14 DAY TRIAL // Hideo Kojima and Shigenobu Matsuyama made an appearance on the stage of Microsoft's press conference at E3 and showcased a trailer showing gameplay footage taken from Metal Gear Solid: Rising. The game is based around the Zan-Datsu mechanic, allowing the players to cut whatever they want, however they want with Raiden's sword. Zan means means “cut” and Datsu means “take”, emphasizing player freedom to engage their enemies, according to the two developers.
The gameplay trailer demonstrates this mechanic, as Raiden goes on to cut down an enemy robot and take something that could be described as an electric spine to consume its energy. The trailer continues with actual gameplay footage, the protagonist taking on a number of enemies and the game's engine accurately representing each of the fatal injuries produced by the sword when he cuts them in half.
A bullet-time like mechanic for melee combat can also be seen in the video premiered at the conference. As time slows down, Raiden chooses where to make his cuts on the body of his enemy and, when the time flow returns to normal, the incisions are rapidly achieved for a violent and spectacular effect. Metal Gear Solid: Rising seems to feature destructible environments, according to the trailer, because Raiden can slice watermelons, brick poles and even a van in many pieces.
Metal Gear Solid: Rising is the latest game in the Metal Gear franchise. The title will have a different focus than the others that have been released until now, emphasizing action over stealth. Even the subtitle has changed from Tactical Espionage Action to Lightning Bolt Action. MGS: Rising sees the return of Raiden as a protagonist, who was also the main character of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. He appears in a cyborg ninja state this time around, giving a reason for the sword combat gameplay that will be in the title. This is the first Metal Gear Solid installment that will be available for the Xbox 360, alongside with the PlayStation 3 and the PC. Unfortunately, no release date has been announced yet by Konami and Kojima Productions.
The trailer:
Video Games | Metal Gear Solid: Rising | E3 2010: Debut TrailerXBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii