. There is an achievement for discovering most of these dialogues. I suggest players to open up your Codec and manually call ALL of them after every important point in the story and during boss encounters. From Raiden's perspective, they are literally watching everything you as the player are watching so it's pretty neat that you can talk to them about their unique reactions about what is going on in Rising's world, by providing more meat to the bare bones story that the main campaign provides in its narrative. I won't spoil it but there's a hilarious conversation between Doktor and Raiden early into the game about "German torture porn." Yes, you read that right. This game is rated Teen and up for a reason!
Now, I've sat here and expressed a lot of the good in the game, but I would not be doing this review justice if I didn't express the good AND the bad. Much like many games in this genre, especially the Ninja Gaiden series, the camera is your worse enemy in this game. There were more times where I died of horrible camera angles and twitchy camera controls during Blade Mode than against anything else in this game. One moment in particular that comes to mind is during R-04 where you have to fight against enemy hordes on the service elevator. Between the enemies in the air and the ones on the ground, the camera goes NUTS on this part in close quarters. During my initial playthrough this section in particular was insanely frustrating, but after my first playthrough, Platinum Games have released a week 1 patch. I have recently breezed through that section during my current second playthrough and didn't run into the issue at all during this section. A new issue arose in its wake where the Ninja Run sections are randomly causing me to fail unexpectedly when I would survive them with ease during my initial playthrough. I have read other players having similar experiences since the week 1 patch, so I'm just wondering if that was at fault or am I merely mistiming my efforts.
Another complaint I have is how sub-weapons deter from the normal gameplay. In Bayonetta, God of War, and even the Devil May Cry series, switching weapons on the fly is the norm. Having to manually shift through a menu and switch weapons is a huge distraction from the chaotic, yet amazing gameplay. It's odd that they would make the game's narrative straight to the point on accessibility but the sub-weapons are treated in that same dated and cluttered system from the Metal Gear Solid series. I must add that the dodge/evade ability that can be purchased is useless for the most part. I suggest not abusing it, because despite of that auto-parry that it has at the end of the side-step animation, you are still highly valuable to taking damage. Sorry, folks, but there's literally no getting around learning how to parry properly in this game.
My last complaint comes in the form of the bosses. I'm not saying they are difficult or anything, but it's just that since the original Metal Gear Solid no group of baddies have come close (Okay, okay the Cobra Unit in Snake Eater were pretty bad ass but I'm just biased towards The Boss) to brilliance that was FOXHOUND. Each member of that group were deadly on their own and left their own individual impression on you as you dispatched each one. In Rising, each of the "Winds of Destruction" come off as either very boring or a total letdown from how easy they go down. Mistal was a cheap knock-off of Yelena from Deus Ex: Human Revolution, instead of using firearms she swapped those out for the Doc Ock arms. It was unique that she used them like a whip and polearm in tandem though. Monsoon borrowed his design from both Dynamo from the Megaman X series and Hamushi from the anime Outlaw Star, whereas she had a similar power to his own - the ability to negate incoming attacks with ease due to the aura around her body. I swear, it's a curse that I've played so many games and seen so many animes that a lot of this stuff just looks recycled and cliched to me... Anywho, Sundowner was okay, but Jetstream Sam -- err Samuel Rodriguez (Seriously, whoever came up with his codename needs to be slapped... That sounds like they were naming Mavericks for a new Megaman X title.) was the biggest letdown of them all. The fight against him is literally a cakewalk - let alone we knew that finish was going to happen. So much for the blade making the man, huh Sam? That boss fight alone proved that Raiden's first loss against him was a fluke just because he didn't have the proper upgrades and wasn't mentally prepared to face him. Still, these guys are nowhere as lame as Dead Cell (Solidus doesn't even count that dude was in a league of his own...) was in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. I'll give them that much.
