Early & Cut Music Tracks

This is a sub-page of Proto:Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance/Demo.

To do: The unused Boris voice lines section needs to be worked on. Lots of files need to uploaded.

Used Music in Demo#

The demos contain several unfinished and used or unused versions of the final tracks; the music has been adjusted and some vocals have been rewritten and re-recorded.

According to Jamie Christopherson, most of the early tracks found on the demos were not "demo" tracks, but simply unfinished versions of songs that were already in the process. Some are more complete than others, and songs like Red Sun are more or less basically the same, save for different drums and missing synths. However, songs like A Stranger I Remain and Rules of Nature (Locked and Loaded) went through a songwriting phase in which "we were just 'playing around' with conceptual ideas - kind of testing out the concept before we started writing actual lyrics. [Dark Skies] was one of the first songs to go through that process..."¹

Leftovers from full build#

Although the demo only covers the first half of Chapter R-01, its files contain all the music from the full 2012 build that the demo is based on. Almost all tracks except I'm My Own Master Now and Dark Skies are still in development.

Locked and Loaded (Final: Rules of Nature)#

Rules of Nature, the ever-memetic anthem of Raiden's fight against the Metal Gear RAY, is no doubt the most dramatically changed; The lyrics were entirely re-written for the release version! The song itself has subtle, but noticeable, differences as well.

Locked and Loaded
Rules of Nature (Final)

Blade mode snippet in a helicopter boss battle#

In the demo version of the game the soundtrack of the battle against the helicopter boss is slightly different, for example the outro is different in that you can hear feedback from the guitar at the end, and also the demo uses a snippet for blade mode, but in order for the tracks to switch in the battle you have to restart at the checkpoint when Raiden jumps over the collapsing bridge.

Blade Mode Segment

A Stranger I Remain (non-Maniac Agenda version)#

Most likely, this version of the song A Stranger I Remain is the version of the song before it was remixed by Maniac Agenda, and therefore it is a completely finished metal song with the final lyrics and final vocals by Free Dominguez, but without the vocal processing by Maniac Agenda, etc. One of the most significant differences in the vocals is the more clearly audible French phrase in the bridge.

A Stranger I Remain (Prototype)

The Stains of Time#

Most likely, this version of Stains of Time is the version of the song before it was remixed by Maniac Agenda. Other than missing the electronic sound effects, it is pretty similar to the final version. There is no vocal version present.

The Stains of Time (Prototype)
The Stains of Time (Final)

Red Sun#

Most likely, this version of the song Red Sun is the version of the song before it was remixed by the Maniac Agenda team. This version is missing the electronic sound effects from the final version, has stronger drums and a very different bridge leading into the chorus. There is no vocal version present.

Red Sun (Prototype)
Red Sun (Final)

The Only Thing I Know For Real#

Jetstream Sam's theme has different vocal performance and instrumentation but the lyrics are same as final. The instrumentation takes on a more traditional metal style and doesn't have the synths like in the final.

The Only Thing I Know For Real (Prototype)
The Only Thing I Know For Real (Final)

Collective Consciousness#

The instrumentation in theme of Metal Gear EXCELSUS is slightly different, most obviously missing a particular "wah-wah" synth in the intro but the most interesting part of this version is the changes to the lyrics. Instead of total rewrites or cut additions, it's some small, but important changes that affect the meaning of the song.

Collective Consciousness (Prototype)
Collective Consciousness (Final)

It Has To Be This Way#

While the lyrics for Armstrong's theme are identical to final, the vocal performance is very different, and the drums are stronger than the final version.

It Has To Be This Way (Prototype)
It Has To Be This Way (Final)

Hacking BGM#

Metal Gear Rising does not contain any hacking gameplay in the final version, but it does contain several audio files with hacking-related titles, including an intense and a low-key version. These audio files are only used in areas such as the VR Missions, the demo's main menu, and the demo's tutorial.

Along with this, in the demo's "ui" folder, you can find 2 files labeled "ui_hacking.dat" and "ui_hacking.dtt". These 2 files are present in the final version on PC.

Hacking_Low_Intro
Hacking_Low_Main
Hacking_Transition
Hacking_High_Intro
Hacking_High_Main
Hacking_Outro
Hacking Full Track
Hacking Low Key Track
Hacking Alert Track

Leftovers in sound banks#

The sound banks contain short snippets of songs that are needed for the music to work in the game, and in the demo you can find remnants from cut or replaced soundtracks.

Dark Skies (non-Platinum Remix version)#

It was found in the BGM_p2d0 sound bank and appears to be a version of the song Dark Skies prior to its remix by Akira Takizawa, i.e., the Platinum Mix, as it still contains remnants of the Low Key version of the theme, and Cut You Down To Size does not have a Low Key version. Therefore, it is likely a completely finished metal song with final lyrics and final vocals by Graeme Cornies, but without Akira Takizawa's vocal processing, etc. This version was replaced with the Platinum Mix version in the demo version of the game, and these five fragments are all that remain of that version of the theme.

Dark Skies (non-Platinum Remix version) (Instrumental and vocal version) (The only known remnant)
Dark Skies (non-Platinum Remix version) (Intro) (The only known remnant)
Dark Skies (non-Platinum Remix version) (Low Key/Stealth Version) (The only known remnant)
Dark Skies (non-Platinum Remix version) (Outro) (The only known remnant)
Dark Skies (non-Platinum Remix version) (Blade Mode loop) (The only known remnant)

Leftovers from earlier builds and E3 Demo#

There's a number of unused WEM files not referenced by any sound bank that appear to be leftovers from an even earlier build than what the demo is based on.

Unused Locked and Loaded Blade Mode Track#

What sounds like an unused track for Blade Mode that uses an instrumental loop from the Locked and Loaded verse. It is unknown where it could have been used.

Unused Locked and Loaded Blade Mode Track

I'm My Own Master Now#

The only remnant of Blade Wolf's theme before it was remixed by Akira Takizawa, i.e. Platinum Mix, and in theory, it is already a completely finished metal song with final lyrics, with final vocals by Graeme Cornies, but without Akira Takizawa's vocal processing, etc. During the battle with Blade Wolf in the demo version, the Platinum Mix version of the theme is already used. Most likely, this version of the song was replaced with the Platinum Mix version of the song specifically for this demo, and this fragment is all that remains of it.

I'm My Own Master Now (Prototype)

Here I Come (Final: A Stranger I Remain)#

An even earlier version of Mistral's theme with completely different lyrics.

Here I Come

Cut You Down To Size (Final: Dark Skies)#

One of the regular battle themes that plays early in the game. While the actual demo plays the final version, hidden among leftovers is an early version with completely different lyrics! These lyrics don't have an official translation, so the transcription here is unofficial, though has been verified by Jamie Christopherson to be 'mostly' accurate. The early version also has an instrumental variation. This version can notably be heard in E3 2012 demo.²

Cut You Down To Size

Cut You Down To Size (Instrumental)

Cut You Down To Size (Alternative outro)

Cut You Down To Size (Blade Mode loop)

Cut You Down To Size (Blade Mode loop) (Long version)

Dark Skies (Final)

References#