Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (メタルギア ライジング リベンジェンス) is a 2013 hack and slash video game developed by PlatinumGames and produced by Kojima Productions for Konami. It follows Raiden, a highly advanced cyborg ninja who began working for a private military company (PMC) after failing to adapt to civilian life following the events of Metal Gear Solid 4. While on a security contract in Africa, Raiden becomes involved in stopping Desperado, a war profiteering PMC, and is forced to go rogue when his investigations reveal a political conspiracy in the United States that he can only stop by force.
Focused on sword combat using high-tech weapons known as high-frequency blades, Metal Gear Rising features the unique mechanic of cutting apart any enemy or obstacle in the game with dynamic slicing animations that match your attacks.
Announced in 2009 and originally developed by Kojima Productions under the working title Metal Gear Solid: Rising, the game faced significant difficulties in development until PlatinumGames was hired to take over development of the game, though Kojima Productions retained control over the game's story and characters.
While some reviewers expressed disappointment in the game's departure from the stealth gameplay the series is known for, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance received excellent reviews for its action, soundtrack, and memorable villains, arguably becoming PlatinumGames' most popular licensed game until NieR:Automata in 2017.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was considered a commercial success, and while its creators expressed interest in a sequel, conflicts between Kojima Productions and Konami in the following years have prevented this from happening. Despite the game's enduring popularity, it has also yet to be ported to modern consoles.
The Wonderful 101 released only a few months after Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance in 2013, and includes a few notable callbacks to the game that were quickly spotted by players who still had the Metal Gear spinoff fresh in their minds.
A few voice actors from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance's English cast notably returned in The Wonderful 101:
Prince Vorkken is voiced by Quinton Flynn, the voice of Raiden. Some players find that Quinton Flynn occasionally slipped into Raiden's "Jack the Ripper" voice in his performance as Vorkken.
Wonder-Yellow is voiced by JB Blanc, the voice of Boris, Raiden's mission instructor. Both characters are Russian and speak with similar accents.
Wonder-Green is voiced by Kari Wahlgren, the voice of Courtney Collins.
Laambo and Ohrowchee's deaths in Operation 001-C (being sliced in two down the middle) is similar to the destruction of the Metal Gear RAY in the prologue of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.
Wonder-Blue dramatically slicing the falling pipe in half in Operation 004-A is a reference to Raiden's iconic finisher on the Metal Gear RAY fought in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance's prologue.
The GEATHJERK Officer Walltha references Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance's name with his quote in Operation 005-C "Make no mistake. It is not revengeance that motivates me."
The Meizerr ramming through the Envan to extract its core and rejuvenate itself during Operation 009-C is a direct reference to the Zandatsu technique used by Raiden in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance to restore his health.
The Hero CounterCustom Block in The Wonderful 101 is sometimes compared to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance's prominently used parry system, but in truth, Hero Counter is closer in function to Bayonetta's "Moon of Mahaa-Kalaa" parry accessory.
