Being released hot off the heels of Metal Gear’s 20th Anniversary is “Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance,” the newest forte in the Metal Gear lore. The brainchild of Platinum Games and Kojima Productions is very different from other games in the franchise, mainly due to the switch of main characters.

Photos by Konami

In this brief but fledged-out demo, you take control of Raiden (pronounced Ri-Den), a cold-hearted man with a cyborg body who is looking  to not only avenge the deaths of loved ones, but also to save others from the same fate by any means necessary.

The gameplay feels fresh, while still keeping things the same. Stealth still plays its part in getting past enemies, but when that fails, another tactic is put to good use: cutting. “Cut at will” is one of the game’s many taglines, and the demo shows that the developers took that line to heart. Throughout the game, you take hold of very strategic swords that can even aid you in battle, depending on your enemy (light swords aid your speed, heavy swords can break armor, etc.).

The graphics for this demo are phenomenal. Kojima Productions has always been known to put tons of effort into fledging out as much light and detail as they can in their work, and this is looking like their best job yet. It seems like the graphical technology used to develop this game is a small tease towards the Fox Engine, the cross-platform engine that Kojima Productions revealed in 2011.

While the demo keeps you on your toes, some aspects fell flat. The tutorial mode could have done a better job of explaining the combo methods of the game, as well as teaching you how to have better aim with your sword. Of course, this is a demo, and there’s bound to be setbacks of some sort, but that’s what’s great about this demo. It gives you the gist of the game’s full experience, while keeping you in anticipation for much more.

I hope that other developers see this demo and start a formula that could drag in more gamers, as well as start more competition. The gaming industry could use a lot more competition to push each other into excellence. This looks to be the forefront.

SCORE 4/5