The Metal Gear series has had a long lineup of entries since it was first devised back in 1987, spanning from the franchise's original, retro 2D releases to the more recent, and arguably iconic, 3D Metal Gear Solid titles. The games are also unapologetically bizarre, with Hideo Kojima's espionage-focused tales including fourth-wall-breaking psychics, a litany of clones, and matrix-like simulations.
However, one of its weirdest entries was easily 2013's Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, a spin-off to the main series developed by Platinum Games that followed Metal Gear Solid 2 protagonist Raiden. The game is currently celebrating its 8th birthday today, with fans coming together to appreciate the chaotic, sci-fi hack-and-slash on social media.
For those who've never played Revengeance, its plot follows Raiden – now fully transformed into a sword-wielding cyborg – four years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. This time around, Raiden is forced to hunt down an organization of ruthless cyborgs after they execute a client he was tasked with protecting and leave him for dead. The resulting campaign focuses on Raiden's revenge, as he tears through various enemies in his quest to earn redemption for his defeat.
Along with the new story, Revengeance completely switched up the series' seminal gameplay, dropping the stealth-focused style of Kojima's Metal Gear Solid series for a fast-paced, brutal, melee hack-and-slash similar to Platinum's other games. It made for a far more bombastic Metal Gear experience, with players able to freely cut their way through robots, soldiers, and everything in between. The game released in 2013 and has since generated a strong fanbase, with players hailing it as a fun spin-off entry that made for an entertaining stop-gap between the release of Guns of the Patriots and Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain.
Looking online, a number of fans have used the game's 8th anniversary as an opportunity to share their love for Platinum's take on the franchise, commending Revengeance's fun combat, engaging soundtrack, and crazy style. It'll be interesting to see whether Revengeance manages to ever get a sequel in the future, with Konami still sitting on the rights to the Metal Gear franchise. Regardless, it seems players are looking forward to jumping back into the beloved action game in celebration of its eighth birthday. It's not the only game that will be celebrating a significant anniversary this year though, with Skyrim, Batman Arkham City, Dark Souls, and Portal 2 all turning 10 in 2021.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is out now on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.