9.5

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

The Metal Gear Solid (MGS) franchise is a gaming institution that was originally released on the PlayStation (PSOne) in 1988 which spawned a variety of awesome sequels. It was also the game that converted me into a console gamer as I controlled Solid Snake, one of the world's best and coolest video game characters created. 25-years later and the franchise is still as strong as ever and although Solid Snake has been replaced with a more youthful Raiden, the story and gameplay is equally as entertaining with our cool ninja Cyborg.

Even with Raiden as the lead character in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (MGR), it's almost like the franchise has received a reboot but more importantly, the story is still linked to the previous game, Guns of the Patriot and our Cyborg hero makes mention of this. With that said, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is the ninth game in the series and was developed by Platinum Games after some issues with its planned release in 2009 with Kojima Productions. Thankfully with Platinum Games taking over, the game has finally seen the light of day and there are some huge differences compared to the more traditional Metal Gear Solid Games but I'll get to that later.

The story takes place in 2018, four years after Guns of the Patriot which sees a much more serious Raiden attempting to bring order to a chaotic world thanks to the privatisation of the military. Raiden who was once a child soldier in Liberia is a complicated hero once known as "Jack the Ripper" for his brutal combat tactics. Jack is still hidden inside Raiden. Things have fortunately changed for Raiden as he is married with children, albeit hidden away in New Zealand for their protection. He also works for a private military company (PMC) called Maverick Security and is joined with a colourful cast of characters that includes his boss Boris, Courtney his advisor and the Doktor, a scientist who assists our hero with upgrades. The Eastern European accents are so cool but George, the Mexican boy... ay curumba!

The story of MGR begins like a Hollywood blockbuster which has Raiden and co protecting an African prime minister from the local militia after successfully bringing peace to his country. Unfortunately they are attacked by a rogue PMC called Desperado Enterprises led by the powerful Cyborg known as Sundowner who has a certain Metal Gear in tow. Regrettably due to the strength of the enemy, Raiden falls and is left for dead. Fortunately Raiden is given a second chance at life thanks to the Doktor and an upgrade is in order.

That's not Vader

This sets him on another collision course with Desperado Enterprises who are not only involved in a military coup in another foreign country but they have been abducting children for their body parts. It doesn't help that they are backed by a politician of high standing in the US which gets real messy later on in the game. Needless to say, Raiden doesn't agree on their philosophies as he unleashes hell upon his enemies with his trusty blade. The story of Revengeance is quite a psychological one, especially the journey of Raiden and without spoiling the story too much, there is this key moment in the game when Raiden snaps at his enemies which a "wow" moment in the game. Welcome to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance! Yeah, the story is clichéd but this is Metal Gear we're talking about.

In terms of gameplay, MGR and Metal Gear have some similarities in that the action scenes are larger than life but the most noticeable difference is that this game is about melee weapons, especially Raiden's deadly sword. At times, MGR reminds me of games such as Bayonetta, God of War and DMC as Raiden unleashes a series of devastating chained attacks on his enemies. Another change is that the game relies less on stealth than the previous instalments but the box and trade mark exclamation marks are fortunately still there.

In the Metal Gear Solid games, stealth was vital to completing missions, however in Revengeance, this takes a back seat. The option is there but the game does not penalise the player if this option is not used. It's fun to use but engaging the enemy is far more entertaining. There are three modes of difficulty in Revengeance and for hardcore MGS gamers, I suggest you play the highest difficulty for a true challenge. If you haven't played the series before, Platinum Games ensures that you won't be disadvantaged as you can easily pick up the story and gameplay. There's also a tutorial as well.

The majority of levels requires the player to get Raiden from point A to B and generally complete a set number of objectives. Along the way, Raiden will encounter an almost endless number of enemies, mostly Cyborg enemies and Mech-like creatures. You even get to control a little robot and you have a sidekick called Wolf who is a mechanical canine AI with an attitude to match Raiden's. The bosses that you encounter in the game like Samuel, Monsoon or Mistral are true bad asses that will definitely give you a run for your money, especially on higher difficulties. There cutscenes are quite cool as well, especially when you jump from missile to missile. Once your enemy's health is at a set point, an option for a finishing manoeuvres is sometimes offered via a quick-time event of buttons. This is fun for those boss battles. When you do become injured, there are repair models and some enemies replenish your health.

The bosses that you encounter can be a challenge such as Monsoon which took me several attempts to defeat... ok, an hour or so. Even though I was frustrated, the gameplay had me hooked. The block button is also a godsend as you parry your enemies attacks and thankfully they flash just before they attack so timing is essential. If swordplay isn't your forte, there are some other weapons available to your character like grenades, rocket launchers or that cool whip-like weapon from Mistral.

I must also commend Platinum Games on how well the gaming mechanics are for swordplay. Whether you're attacking or blocking an enemies attack, it feels flawless and even though there are only two attacks which are light or heavy, they can be chained together to create some interesting manoeuvres.  I also like the slide attack where you run towards your enemies and then attack. Another fun element is the L1 button (blade mode) which allows you to pinpoint your attacks and in essence, slow down time as you cut pretty shapes into your enemies or the environment. It's like bullet-time.

Also, by defeating enemies, you are awarded data which can then be used to upgrade Raiden's abilities or purchase a new weapon which generally becomes a new option when you have defeated a boss. Another benefit for Raiden is the augmented view option which is similar to the detective mode in Arkham City and allows our hero to detect enemies or key objectives through walls. The game even contains a map so you will never get lost. All in all, the gameplay is pretty darn flawless.

Graphics/Audio

Graphically, Revengeance is a gorgeous looking game on the PlayStation 3 with some highly detailed characters, realistic textures and amazing backgrounds. Cinemas are a joy to watch and the best of all, the dialogue in the game has been considerably cut. In previous games, some cutscenes and dialogue boxes went on forever. What I didn't like about the graphics (and I'm nit picking here) was the interact button. When you need to interact with a console or a button, Raiden basically sheaths his sword and then uses the object. It just interrupts the flow a little.

Also, the camera can be quite frustrating at times and I wish it followed Raiden a little better which became quite annoying in the Monsoon battle. Although Platinum Games still pays homage to what came before and the soul of Kojima is still here. The soundtrack of Revengeance perfectly suits the action movie genre of gaming and for the most part, the voice acting is quite professional, although there were a few times when I cringed at how bad some of the voice acting was.

Final Level

Metal Gear Rising Revengeance is a spectacular game on the PlayStation 3 that not only respects the previous titles but enhances the future of this genre. With almost perfect gameplay, graphics to die for and a true kickass gaming protagonist, Revengeance is easily the best game of 2013 that definitely leaves a few questions unanswered for a sequel. The only drawback is that the game is a little short but it's one title that you could easily play again but then again, you always have the AR levels to finish. AR levels are collected in the main gameplay via consoles which can then be accessed via the main menu for additional MGR fun. It may not be the classic Metal Gear Solid game but man... was Revengeance fun to play.

Highly Recommended!