I downloaded the newish metal gear from psPlus but I'm afraid it's not grabbing me like the old games did, I feel like I can do exciting looking combos by random button mashing, and I have found no apparent use for blade mode in combat, does it get more interesting or is this deliberate design?

So stop playing it then.

Yeah, I barely got through any of it myself. There was a point where I realized I would have more fun watching the cutscenes online than playing any of it. Seems like the gameplay is not everyone's cup of tea.

I couldn't really get into it, nor did I feel it got better. I've just failed to see the appeal in these not mechanically like Metal Gear Solid but still Metal Gear themed games.

@bertmasta: Well, if you've come in expecting anything like the other MGS games, I can understand becoming uninterested. It's almost completely different.

What have you thought of games like Bayonetta or DmC? If you've liked those, perhaps playing a bit more of MGR will make some sense for you.

I want to play it for the story, I just hope it worth playing for that really, same reason I played persona 4 arena.

How much are you parrying? The combat is more focused on parrying and speed than difficult combos. Blade mode is the only consistent way to heal and it is a much more efficient way to take down enemies. By the end of my play through on Hard I was using blade mode on 99% of the enemies.

EDIT: Heads up, the story is SUPER dumb but not in the same way that Metal Gear normally is.

@darkshaper: Ok this is starting to make sense now, I could be just playing it wrong, but I also feel like I haven't been told I should be playing that way by the game

It all depends on your preference in games. Blade mode has its uses when you want to restore your health, and on certain bosses you have to use blade mode (Even though its a pain). The combat is basically just parrying attacks then going ape shit on enemies. There's 3 special weapons you can unlock later on, but like I said it depends on your preference. The game may not just click for you.

Yah the game is kinda bad about telling you how important parrying is. I didn't use it much on my first play through until the last two levels but once I figured it out I started enjoying it way more.

@darkshaper said:

If by bad you mean allowing you to figure out for yourself that blocking and using a super powerful counter attack is important to playing the game well then sure.

I also feel like I can't light up a smoke and enjoy it in a cutscene like mgs4 no time haha

I'm playing through it now so I might update this as I play, for example I'm at blade wolf and keep getting trapped in a corner and being severely beaten

I got it free from PSN plus too and i don't like it at all.

It's very different from previous games, it's a lot more like the old Devil May Cry games in how you play it. Parrying and Blade mode become increasingly important as the game goes on, as you need blade mode to zandatsu to restore health and in later boss battles you need to use it to make bosses vulnerable to attack.

Parrying is also super important, especially if you get stuck on Blade wolf. If you press the light button in the direction the enemy is attack you can block the attack, or if you do it fast enough you can counter-attack. I'd also recommend buying the move "defensive offensive", as its a dodge move you can do in any direction which has invincible frames during it, so it's super useful to get out of the way of an enemy. Also using R1 to lock onto enemies helps solve problems where you can see an enemy who's about to hit you.

I am actually with you. I found the game boring and I am a tried and true MG fan. I found the combat to be ultra monotonous with no real reward or excitement involved. Not a big deal though, I just (sadly) traded the game and moved on to something I found more enjoyable.

Did you buy the evade skill? Because you cant parry some of Blade Wolf's attacks, and remember to keep your view locked to him when you're fighting otherwise things will end poorly.

I'm not going to defend Rising to people who cant accept that this isnt another MGS game. I've already done that. I will say though that this game is more of the DMC, Bayonetta and Ninja Gaiden ilk. So if those games rubbed you the wrong way then this game probably isnt for you.

@eternalvigil: I beat blade wolf and found that fight helped me tap more into the games mechanics, I a ranked a few encounters after that, not surprising I had the same thing happen to me in DMC

Play on at least Hard, and use Blade Mode to cancel out of combos. A combination of heavy attacks and Blade Mode canceling makes things die a lot faster. Try to receive no damage and rack up Zandatsu's for high scores. Most of the fun I've had is trying to get the highest rank for the missions as I go.

Also like everyone said parrying and counter-attacking is super important. The game doesn't do a good job telling you, but just parry anything color-coded red. It makes things a lot more involved and quick. For example, when you parry the tutorial boss stomp you immediately move onto the next stage without having to attack it enough.

@boozak: I beat blade wolf by ninja run heavy attacks to evade and stagger, I'm sure I will find a time when I need to buy abilities but I have found a need to yet

Do the konami code at the menu. It will unlock revengence mode.

Trust me, you can't mash buttons there.

At the end of an act it gives you a chance to go buy abilities before you start the next one.

@eternalvigil: Just beat mistral, finding the game a bit now, may have jumped the gun a bit here

Cool, game gets better as you get through it. The ending is worth it.

@eternalvigil: You can also press "back" or "select" and go to customize and do it from there, it'll then take you back to your last checkpoint. You can also access VR from the menu so if you need extra "BP" for some abilities or upgrades that's a quick and (generally) easy way to get some.

Yeah, I didn't mention it because the OP was trying to learn the basic moves he had at the start. I would suggest using that later on though.

If it's too difficult for you then stop playing.

It's a pretty awful game to have the Metal Gear name on it.

Pretty surprised how many people don't like it, I thought it was awesome. Played through it multiple times and even started the "All S ranks on revengeance difficulty" acheevo, though school interrupted that but I got the first few levels done and made some videos of it too:

I used the fox blade though which I guess is considered game breaking or lame but I had hard enough time S ranking stuff with it as well :P

I tried to like it as best as I could. Got an hour or two past Mistral and it just lost me. I don't know what it was, but I just felt that it would be more fun to watch the cutscenes and stuff on youtube then to play it myself.

