Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a wild spin-off of the beloved franchise where players control a skilled cyborg ninja named Raiden. Using his immense and deadly abilities, Raiden slices and dice through futuristic foes to save the day. When a massive terrorist organization called Desperado starts a war with Raiden's unit, it's up to him to eliminate the threat. Full of flashy swordplay, bloody violence, and a ridiculous amount of style, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a quirky but endearing spin-off. While it provides an experience that's entirely different than the core series, it manages to excel, making it one of the best action games of its era.

Main Game Features

• Furious hack 'n slash combat
• 8 main levels and bonus VR missions
• Character and gear upgrade system

Story

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance tells the convoluted tale of Raiden, a cyborg ninja soldier working as a security guard for a prime minister in Africa. During a trip through the country, the prime minister and Raiden are attacked by a pack of war-loving terrorists called the Desperados. Angered that the prime minister has eradicated the war economy in Africa, the Desperados kidnap and later kill him. Despite Raiden's best efforts, he is maimed during the fight, losing both his left eye and arm. After receiving further cybernetic enhancements and healing up, Raiden sets out to hunt down the leader of the Desperado, but starts to uncover a much larger global threat.

While the story of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance starts off simple enough, it quickly descends into an increasingly convoluted and self-indulgent mess. Fans of the Metal Gear Solid series might appreciate this familiar style of futuristic, military storytelling, but the average player will probably just find it ridiculous. However, the story doesn't matter all that much, as it provides plenty of opportunities for some absolutely fantastic action scenes. There are also some exceptionally cool characters, so the weakness of the plot is easy to forgive.

Gameplay

Like other hack 'n slash games, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is all about slaying dozens of enemies in a flurry of fun. However, this spin-off puts a big emphasis on stylized kills, big bosses, and completely over-the-top sequences. Despite being ultra-fast and hectic, the basic combat is simple to understand. Raiden can perform both weak and strong attacks with his sword, which organically combine to create stunning displays of violence. Thanks to his ninja roots, Raiden can also leap through the air, block gunshots with his ninja run, and more. The coolest feature in the game is Blade Mode, which slows down time and lets you go wild with multiple sword slashes. Whether to peel away boss armor or cut your foes into dozens of pieces, using Blade Mode feels ridiculously cool.

After enemy encounters and finishing levels, you'll be awarded a ranking depending on your performance. Obtaining high ranks unlocks bonus VR modes, alternative costumes, and more. You can also level up Raiden's abilities, moves, and weapons by spending currency earned through combat. When fighting enemies, cutting off specific limbs will often award you with bonus materials, which can help you further enhance Raiden's strength. Overall, there's a great amount of level variety and character progression, giving you the incentive to replay the game multiple times.

Conclusion

By switching up the formula and truly embracing the ridiculous nature of the material, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is one of the best spin-offs in the franchise. The switch to stylized sword combat over methodical stealth pays off in full, even if the story falls off.

Pros:

• Combat is always satisfying
• Blade mode offers supremely gory finishers
• Great game pacing

Cons:

• The story becomes utter nonsense
• Secondary weapons feel clunky
• Only a few hours long