S Ranks

[PipeSwinger]

It's come that time to get my 'S' ranks for the "Stormbringer" trophy. To be perfectly honest I am not sure I am going to go for it right now. I have a lot of other games that are just waiting to be played. Some even unopened. However I'd still love to hear some tips on getting S ranks. 

 

 

Edit: What I've learned...

 

So I finally fully committed to this game and went for my S ranks. Since I just got the platinum early this morning the game is fresh in my mind. For anyone going for the platinum there are a few things worth knowing.

 

1.) Parry, Parry, Parry!

Parrying is so important in this game so master it all, including the side parry. If you master the side parry you can kill Sundowner in a few minutes without taking damage with a huge combo. If you did all the VR missions already then you have probably mastered the parry. 

 

2.) FOX Blade and Wig B. 

The FOX blade is very overpowered. That coupled with wig B (infinite ripper mode) makes the S ranks a lot easier. They'll still be tough, but certainly not as bad. The FOX blade is DLC now. Unless you pre ordered. 

 

3.) Do the VR missions FIRST!

Completing all VR missions with gold is difficult. But I am a firm believer VR 18 and 19 made me a better player. You also get some beneficial suits and a long sword. I didn't use any of these during my revengeance play through, but they definitely won't hurt you. 

 

4.) No Damage Bonus 

The no damage bonus is a huge help, and many times it's the determining factor for your S rank. But other times it's just a waste of time going for the bonus. R-04 battle #2 comes to mind right away. I spent so much time on this one. 90% of it is all sub weapons (Wig A is CRUCIAL). But I looked at the S rank requirements on the trophy guide, and was able to get all the other requirements allowing me to take damage. If you're having a hard time getting a no damage bonus I suggest you try going for all the other requirements, and skipping the no damage bonus. 

 

5.) Take Breaks

This really applies to all games, but certainly worth mentioning. If you're stuck on a battle, take a break. Grab a sip of water, go for a walk, watch a movie, hangout with your significant other, do whatever, just take a break! I noticed improvements after every time I took a break. The other night I was on the second phase of Senator Armstrong, I told myself I really should take a break, but I didn't. I slammed, and I mean straight up slammed my controller on the ground. It's shattered. Taking a break is crucial! 

 

6.) YouTube
There is a lot of good stuff on YouTube for S ranks. The main video I used was THIS. Helped me out a lot. 

 

Best of luck!

Edited July 31, 2015 by PipeSwinger

[blueray222]

The way this one is coded is frickin weird. You HAVE to do the final chapter last for it to count, so make sure you've S-ranked every other chapter beforehand, (the order for the other chapters doesn't matter, as long as chapter 7 comes last). As for everything else, gamefaqs exists for a reason. Some general advice though: for bosses, no damage doesn't guarantee an S, there is usually some other criteria you have to meet as well, like killing enough enemies against Mistral and getting enough BP against Monsoon. Sundowner in particular is a big pain in the ass for this, which I suggest you check gamefaqs for as I said earlier. No damage bonuses are usually what will make or break that S though, in any ranked battle, so reset whenever you take any damage, (even if it does start to feel tedious). Also, you CAN reset when the result screen pops up, just as long as you do it before that damn little triangle at the bottom pokes up. Copying your save from time to time is a good idea too because the way checkpoints work is utterly stupid, since you'll be replaying the entire chapter over again if it autosaves over a not-S-rank or you miss a ranked fight. It's rigorous, but it felt so damn good when I finally completed it and got the plat. Good luck dude.

[PipeSwinger]

The way this one is coded is frickin weird. You HAVE to do the final chapter last for it to count, so make sure you've S-ranked every other chapter beforehand, (the order for the other chapters doesn't matter, as long as chapter 7 comes last). As for everything else, gamefaqs exists for a reason. Some general advice though: for bosses, no damage doesn't guarantee an S, there is usually some other criteria you have to meet as well, like killing enough enemies against Mistral and getting enough BP against Monsoon. Sundowner in particular is a big pain in the ass for this, which I suggest you check gamefaqs for as I said earlier. No damage bonuses are usually what will make or break that S though, in any ranked battle, so reset whenever you take any damage, (even if it does start to feel tedious). Also, you CAN reset when the result screen pops up, just as long as you do it before that damn little triangle at the bottom pokes up. Copying your save from time to time is a good idea too because the way checkpoints work is utterly stupid, since you'll be replaying the entire chapter over again if it autosaves over a not-S-rank or you miss a ranked fight. It's rigorous, but it felt so damn good when I finally completed it and got the plat. Good luck dude.

Thanks a lot for the information. This will be very tedious, but well worth it at the end! 

[Tidus]

I see you have unlocked 40 out of 51 (61 if you count the DLC) trophies, good job! Once you're done S-Ranking, your next challenge will be the VR Missions, I hope you're mentally prepared for this because VR Missions 17-19 can be a pain in the arse. Like blueray222 said "it felt so damn good when I finally completed it and got the plat" so good luck to you   

[PipeSwinger]

I see you have unlocked 40 out of 51 (61 if you count the DLC) trophies, good job! Once you're done S-Ranking, your next challenge will be the VR Missions, I hope you're mentally prepared for this because VR Missions 17-19 can be a pain in the arse. Like blueray222 said "it felt so damn good when I finally completed it and got the plat" so good luck to you   

 

I'll be 100% honest with you I got S ranks in the first 3 missions on "Very Hard" just because I wanted to mess around before I went to Revengeance. I gotta say it's very challenging. And now that you tell me VR missions 17-19 are a pain, I don't know if I'm mentally prepared anymore . I envy you for getting the platinum though!

 

Edit: All VR missions cleared with 1st rank. Tough! But doable! 

Edited July 27, 2015 by PipeSwinger

[NICK16_06]

PIPESWINGER, what game is your GIF from?

[blueray222]

I'll be 100% honest with you I got S ranks in the first 3 missions on "Very Hard" just because I wanted to mess around before I went to Revengeance. I gotta say it's very challenging. And now that you tell me VR missions 17-19 are a pain, I don't know if I'm mentally prepared anymore . I envy you for getting the platinum though!

Those 3 VR missions are truly satanic. Those 3 caused me more grief than any S rank on Revengeance ever did, so good luck on those too.

[milkmycats]

There's actually a glitch you can use on mission 19 that makes clearing it incredibly easy. After destroying the first fenrir, run over the walls and jump into the out of bounds area. It'll cause you to re-appear in the first area, but you'll have total invincibility for the rest of the mission. You can't parry, but enemy attacks don't connect so you can just swing away and go into Blade Mode when ready.

 

If only there was a similar glitch for mission 18, that was pure hell. Probably the hardest part of the platinum, imo. Even attaining S ranks in Revengeance mode wasn't as difficult, because you could use the wigs to make things easy.

[PipeSwinger]

PIPESWINGER, what game is your GIF from?

Dishonored is the game in my signature. 

[Taz-EPS]

If u haven't got it yet, this is just the thing for you

http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps3/960699-metal-gear-rising-revengeance/faqs/66773

You might not like how he did some of the things but there are some very important tips there. And more importantly, the ranked battle locations!!

[FinalFantsyX10]

It depends on your aiming. If your aiming on the trophy it's gonna be hard for ye, an' if your aiming on the fun It's gonna be easy cuz the real gamers are not new with those kinda of challenging, especially if you get used to it, so it's better for you to have fun in it or just leave it cuz it's gonna be a real PAIN... Anyways, I have finished the VR Missions and the DLCs and I got S Rank and I finished the story mode too with the S Rank. Believe me it may take time, but if you keep trying you'll get it. Have Fun.