I also feel the same about another Platinum game, the Wonderful 101. Struggled my way through to operation 6 or 7 and just couldn't play it anymore. I really liked a lot of aspects about that game (the music, characters, the world, etc) but I just didn't like playing it. Loved Bayonetta though and can't wait for the second one.

they never explain countering through out the game, but I'd recommend if you think of the game's combat like soul calibur, the counters would will come easier and then you can perform blade mode easier.

But if your not feeling it, then don't force yourself.

Well, I see you figured it out on your own. But to anyone else playing the game and not getting it. Try and beat bosses without taking damage. That is how it's meant to be looked at.

The game is basically a rough timing balance between parrying enemy attacks and keeping on the offensive, and in rare cases even dodging. Speaking of which, you should pick up the dodge move in the tree kind of quick, it helps sometimes.

@bertmasta: Moved to the MGR:R forum - please review this topic before posting your next new thread, thanks.

Okay totally get you,I felt exactly the same. Hated it in fact. Two tips. It's not a metal gear game per se, don't try to sneak or hide behind corners shoot people. It's all about the chopping.

Second and most important piece of advice, learn to parry. Specifically "flick" the joystick in the enemies direction and press square.

Once you get this technique, which the game poorly explains, it becomes soooo much more enjoyable. Highly recommend it

Man, once again this thread breaks my heart. I wish it explained itself better. When the game "clicks" it's really something else, it saddens me that people would get rid of it before really getting into the combat. :C

@tobbrobb: it's a typical metal gear failing, controls are so anathemic from typical control schemes. Sometimes they're poorly explained or counter-intuitive, this can lead to some people giving up, others may persevere and really enjoy it eventually.

Case in point I'm replaying MGS3 on the Vita, for the Virtuous Mission I was terrible. Absolutely convinced the vita's lack of R2/L2 R3/L3 and pressure sensitive buttons was to blame. I'm starting to get used to the controls now and realise it's always like this on MGS games, the first mission is a nightmare as you get used to the scheme.

*the lack of pressure sensitive buttons is a pain though

I think this game went over a lot of people's heads. First off its not supposed to be "like" the other Metal Gear games at all. Hence it being called Metal Gear Rising "Solid" is nowhere in the title nor is "Tactical Stealth Espionage".

I also think a lot of people didn't pay attention they explain the basic controls and blade mode by the beginning of the actual first mission. Now, I don't expect most people to understand how to use Raiden's i-frames in his dodge or other more advanced tactics BUT It flat out shows you how to parry and use blade mode. If people paid attention to codecs and cut-scenes you would pick up on this information.

Then don't play it. Do you really need to be told this?

Except you know, the two games have almost nothing in common and were designed by two different developers, the likely hood that Platinum was held to a control scheme seems unlikely.

Yeah, Metal Gear Rising plays largely like other Hack and Slash games. It's rather the mechanics and mindset that is a little obscured.

Rising is incredible fun, it also has the best boss fights in years.

I suppose if you didn't know that Metal Gear Rising was a character action game (like Bayonetta and DMC3) then you'd be pretty disappointed to find that it doesn't play like other Metal Gear games. That being said I think it's probably one of the best titles for getting into the genre. It only has a few system you need to learn (Parry and blade mode) and it's pretty forgiving on normal difficulty, but you NEED to understand the combat system. If you're just button mashing you're going to have a bad time.

You know, I was trying out God of War Ascension , and I'm reminded why I love Rising so much. It's just how responsive the combat is, it's the immediate reaction to a hit, the clang of the swords, the speed of it all and then the slow down to get more health or just to be a dick and slowly turn a man into a gimp. God of war has this weird floatiness to it, like your underwater, blades just float across bodies, enemies just seem to come and yet they don't really have that feed back like your hitting them even if there's QTE telling you to mash buttons.

I would highly recommend playing the game while watching this let's play. So many mechanics and hidden things are explained. I found it invaluable in learning the game.

What I like doing is playing a chapter on my own so I don't spoil anything, then going back and watching the relevant videos. All the stuff that is shown is useful during later parts of the game.

I had almost the exact same feeling after playing DmC after Rising. The combat isn't as responsive and I can't cancel out of attack animations as smoothly. Rising's dodge move is so much better than the one in DmC it's not even funny. Plus it never felt like I was in control as in rising, as you get forced into angel/demon weapons on the colour coded enemy equivalent, whereas in rising, you could take on anybody with the HF blade and still have a fighting chance. It's why I'm probably going to go back to Rising at some point, while I may never touch DmC again.

That's the feedback, actually I know a couple friends who didn't get into Rising, so I recommended them DMC instead. So it's really not as welcoming that one would imagine, it depends. I still think that hitting something in rising and if someone is blocking, and there's a definitive CLANG. The actual combat is slightly slowed down to notice it, that's the thing being able to just slow it down slightly and make assessments on the arena and go "your next after I finish this guy off." Because the problem with DMC and GoW is really PUMPING DAMAGE INTO BIG DUDES WHO ARE ALL LIKE "COME AT ME!" When Rising is a bit more about finesse. You feel like a surgeon when you cut off a guys arm because he's got an hammer and you need to take out other guys.

I liked it until the final boss. That basically killed most of hype for me.

I still like it though for everything else.

How do you dodge? I thought you had to parry everything.

Press both attack buttons at once and he dodges back press them and left or right on the stick and he dodges left or right. The move has a lot of invincibility frames on it making it a clutch move in higher difficulty runs.

The most important thing you should know about dodging is that you need to buy that move. Watch the first minute of this video. Keep on watching if you want to learn about the other mechanics that you probably missed or didn't understand.