Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is an action-adventure game released in 2013. It was created by PlatinumGames and published by Konami. The game was first available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in February 2013. Later, it was released for Windows and OS X in January and September 2014, and for Nvidia Shield TV in January 2016. It is part of the Metal Gear series, taking place four years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. The game follows Raiden, a character from the Metal Gear series, as he faces a private military company (PMC) that seeks to harm peaceful nations for profit. Players fight enemies using a sword and other weapons to perform attacks and counterattacks. A feature called "Blade Mode" allows Raiden to cut enemies into pieces slowly and collect health items from their bodies. Stealth gameplay, which is common in the series, is optional and can be used to avoid fighting. Two extra chapters were added as downloadable content, set before the main story and focusing on Raiden’s enemies.
The game was first planned by Kojima Productions, which announced it in 2009 under the name Metal Gear Solid: Rising. However, the team had trouble designing gameplay centered on sword fighting. Supervising director Hideo Kojima paused the project until solutions were found. In late 2011, the game was relaunched with its final title, and PlatinumGames became the new developer. With PlatinumGames’ help, the game’s mechanics and story changed significantly, though Kojima Productions remained responsible for the overall plot and Raiden’s design.
When the game was released in February 2013, it received positive reviews from critics. Praise was given for its detailed combat system, use of Metal Gear elements in the story, soundtrack, and boss battles. Some critics noted issues with the camera system and the short length of the main story. The game sold more than 2 million copies worldwide.
Gameplay
Players control Raiden, a cyborg who uses a katana. At first, Raiden is playable in his "Standard Body" form, which looks similar to the body he used in Metal Gear Solid 4, but with a more natural face. Players can change Raiden's appearance using different skins. Unlike earlier Metal Gear games, where players avoided being seen by enemies, Rising focuses on action, especially sword fighting and a detailed cutting system to defeat enemies. Raiden's main weapon is a high-frequency blade, but he can also use other blades, sub-weapons, and secondary weapons. His sub-weapons include two types of rocket launchers, four types of grenades, and tools like a cardboard box, an empty oil drum, and a 3D photo frame. Additional melee weapons are earned after defeating bosses.
The cutting system lets players fight enemies and cut objects using "Blade Mode." This feature allows precise slashes along a plane, and almost any object in the game can be cut, such as vehicles and enemies. However, the environment is limited to structures like pillars and walls to help gameplay. When using Blade Mode, a blue plane appears on the screen to guide cuts, showing orange lines on targets. Blade Mode can also slow time, letting players make precise cuts during action, such as slicing an enemy mid-air. It can be used strategically to disable enemies, find weak spots, break supports to collapse structures, block enemy attacks, or remove cover. However, using Blade Mode reduces Raiden's energy, and if energy drops too low, Blade Mode cannot be used. Later in the game, players unlock "Ripper Mode," which temporarily boosts Raiden's power but quickly drains energy.
Raiden can parry attacks even when his back is turned, allowing him to counterattack and perform combos. Players can also use "Ninja Run" mode, which increases Raiden's speed, lets him dodge bullets, and climb areas for ambushes. A key feature is "Zandatsu" (cut and take), where players can collect items like energy, ammunition, and data from defeated enemies by slicing them through a red box during Blade Mode. This action fully restores Raiden's health and energy. After completing missions, players earn points based on performance, which can be used to upgrade Raiden's equipment.
Players can use Raiden's visor to spot enemies through walls. Hiding in a cardboard box or oil drum helps avoid detection. Blade Wolf, a robot resembling a dog, helps by scouting and gathering information for Raiden.
Synopsis
The story of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance takes place in the year 2018, four years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. The powerful secret group known as the Patriots, which controlled the global war economy, has been destroyed. As a result, private military companies (PMCs) have split into many different groups. The player controls Raiden (Quinton Flynn), a former child soldier from Liberia who became a cyborg and now works for the PMC Maverick Security Consulting, Inc. Raiden is supported by his Maverick teammates: Russian pointman Boris Popov (JB Blanc), military advisor Kevin Washington (Phil LaMarr), computer specialist Courtney Collins (Kari Wahlgren), and cybernetics expert Wilhelm "Doktor" Voigt (Jim Ward). Sunny Emmerich (Cristina Pucelli), a child prodigy and friend of Raiden who works at Solis Space and Aeronautics, also returns from Metal Gear Solid 4.
