Which game studio deserves a second chance? | Team Talk

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With the news that the ill-fated Tango Gameworks, creators of the excellent Hi-Fi Rush, have been acquired by Krafton, the publishers of Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, we thought it was time some other studios got a second chance.

What studio from a bygone area would you happily see resurrected? Let us know in the comments, or hop into the Discord.

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by Team PTC

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​@pass_controller

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Westwood Studios | James Parry

My love for Red Alert is well-documented, but the reason I want to see original developers Westwood Studios is not for more of that series or even Command and Conquer.

In fact, it's just real-time strategy in general that I think needs a boost, and Westwood would be the perfect heralds to usher in a second golden age of RTS.

The way they created a wrapper around the classic rock, paper, scissors format without it feeling simplistic or obvious is the basis for the varied and engaging gameplay that this studio became known for in the 90s and early 2000s.

Given the chance to forge a new path and come up with an original idea to apply their expertise to, it could be a chance to breathe some new life into a sadly neglected genre.

You could even go further and introduce multiple levels of strategy, with a metagame above in managing your armies or forces, or going to the ground level and having a more first person, immediate experience.

While there aren't a lot of voices calling for RTS to break back into the mainstream, I think with the variety of single and multiplayer options could have some real untapped potential.

And this is without even considering tying them up with a licence like Star Wars to add a bit of brand recognition to the mix.

Factor 5 | Liam Andrews

I can’t really tell if Factor 5 is currently an active studio or not, but I’m picking them for this week all the same as I really want another Rogue Squadron game to be made and I will take any opportunity to mention it.

Factor 5 were responsible for some of the best Star Wars games on N64 and GameCube in the form of the three Rogue Squadron games, and it’s a shame that they never got a chance to replicate this greatness on more modern machines.

They were known for producing games that were not only fun to play but looked and sounded great too. Rogue Leader on GameCube was particularly impressive, I remember being amazed that a game could look that good on a home console, and the opening Death Star trench run mission was one of the best opening levels I’ve ever played.

EA’s Star Wars Squadrons was a lot of fun to play and the closest thing to a modern-day Rogue Squadron, but I really missed the arcade nature of the latter and would love to see the series make a return, even if it’s just a remaster/remake of the original trilogy of games.

Lionhead Studios | Chris Brand

If you were expecting me to use this week's topic as another opportunity to talk about Fable​ again, then you're only partially right. I'm also going to talk about Black & White and Theme Park. I, too, feel like I'm bending the rules a little bit here, as Theme Park was developed by Lionhead's predecessor, Bullfrog Productions. Although Lionhead Studios itself has ceased to exist, some of those same developers went on to form Two Point Studios, the team behind the spiritual successor to Theme Hospital, further muddying the waters.

Nostalgia has undoubtedly tinted my memories with more rose than is warranted, but Black & White seemed revolutionary at the time and I wasn't aware of many titles quite like it. It was probably some years later when that illusion was shattered, as I discovered Populous, a slightly older series created by the, now defunct, Bullfrog. God games are in short supply these days, Ubisoft's underrated From Dust being the last one I can recall enjoying.

Theme Park was another title that stood out as being unique in the simulation genre and the fact that it's still talked about today is a testament to that. Though it was possibly inspired by (and certainly took cues from) other games that had come before, Theme Park still managed to be totally different, the very British humour likely playing a big part in its legacy. Most of the gamers I know, whether hardcore or casual, have memories of Theme Park and its sort-of-sequel, Theme Hospital. Of course, Two Point Hospital has already scratched that particular itch.

And then, with a sigh, we come to Fable Legends. It may not have been the Fable game we all wanted yet it had potential. The lush landscapes, the eccentric heroes and the biting sarcasm were all present and the writing felt very on-brand. I'm glad that the series still lives and we're getting a new entry, but I'm unsure if it can live up to the hype you've all created.