Reviews are dropping for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and there's high praise all around for the hack-and-slash melee brawler.
IGN gives the Metal Gear spinoff an 8.5 out of 10. "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a tight action game whose campaign moves as quickly as its excellent combat," says the gaming website. "It's all killer, no filler, with more than enough incentive for repeat play-throughs."
The only pause in the action is a few, relatively quick cutscenes that should only be of interest to fans of series lore. The plot is nowhere near as intricate at Metal Gear Solid 4, but there's plenty of characterization and backstory for Raiden, if that's your thing.
Most players should be able to burn through the main story in 4 to 6 hours. "Rising propels players toward a boss battle every 45 minutes, introduces new enemy types regularly, and unleashes waves of cyborg soldiers to slice with a sword," says IGN. "This is a tight action experience without an ounce of fat, and Rising's pace is just as quick as its technical melee combat."
Whle IGN marvels at the orchestrated combat, GameSpot take a lingering look at the story, pacing and the place Revengeance carves out for itself in the Metal Gear series.
"With addicting combat and a killer sense of style, it's unfortunate that the simplicity of Revengeance's underlying story fails to hit many high marks," says GameSpot. "Outside of a few memorable antagonists (Sam, for instance, is a sadistic delight), you won't walk away with fond memories of the overall plot, but Raiden's personal transformation reaches an atypical and invigorating conclusion. He's perfect for the role of the anti-hero, and through his transformation, Revengeance emerges as a fantastic action game set in the Metal Gear universe."
That departure from the typical subtlety of Metal Gear games means Revengeance could find plenty of fans who aren't already familiar with the series, but diehard loyalists should plug in knowing they have a solid afternoon of button smashing ahead of them.
"Enemies don't waste time during battle, and though Raiden's no slouch, it will take considerable practice to completely realize the potential of his various attacks," says GameSpot.
"He's fully capable of bolting through a crowd without taking a scratch, but he's bound to falter in the hands of a novice. Yet regardless of your initial skill level, Revengeance is an accessible action game that emphasizes entertainment without overshadowing the importance of depth and nuance."
The elegance of the gameplay -- which borders on choreography, albeit bloody -- garners an 8.5 out of 10 from GameSpot as well.
As for other reviewers, The Guardian gives it 5 stars, a perfect score, even if it's title isn't a real word. PlayStation Universe gives it a 9.5 and Polygon gives it a 9.0.