I know I won't get any high regards for this review if I don't mention how insane the last boss of this game is. The guy literally turns into Greed from Fullmetal Alchemist on your ass and it's insanely brutal and difficult. I won't lie - I spent over 30 minutes trying to beat that fool on my first playthrough of the game. Looking back, it's not actually a bad last final boss in terms of design as it contributes and adds to the highly over-the-top nature of this game, but Jesus H. Christ that crap was a brutal, yet satisfying finale to this action-packed title.
With this game fitting into my favorite genre along with my favorite developer, Platinum Games, it's pretty hard for me to judge this game and not be pretty biased. I'll say this much though - if you ever wanted to control one of the Cyborg Ninjas from the Metal Gear Solid series, well this is your golden opportunity. Love him or hate him, there's a lot to enjoy here in Rising as you join Raiden along for the over-the-top ride from start to finish. There's a few glitches/hiccups here and there, but it's not enough to ruin the overall experience. Most long-term Metal Gear Solid players may be alienated towards this title since it's more action-oriented than stealth-oriented and doesn't punish you as much as the latter series would. That being said, the story mode does offer multiple opportunities to exercise stealth over brute force. So don't allow it's action-heavily nature deter you from giving this title a shot.
After weighing the good and the bad, I give this title a 8.25 out of 10. It's a strict rental for casuals and newbies to this genre, but veterans and achievement hunters will be playing this for months on end trying to master everything and collect every collectible and hidden item.
**** BONUS ***As a bit of bonus footage for you guys who prolly haven't Liked the Method To Madness page on Facebook, here's my test footage for my new capture card with a little tidbit of me playing Rising. Enjoy guys. I have a short player guide in the works. It's not going to be a full walkthrough just an assortment of tips and tactics I think all players would benefit from if they expect to master and enjoy this game for the best results. If you guys like this footage, then there's more stuff like it on the way.
I understand that not everyone is savvy in this genre, but at the same time, a lot of gamers this generation (myself included at times) are spoiled to death by this modern era of gaming. I actually miss the days of yore where I would draw out dungeon maps in The Legend of Zelda (NES) and Vagrant Story (PSX) back in those days where everything wasn't readily at your figure tips in-game or handed to you with ease online. If you couldn't handle the demo that was released a few weeks prior to this release or the one included with the Zone of the Enders HD Collection then don't expect for a second that this retail release will have any mercy on your poor soul.
 |
| Solid Snake wishes he could beat RAY this easily... |
For those wondering about the story, your fears will be eased knowing that you will NOT have to play Guns of the Patriots to understand what is going here. Those events are not mentioned at all in their entirety, just merely glossed over. The story is focused on Raiden and his resolve to maintain his "sword of justice" or give into his murderous nature and revert back to his Jack The Ripper persona. Most other reviews and some of my fellow gamers have reported the game averages about 4-6 hours to finish the story, but my first playthrough was done in about 7 hours. Much like other action titles in this genre, such as Lollipop Chainsaw, DmC, and Bayonetta, this game is made for multiple playthroughs. So if you're looking for a long haul with this title in terms of story, you're going to be disappointed if you're looking to just experience the story then drop it afterwards. If that's the case, then I highly suggest you plow through this title as a weekend rental.
There is NO way you are buying out all of the skills, abilities, and weapons acquired from bosses in a single playthrough. Hell, those of you who pre-ordered have the Gray Fox costume skin and Fox Blade to unlock and earn upgrades for. The Fox Blade alone costs a whooping 200,000BP to unlock for use in-game. Other players will be hunting and collecting foes' special and unique Captain arms requested by Doktor for unlocking special "wigs". Infinite Wig A works like the Bandana from the Metal Gear Solid series, giving Raiden infinite ammo for sub-weapons, while Infinite Wig B provides Raiden with infinite fuel cells for Blade Mode. Other collectibles include saving all civilians, finding all enemy soldiers hidden in cardboard boxes scattered throughout the game, and collecting miscellaneous ID cards of the developers and programmers of this game. Once you have acquired all of that, you still have VR Missions (20+ to complete with more on the way via DLC) to complete, then Hard, Very Hard, and even the deadly Revengeance difficulties to conquer.
