It's nearly been a year since my last post! Well, I'm back, and with a post on a topic that I've often speculated on. Here's the deal: which iconic franchises would you like to see tackled by a different developer? I've come up with my own list, and I'd love to hear what any of you have to say. There will probably be a fair amount of disagreement, but that's the nature of any discussion.
Metroid - Bungie: This has been brought up by fans of both series, and is usually shot down. The similarities are pretty superficial: both feature protagonists in suits of high-tech armor... and that's it. But Metroid: Other M left a sour taste in the mouths of many Metroid fans, myself included. The main reason behind this was that the story was extremely weak. Now, say what you like about Bungie, but they know how to tell a story, and integrate that story into the gameplay of a first-person shooter. Nintendo has enough franchises with a platforming element, maybe taking Metroid in more of a solid shooter direction might not be so bad.
Soul Calibur - Koei: This one is more of a dumb fantasy than anything else. I've always had a soft spot for the Soul series, even if the story has gotten progressively worse since the advent of online multiplayer, but that's a rant of another day. Koei's "Warriors" series has never exactly been top-notch storytelling either, but that isn't the point. Imagine a game where the cast of Soul Calibur take on the armies of Nightmare or Algol in a hack-and-slash rampage. Okay, I never said my taste in games was great, but it would be a brilliant guilty pleasure.
The Legend of Zelda - Bethesda: Here we go. Here's where we get into the big departures. But look me in the eye and tell me that an open-world Zelda game where you get to play as seven or eight of the more popular Hylian races wouldn't be totally awesome. My caveat with that is that I'm looking at Bethesda more for their experience in developing open-world games, not necessarily the graphics of said world. I'm sure they could make them gorgeous (see Skyrim), but somehow the pseudo-cartoony look kind of defines Zelda for me. But if anyone could pull it off, it would be Bethesda.
A Star Wars MMO - ???: Before anyone tries to kill me, I'm really enjoying The Old Republic. But I think Bioware (who I also love, for the record) made a few major mistakes that kind of put the game off base for me. I feel like having party NPCs completely defeats the purpose of an MMO, first of all. I'm not pursuing a romance, because Nadia Grell is still resisting my Sage's feminine wiles, but it's like I've been playing two different characters: one in the game's scripted cutscenes and one in regular player-to-player roleplay. I also think that, for a something like Star Wars where the Jedi are defined by their simplistic attire and deeply personal weapons, the decision to make the game largely gear-based was a mistake. What I'd ask of you, dear readers, is to suggest someone who could create a worthy successor (not replacement) for TOR. Because, frankly, I'm not sure I can think of anyone right now.
That's all for today, but stay tuned. There'll be more real soon.
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