14 DAY TRIAL // Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is one of the most intriguing games set to appear at the beginning of the year, with Konami handing its successful Metal Gear series to studio Platinum Games and tasking it with delivering a novel experience that abandons the stealth roots and focuses on action-filled hack and slash gameplay.
Platinum already impressed through fast-paced experiences like Bayonetta or Vanquish, so Revengeance should be right up its alley.
Ahead of the game's launch next month, a special demo has finally been released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 platforms, so we decided to try it out and see what Platinum has done with the long-running franchise.
First up, Metal Gear Solid fans who are looking for a stealth experience here should abandon their search, as even the Metal Gear Rising name implies a new type of experience, even if it's set in the same universe.
You take control of Raiden who, after the events of Guns of the Patriots, has resorted to working for a Private Military Company, in order to use his special cyborg body and his high frequency blade against terrorists from around the world.
The demo for the game has two stages, including a virtual reality training one, in which Raiden and the player learn to use his special blade both in a regular hack and slash gameplay and in the special "Blade Mode," in which the player controls the angle and position of the slice via the twin analog sticks.
After that, you're thrown into battle and, after quite a bit of exposition, you begin facing off against your opponents. As you slice and dice your way through the enemy cyborgs, as well as through some bipedal walkers, you soon face off against a unique creature that's basically a robot dog with a chainsaw for a tail.
The whole game feels extremely fast-paced and responsive so you need to be very quick with your attacks and parries if you wish to stand a chance. Sadly, a few mechanics could have been explained better, especially since some of the finishing moves require you to enter "Blade Mode" although your only indication is the fact that a giant Japanese letter appears on the screen.
Even so, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is an impressive hack and slash experience.
Check out the game's demo in action above.