Why there's no Metal Gear Rising Revengeance on Vita
Konami reveals in-game challenge to deal the least amount of damage possible.
There's no PS Vita version of Platinum Games hack and slash Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance because Sony's handheld can't cope with one of its key mechanics.
The spin-off, which stars cyborg ninja Raiden, has a free cutting system that lets players slice and dice enemies any way they see fit - and it's this mechanic Vita can't cope with.
"As of now we aren't considering a Vita version," Kojima Productions creative producer Yuji Korekado told Eurogamer at Gamescom. "The reason is one of the main appeals of Metal Gear Rising is this option of the free cut. That requires a lot of hardware power, which is only possible with the power of a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360.
"So as of now, we haven't contemplated bringing it to handheld consoles."
The free cut system is tied into a special in-game challenge that Korekado highlighted when asked whether Rising would have any of the no kill/stealth challenges seen in previous Metal Gear games.
In Rising, you'll be challenged to destroy enemies by dealing the least amount of damage possible.
"We know some previous Metal Gear titles there have been some challenges, like having no kills, complete stealth," Korekado said. "We are putting challenges in the game. For example, there is one challenge where you have to go through the game just by defeating the enemies dealing the least amount of damage possible, perhaps by cutting just one limb."
When Rising was first unveiled, in 2010, it was intended to be a Kojima Productions made game. But development stalled. Then, in 2011 it was re-revealed with Bayonetta developer Platinum at the helm.
When it was simply Metal Gear: Rising, Konami spoke of its intention to have the Rising spin-off brand become a franchise in its own right that would run alongside the main Metal Gear Solid series.
Korekado confirmed Konami still intends for Rising to achieve this goal, despite its troubled development. "Yes that goal still remains the same," he said. "Of course, when making Metal Gear Rising we wanted to use characters from the existing world of Metal Gear and open up the possibilities the series has created for us. We believe we are proving that Metal Gear Solid has many possibilities and we are showing another way of enjoying it.
"It's not only stealth. It is still our intention to prove this."