Six games we’d like to see

The recent announcement of Platinum Games’ involvement with Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance just goes to show how unpredictable the world of video games can be at times. If only it were a little more unpredictable then maybe would we end up with one or more of the games below, fabricated from our very own imaginations.

We’d like… an Earth Defence Force developed by Volition – the brains behind Red Faction (RIP).

Why? While Red Faction and Earth Defence Force share the same focus on destruction, Volition’s games were backed with their own Geo Mod technology that let buildings explode in a spectacular fashion. Earth Defence Force’s buildings merely crumbled amidst some crudely drawn clouds of pixel dust.

What are the chances? Slim seeing as D3 publishes the EDF series and Volition are owned by THQ. If THQ go bust and Volition are sold off, then maybe.

We’d like… a Duke Nukem game developed by People Can Fly – the Bulletstorm chaps.

Why? The similarities between Duke Nukem and Bulletstorm are vast. They both star a foul-mouthed lead character who’s quite happy to kick the opposition when they’re down. The weapon assortment is likewise similar, with a mix of imaginative weapons such as shrink-rays and a gun that fires rocket-propelled drills. If there was one company that we know full well could turn Duke’s fortunes around, it would be People Can Fly.

What are the chances? Although the ending to Duke Nukem Forever hinted at a new Duke ‘em up, People Can Fly are reportedly working on a new Gears of War trilogy.

We’d like… to see Nintendo’s take on Sonic.

Why? It would be interesting to see how Nintendo would handle the blue blur if tasked with making a Sonic game. Would they play it safe and go for 2D or try to apply the things they’ve learned from the Mario Galaxy series and have a stab at making a decent 3D Sonic game? Would they redraw Sonic and give him a new look? What new power-ups would Nintendo devise? The mind boggles.

What are the chances? It would certainly gain a lot of press attention if Nintendo were to announce such a thing for the Wii U, and the Mario & Sonic games have proven to be very big sellers despite not quite being triple-A quality. What would be in it for Sega though? And do Nintendo really need to borrow another company’s character when Mario games shift plenty? Again, lots of questions.

We’d like… Star Wars: Battlefront 3, developed by DICE and running on the Frostbite engine.

Why? Battlefield 3’s multiplayer gives Call of Duty a run for its money and the large maps, use of vehicles and different character classes would apply to the Star Wars universe with ease. Seeing as the technology is already in place, DICE could probably knock it out in a year or so. EA could even call it Star Wars: Battlefield 3 if they were worried it wouldn’t sell well. We wouldn’t mind.

What are the chances? EA’s future for DICE no doubt consists of Battlefield, Battlefield and more Battlefield. However, EA is very good at sharing resources with their other in-house studios and they’ve dabbled with the Star Wars license recently for the MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. They’d have to snag the Star Wars rights from LucasArts, mind.

We’d like… a fitness game disguised as an adventure game.

Why? There’s a stigma attached to fitness games such as Zumba Fitness. We won’t beat about the bush here – that stigma is that these games are primarily for females. Sure, a few male-focused fitness games exist such as UFC Trainer but they’re still not every gamer’s cup of tea.

We propose an adventure game controlled entirely by motion via the Kinect, split into 30 half-hour segments with a new chapter available every day. Previous chapters can be played if you’re wanting a longer workout. Along the way the main character will have to climb up mountains, fight bad guys, run away from trouble and engage other energetic pursuits that’ll require the player to run on the spot, kick and punch and jump around. Perhaps the main character could even get more toned as you play, reflecting your hard work. Doesn’t that sound more appealing than having Mel B yell “Feel the burn!” repeatedly?

What are the chances? Something like this already does exist – Jillian Michael’s Fitness Adventure, which has an adventure mode set within jungle temples. It’s still not something we’d leave out on view when our friends popped over though.

We’d like… a game based on the Asian movie extravaganza, Battle Royale.

Why? Battle Royale is perfect fodder for a non-linear, open world, video game. Not seen the movie? Allow us to bring you up to speed. A coach full of Asian high-school students gets hijacked. When the students awake they find themselves on a small island where they’re told that they must kill each other to survive. The last student standing gets to go home. Each student is handed a random weapon, from crossbows to frying pans, and they’re left to decide their outcome. The rebels get stuck into killing, the girls find refuge in a light house and have what can only be called a slumber party and the nerds get busy on their laptops to try and find a way to defuse the explosive collars around their necks.

Just think about the possible number of endings, which would add replay value, and how the random weapon selection would alter the way you play. Then there’s the potential boss battles against the school rebels, and having to decide who you can trust. The collars also prevent the students from staying in the same place for too long, so you’d be constantly kept on your toes.

What are the chances? Stranger things have happened, and it’s not like older movies aren’t made into modern day video games. Gremlins, Jaws and Back to the Future have all hit Wii recently. Just don’t let Techland, of Dead Island fame, near it. Y’hear?

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