Metal Gear Rising has a brilliant soundtrack. It's one of the best celebrated elements of the game, and with good reason-it's lightning fast and matches the exhilarating gameplay perfectly.
But something that I feel gets a bit left behind is that the music does some incredibly interesting things relating to characterisation and storytelling. It's a lot smarter than you might think, and in this video, we're going to talk about why that is.
Revengeance is like a rabbit hole. You hear Rules of Nature once, and it starts a chain reaction over the next few years where one-by-one, through whatever circumstances, you hear each boss theme and eventually find yourself listening to it every waking second.
Every conversation can suddenly evolve into MGR Boss Ost
it really is
@Different Name bungling up the lyrics is part of the experience.
I right now use the metal gear rising revengance soundtrack to Not go insane during work keeps me calm and stops me from taking a slegehammer to the machines i have to work with. for some odd reason i stay calm while listening to it probably because if you dont Focus during the Fights you get youre Ass kicked oh and the Track that playes durimg the Jetstream Sam bossfight Resonates with me for some reason. I still want to replay the game but i dont have the energy right now. but i replay it in a week.
@Different Name HERE I STAND BENEATH THE WARM AND SOOTHING RAIN RED SUN OVER PARADISE I HAVE EVEN FORGOTTEN MY NAAAAMEEEE GIVE UP FREE WILL FOREVER BUT IN THE END IT HAS TO BE THIS WAAAAAAYYYYY
Rising also does a nice characterization of Sam with his DLC. In the game he makes everything look easy, but in the end it's revealed he's almost all human, while Raiden is almost all machine. When you play Sam's DLC, it's much harder than the base game. So Sam is at a constant disadvantage and is fighting an uphill battle. Yet he doesn't show it and takes time to toy with his opponents knowing full well he's constantly in grave danger.
This. Exactly, the best aspect of the DLC that i love it so much when they focused more on the surroundings and the antagonists to make players more immerse in MGR universe
Let's take into consideration the one "upgrade" he got actually made him weaker. That means despite all the crazy shit he can do, he was so much scarier before
Once you know his patterns he's also one of the easiest bosses in the game, almost all of his attacks can be parried and the ones that cant can be easily dodged
@@uckbritley1305 that’s the whole point it shows how much you’ve grown vs from when he messed you up.
@@nepnep1149 I mean yeah, the 1st boss against Sam you literally can't even hit him. You can infinitely parry and clash blades with him though if you're fast and bored enough lol
My favorite line from the Sam's theme is "The man in the mirror nods his head." It's such a simple line that shows how distanced the character is from themself.
Same, I always say that line is so fucking raw, deep and badass at the same time like wtf
mine's "mountains don't give back on what they take" like this dude can't go back to being good
what's the line mean?
@@deiangg5928he’s so far gone from his original personality that he doesn’t even recognise himself in the mirror anymore
@@scrp6638dude, wtf? The lines are “there will be blood-shed, the man in the mirror nods his head”, thus, the man in the mirror approves the bloodshed, what’s about the “distancing” and not realizing? It’s literally about accepting the bloodthirsty side
12:11 how dare you deny me my euphoria from hearing "THERE WILL BE BLOOD!SHED!"
THE MAN IN THE MIRROR NODS HIS HEAD
The robbery i felt hurt so bad lol
@@Gabesgroovin THE ONLY ONE
@@gregtheseatreaderleviathan4609 LEFT
@@homevander WHO RIDE UPON THE DRAGONS BACK
My favorite thing about Sam's fight is how he keeps fighting after losing his weapon, but then, after a while, Raiden lowers his guard and lets Sam pick the sword back. Raiden wanted to win on equal terms to prove he is stronger and Sam could've easily killed Raiden in that moment, but he choose to play along and pick his sword cuz he felt the same. The amount of mutual respect between these two mortal enemies and the story conveys it without a single word.
Another cool thing I found is that if you're unable to move and have to wiggle your way back to balance, Sam doesn't attack. He patiently waits for you to recover.
This is Samuel Rodriguez He tries to find a stronger enemy than him He wants to fight on equal terms He waits for you when you need to do something Be like Sam!
@@phylaxinator7040 Be even more Sam than Sam himself*
Also he's the only boss raiden doesn't brutally cut into pieces. This also shows the respect raiden has for sam.
@@shaded_red technically Armstrong too? But then again he does remove his heart.
Best part? It’s not only a perfect reflection and accompaniment but they went the extra very complex step of making it dynamic so that the cues sync with how ballistic the shifts in battles change.
Yeah a memorable thing rare indeed i loved prince of persia warrior within for this reason
It's most notable at the very beginning of the game, when Raiden catches the MG Rex sword with his and it just blasts RULES OF NATURE. That's when I knew this game was gonna be special
They also took care to make the rhythms capable of lining up with the attacks. Sam's attack where he takes some distance then rushes you three times sequentially is exactly timed so it can line up with the lines of the music. Similarly, Mistral's 3-hit-combo has the same tempo has the chorus of her theme. It doesn't always happen, but when you get lucky and the bosses use their attacks at the right time, they WILL line up with the soundtrack, and it's glorious. The only exception is Armstrong, but that's mostly cause they want to give you a break because his attacks are already super strong, so chaining them together to line up with It Has To Be This Way would feel bad for the player.
I'm sure someone already commented on this, but another genius aspect of the boss themes in MGR is how they apply to both the bosses and Raiden himself. Wolf being used as just a tool for war, Mistral and not belonging, Monsoon and the anger/pain/sorrow themes, Sundowner and the thing about natural aspects being substituted by technology, and then Armstrong's theme song literally spells it out with "you are just like me".
Don't forget Sam's "there will be blood, shed, the man in the mirror nods his face" which Raiden constantly regrets throughout the game (specially in the Monsoon fight and with the child in México) and also the moral ambiguity of fighting for a certain side... to the point where you don't even know why you fight anymore
@@ragingwolf2112 there's no line in his theme that says "no coming back"
@@MrGamelover23 lol wdym? Then what does "There will be blood, shed, the man in the mirror nods his face, the only one left" mean? Did you miss all that Sam said to Raiden after he gets to World Marshal? You can't make that up unless you live through it... Sam gets the regret Raiden has and that's why he uses it to break his psyche, he can't turn back even if he wanted to, hence why the "I've even forgotten my name", he got so deluded into killing, that he doesn't know what he fights for anymore, whereas Raiden has his team and his family but the killer Instinct is still there... who said anything about "literally" reading those lines... you gotta interpret it dude or you know... just play the game hah
@@MrGamelover23 however, I will change it... as you are right and the line isn't there
I would argue that Collective Consciousness is Armstrong's theme, and It Has To Be This Way is primarily Raiden's theme, though more a theme for Raiden's realization that his philosophy and Armstrong's share elements on things like usage of violence to achieve end goals, despite their end goals being different.