The rival PMC, Desperado Enforcement LLC, is the main enemy in the game. Desperado seeks to create chaos in peaceful countries to profit from war and gain technological advantages. Desperado’s leader, Samuel Rodrigues (Philip Anthony-Rodriguez), also known as Jetstream Sam, is Raiden’s main rival. A conversation between them at the beginning of the game influences Raiden’s decisions. Sam works with a group of elite Desperado cyborg assassins called the "Winds of Destruction." This group includes Sundowner (Crispin Freeman), the team’s leader, who uses machetes that combine into large pincers and has reactive armor shields; Mistral (Salli Saffioti), the only female member, who can attach extra arms to her body, some of which form a whip-like staff; and Monsoon (John Kassir), who wields dual sai and uses magnetism to control objects and separate his body into parts while maintaining control over each piece.
The IF Prototype LQ-84i, later named Blade Wolf (Michael Beattie), is an advanced artificial intelligence inside a four-legged combat robot. Initially controlled by Desperado, it later helps Raiden and Maverick after being reprogrammed. Colorado Senator and potential presidential candidate Steven Armstrong (Alastair Duncan) is also involved with Desperado’s activities. Another member of the Winds of Destruction, Khamsin (Benito Martinez), appears in the Blade Wolf DLC chapter.
While providing security for an unnamed African country’s prime minister, N’Mani, Raiden and his team are attacked by rogue Desperado forces. During the attack, Sundowner kidnaps and kills N’Mani. Raiden is severely injured in a fight with Sam, losing his left eye and arm, but Boris saves him as Sundowner and Sam escape. Doktor later repairs and upgrades Raiden with a stronger cyborg body.
Three weeks later, Raiden travels to the breakaway Georgian statelet of Abkhazia after learning that Desperado is leading a military coup there. He plans to capture Andrey Dolzaev, a Chechen extremist, to stop Desperado. Desperado sends the LQ-84i robot to stop Raiden, but Raiden defeats it and later has Doktor rebuild it as an ally, renaming it Blade Wolf. Raiden then faces Mistral, the commander of Desperado’s forces in Abkhazia, and kills her in combat. Dolzaev later commits suicide by detonating an oil tank he is standing on.
Maverick assigns Raiden to investigate a research facility in Guadalajara, Mexico. There, Raiden meets an orphan named George, who was brought to the facility to have his brain—and the brains of other orphans—removed and sent to the United States. Raiden learns that Sundowner visited the facility with Senator Armstrong, forming an alliance between Desperado and World Marshal, a major PMC Armstrong has invested in. World Marshal plans to train children using virtual reality to become killers and place them in cybernetic bodies to create new soldiers, similar to Raiden. Raiden rescues George and the other children and takes them to Doktor.
Angry at Maverick’s failure to act against World Marshal, Raiden resigns from the group. With Blade Wolf by his side, he launches a solo attack on World Marshal’s headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Though no longer his employer, Maverick provides quiet support. Raiden fights through the city’s privatized police and soldiers, eventually confronting Sam and Monsoon. Using technology, they force Raiden to hear the thoughts of the people he kills, causing him to feel conflicted. This leads him to unleash his repressed personality, "Jack The Ripper," which he developed during the Sears Program as a child. He kills Monsoon and infiltrates World Marshal’s headquarters, where he discovers that Armstrong is using Desperado to distract Raiden while preparing "Operation Tecumseh," a plan to assassinate the U.S. president during peace talks with Pakistan to start another war on terror.
While Doktor recovers the children’s brains, Raiden seeks help from Sunny Emmerich to reach Pakistan in time to stop Armstrong. On the way, he fights Sam in a final duel and wins. Sunny helps Raiden travel to Shabhazabad Air Base in Pakistan, where he is attacked by Metal Gear EXCELSUS, a six-legged mecha piloted by Armstrong. Armstrong reveals that Operation Tecumseh was a false flag plan to frame Desperado for killing American soldiers at the base, turning the public against them and favoring World Marshal. Armstrong, a major shareholder of World Marshal, would then win the presidential election and create a society where the strong thrive and the weak are eliminated. Raiden destroys EXCELSUS but finds that Armstrong has used nanomachines to harden his body against attacks. Blade Wolf gives Raiden Sam’s sword, which allows him to defeat and kill Armstrong.
