Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Review

19 Feb, 2013

"Who says the Germans aren't funny?" That's just one of the quality lines you'll be treated to in Platinum Games take on Metal Gear. It's epic, violent, fast paced and quite possibly offensive. But if that's what you love about gaming then you are going to wet yourself when you play Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

When I thought about reviewing this title I didn't quite know where to begin. It's one of those games which had me staring at the blank canvas of my word processor scratching my head. What did I just witness? It flew by in no time at all and at the end I was still none the wiser, but all the same, glad for the experience. Platinum games have a habit of doing this to me, first with Bayonetta, then with Vanquish and now Revengeance. The studio are without doubt, geniuses, although there is definitely a little eccentric side mixed in with that bright spark.

So what did I witness? Well one of the first scenes consisted of introducing me to Raiden. Our hero who takes the form of a half cyborg, is contracted for VIP protection, military training and other duties by a Private Military and Security Company, unfortunately though it isn't long before Raiden gets himself in a spot of bother, which all starts with the President of the United States being taken away from under his watchful guard. All of this trouble results in Raiden taking on all manner of enemies, most of which also take the form of human cyborgs. Thankfully Raiden is a pretty kick ass character, who certainly doesn't hang around when it comes to defeating the enemy. Out comes his sword and all of a sudden you are slashing away, horizontally and vertically at lightning speed, with the enemy falling at your knees. Everything is just so fast paced, but this is wonderful because it really keeps the action moving.

After taking on a few Cyborgs, it's not long before the enemy steps up its game and you find yourself taking on all manner of metallic beasts. These come in all shapes and sizes, such as a transformers-style tank which blocks your path, before turning into a huge robot which is as fast as it is lethal. Had enough of robots? Well watch out for the helicopter which is trying to blow you into a thousand pieces. Although Raiden can handle that, can't he? Sure, because this is a guy who can leap on top of unexploded rockets before proceeding to slash the helicopter into bite sizes chunks. Take that aviation!

One of the most interesting things about the combat is Raiden's different skills; the controls work in a way that you can target the enemy and slash at them; this is known as Blade Mode and is activated using the L1 button, while at the same time hitting the attack button and using the sticks to control the camera. Raiden can also use Ninja Run which is activated with the R1 button. This is handy for dodging out of the way of attacks and especially useful since you can still attack when running. Finally if you click L3 and R3 together then you'll activate Raiden's most powerful attack and although this is time limited, it'll certainly help you cut some enemies down if you are in a jam. Throughout the game Raiden also gains various weapons which he can make use of, from his trusty high frequency blade, to rocket launchers, a machete and more. All of these come in handy of course, although you can just as easily get through the game with just the blade and a little bit of luck.

Although a lot of the combat does come down to slashing at the enemy, throughout the game you will be met with many quick-time style events in order to take them down quickly. Therefore if you've beaten the enemy into a pulp you may be required to push a certain button combination in order to finish them off in style. Most of the major quick time events come when taking on the main bosses, as do most of the urges to snap the disc in half and never play again. Yes, the bosses are tough, especially the last one, but it's well worth persevering with them because it's a whole lot of frustrating fun trying to get the better of them.

On the non-combat side, Raiden does have some aid in the form of Nanopaste and the like, which he can use to regenerate certain stats such as health and the energy he needs to pull off his special move. In order to find items you can use Raiden's AR mode if you wish, which also allows you to see heat from enemies and to see in the dark (which becomes handy in a later level). I have to say that I forgot about the AR ability a lot of the time, such was the fun I was having taking down everything in Raiden's path.

One of the final things worth mentioning in terms of Raiden is that in between levels you can customise him, allowing you to increase the stats on his weapons and also improve areas such as his health and endurance. It's essential that you do improve Raiden, as well as keeping an eye out for the many extras dropped by enemies or hidden around, as this is the only way you'll stand a hope of defeating this challenging game.

Perhaps the most outstanding thing of all about Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is the graphics. It's a stunning looking game. Not only will you marvel at the fast paced, almost perfect action, but you'll then look on in wonder as the cutscenes take things to a new level entirely. It has to be said that the story telling (even though the story is a little ropey) is very impressive. Platinum manages to combine humor, quality presentation and some quite clever moments in a way that will keep you hooked throughout. The campaign, while occasionally repetitive in terms of the action, is very impressive indeed.

Once you're fingers heal and you're eyes stop bleeding, Revengeance does have a little more in store for you thanks to a series of VR Missions. Now from what I understand, these are exclusive to the PS3 version, but they are well worth having, so if you can opt for one version or the other, then perhaps it is Sony's machine which should gain your attention on this occasion.

There are around 30 VR missions in all, some of which you can access from the beginning in order to hone your skills, while others are actually unlocked via a series of hidden computers as you make your way through the campaign. VR missions give you a mix of combat, missions and stealth. All the things you need in a MGS game.

To be perfectly honest, MGS Revengeance won't be for everyone. That's just the type of game it is. The story is a bit out there and the action is not for the faint of heart. Saying that though, what the developer has here is a blast, it's fast paced, beautifully presented and brilliant fun. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is Platinum by name and Platinum by nature and best of all, it's done Kojima proud.

(Version Tested: PS3)

Pros

- Jaw dropping presentation
- Fast paced action
- Beautiful cutscenes
- Full of humour

Cons

- Slightly repetitive
- Story is slightly out there

Edited On 19 Feb, 2013

Joe is the Editor in Chief at Shopto news, he loves gaming and regularly writes news when sitting on the train to events even though he has a 3DS in his pocket.