 |
| Glad we're paying Raiden to do all of this crazy shit instead of us... |
Now, I've sat here and expressed a lot of the good in the game, but I would not be doing this review justice if I didn't express the good AND the bad. Much like many games in this genre, especially the Ninja Gaiden series, the camera is your worse enemy in this game. There were more times where I died of horrible camera angles and twitchy camera controls during Blade Mode than against anything else in this game. One moment in particular that comes to mind is during R-04 where you have to fight against enemy hordes on the service elevator. Between the enemies in the air and the ones on the ground, the camera goes NUTS on this part in close quarters. During my initial playthrough this section in particular was insanely frustrating, but after my first playthrough, Platinum Games have released a week 1 patch. I have recently breezed through that section during my current second playthrough and didn't run into the issue at all during this section. A new issue arose in its wake where the Ninja Run sections are randomly causing me to fail unexpectedly when I would survive them with ease during my initial playthrough. I have read other players having similar experiences since the week 1 patch, so I'm just wondering if that was at fault or am I merely mistiming my efforts.
Another complaint I have is how sub-weapons deter from the normal gameplay. In Bayonetta, God of War, and even the Devil May Cry series, switching weapons on the fly is the norm. Having to manually shift through a menu and switch weapons is a huge distraction from the chaotic, yet amazing gameplay. It's odd that they would make the game's narrative straight to the point on accessibility but the sub-weapons are treated in that same dated and cluttered system from the Metal Gear Solid series. I must add that the dodge/evade ability that can be purchased is useless for the most part. I suggest not abusing it, because despite of that auto-parry that it has at the end of the side-step animation, you are still highly valuable to taking damage. Sorry, folks, but there's literally no getting around learning how to parry properly in this game.
 |
| So... how does it feel to have Doc Ock and Yelena as parents? |
I know I won't get any high regards for this review if I don't mention how insane the last boss of this game is. The guy literally turns into Greed from Fullmetal Alchemist on your ass and it's insanely brutal and difficult. I won't lie - I spent over 30 minutes trying to beat that fool on my first playthrough of the game. Looking back, it's not actually a bad last final boss in terms of design as it contributes and adds to the highly over-the-top nature of this game, but Jesus H. Christ that crap was a brutal, yet satisfying finale to this action-packed title.
With this game fitting into my favorite genre along with my favorite developer, Platinum Games, it's pretty hard for me to judge this game and not be pretty biased. I'll say this much though - if you ever wanted to control one of the Cyborg Ninjas from the Metal Gear Solid series, well this is your golden opportunity. Love him or hate him, there's a lot to enjoy here in Rising as you join Raiden along for the over-the-top ride from start to finish. There's a few glitches/hiccups here and there, but it's not enough to ruin the overall experience. Most long-term Metal Gear Solid players may be alienated towards this title since it's more action-oriented than stealth-oriented and doesn't punish you as much as the latter series would. That being said, the story mode does offer multiple opportunities to exercise stealth over brute force. So don't allow it's action-heavily nature deter you from giving this title a shot.
After weighing the good and the bad, I give this title a 8.25 out of 10. It's a strict rental for casuals and newbies to this genre, but veterans and achievement hunters will be playing this for months on end trying to master everything and collect every collectible and hidden item.
**** BONUS ***As a bit of bonus footage for you guys who prolly haven't Liked the Method To Madness page on Facebook, here's my test footage for my new capture card with a little tidbit of me playing Rising. Enjoy guys. I have a short player guide in the works. It's not going to be a full walkthrough just an assortment of tips and tactics I think all players would benefit from if they expect to master and enjoy this game for the best results. If you guys like this footage, then there's more stuff like it on the way.
If you guys have any in-depth questions or help with the game, feel free to ask.
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