What's the first word that comes to mind when hearing the name Metal Gear, the popular action series from video game publisher Konami? For me, it's "stealth." Success in Metal Gear hinges upon living in the shadows and completing critical tasks without alerting enemies of your presence.

Toss that out the window in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, the wildly entertaining spinoff from developers at Platinum Games that delivers a thrilling, outrageous adventure.

The Metal Gear franchise often follows the exploits of Snake, the eyepatch-wearing secret agent performing a variety of missions while largely operating in the shadows.

Revengeance follows Raiden, a child soldier transformed into a powerful cyborg ninja. Longtime series fans likely recall his appearance in the 2001 PlayStation 2 title Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.

Raiden works for a private military company focused on maintaining order around the globe. When a key official is killed, Raiden springs into action to thwart PMCs eager to start a new international conflict.

Along with a challenging campaign, the game features a series of virtual reality missions that require players to complete specific tasks to advance.

Metal Gear sports a new developer, Platinum Games, best known for the Nintendo Wii action title MadWorld and the equally insane Bayonetta for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Revengeance follows the third-person action mold of a Bayonetta, but focuses more heavily on swordplay. Players use a high-powered blade to deliver a series of light and heavy attacks. The fun part is entering Free Blade mode, a slow-motion mechanic where players have full control of the sword with the right thumbstick, slicing enemies however they choose. It makes most games claiming the term "hack and slash" look silly by comparison.

When players enter this "ZanDatsu" phase, it feels incredibly rewarding. There is nothing better in Revengeance than finishing a complex boss battle -- and releasing all pent-up frustration -- by dicing your foe into tiny bits.

Instead of a dodge or evade mechanic, players use Ninja Run to zip around environments and crush enemies ranging from human-sized cyborgs to massive mechs. There's also a series of sub-weapons including homing missiles and rocket launchers.

Players earn points during each stage, notching higher scores the better they finish. Those points go toward upgrading Raiden's health, energy use and arsenal.

Revengeance doesn't completely abandon stealth. Colleagues speaking to Raiden through video transmissions will suggest keeping a low profile, and players can opt to sneak past tougher foes. Even the infamous cardboard box Metal Gear fans are familiar with makes a comeback. None of it is nearly as fun as ravaging opponents head-on with a sword.

There are some drawbacks to the experience, primarily tied to the camera. The third-person perspective used in the game zooms in a little tighter than most action games. As a result, when the pace of combat picks up, the camera can't keep up and players are often caught viewing unusual angles that may obscure action. A targeting system mitigates some of those problems, but they're still tough to avoid.

The same issue applies to Free Blade mode. There were several scenarios where I was caught in an awkward position despite facing an enemy. Players can move somewhat to get a better view, but they may often find themselves exiting Free Blade and trying again.

Also, since this is a single-player only endeavor, there are limits to how far players can extend the experience. VR missions are helpful, and players may want to return to levels to bolster their scores, but it's not a game you player over a really long stretch of time.

Regardless, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a grand action saga that might not fully resemble the traditional Metal Gear experience, but proves equally enjoyable.

Publisher: Konami

Developer: Kojima Productions/Platinum Games

Platform(s): PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Price: $59.99

Rating: M for Mature

Release Date: Feb. 19

Score: 3 stars (out of 4)

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