Rising concerns over new Metal Gear

Ever wondered about the million and one ways you can lacerate enemies into oblivion? Well I certainly haven’t, but it seems Hideo Kojima’s newfound mission is to teach fans how to mutilate enemies through a series of abhorrent rituals in his latest game _Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance_ – a spin off from the _Metal Gear Solid_ series, and set to be released this February. There’s just one problem – when you decide to transform a world renowned franchise of stealth and tactical espionage brilliance into utter mind-numbing absurdity that leaves the mainstream masses slobbering in delight, I feel like burying my PlayStation. The truth is, Kojima, I think you might have really messed up on this one.

It all began on an icy, dark afternoon (it always does). The internet connection was horrendous but the download had finished. Lo and behold, I finally had it: the _Metal Gear Rising_ demo, yet another game by the legendary Hideo Kojima. After finishing the demo however, I was gripped by an influx of frustration. I asked myself incredulously: what drove Kojima to suddenly give up all originality and succumb to mind-numbing clap trap that could easily find its way into yet another Ninja Gaiden sequel? How can such a brilliant mind be completely hypnotised by the zombie hordes of modern-day gamers that live to quench their desire for violence? Because what I played that afternoon was not a _Metal Gear_ game, but a bloody slash-fest of unprecedented carnage. Admittedly, it was fun, but in a _Metal Gear Solid_ context, it was downright offensive.

Over the years, we have seen a persistent trend in the gaming industry when it comes to mainstream franchises. Once a game does well, developers seem to make subsequent instalments more appealing to others by essentially ‘dumbing it down’. A typical example of this is any _Call of Duty_ after _Call of Duty: Modern Warfare_ (although you could argue that the whole point of FPS’s is to provide players with a platform that requires the least amount of intellectual power to grasp, thus their immense popularity). You don’t think; you just shoot to kill. Who wants to think in video games? Especially when you can, at the touch of a button, triumphantly bask in a fountain of blood spurting from a decapitated enemy’s jugular? I mean, don’t get me wrong, there are specific games made for that sort of thing (and I myself enjoy them. _DMC_ and _God of War_ being two exceptional examples) but this is where I, and countless other real _Metal Gear Solid_ fans, are taking a stand- _Metal Gear Solid_ is NOT one of those games.

Consumed by disbelief, I traipsed gaming forums in frantic search of a reason as to why Kojima would condescend to such irrelevant innovation. It was there that I discovered that this spin off is in fact a completely different game. Raiden, in this new release, is being sold as part of an external entity; i.e. not Metal Gear Solid!

It turns out that Kojima abandoned his own plans for a _Metal Gear Solid: Rising_ early on, meaning he anticipated the disappointment of his fans, and sensibly averted what would have been deemed an ‘end of his career’ crisis. Instead, he went on to let Platinum Games take charge of generating the spin off, whilst he remained in control of Raiden’s artwork and story plot.
This explains why there is no ‘Solid’ in the new title ‘Metal Gear Rising’; it’s because Kojima wants this title to be released as a totally different franchise and also as a means of promoting the series to a more mainstream audience. If the game is received badly, he can come out with his hands up and say “Hey, it wasn’t an official MGS! There was no ‘Solid’- remember?” Isn’t that clever? By the way, I’m not criticising Platinum Games here at all – they’re doing what they’ve always done: producing clichéd, relatively predictable games that look as though they’ve been based on how a five-year-old idealises heroism after watching Terminator 2. However, for those (like me) who saw Raiden and thought ‘Metal Gear Solid!’- it turns out that this is something entirely different.

There is an unnerving similarity between _Vanquish_ (produced by Platinum Games in 2010) and _Metal Gear Rising_, with the unfunny jokes, atrocious voice acting (except for Raiden), unsynchronised mouthing, uninspiring futuristic technology and the tedious need for the main character to constantly be moving at a dizzyingly high speed. But that’s not all – the childish gore and out of place violence completely sums up the same amateurish clutter that Platinum Games churns out year after year. Regrettably, they may have hit the jackpot this time, but it’s not because of the game, it’s because of the false image that was sold with it.

It is still early days, and this is just the demo. But when I go to buy this game in February, I recognize that I will not be buying a Metal Gear Solid title. I will learn to appreciate this game as a stand-alone thumb-twitcher, and maybe even come to enjoy it, as the gameplay and graphics appear quite remarkable. Likewise, I’m not questioning Kojima’s plot-constructing abilities one iota, but I will enjoy _Metal Gear Rising_ as this: a non-_Metal Gear Solid_ title. I will also strongly advise all you hopefuls out there to do the same, otherwise you may just be letting yourself in for the biggest disappointment of a very early 2013.