2. Character Development
Something I didn't expect amid all that chaotic action and daft plotting was some down to Earth, honest-to-God character development. Given that Raiden has been the bane of MGS fans ever since his inception in the second game, cruelly usurping the mantle from series favourite Solid Snake, he's really needed to prove himself, something he did ably in MGS4, reinvented as a badass cyborg ninja, and something he continues to do in Revengeance. The Raiden we see here is a family man, apparently needing to kill to provide for his family, but in more plausible terms, acting like a superhero to protect the weak. However, in unexpectedly nuanced fashion, the game engages with the duality of Raiden's psyche, how this isn't all about doing what's right, but in relishing the thrill of violence. The sad truth might be that Raiden really is living up to the "kill first, ask later" mentality ingrained into him as a child soldier. Like us, Raiden is unquestionably gratified by all the violent dismemberment, and by game's end we see Raiden not as a Ken doll-turned-ninja but as a conflicted, somewhat more likeable and understandable character.