It’s no secret that Ubisoft has struggled in the public eye in recent years. It’s not that they make horrible games, in fact they happen to make some really good ones. But sometimes companies can’t help but make decisions that don’t fly well with the fanbase.
Sometimes the ire just comes down to fans not understanding the methods of advertising (such as vertical slice demonstrations). Other times, it’s a matter of glitchy releases.
Regardless, there’s a very bright spotlight on Ubisoft as the company at the moment following the ill-reception of Assassin’s Creed Unity and Watch_Dogs. They’ve since released some solid games, such as Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, and with how things are looking this year, things may get even better for Ubisoft.
Far Cry Primal
Far Cry 4 was a great game, yet in the grand scheme of things, it veered dangerously close to just being a re-skinned Far Cry 3. The series was on the verge of becoming stale, and the developers knew they had to do something significantly different.
Far Cry Primal takes players back to a time where humanity couldn’t rely on guns and computers. There is just nature and the wild beasts around you. This huge divergence from what was already working shows that Ubisoft is focused on delivering quality over quantity. Where many series are content with giving more of the same, only in a different setting (sometimes not even), Far Cry Primal is overhauling the experience.
When a company starts fiddling with its champions, that’s a good sign. It means they want better for their consumers, and that’s never a bad thing.
You can check out our hands-on preview of Far Cry Primal here.
The Division
Ubisoft hasn’t been shy about new IP in recent years, and they haven’t taken the easy approach either. New ideas and worlds don’t always pan out the way a company expects, just take a look at Watch_Dogs. It had a solid premise and interesting mechanics, but it didn’t meet fan expectations upon release. An experience like that would scare many companies from trying again so soon, but not Ubisoft.
The Division is not only a new IP; it’s a huge one, and we don’t mean in terms of hype. An open world that is shared with other players online, a tense Dark Zone, tons of RPG elements, and plans to be expanded in the future all point to a massive launch with a big impact. On top of all that, The Division has caught the attention of Destiny’s huge fan base, offering a similar core experience, and may help fill a void left by Destiny’s current lull.
Ubisoft is doing new things, and new things are great in a world where there’s so much of the same old getting re-hashed.
A Possible Break From Assassin’s Creed
Ubisoft has yet to confirm whether or not a main console entry to its flagship series, Assassin’s Creed, will release this year. Meanwhile, there have been reports floating about saying that the next major installment could see a huge setting change and may not land until some time next year. If this is true, it could be a major boon for the company.
Let’s be clear, Ubisoft is not the only company out there to milk the hell out of a franchise, all of the big players do it. It’s a common practice, but one that may need a company to take a step back and refocus every now and then. Assassin’s Creed has had many ups and downs, with quality fluctuating between titles. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate was extremely solid and mixed things up to great success, but the developers may now see the need for even more innovation if they are to keep fans engaged.
Continuing the Assassin’s Creed line with a high-quality entry would be a smart move and instill a renewed faith in Ubisoft’s fans.
Ubisoft Continues to Listen
Syndicate was partially built from fan feedback, and ended up being such a success for Ubisoft because of that fact. After one of the series’ best entries (Black Flag) and two of the most shaky (ACIII, Unity), fans were not content with the state of affairs. The developers took all of this to heart, and used that to shape two of the best assassins in the series, an even better open world, and a significant mix-up in the gameplay.
It’s something that the company continues to do, using its forums, alphas, and betas to better shape the experiences. Having the fan-base in on the shaping of these worlds and their mechanics is helping to keep things in line with what players want.
Sharing is Caring
Last, but most certainly not least, is the fact that Ubisoft has become more open in recent times. The company’s past saw a few snafus involving changes to and development of games behind a curtain. Watch_Dogs in particular received a lot of flack for a suspected visual downgrade, even though the game still looked amazing by most standards. These large periods of silence between reveal and release can lead to mistrust or miscommunication involving the product.
Since then, Ubisoft has been more open with its progress, sharing important development decisions and the thoughts behind them. Pre-release has become more than just showing off how cool the game looks; now there’s more insight than ever before available to players.
Pulling back the veil provides a bit of transparency that will help to return the company to glory. While secrets are necessary in many situations, including fans in major developments yields great things for both parties involved.
There’s plenty of innovations and changes on the horizon, and it looks to be a prime time for Ubisoft from multiple angles. With new releases and reinvigorated classics, fans can’t wait to see what the company makes of 2016.
Check Out More
- The 10 Best Gaming PCs for 2016
- The 10 Hardest PS4 Platinum Trophies Out There so Far
- Will Destiny Fans Jump Ship for The Division?
- The Good and the Bad of The Division’s Dark Zone
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