Doktor is approved to create a new cyborg staffing firm to protect the orphans’ brains and give them a chance at a better life. George and Blade Wolf move to live with Sunny at Solis. Although Desperado is defeated and the brain-taking operation is shut down, World Marshal continues its operations. Raiden decides not to rejoin Maverick, choosing to fight on his own.
Development
After Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots was released, game designer Hideo Kojima began planning another Metal Gear game. This game was intended to focus on The Boss and her group, the Cobra Unit. However, the younger staff lacked experience, and Kojima was not involved in the project. These issues caused the project to be canceled. Later, a team member suggested making a side story about Raiden, a character from Guns of the Patriots. The team agreed, and Metal Gear Solid: Rising was developed. The story was meant to explain how Raiden became a cyborg ninja in Metal Gear Solid 4, though with a slightly different look.
The game was first mentioned during Kojima’s keynote speech at the 2009 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. At the end of the presentation, the screen showed "The Next MGS" with Raiden beside the title. Before the game was officially announced, Kojima’s company, Kojima Productions, had a countdown timer on their website. The traditional tagline for the series, "Tactical Espionage Action," was changed to "Lightning Bolt Action," a reference to Raiden’s name, which means "thunder and lightning" in Japanese. The game was officially announced at E3 2009 during a Microsoft press conference. A teaser trailer was shown, though Kojima only served as an executive producer, as his main focus was Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Initially, the game was planned for the Xbox 360 but later confirmed for the PS3 and Windows. It would use a new game engine, not the one from Metal Gear Solid 4.
The original cover art for the game was leaked on Xbox Live on June 10, 2010, four days before E3 2010. During Microsoft’s E3 press conference on June 14, Kojima introduced the game’s lead designer, Mineshi Kimura, who showed a new trailer with gameplay and cutscenes. The game’s creative producer, Shigenobu Matsuyama, and Kimura presented the trailer again on June 16 during Konami’s E3 press conference. They explained the game’s mechanics. Concerns arose about the game’s realistic depiction of human dismemberment, which might require censorship in Japan. As a result, the E3 2010 trailer on the game’s Japanese website had those scenes removed.
Kimura stated that Rising would continue the series’ tradition of allowing players to progress without killing enemies. Matsuyama explained that players would never be rewarded for killing humans and would not be forced to do so. The game’s stealth mechanics would focus on Raiden’s speed and agility, described as "hunting stealth." Players would quickly move to avoid enemies and use acrobatic moves to stay hidden. This connects to the game’s Zandatsu feature, which lets players take weapons and items from defeated enemies. Kimura wanted Raiden to move like he did in Metal Gear Solid 4 trailers, showing "the stealth of the sword" and "the strength of not losing to the gun."
At TGS 2010, Sony announced that the PS3 version of Metal Gear Solid: Rising would be playable in 3D. In January 2011, concept art for the game was displayed at an exhibit in Tokyo. Later that year, Matsuyama moved to a different division at Konami, and Yuji Korekado became the game’s lead producer. Kojima said the game would remain different from other Metal Gear titles but would stay true to the series. He encouraged fans to try it, even though it would not focus on stealth.
Despite planning stories for the game, Kojima’s team struggled to develop it. The project was canceled in late 2010. Kojima considered moving it to foreign developers but decided a Japanese team would be better for a ninja action game. In early 2011, Kojima met Atsushi Inaba from PlatinumGames, who agreed to work on the game. This new version, titled Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, was first shown in a trailer at the Spike Video Game Awards in December 2011. PlatinumGames changed the game’s setting to avoid restrictions. They removed the stealth element, but Kojima later added it back because Inaba found the original system too "dull."
The first trailer confirmed that Quinton Flynn would reprise his role as Raiden’s voice. Konami changed the title to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, with "Revengeance" reflecting Kojima’s desire to "get revenge" on the canceled project and "Rising" representing Raiden’s character. Kojima requested the game run at 60 frames per second. Konami’s Martin Scheider said the game was in "safe hands" with Yuji Korekado and Inaba. Korekado stated the goal was to make Raiden’s action scenes from Metal Gear Solid 4 playable. Originally, the game would not have Japanese voice acting, but in August 2012, it was confirmed to include Japanese audio with new and returning actors. A Japanese-language trailer was released shortly after. Inaba said the PS3 would be the main platform to avoid performance issues like those in Bayonetta.
