A new trailer revealed at the Spike Video Game Awards 2011 on Saturday has now come to light - along with a smattering of new information on the latest entry in the Metal Gear saga - and it’s been very interesting. First off, the game’s name has now been revised, now known as Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Secondly, the game will now be set after Metal Gear Solid 4, effectively making it the next chapter in the Metal Gear series. While it’s speculated that part of this change was made in order to set the game in a more futuristic scenario with more cybernetic enemies (due to Japan’s unease at the portrayal of dismembering human beings), the changes to the game’s name and plot make me wonder whether this will be the start of a new “Metal Gear Rising” saga.

Perhaps the biggest announcement was that the game is now being co-developed with Platinum Games, the developers of Bayonetta and Vanquish. Seeing as the game is going to be oriented around fast-paced sword combat, Platinum should be a perfect fit, having shown their expertise with their previous work (including their history with Capcom and Clover Studios before they became independant).

The trailer shows Raiden fighting against military opponents, as well as Gekko and Metal Gear RAY units as seen in previous Metal Gear titles. The trailer shows a mix of the regular combat, as well as the cutting ability and other more cinematic moments (such as grabbing and throwing a RAY) that look as though they could be QTE or something of a similar style. It also appears that Raiden will have a sword-wielding rival, although it’s unknown who he is at this point. The trailer ends with Raiden talking in a gnarled voice, saying “I think it’s time for Jack to let ‘er rip!” – referencing Raiden’s darker alter ego (Jack the Ripper) that he dealt with as a child soldier, suggesting he may be regressing into his more psychopathic nature at some point.

The trailer has recieved a mixed reception, and I myself have similarly mixed feelings about the trailer. On one hand, and most of all, I am excited. Playing as cyborg Raiden is appealing, and the idea of Platinum Games taking the reins of a Metal Gear hack ‘n’ slash title sounds fantastic. The idea of Jack the Ripper making a return is also exciting – as the darker side of Raiden is something we’ve only really heard about in the past tense so far. As a standalone game, Revengeance is looking amazing and I’m sure it will be a great game with Kojima and P* working in conjunction. The issue that I have in the back of my mind, however, is how the game will reflect upon the Metal Gear series as a whole. The title is looking very over-the-top (in true Platinum Games style), while the series usually feels more serious, albeit with a few strange individuals in the mix. While I’m looking forward to playing as Raiden, there’s a worry that the title won’t have that gritty, almost realistic style that the series is known and loved for, and I fear that the storyline might undermine the events leading up to it and how the story concluded with MGS4. That said, I have a great deal of trust in Hideo Kojima watching over the project, so I think I’ll need to hear more before jumping to any conclusions.

We’ll supposedly be hearing more information on the game this week, so keep an eye out for more news soon. In the meantime, check out the trailer below for the first real trailer for MGR: Revengeance.

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- Leon

Love him or hate him, Snake is a well established and respected figure in gaming, despite the twisting, turning, near incomprehensible storyline around him. But seeing as the next big game in the series is set around the character of Raiden, a guy I could take or leave, even with his all new ninja-badassery; I’ll be concentrating on the upcoming PSP release: MGS Peace Walker.

OK, so its Solid Snakes father Big Boss, but you know you’re just playing another incarnation of Snake. The game is set after Big Boss’s last outing inSouth America where he saved the world again! Now a free agent, he’s decided to use his soldier stealing skills from Portable Ops to make his very own mercenary group named called ‘Militaires Sans Frontières’, or Soldiers Without Borders. They’ve been called into Costa Rica in ’74 because a mysterious armed group has sprung up. This is a problem for the government because their constitution bans the creation of an armed force; meaning the country is up for grabs if you have the firepower. So far so standard, but the character development is gonna be where it’s at, finding out what made a former government agent into a ruthless mercenary leader bent on changing the world through military means!

A key feature in Peace Walker will be the new co-op mode with 2-4 players involved on infiltration missions. As has been shown in trailers, Snake will be working with…clones of himself to exploit the enemy’s weakness, even going so far as to share a cardboard box. This is perhaps the most ambiguously gay duo since Batman and Robin, although the box now has more practical uses like using it to get the cookies down from the top shelf or to get over that wall which is just a tad too high to hop over.

The combat interface has been changed too with MGS4’s over the shoulder camera replacing the static FPS mode, allowing you to fire while moving and be more flexible in a fire fight. You can also bring back incapacitated allies by performing CPR on them, though how that cures bullet wounds I’ve yet to fathom. Not forgetting the thinly veiled mecha Metal Gear bots you’ll be bringing down.

Still, the graphics look improved from Snakes last outing and it looks like the PSPs power is being fully utilised. So despite my sarcastic comments, I’m looking forward to Peace Walker and finding out what happened to Big Boss.

A Metal Gear title is coming to Xbox 360.

Titled “Metal Gear Solid: Rising”, Kojima stated that the title would be coming to Xbox 360, while the teaser-image of Raiden (now confirmed) appeared on the screen behind him. Little is known about this title – but the words “Lightning Bolt Action” replace MGS’s typical “Tactical Espionage Action”, perhaps suggesting that the title may be more action oriented.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcrlEsSAPSM]

This has obviously caused a bit of a rift in the ranks of the PS3 fans of MGS – many people feel that MGS should be exclusive to the console. So far, it has not been confirmed that Rising will be released on PS3, and it seems there are mixed sources – some claiming it to be an Xbox exclusive, others saying it isnt. Will have to wait and find out.

The teaser site countdown has now ended – displaying a promotional poster for MGS: Rising, and appears to have room to add a few more bits of information as time progresses. This will undoubtedly contain more information after tomorrows announcements at E3.

Still, its very exciting – a new Metal Gear, a new console and a new protagonist – we could be in for something very interesting.