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Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance review: It's just a flesh wound
Once you know what you're doing, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance goes from power fantasy to full-on power arrogance. Maniacal is the best way to play this cutting game, dashing into gunfire and shoving your sword through any obstacle, no matter its size or perceived deadliness. The supporting characters occasionally plead for planning, stealth, restraint – hesitation – but their calls come across as denial against the true nature of Revengeance. They're right in the middle of some seriously sexed up Fruit Ninja fan-fiction.The silly portmanteau is the prelude to a starring role for Raiden, the formerly feeble stand-in for Snake in Metal Gear Solid 2. Following the events of Metal Gear Solid 4, which turned him into a twirling killing machine and redeemed him in the eyes of bros everywhere, the fair-haired cyborg works for a protection outfit called Maverick Security Consulting. Their first presidential client in Revengeance is butchered and thrown off a moving train, so I wouldn't recommend them.After an ignominious defeat, Raiden's body is rebuilt with augmented strength, a pristine cyber-butt and a critical reliance on electrolytes, which must be absorbed from glowing enemy spines (unnaturally). It sounds gruesome, but extracting power cords in battle is a clinical process in the mind, and a brilliant hook for an action game.
Kojima to deliver GDC talk featuring FOX engine demo
Metal Gear Solid creator and nerdcool icon Hideo Kojima is speaking about the upcoming Ground Zeroes at this year's Game Developers Conference in late March.Attendees of the San Francisco expo can look forward to "Photorealism through the eyes of a 'FOX:' The Core of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes," a talk which features a demonstration of Kojima Production's shiny new FOX engine, including discussion of its environmental changes, as revealed last September. Kojima will be joined by Ground Zeroes technical director Junji Tago, lighting artist Masayuki Suzuki, and CG art director Hideki Sasaki.This is a rare coup for GDC; the last time Kojima spoke at the conference was back in 2009, when we were wondering if Metal Gear Solid 4 was coming to Xbox 360, and what "the next MGS" would be. Four years on, speculation lingers around the celebrated designer's long-running series after the curious reveal of The Phantom Pain. Whether or not Kojima chooses the venue of GDC to spill any stealthily concealed beans, the talk should provide more than a few exclamation marks to enjoy.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance trailers tool up, trash tons of tech
A pair of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance trailers attempt to sell us on the unique weapons and impressive technology of unmanned gears in the game. Instead they promise bosses with a flare for the dramatic (yes!) and robots who look like they're a shoplifter running out of The Leg Store.
Metal Gear Rising PS3 nabs exclusive VR mission DLC
As reported last month, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance will be receiving extra VR missions as downloadable content. Specifically, the PlayStation 3 version of Rising is getting 30 exclusive missions that promise "pure, uncut gameplay that pushes Raiden's Cyborg body to its limits." Ironic, as Raiden leaves very little uncut.There will be both action and stealth missions. Some missions will even allow players to control a Dwarf Gekko (AKA "the little ball robot with arms sticking out of it"). We're guessing those are probably stealth missions.
Report: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance VR missions, side character DLC inbound
Platinum Games will support Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance with downloadable VR missions. Japanese mag Dengeki PlayStation (via Siliconera) published the news, noting additional content that will revolve around some of the game's supporting cast.VR missions are an apt addition to the Metal Gear series, being included on-disc in the original Metal Gear Solid and receiving top billing in Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions here in North America.If you'd like to undertake your own VR mission, a demo for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is available right now, free for Gold subscribers on Xbox Live and for all PlayStation Network users. It's not virtual reality, but if you sit way close to the TV it's kind of similar.Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance launches on February 19 in North America, February 21 and February 22 across Europe and the UK, respectively.
Latest Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance trailer covers the importance of electrolyte intake
Staying hydrated is key, and while sports drinks can be a good source of electrolytes, so too can the liberated spines of your enemies.
Kojima originally envisioned Gray Fox as the star of Metal Gear Rising
Hideo Kojima's transition from game designer to game producer is one steeped in compromise, the Metal Gear mogul explained during a recent interview with IGN. Specifically, Kojima would have preferred that Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance star series mainstay cyborg ninja Gray Fox, rather than Raiden."It was my staff in Kojima Productions that insisted on Raiden, and I respected their idea," Kojima said. "In my personal opinion, I wanted to go for Frank Jaegar or Gray Fox. But if we had gone with that, I would have had to write the script and then be really committed to creating the game."In the end, passing the torch of crafting Metal Gear's universe to the next generation of developers was of greater importance than ensuring Gray Fox as the star. "I want to pass game development to the younger generation in my team, and have been trying to do so for quite some time. Before I never could give complete responsibilities for other games, but for Revengeance, they are fully in control. Besides, if I had created the game and directed it, it wouldn't have been this game."
