I have played the majority of games in the Metal Gear Solid series and was unsure about the direction the series was taking with Metal Gear Rising.  I have to say though, that I am pleasantly surprised with the finished product and I'm glad that it didn't get axed.

**SPOILER ALERT**  Do not read ahead if you haven't yet played the Metal Gear games leading up to Metal Gear Rising!

-Developing Raiden-

Like most fans of the series, I wasn't a big fan of Snake not being the main protagonist in MGS2 and was honestly upset by the fact that Snake was on the cover of the box and then I was teased with being able to play as him at the beginning of the game.  Then, Raiden shows up.  At first I was put off by how different he was from Snake.  His appearance was much more feminine, he didn't seem like he was up to the task at hand, he didn't have any real battle experience other than VR training and quite frankly, I just didn't like his voice. 

Raiden then starts to gain more flesh as the game goes on and you learn the horrors of his past as a child soldier.  This is something I have a very difficult time even fathoming.  I think of my own children and how awful it would be to expect them to take someone's life at their age, and this is all this guy has known(once he remembers his true past as Jack the Ripper).  Now that he is older and more aware of his actions, he is once again being used by everyone for their own purposes.  Once everything is said and done, the ending seems more like everything was just a dream.  Everything that he just went through, was fabricated.  But he did kill real people and he had to watch real friends die before him.  I feel sorry for Raiden.  I don't think I've ever felt sorry for a video game character at the end of the game before.  Like I just experienced everything with him, all that we accomplished, and it seemed like it was for nothing other than to see which of his puppeteers won.  

-Giving Raiden a new image-

The protagonist shifts back to Snake in the next true sequel, MGS4.  Raiden has been through quite a bit since the events of MGS2, with his head/spinal cord being removed from his body and placed into a synthetic exoskeleton by the Patriots for experimentation purposes.  He escapes captivity and wants to have his revenge on the Patriots.  The events of MGS4 take place, his synthetic body is mangled, and he pulls off some pretty over the top crap.  The fact that he fights with his sword in his mouth is pretty comical and I still question their reasoning for having him do this.  Basically, if anything over the top, crazy has to happen, they throw Raiden in to make it happen.  

-The Rising-

Now that Raiden is an over the top, everything goes, super action ninja that I think has proved himself in MGS4, he now gets his own game to expand on his new image.  If you thought anything from MGS4 was over the top, then multiply that by 10 and you now have Metal Gear Rising.  I'm a huge fan of everything Metal Gear and now I get to continue on with the story with a new play style, and one that I love at that.  This game somewhat caters to the Metal Gear fan and really delivers in the action game department.  What I mean by it only somewhat catering to the MG fan, is because it does take a detour from the stealth element almost completely.  I can say that I first fell in love with the gameplay of MGS, and then fell in love with the world and its characters.  With that being said, I can understand those that are upset that it strayed from the norm of the series.  

-Business versus True Inspiration-

I know that the video game business is just that, a business, but I feel like Kojima is one of the few true artists of this craft and would only release a game to expand on his already established story and not to just sell a game.  After playing the game, I don't know if the action game came before the MG name was placed on it, or if he was truly driven to give Raiden his own game and felt this was the only way to do it, in Raiden's state after MGS4.  We may never know...

-Raiden's (Somewhat) Flawless Victory-

Regardless of the motivation though, Metal Gear Rising turned out to be a fantastic game.  It has elements from the other popular action slash'em up games and delivers an even better product in my opinion.  It shows that a game can have mature elements, but doesn't have to include unnecessary nudity (GoW).  It gives us a great combat system, but with a character that I actually give a crap about (DmC/Ninja Gaiden).  The combat system may have borrowed elements from others, but it is still remains fresh and it is great fun to chop my enemies and the environment into tiny little wedges.  Even the elements that they used from Assassin's Creed (Ninja Run) feel even better with Raiden.  Ultimately, I love what they've done for the series and for Raiden's character with this game.  I can't wait for DLC to be released and I'm already itching for the sequel.  

-CanderD