I love the character of Sundowner and just how different he is from the other members of the Winds of Destruction. Everyone else is sorta "morally grey" to some extent or in other words something happened to them that made them who they are. Mistral lost her family and became a killer to get revenge, Monsoon grew up during Pol Pots genocidal regime and got messed up views because of it, Jetstream Sam lost his father and like Mistral also started out killing for revenge. With Sundowner though, it's like he was a killer from the start. He joined the army and discovered that he loved killing people. His theme kinda reflects this, everyone else theme songs sound like apologies or life stories about how they got messed up. Whereas with Red Sun, it just sounds like a song that glorifies violence and that's pretty much Sundowner in a nutshell. Morally grey characters are interesting and all but it's nice to see a good old fashioned evil bastard who just loves doing evil shit for the fun of it.
Consider the following about Sundowner: he's Desperado's chief of security and unofficial leader, right? Armstrong intended to frame Desperado for assassinating the President in Pakistan, which is why his Metal Gear was very loudly decorated as Desperado property. What could be a better group to take the fall for such a horrible action than one headed by such an absolutely in-universe villain? Sundowner is so thoroughly evil that the idea he'd be a central figure in a political assassination purely to drive military contracts is easy to justify.
And he's so fucking invinci-honest about it
Kids are cruel, Noobus, and he was very much in touch with his inner child. lol
Kids are cruel Caesar and he loves minors
Other villains: gives a 7 hour long speech about why he kills people Sundowner: idk its fun
Great video! My interpretation of the music going quiet is that the song isn't for Sam, but for his sword, that is meant to be a tool for justice but is being misused. When the sword gets disarmed, it's not fighting anymore, and so its voice goes quiet.
Thank you! And that's a great interpretation too!
That theory's also enhanced during the final fight. If Armstrong knocks the sword out of Raiden's hands, the lyrics stop until he reclaims it, just like with Sam.
Good argument but I have to disagree, as the whole mgr event was for raiden to realized his sword is not a tool of justice, it’s just a farce to burry the guilt of killing so many people. The song is actually for Sam, the song is talking about his ideal being lost to violence if you analyze the lyrics. When he get disarmed, the man who lost his ideal to violence is no more, at least until he get his sword back, that’s why the music stops. A sword is a sword, it is use to kill and cut, no matter how you tried to butter it up.
Gunlance user detected Opinion accepted
@@Tomkon You also missed that aside from Armstrong, Sam's boss fight is the ONLY fight where the lyrics start without having to get the boss to 50% HP as well. Showing that he is on par if not matched with Armstrong in strength. Hell, he even basically infers that Sam is on Armstrong's level, but he's become disillusioned with humanity itself, even saying, "I cut him down and that's that, back to our regularly scheduled international incident". Many people believe Sam was holding back, but he wasn't at all because why would he? He holds back and he doesn't get a good fight, he holds back and dies and Raiden dies to Armstrong being unprepared for his fight. One could also realize that Raiden hasn't slept a wink since he arrived in Detroit, which takes place over the course of the night. He starts in Detroit, and ends in the outskirts on the way to the rocket facility, while Sam has probably been living it up sleeping and resting for this fight. Showing that even without rest and while constantly facing battle over a span of at least 14 hours, Raiden is still more powerful than Sam in his state.
I think the saddest part is that Sam didn’t really choose this, Armstrong pretty much forced him to (this is shown in the DLC)
He kinda did choose it tho but he didn't fully care about Armstrongs goal. As shown in the final fight when Sam's voice message plays
he was pretty much the same as raiden but more confident in his ideals (which is basically raiden by the end) before he was forced to join Desperado
I guess you could say he strong armed him into it
@@unlimitededge2689 take the like and leave
+AestheticYT Sam did "choose" it in a way, and he wasn't exactly forced to join Armstrong in the traditional sense, (he could've just defected or ran away later) or rather Sam's worldview is that it is right and morally correct for him to follow whoever is strongest, or whoever bests him in combat. Yes, he is forced, but he chooses to be forced. If Raiden had beaten him but spared his life, he likely would've helped out Raiden if he asked, or at least stopped opposing him. ""Two years, I’ve been working towards this, and on the last day, Blondie has me doubting the whole thing. We’ll leave it up to fate, then, shall we, Wolfy? A duel to the death. May the best man win. I cut him down, and that’s that. Back to our regularly scheduled international incident. But if he beats me… if I die here…" Sam believes that the victor is right and is the one who holds the correct ideals worth pursuing.
I love how all the boss themes in MGRR talk about the antagonist and how he feels, Sam about how he has lost his ideals to violence and doesn't know why he fights anymore, bladewolf about how he is controlled by desperado ETC, incredible.
I love sundowners theme because he doesnt really have a internal struggle like the others,he just believes we should accept war and chaos because theyll happen anyway.
January 5 2023: HERE I AM DIRTY AND FACELESS WAITING TO HEED YOUR INSTRUCTION ON MY OWN INVISIBLE WARRIOR *I AM A WIND OF DESTRUCTION*
@@alexandrerosas5269 "teehee sword go brrrrr"- sundowner probably
@@alexandrerosas5269 I think Sundowner can be looked at even more deeply. Sundowner isnt evil for evils sake, he isn't a psychopath. I think Sundowner came to a conclusion, that life is chaos, war and bloodshed not only do and will happen, but must happen and is intrinsically part of the natural human experience "thus his line about kids being cruel". I think Sundowner sublimated himself to an ideal, that he himself is a sword/weapon. He is violence, and hes ok with that, because someone has to be. He finds joy in what he does, but I think its more because for him, that is his purpose. He realized that war, for him, was a positive experience, violence and bloodshed, it was what he craved, so he went further, and became it and is now wielded as a tool, but that in its way for him, is fulfillment.
@@SunTzu176 Uh, yes, that is evil and psychopathic. I think your analysis of him otherwise is pretty much correct and applies also to Mistral and Monsoon. But yeah I'm gonna go ahead and say that the notion of "violence and murder in a vacuum is good" is an evil sentiment.
the most amazing part is how Raiden and Sam are the same person but Sam is the Raiden who failed to see his ideals through. When you think about the song from Raidens perspective it actually resonates with Raidens inner conflict and only when he defeats Sam, he finally confirms what he wants to be and sees it through to the end.
My own theory on Sam is that the sword is his soul. In Japanese culture the katana is referred to as the soul of the samurai. Whenever Sam looses his blade the music fades out because he isn't in tune with his soul. He even changes his fighting style to reflect his lost. He goes from composed to aggressive beast. I think this also ties into his character where he inherited the sword and he's been fighting since because it is all he has. Okay so edit I forgot Sam also grapples you. I only seem to remember him rushing me like a dog.
the only time he does anything remotely related to skill is when defending himself, probably instinct kicking in to not die to raiden instantly, but yeah other than that he turns into a savage
i found sam quite an easy boss actually
@@stinkymonke3622 Dang guess I got a skill issue
@@Kdot..F i was panicking cause i only had 2 heals but only took me one to beat him
@@stinkymonke3622 yeah idk I always go for s rank so taking damage isn't an option. I play with a mouse so for me the controls are wacky from time to time.
