Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Platinum Games' take on Metal Gear retains an action focus, but it hasn't totally abandoned stealth. Still, you might.

You may have already seen the new trailer for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, but you probably don't know how the game plays. Let me assure you that it feels great. If you're a fan of games like Devil May Cry or Bayonetta, then you'll feel right at home here.

The new TGS demo starts with Raiden dropping out of a jet and landing on what looks like a small Eastern European island. This particular demo focused on some of the game’s basic stealth mechanics. Raiden can sneak up behind guys and eviscerate them with the tap of the button, but it's easy to get caught by various enemies patrolling the area. Unlike other Metal Gear games, however, it’s actually fun to get caught in Revengeance. It’s often easier to stay and fight a group of alerted enemies rather than to run off and hide until the caution counter ticks down to zero.

Raiden easily slices through enemies with a mix of tornado attacks and a flurry of sword slices. Raiden’s sword buzzes with electricity and turns every tree that gets in his way into firewood. I crushed a few enemies with a series of stylish finishing moves. After taking out a group of enemy soldiers and Gekkos, I moved on to a brutal fight with the area boss: a mechanical dog with a chainsaw for a tail. My fight with him did not go easy, but after dodging his liquid hot throwing knives and taking down a few waves of minions, I lopped off his chainsaw and sliced his body into bits.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance doesn’t release until February 19, but you can get a taste of the action when the demo releases on October 30. In preparation, check out the trailer of the game’s basics.