The world recently heard the news that Square Enix was selling three major studios – Crystal Dynamic, Eidos Montréal and Square Enix Montréal – along with the rights to many of the games. Among them are such famous brands as Tomb Raider or Deus Ex. The catalog of titles is to include a total of about 50 items. Everything for $ 300 million will be taken over by Embracer Group (formerly THQ Nordic) as soon as the legal issues are finalized. However, I’m not going to discuss the deal itself right now, and what it might mean for a few well-known cycles pushed aside by a Japanese publisher. Will we get a sequel to partially forgotten series? Or maybe their reboots telling everything from scratch? I will try to present the most likely scenarios for the four series that are known to be re-flagged. These will be the mentioned Tomb Raider and Deus Ex , as well as Thief and Legacy of Kain .
Tomb Raider is still young
For starters, let’s look at the adventures of Lara Croft. The reboot of the cult series of games began less than ten years ago, and its last (so far) installment – Shadow of the Tomb Raider – is not yet four years old. In other words, we are dealing with a cycle that is still quite fresh. The graphics still look good, the gameplay is satisfying, and the story draws for hours. What then can Tomb Raider expect after the rights to Embracer Group are transferred? The most logical thing seems to be to leave the brand in the formula as we know it now. Since the studio responsible for the current trilogy is also under new management, it is worth giving it a free hand in the preparation of Lara’s next adventures. Recently, the creators revealed that work on another project under the banner has begunTomb Raider expectbut did not provide much detail. Is another reboot already underway? It is possible, but unlikely. Ultimately, however, the ball will be on the side of the new owner. Taking into account the latest game sales report with the famous archaeologist (88 million copies of all installments of the series have been sold since 1996, 38 million of which is only the last trilogy), it is almost certain that the next title in this series will be created soon.
Graphics: https://store.steampowered.com/app/943200/Shadow_of_the_Tomb_Raider__The_Path_Home/
Will there be a second renaissance of Deus Exa ?
Though certainly not as famous as the series previously mentioned, Deus Ex is still a highly regarded science fiction brand. Unfortunately, the situation of this series may be less obvious than Tomb Raider for several reasons. While the return to cyberpunk climates with Deus Ex: Humanity ‘s Rise was a success, the sequel, subtitled Mankind Divided, was not so warmly received. Although the ending of that game suggested that Adam Jensen is not going to be a thing of the past yet, unfortunately since 2016 there has been no specific news regarding a possible sequel. In addition, the word “cyberpunk” currently evokes mixed feelings in many players, and this is due to the production from CD Projekt Red. We probably all remember the controversial start Cyberpunk 2077and virtually unplayable console versions. Of course, that doesn’t have to mean the Deus Ex will remain in oblivion. Creators can learn a lesson from the mistakes their peers made, as well as the partial failure of Mankind Divided, and serve players a masterpiece. The pressure will definitely be high. However, we are missing an answer to the question: what next? Will Adam Jensen see the culmination of his adventures? Undoubtedly, many fans are counting on it, but the more time passes, the smaller the chances are. In such a situation, it remains to keep your fingers crossed for the next reboot.
Graphics: http://playingdaily.pl/2011/05/05/deus-ex-human-revolution-screeny-z-wersji-pc/deus-ex-human-revolution-action-shot-1/
Can Thief still come out of the shadows?
The series of steampunk and dark fantasy stealth games had its ups and, unfortunately, also one significant fall. While the original trilogy, released in 1998–2004, was accorded high praise by critics and players alike, the reboot released ten years later was only a decent mediocre. The game was not revolutionary, but it was able to provide a bit of entertainment and check how players cope with stealthy activities. This is basically all there is to say about the brand’s past, but what’s the future for? Of all the games mentioned so farOf all the Thiefhas the most opportunities to return to the stage. The game from 2014 had a closed plot that did not leave loose threads. Sequel of course would be a viable but rather not a necessary option. In this situation, another reboot seems more possible. Perhaps with a new hero or a different setting to distance the new masterpiece a bit from the previous ones. There is also another possibility, namely a remake of the original trilogy. Looking at the market now and how many older titles are undergoing not only a facelift, but also a comprehensive plastic surgery, such an option seems quite likely. In addition, the creators could take advantage of the renewed classics and, after many years, finally give players Thief 4 . Are they just dreams? Perhaps not for long.
Graphics: https://www.gry-online.pl/S030.asp?ID=72803
The chances of Legacy of Kain ‘s return are greatest in many years
If you are under twenty, titles like Blood Omen and Soul Reaver may be alien to you. And it’s no surprise considering that the last full-fledged game in the Legacy of Kain franchise went on sale nearly two decades ago. So what is this cycle? The entire series is a dark fantasy set in the fictional land of Nosgoth. The main characters are the vampire ruler Kain and his former subordinate Raziel. Their rivalry of envy and vengeance spans hundreds of years into both Nosgoth’s future and past. Throughout the series, we control one or the other – in Blood Omen Kain, and in Soul Reaver – Raziel – in turn in the last part with the subtitle Defianceboth are playable. Permanent plot elements are, among others time travel and necromancy. In total, there were five installments of Legacy of Kain . There was also a sixth ( Dark Prophecy , also called Blood Omen 3), which, however, was canceled early in production. So how should this series be dealt with by the new rights holders? The only reasonable solutions are to remake or reboot the whole thing. After all this time, it would be a high risk to release the sequel itself as it won’t attract too many new players. The expanded world of Nosgoth would have to be explored from the old games of the PlayStation 1 and 2 eras. These have not aged too well in terms of both gameplay and graphics. The golden mean in this situation seems to be a remake of the entire series, preserving the plot and characters, based on the current technology. This way, both old timers and newcomers to Nosgoth will be able to fully enjoy the return of the legend.
Graphics: https://www.ppe.pl/gry/Legacy-of-Kain-Blood-Omen-2/517