Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

A spectacular game on the PlayStation 3 that not only respects the previous titles but enhances the future of this genre.

The action is always exciting and absorbing while the sword-play is refreshing, innovative and dynamic. The cut-scenes are brilliantly produced and the boss battles tense and engaging.

Revengeance is one of the most surprising hack'n'slash titles of this generation. Years ago, nobody would have imagined a game like this within the franchise, and Platinum Games is giving us everything we wanted with it.

The combat is faultless, the story is bonkers and the bosses some of the finest in gaming history. [Issue#228, p.66]

Overall, Revengeance is an exciting and unique entry into the Metal Gear milieu. It’s a perfect combination of Metal Gear stylings and Ninja Gaiden frenetic action.

As if it weren't clear by the title, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance indulges the ridiculous. This entry into the now-hallowed franchise is one of the very best.

An exhilarating experience that beats home just what kind of masters Platinum Games are at what they do. One of the best action games in years, and one that will stay with you for a very long time.

The game can be completed in approximately six to eight hours, depending on how quickly you master the combat and if you choose to watch the cutscenes. It may not sound like a lot but after giving your thumbs a serious work out, it’s actually just the right amount of time needed to tell Raiden’s story.

Platinum identified that a world subject to infinite player Ginsu-knifing is a world without obstruction. Revengeance revives its signature sword play as the show stopper it was always meant to be, but does it in a calculated manner. The result is an action game that never overstays its welcome.

Revengeance only falters in its overall length. There's plenty of replay value, of course, but this is one of the rare times when gameplay can't quite overcome the lack of a meaty core experience. Still, this is a game not to be missed, folks.

For true fans this title could be a no-brainer – it’s Metal Gear. More casual fans can rest easy that you really don’t have to know much about the series at all to enjoy this one. Both will have to weigh if that short of a run time warrants the cost.

For all the development trouble, for all the doubts, for all the talk about what Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance could have been – it’s now a Platinum game and it sparkles with the same confidence and verve it would have done had Kojima been at the helm. It’s an absolute joy to play and is almost certainly the best Metal Gear gen released this gen.

Exactly as entertaining as you’d expect from a collaboration between two of Japan’s most talented developers, and one of the best action games of the generation.

Platinum Games has done something incredibly rare: honoring a beloved series while successfully broadening its reach into a whole new genre.

If Revengeance didn't have camera issues this would be the easiest 10 I've ever given. As things stand it's still brilliant, staking out new territory in the genre and adapting certain Metal Gear characteristics so well that it makes the competition look outrageously bad. This is simply the ultimate one-man show, worth its ticket price many times over, an experience that improves exponentially as it gets faster and as you get better.

Improvements need to be made, but Metal Gear Rising has already established itself to be an action game well worth buying.

The cutting mechanic is smartly embraced as Revengeance's signature rather than its limitation, a crescendo earned by appreciating the profundity of its stylish combat. This is actually expected of Platinum, but the real surprise is their respect and dedication Metal Gear’s established doctrine. By any definition, Revengeance is beautiful symmetry.

Raiden can't block, he can only parry by swinging the left stick in the direction of an enemy and pressing square. That's right, one of the attack buttons. Raiden's motto is very simple: The best offense is a good defense. [March 2013, p.72]

Visually amazing, intense and beautifully fast, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is an amazing game that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Unfortunately, the campaign of this action-packed hack 'n slash is too short.

At the end of the day, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance's greatest accomplishment is that that it assures the world that Platinum's bag of tricks is deeper than anyone thought. This game provides a fresh take on the stylish/character action genre, and it comes off as a high-tier entry in the Metal Gear series.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is an ambitious title and Platinum Games delivers! The resulting game is pure hack & slash, filled with interesting features like the Blade mode and the Jack the Ripper mode, that manage to make the game feel fresh and, at times, even unique. It's a joy from beginning to end and even though Revengeance isn't a long game by any stretch of the word, you won't regret spending any of your hard-earned money on it.

