Rising might deviate from what makes Metal Gear what it is today. As an Hack'n'Slash fan I certainly wont complaint.
This game was surrounded by controversy for being something Metal Gear isn't but so what? Its a spin-off of the main series, nothing more. And a great one at that. Its lore still fits within the Metal Gear universe masterfully without alienating its basic concepts. Saying this, many gamers should just shut up and suck it up.
Rising combat isnt as combo heavy as the like of DMC or Bayonetta but more strategic and faster ala Ninja Gaiden. Here the parry system is king forcing the player to use timing to his advantage. The cherry on top of the cake though are the smooth 60fps that makes the combat as fluid and fast as it can be. The precision of cutting foes in a hundred pieces are evidence of this. Simply astonishing how PG managed such a thing after the Bayonetta PS3 fiasco. I bow to the effort by PG for not screwing this one up once again.
Story wise the game isnt as convoluted as the typical Metal Gear game and thats an advantage or a flaw depending on the point of view. I, for once, was indiferent to it. It did what it did well enough to not sound as cheesy as the typical PG game at least. It was good to see some familiar faces once again though, even if they were few of them (only two MGS characters in the whole game, including Raiden, here named Jack the Ripper).
The game is rather short clocking in around six hours with no much exploration but it certainly invites to another playthrough with new game plus, higher difficulties and a VR mode with around twenty missions to complete. There is definitely value within this game.
All in all I can say this: If you're a Metal Gear fan who doesnt care about the Hack'n'Slash genre in general then I think you should skip it. You wont find much here about the MG universe. If you're a Hack'n'Slash fan then certainly give it at least a try, you wont be disappointed, I'll assure you. Now if you are BOTH like me... it's a no brainer.