It shouldn't have worked. Honestly, when Hideo Kojima first showed off the early trailers for what was then called Metal Gear Solid: Rising, it looked like a technical disaster waiting to happen. The "cut anything" mechanic was ambitious—maybe too ambitious for 2010 hardware. Then the project went quiet. We all thought it was dead until PlatinumGames stepped in, added the "Revengeance" subtitle (which isn't even a real word, by the way), and turned a stealth-focused franchise into a high-octane cyborg slasher.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a fever dream. It’s a game where you play as Raiden—the once-hated protagonist of Metal Gear Solid 2—who has been rebuilt into a walking weapon. You aren't hiding in cardboard boxes anymore. You’re parrying giant robotic legs and slicing through skyscrapers.
The game celebrates its absurdity. It knows it's over the top. Yet, years later, it’s more relevant than ever because of its memes, its soundtrack, and a combat system that hasn't been topped.
The Combat System That Rewards Aggression
Most action games from that era, like God of War or Devil May Cry, relied heavily on a dedicated dodge button. PlatinumGames threw that out the window. In Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, your best defense is a relentless offense. To block, you have to flick the analog stick toward the enemy and hit the attack button simultaneously. It’s a parry system masquerading as a basic mechanic. It forces you to stare down a boss and time your strikes perfectly.
Then there’s Blade Mode. This is the "Zandatsu" mechanic.
When you weaken an enemy, time slows down. You get a precision aiming reticle. You don't just kill them; you surgically dissect them. You cut out their glowing blue electrolyte spine and crush it in your hand to refill your health. It’s visceral. It’s satisfying. It’s basically the gameplay equivalent of a shot of espresso.
The flow state here is incredible. You go from a flurry of light attacks into a heavy launcher, jump into the air, trigger Blade Mode, slice a cyborg into fifty pieces, and land with full health ready for the next guy. It feels surgical.
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Why Everyone is Still Talking About Senator Armstrong
You’ve seen the memes. Even if you haven't played the game, you've seen the "Nanomachines, son" clip.
Senator Steven Armstrong is perhaps the most bizarre final boss in gaming history. He isn't a ninja or a giant robot—well, at first he is—but his final form is just a buff guy in a dress shirt and tie who played college football at the University of Texas. He’s the physical embodiment of American exceptionalism gone off the rails.
The dialogue in the final hour of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is legendary. It tackles private military companies, the "war economy," and how information is manipulated in the digital age. While the Metal Gear Solid mainline games handled these themes with heavy-handed cinematic flair, Rising just shouts them at you while you're getting punched in the face.
It’s prophetic in a weird way.
The script talks about "making America great again" years before that phrase became a global political fixture. It discusses the "memes" of the soul—not funny internet pictures, but the actual cultural units of information that Richard Dawkins wrote about. It’s surprisingly deep for a game where you can wear a sombrero and a poncho while infiltrating a Mexican lab.
The Soundtrack is the Secret Sauce
Jamie Christopherson deserves a trophy for this score.
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Most games use "dynamic music" where the volume goes up when enemies appear. Rising takes it further. The lyrics of the boss themes are tied to the boss's health and the phase of the fight. When you’re fighting Metal Gear RAY in the opening mission, the lyrics to "Rules of Nature" don't kick in until you parry a giant blade and start swinging the robot around.
It creates an incredible emotional peak.
"The Stains of Time" (Monsoon’s theme) or "The Only Thing I Know For Real" (Jetstream Sam’s theme) aren't just background noise. They are character studies. They tell you about the motivations of the person you’re trying to kill. The heavy industrial rock and electronic beats match the metallic clashing of the swords perfectly. It’s loud. It’s abrasive. It’s perfect.
The Development Hell That Saved the Game
If Kojima Productions had finished the game internally, it probably would have been a slower, more methodical experience. They struggled with the "cut anything" engine. They couldn't make the gameplay "fun" while keeping the freedom to slice every object in the environment.
PlatinumGames, the masters of the "Character Action" genre, took the assets and basically rebuilt the game in less than a year.
That’s why the levels feel a bit linear. You can tell they were rushing. Some environments are just gray hallways or empty plazas. But the core loop—the clashing of steel—is so polished that you barely notice the lack of environmental variety. It’s a masterclass in prioritizing what actually matters to the player.
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Jetstream Sam, Raiden's rival, is a great example of this. He doesn't have fancy augmentations. He’s just a guy with a sword and a double-jump who happens to be better than you. The rivalry between Sam and Raiden gives the story a personal stake that balances out the global conspiracy nonsense.
Is Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Still Worth Playing?
Yes. A thousand times yes.
Even on modern hardware, the game holds up because of its art style and 60fps target. It’s currently available on PC (Steam) and is backward compatible on Xbox consoles. Sadly, PlayStation players are stuck with the streaming version on PS Plus unless they still have a PS3 hooked up.
There are misconceptions that it’s a "short" game. While a single playthrough might only take six or seven hours, that’s not the point. The game is designed for replayability. To get the "S" ranks on Revengeance difficulty, you have to master the parry system and learn every enemy's tell.
It’s a high-skill ceiling game.
Actionable Insights for New Players
If you're picking it up for the first time, keep these tips in mind to avoid frustration:
- Learn to Parry Early: Don't look for a dodge button. Move the stick toward the enemy and press Light Attack. If you do it right as they hit you, you'll perform a counter-attack that deals massive damage.
- Buy the Offensive Defense Skill: This is the only "dodge" move in the game. It allows you to perform a small hop while attacking, giving you i-frames (invincibility frames). It’s essential for bosses like Monsoon.
- Don't Ignore the Sub-Weapons: Some players forget they have grenades or rocket launchers. They are great for stanning pesky flying enemies.
- Focus on the Core: Don't get bogged down trying to find every secret. The joy of Rising is the momentum. Keep moving, keep cutting, and keep the combo meter high.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance represents a specific era of gaming where developers were willing to take a massive risk on a spin-off. It’s a spin-off that, in many ways, has outlived the reputation of the main series entries. It’s pure, unadulterated "cool." It doesn't apologize for its over-the-top violence or its ridiculous plot.
To get the most out of your experience, start on Normal or Hard difficulty. Jumping straight into the harder modes without the upgraded health bar will lead to a lot of "Game Over" screens. Once you finish the story, go back and play the "Jetstream Sam" and "Blade Wolf" DLC chapters—they are included in the PC version and offer a fresh perspective on the combat mechanics you just mastered.