Game Design
Ongoing coverage on Game Design.
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'We really wanted the city to feel like a character in our game' — Gears of War: E-Day studio creative director says the game will make you 'care' about the city's fall through environmental storytelling
The Coalition's studio creative director, Matt Searcy, stated that Gears of War: E-Day aims to make players care about the city of Kolana through extensive environmental storytelling. The game will focus on a single city setting, allowing for deeper world-building and exploration, contrasting with previous titles in the series. Gears of War: E-Day is set to launch exclusively for Xbox Series X and Series S on October 6.
Choose My Adventure: My return to the fascinating and fun Pictomancer job in Final Fantasy XIV
The author discusses their return to the Pictomancer job in Final Fantasy XIV, noting the unique mechanics and aesthetic of the class. Despite initial struggles with rotations and resource management, they found the job to be a fascinating and distinct experience within the MMORPG genre.
"There are only so many buttons on a controller": How Pragmata overcame huge design challenges to deliver a…
Capcom producer Naoto Oyama discusses the design challenges and themes of the new IP Pragmata, a third-person shooter set on the moon. He highlights the game's 'hack n shoot' mechanics, uncanny environmental design inspired by AI, and the focus on intuitive controls. Oyama also addresses comparisons to Xbox 360-era action games and the potential for Pragmata to become a new series.
Hideo Kojima Says Every Publisher Told Him His Idea For OD Was “Crazy”
Hideo Kojima revealed that multiple publishers rejected his horror game concept OD, deeming it "crazy" and unfeasible. The game, developed in partnership with Xbox, is described as a "new game system" and aims to be as scary as possible, with a feature to help players who get too frightened. OD will feature celebrity actors and is part of Xbox's effort to support diverse game development.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 Interview: Toriyama’s Age 1000 Vision, Future Plans, and 10-Year Support Goals
In an interview for Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3, executive producer Masayuki Hiranao discussed honoring Akira Toriyama's vision for the Age 1000 setting and the game's potential for 10 years of support. Hiranao emphasized the newness of the future timeline and the team's commitment to delivering a fresh experience, building on Toriyama's extensive lore and design contributions.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 Interview: Toriyama’s Age 1000 Vision, Future Plans, and 10-Year Support Goals
In an interview for Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3, executive producer Masayuki Hiranao discussed honoring Akira Toriyama's vision for the Age 1000 setting and the game's potential for 10 years of support. Hiranao emphasized the game's focus on delivering a fresh experience within the Dragon Ball universe, highlighting new characters and expanded customization options. He also touched upon the game's mechanics, including the 'soul-link' system, and how it relates to Toriyama's established lore.
Renewing the Novelty of Pokémon
This article argues that the most successful Pokémon games are those that introduce genuine novelty, rather than just adding more creatures or features. It highlights titles like Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Let's Go, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, and Detective Pikachu as examples of how the franchise has successfully rejuvenated its core experience to feel fresh. The piece suggests that while the traditional formula appeals to new generations, long-time fans need innovative approaches to rekindle their discovery.
5 Things That Surprised Me Playing Star Wars: Galactic Racer on PS5
Fuse Games' upcoming title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, offers a surprising blend of fast-paced racing and roguelite elements, challenging players with its 'runs-based' campaign structure. The game features dynamic planetary environments that affect gameplay and a tactical approach to vehicle customization and racing strategy. Developed by a team with pedigree from Criterion, the game aims to innovate within the racing genre and deliver a compelling Star Wars adventure.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer let me play podracer ping-pong, though its high-stakes roguelike gauntlet feels more tuned for pace-focused speeder freaks
Star Wars: Galactic Racer adopts a roguelike structure for its single-player campaign, challenging players to progress through a series of races with a limited number of lives. The game features various vehicle types, including landspeeders, speeder bikes, skim speeders, and podracers, each with distinct handling characteristics. Environmental hazards and a build customization system add depth to the fast-paced racing action.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer proves that roguelikes and racing are "a match made in heaven," and it's bringing white knuckle consequences back to the genre
Star Wars: Galactic Racer combines roguelike structure with racing gameplay, offering high-stakes consequences for every decision. Developer Fuse Games, led by CEO Matt Webster, aims to revitalize the racing genre with a focus on replayability and impactful player choices. The game is set to release on October 6 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, featuring distinct vehicle types and risk-reward boost mechanics inspired by titles like Burnout.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer creative director says game will have 'consequential decision-making' with a 'runs-based structure inside the campaign' — 'We want every decision to matter'
Fuse Games CEO Matt Webster and Creative Director Kieran Crimmins revealed that Star Wars: Galactic Racer will feature a runs-based structure within its campaign, emphasizing consequential decision-making where every choice matters. This approach aims to bring replayability and consequence back into the arcade racing experience, a departure from traditional upgrade systems. The game is set to release on October 6 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer creative director says the game has 'unbelievable' mechanical depth and features 'trillions' of vehicle part combinations — 'I would argue there may not be an arcade racer with that much depth in it ever made'
Fuse Games Creative Director Kieran Crimmins stated that Star Wars: Galactic Racer will feature "trillions" of vehicle part combinations, offering "unbelievable depth" for an arcade racer. The game, launching October 6 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, aims to balance familiar Star Wars elements with new vehicle fantasies and extensive customization options.