My interpretation is that when Sam loses his sword the music stops to show that he isn't fighting with the intention to win. By all logic he should go and grab his sword but instead he hesitates to do so. I think this is also backed up by the fact that he leaves a message in his blade and makes it so it gets unlocked for Raiden, showing that he doesn't care about winning. He fights because he has to fight, so when you disarm him the music stops to symbolize him not really caring anymore before ultimately picking up the blade which is symbolic for him picking himself up in a figurative sense.
In my opinion the loss of lyrics during Sam's fight represents him losing his morals. His sword is a family heirloom so he has a connection with it, it reminds him of what he fights for, the only thing keeping him from becoming more like monsoon or sundowner. So when he loses his sword he stops questioning himself.
I do think Blade Wolf's desire for freedom is showcased in his little opening cutscene, if subtly. You do get the sense that he's not content to live this way from how he describes the mindwipe procedure and his directives. On my first blind playthrough i definitely got that impression despite having not even heard the song yet.
Yeah, Revengeance still has a lot of fairly dense cutscenes, as you'd expect from a Metal Gear Solid game. The soundtrack builds on those ideas and expresses them in poetic and interesting ways.
Revengance, Payday, DMC and Doom are all testosteron boosting masterpieces. Seriously, from "Bury the Light" to "Meathook" to "It Has to be this Way", aswell as "Break the Rules" or "I Will Give You My All", all of them are phenomenal.
Can't forget Team Fortress 2, that has possibly the biggest cast of chads, and every song SLAPS
And dont forget DonAcDum. Never forget DonAcDum.
Yeah! While doing my intensiv Boxing and Muay Thai workout I've listened to this OST. It's perfect! 🔥🔥🔥👍
🤡
It is truly a shame I would rather have lower testosterone levels. Sucks that these are all games I'd have liked to play once I got a PC powerful enough to run them.
I really wish more games would use this, adding in both instrumentals and lyrics to reflect characters in games is just a really nice detail and a big reason why I love MGR’s soundtrack ever since I realized that it did that.
Ffxiv does it with their boss trials
Thing with vocals in music is that it can sometimes be distracting. Especially if there’s dialogue during the scene. And then you have to compromise on emphasizing the music vocals in a scene or the dialogue. You see it in movies a lot. Usually when a song with vocals is used, the characters aren’t speaking.
Guilty gear strive nails this
Supergiant games always does this from Bastion to Hades
@@soldierhobbes1182 Fun fact: It's actually that reason all the lyrics in MegaTen/Persona tracks are sung in English. Composer Shoji Meguro specifically writes his songs in English so that they can sound cool, and occasionally add extra meaning to the game (though not always), without being distracting to their players, who are primarily Japanese.
Red sun, red sun over paradise Red sun, red sun over paradise Golden rays of the glorious sunshine Sending down such a blood-red light Now, the animals slowly retreat to the shadows, out of sight Arid winds blow across the mountains Giving flight to the birds of prey In the distance machines come to transform Eden, day by day Only love is with us now Something warm and pure Find the peace within ourselves No need for a cure When the wind is slow, when the fire's hot The vulture waits to see what rots Oh, how pretty, all the scenery This is nature's sacrifice When the air blows through with a brisk attack The reptile tail ripped from its back When the sun sets We will not forget the red sun over paradise
I'M FUCKIN' INVINCIBLE!
CAN'T BREAK THIS SHIELD, JACK!
IM FUCKING INVINCIBLE
I realized this as I was playing the game. I could tell that Bladewolf, despite fighting me, was trying to break free every moment; he wanted freedom so badly. That's what made me fall in love with this game. Then I fought monsoon. His talks of memes and the like paired with his song... made it sound like he lost all hope, and decided to just try and have some fun. Amazing how the game worked.
I think the same coolness goes to the final theme of the game, the theme of Armstrong, "It has to be this way". And unlike Sam's, it's lyrics tells us exactly the same the Senator himself told in the cutscenes. However what makes this track even more interestingly, that it lyrics can be interpreted as the speech from Senator to Raiden equally as the inner speech from Raiden to Senator. If you look on theese lyrics it would make sence
In fact, it takes the opposite perspective. The song has the lyrics 'I cut my own path' whereas Armstrong says 'You cut your own path'
All the bossed have meaningful songs
Isn't it Raidens theme?
For the same character, i also love his first theme, "Collective Consciousness", which describes what Raiden *assumes* what Armstrong is like, only to be proven completely wrong in the very next cutscene, as well as the next battle theme, which more accurately shows Armstrong's true colors. Which is the reason Armstrong's final theme in the Jetstream DLC is still Collective Consciousness, because Sam never found out what Armstrong is really like.
@@indrast5203 Nah, I explained it in another reply chain but even the I carved my own path line works, Raiden's POV is obvious but as for Armstrong he believes he's "freeing" America from its current goverment and way of life, thus carving a new path, and that Raiden's opposing his plan blindly without thinking of the benefits. (I'd explain it better but I'm super tired rn)
8:24 Something else that you alluded to is the notable exception to this theme. The ONLY sentient antagonist who doesn't get lyrics to characterize him is Sundowner. Instead his vocals are similar to those we get in Ray's theme: Lyrics that generally depict the cruel, antagonistic "rules of nature" and animalistic brutality. Red Sun and Rules of Nature depict a primal struggle, because Metal Gear Ray and Sundowner are very similar in function: they are weapons first, inhuman hounds that serve a singular purpose. And Sundowner LOVES it. He is the 2-dimensional character you mention at 13:18. "What about all the good things war has done for us?!" He is unapologetically and gleefully evil, bloodthirsty and war-hungry; one who speaks fondly of the conflicts and death that arose from 9/11 and after. He follows Armstrong, who wants to instigate war as a means to an end, whereas for Sundowner the war IS the end, not even questioning or caring that Armstrong is specifically opposed to his goals ("pointless wars") in the long-term. He seeks instant gratification. And in a way, that means that the song DOES characterize him. He is a short-sighted, crazed animal, or rather he thinks of himself not as one animal, but as the death and violence that will eventually set itself upon any setting, no matter how idyllic. Plus his boss fight/mechanics are my favorite, apart from the vehicle section at the end.
Armstrong doesn't even have a boss theme so he doesn't have lyrics to characterize him either
@@thenexus8384 He does though? It Has to be this Way is his boss theme and it characterizes him by talking a lot about how both him and Raiden are actually similar people, they share ideals but go about it in different ways, Raiden is an unsung hero who in Revengeance goes through the game in his own methods, even battling his inner past of being a killing machine, and Armstrong is much more technical villain while being a terrorist, getting his ideals recognized and fulfilled through his own dirty methods.
@@sticksstickerson its sung from Raidens perspective the other theme are sung from the boss perspective to characterize them, yes it's about hiw Armstrong and Raiden are similar people but it's Raidens theme not Armstrong's, go check out a vid about Armstrong "more than a meme" and you'll see what im talking about
@@thenexus8384 lets say they share the theme then ?
