As Sam, the closest thing Raiden has to an opposite number, says before their big showdown: "We've both heard enough bullshit speeches about philosophy - let's go!" The Winds of Despair certainly have that Kojima air in their name and design, but the battles here are much more up-close and frantic - as well as largely avoiding the series' meta side. Revengeance offers up the Winds of Despair, four cyborgs faced in fantastic solo battles, alongside several giant Metal Gear mechs. The Metal Gear series has always had special bosses. The parries and Zandatsus intertwine beautifully, making Raiden a fighter who is not only defined by aggression but kept in peak condition by especial brutality. There's no pulling out menus to use Vital Stars in Revengeance, just get a parry right and reap some poor body's spinal cord. ![]() ![]() The final touch that makes things click is that a Zandatsu refills Raiden's health and energy. Most crucially, it's difficult to slice accurately under pressure and a clumsy first strike sends bits flying off everywhere. Some may think the Zandatsu strays too close to "quick-time event" territory, but I don't like QTEs and absolutely adore this. The lock-on is useful in one-on-one battles, but despite the ability to cycle through targets is a hindrance when battling groups - the enemies simply move too fast to be worth tracking individually. Striking true brings up another prompt to seize the spine and get back to fighting. Things then go into slow motion at crazy upside-down angles and you have a few seconds to line up a slice over highlighted points. Severely weakened or just-parried foes bring up a button prompt and, after pressing it, Raiden executes a few quick-fire moves before launching himself (and often the hapless baddie) into the air. Raiden can cut weakened enemies in specific places, then yank out their dripping android spines and crush them. This is a specific aspect of the slow-motion Blade Mode and whoever invented it is a genius. The second innovation is what Revengeance terms, with typical understatement, the Zandatsu. It is a design choice with a message: in Revengeance, you find a way to keep Raiden on permanent offence, or you die. The parry may sound similar to that in other games, but none has ever made staying aggressive so fundamentally important to combat's flow. ![]() The quality of your timing dictates our hero Raiden's defence go too early and he'll block the attack with no advantage, hit it just as the attack lands and he'll parry into a devastating counterblow that leaves most enemies wide open. ![]() The first is that blocking and parrying are handled by the same timed button press and directional input - rather than, as is more usual, being separate tools. The combat system is defined by two big decisions. Revengeance is a Metal Gear offshoot in the form of a fighting game, by Osaka's Platinum Games, that tries to muscle in on the turf of Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden and Platinum's own Bayonetta. Revengeance is the future of high-octane entertainment, a game that blasts out of the gate and simply doesn't stop until the final strike hits home - though there's plenty of slow-mo along the way. Yet as the credits roll the elation acquires a funereal tinge, a sadness that action movies have just been superseded. After recovering from the last boss of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, you may need a cold shower.
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