Free-slicing
Finally; a game that will let me fulfill my fantasy of cutting up a van
Considering how much Rising will revolve around Raiden and his trademark high frequency blade, it would be a bit of a let down if the game relied on generic combat mechanics. Thankfully, this doesn’t seem to be the case. Players will be able to enter a bullet-time state where they can engage in free-slicing across any directional plane of their choice. This will allow players to slice at particular locations on an enemies body, or strike at important structural elements in buildings. This will then lead into another important feature of the game…
Zan-datsu
Raiden is all about cut and take, much like an unpopular government body
Zan-datsu translates roughly as cut and take. The idea is that, when Raiden cuts his robotic foes up in certain ways, he can then take some of their parts to aid in his adventure. E3 footage shown so far has seen Raiden claiming batteries from dismembered foes that he can crush and utilize in some way. We can assume that cutting different parts off enemies will yield different items, adding another layer to the combat proceedings.
A moral compass
You can cut through human foes if you wish, but more humane players will be rewarded
With all this talk of sword-based massacre, there is the concern that Rising will lose the moral complexity seen in the rest of the Metal Gear games. As in other games in the series, players will be able to complete the game without having to kill any human enemies. Robots and cyborg enemies are a different matter altogether, but players will be rewarded for finding creative alternatives to slaughtering human foes.
Place in the timeline
- Rising will hopefully alight upon Raiden’s change in appearance in the run up to MGS4
Rather than acting as a direct sequel or prequel, Rising will be set between the events of Metal Gear Solid 2 and 4. The story will focus on Raiden’s initial steps following his transformation from his human form in MGS2, to his robotic form in Metal Gear Solid 4. The Metal Gear lore is ever expanding in its complexity, so the chance to get more information about the events between Metal Gear Solid 2 and 4 will be a major boon for the game.