Is it really safe to assume Sundowner wouldn't like Armstrong's true goal? Remember, he just likes to fight. In polite society, he'd be considered a madman that needs to be locked up. But if Armstrong got rid of all those rules and restraints... He could literally go on a killing spree any time he wanted just for the hell of it. No mission, no need to turn off his bloodlust.
You should do an analysis of NieR Automata’s soundtrack. It almost has the polar opposite approach of making up a language so they can have lyrical themes ‘without distracting the player by having them focus on the lyrics’. However, despite this, every track still makes you feel the intended emotion that you can get from the track’s title. For example, ‘The Sound of the End’ really makes you feel like this is the ultimate fight. This song has a quiet variant when one of the characters is close to death, which gives the song the same feeling but in a depressing format.
Splatoon has a new language as well
I particularly like that moment in Sam's song that he says "to find the truth in front of me I must climb this mountain range" implying that the mountains in question are the foes he has to fell, and later he says "because the mountains don't give back what they take" meaning if they take his life it's over. EDIT: My gf mentioned that the same happens in Nier: Automata too, and that was true. A Beautiful Song for example does the same as Sam's only that it's not in english, and you later get the same info in a cutscene when you play as 9S.
My interpretation of the line "because the mountains don't give back what they take" is that armstrong had to replace sam's arm with a cybernetic, mass produced, factory arm. Sam was planning to fight with only his sword, battle armor, and skills, But armstrong ruined it. Aka the mountains took his arm.
Oo oo my turn to throw out an opinion! Sam's sword originated as a family sword, passed down by his father. At first, he was the "cool winds of Brazil", a force of good fighting crime cartels. He augmented himself and his sword in pursuit of this goal, and the DLC shows him hunting Sundowner in much the same way. Though now that he's switched sides for his own gain, he's having to forget everything he's fought for in order to play a part in something he wants to do, but can't morally reconcile. This is manifested in his father's blade now cutting open good and hard-working people, and his guilty conscious won't let him forget that. But when the sword is gone, the last thing that reminds him of home, he forgets just how much he's forgotten, and can focus entirely on kicking Raiden's ass with his own two hands. (But he can't, because Raiden learned the power of mixing monster energy and mountain dew and can only survive with the help of a sword that questions why he's even here.)
Small nitpick, but Sam never purposefully augmented himself. By the time of his DLC, the only "enhancement" is his exoskeleton, which any average joe could put on.
@@notalive5479 and one of his arm, don't forget Armstrong ripped it off
@@Ludwig_Perpenhente Note that I specifically mentioned "at the time of his DLC". He also did not purposefully cut off his arm and replace it with a cybernetic one, only doing so out of necessity.
@@notalive5479 I think I didn't read that part, wups.
@@Ludwig_Perpenhente No worries, everyone makes mistakes.
I like the interpretations of Sam's song and the lyrics cutting out. In terms of other examples of great music in the game, I don't know how much this counts since it's DLC, but Khamsin's theme is probably my favorite in terms of lyrics. He has the least info available out of all of the bosses -- at least the ones in the main game get more screen time, talk more about their ideology, and have some codec convos about their backstories -- which means in that instance the music is doing almost all of the legwork in defining what kind of person he is. I never thought I would find myself appreciating a villain for being cannon fodder, but that's literally what the song is about, and it turns a generic soldier boy into someone that I couldn't tell if I was supposed to hate or pity.
Sorry to disappoint you, but Khamsin is literally just America personified. That's all he is. He isn't even a character in the sense that the other villains are. He's just a face that embodies America as a whole.
@@TheFirstCurse1 I agree! If it weren't for his theme, I would probably be saying the exact same thing. Even then, the lyrics of his theme don't contradict it necessarily, but I think they give it a lot of depth - a lot more then it needed to. The fact that he's just a goon feels intentional, like yeah he says he's a Wind of Destruction but it's obvious why the others don't care to mention him. Definitely not a standout character compared to the other villains, I just thought his theme was notable.
@@ianlove3217 he was a goon in nature, but not in rank - he was capable of getting in Mistral's way, whatever it entailed.
I also love the fact that they add little details like his expressions, like, you can see that he’s holding back. Details that you only notice after you get to know him. Like, in the train scene he hesitates to deliver the final blow and even shows a face of pain because of how much Raiden reminded him of himself.
At 2:17, I feel the same way about Handsome Jack in Borderlands 2. Not only do you have the whole of the pre sequel to give him backstory, but having him always in your ear throughout borderlands 2 really makes him a villain that you can occasionally agree with, or at least understand where he’s coming from, making a villain that you love to hate.
There's another potential layer to all of this: Every boss is a dark reflection of what Raiden is or has been. Every single one is a different example of how a person could look at Raiden from the outside, or even the inside perspective we have. And of course, in the end, this reading climaxes "Standing here, I realize, you were just like me, tried to make history, but who's to judge the right from wrong, when our guard is down I think we'd both agree, that violence breeds violence, and in the end it had to be this way"
Dude, that's exactly what I was pondering. Today. Crazy coincidences are crazy.
Except he denies that similarity every time... Until he takes in the nanomachines, son!
In fact, the older version of A Stranger I Remain, data mined from the demo version, had a first verse of Mistral's theme that was cut out precisely because it didn't fit Raiden (it still fit herself, though).
@@AnMComm Exactly. And in order to have been anything other than just a mirror darkly of his antagonists he'd need to actually recognize what's so similar
Of course, Armstrong's theme as a whole is still definitely from Armstrong's own point of view. His theme claims "nobody is to blame" but Raiden absolutely defies that notion.
Yeah it's rare the unstoppable badass you're fighting is so well written you'd never know he's a miserable shell of a man unless you actually looked for it is one of the reasons I love MGR and it's definitely one of my favorite games of all time.
It's cool to see a war game making it's main theme anti-war. You can tell that each foe raiden fights he starts regretting fighting them and killing them. Like that war is anger, and like anger, when you think back on the reasons why you were angery and realize that maybe you shouldn't have been so snapy. Because when you humanize enemies, you empathize with them, and it makes you hesitent to kill them.
You can really see it in Khamsin's theme at the end of the Blade Wolf DLC. A direct critique of American military intervention and the arrogance and hypocrisy surrounding it.
It's anti war message is objectively terribly delivered.
Memories broken The truth goes unspoken I’ve even forgotten my name I don’t know the season Or what is the reason I’m standing here holding my blade A desolate place Without any trace It’s only the cold wind I feel It’s me that I spite As I stand up and fight The only thing I know for real There will be blood- -shed The man in the mirror nods his head The only one Left Will ride upon the dragon’s back Because the mountains don’t give back what they take Oh, no, there will be blood- -shed It’s the only thing I’ve ever known Losing my identity Wondering, have I gone insane? To find the truth in front of me I must climb this mountain range Looking downward from this deadly height And never realizing why I fight
@superbomb929 RBLX you were just like me Trying to make history
@superbomb929 RBLX the right from wrong!
