Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Preview - E3 2012
A new direction for a spinoff title proves to be a cut above
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.
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