Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PS3)

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance: copyright of Konami Games Ltd. PS3 and the PS3 logo are trademarks of Sony.

Many famous game franchises are built in rigid standards. In order to maintain the success, every title launched must follow the series formula, sometimes allowing just minor modifications and innovations. If a new game is released, and it doesn’t follow the “classical formula”, then the title may be fated to failure, both popular and critical.

Obviously, I am not denying that a good game mechanic can be reused. Actually, most of the best games make use of old, but great, formulas, improving the bad points, and adding something exclusive to the game. However, there are a few titles that are able to (completely) change the franchise structure, and yet propose a very good gaming experience.

Among them, there is the game Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. This title is a spin-off of the acclaimed Metal Gear series, where the character Jack (also known by the code name Raiden) takes the place of Solid Snake as the main protagonist. The original series tactical gameplay, with elements of espionage, stealth and shooting, is changed to a hack-and-slash action game, with swords fights and a refined combat system.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Jack is a high-tech cyborg, who wields a katana to slice his enemies. There are other weapons, as a flexible spear and two deadly sai; however, the game focus a bit more in the swords fights. Besides these weapons, Raiden can make use of grenades, daggers, and even rocket-launchers, turning the battles more sophisticated. During the game, it’s possible to enhance Jack’s cyborg body and abilities, as well as his weapons.

Raiden (or Jack "the Ripper")

The game story tells the fight of the Maverick Securities against the Desperado Enforcement LLC, two private military companies that sells the newest war technologies. The Desperado aims to create conflicts and wars, turning themselves into a powerful resource for anyone interested in cyborgs, high technology vehicles and weapons, besides superhuman soldiers. Jack and the Mavericks work to keep the peace, at least at the beginning of the story. As the story advances, “good” and “evil” become fragile concepts, creating some interesting changes in the plot.

After being defeated, Blade Wolf became a powerful ally

As I have written before, the game mechanics is different from the classic Metal Gear. In order to justify this change, the game staff worked hard in creating the new gameplay. Revengeance hack-and-slash system is a solid, difficult, and (above everything) funny gaming experience. The key-word here is “timing”: the battles are very dynamic and fast, requiring every move to be executed in the right time. Attack recklessly, and you will certain lead Jack to many game-overs. And for those who may miss the “stealth”, you may use some card boxes to hide from enemies, or even create surprise attacks.

It's not just an ordinary card box...

So, if you want to play Revengeance, and enjoy its unique gameplay, you have to understand its fighting mechanics. Among them, probably the most important, but also difficult, ability is the “parry” system. This ability is like a combination of counter and block: if you press the square button in the right moment that an enemy is going to hit you, the attack will be blocked (or “parried”), creating a perfect opening for a counter-attack.

"Parry! Parry! You must learn parry!"

Another important mechanic in the game is the “Blade Mode”. When you activate this ability, the game time slows, allowing you to freely hit you opponent with fast sword cuts. Knowing the best moment to use this power is decisive, as these blade moves may inflict a lot of damage, or defend you for incoming projectiles and enemies, if used properly. More than a strong resource during the game, this free-slicing system is very funny, since you can slice almost everything and everyone in the game.

Defeating enemies on "Blade Mode"

The boss fights are the best challenges of the title. Each boss character has an exclusive fighting mechanic, requiring fast learning from the player. Inside the story, each one has a different motivation and personality, making the battles to be more interesting in the game plot. And if the game soundtrack is very good in general, you will find the best songs in these battles, creating an exciting experience in every boss (mostly in the final one).

Yes, there are many gigantic robots to fight

The game graphics are very good, with great character design, cutscenes, fighting effects (as sparks and blood), and amazing environments, as beaches, deserts, sewers and big cities. Probably, the more significant cons of Revengeance are three: the game high difficulty in some stages, the campaign running time (that could be bigger), and the camera system. Sometimes, it’s difficult to position the camera in a good angle, in order to properly defend or attack.

Raiden will need to fight even against the police

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is an amazing, full of action and fun. The combat mechanics are a bit tough, needing some training. In general, the game difficulty, mainly in the bosses, is high, but that make each victory worth the suffering. The story is interesting, as well the characters. Join this with the game great graphics and sound, and you have a fantastic universe, that makes this game one of the best spin-offs ever made for the PS3.