10 Video Game Spin-Offs Nobody Asked For (That Were AWESOME)
1. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Opinions on it might’ve softened since but upon release Metal Gear Solid 2 was a controversial direction for the series to take. Abandoning the beloved Solid Snake in favour of new protagonist Raiden upset many. The character maintained a prominent position in the series moving forward but few expected him to have his own starring role ever again.
With Solid Snake’s story coming to an end in MGS4, Konami and Hideo Kojima started teasing the next stage of the franchise. A poster with the now cybernetically enhanced ninja Raiden was labelled as “Metal Gear Rising” and “The Next MGS Story” and fan reaction was one of concern, confusion and outright disapproval.
Once the concerns about the protagonist choice had dialled down, a look at the wild gameplay shift caught fans off guard yet again. Wielding dual katanas at groups of enemies, it was a far cry from the standard fare of the series. Many fans were hesitant but Metal Gear Solid Rising: Revengeance turned out to be an exhilarating and polished experience.
Raiden was finally vindicated as a playable character, and the performance of the game shut up a lot of naysaying on the way to its release. Maybe it is better to wait and see how a game actually plays before you cast the first stone.