Metal Gear Rising has crazy cutting effects

Hideo Kojima has revealed the first gameplay footage of Metal Gear Rising, showcasing an emphasis on violent swordplay and dynamic slicing effects.

The demo, screened at Microsoft’s E3 press conference, found MGS2 star Raiden dicing up enemies with the help of a futuristic-looking sword. Dynamic cutting effects, similar to those seen in Dead Rising 2, allowed Raiden to dismember enemies and carve the game environment into pieces. Over the course of the brief clip, the white-haired warrior carved up brick columns, watermelons, and even a transit van – slicing the vehicle in half with a single swipe.

The game also looks to be a lot more violent than the usual Metal Gear fare, with plenty of blood splashing about as enemies lose limbs left right and centre. According to producer Shigenobu Matsuyama, the game is based on the Japanese principle “zan-datsu,” which loosely translates to “cut-take”.

A short cutscene sequence also found Raiden stalking a hulking, humanoid robot. After slicing the baddie into pieces, Raiden then pulled out his foe’s electronic spine. Awesome stuff.