there's not enough information for the player to be able to tell what angle an attack is coming from. There's too much trial and error and it's very unsatisfying.

Pros
-good artwork
-great character designs
-satisfying to beat a boss with no damage taken
-doesn't overstay its welcome
-extra difficulties add a sense of progression
-ranking system for fights
-violence as promised
-easy achievements
-survival mode

Cons
-charged punch is situational
-Needed more fights at launch
-Dumb zooming in mechanic when your health is low.
-enemy special attacks require too much trial and error.
-doesn't have much personality and the ai voice is jarring.
-tutorial is too basic
-inputs feel delayed.
-regenerating health is too easy
-lacking gameplay mechanics that are a staple to the genre

General thoughts
It seems to me the dev had to drag things out so people don't refund the game in under or at the 2 hour mark. I really dislike the rng blocking the bosses do and I wish there was a way to reliably predict where they will block.

the bosses have too much health and almost every attack has armor or is uninterruptable. I wish the fights were as hard as evil rico but with more ways to interrupt attack chains. also it would be a great idea if we could dodge attacks while charging super punch, to make it more useful.

dlc review: I was expecting to fight more of the aliens/humanoids shown during the outro but instead we got 3 extra human fighters. The fighters have more interesting attacks by using delays and fakes, but they still drag on too much. It's more of the same with some included bug fixes.

Overall this one is passable and a huge slog, only play this if you want more punchout style content.

Guide https://steamcommunity.com/app/1944910/discussions/0/3881596897249430155/
and advanced walkthrough
https://youtu.be/nYqCc5IpZXQ

outdated gameplay mechanics makes it feel like an xbox 360 game
upgrades are expensive, and the game doesn't allow backtracking on a lot of levels to get missed gold
guns are situational
very linear
horrible dialogue
your actions seem to have little impact on the world, events play out regardless of what you do.
terrible ending
mini bosses repeat the same attack over and over again
texture popping takes the player out the immersion.
copy and paste protagonist
terrible co-op play

I did actually enjoy the impact of power gauntlet, the melee combat had some depth and strategy to it.
getting all the upgrades made this game a blast to play but it wasn't worth effort to get all the gold for them.
main character feels powerful and no section was too difficult.

it was overall fun but ultimately just another mid action adventure game. I had to lower the rating because of the non functional co-op

not a full review but as a fighting game player, I loved playing through this game, it feels like a more action oriented yakuza with more combos and abilities you can pull off in combat. you can do a lot of damage in a short amount of time.

My main problem with is that this game is that comes close but falls short of checking every box I have. A solid foundation that just needed some more fine tuning and development to make it a full fledge game.

the combat is just lacking a few extra mechanics.
the main story could have been longer with more fights from important characters.
the driving sections feel terrible, and they didn't need to.
its a bit confusing to know what your supposed to be doing for side missions.
and post end gameplay is very confusing without looking at a guide and grindy.

if you have a ps4 its definitely worth trying out if you like the slightly over the top somewhat gritty style. Though I didn't have the motivation to 100% it, which is a shame because I really wanted too. I never watched anything about Fist of the north star before but I did enjoy the characters.

it also comes with built in throwback arcade games from sega with I thought was a nice add on but not a reason to get this.

there's no reason to play this now that armored core 6 has released and is getting updated.

I shouldn't have to play something for 50 hours in order for it to get slightly better. The gameplay is extremely shallow and it has no reason to be on pc since there's no added mechanics to benefit the 200 fps cap.

The gameplay looks nothing like the trailers, navigating the mech feels awful, Boring map design, and the story and dialogue is cringeworthy.

Not sure why this got so many good reviews when it came out it doesn't scratch the armored core itch. Max I could give this is 2 stars, it isn't fun at all.

It's all about the journey and hanging out with your pals, rather than the destination.

I can confirm this is the best game of the reboot trilogy after playing it for 600+ hours and its predecessor.

Pros
-Tons of replay value with the dlc characters
-open ended combos
-the best fatalities in the series and it introduced brutalities
-fast paced gameplay with fun meter management
-going through the krypt in first person was a welcome change
-arcade towers is a fun distraction for the character specific endings
-extensive online modes like king of the hill

minor complaints
-online netcode was passable but could've been better
-no tag team mode from mk9
-tutorial should have added character specific combos
-getting koins should be faster.

cons
-rain sindel and baraka all have full movesets in the single player yet they were never playable characters
-50/50 gameplay and combos doing 40% or more damage is oppressive, especially to casuals
-gameplay lacks neutral (both sides have no advantage or disadvantage)
-some of the S tier characters are broken or provide too much value for how braindead easy they are to use
-faction wars are meaningless because everyone just picks the same factions
-variations were executed poorly since 1 variation overshadows the others
-unsatisfying ending due to some characters having way too much plot armor.
-Main vilian is very boring and it takes awhile to warm up to.
-most of the story and offline modes were forgettable

I have no desire to go back to this nowadays, but I would play mkx over mk1 and 11 anyday even with the lack of neutral game. I should mention its playable with keyboard and it is more consistent than controller.

