Developer Fumiko Ueda Considers What Comes after the Last Guardian
Yesterday, Fumito Ueda of genDESIGN appeared in a fireside chat with Ubisoft Massive Managing Director David Polfelt. They appeared at the Nordic Gaming Conference to do what gaming giants do – talk games. And that’s just how we like it.
During the conference, Ueda talked about many things. Among them were how games like Ico and The Last Guardian formed in his head; they started off as simple images that turned into unique stories over the design process. Now that The Last Guardian is finished, Ueda mentioned his new state of mind, referencing past titles including Shadow of the Colossus.
“I cannot talk about the details [of my next project] but… Shadow came out of the experience with Ico, [going] from a closed world to open world. When I completed Shadow, there was a moment where I wondered if I wanted to go around an open world again, and maybe I should go back to a more closed space, spending a more intimate time with something in that space. That became the starting point for The Last Guardian.
“Now I’ve completed The Last Guardian and spent so many years in that game, maybe I may go back to the Shadow-type environment.”
The question now is, what new image has popped in Ueda’s head? For now, we simply know that he’s considering another open-world game. While he did mention Shadow of the Colossus, we probably shouldn’t expect anything like a sequel. As a developer, Ueda tends to construct all-new worlds and stories from scratch. But, for the most part, they all provide a similar feel with cryptic storytelling and puzzles. Polfelt even commented on this aspect of Ueda’s games and said they stay with him longer because of that.
Ueda replied, “That’s good to hear because I intentionally do that.”
Wherever Ueda’s next project goes, we can expect more of the familiar and unique elements of storytelling and gameplay. But, we’re more excited if it does turn out to be an open world. What are your thoughts? Comment down below. Let us know where you think genDESIGN’s next project could lead. Are you a fan of their games?