The recent Sony State of Play event left me feeling deflated, as it highlighted a worrying trend in the AAA gaming industry. It's becoming increasingly apparent that these blockbuster titles are transforming into interactive movies, sacrificing genuine gameplay for scripted spectacle.
As an avid gamer, I was particularly excited for the reveals of Marvel's Wolverine and God of War: Laufey, but instead of thrilling, heart-pumping action, I witnessed a masterclass in disappointment. Both games showcased heavily automated sequences, which not only failed to build hype but also exposed a broader decline in the industry's approach to action-game design.
From Artistry to Automation
The State of Play began with Marvel's Wolverine, which should have been a perfect showcase for Insomniac's talent. With Logan's legendary rage, the developer had the potential to create a visceral, high-speed action game akin to the classic Ninja Gaiden titles. However, what we saw was a far cry from that vision. The game seemed to rely on generic, automated set pieces and combat animations, reminiscent of the Arkham and Marvel's Spider-Man games, but with a superficial layer of bloodspray.
The stream's bookend, God of War: Laufey, only reinforced my concerns. The new game stubbornly clings to the claustrophobic, over-the-shoulder camera angles from the 2018 reboot, which severely limits peripheral vision. To add speed, the developer introduced floaty, weightless aerial combat, an awkward imitation of DmC: Devil May Cry. It's as if the developer sacrificed the frantic, 360-degree crowd control of the original Greek trilogy, trading mechanical momentum for self-important, over-produced 'gaming cinema.'
This trend is a tragedy for modern gaming. It's not a failure of developer imagination but a symptom of the ballooning budgets of AAA games. With break-even points requiring sales of over 7 million copies, creative risk becomes a financial liability. This risk aversion leads to the systematic hollowing out of gameplay mechanics, resulting in low-skill, over-the-shoulder slop.
The expressive, high-skill combat freedom of iconic games like Bayonetta and Devil May Cry 3 has been reduced to passive, automated interactions. I'm no longer challenged to master an action game; I'm expected to politely spectate. Take the God of War: Laufey reveal - how much of those '20 minutes of uncut gameplay' actually required player input? Probably a mere fraction.
The Myth of the Niche Ceiling
Corporations often argue that pure action games hit a financial ceiling, but history proves otherwise. Take Ninja Gaiden 3, for example. When Team Ninja tried to make it more casual-friendly and cinematic in 2012, they alienated their core fanbase and saw sales plummet. The lesson is clear: a dedicated, mid-sized audience buying a properly budgeted game is far more sustainable than a $200 million cinematic behemoth.
The State of Play itself highlights this point. Games like Phantom Blade Zero and Kemuri, with their robust and engaging action, promise a more satisfying experience. And then there's Stellar Blade, developed by South Korea's Shift Up with a modest budget of $30-50 million. It shattered the myth of the niche ceiling, selling over 3 million copies and becoming the best-selling PlayStation-exclusive launch IP on PC. Its reveal during the Summer Games Fest outshone both Wolverine and God of War with its stylized presentation and pure, over-the-top action.
I don't need pre-baked set pieces or unskippable, awkward story scenes to feel immersed in an action game. What I want is the satisfaction of perfectly timing a parry or landing a super move. AAA developers seem to have forgotten these core mechanics, and it's a real shame.
A Financial Prison
The AAA industry has trapped itself in a financial prison, spending hundreds of millions on beautiful but lifeless interactive movies. Video games are not movies; they are meant to be played and mastered. Modern studios need to recognize this and strip away the passive, Simon Says-style gameplay. They should look to the success of Stellar Blade as a blueprint for how to create engaging, financially viable action games.
I hope I'm wrong about Marvel's Wolverine and God of War: Laufey, but as it stands, I'm not impressed. The industry needs to remember that gameplay is king, and players crave the satisfaction of mastering a challenging, expressive action game.