@superbomb929 RBLX That Viiiiiiiiiiiiiiolence breeds viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiolence.
@superbomb929 RBLX It has to be this way!!!!!
@superbomb929 RBLX you've followed your wrath
I really love that you put in the effort to have subtitles for your videos. As a small creator it must be a ton of work, but just know it doesn't go unappreciated. Also excellent video! It might be time to finally give this game a try.
Glad you enjoyed the video! I can't take much credit for the subtitles, youtube thankfully makes it pretty easy to add them if you have a script already written!
@@Tomkon lol well they're still appreciated.
You made the mother of all OST breakdowns Tomkon!
All of the tracks in the game reflect the thoughts of the boss character. Mistral, a stranger. Sam, the fighter. Except the very *last* one, It Has To Be This Way, reflecting Raiden’s own thoughts in the fight as he tries to defeat Armstrong. I love this game.
8:06 "just a robot dog placed mid-level to check if the player has learned to parry yet." I somehow went through the game on Hard not knowing how to parry until the Monsoon AI Fight... It was Hell.
Sam was basically the Protagonist that failed, showing a kind of "What if..." scenario, or showing the player what happens if he loses. And this mental disconnect that he joined a side he never cared for shows in the lyrics. beautifully done. The no lyrics during the hand-to-hand combat could just be to make it more visceral, same as usually the lyrics of the theme will only kick in in high impact times. Another thing you didnt really talk about which is smart, is that the songs will play their bridge repeatedly until the main action starts, which allows it to easily go into the drive. If you dont start a certain action or in case of rules of nature, block the attack, the song will keep playing the bridge until you do, to cut in with "RULES OF NATUREEEE" at the perfect milisecond.
You know, a game that managed to pull off the characterization for the antagonist well was Borderlands In Borderlands 2, for example, from the very first few minutes of gameplay Handsome Jack is ALREADY trash talking you through your "echo", which basically functions like a phone. So instead of relying on cutscenes, the game uses direct dialogue with the antagonist throughout a good portion of the game to characterize them.
Thing I love the most about Borderlands 2 is how they really wrote Handsome Jack off as someone you want to hate and kill off, I think what tipped me off the first time and really wanted to find and shoot him was with one of his side quests
I will always remember "ugh these pretzels suck" cos its such a character defining line... that was ad libbed. Jack stops mid insult to comment on the pretzels he is eating cos they're a bigger concern at the moment, he does not care about the player character at that point, he cares for them less than the shitty snack foods he's eating.
@@stillasleepxd I think one of my favorite moments with Jack was when he was so pissed at Blake for not getting the violin earlier I know it was meant to piss us (and Mordecai) off just moments after the Bloodwing fight, but I ended up laughing
@@ryon5174 Well screw You, if i had it earlier it would be hilarious
To hear him become more unhinged as you undue his plans helps you feel the effects of your actions
Good video, because I definitely think the lyrics (and how they're mixed in) are what make the music of Revengence so special. My personal favorite song from the game will always be "Stranger I Remain" for the line in the original version of "My true aesthetic's unwinding / And I'm about to come undone" which I find fairly relatable, and her whole thematic basis in Camus' "L'Etranger." Possibly my single favorite moment in any videogame of "the lyrics to a song telling you more than the story itself" is "Blank Canvas (Hummed)" from Transistor (which is a rough game for self-harm I tell ya). The Main Character of the game "Red," has lost the ability to speak but can still shout and hum. Because she was a singer prior to the game, you can make her hum along to the soundtrack when there aren't enemies around. The song "Blank Canvas (Hummed)" is interesting because it plays as she is going to kill herself, and the song she hums is actually a different song - "Paper Boats" - which is a duet between her and the man whose consciousness is trapped in the titular Transistor. The Transistor has the power to alter the world, and the song "Paper Boats" being a song about eternally chasing each other regardless of the circumstances, which leads me to almost break down in tears whenever I hear "Blank Canvas (Hummed)" because she's using the want she has as reason to go through with something so dramatic. It makes me think of a Greek or Shakespearean tragedy every time for just the feeling that the entire game's events take place over a single night, and ends with her alone in a dead city refusing the power of the transistor not knowing how to deal with her existence.
Istg the music just keeps getting better and better for each boss you fight
This soundtrack is a huge part of why MGR is my favorite game ever. On the surface it's hardcore techno beats with edgy lyrics (my crack essentially) but when you dive deeper into it you realize how much deeper the rabbit hole actually is. This soundtrack will always be special to me, no matter how much I listen to it, because it gave me such a profound respect for Video Game and Film music that I listen to it almost exclusively.
Awesome breakdown! I'd love to mention the final song which can be added onto "The Only Thing I Know For Real". Most people assume that "It Has to be This Way" played during the Armstrong fight is from Armstrong's perspective. While at first I would agree, it's only upon further thinking that it's more likely (and to me) Sam's second song. This is mainly because, as you mentioned in the Sam/Raiden fight, when Sam loses his sword the lyrics stop. It's exactly the same when Raiden loses Murasama against Armstrong. Sam and Raiden both manifested their "raison d'être" through the sword. In that Armstrong fight, it's Sam speaking to Raiden through the sword. Sam realizes, at the end, he and Raiden are both the same. It's almost like an apology and a hope that Raiden will be able to do what Sam could not. "When our guard is down, I think we'll both agree that violence breeds violence, but in the end it has to be this way." Sam knows that a cycle of violence is inevitable but solemnly admits that it must be this way for one of them to succeed, by any means necessary. "I carved my own path, you followed your wrath." It's almost like a duet where it could be both Raiden and Sam singing. Who is who? Who carved their own path, or followed their wrath? From both perspectives it fits. "The world has turned, so many have burned, but nobody is to blame." Sam laments that this cruel world has killed so many but it's not one person who did it. It's the system society created that kills all these people. "Yet staring across this barren wasted land, I feel new life will be born beneath the blood stained sand." As Sam looks across the battlefield where he and Raiden fight (literally the desert) he realizes that Raiden fights for something, his OWN reasons. Something Sam once did but abandoned when he lost to Armstrong. Sam knows that if he is killed that Raiden might be able to to what Sam wanted, but could not do; get revenge against Armstrong. In this sense the new life coming out of the blood stained sand is Sam seeing his death as an opportunity for Raiden to succeed and create a new society without the endless bloodshed. There's so many ways to look at these songs as the humanity in all of the antagonists. It's what makes them real, they are similar to you and I. These are only my thoughts on this song but there are many hints that make the case for it. It's open to the most interpretation in my view, really exemplifying the similarities between Armstrong, Raiden, and Sam. Honestly one of the best games with such honesty. So happy you made this video!
And as for blade mode against the Excelsus with Collective Consciousness?
