Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is an action video game developed by Platinum Games and produced by Kojima Productions, for the XBox-360 console. Published by Konami, this is the ninth game in the Metal Gear series, with a plot set four years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. The story focuses on the cyborg ninja, Raiden, in a fight against a private military company known as Desperado Enterprises.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance brings two of the world's most respected teams together with a common goal of providing players with a fresh synergetic experience that combines the best elements of pure action and epic storytelling, all within the expansive Metal Gear universe. The game, which has an ESRB rating of M18, introduces Raiden as the central character; a child soldier transformed into a half-man, half-machine cyborg ninja.

The single-player gameplay focuses on fighting enemies using a sword and multiple sub-weapons to perform combos and counterattacks. The game introduces the Blade Mode feature which allows the player to dismember cyborgs in slow motion and steal parts stored in their bodies.

Synopsis and Features

Players assume control of Raiden, a katana-wielding cyborg. The player can alter Raiden's appearance through alternative skins. Unlike previous titles in the Metal Gear series, where players try not to be noticed by enemy, Rising is action oriented, focusing on sword fighting and a sophisticated cutting system to fight and defeat enemies. Although Raiden's main weapon is his high-frequency blade, Raiden can wield blades such as a dagger or a rocket launcher. Other sub-weapons can only be obtained after defeating the game's bosses.

The game's cutting system allows players to engage in melee combat, as well as to precisely slash enemies and objects at will along a geometrical plane using the free slicing Blade Mode. Entering Blade Mode produces a special targeting reticule in the form of a transparent blue plane which can be rotated and moved, tracing orange lines across the surfaces of objects to indicate exactly where they will be cut. These features can be employed strategically, for example disabling opponents, finding weak points, severing support columns to collapse ceilings or walls onto enemies, deflecting enemy fire, or cutting through objects to remove enemy cover.

Raiden has the ability to parry attacks even when his back is turned, allowing him to counter attack enemies and perform multiple combos. The player also has access to a stealth mode called Ninja Dash, which drastically increases Raiden's speed and allows him to climb certain areas. This allows him to strategically ambush an enemy rather than fighting head to head. Another key gameplay feature is called Zandatsu and involves cutting through enemies and taking parts, energy, ammunition, items, and information from the bodies of dismembered cyborgs and robots. This manoeuvre can be employed when attacking an enemy during Blade Mode and helps Raiden gain energy. When completing a mission, the player will be rewarded with a specific amount of points depending on his or her performance and will receive a grade, with the highest being S.

The player can carry out reconnaissance using a visor. Through this, the player can verify the areas and proceed to the objective avoiding contact with enemies. Hiding in a cardboard box makes sneaking easier for Raiden. Being spotted by an enemy triggers the Alert Mode, in which Raiden is assaulted by multiple enemies for a determined time. The player also gains assistance from Bladewolf, a dog-like machine that gathers map information for Raiden. An interquel between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 4, this game will surely prove to be a worthwhile way to spend leisure time.