I think I'm near the end of the game, and if so, one of my few complaints would be that it is too short. And that's a big complaint actually, my biggest problem with games from recent years is that it takes no time at all to beat most of them. Maybe time goes by more quickly as you get older, as I remember it taking forever to beat something like Super Metroid (but wait...even though I beat Metroid like once a year, and know where everything is, I feel like it still at least takes a good weekend to beat, if you obsessively hunt down every item like I do).
It would be more excusable if there weren't examples of recent action games that seem at least twice as long. The new Devil May Cry is of the same genre and I was constantly surprised by how many times I thought the story was about to end, only to realize its scope was much larger than I originally thought. Even more shocking was how I felt the need to replay it immediately on a harder difficulty.
I can't talk much about MGR's length before I beat it, although I feel it's definitely about to wrap up and I really don't want it to, which is in a way a mark of success in terms of gameplay. If it wasn't so satisfying I probably wouldn't have nearly finished it in one sitting. Regardless of length, I rarely get addicted enough to beat games that quickly.
Also, I'd been looking forward to this game since it was announced in, like, 2008. I didn't think it was ever going to come out, but my hopes were so high I feel like I was setting myself up for inevitable disappointment. But MGR is certainly no disappointment. It's true enough to the series to feel like a worthy entry alongside some of the greatest games ever made, and enough of a departure from the established formula to be a refreshing change of pace.
Plus I've always thought Raiden was an interesting character, while most hated him from the get go, and many still hate him. Pretty much androgynous, seemingly harmless and inexperienced until we realized "wow, what a badass!" After seeing Raiden in action in MGS4, it's hard to imagine a game starring him in his cyborg ninja form playing any differently from how MGR turned out.
I also like how they've drawn parallels between Raiden and his nemesis Vamp from previous games without even mentioning his name. Raiden looks malnourished to be honest, more pale, nearly invincible, with an almost insatiable bloodlust, constantly ending his foe's lives to replenish his own health, and his past, his "true nature" being undeniable as a curse, but an occasional blessing depending on how you look at it.
Now I feel like I should have just written a review instead of a comment that is just a big wall of text. But overall, great game. Luckily I'm not disappointed thus far.
