Fumito Ueda’s Next Game Looks Like a Sci-Fi Shadow of the Colossus

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As a seasoned movie critic with a penchant for both cinema and video games, I find myself utterly captivated by the latest revelation from the enigmatic mind of Fumito Ueda. With a career that spans three masterpieces, each one more profoundly impactful than the last, Ueda has left an indelible mark on the gaming industry. His works have not only inspired countless developers but have also transcended the boundaries of interactive entertainment, earning a place among the greats in both film and video games.

Fumito Ueda is a highly respected Japanese video game designer, renowned for creating timeless PlayStation exclusives like Shadow of the Colossus, Ico, and The Last Guardian. Despite having directed only three games throughout his career, his work has been widely acclaimed as some of the finest in the gaming world. Ico, Ueda’s initial project with Sony Interactive Entertainment and his debut directorial effort, left a profound impact on numerous influential developers within the gaming industry. Similarly, Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian were immediately hailed as cult classics.

Fumito Ueda’s entire trilogy of games were crafted by Team Ico, an offshoot of Japan Studio, which is owned by PlayStation. However, Team Ico didn’t have a long lifespan; it ceased operations in late 2011 following Ueda’s departure from Sony for undisclosed reasons. Afterward, Ueda established GenDesign to aid Japan Studio in completing The Last Guardian as its director. Unfortunately, Japan Studio was also dismantled by Sony in 2021 due to the underperformance of their recent titles. This double closure left fans of Ueda’s work feeling let down, but luckily, a new game from him was recently announced.

GenDesign’s Untitled New Game Bears a Resemblance to Shadow of the Colossus

The Next Game From Fumito Ueda Was Revealed at the TGAs With a Cryptic Trailer

At The Game Awards 2024, GenDesign unveiled a sneak peek of its upcoming game, as yet nameless. The teaser trailer presents a cryptic figure scaling a colossal robot, attempting to elude an impending dangerous shockwave. The enigmatic protagonist penetrates the robot’s head, separates it from its metallic, rust-hued physique, and soars it aloft into the heavens. In a style reminiscent of Fumito Ueda, dialogue is scarcely used in the entire trailer, with only the robot’s voice counting down the seconds until the shockwave strikes it.

The main character remains unidentified and their location is unclear, but it appears that the game is set on an alien planet, as suggested by the ominous purple-hued sky and drab, gray landscape shown in the trailer. This differs significantly from the Earth-like settings found in some of Ueda’s previous works, such as Ico and The Last Guardian which were fantasy worlds. Interestingly, this upcoming GenDesign project shares similarities with Shadow of the Colossus, particularly in terms of gameplay mechanics.

Fumito Ueda’s New Game Seems to Put a Spin on Shadow of the Colossus’ Gameplay Formula

In Ueda’s 2005 classic, it seems that navigating towering entities might be a significant gameplay aspect in GenDesign’s upcoming game. This is suggested by the trailer where the unnamed character is shown scaling ladders on these colossal robots. Contrary to expectations, these massive robots don’t appear to be adversaries for players to vanquish, but rather transport vehicles they can control. The scene where the unnamed protagonist detaches from a robot head could indicate that this might be a mech of some sort. Unlike fast-paced mech games like Armored Core 6 and Daemon x Machina, players may not be flying these robots at high speeds, but they will likely use them to maneuver through hazardous terrains, much like the one shown in the trailer.

Upcoming game by Ueda is set for publication by Epic Games Publishing, and although an official release date hasn’t been announced yet, it has been confirmed for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Epic Games Store. Given the wait fans may have to endure, there’s high anticipation that when it finally drops, this game could potentially match the quality of Shadow of the Colossus.

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2024-12-15 23:24