This is Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance's North American box art
We know how much you kids these days like the Metal Gears, what with the Raidens and the nanomachines and all that, so we figured you'd appreciate an early look at Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance's North American box art.The full monty is tucked away in that gallery below (make sure to hit the "high-res" button for the full effect), and we have to say we like this new cover a heck of a lot more than the macro shot of Raiden's gross robot face that other territories will have to look at all the time.Unless you kids are into that sort of thing now. Are gross robot faces cool now? Did we take our medicine this morning? Are you Carol's daughter? Where's our soup? %Gallery-173498%
Platinum and KojiPro on partnership: 'We'd love to do it again'
The build of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance shown off this week at a press event in Los Angeles was essentially complete, and while the game itself won't be released until February, finished product means that the collaboration between Kojima Productions (represented at the event by producer Yuji Korekado) and Platinum Games (represented by producer Atsushi Inaba) is also done. So when Joystiq sat down to chat with them, we only had one important question: How'd it go?Both sides were unsure of the partnership when it began. Korekado said that "the challenge for us was the worry about what kind of game would this end up being," and Inaba told us that Platinum wasn't sure about taking over for Kojima's series on this iteration. But now that all is said and done, both sides also say they not only had a great time, but they'd do it again. "We could not have done that without Platinum Games' expertise, it would not have happened," said Korekado. "So of course, this tag team, we'd love to do it again."Inaba was even more adamant about the two studios working together in the future. "From our side, it would be a waste to not do this again. We made a great game, and we'd love to do it again," he said. He agreed that when the project started, both teams were reticent about joining forces. "But after working together on the game for a while, they were both able to learn from each other and grow as people and as developers. And we feel that's a plus. Moving forward as a team, we'd love to do it again, no doubt." Obviously, nothing's been announced yet, and the goal right now is to get Rising in the public's hands. But it sounds like Platinum and Kojima are ready to make more Metal Gear music together in the future.
Solid slicing action in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
The "law of the instrument" is a popular concept attributed to psychologist Abraham Maslow, which is usually phrased as: "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." It means that when you find one tool useful for one task, you'll then start applying that tool to other tasks, even if those tasks have tools better suited for the job.Raiden, in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, carries a sword as his only tool, and as swords go, it's a nice one. It crackles with a kind of blue electricity, and it can cut through almost every available object in the world, from barrels and crates to palm trees and iron fences.And with such a tool in his grasp, it's not hard to see why Raiden would fall prey to the law of the instrument. Cutting is his currency, and in this Metal Gear spin-off title, Platinum Games and Kojima Productions have sent Raiden on a spending spree.%Gallery-172842%
Metal Gear Rising Revengeance pre-order at GameStop lets you dress up like Gray Fox
Wait, you've only got one suit of robotic armor in your closet? What are you, some kinda poor? GameStop is offering to double your wardrobe with the Cyborg Ninja costume – if you pre-order Metal Gear Rising Revengeace.The GameStop-exclusive skin (for now, anyway) is modeled after the Cyborg Ninja suit worn by Frank Jaeger (AKA Gray Fox) in the original Metal Gear Solid. Not only does the ensemble have nostalgia going for it, there's also the benefit of not being able to see Raiden's face for an entire video game – you know, in case you've seen enough of Raiden's skin to last a lifetime.
Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes brings back base-building
Not only will Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes mark the return of Big Boss, it will also bring back the base-building and development feature last seen in Peace Walker.Speaking at the Eurogamer Expo, Snake charmer Hideo Kojima noted that being able to use multiple devices to access a game lends itself "very well" to the Mother Base system from Peace Walker and "that's something we're planning on for Ground Zeroes." Mother Base is an updated version of the crew management system first included in Portable Ops, where players could train and manage soldiers."The concept of developing weapons at your base is a very cool idea, and something that could be popular," Kojima added during a packed developer session at the event. "It's something we've been thinking of."According to Eurogamer, the base will be accessible in-between the open world areas of Ground Zeroes, and that players will have access to the area via the on-call helicopter at Boss' disposal. Once at the base, players will be able to explore it on foot and watch its development.Kojima again showed his previously revealed demo of the game, noting Ground Zeroes was running off a PC with similar specifications to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes is coming to the PC Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 sometime in 2013.
Getting some wet work done in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
The thirty minutes or so of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance that I played at the Tokyo Game Show were entirely in Japanese. I had no idea what was going on in the story (not that I ever really know what's going on in a Metal Gear game anyway), and the purpose of my mission was never clear.With the narrative out of the picture, I was left only with the gameplay itself. Thankfully, based on what I experienced of the Kojima Productions / Platinum Games collaboration, that was more than enough.%Gallery-166124%
Kojima Productions LA hiring gameplay programmer
Kojima Productions is moving forward on its California studio, according to a job listing posted by Konami. Originally mentioned in February as a tentative plan "if we can find the right people," the LA location is now actively seeking said people, including a "gameplay programmer" to work on the "core foundation of a 3D action game."If you've ever wanted to join Kojima Productions, but never wanted to move to Japan, this is your opportunity. We suggest bolstering your resume with some really nicely photographed lunches on your Twitter feed.
Konami reveals Tokyo Game Show lineup, no Ground Zeroes yet
Konami announced its Tokyo Game Show lineup today via a new portal on its site. Sadly, the 360 version of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance isn't going to make it.The PS3 version remains very much alive and kicking and joins Silent Hill: Book of Memories, Zone of the Enders HD, and Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops as the publisher's highlights. There's no sign of newcomer Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes at the moment.The Tokyo Game Show starts next week, running through September 20-23.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance's Xbox 360 version cancelled in Japan
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is now PS3-only in Japan following the Xbox 360 version's cancellation. Kojima Productions announced the news today via its website. There the company apologized for the cancellation but didn't give any reasons for it. The 360 version, as Konami confirmed to Eurogamer, remains scheduled for release outside of Japan.It's odd to reflect on a game being cancelled for the platform it was first announced on, but the news isn't surprising given the 360's poor sales in Japan since then. As our latest Stiq Figures show, the console only shifted 875 copies last week compared to the PS3's 12,433. Also, while the PS3 version of Metal Gear Solid HD Collection entered Japanese charts in fifth last November, the Xbox 360 version didn't even register in the top 20. While we understand where Konami's coming from, the cancellation of such a high-profile game can't help the console's chances in Japan one bit.
Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes features day/night cycles
Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes' open world has a day and night cycle, something Hideo Kojima believes can enhance the game's replay value. The Metal Gear Solid creator told Eurogamer things like "enemy troop patterns" are noticeably different between daylight and darkness. Kojima also revealed a less inviting feature of the open world, confirming the game has loading screens.Ground Zeroes debuted at PAX earlier this month, showcased in a trailer which saw Snake try to infiltrate a compound at night. Whether or not that particular mission is possible during daylight remains to be seen (pun intended), or what other elements are dependent on the time of day.In the meantime, Konami has released some screenshots taken from the trailer, so you can have a hi-res gander right below.%Gallery-164827%
Here's what we know about the Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes trailer
The complexity and depth of Metal Gear's fictional history and lore rivals that of any RPG worth its salt, and as a result many of you may have had no idea what happened in the Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes trailer that dropped a few hours ago, especially if your history with Metal Gear never extended to the PSP.Luckily for you, the Joystiq Qrew has spent over four hundred trillion collective hours immersed in the murky waters of Metal Gear, so we're going to lay down what the eff just happened as best we can. Needless to say, things could get a bit spoilersy, so all the goodies have been tucked away after the break.
Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes gameplay footage sneaks out of PAX 2012 [Update: Now with official footage!]
What we have here, ladies and gentlemen, is the very first gameplay footage of Kojima's next non-Raiden oriented entry into the annals of Metal Gear history, Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes. As you can tell, Snake's ability to stealthily infiltrate a compound and mess up everyone's day has remained in-tact since Metal Gear Solid 4 launched in 2008. Sorry about the shaky-cam nature of this – Konami wasn't allowing direct streaming of the event, so here we are. We'll get a nicer version up for you as soon as it's released.As we heard a couple days ago, Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes is an open world stealth game powered by Kojima Productions' proprietary Fox Engine. And yes, it did look super, super impressive.Update: Konami's official release of the footage we saw earlier today has been embedded above for your viewing pleasure. Don't say we never got you anything.
Kojima would 'really like' to make a Metal Gear Rising sequel with Platinum
Speaking during the Metal Gear 25th Anniversary panel at this year's PAX in Seattle, Konami kingpin and Metal Gear mogul Hideo Kojima gave a bit of insight into the future of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance as a series, as well as his continuing relationship with Platinum Games."First of all, I'm not a huge fan of spin-offs," Kojima said. "But as far as Rising is concerned, if it works out well, I'd really like to work with Platinum again to make a sequel."Kojima also said that he'd "really love to make" a game with The Boss as a main character, but that it would be part of the main series if it were to ever happen, rather than a spun-off title like Rising. Kojima couldn't comment on whether Platinum Games would be involved with that game's hypothetical production, only that he's "really loving working with Platinum."
