Metal Gear Solid: Rising

Metal Gear Solid: Rising
Tentative box art
Developer(s)	Kojima Productions
Publisher(s)	Konami
Director(s)	Mineshi Kimura
Producer(s)	Shigenobu Matsuyama (producer) Hideo Kojima (executive producer)
Designer(s)	Yoji Shinkawa (concept artist)
Writer(s)	Etsu Tamari
Series	Metal Gear
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows PlayStation 3 Xbox 360
Release date(s)	TBA 2012
Genre(s)	Stealth action
Mode(s)	Single-player
Media/distribution	Blu-ray Disc, DVD-DL

Metal Gear Solid: Rising (メタルギアソリッドライジング, Metaru Gia Soriddo Raijingu^?) is an upcoming action video game under development by Kojima Productions as part of the Metal Gear series. The game was announced at the Microsoft E3 2009 press conference, and is in development for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} The series' former tagline, "Tactical Espionage Action," has been replaced by "Lightning Bolt Action" to fit the protagonist, Raiden; the word raiden (雷電^?) is Japanese for "thunder and lightning." Rising is an interquel set between the events of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.^[6][7]

Gameplay

Players assume control of Raiden, protagonist of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and supporting character in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Unlike previous titles in the Metal Gear series, Rising will be a fast-paced action game^[8], and creative producer Shigenobu Matsuyama notes that gameplay will focus on two key elements: swordfighting, and a style of stealth that is more fast-paced and action-oriented than in previous titles, which were Tactical Espionage Action games.

A key gameplay feature for the game is titled zan-datsu (斬奪, lit. "cut and take"^?), which involves "cutting" through enemies and "taking" parts from the bodies of dismembered cyborgs and robots.^[9][10] Things which can be taken include life, energy, parts, ammunition, items, and occasionally information.^[11] For example, in the E3 2010 trailer, Raiden tears a battery — in the form of a glowing mechanical spine — from a dismembered cyborg enemy, which he then crushes after absorbing energy from it to heal himself.^[9][10]

"Cutting" entails sophisticated swordplay that lets players engage in third person melee combat, as well as precisely slash enemies and objects "at will" along a geometrical plane using a "free slicing" mode. Virtually any object in the game can be cut, including vehicles and enemies, though elements of the environment were intentionally limited to structures such as pillars and walls to better facilitate gameplay. The free slicing mode is similar to other aiming modes in previous Metal Gear Solid titles, but produces a special targeting reticule in the form of a transparent blue plane which can be rotated and moved, tracing orange lines across the surfaces of objects to indicate exactly where they will be cut; it can also be used to enter a bullet time state, giving players the opportunity to precisely slash targets during moments of action, such as slicing through a falling target from multiple angles before it hits the ground. These features can be employed strategically, for example disabling opponents, finding weak points and gaps in armor, severing support columns to collapse ceilings or walls onto enemies, deflecting enemy fire, or cutting through objects to remove enemy cover. This is particularly important when facing cyborgs and robots, as cutting through different areas of their bodies will allow you to take different mechanical parts from within.^[9][10] Although Raiden's main weapon will be his high-frequency blade, he will also have "sub-weapons", Kimura revealed; gameplay footage has briefly shown Raiden wielding a dagger in his left hand.^[10][11]

Rising's stealth elements will emphasize Raiden's considerable speed and agility through what Matsuyama describes as "hunting stealth." Unlike the "waiting stealth" of previous titles, in which players remained hidden and avoided combat, players in Rising will instead quickly stalk their enemies and use acrobatic maneuvers to stay out of sight while closing in. This ties in with the game's zan-datsu feature, allowing them to prey upon enemies to obtain weapons, items, and energy.^[12]

Director Mineshi Kimura has stated that Rising would carry on the series tradition of encouraging players to progress through the game without killing, noting that there is a moral difference between attacking cyborgs or robots and attacking human beings, and that there's a "certain virtue to simply disabling your enemies instead of killing them."^[9] While it was considered important to give the players freedom to do what they want, Matsuyama has indicated that players will never be rewarded for killing human opponents, and that the game will be designed so that players are never forced to do so.^[12]

