Originally announced as Metal Gear Solid Rising, Platinum Games has taken over the development of what is now known as Metal Gear Rising Revengeance. After waking through Konami’s booth I have to say that this game is looking to be more heavily focused on action than that of stealth, which is quite a departure for the MGS franchise. The story is relatively interesting too.
Konami explains that in the near future, cyborg technology has become commonplace throughout society. Three years have passed since the collapse of the Patriot system that had been secretly controlling the global power blanace form the shadows; however, peace remains elusive. The dissemination of cybernetic technology has triggered instability and conflict as those who control the trade gain increasing power. Furthermore, large ‘Private Military Companies’, or PMC’s, that had been supported and controlled by the Patriots have collapsed, spawning countless rogue entities with origins to larger criminal organizations. These renegade PMC’s employing cyborg technology have become increasing more disruptive shifting policy and power at will. As a member of the peace-keeping PMC ‘Maverick Security’, Raiden lives by the mandra of protecting and saving lives. But as the world plunges further into asymmetric warfare, the only path that leads him forward is rooted in resolving his past, and carving through anything that stands in his way.
I had the pleasure of being a part of a Q&A session with Yuji Korekado and Atsushi Inaba of Platinum Games. Questions were limited to one per outlet so I thought I would give all you readers out there the lowdown on all the questions that were asked. Due to the nature of the Q&A session and the use of an interpreter, the answers below are paraphrased.
Q. Are there any specific themes being explored in Revengeance as there has been in previous Metal Gear Games?
A. There aren’t any specific keywords like there may have been in the Kojima games but MGR will deliver a good message.
Q. Just how much of a stealth element is there?
A. The focus in MGR is definitely on action and the mechanic of fighting with the sword.
Q. Can you tell us more about the weapons used in MGR?
A. The primary weapon is the sword. Its high frequency blade makes it extremely powerful as has been seen in the video trailers. There will be secondary weapons that include traditional weapons like firearms but the action is focused on the katana sword.
Q. There seems to be a parry system similar to what is seen in Batman Arkham City. Can you elaborate on that?
A. The parry system is not the main part of combat as it can be in Batman. It is an option but not a requirement. However, using it will be a big advantage when fighting some of the stronger enemies.
Q. Are there cardboard boxes in MGR?
A. Yes, they were shown in the trailers.
Q. Metal Gear Solid was known for its long cut scenes. Will MGR have similar lengths of cut scenes?
A. The cut scenes will be shorter so as not to break up the action of the game. That will not sacrifice the story though. The story will be told through more frequent but shorter cut scenes and the action itself.
Q. Will the game go into further details about Raiden’s family life?
A. Yes, as players of MGS4 will know Raiden “retired” after that game to live life with his family. He comes out of retirement to provide for his family. He begins work for private military organizations and is primarily involved only non-combat things like training. An accident occurs, he is rebuilt as this dark cyborg and feels the need to fight again.
Q. Will there be characters from previous Metal Gear games in this one?
A. The goal of the development team was to create an entirely new experience. We want players that have no played previous games to be able to play this one That said, there will be characters and story references to past games in the series.
Q. Will there be multiple levels of difficulty in the game?
A. Yes, even though Platinum Games is known for difficulty, we are trying to make the game accessible for all gamers.
Q. Will there be further MGR games? DLC?
A. We are focused on this one for the time being but if people like it there will be more. Yes, there will be DLC.
Q. How long can players expect the game to be?
A. Since the game is still in development there is no number yet. However, players will be satisfied upon completion of the game.
And just as things were really getting going our PR representative stuck his head in and informed us the session was over. Man, did the time ever just fly by.
We hope you enjoyed this brief interview that we were able to provide you with two of the game’s developers. Thank you to both Mr. Korekado and Mr. Inaba.
Metal Gear Rising Revengeance is scheduled to be released in early 2013. Until then, check out the Trailer and Screenshots below that Konami provided us to pass along to you.
Official E3 Trailer:
Screenshots:
