Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance utilizes a thrilling blade combat system as players take control of cyborg Raiden. While this offers different thrills compared to the more tactical espionage in other Metal Gear games, Revengeance does a poor job explaining some of its most vital hand-to-hand gameplay components. This allows players to intuitively learn the combat for themselves, but some have found this to negatively impact gameplay. Nevertheless, Metal Gear Rising's memetic status has gained fame since its release, resulting in gamers continually returning to it.
As Revengeance progresses and the cyborg protagonist takes on difficult bosses, the need to parry and dodge attacks becomes a necessary aspect of beating bosses with a high skill rank. The lack of tutorials and in-game direction can leave players confused, but this guide can explain the command-sensitive prompts for any frustrated players.
How To Parry & Counter
The Standard Parry
The first moment where Revengeance players will likely require parrying skills will be the Bladewolf battle, but knowing it from the start can greatly improve performance. To parry enemy attacks effectively, players need to block them by moving in the enemy's direction (in relation to the camera) and press the attack button.
It doesn't matter what the attack looks like, just where the enemy is standing. Looking straight at the enemy requires the player to hold forward, whereas if they are on the left, press left, and so forth. As long as Raiden is directed as if running towards the enemy, he will be in the correct position to reliably block enemy attacks and heal in the midst of battle.
There is also a helpful visual aid to let players know when the time to parry is: a flashing red light. The red light that flashes up before any incoming attack marks the timing, and the direction the light comes from is the direction to parry in. It is therefore possible to survive simply by watching the red light pattern and parrying correctly, which is useful during boss battles like Monsoon.
Parry-Counter Attack
Note that parrying an attack differs to the parry-counter attack. A standard parry requires the steps above to block an attack, but it is possible to counter the attack and subsequently stun enemies after they attack. This requires precision and timing, but it can give players a valuable edge during close quarters combat.
The parry-counter requires a perfect counterattack via hitting the button just before the enemy attack hits. Raiden's useful 'Offensive Defensive' ability is unlocked partway through the game, so players will not have that ability from the start. Since it does not cost very many points, however, it is recommended that players buy it quickly to better their chances against difficulty spikes later on.
The controls differ between versions, but these are accessible via in-game tutorial prompts. The main controls consist of moving the joystick/mouse in the required parry direction and tapping the command button (X on Xbox and Square on PS3) to successfully defend Raiden during combat.
How To Dodge, Roll, & Blade Cancel
Dodging/rolling is another vital part of Revengeance's powerful combat scenarios, but there is no dedicated dodge button mapped out on game controls. Instead, dodging comes down to the reaction and dexterity of the player, similarly to parrying.
Effective use of the parry command can block most attacks, but to dodge unblockable attacks, the Offensive Defensive move is required. For PS3 and Xbox 360 users, move the left analog stick to the direction of the coming attacks. Press the X button for the XBOX controller or press the square button for the PS controller to successfully evade.
Players can also 'lag cancel' out of Raiden's attacks immediately by tapping the Blade Mode button while it is in use. Quick taps of the button allow Raiden to enter and immediately exit Blade Mode, reducing the time against attack windows when compared to the dodge move, which cancels the command.
Players should note that some attacks render blade-canceling impossible. This is not a glitch, because blade-canceling is actually an intentional gameplay mechanic. Despite Platinum Games' experience with fighting games, this feature relies on the player discovering this technique for themselves.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is out now on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.