I went into Metal Gear Rising expecting a fun action game, but I didn't expect to enjoy it this much.
The combat is probably my favorite part. It's surprisingly simple to understand: light attacks, heavy attacks, Blade Mode, and the directional parry. There's a lot of depth in learning enemy patterns and figuring out when to attack, defend, and counter. Once the mechanics finally click, the combat feels incredibly satisfying.
And then there are the bosses. They are some of the most memorable fights I've played in a game. Jetstream Sam absolutely destroyed me at first, but finally learning his attacks and beating him was one of the most satisfying moments of the game. Senator Armstrong was just completely insane in the best possible way. Every boss feels like an event rather than just another enemy with a health bar.
The music deserves its own paragraph. The soundtrack is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ incredible. The songs don't just play in the background; they make the fights feel like massive climaxes. The music, the dialogue, the ridiculous action, and the boss fights all come together perfectly.
The story is also exactly the kind of ridiculous I wanted from Metal Gear. Obviously, it isn't realistic. At some point Raiden is throwing around machines that absolutely should not be liftable by a human, and the game doesn't care. But that's part of the appeal. Metal Gear has always been willing to take serious political and military ideas and put them next to completely absurd science fiction. Somehow, it works.
The game is also much shorter than I expected. My first playthrough took around 4 hours and 30 minutes. At first I was surprised that the story was over so quickly, but honestly, I think the length works. There isn't much filler. It's basically one insane set piece after another, and the combat is good enough that I can see myself replaying it just to get better at the bosses.
My only real complaint is that some of the parry mechanics can be frustrating to learn, especially when you're first trying to understand exactly what the game wants from you. But once it clicks, it becomes one of the most satisfying parts of the combat.
Another thing I absolutely love is how nearly everything feels worth clipping. It's not just the boss fights. Even taking down a normal enemy can turn into a ridiculous Blade Mode sequence that looks like something you'd normally expect from a major cutscene.
The game somehow makes regular combat feel cinematic. You're constantly getting moments where you stop and think, "♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, that looked cool." The finishers, Blade Mode, enemy reactions, and the sheer amount of destruction make even basic encounters memorable.
It's one of those games where I could finish a fight and immediately want to watch the replay because the gameplay itself creates its own highlights.
Overall Metal Gear Rising is just amazing.
