Hey, Star Wars might actually be interesting again!

 

When I was young Star Wars was pretty much the entire world to me. Funnily enough it was the exact absence of Star Wars within the mainstream that left the franchise open to someone like me to dream within. I collected a bevy of the (now 'Legends') comics, engrossed myself in the dozens of creative and quality licence games that the franchise was treated to each and every year and went back and rewatching the movies regularly enough to be able to quote whole scenes from the Episode 1 and 2. They say absence makes the heart grow stronger and in many ways I think media really does benefit from that exact phenom. I always said that Andromeda failed to really land with the impact it did for many reasons, one of which being it's relatively closeness to the end of Mass Effect 3- and Todd Howard similarly expressed in his recent MrMattyPlays interview how "It's not bad to miss things". That's something I haven't really felt from some of my favourite franchises in a while- I haven't had the room to miss them.

Has Marvel ever given us sufficient room to look back on it's Halcyon days with rose tinted glasses? Of course not, they're too busy pelting the audience with increasingly garish side project feature deconstructions that contradict themselves so fully they need to create other media to explain the inconsistencies! Just wait, I'll bet they're already cooking up some sort of series or show twist to explain why Nick Fury acts so differently in Secret Invasion to The Marvels- when the real reason is simply because they pump this stuff out too quickly to check each other's work- and the same is very much becoming true with Star Wars- even if that universe boasts a much vast swathe of stories to potentially choose from.

So I've just slipped out of touch with it. Ever since Andor I decided the series had finally hit that high note it would never really reach again until the next season of Andor, and thus I avoided all else. But am I really doing myself a favour, or just cutting out something I love out of fear of being hurt? And more importantly, how does this tie back around to games? Well, Star Wars is really paired back on the number of creative and interesting titles they put out and it's gotten to the point where two of the biggest Star Wars games currently or, or close to, circulation seem to be fairly similar to one another. Sure, Fallen Order and Outlaws is different in the nitty gritty genre talk- but they're both riding the coat-tails of uncharted in one way or another, ain't they?

I miss the days when you could play the Star Wars racer games, then the beat 'em ups, then the Doom-likes, then the RPGs. I miss Star Wars being creative instead of becoming constrained by it's own success. And though I think those days died with the Disney acquisition- as the 'newness' of exclusivity fades and the reigns start to loosen, murmurs arise of some of those incredible off kilter, and maybe even super niche, Star Wars projects we'd use to hear about. Kind of like how Squadron's dropped and catered solely towards the sim flight crowd, however small they are, now the tactical squad-based players can rejoice for today is their time to feed!

Respawn Entertainment, yes the guys behind Fallen Order, announced some years ago how they were working alongside a small fresh studio on a Star Wars project. Such could have meant anything at the time, of course- and it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to presume this was yet another action adventure given how that was the basis of the game Respawn had in front of them. They could even share assets given aligned engines! But it seems I might have been a bit presumptuous. (No pun intended.) Maybe I should have better paid mind to the makeup of the team. Veterans of 'Elder Scrolls Online', 'XCom', 'Civilisation'- actually solid and innovative titles! Then it wouldn't have been such a flashbang announcement to learn that it actually is a tactics game specifically designed to leverage the team's familiarity with XCom! 

Oh yes, that means those nail biting missions where you have to choose between your objective and the lives of your favourite squadmate, or where the perfect plan that couldn't go wrong slips between the fresh crack of a bad roll, or the impossible crit that downs a monolith in a moment of sheer red-hot desperation; those are all on the holo-table for the Galaxy Far Away! Their creative director, Greg Foertsch seems eager to impress his desire to push the envelope too. He pondered about the "space" of the genre to "grow, through immersion and storytelling and visual presentation and pacing"- which are all very ambitious vectors for a new studio- I can understand why they wanted Respawn along for backup.

I get goosebumps thinking about it- especially when it comes to storytelling- my favourite avenue of games like these. I'm all about dynamic moments where the player's personal war comes to life in most real ways, unexpected events even outside of the raw gameplay the colour the breadth of the personalities you are lording over, breaths life into these games in a way that tickles those same sorts of emotions as my favourite Colony Sims! I'd love to see the ways that a team could make that work across a Star Wars setting- because we can't just be some face squad of clones- give us the chance to build relationships with these characters before they get crushed under the boot of a missed 95% shot. (That's pretty much the end of my relationship with any unit.)

This is the first time in a long while I've looked at anything coming Star Wars' way with genuine wonder and excitement. Perhaps ever since the Mandalorian season 1, given that I actually expected Andor to be a waste of time before I watched it and got my mouth shut solid for how unflinchingly brilliant that show was. XCom is one of my favourite games of all time and I think the developer who sherpards that franchise has lost their way. They don't even seem interested in this style of game anymore, whether because of the lack of public appeal or just growing cold on the genre creatively. Bit Reactor may just be the hands to pass that torch onto- and if those hands also happen to be holding a spare lightsaber or two that'd be sick. Even sicker if that lightsaber was dated back to the Old Republic- but now I'm just getting silly with my hopes, imma stop.

