Rising Developers: “More Emphasis On A Different Approach”

Obviously, Metal Gear Solid: Rising isn't much like past installments in the legendary franchise, and not just because we have a new main character for the very first time.

No, it's simply because that stealth has always been a focal point of the series, especially when it first kicked off back in the PlayStation days. And in looking at Raiden slash through dozens of enemies ala Ninja Gaiden , some of the long-time fans felt a little betrayed, despite many others greeting the footage with gasps of "holy sh**, that's awesome!" But you know, perhaps the most important thing to remember is that Rising "is not a Kojima game." NowGamer spoke to the title's creative producer, Shigenobu Matsuyama, and the director, Mineshi Kimura, and after asking if the game would follow the path blazed by the aforementioned master (you know, with a big emphasis on story), the two answered:

"It’s not a Hideo Kojima game – Hideo Kojima was very famous for storytelling themes, with the messages and the humor. We’re not trying to do the same thing, because I think we might not be very good at battling head to head [with Kojima]. This means there’s more emphasis on a different approach – we’re not copying what has been done before. This time it’s a katana sword action game at the core – that’s one difference between the games of the past and this one."

It sounds as if they won't be fixating on a deep story with complex character development, which MGS fans have really appreciated over the years. This could be one of the big reasons why MGS loyalists are a little annoyed and why we always hear comments like, "if I wanted to play Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden , I would." Clearly, we're looking at a different approach to a huge series title…but it's not like we haven't seen this before. Can anyone say, Final Fantasy XIII …?

Looks like another Japanese series somehow wants to cater to the Western twitch gamers by erasing certain aspects that made the series what it is. That being said, we have to admit that the Rising trailer at E3 got us plenty stoked; we just have to remind ourselves that it's not a Kojima MGS. That helps a lot when we do that.

Related Game(s): Metal Gear Solid: Rising