Plot

Metal Gear series fictional chronology
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Metal Gear Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake Metal Gear Solid (The Twin Snakes) Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Metal Gear Solid: Rising Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Metal Gear Solid: Rising chronicles the series of events that resulted in the transformation of Raiden, the protagonist and player character of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, into his cyborg ninja persona, first seen in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.^[9][11] Metal Gear Solid: Rising takes place during a point in the series' chronology at which Raiden has already begun his transformation into cyborg form, albeit with a different and somewhat more cruel appearance from the one seen in Metal Gear Solid 4, and will show how Raiden changes from his "Rising self" into his "MGS4 self."^[6][11] Matsuyama has also hinted that Raiden's past as a child soldier may be elaborated on, and that his personal weaknesses as a human, such as his resolve, will be explored.^[12]

While Kimura has been unable to reveal concrete details about the game's plot, teasers have depicted Raiden's body with portions of the body armor missing, and in his Metal Gear Solid 4 armor with sword drawn, crouching on the back of what appears to be Crying Wolf.^[13][14] The E3 2010 trailer depicts Raiden fighting a humanoid enemy equipped with a cybernetic exoskeleton similar to those worn by Metal Gear Solid 4's Beauty and the Beast Corps, which also bleeds the same artificial white blood that Raiden uses. Gameplay sequences also showed him fighting human PMC soldiers.^[10]

Matsuyama has stated that one of his goals for Rising is to put a greater emphasis on gameplay while featuring a less complicated story with shorter cutscenes than previous titles. His intent is to provide an experience that will be fully enjoyable to players who have not experienced its predecessors, and so it will function more as a self-contained story and will likely not lead directly into the plot of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.^[12]

Development

Art rendering of Raiden.

The game was first hinted during Hideo Kojima's keynote presentation at the 2009 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. His presentation followed the long development process of the Metal Gear franchise up to Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and eventually leading up to the future with the final mission title being "The Next MGS" with Cyborg Raiden standing next to the title.^[15]

Prior to the announcements of the game, Kojima Productions featured a countdown timer on their website, having weather going from cloudy to extremely heavy rain with thunder and lightning, until the day that Rising was announced, leading to sunny weather. At the conclusion of the countdown, the site was replaced with image of a brick wall featuring a splash-screen graphic for Metal Gear Solid: Rising.

The game was officially announced at E3 2009 at the Microsoft press conference. A teaser trailer was released by series' director Hideo Kojima, although he will be serving only as executive producer for the game. The game was initially only announced for the Xbox 360 but was later confirmed for the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows platforms.^[5] According to the "Kojima Productions Report" podcast the game will use a brand new game engine, rather than the MGS4 engine.^[16] It was also announced that Kojima will be involved with the game but will not have a large input, as 100% of his input is with Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker for the PlayStation Portable.^[17]

The cover artwork for the game was leaked on Xbox Live on June 10, four days before E3 2010, but was soon taken down and replaced with the official logo.^[18] During Microsoft's E3 press conference on June 14, Hideo Kojima introduced the game's lead designer, Mineshi Kimura, who unveiled a new trailer which included cutscene and gameplay footage and introduced the concept of zan-datsu (斬奪, lit. "cut and take"^?).^[10] In a follow-up interview with Famitsu, Kimura and producer Shigenobu Matsuyama discussed the title's new style and gameplay elements, as well the traditional stealth and "no kill" elements of the Metal Gear series that would be retained.^[9] Kimura and Matsuyama again presented the trailer on June 16 during Konami's E3 press conference, then took stage, further clarifying the game's "take" mechanic and again emphasizing that the game will contain stealth elements. Kimura noted that he wanted Raiden to be able to move like he did in the MGS4 trailers, and to show "the stealth of the sword, and the strength of not even losing to the gun, and the fear and power you have with this blade."^[11]

Concern has risen over the game's realistic depictions of human dismemberment during player-controlled sequences, a hard limit for Japan's Computer Entertainment Rating Organization, which may necessitate censorship in the domestic Japanese release of the game. As a result, the version of the E3 2010 trailer available for viewing on the game's official Japanese website has had such scenes removed.^[19]

At TGS 2010 Sony announced that the PlayStation 3 version of Metal Gear Solid: Rising will be playable in 3D.^[20]