How a 12 year wait made Alien Isolation 2 a better sequel
Creative Assembly is developing Alien: Isolation 2, a sequel to the acclaimed 2014 survival horror game. Creative director Al Hope and animation director Simon Ridge discussed how the 12-year gap and the original game's growing audience have informed their approach to the sequel, which will feature new environments and a new protagonist on a remote colony world. The game aims to evolve the tense cat-and-mouse gameplay of its predecessor with both indoor claustrophobia and outdoor vulnerability.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 ‘Welcome to West City’ trailer, latest details
Bandai Namco and Dimps have released a new trailer for Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3, titled 'Welcome to West City.' The trailer showcases gameplay and daily life in the new setting of AGE 1000, highlighting character creation, exploration of West City, and new combat mechanics like the Soul Assist and Soul Switch systems. The game promises an epic, story-driven RPG experience with player choices impacting fights and a blend of original and familiar characters.
Steam Next Fest 之后，策略游戏需要的不只是更多系统，而是更清楚的战争理由
Following Steam Next Fest, the article argues that strategy games, particularly war simulations and city builders like Mandate Order, require clearer justifications for their complex systems rather than just more mechanics. Mandate Order, developed by Digital Sky, aims to connect city operations like farming and logistics directly to the necessity and execution of war, offering a model for how depth in strategy games can be achieved through causal relationships between systems.
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation lead says "the way we design games also needs to evolve" as streaming over buying becomes more common, even if he does "fully support" content creators
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi believes game design must evolve alongside streaming culture, even while fully supporting content creators. He aims to ensure the game offers a unique experience for players, whether they are playing or watching.
Review: Wanderstop (Switch 2) – Relax With This Cosy Exploration Of The Importance Of Relaxing
Wanderstop is a cozy management simulation game that explores the importance of relaxation, available on Nintendo Switch. Players manage a tea shop, brew various beverages, and grow ingredients while uncovering the protagonist Alta's story of overcoming fatigue and internal struggles. Despite some visual fuzziness and fiddly inventory management on the Switch, the game's emotional narrative and beautiful art style make it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.
Utvecklarna bakom härligt motbjudande Ill försäkrar att det inte blir för svårt
Team Clout Inc. has addressed concerns that their upcoming game, Ill, will be too difficult. The developers aim to balance survival-horror elements with action, ensuring players manage scarce resources tactically without feeling overly punished or like an unstoppable force. The goal is to provide fun action within a bloody nightmare, avoiding frustrating difficulty.
ILL Difficulty Is Key Focus for Developers
Team Clout is actively marketing their upcoming horror game, ILL, focusing on its difficulty system. The developers aim to strike a balance between challenging gameplay and player frustration, ensuring resources are scarce and melee weapons degrade. The game is expected to launch in 2027.
Tears Revolude Review | TheXboxHub
Tears Revolude offers a departure from typical KEMCO RPGs with a unique presentation and a story about searching for a vanished artist. While the menu-driven navigation and first-person combat perspective are initially refreshing, they can become tedious. The game's evolving weapon system and distinct visual elements help it stand out, making it a worthwhile experience for RPG fans.
