Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Preview – E3 2012
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After being in a somewhat troubled development cycle, it came as a big surprise when the next title in the famed Metal Gear Solid franchise was set to be developed by a studio other than Kojima Productions. Now in the hands of Platinum Games, who are very different in their approach to video games, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance looks to break the mold and create a successful spinoff title for the popular series. No longer concerned with stealth, Rising is all about action and spectacle. We had a chance to sit down with the developers for a quick chat about the game, and also give it a go on the show floor at E3.
Our interview was with Atsushi Inaba and Yuji Korekado. In Rising, players will assume the role of an older, more mature and mechanically enhanced Raiden, a character we first met in Metal Gear Solid 2. The developers say that it was definitely a challenge for Platinum – who are best known for creating action-based, original IPs – to work in a pre-established franchise with certain expectations. There have been numerous changes through the development cycle of the game, but now that the teams have been sorted and Platinum took full reign of the gameplay while members of Kojima Productions continue to work the story, the work is going ahead.
Originally, the plot of the game was to take place between MGS 2 and 4 and showcase more of Raiden’s story and interlink the two titles. However, that idea was scapped in favor of a modern take that would also benefit the gameplay design from Platinum. As mentioned, well-versed writers from Kojima Productions are still at the helm of writing Rising, so fans can expect many references to the series and potentially some well known characters to make an appearance. On the other hand, those new to the series should feel comfortable entering Rising with no prior Metal Gear exposure, say the developers.
Platinum Games, meanwhile, got a chance to focus on the gameplay as they admit story is never the focus for their titles. Platinum were able to have the freedom to tell a side story, integrating it with gameplay. And while that certainly put pressure on them, with the help of writers at Kojima Productions, the overall experience worked out well for both studios. The main mechanic of Rising, as was first announced back in 2010, is the ability to slice everything with Raiden’s sword. This is an interesting concept, and presents potentially numerous gameplay opportunities. There’s also a stylish fighting system, complete with crazy combos and bosses.
The demo which we got to play was well positioned to showcase the most notable mechanic of the game – sword action. What this means, is that almost all objects in the world, enemies included, can be sliced with your primary weapon in almost every way imaginable. Starting off in a training area, it was fairly easy to grasp the mechanics – hold down the trigger button, and time slows down while giving you a precise aiming reticule to direct your sword slashes at any angle you choose with the sticks. Walking up to enemy targets, we sliced and diced ‘em with both satisfying precision and realistic results.
Things got a little more interesting in the next area. Some enemies appeared, so Raiden used his dash ability to close in and once perform some standard attacks – after pulling off a few standard combat moves, enemies began to employ blocks. Entering the slicing mode (sorry, not sure on what the official name is!), we had to carefully aim at the vulnerable body parts of the enemy, and cut them to pieces, literally. After finishing a combo, we could also swing our enemies in the air and jump above, also allowing us to enter slicing mode in the air, which is quite thrilling. It’s great fun, and perhaps the only criticism is that human enemies seemed to be much more rigid and pre-determined in how they could be dismembered compared to, say, watermelons in the previous area.
We then came across a mini-Metal Gear type of robot, alongside the usual enemies. Some strategy was required here to quickly dispatch of the goons and focus on the robot’s various area attacks. Soon enough though, we were able to stun it and jump on top, then hammer the sword continuously into its head, eventually bringing it out. But things were just getting started. A helicopter appeared, and Raiden had to make a run for it across a bridge. Of course, the bridge began to collapse under the barrage of rocketry, so there was a quicktime event that saw Raiden hang by his sword and then run up vertically along the collapsed sections.
Finally in a safer area, conveniently littered with rocket launchers, it was time to take on the chopper. Grabbing a missile launcher and shooting at the target was simple enough, like in previous MGS titles. We had to periodically dodge the incoming rockets in search for more ammo. That would have been a legitimate way to take out the bird, but this wouldn’t be a Platinum Game if another option wasn’t available. The next time Raiden was fired upon, we hit a quicktime event and jumped rocket to rocket, making our way to the helicopter. In a moment of glory, time slowed down as we sliced it in every direction imaginable. A cutscene played, as we reached the ground and saw bits and pieces of the chopper falling to the ground behind Raiden.
It was ridiculous, alright, but also exhilarating and memorable. And that’s exactly what Platinum Games are going for, and have previously pulled off with titles like Bayonetta and Vanquish. With a touch of creative gameplay design, and backed by the top writers of Kojima Productions, Metal Gear Rising looks to be not only be worthy of the series’ name, but a memorable gaming experience all on its own. Look for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance to launch in 2013.