Metal Gear Rising is a spin off game in the Metal Gear game series. It follows the events of Raiden, the protagonist of Metal Gear Solid 2, and his work to prevent a third world war. Lead developer of the game, Hideo Kojima loves to throw important pieces of information in random ways, and make strange stories with larger impacts. A perfect example of this is the game’s soundtrack, which holds large amounts of hidden meanings.
Rules of Nature
Accompanying Metal Gear Ray, who was the last boss of MGS 2, this song sets the tone for the whole game. It shows the violence and survival of the fittest mentality embodied by the enemies. It also shows the desperation that Raiden will face throughout the game, and that despite all of it he will be able to stand above his foes, victorious. Most importantly it shows how Raiden has evolved as a character, that fights that used to be dangerous are now only an appetizer for what’s to come.
Dark Skies
This is the battle theme of Raiden during most of the missions. It shows his belief to fight against the corrupt system that controls the world, which works especially well due to his past as a tool used by the Patriots (practically the Illuminati). Raiden won’t let anyone else suffer the same way.
I’m My Own Master Now
The theme of Blade Wolf, the second boss of the game. It reveals the enslavement that the character had to endure, and his determination to be free. The player can even experience Blade Wolf’s attempts at freedom in one of the DLC’s for the game. Blade Wolf is an unwilling participant in a war he doesn’t care about.
Yet again this is not Armstrong’s theme.
A Stranger I Remain
Mistral is the first Wind of Destruction that Raiden faces in the course of the story. The name of the song itself alludes to the feelings that Mistral has, that she is out of place everywhere she goes, except for her home: the battlefield. Mistral, much like Raiden, was a child soldier and butchered her parents’ killers. All Mistal knew how to do was kill, and it was idle killing for a paycheck, and not an ideal. At least until Armstrong gives Mistral an ideal to fight for, but even with a reason to fight, she still feels out of place.
Return to Ashes
This song plays during the sections in Denver. It warns against returning to the past, where the Patriots controlled the world. This theme plays due to Armstrong, an affluent politician, successfully controlling the entire police force of Denver to try to stop Raiden. This theme warns against letting another group similar to it arise.
The Stains of Time
Monsoon is the second Wind of Destruction, and is a much flatter character. He is an extreme nihilist, and started working for Desperado rather than continuing his work as a gang member because it was safer. Monsoon simply does not care about the world, his theme shows that he is just waiting for his end to come. He has no dreams or ambitions, and just wants to get whatever he is doing over with. Discrediting everything except memes, which are the DNA of the soul.
A Soul Can’t Be Cut
This is Jack’s theme. Jack is Raiden’s real name, and is used to describe his personality when he revels in violence like he used to when he was a child soldier. He was so brutal that he earned the nickname Jack the Ripper, and this theme highlights the blood lust he feels during battle.
Red Sun
Sundowner is the leader of both Desperado and the Winds of Destruction, a lifelong soldier of extreme cruelty. The lyrics of the song show how he views his actions, as though they are the natural way of things. Sundowner would have kept being a cruel monster even if Armstrong had succeeded.
The Only Thing I Know For Real
Jetstream Sam serves as a rival to Raiden through the entire game. You do get to hear them earlier, but it’s not the full song. Sam was a vigilante in Brazil using his family’s blade to dismantle the cartels there. Utilizing an advanced suit to make up for his lack of augments. Every other enemy in the game is either a cyborg or a robot. What the song shows however is that Sam is lost. He no longer wields his blade for his beliefs but rather with the sole intent to kill. Whenever you disarm him during the fight the lyrics stop, showing that he is regaining his old self. Though Raiden still kills him, Sam leaves a parting gift.
Collective Consciousness
Collective Consciousness is not Armstrong’s theme. It’s how Raiden views Armstrong and his beliefs. He sees Armstrong as a greedy politician who wants to further consolidate power into the upper echelons of power. Despite this being Raiden’s view, this is not the true character of Armstrong.
It Has to be This Way
Yet again this is not Armstrong’s theme. It’s Raidens. Raiden acknowledges that Armstrong has a point, though he disagrees with Armstrong’s methods. Armstrong and Raiden want to save the world from itself, but their dogmatic differences force them to fight each other. The correct decision being who’s alive at the end. What further proves this point is that just like in the Sam during his fight, when Raiden is disarmed the music stops.
The Hot Wind’s Blowing
Khasim is the final boss of the Blade Wolf DLC, which takes place before the events of the game. The song describes the experiences of not only Khasim, but every miscellaneous enemy you cut down. Talking about their struggles as blades without names, fighting and killing for a goal they don’t even truly understand. The last line even refers to the Winds of Destruction, the leaders of Desperado.
The War Still Rages Within
This song is the credit music of Metal Gear Rising. While it is a general commentary on the themes presented in the game, it is also a commentary on the world as a whole. Mentioning how people become cogs in the machine, and that men start to believe their own lies. It’s a magnificent way to tie together the individual ideas in the game and have people analyze their own world.
Metal Gear Rising has one of the best video game soundtracks ever made. I wish more games would take inspiration from this, and make their soundtracks impactful to the storytelling of the game.
