While Microsoft spent plenty of time talking about their new Kinect hardware and showcasing proven franchises, no game probably gained more attention and fanfare than that of Metal Gear Solid: Rising, the new action game being developed by Kojima Productions.  With only a trailer to show off what exactly the game entails, it seems like there will be plenty of slicing and dicing as players once again control Raiden in an all new adventure that takes the Metal Gear Solid story into a brand new direction.

Metal Gear Solid: Rising is not your typical Metal Gear style game as it does not really require players to sneak around in the shadows and avoid contact with enemies, but instead use flashy acrobatic skills and attacks to defeat enemies.  Raiden is equipped with a deadly sword that can cut through anything and with a game that describes the gameplay as being able to “Cut What You Will,” you can expect plenty of limbs being severed and obstacles being sliced in half.

Rising might not have the same style of stealth gameplay as Metal Gear Solid 4, but the game still requires Raiden to hide every once in a while.  As game director Mineshi Kimura explained, Raiden has a much more acrobatic and agile style of fighting than Snake, so naturally he is able to jump to ledges and hide in spots Snake was not able to.  Described as a “vertical stealth” style, Raiden might be more accustomed to the traits of Sam Fisher, who uses pipes and buildings to kill from above.

But perhaps the biggest aspect of Metal Gear Solid: Rising is the departure away from the slow and steady gameplay of Metal Gear Solid 4 to a more fast-paced kill anything that moves action title.  Mineshi Kimura revealed that the team developing the game was looking to make Raiden as agile and deadly as he was portrayed in that all too popular Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer.  Raiden’s sword is the basis for all of his attacks in Rising and players will be able to determine how fast Raiden can cut and how deep as well.

“Cut What You Will” seems like the perfect tagline considering what we saw from the trailer.  In certain scenes, Raiden used his sword to slice off enemies’ heads and limbs and we all watched in awe as time slowed down during an increased aim mode where Raiden changed the angle of the blade to slice an enemy into four separate, boxlike pieces.  It is revolting to say the least but incredibly entertaining.  Raiden also used his sword to slice through a support beam that toppled to the ground afterwards and at the end of the trailer we watched as Raiden cut himself some watermelon slices, all in different sizes and depth.  The limits to what you can use your sword for seem endless and we can only imagine the possibilities for what you can do in the game as well.

Raiden doesn’t only have access to his sword, however, as game producer Shigenobu Matsuyama explained that numerous sub-weapons will also be available for Raiden to use as well.  Raiden is a natural fighter and sometimes he might need to pick the best tool for the job.  As Sean Connery best put it in The Untouchables, “You brought a knife to a gun fight,” in which case the person opposite of Connery was immediately gunned down.   You don’t want to be that other guy and Raiden will find himself well equipped for any situation.

Also shown in the trailer was a scene where Raiden ripped the spine out of a cyborg and Metal Gear Solid: Rising producer Shigenobu Matsuyama went on to explain that collecting these “batteries” is essential to continuing on in the game.  Fans will also be pleased to learn that Rising takes place between the events of Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 4, so perhaps we can all finally learn the origins to how Raiden became such an agile fighter as seen from the Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer.

With no release date yet set in stone, there is lots to look forward to in the coming months on any information regarding the newest entry into the Metal Gear Solid series.  Stay tuned at Smashpad for more coverage and news as it becomes available.

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About This Author: Josh Schwartzman

Been into gaming for as long as I can remember and have enjoyed every minute of it. I enjoy playing with everyone and anyone online and I am an avid PS3 and Xbox 360 player.

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