X360 responds to the whole Inafune Japanese development diss kerfuffle. Yeah, you heard us – kerfuffle…
Why Vanquish proves Japanese development is still thriving
Speaking at this year’s TGS, Dead Rising 2 producer and father of Mega Man Keiji Inafune was swift to criticise the videogame output of his compatriots, bemoaning how swiftly Japanese development has fallen from its turn of the century position of power.
Said he “I look around Tokyo Games Show, and everyone’s making awful games; Japan is at least five years behind. I want to study how Westerners live, and make games that appeal to them.” Trouble is, though, that’s part of the problem.
Casting a jealous eye towards Epic Games, Team Tachyon’s Quantum Theory sets aside floppy-haired protagonists and role-playing elements for a post-apocalyptic dystopia polished to a fine sheen. Eyeing the lucrative Western market it’s the full testosterone-fuelled package, featuring lines plucked straight from the mouth of Marcus Fenix.
Why Vanquish proves Japanese development is still thriving
Gameplay quality relative to its peers isn’t really the issue here, more that where once Japan used to lead the world, it’s now delighted to chase the whims of little Jimmy and Johnny Corpsehump. For shame.
Still, hope is on the horizon in the shape of Vanquish, a title that is happy enough to court the Dollar and Pound, but doesn’t let financial decisions trump creative ones. See, it contains one central gameplay innovation that may very well revolutionise third-person shooters forever.
Protagonist Sam Gideon’s absurd mech-a-suit boasts an ability to slow time – a well trodden path, only one slightly altered in the name of tactical gaming, with the addition of a timer bar that forces hundreds of dramatic choices per hour.
Why Vanquish proves Japanese development is still thriving
Upon reaching its limit, see, players must make the decision to retreat to a position of safety and recharge or push the limits of their endurance in an overarching do-or-die stand-off. At a stroke, the cover shooter without cover is created. There’s a genre you never thought you’d play…
So, as to whether Inafune’s words are wise or not, well, the evidence points both ways. We’ll be happy enough with not shooting aliens in the dark with a bald man. The rest is just a bonus.