Comments

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“ Good review. I admit, in my "not paying full price for anything" rule for this year. This is the closest so far I have come to breaking that! I loved playing this at EG last year and I played it over and over again. It's got that fast paced Japanese action game feel that I loved about games like Vanquish and it's taking all my will power to not buy it today! I may have to start smoking again. ”

troublemaker 3 months ago

“ for the money u spend on fags u might as well break your rule lmao! ”

Shep 3 months ago

“ Good point! Maybe I'll use that logic to convince the wife! ”

troublemaker 3 months ago

“ glad i have this on order, why can't you review all games before release?? Cough Cough Aliens CM ”

Pyroloveridge 3 months ago

“ We do try, but we don't always get the games on time unfortunately. ”

Joe Anderson (Editor) 3 months ago

“ Aliens Colon Marines was hamstrung for us by it's worldwide Tuesday release, and it's 1am PST review embargo. Even if they had it on time, your pre-order would have arrived before the review hit. Now we can see why Gearbox done it! ”

troublemaker 3 months ago

“ i mean it not awful and i'm sure that my love for aliens led to my overall disappointment. i will be keeping it as i like the collectors Ed doesn't mean i don't like a little moan..lol ”

Pyroloveridge 3 months ago

“ Pyroloveridge some developers embargo the review to the very last minute this usually happens when the game is bad. Which turns out to be the case with Aliens it seems. ”

Bindiana 3 months ago

“ Or, if the game is really bad, they don't send out review code at all. That way reviews are days late and people buy anyway. See Medal of Honour: Doorfighter ”

troublemaker 3 months ago

“ great review yet again joe (you are my inspiration to become a reviewer for a living, thanks for the retweet the other day) sadly i dont want to pay full whack for this its not the MGS i grew up with and im stuck in my ways ill happily enjoy it when lovefilm send it me or it hits the 20 quid mark! top marks joe ”

Shep 3 months ago

“ Thanks :) ”

Joe Anderson (Editor) 3 months ago

“ Great review its just a shame that all games arn't reviewed before release ”

Tootell 3 months ago

“ If you appreciate fast paced, and I mean faced paced combat, this is for you. It's so clean and slick. Story is a bit forgettable, but it looks great and play amazingly. A total adrenaline rush for the entire story and some great and epic boss fights. ”

screally 3 months ago

“ I might give this a rental, just because it's a Platinum game, I just hope it's not too cut scene heavy. ”

Gloria 3 months ago

“ its MGS it will be cut scene heavy lol! but yes ill be doing the same ”

Shep 3 months ago

“ Yeah just make sure you have your popcorn ready. Was not overly blown away by the demo just didnt seem as fast paced as DMC ”

Zombieflamingo 3 months ago

“ At first I liked the look of this, but it completely left my area as soon as I watched demo footage on Youtube lol ”

Kizzy 3 months ago

“ Shopto Points'll chop this price right down. Can't wait, going to be awesome. ”

DynamiteWhyte 3 months ago

“ By all accounts this game is incredibly short, has camera issues and is extremely heavy on flash over real substance on the gameplay front. Yep, it's a Platinum game alright. I'll still be getting it of course, but it seems it'll be the last game by them I'll be having to buy given their shortsighted plans for the future. ”

PrometheusFan 3 months ago

“ One on my list to get just now finding time to play all these games. Only 25 hours into Ni No Kuni which is gonna take me a while. With this God of War and Tomb Raider plus possible others its gonna be hard to find any time :) ”

Bindiana 3 months ago

“ I'm on 4 hours due to buying Uncharted 3, AC3, going for division 1 on H2H in FIFA and playing all-star weekend on NBA 2k13. Just distractions... ”

DynamiteWhyte 3 months ago

“ I am a typical man and cant multitask so usually just stick with one game till I complete it. ”

Bindiana 3 months ago

“ good review i am getting this game on friday metal gear is by best series of all time. mgs 4 best game ever i can't wait for this but really im waiting for ground zeros ”

knockton 3 months ago

“ good review but only one game for me this week crysis 3, not been a fan of the metal gear games so might pick it up when cheaper to many games coming out over next few weeks so have to pick up essentials only ”

KRATOS 20 3 months ago

“ ign are saying the story lasts only 4-5 hours is this true ”

KRATOS 20 3 months ago

“ True but this does not include cutscenes, so around 7-8 hours I reckon. I think it's the perfect length to be honest. ”

Joe Anderson (Editor) 3 months ago

“ good point joe any longer . i think it would start to drag abit ”

KRATOS 20 3 months ago

“ OK I haven't really been keeping up to date with this game, but from the review it seems the stealth aspect is mostly gone - is that right? ”

shiny miller 3 months ago

“ It's an action game, rather than the "Tactical Espionage Action" from the previous games ”

troublemaker 3 months ago

“ nice review but im going to wait for this game to drop to £25 or lower before picking it up due to its very short campaign. ”

Jamie 3 months ago

“ Great review. Really trying to stop myself from buying this game, my money situation at the moment is helping with that though lol. The campaign length seems ok to be honest, aslong as the story is ok even if it is out there a bit. Look forward to picking this up when it is cheaper or just giving it a rental, however long my local blockbuster will be there for... ”

LFC Bywater 3 months ago

“ I've started playing it. It's good so far. I'm on mission 3 at the moment. The combat isn't as fluid as DMC, which I've been used to, but it's still good. When you're in a flow, and the enemy gets prepared for an attack, your combos can get in the way of a block which isn't great. Paid to unlock all my moves as the Ninja Suit offers me nothing special for buying it. But as soon as I have free cash I'll be kitted up like Gray Fox :D ”

DynamiteWhyte 3 months ago

“ I've finished the game a few times now and although it is quite short i can't stop playing, the boss battles are epic and the soundtrack fits perfectly. ”

Baiken (Zero) 3 months ago