@@notproductiveproductions3504 I think of it as Armstrong's song before he tells Raiden his ideals outright. Before Armstrong tells you explicitly what he wants to do, he comes across like a cynical, power hungry opportunist. He talks about wanting to keep the war economy going and literally making America great again. Just pablum. In the song it's like a patronizing voice saying just submit to Nationalism and authority. But that's not what Armstrong really believes. He says he plays a cynic to gain power to accomplish his true goals of "empowering the strong" and "purging the weak". At this point he is, as Raiden says, "bat-shit insane" because this is pure Libertarian, bordering on fascism, levels of fantasy.
Memories broken, the truth goes unspoken I’ve even forgotten my name I don’t know the season or what is the reason I’m standing here holding my blade A desolate place (place) without any trace (trace) It’s only the cold wind I feel It’s me that I spite as I stand up and fight The only thing I know for real There will be bloodshed The man in the mirror nods his head The only one left Will ride upon the dragon’s back Because the mountains don’t give back what they take Oh, no, there will be blood- (blood) -shed (shed) It’s the only thing I’ve ever known Losing my identity Wondering, have I gone insane? To find the truth in front of me I must climb this mountain range Looking downward from this deadly height And never realizing why I fight
I realized the songs were about the characters on my first playthrough and thought it was a really cool concept. You explain it here better than I ever could, well done!
Btw, based on your progress in the fight against the bosses, the music also skips to specific parts. For example: If you're winning against Sam, the lyrics start to play but if you manage to disarm him, the hard instrumentals kick in
"Video games are a great medium for storytelling, in part thanks to how they're able to draw so many different techniques from other mediums, the big three being writing, visual or art design, and music. It often feels like the first two get the most attention when it comes to making a game, and serve as the core base that the music can then 'enhance' or improve upon. But games have the potential do so much more with their music. There are so many opportunities to leverage soundtracks in truly unique ways to not just elevate or enhance the experience, but to convey narrative and story elements that otherwise wouldn't be possible. And that's why, as cheesy as it is at times, I love the soundtrack of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and think it's a lot smarter than it gets credit for." (c) Tomkon
Back when I played Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance I got the impression that the lyrics talked about the Boss Raiden was facing but also about himself. For instance, Bladewolf's music refers to a situation similar to the one Raiden was in back when he was a Child Soldier, so the battle against Desperado's Generals is also happening in his head as battle against his own demons, which the Bosses represent. The Stains of Time seems to be saying more about Raiden's feeling regarding his transformation into Jack the Reaper than about Monsoon. etc. I even started to think the songs were meant to describe Raiden's internal struggle during the fight, not the Boss backstory: the instruments are his emotions and the lyrics are his thoughts.
Great perspective. You described the idea perfectly. The more you fight and the longer it goes, the more you feel struggle and feeling behind them. Whether it's against common enemies or the bosses. The ost both enhances and transmit the experience.
To add on to what others have said, Sam losing his sword is the secondary reason the music cuts out. I think the main reason is that despite almost completely limiting himself to no cyborg enchantments and renaming human, remaining him, in the second part of the fight he almost entirely uses his cyborg parts, those being his suit and arm which were given to him not by his family like his sword was but by Desperado.
The suit was there before Desparado, the arm was because of Armstrong.
WOW... I just gotta give it to ya, this video is superb! From your editing, to your voice, and the way you word and write things in a way that makes them easy to understand. Guess I could say that your channel is a real diamond dog in the rough ;)
"X1 Rough diamond [20000 GP]" i wrote this from memory i haven't played the game in months
@@clickbait6646 This is satisfaying
Great work. Subbed
Honestly that's why i love the final song for Armstrong, because you can actually look at it from both ridens and Armstrong's point of view with the words "I carved my own path, you followed your wrath..." Both sides can see each other as the enemy following their wrath.
I really appreciate this kind of storytelling, getting in the heads of your opponent through their theme song. This is something I've seen in one of my favorite Terraria mods called Calamity Mod, it takes direct inspiration from this game and even references it a few times. It has a great bossfight called The Jungle Dragon, Yharon. It's incredible.
The composer and arranger for that mod, DM Dokuro, actually even made a YM2612 remix of The Stains of Time- and it’s one of my favourite remixes of the theme!
True gamer
Dude I love Yharons theme, I’ve learned to subconsciously dodge him so I can just listen to his theme
And the calamity mod even has the murasama, aka the sword that sam uses.
Yet another great video, and on one of my favorite games too! There's this really great video about Sam by a channel called Meti Not The Bad Guy that has another great interpretation of the lyrics to Sam's them. Might be worth watching
Found the link to that video. It's called "The Glory of Jetstream Sam" kzhead.info/sun/Zah6mKh7amOkqYE/bejne.html
STANDING HERE, I RE-
have been a few years since i last played the game but the soundtrack still sticks with me, its mixed in with my normal playlist i listen to on my 1 hour drive both the vocal and the instrument versions and most of the instrument version i can more or less sing the vocals to just based on the music it self, the people behind the music did an amazing job on it
I liked sundowner's a lot. Seems like so much can be inferred and theorized from his song alone
I also like his move set But it HAD to be a baddie... It keeps happening! XD
I would have never have thought he had an appreciation for nature and the place that violence has in it, but after hearing his song I can totally see it
After hearing what “red sun” is referring to I have to ask China a few (dozen) questions regarding their national anthem
Dude he literally told everything about him That "I AM FUCKING INVINCIBLE"
And here I thought Rising didn't have anything left to talk about. Great video!
I think there'll always be something to talk about with Rising. It really is just that great of a game. Hell the game was 8 years ago and people still talk about it. The OST still pops up on my playlists.
@@LosoaII not to mention the meme community of mgr is keeping it alive.
I’ve listened to the soundtrack many, many times over, but i’ve never taken the time to really try and understand the lyrics, but this video really showed me what was going on with Sam, I never realised what he thought. I have to say, i really love this video, i’d like to just say how much i loved and appreciate this video!
I love these interpretations
3:30 music making me suddenly have flashbacks to a certain KZheadr transforming overpriced 3rd party transformers
I see you're a man of culture as well.
Who
For Sam's theme, I felt like his theme more conveys a "blood knight" nature. His character as a foil to Raiden is that he has come to embrace his bloodlust and is fighting for the sake of battle alone. Gone on for long enough, he's forgotten what cause brought him to pick up the sword in the first place. With the line about forgetting his name a cheeky touch on how Raiden's name comes from the Allied reporting name "Jack", while Sam happens to be the reporting name for another WWII aircraft, "Reppu": a name that qualifies for the Winds of Destriction's theme and another instance of Sam's character being the inverse of Raiden. However, I feel lyrics dropping off in the fight might not serve a narritive purpose, but simply an emotional one. Something that simply indicates that the scene is a "lull" in the action, a calm in the middle of the storm. The same purpose as to why a song might have an instrumental or a a capella section before it's final chorus.
I also love the way they show the conclusion of the game with "It has to be this way". Showing us all that they wanted to express in the whole game "There is no good or evil at all. just 2 sides conflicting each other, when the battle is over only the winner can decide who was the rightful of them all" That battle with Armstrong is an awesome scene for the history of games.
