#Metal gear rising ost review series#

This is a bit disconnected from the mechanics behind the gameвЂ™s scoring system, which gives ratings based on combat performance and awards вЂњBattle PointsвЂќ for skilled play. The members of his support team seem to prefer the stealth approach, pointing out routes with lower enemy activity, congratulating Raiden on passing through regions unnoticed and admonishing him when he is unsuccessful. Lacking basic systems for crouching or taking cover behind objects, RaidenвЂ™s stealth repertoire is effectively limited to the use of ranged weapons for distraction and the hallmark cardboard box - which isnвЂ™t to say he cannot be effective at sneaking, and there are safe routes through the majority of the game which allow for silent elimination of enemies, if not total avoidance. Many combat encounters can be circumvented using stealth techniques, but just as Metal Gear Solid can be said to be at its worst when fighting against its combat mechanics, Raiden isnвЂ™t built to sneak. Revengeance is like a mirrorвЂ™s reflection of the Metal Gear formula in that it offers both stealth and combat, but places a reversed focus and value on them. To do anything else would probably have been disingenuous, simply because violent battle is the primary activity players will engage in and it is tremendously enjoyable. But it may inadvertently send the wrong message, as the horror of the realization is quickly consumed entirely by a gleeful acknowledgement and acceptance of RaidenвЂ™s monstrous nature, launching into even greater depths of violence. At a time in our industry when games are under scrutiny for the violent content they contain and the effect it may have on society, Revengeance arrives at the perfect opportunity to address this. While certainly befitting what has come before, itвЂ™s unfortunate that these well-worn concepts steal the thunder of a poignant mid-game sequence where the narrative does everything short of outright breaking the fourth wall to force the player to evaluate the violence they have engaged in and the pleasure they received as a consequence.

KojimaвЂ™s influence on the story is most readily apparent in its themes, recycling ideas about the power and transmission of ideals found throughout the Metal Gear franchise. Recurring elements abound, from the composition of cutscenes and the ubiquitous punctuation marks over heads to the thematically linked team of enemy cyborgs, The Winds of Destruction.

#Metal gear rising ost review series#

These often seem too subtle to expect players unfamiliar with the series to understand, but present no problems in understanding the plot, which is almost alarming in its straightforwardness for a title bearing the Metal GearВ name.ДЇrequent attempts are made to reinforce the idea that Rising belongs alongside the Solid series with tropes familiar to fans. Only one secondary character from Metal Gear Solid makes an appearance while passing references to other characters and events arenвЂ™t common. It feels as though it exists in a bubble all its own, a single instance where a crisis arises and is overcome, and the impact of these events feel largely resolved by the conclusion. In terms of contributing to the Metal Gear canon, Revengeance isnвЂ™t doing much which seems significant. Metal Gear Rising: RevengeanceВ (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 ) When another outfit assassinates the Prime Minister of a government Maverick has a contract with, Raiden begins a campaign of vengeance which reveals a plan to jump start the War Economy back into operation and a sinister program of experimentation he is all too familiar with already. Some, such as Raiden and the company employing him (Maverick Security Consulting, Inc.), have turned their attention to security and training in developing nations, seeking to maintain the peace. In the aftermath, the cyborg soldiers of the private military companies which functioned as the lifeblood for this system were cast into the wind, searching for a purpose now that the wars they were built to fight no longer exist. Four years following the events of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, the world is still recovering from the fall of the War Economy, a program created to ensure a constant level of conflict on the globe for the purposes of profit and control.