Zandatsu is quite a good symbol for this Metal Gear Rising Revengeance : a development divided, fragmented but a game that is highly efficient. Very short indeed, you can see it suffered from this change of direction. Nevertheless, with such a turbulent life, Rising manages to give players a rare and intensive game experience. Definitely, it's an Enfant Terrible, a Son of Liberty.

The story may not wow you with its political trappings, but Raiden's transformation and the gameplay that springs from it are the most alluring reasons to give him another shot as the leading man. If you're even vaguely interested in the Metal Gear series or intelligent hack and slash games, do not pass up a chance to play this exciting and addicting hybrid.

Despite its best efforts, developer Platinum Games sometimes gets in the way of its own pace -- especially for those who aren’t into the franchise. However, Rising’s troubles are rarely enough to derail the incredible momentum of an always-entertaining, action-oriented Metal Gear spinoff.

Redefines what "over-the-top" means with its outrageous campaign, and is able to do so without changing the formula that makes a Japanese action hack n' slash game compelling for every type of player. The gameplay though, while certainly more complex than it looks, has some weaknesses, which are more than enough to keep Rising from... ahem, rising to the top of the genre.

It’s more style than substance, but that isn’t a bad thing. However, Platinum Games hasn’t fully embraced this fact and tried to bring a serious story with depth to the table. In which it failed miserably. The game is pure action: a hack and slash game you’ll have to memorize to master. The Blade Mode is a great addition to the series, but the parry system isn’t quite as memorable. The total package, however, is a game that belongs to the top of its class, mainly thanks to the great art style and the brutal, yet amazing music.

The action is tremendously addictive and will keep you coming back for more. The most pleasant surprise was the mature plot and gruesome execution both literally and figuratively. It deals with the nature of war, the heavy toll it inflicts and those callous opportunists who see it as a business and humans as merely a commodity.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a visceral action spectacle that puts the emphasis squarely on the well constructed gameplay.

Rises to the occasion, even if it's not quite "Metal Gear" solid. A slightly tweaked, Kojima-written sequel would be perfect. [Apr 2013, p.61]

It's such a shame that the singleplayer takes just a few hours to complete. Because it's a fantastic game to play, probably the best hack and slash title in a science fiction setting. Raiden shows us how cool he is.

What could have been a beautiful marriage between Kojima Productions and Platinum Games ends up disappointing in some respects, but Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance still manages to impress and overwhelm from a sheer technical and gameplay perspective. Raiden finally gets his revenge and manages to stand on his own as a solid character.

Forget the cheesy story, the occasional bad camera and the fact that MGR:R is about as stealthy as a snowflake in a coal mine. The game knows that it’s a winner on the action front, and it takes steps to make certain that that is what gamers come back for. Sure, it may be over quickly, but with VR missions, secrets, easter eggs and upgrades, it’s worth replaying a few times.

The game isn’t perfect, with minor issues over the game’s short length and occasionally touchy environment interaction, yet this is an easy game to recommend for anyone who loves Metal Gear and a good hack and slash experience.

With Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Platinum Games and Kojima Production worked in perfect harmony creating a fine piece of art. Fast and excellent gameplay hugs Kojima's elegant, intense and detailed storytelling. Few technical issues and a bunch of bad design choices ruin the experience, but the final result is still greatly entertaining.

A hugely enjoyable hack and slash title, with an incredibly satisfying combat system, memorable boss battles and an entertaining narrative.

This may very well be the best brutal action game for slicing, ninjas, cyborg and WTF lovers.

A thrilling and engaging experience. The swordplay is fun, and it's really fascinating to see the different spots where either Kojima's or Platinum's signature styles shine through. It also has a wild final confrontation that shows elements of both.

A frenetically fun, albeit flawed, experience set in a beloved universe — a sexy, slash-soaked side story worth playing for franchise fans and newcomers alike.

Rising is one hell of a rollercoaster ride that all Metal Gear fans should definitely play, but more than a decade after MGS2, it turns out that I’m still frustrated in the role of Raiden. But this time, it’s simply because the game doesn’t quite unleash his full potential.