The game was playable for the first time at E3 2012 in early June, with Kojima involved in its production. Konami sent a replica of Raiden’s severed arm to publications, containing a teaser scene. The official website later showed longer versions of the scene. Artist Yoji Shinkawa designed Raiden, while freelancer Kenichirou Yoshimura created characters to match Shinkawa’s style. Kojima’s team rewrote the script in two months, compared to ten months for the original version. Etsu Tamari was the scriptwriter, working closely with director Kenji Saito to resolve differences between the two studios. The plot was written to be accessible to players.
Release
The demo version of the game was first given as a bonus included in the Zone of the Enders: HD Collection. This collection was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 30, 2012. A public demo of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was made available in Japan on December 13, 2012, through the PlayStation Store. Later, the North American demo was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store on January 22, 2013.
The full version of the game was released in North America on February 19, 2013, and in Europe on February 21, 2013, for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was also planned to be released in Australia on February 21, but delays caused by shipping problems pushed the release date to February 26. In Japan, the game was released on February 21 for the PlayStation 3, but the Xbox 360 version was not released there. A Windows version of Metal Gear Solid: Rising was originally planned, but its release was paused. Kojima Productions stated they would consider it after the console versions were released. The Windows version was announced in May 2013 and released on January 9, 2014. The PlayStation 3 version was added to PlayStation Plus in November 2013.
In Japan, Konami released two special editions. The first, called the "Premium Package," includes an artbook by Yoji Shinkawa and a soundtrack album. The second, named the "Premium Package Special Edition," includes all items from the first package plus an action figure of Raiden. The English collector's edition includes a soundtrack, a steel case, and a lamp with a small replica of Raiden's sword. An exclusive download version called the Ultimate Edition was released on the PlayStation Network on May 21, 2013. This version includes the full game and all downloadable content. A physical copy of the same version was sold in Japan with the label "Special Edition" on December 5, 2013.
The Windows version of the game was released on January 9, 2014. For a short time, the game required an online connection until a fix was released on January 10, 2014. It was reported that this requirement was an accidental error. The Windows version is region locked, which means it is not available in India and Japan. The game was briefly unavailable for purchase in Ireland. It is not sold through Steam in Indonesia and Malaysia, but it is available on disc for the PlayStation 3. The game also has region locked serials and cross-region gifting. In March 2015, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was confirmed to be released for the Nvidia Shield Console. In January 2017, the OS X version of the game became unplayable due to a problem with its DRM system after the company that developed the port, Transgaming, closed its business.
In July 2024, a version of the game without DRM was made available on GOG.
Downloadable content
The downloadable content for Rising includes five different robot-like bodies for Raiden, a collection of "VR Missions," and two story-based campaigns featuring different characters. The DLC armors were given as extra rewards for buying the game before it was released through various stores in different areas. The VR Missions and bonus campaigns became available in the months after the game was released. All downloadable content is now available for all players on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live and is included with the Windows version of the game.
Reception
Producer Atsushi Inaba used his Twitter account to respond to fan questions about the game. He said there were mixed reactions to the first look at Rising, but he hoped players would see "a glimpse of the future" in the trailer. Inaba said the game's "love and respect" for the series would be clear. Some fans were upset because the game changed genres to a hack and slash style. Inaba was disappointed when fans compared Metal Gear Rising to Ninja Gaiden 3, a game he had criticized before.
At Games Convention 2012, Kojima Productions said the game's demos were well received because many fans wanted to try them. They also said the feedback from the demos was positive. Inaba noted on Twitter that some Western gamers thought the game was too short based on a results screen showing a time of five-and-a-half hours. He explained the screen only counted time spent passing stages, not cutscenes or failed attempts. This method had been used by PlatinumGames since Bayonetta to test players. Inaba was upset that people judged the game based on one screen.
In September 2012, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance won an award at the Japan Game Awards. According to Metacritic, the game received "generally favorable" reviews. Famitsu gave it a near-perfect score of 39 out of 40. Play and GamesTM also praised the game, calling it "almost certainly the best Metal Gear game released this generation."
Eurogamer writer Rich Stanton said the game was a good addition to the franchise. He noted the game would have received a perfect score if not for camera problems. Other reviewers also mentioned similar issues, as the camera struggled with fast action scenes. The game's action was praised for being fun for both casual players and fans of the series. Bob Mackey liked the game but said it felt like a "rescued product," meaning it was not PlatinumGames' best work but still had value. Some reviewers highlighted the cutting system, which let players destroy enemies and the environment. IGN's Mitch Dyer said the variety of subweapons improved the game, even though switching them felt awkward. Boss fights were praised for using cutscenes and music effectively.