I think the great thing is that the ending voice clip and Jetstream DLC actually somewhat confirm some of what you said about Sam's Lyrics showing of him. He has inner conflict involving Raiden because he too used to want to use his sword for his own type of justice, but then became a part of Desperado due to his belief on strength and seeing Armstrong was superior to him. However, meeting Raiden makes him start to question and remember what he was originally fighting for and as such he has to fight him again to see which answer was truly right.
I dont remember when I subbed to you but Im glad that I did. Great Vid! Now I have to get out my dusty ps3 and Play this gem again.
Your content is very original.
I don't know why I'm this late, but I love this kind of thinking and analyzing. I'm happy to subscribe!
Subbed, love this breakdown, hope you get even more fans.
I wanted to hear what you thought about Sundowner, since his theme seems to talk a lot less about his character than the others. Which I always wondered why. I mean, you could say it's more beastly and raw to show his personality but I wanted more insight.
I guess the others are more reflective and consider their actions and morality, whereas Sundowner is just a man child who revels in brutality without really thinking about it too deeply.
It's because for sundowner his personality is simply that of chaos. He relishes destruction and mayhem and he's more of a force of nature than a person
Sundowner’s theme is reflective of his ideology which is that cruelty and war should be accepted since they always come to humans naturally. Sundowner’s theme’s lyrics are about the state of violence in nature and coming to peace/embracing that violence despite civilizations attempts to tame it.
I heard a theory interpreting the lyrics as him wanting to bring a “red sun” (sunset metaphor) to the new era of peace
My interpretation is that Bladewolf, Mistral, Monsoon, and Sam all have some sort of hidden struggle which is revealed in their themes. Sundowner is completely upfront with himself and the player, so the lyrics to his theme have a calmer delivery and focus more on his ideology, reflecting his lack of internal conflict.
My interpretation of Sam losing the lyrics of his song when he loses his sword is because his entire being under Desperado has become that of just a sword. As being under the rule of Desperado has become all that he knows, as he loses his sword, he loses the one piece of himself he's been able to hold onto before joining the organization, his fighting capabilities.
I really like the lyrics in it has to be this way, specially the part where it says “I followed my path, you followed your wrath, but maybe we’re both the same” Jack and Armstrong both had to do a lot of destruction to make the ends meet, even though it’s for different reasons and morals. They are essentially the same as the song says
the fact that there's an ongoing debate about the last boss soundtrack referring to sam or armstrong is an enough proof of how much this game soundtracks are deep. it created sort of groups of phylosophical interpretatiosn.
My favorite it's It has to be this way. Because it's come from Raiden's side but tell us about Armstrong
I've come across compelling arguments about how it's either about Raiden and Armstrong OR Raiden and Sam, being its both Raiden and Sam's sword fighting together and the vocals stop upon losing it. Lyrically it does fit both either Armstrong or Sam.
Amazing video! Though I believe that the reason lyrics go quiet after disarming Sam is him speaking with Raiden through his sword like a warrior
8:12 It’s a little obvious, buy my personal favorite part of this is that Blade Wolf changes to Raiden’s color scheme too, and this might be looking a little too deep into things, but I think his eyes stay red instead of turning blue because Raiden tends to have these red glowing eyes.
I love how the lyrics hop in during an emotional climax mid song, it's what perfects the bosses. And how the lyrics of the only thing I know for real leave when Sam loses his sword is a spot on detail
"If u play some time as the protagonist and come to root for them, then u not gonna have any motivation or desire to help the antagonist achieve their goals, if u suddenly got switched to play as them" as TLOU is on background. I see what you did there 😏
It's so true that it doesn't even need to be said. Everyone who has played it knows.
And that’s why the arbiter in halo was great, gave us insight into the covenant and this gave us ALOT of time with our antagonist, even tho we weren’t necessarily a villain in that moment
This is my take personally. Sam wishes to be the strongest fighter. The most powerful combatant. For the sake of not copy pasting the entire song in a comment I'll just reference it, but it heavily implies that Sam views the world like everyone climbing a mountain range. To kill and fight is to keep climbing, while to fall is to have your corpse litter the mountain. In the end, though Sam wants to be the strongest, he doesn't truly know anything else about himself. He wonders about his true purpose as much as the player does... "Looking downward from this deadly height and never realizing why I fight" Desperado has their ambitions, Raiden states that his sword is a tool for justice, ...yet Sam is the one who questions himself the most. Why is he climbing this mountain? To kill more... and for what purpose? Is it really worth it? "It's me that I spite as I stand up and fight" There's some truth at the top of the Mountain Range... to ride the Dragon's Back... but the longer he climbs without a true purpose before him, the more he wonders if he should be fighting at all.
I just came back to this video to thank you. The music is fantastic on its own and I will be eventually playing the game to see it in action with the story.
I've actually been thinking about this a lot lately, specifically in relation to Armstrong's two fights; the two songs are not so much about Armstrong as they are about how Raiden sees him. During the metal gear fight, we get Collective Consciousness. At this point, Raiden thinks he has Armstrong figured out as a tyrannical warmonger, who would see America reduced to a nation of subservient, unquestioning drones, but after the infamous Armstrong speech, he sees that he was totally wrong about the guy and we get It Has To Be This Way, Raiden's realisation that the two of them aren't so different.
Alternatively, there’s a super traditional notion that “a Japanese man is his sword,” or something to that affect. Anyways, sure is neat how Sam’s characterization goes away with his sword, huh?
"The sword is the soul of the samurai." -Tokugawa Ieyasu
I'd love to watch it if you made a summary of other bosses' soundtrack in game. Especially wanna see sundowner breakdown. Subbed
I'm gonna keep this video essay. Thorough analysis, but not excessively long. Well done.
The first song is Coasting by Darren Korb for anyone wondering, great soundtrack for a great game, Transistor. He also made the Bastion soundtrack which is great and that game is great too.
Great review of the game, man. Really never though about how smart was to display the villains background as they music theme, but I guess that happens a lot in anime and other visual mediums in Japan. Great video regardless! =)
This video was really cool! It made me think about the soundtrack in a way I never had before. Do you think you'd ever do an analysis of the vocal themes from Sonic Frontiers?
this is a great way to put it. I also believe that its good you brought up doom because its the perfection of the opposite method without lyrics. because where metal gear is very story based and is so greatly enhanced by music and lyrics Doom is based on the environment and the fights themselves. each soundtrack in doom is tailored to fit the exact environment you are in and still feel like you are meant to fight demons for eternity. The best example for me would be blood swamps because it truly sounds like your fighting demons in a swamp. the base complements the muddy feel. game music in general is absolutely incredible but there is a reason I love these two games OSTs more than anything else.
Great video! That is definitely one of the many reasons why the entire cast of Metal Gear Rising is so damn memorable. You get what, less than 2 minutes of screentime with each of them? A bit more with Sam? Yet their musical themes are so filled with personality and tells everything you need to know about them. I love how Armstrong's lyrics in "It Has To Be This Way" talks about both him AND Raiden, on how they're trying to achieve the same goal thing through different paths and actions. And it fits perfectly with Armstrong's final words "We're both kindred spirits, you and I."
I actually think all songs talk about the protagonist AND antagonist.
8:30 Armstrong doesn't have his *own* song. "Collective consciousness" is what he claims to fight against, and "It has to be this way" is about Raiden and Sam.
Actually collective is what raiden thinks Armstrong's "future" is
Collective Consciousness is essentially Armstrong's fake ideology. But yeah It Has To Be This Way is more Raiden and Sam. And that works because Armstrong is able to take time to really go into how he feels and believes, unlike the other antagonists.
@@AbyssDark yes and that's what Armstrong "claims" to be fighting against. He *says* that he's fighting it, yet his actions are different.
I think the thing about it is that it works specifically because it's what armstrong is against. You can see from the way armstrong talks that his ideology is founded more upon his deep hatred of what America has become rather than a coherent vision for the future.
It's not just the music. It's.. everything. The tie around of the entire game, it's characters, it's music, it's.. story it's trying to tell. Is just perfect, that most if not all games have an impossible time trying to do. I've realized where games have made a twist on the subject of antagonists. Where a friend close to you was an actual enemy betraying you like done in cod games. Or it's an enemy we come to realize the motives of from their past. There've been anime alike that smoothen this out incredibly, one being Demon Slayer. We come to face our enemies under hate in first impression, and ultimately end it off with sympathy and feeling bad for them. I believe that understanding your enemy is the best way to have your best narrative. Metal Gear Rising revengeance does this flawlessly, with characters that stick well and unforgettable, with music that speaks leaps and bounds for the characters themselves, themes that can be explained in such great detail, and even the main character being boosted by some of the villains! Jetstream Sam, is the pinnacle of what every best antagonist should be. He, is what inpired me to Metal Gear Revengeance and to delve deeper in his character, song, everything. I am absolute shock and awe in his character design. I fell in love with the game so profoundly it's unlike what most games can manage
I love how you brought out sams sword being related to his killings especially considering how raiden viewed his sword and later sams sword
I really love how to this day there are still people appreciating this game in different level, amazing video and analys my dude
Nice Sneaking in of Deference of Darkness at 0:43. Even if it is for Chief, it does show his humanity and something that is now being shown now especially with Halo 4 and Halo Infinite.
Something about that bit in the Halo novel that I realized is that it could be an interpretation of what happens in gameplay. Just as every time you charge in against the odds and pull through represents Chief's iron-blooded determination and discipline, every time you stop to analyze what you're looking at or you're given pause by what you're fighting, that's Chief's blood running cold.
Idea i have for a game, that since im not a game dev, i would love to see be used: the song it plays during a boss depending on what you know about the character via talking to npc, interacting with books you are capable of reading, etc. And depending on how much info you have, the music's lyrics during the game change, here is a example: lets say Asgore from undertale, after talking with npc, and interacting with some added npc, this hypothetical lyrics for Asgore will talk about regreting his past actions of killing the past humans, and how you killing him will put him at peace near the end of the fight. Another idea for this type of mechanic is that there are shit like npc, which wont give you true info, here is an example: instead they are trying to scare you from him since they think the boss is a monster, and in the lyrics of the song this will be depicted, but if you interact with a book which is his diary, you gain the true picture, that he is fearful, the civilians/npc actually exiled them from their civilization, and now believes that all humans are evil, and now is trying to kill you, ze player, and these actual feelings being depicted in the lyrics.
I have an alternate view on the lyricless segment of Sam’s fight based on an interesting interpretation I read of it a while ago. I’ll present that theory with my expansions as groundwork: Sam’s unarmed phase is an anomaly; there’s no sign of unarmed capability in his moveset when we play as him in the Jetstream DLC, nor does he use it in any of those cutscenes. Where did it come from? Well, if you take a look at his posture when he does his unarmed charge, you should see something familiar… it’s the same right hand back posture as Armstrong’s flame charge. Now, we fight Armstrong twice in the game; once with Sam, and once with Raiden. That flame charge is a deadly threat to Sam, both unblockable and tricky to dodge. When we play as Raiden, though? It’s an opportunity for a quick-time event to deal incredible damage. So why is Sam emulating one of Armstrong’s moves in the middle of his final duel with Raiden? … well, the theory is that he’s actually testing Raiden. Seeing if he has the skill and ability to deal with the attacks that all but ruined him. In light of that, I like to believe that the reason the lyrics cut out in the midsection is that Sam is indulging in that most dangerous of vices: hope. And so for that little while, the utter loss that his song expresses doesn’t apply.
I agree 100%. It's Sam that wants revenge against Armstrong and he hopes Raiden is up to the task. Sam says something similar in It Has To Be This Way
@@Andrew-ko2ps what do you mean? It has to be this way is about raiden and armstrong not sam.
Interesteing perspective,tell us more.
Him: "Music" Me: "THE GOOD OLD DAYS AFTER NINE ELEVEN"
"MEMES JACK"
MAKING MOTHER OF ALL OMELETES JACK
My pitch for how to do another thing with Sam without doing a prequel. Sam’s dying body is picked up by some undead parts of desperado. They bring him back to life soon after he dies so not much irrecoverable damage is done. When he wakes up, he tries to get away so they suppress but don’t remove his memories. Sam is now fully no longer the man he once was as now he no longer even has his memories. However due to them rushing the implant, it’s faulty and occasionally there’s a crack and a fragment of something surfaces, before quickly being suppressed. Raiden is going after Desperado and doing what he can to fully kill it. I’m doing so he finds Sam, and a cutscene plays where he’s in shock but then thinks that’s it’s just an AI controlled by a spare body. Cue fight. During the fight, hitting him in the head makes him shooketh as he begins to regain his memory. You finish the fight by hitting him in specific parts of his head enough. Afterwards, there’s a cutscene where Sam is beginning to remember what happened and almost kills Raiden. Raiden holds him off enough and shows Sam the Murasama Blade wolf had given him. Raiden returns it and Sam says, “So what came of Armstrong? I assume you being here means he’s dead.” And Raiden responds with, “Yeah no shit.” After an exchange and a call from whoever your backup team is, because this is a metal gear game and therefore you have to have someone who calls you throughout the game, Sam joins your team to help you finish taking down desperado. Maybe if they decide to have coop in the game this is where it gives you access to it. That could actually be very fun (although blade mode would need to be reworked/modified if they decided to do that). Anyway just a silly and dumb idea to bring back the weakest Brazilian male to MGR.
My take on Sam's song stopping when he's disarmed is that his song is mostly about how disconnected he has become with his own self, in his battle for betterment and revenge he lost all sense of who he is, but when the sword is away he's now a little bit closer to his humanity, no tool to draw the blood of his enemies thus the vocals go away