Downgrade from sonic all stars racing, I would rather play sonic R than this. me and friends all regretted not picking up mario kart 8 and we really only bought this for the soundtrack. mediocre experience across the board, and just made me miss the older titles and sega characters that were left out.

its mid. Its alright to play in local co-op with your kids, but only if you get all the collectibles.... is it worth it if you're a star fox fan? not at all.


Honestly, this is where XiV peaked, nothing after this expansion ever quite grabbed my attention like this one did. Stormblood just wasn't as exciting or classic.

The jobs felt like they had more skill expression in heavansward. I like stormblood for the jobs it added, but overall stormblood took away more than it added, and the gameplay felt stale afterwards.

nidhogg is a very relatable villain, made the expansion fun to play through just to get face him. Also the soundtrack was absolutely amazing.

It's too easy, even on the hardest difficulty... I like the mechanics and the predator bow, but you can cheese the whole game with armor and stealth. Even the predator bow is absurdly powerful because it doesn't alert enemies. The Ai is also atrociously bad. This is just a generic shooter, with a generic protagonist and characters. It feels good to play, but everything else is not exciting.

Only get on a deep sale, if you like the sandbox element and are willing to nerf yourself to have fun.

it has everything I want in a fighter, its unique and fun once you get into it, but like the fate of most indie fighters, nobody is actually playing it, despite it having a ranked mode.


I cannot recommend this anymore, due to the devs getting layed off and it in an incomplete state. this game has no future. so the rating is based off how the game was in its launch. one of the most fun fighting games i've played.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance: A Daring Leap with Imperfect Landing

Metal Gear Rising aims to fuse the rich lore of the Metal Gear universe with the unbridled action of cyborg ninja warfare. While Raiden's adventure brandishes moments of brilliance, the game navigates through a matrix of innovation and oversight, revealing a venture that is exhilarating yet flawed.

A Cut Through Combat Dynamics

At the core of Revengeance's allure is Blade Mode, a mechanic that promises strategic depth with its slow-motion precision cutting. However, its implementation often stalls the combat's momentum. The integration of Blade Mode feels disjointed at times, especially with the delimbing system feeling arbitrary and the camera system during Blade Time proving cumbersome. A suggestion to improve this would be allowing directional blade cuts to be mapped to buttons instead of requiring stick flicks, enhancing the fluidity of combat.

Moreover, incorporating Blade Mode directly into Raiden's combos, akin to a proactive version of Bayonetta's Witch Time, could make its use feel less detached and more integral to the combat system. This change would likely keep the gameplay pace brisk and engaging.

The Zandatsu mechanic, visually spectacular, had an overcentralized focus due to its health and energy replenishment benefits, leading combat encounters to become repetitive. Eliminating Zandatsu in favor of an alternative regeneration system or significantly speeding up its animation could have markedly improved pacing.

A hybrid block and parry system is as a concept that could have enriched the combat experience by blending defensive and offensive strategies. This system could have unified the no-damage scouting playstyle with the DPS and combo playstyle, adding depth to achieving S-rank and necessitating the nerfing of the easily abusable parry system.

Weaponry and Narrative: The Frayed Edges

The game's arsenal is hampered by a cumbersome selection menu and rigid integration into combat, limiting the potential for fully expressive play. Narratively, Revengeance struggles to find its voice, with dialogue often veering into unremarkable territory. This inconsistency weakens the story's resonance, making the narrative feel like it's drifting away from the rich tapestry of the Metal Gear legacy

Boss Encounters and Environmental Design: Echoes of Repetition

The initial excitement from Revengeance's boss battles fades due to predictable patterns, and the game's environments and stealth segments lack depth and engagement, presenting a backdrop that feels underdeveloped.

Technical Performance: A Battle of Its Own

The PC port of Revengeance underscores technical hurdles, with framerate issues and optimization challenges necessitating community mods for a smoother experience.

In the Shadow of Giants

Compared to Devil May Cry 5, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance demonstrates ambition but also highlights areas lacking the polish and cohesiveness that define the zeniths of the character action genre. DMC5's combo system sets a high standard for spectacle fighters, emphasizing where Revengeance could have been refined.

Sidenotes:

-The parry system in Revengeance is commendable for keeping players engaged, demanding an awareness of enemy spacing.
-The standout music pumps up the fight atmosphere, though it sometimes overshadows the bosses it's meant to hype.
-AR missions offer a fun distraction but ultimately contribute to a mid-tier overall offering in the game's expansive action repertoire.

Verdict: A Symphony with Missing Notes

With a score of 3/5, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance captivates with its potential and high-octane action moments but ultimately leaves players contemplating the untapped possibilities. Enthusiasts of Raiden's saga and the Metal Gear universe might find aspects to admire. However, as a comprehensive action experience, Revengeance may not fully satisfy those in search of a seamlessly executed vision of cybernetic combat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uchvdmAdR6Q&t=456s
MGR:R Advanced Combat Tutorial