Revengeance - Not Just a Subtitle, But a Message Too

If you haven't seen the latest trailer for Metal Gear Rising:  Revengeance (Formerly Metal Gear Solid:  Rising), I would suspect that you've been completely out of touch with the internet since last night, but in the off-chance that you've managed to miss it, check it out here before we get into it.  Or just to refresh yourself on it, whichever way.  As I do, I'll give you a moment to let it sink in, as you'll likely have to.  ...  Okay?  Okay.  I'm pretty sure right away it's established that this is not the same Rising we were expecting when it was shown off last year or the year before.  And the question posed to every single person by themselves after they watch the trailer is, simply:  Do I like this?

With just that much footage (roughly under three minutes), the entire climate of Metal Gear Rising has been completely overhauled, or at least that is the product of the overhaul that came into place with Platinum Games being handed the reins.  And they were, that much is quite obvious, since the entire trailer just oozes Platinum; something which may or may not be what you like.  And that's really what the issue is here:  This is a Platinum Games game set in the Metal Gear universe as opposed to just a different 'sort' of Metal Gear game that zan-datsu would've brought.  "Revengeance", in a single word, a word that makes 'intellectuals' groan while others cheer, shows off the entire climate of this change.

For my own part, I've really really grown warm to Revengeance, though I have noticed a caveat that I've not been really aware of until this brought it to light.  Perhaps it's because I was exposed to zan-datsu in the earlier builds (that have, by the way, been officially scrapped) but when I saw Raiden cut a guy, who then bled, but did not come apart, I frowned.  That's not right, I thought, but well, a lot of action games do that.  And this is definitely an action game now.  I realized that that is always something that I've had going off and it's doubly worse if you only cut a foe apart sometimes, be it with a finisher or just with enough hits.  If you cut something, it comes apart and that is something that I was hoping I'd finally get with Rising; but I won't be getting that anymore.

That won't stop me from enjoying Revengeance, however, as I believe I've already embraced the Over-the-Top nature of it (Surprise, surprise, right?) though I can certainly understand people who are unwilling to be so forgiving.  All they wanted was another Metal Gear game, which they thought this would be, and they're not getting it.  In fact, pretty much the only thing that this has in common with the original goal is that Raiden is slicing up dudes left and right, since it's officially been moved from "Between MGS2 and 4" to post-MGS4 which brings up a whole other slew of issues that deal specifically with how MGS4 ended that I can't bring up because spoilers.  Suffice to say, however, that I wouldn't be surprised if there aren't flashback sections that predate MGS 4 to still explain what they had hoped to explain; at least the rescue of Sunny if nothing else.

I should mention that I do realize there is a lot of cutting things that end with them coming apart, which is precisely what I wanted, but I'm sure it's fairly obvious that I expected it as an immediate, not as a 'special' action which that clearly is.  That clip where Raiden runs by these arches and slices them down as he does from the early build expresses perfectly what I wanted from this game and now specifically want from another game since this game is going to give me something that I want now:  Insanity.  Raiden going all Cyborg Ninja on Samurai Vamp (Yeah, yeah, I know, but that's what he looks like) while there is apparently an army of Superbadass Robot Drebins (yessssssssssss) and a bunch of cyborg PMCs?  Yeah, there is no way this is going to be a subdued story, even by MGS standards, which is something entirely else to look forward to.

Update!:  A couple neat things have been pointed out here for Revengeance (I will never get tired of that) as well.  Apparently, the rumors way back of Metal Gear Solid: Rising being cancelled were for real....until Platinum Games showed up and showed a little enthusiasm for the project.  I have a mental image of the Platinum Team talking to Kojima about how interested they are in Rising, him trying to change the subject before saying, "Actually, you know what, uh, how about you guys make it.  Yes, that's a good idea." and thus it happened.  Probably not how it went down, but it amuses me to think as such. 

Another article on Siliconera also does mention that the "Cut Anything" principle behind the game might yet still come into play.  Quoting directly from the article itself....

Kojima says the concept of "cut everything" is still in Metal Gear Rising. The old version of the game let players chop up objects in the background while the new Rising lets  players cut objects and enemies anywhere at anytime.

...suggests that there might just be some way to glean exactly what I wanted from the game since seeing all the zan-datsu footage they focused on.  On top of the challenge Kojima pressed to Platinum of making the game run at 60 fps, that might just make this game amazing if everything else about the game wasn't already doing that.  Hype get, friends.  Hype get.