What backstory do I need for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance?

February 21, 2013 7:10 PM

I love the game developer Platinum Games, and buy everything they put out. Their new game, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, is the latest in a long-running series with a famously incomprehensible backstory? I've played a bit of Metal Gear Solid 2 and didn't really enjoy it. I'd like to know a. if anyone who's played MGR: Revengeance knows what backstory I need to enjoy it or b. if anyone can provide a summary or a link to a quick summary of Metal Gear Solid's backstory.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (2 answers total)

Best answer: Here is the backstory you need to know:

You are a guy named Raiden. You were a child soldier. You are a cyborg. The world used to be run by a secret cabal call the Patriots that turned out to be a computer program, but now it is not, thanks to efforts you helped with. Other characters from Metal Gear are not mentioned in the game as far as I know.

Which is good, because

if anyone can provide a summary or a link to a quick summary of Metal Gear Solid's backstory.

This is essentially impossible to do in a way that would provide meaningful information.
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 7:21 PM on February 21, 2013 [3 favorites]

what backstory I need to enjoy it

Possibly none. I played the previous PS3 installment without having played any of the other ones. I probably missed a lot of stuff, but it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the game at all. And I have the impression that Revengeance is kind of a spinoff that's more sort of tangentially connected to the previous ones, though I am no expert.
posted by Sing Or Swim at 7:52 PM on February 21, 2013 [1 favorite]