References

1. ^ "Metal Gear Comes to the Xbox 360 With All New Title". Kotaku. June 1, 2009. http://kotaku.com/5274314/metal-gear-comes-to-the-xbox-360-with-all+new-title. Retrieved June 1, 2009. 
2. ^ "E3: MGS Rising coming to PS3, ". June 2, 2009. http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=216463. Retrieved June 2, 2009. 
3. ^ Klepek, Patrick (June 1, 2009). "Metal Gear Solid Rising Not Exclusive To 360". XPlay. http://e3.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/696050/Metal-Gear-Solid-Rising-Not-Exclusive-To-360.html. Retrieved June 3, 2009. 
4. ^ "Tretton confirms Metal Gear Rising as multiplatform Game". Computer and Video Games. June 3, 2009. http://www.vg247.com/2009/06/03/tretton-confirm-to-keighley-metal-gear-rising-is-multiplat/. Retrieved 2009-06-03. 
5. ^ ^{a b} DeVries, Jack (June 3, 2009). "E3 2009: Metal Gear Rising Coming to PS3, PC". IGN. http://pc.ign.com/articles/991/991060p1.html. Retrieved 2009-06-04. 
6. ^ ^{a b} Anoop Gantayat (June 16, 2010). "Team Metal Gear Solid Rising Interviewed". andriasang.com. http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/06/16/mgs_rising_team_interview/. Retrieved June 16, 2010. 
7. ^ Stephen Totilo (June 17, 2010). "KMetal Gear Solid Rising Bridges Three Games, Explains Raiden's Makeover". Kotaku. http://kotaku.com/5565967/metal-gear-solid-rising-bridges-three-games-explains-raidens-makeover. Retrieved June 17, 2010. 
8. ^ Pavel Simeonov (October 22, 2010). "Official MGS Rising website". konami. http://www.konami.jp/mgsr. Retrieved October 22, 2010. 
9. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Kevin Gifford (June 16, 2010). "E3 2010: Taking a Scalpel to Metal Gear Solid Rising". 1up.com. http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179921. Retrieved June 16, 2010. 
10. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Chris Antista (June 14, 2010). "E3 2010: Metal Gear Rising - our first look". Future US. Games Radar. http://www.gamesradar.com/xbox360/metal-gear-solid-rising/news/e3-2010-metal-gear-rising-our-first-look/a-20100614114147522042/g-2009060111536575050. Retrieved June 14, 2010. 
11. ^ ^{a b c d e} Stephen Totilo (June 16, 2010). "Konami E3 Liveblog Is Right Here, Hopefully With Lightning And Whips". Kotaku. http://kotaku.com/5565341/konami-e3-liveblog-is-right-here-hopefully-with-lightning-and-whips. Retrieved June 16, 2010. 
12. ^ ^{a b c d} Wesley Yin-Poole (September 13, 2010). "Metal Gear Solid: Rising Interview". Eurogamer.net. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-09-13-metal-gear-solid-rising-interview?page=1. Retrieved September 14, 2010. 
13. ^ Yoon, Andrew (June 3, 2009). "Joystiq live from Konami's E3 2009 keynote". Joystiq. http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/03/joystiq-live-from-konamis-e3-2009-keynote/. Retrieved June 3, 2009. 
14. ^ Tanaka, John (June 3, 2009). "Kojima Focused on PSP Metal Gear". IGN. http://ps3.ign.com/articles/990/990448p1.html. Retrieved 2009-06-04. 
15. ^ GDC 09: Keynote Pt. 8 Kojima Productions GDC 09: Keynote Pt. 8. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
16. ^ KP Report 094 Kojima Productions Report 094. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
17. ^ Hinkle, David (June 15, 2009). "Kojima calls Rising a 'different kind of action' game". Joystick. http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/15/kojima-says-mgs-peace-walker-is-his-mgs5-calls-rising-a-diffe/. Retrieved 2009-06-15. 
18. ^ Charlie Barratt (June 10, 2010). "The Metal Gear Solid: Rising box art they don't want you to see!". Future US. Games Radar. http://www.gamesradar.com/xbox360/metal-gear-solid-rising/news/the-metal-gear-solid-rising-box-art-they-dont-want-you-to-see/a-2010061011259765001/g-2009060111536575050. Retrieved June 14, 2010. 
19. ^ Kevin Gifford (June 16, 2010). "Metal Gear Rising May Face Censorship Issues in Japan‎". 1up.com. http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179868. Retrieved June 16, 2010. 
20. ^ http://www.ripten.com/2010/09/15/ps3-metal-gear-solid-rising-in-3d-watch-tgs-trailer-mauler/

External links

• Metal Gear Solid: Rising official website
• Kojima Productions E3 2009 website
• Kojima Productions E3 2010 website
• Kojima Productions TGS 2010 website