Metal Gear Rising Revengeance: A Chaotic Masterpiece
Spoilers for MGR
You might have heard of this game recently, and that’s because Metal Gear Rising has had a massive resurgence in the past year. And that's mainly because of that game’s memes. However, I want to show that MGR is more than a game about memes. But a true masterpiece. And that all comes down to three key things that make this game amazing: engaging gameplay, interesting and unique bosses, and one of, if not the greatest, soundtracks in all video game history.
First of all, the gameplay. MGR’s base gameplay is one of a hack-and-slash video game. Which means your character is usually running or flying around hacking and slashing everything in your path. But MGR puts a twist on this otherwise mindless gameplay by adding a few features to your experience. Those features are Blade Mode, using boss weapons, and the ability to parry. Blade Mode is basically your character slowing down time so that you can hit critical points, which gives you a chance to heal and deal massive damage. Blade Mode drastically increases your gameplay, giving you the ability to slow down and heal when you need it. Plus, as you continue throughout the game, you are given a few more abilities to amplify your gameplay—one of those being able to use bosses' weapons during your combos. You can choose three boss weapons: Mistral’s polearm, Monsoon’s sais, and Sundowner's giant scissors. All of these weapons do extra damage and have special abilities. Also, you have a number of gadgets to aid you: grenades, EMPs, rocket launchers, health packages, and stamina packs. These gadgets help you by either healing you or stunning your enemies.
Next, the bosses: This game has really good bosses, who are both fun to fight and difficult. In addition, Bosses don’t only challenge you but also the protagonist. From the first boss, Metal Gear Ray, which is a giant robot the size of a skyscraper, all the way to the final boss, Senator Armstrong. This game gives you an amazing challenge that will keep you on your toes—for example, Bladewolf. Bladewolf is the second boss in the game, and he is a robot wolf with a chainsaw tail. He was programmed to do one thing; Kill you. Bladewolf is fast, deals a lot of damage, and almost made me quit the game.
Although Bladewolf was extremely hard in the moment, he was nothing compared to the endgame bosses. He is nothing compared to later game bosses. Speaking of them, let’s talk about Monsoon. Monsoon is the meme guy of this game. And what I mean by that is, in his villain’s speech, he says, and I quote, “...We are all pawns, controlled by something greater: Memes. The DNA of the soul…”. As you can guess, Monsoon is both crazy and funny. But he also challenges the way your protagonist thinks and acts. Monsoon shows that you and he aren't different. You and he kill both for a purpose, but you both kill. Monsoon is a great boss fight that shows that your character has flaws but also helps you understand his stance. However, there is one other boss that is better than any other. And he is considered the best boss fight in the entire game. That boss is known as Jetstream Sam. From the beginning to the end of the game, you are challenged by Sam in both combat and morals. When you first meet Sam in the second level, he destroys you, but he also tells your character something super important. And that is that “...You deny your sword its purpose!...” Sam means that you're using your sword to help others and not just kill. And that your sword should be used for fighting only. During the fourth level, Sam shows up and asks your character why he fights and tells him that the countless soldiers you killed didn’t have a choice. They were forced to fight, but Raiden, the main character, had a choice not to kill. Sam is an excellent rival to Raiden, one of the best I’ve seen in video games.
Lastly, MRG has truly fantastic music that fits the game perfectly. The game is set to a heavy rock soundtrack, with intense drums and guitar. And the lyrics add to the song's greatness. A song you might have heard is “The Only Thing I Know For Real” or “It Has To Be This Way”. These two are the most popular songs. “The Only Thing I Know For Real” is Jetstream Sam’s song and perfectly shows Sam's character as the lyrics say. “...As I stand up and fight, the only thing I know for real, There will be Bloodshed…” these lyrics show that Sam only knows how to fight and kill. Plus, there are a bunch of other great songs, such as “A Stranger I Remain,” “Rules of Nature,” and “The Stains of Time”. These songs are great for adding to your chaotic gameplay and giving you a little more insight into the bosses and world.
Metal Gear Rising is one of my favorite games. It has fun gameplay, great bosses, and an amazing soundtrack. I highly recommend getting this game as it is a blast and one of the best experiences I’ve had with a video game.