Joe Juba from Game Informer said the combat was the game's strongest point but called the rest of the game "style over substance." He found the game less interesting than previous Metal Gear games and Bayonetta. Matt Gilman from Computer and Video Games agreed, saying some issues, like the lack of a defense move, could have been fixed. Videogamer.com praised the game's opening level but criticized the camera system, which sometimes blocked the view during fights. Some reviewers said the game's short length was a downside, but The Escapist's Miguel Concepción said the difficulty levels encouraged replaying the game.
The story was similar to other Metal Gear games. Raiden's character was praised for being a strong anti-hero. GameSpot said his violent personality made him stand out. GameTrailers noted Raiden's character was different from his earlier role in Metal Gear Solid 2. IGN said fans of Metal Gear Solid 4 would enjoy the game because Raiden could copy moves from that game. Eurogamer said the game changed Raiden's character, making him a darker, more powerful figure. Bosses were praised for their design, and a character named Samuel had a good rivalry with Raiden. Even though the game did not include Solid Snake, the setting after Guns of the Patriots had familiar elements for old fans. However, Game Informer said the new characters were not well developed.
PlatinumGames' president, Tatsuya Minami, expected strong sales because of the game's marketing and its connection to the Metal Gear series. After release, Hideo Kojima said the game sold well globally but did not share numbers. In its first week, the game topped Japan's sales charts, selling 308,681 units on one list and 335,791 units on another. In the Famitsu 2013 Top 100 list, the PS3 version of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance ranked 11th, with 470,597 physical sales in Japan.
The game won a Gold Prize at the 2013 PlayStation Awards for selling more than 500,000 units in Asia. In the United Kingdom, it was the second-best-selling game after Crysis 3. As of July 2024, Steam Spy estimated the game sold over 2 million units on Steam.
Legacy
In January 2012, Hideo Kojima said that if a game became popular, his team might create a series based on it. He described the relationship between Kojima Productions and PlatinumGames as positive and suggested that a sequel to Metal Gear Rising might be possible soon. However, Kojima said a sequel would only happen if PlatinumGames developed it, because he believed "no one else could [do] it." After the game was released, Kojima praised PlatinumGames' work, noting that the franchise had many fans who would look closely at any issues. Since the original game was a prequel to Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Kojima wanted the idea revisited, but he thought PlatinumGames might face challenges because the story would be an "interquel." He did not confirm if a future story based on this concept could be made.
On February 22, 2013, Kojima told SPOnG that he wanted to make a sequel to Metal Gear Rising and said PlatinumGames should develop it. He mentioned the sequel might feature Gray Fox fighting "nano machine-powered zombies" and offered to write the story himself, but PlatinumGames did not seem interested. Etsu Tamari, who wrote stories for both Metal Gear Rising and the original Metal Gear Solid: Rising, said she was interested in using the original idea for a potential sequel.
In August 2013, Konami asked fans on their website if they wanted a Metal Gear Rising sequel and what they would like to see. On January 31, 2015, a trailer for upcoming PS4 games at the 2015 Taipei Game Show briefly showed the number "2" in a font similar to that used in Revengeance. However, Kojima Productions later said the "2" was not related to the Metal Gear franchise.
Etsu Tamari said she was happy with the final version of Revengeance and hoped the team might make another game focused on Raiden. Quinton Flynn, who voiced Raiden, said he was pleased with Raiden's role in Revengeance and wanted a new sequel with him as the lead. However, the conflict between Konami and Kojima Productions made him worried about the sequel's future.
Several video game publications and Alastair Duncan, the voice actor for Armstrong, praised the game for predicting the rise of right-wing populism in the United States. They compared Senator Armstrong in the game to U.S. President Donald Trump. Like Trump, Armstrong used anti-establishment messages and the slogan "Make America Great Again," which was also used by Ronald Reagan. The game was released years before Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.
The game's story, characters, and music helped it become popular again because of internet memes. These memes included how the game handled politics and how characters reacted humorously to events and dialogue. For example, Senator Armstrong and Jetstream Sam were widely shared online. As a result, the number of people playing the game is believed to have increased ten times in one month in 2022.