It shouldn't have worked. Seriously. When Kojima Productions first showed off the "Solid" version of this project, it looked like a technical disaster that was destined for the scrap heap. Then PlatinumGames stepped in, swapped tactical espionage for high-octane hack-and-slash, and gave us Raiden—not the whining rookie from Big Shell, but a cyborg ninja who suplexes giant robots. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is weird. It is loud. It is arguably the most "meme-able" game in history. But over a decade after its 2013 launch, it feels less like a spin-off and more like a prophetic fever dream.
If you play it today, you'll realize it isn't just about the "Zandatsu" mechanic where you slice enemies into a hundred fluttering ribbons of polygons. It’s the politics. It’s the sheer audacity of a game that predicts the era of "alternative facts" and PMCs-as-influencers.
The Development Hell That Created a Masterpiece
Most people forget that Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance almost died. Originally titled Metal Gear Solid: Rising, the game was supposed to fill the gap between MGS2 and MGS4. The internal team at Kojima Productions struggled with the "cut anything" mechanic. They couldn't make it fun. They couldn't even make it work. Hideo Kojima eventually took the project to PlatinumGames, the studio behind Bayonetta, and basically told them to save it.
Platinum didn't just save it; they gutted it. They shifted the timeline to after the fall of the Patriots. They turned Raiden into a "Ripper." This shift changed the DNA of the series. Gone were the cardboard boxes and the twenty-minute radio calls about Calorie Mate. In their place came a parry system that requires you to be aggressive to survive. You don't hide. You parry a chainsaw with a high-frequency blade and then rip out a glowing blue spine to refuel. It’s chaotic. It’s beautiful. It’s PlatinumGames at their absolute peak of "character action" design.
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Why We Are Still Obsessed With Senator Armstrong
You’ve seen the memes. "Nanomachines, son!" or the endless loops of Raiden punching a massive, shirtless man to the beat of "It Has To Be This Way." But behind the absurdity of Senator Steven Armstrong lies one of the most chillingly accurate antagonists in gaming history.
Armstrong isn't a cartoon villain, even if he looks like one. He’s the embodiment of American exceptionalism gone toxic. He wants to start wars to end "war as a business." He talks about "making America great" years before that phrase became a global political lightning rod. The final confrontation isn't just a boss fight; it's a philosophical debate happening at 200 miles per hour while a giant metal spider explodes in the background.
The dialogue, penned largely by Etsu Tamari, hits different now. When Armstrong rants about the "memes" of the soul—the ideas and cultural DNA we pass on—he isn't talking about funny pictures on the internet. He’s talking about the viral nature of ideology. He’s talking about how people can be manipulated into voting against their own interests by the right kind of rhetoric. It’s heavy stuff for a game where you can wear a poncho and a sombrero while infiltrating a Mexican laboratory.
The Combat Logic: Why It Beats Modern Action Games
Modern games love "soulslike" combat. They love stamina bars and slow, deliberate rolls. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance hates that. It wants you to be fast.
The parry system is the smartest thing about the gameplay. To block an attack, you have to flick the analog stick toward the enemy and press the attack button. You are literally attacking the attack. This forces a mindset of constant forward momentum. If you hesitate, you die.
Then there’s Blade Mode.
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Using the right stick to aim your slashes in 360 degrees was a gimmick that actually worked. It wasn’t just for show. You could target specific limbs to disable a Fenrir wolf-bot or aim for the "core" to instantly heal. It created a rhythm:
- Aggressive comboing.
- Precision parry.
- Slow-motion butchery.
- Repeat.
Very few games since, maybe with the exception of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, have captured that specific feeling of "clashing steel" so effectively. The feedback loop is perfect. You feel powerful, but you also feel like you’re one mistake away from being turned into scrap metal yourself.
The Soundtrack is the Secret Sauce
You cannot talk about Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance without Jamie Christopherson’s score. This isn't background music. It’s a dynamic system.
The lyrics only kick in when the boss reaches a certain health threshold or enters a new phase. It’s an auditory reward. When "Rules of Nature" hits its crescendo just as you're suplexing a Metal Gear RAY, it provides a shot of adrenaline that most AAA games today spend $200 million trying to fake with cinematics. The music tells the story. "The Stains of Time" explains Monsoon’s nihilism. "Collective Consciousness" is the literal voice of the state. It’s brilliant. It’s loud. It makes you want to run through a brick wall.
Addressing the Common Gripes
Honestly, the game isn't perfect. The camera is a nightmare. If you get backed into a corner by a couple of Mastiffs, the camera will bury itself in Raiden's shoulder, and you'll be parrying blind. It’s frustrating.
The campaign is also short. You can breeze through it in about six or seven hours on your first run. In 2013, people complained about the "value." In 2026, we realize that a tight, six-hour masterpiece is better than a sixty-hour open-world slog filled with fetch quests. Every minute of Rising is curated. There is no filler. Even the VR missions, while punishingly difficult, serve to sharpen your skills for the higher difficulty tiers like "Revengeance" mode, where a single hit can end you but a perfect parry can one-shot a boss.
The Legacy of the "Meme" Game
Is it a "real" Metal Gear game?
Purists used to say no. They missed the slow crawls through the grass. But the "Metal Gear" identity has always been about anti-war messages delivered via giant bipedal tanks and over-the-top characters. Rising keeps that heart. It just adds a jetpack and a high-frequency blade. It explores the aftermath of Snake’s actions—the vacuum left behind when the "system" collapses and private military companies start acting like sovereign nations.
We see the influence of Rising in everything from Devil May Cry 5 to the indie scene. It proved that you could have a deep, technical combat system that was still accessible enough for people who just wanted to cut a car into 400 pieces.
How to Play It Best Today
If you’re looking to dive back in, the PC version is still the way to go. It runs at a rock-solid 60fps, which is non-negotiable for a game this fast. While there hasn't been a formal "Remastered" edition yet, the Steam version supports high resolutions and looks surprisingly crisp because the art direction favors sharp edges and high-contrast effects over realistic textures that would have dated poorly.
Also, don't skip the DLC. The Jetstream Sam chapter is a masterclass in different combat pacing. Sam doesn't have Raiden’s cyborg enhancements; he’s just a guy with a sword and a double-jump, which makes the boss fights feel entirely new.
Actionable Steps for New and Returning Players
To get the most out of the experience right now, follow these specific tips:
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- Learn to Parry Early: Do not rely on dodging. The dodge (Offensive Defense) is an unlockable skill you have to buy in the customization menu. Get it immediately, but prioritize learning the timing of the flick-parry.
- Invest in Fuel Cell Capacity: Your ability to stay in Blade Mode is your biggest advantage. Focus your initial BP (Battle Points) on energy upgrades rather than just raw strength.
- Watch the Yellow Glow: If an enemy glows yellow, you cannot parry that move. You have to use "Offensive Defense" to I-frame through it or simply get out of the way.
- Listen to the Lyrics: If the vocals haven't started during a boss fight, you haven't "won" the argument yet. Keep pushing until the singer starts screaming.
- Customization is Key: Don't forget to jump into the codec menu between missions to upgrade your gear. The "Ripper Mode" upgrades later in the game are essential for handling the late-game mob rushes.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance remains a singular achievement. It’s a game that knows exactly what it is—a ridiculous, philosophical, hyper-violent action masterpiece that refuses to apologize for its own absurdity. It’s time to go back and cut some things.