No-fi Blush

 That's a terrible title

We've all heard what happened to the Tango Gameworks for the crime of making an award-winning game- taken behind the barn and shot in the back of the head- a warning for everyone out there to pack up and give up if you find yourself under the Xbox banner. A move that very much seems to have been not appreciated by the former employees of the gameworks as they've let their opinions be sprinkled across social media, postulating on what might have been the cause but lamenting it either way. Above it all, however, is the big green X themselves doing their best to just forget the problem ever happened and praying that makes it go away. It will not. Obviously. This is growing into a bigger black stain with every passing moment.

Let us not forget the moment with President Bond where she was ambushed with this question regarding the reason for Tango being killed off- at least I can call it an ambush for the way she stumbled a response despite the fact it was the most foreseeable talking point in all known existence. Where it comes to Bond and Phil Spencer, their reticence to speak straight, and to squirm around the matter, has led to beliefs on the consistency of the Xbox brand dropping, people speculating how dire circumstance are and just the all around situation worsening. Hell, Phil tried to marble mouth his way out of a response and ended up saying that it's his responsibility to ensure Xbox gamers are afforded everything they expect with the brand, heavily implying that Xbox is so hard up that they needed to kill studios in order to keep the service at status quo- improvements aren't even on the table!

And in this comes a fear. Probably a justifiable one. A fear that this dire, such to the extent that succeed or fail you are up for extermination, then surely anyone could be next on the block. At the very least Xbox had the good grace to tell their team of the shutdown privately before leaking it out to the press, now if only they could exposit what was wrong clearly it would really help cut down on all the rumour and speculation flying about. I feel there's such an unjust level of secrecy that is implicitly tied to corporate movements for literally no reason- where everything from conduct expectations to success quotas are left to the imagination for fear of ever having your own standards held against you. It's the same sort of culture that disincentivises employees discussing wages with on another- it's a supremely outdated and insular move that only fosters distrust and misinformation.

Of course, let me not give off the impression that I am any better a source for elucidating Xbox's actions than the average observer! I've only the bitter cynicism to taint my distrust. For all I know Xbox could be on the verge of tilting off the edge at Microsoft places a boot on their back and asks them "What are you gonna do, little fish?" But what I can comment on is the recent sprinkling of supposed context of yet another Xbox source that, big surprise, contradicts what we've already been told. Because being vague and unspecific has worked out so well for everyone this far, hasn't it? Matt Booty, not exactly in a public setting but rather a 'Variety Business Podcast', spoke someone's truth on the matter. 

Matt acknowledged the success of the studio but went further to analyse what exactly went into that success and the factors that contributed to it, positing the many features that could go in to making a title successful. Of course, I'd imagine this was an attempt to remain somewhat aloof and unspecific that totally fell apart when Matt just came out and said- "What leadership do you have? What creative leadership do you have? Is it the same team that shipped something successfully previously?" And those are the metrics by which the future of studios are apparently weighed, and in this instance, cut short. One might call it a 'lack of faith'.

Essentially what this is slyly referring to is the fact that the founder of the studio, industry legend Shinji Mikami of 'Resident Evil' fame, left the studio after the release of Hi-Fi Rush in order to pursue newer ventures- and that is now being pointed to as the catalyst for the studio's demise. In the same way that losing Kojima was the end of Konami's credibility, a powerful creative lead like Mikami was so intrinsic to the studio, as well as those other heads around him of course, that in his absence Tango Gameworks just weren't the same studio anymore. At least that's what we're supposed to believe and I have to say- I never liked this train of reasoning no matter how many times I hear it parroted.

It's like what everyone has been saying about Bioware whilst casting side eye. "They're not the same studio! All the legends are gone, you can't expect anything out of them anymore!" Which compounds a more complex issue into deeply reductive boxes that restrict the future genealogy of the industry. We're talking about a studio full of people who perfected their craft under the supervision of these 'legends', who worked with them, would have been taught by them, and in some cases probably expected to take what they learnt and added something new now that the stage was open for someone new to take the reigns. We can't have the old legends around forever- they'll need successor's someday! And even if that is too much credit to give a team of colleagues- at the very least these studios by reputation alone would attract a similar style of team to that which existed before. You're not going to get a team of Live Service knuckledraggers signing up to work at FromSoftware, now are you?

Out of all the possible excuses for the firing I think this may just be the most headscratching. Sure, the former team may contest that they had serious plans for the future- but of course they would say that, maybe their upcoming projects sounded weak to someone with an objective look from the outside. Maybe they were juggling the next Redfall and were too self conscious to admit it. But saying they were no longer worthy of keeping alive because some of the make-up of the studio is different now just boggles the mind- at the very least you have to give a bit more to go on. If not, then you owe them the chance to prove themselves. Or you would, if you cared about the industry. Which is becoming increasingly the question we pose when considering Xbox these days...

