Metal Gear Rising Gamescom trailer is identical to the E3 one until Raiden's new chainsaw-tailed robo-dog turns up with the release date

Video games, for some reason, have a long tradition of partnering sword-wielding heroes with canine partners. There was Shadow Dancer on the Mega Drive. Then there was Galford and Poppy in Samurai Showdown. And Shadow and Interceptor in Final Fantasy VI. And Fable II's hero. And there are even more if you branch out from bladetastic protagonists. Seriously, video games, you're obsessed.

And now it looks like Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is going the same way. Except that its doggie helper is a robo-dog with a chainsaw tail.

Because robo-dogs with chainsaw tails!

Anyway, here it is in the new Gamescom trailer, which is exactly the same as the E3 trailer except that it has a robo-dog helper with a chainsaw tail at the end.

Directable attack dog? Co-op partner? Separate character with side-missions all of his own? Frankly, I don't care. He is a robo-dog with a chainsaw for a tail, and for that I love Platinum Games in a way which makes me want to burst.

Also, the Metal Gear Rising release date is now confirmed as the 21st of February 2013.

But, you know, this is mainly about robo-dogs.