Revengeance can be summed up in one word: "fun." Well, maybe two words are better: "stupid fun." As was shown with DmC, there are still a lot of fans out there who want to have button-mashing fun and be rewarded with carnage in its most primal form.

Revengeance is a dynamic and fun game to play thanks to its protagonist and several good design choices. On the other hand from the development team of Bayonetta we would have expected a better combat system.

A little short and a little frustrating, but it's still more of a thrill ride than any other Metal Gear game to date.

If you have any hopes for this story building on Metal Gear lore or giving you a chance to reconnect with characters you care about, you will be disappointed. The new characters are uninteresting and poorly developed, and the old characters are practically non-existent.

Its shortness will dissuade many, but cut deeper and an innovative parry system impresses. [Apr 2013, p.70]

While the story is subpar, the stealth mechanics are weak, and the lack of a dodge ability does hinder a solid combat system, this short game–clocking in at around seven to eight hours–is certainly entertaining to play.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is frankly a weird game, one that's not so easy to crack: excessively built around an eventually underwhelming concept, you'll never truly hate it, but you won't either love as much as you'd like to.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance could have been something big like a successful spin-off, but from my point of view Platinum Games featured too much action and to little gameplay depth in the game. The difficulty level is high and the game is too short. All in all it’s a nice game for core genre fans, but no more.

Revengeance boasts neither the deep combat of Bayonetta, nor the measured nuance of a Metal Gear Solid either...But for those that manage to break through its barriers and work around its lack of intuitiveness, it's a rampageous feast for the eyes and thumbs - even if it is a slice or two short of perfection.

Fact is, when Revengeance is firing on all cylinders it’s a great, albeit short (six hours, tops) action game. [April 2013, p78]

For better and for worse Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a game as crazy and nonsensical as its title, but because of that strong core, it’s one that just about makes the cut.

A solid game with sparks of excellence, but difficulty niggles and occasionally obtuse controls let it down.

While Rising’s combat is hugely satisfying to experiment with, and a sight to behold when played well, it’s undermined by technical issues and a singleplayer campaign that peters out just as you think it’s getting going. There’s replay value here, and for Platinum’s most devoted fans it won’t matter if the game is five or 50 hours long, but others will, rightly, feel a little short-changed.

Revengeance isn't for everybody and stands for everything we don't expect from the Metal Gear series. But if you love Platinum Games' previous action titles, love j-rock and have an appetite for manga, this is the right game for you.

Not the best action game to come from Platinum’s hands, and nowhere near the best Metal Gear game. Revengeance doesn’t live up to the franchise and the huge expectations placed upon its shoulders, but it remains solid enough to stand on its own. Just leave your expectations at the door.

Revengeance is pretty sweet, then, but the aftertaste it leaves can be disappointingly bitter.

Sadly, the combat doesn’t have enough depth to trouble the genre’s best (it certainly can’t touch Ninja Theory’s DmC reboot), and there’s a disappointing disposability about the whole experience. This is a project that has been rightfully and respectably salvaged, but one that can’t quite cut it at the top.

There's no denying that, for me at least, it was as fun as it was irritating, as stylish as it was silly. It could've used some tweaking, some more suitable level design in places, and perhaps more thought gone into making the game a cohesive whole. It's not close to Platinum's best, or Kojima's best, but is a game worth checking out, even if just as a rental.

I love the gooey center of every cyborg PMC out there, but Revengeance fights the player every step of the way. What's more, reducing the difficulty ultimately boils down the combat to a button masher, leaving the experience hollow and draining all the same. Fans and masochists alike might find a lot to love, but even I can't stand the crunchy outside of a bug for the sweet gooey insides.

Bad writing and voice acting, uninteresting linear environments, camera problems, dumb enemies and nonsensical action that is also insanely difficult to combine into a game that is thoroughly un-fun and a chore to get through. It’s enough to send you scrambling back to older games in the series, to get the sour taste of this one out of your mouth.