How hard is too hard?

 Why are you smirking?

Shadow of the Erdtree is here and I'm currently trucking through the thing alongside the three other Souls-Likes I'm playing at the same time. (That is not a joke, I'm doing the new Lords of the Fallen, Wo Long Fallen Dynasty and, to a much lesser extent, Lies of P.) And I have to say that for one- I think this is the greatest From Software DLC that I've played. I put that in bulk because a lot of people seem to insist the best they ever made actually hailed from a game I never, and will never, play because Sony are a bunch of dicks. (Had to be said. I'm sorry.) So in the absence of Bloodborne I am indulging myself, loving my time, and scratching my head at those calling this DLC 'so hard it's unfun.'

Now to be fair I understand what seemingly so very few dedicated souls players seem capable of comprehending- my situation is unique. One of the great glories of Souls games, and especially true in their most vast yet 'Elden Ring', comes in the way that almost no-one can end up with the exact same build unless they're literally following a guide. Even the most supposedly overpowered weapons require specific styles of play and most just like to keep looser constraints on their journey across The Lands Between. Then there's stat building, hidden clothing effects, talisman make-up- Just because I'm having a fine time exploring the Shadowy lands under the Scadutree, that doesn't mean everyone else is simply bubble blowing babies for finding it near unsurmountable.

But the response has been quite puzzling to me- as hoards of the aggrieved have taken to review bombing the DLC calling it 'too hard' and 'badly optimized'. (That last point might have some weight to it- I've uncounted a couple of really bad stutter moments on my Series X version of the game. Atop of the resolution drops everytime you are out in the field.) It seems like such a strange reversal of fortunes for a series that used to be the champion of difficulty now being considered a pariah for it- it makes me wonder exactly what these people expected. And to be honest, I think I might know exactly what the issue is and it's a tale as old as time- I think people are actually making the game too hard for themselves.

Firstly, there is this strange belief that Shadow of the Erdtree is a mid-game DLC to be comfortably challenged- which doesn't seem to track at all. The game marketed as being a challenge to the veterans, who had mastered the main game. Personally I figured it was New Game + 1 at a minimum- and even with that thought process I stumbled into a cryptboss who could two shot me with his casual sword swings! Then, there are the people who stubbornly refuse to use summons... across content perfectly balanced so as to not get totally crushed by summons. The DLC wants you to throw your everything at it! We're talking about players imposing hard challenges on themselves upon characters not strong enough for the content complaining about the game being imbalanced- and I have to wonder about that.

What is it that makes a game too hard? What would I consider to be a game that is too hard? For me it comes down to the gamefeel and the supposed 'fairness' of the challenge. Although obviously both of those are supremely subjective topics so you'll have to forgive the way I explore them. Firstly, I want a game that feels like I'm in control enough with how I move, snappy, punchy, firm-footed so that every death I take is due to my own mistakes and not the games. Which goes for the Camera too- I don't want to be stuck trying to manipulate the Camera so I can see what is even going on in front of me- that sucks and feels cheap. Then there is 'fairness'. Does this feel like a game which is providing me everything I need to handle it? Could I, if I wanted to, adapt to the challenge? Is this game full of fights that respect my time? Is there a two minute walk back to the fight despite the fact your game came out in 2023- Lords of the Fallen!?

FromSoftware games never really struck me as pushing on these button topics too much with the exception of the walk-backs which has improved over the years. But then again, is it really possible to get as bad as Dark Souls 2's Frigid Wastes?  (Surely not!) Elden Ring is the furthest thing from. And Shadow of the Erdtree even bends backwards to provide extras for the player having trouble with it all. Scadutree fragments boost damage dealt and armour resistance, summons can be boosted with a new special ash drop- (which is why I know summons are very much supposed to be used for these fights) all to imbue a new Seiko-style static upgrade system where you can improve purely laterally- without having to put a single errant thought towards build composition!

I'm sorry but that just isn't the kind of intelligent design thought and discretion I would take as indicative of 'the worst balanced content FromSoftware has ever made'. Plus, this is Elden Ring, is it not? The game that made famous the idea that if you can't get through this boss, go off and explore any of the dozen of other objectives until you are strong enough to try again? Since when did that stop being a viable way to play this game? Instead I guess it just feels less of a hassle to throw up your arms and claim it is the game's fault- but is it as fulfilling as trying again and succeeding with a firmer head on your shoulders? I suspect not.

Shadow of the Erdtree is kind of like a whole inbetween game tacked on to the original one, making use of all the content richness of that basegame to fuel a host of new mechanics and enemies that can keep you busy- and I happen to think it's a blast! Do I still get my butt handed to me? Yes. That dancing lion had me sweating for about twenty-to-thirty minutes, but that is kind of what I come to this franchise for. To be challenged. To be placed out of my depth. To cry in frustration as my skill comes up short time and time again until that one moment where I push through the muck. I thought that was what we all came to these games for, but perhaps there are shorter fuses out there than I expected.