A reader details the five developers he considers the best working today, including the creators of Hades 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3.
Despite all the terrible things going on in the video games industry at the moment you’ve still got to say that this has been a good year so far, in terms of output, with a lot of really good games. I wanted to stay positive, so instead of taking about the ongoing farce at Xbox I instead wanted to make a list. Because I’m a gamer and we like making lists.
It’s of my top five favourite developers, because although the number one and two is obvious (and I can’t imagine not being in anyone’s top 10, at the very least) I wasn’t sure about the others until I had a think about it.
It was especially difficult because a lot of ‘obvious’ choices don’t make the cut for me. PlatinumGames used to be a favourite, but they haven’t released anything for ages and Hideki Kamiya has left now. And Naughty Dog… I like The Last Of Us and Uncharted just fine but at times they barely seem like games, and Naughty Dog clearly have very little interest in gameplay, when compared to storytelling.
So here’s my list, I’m sure no one will agree with it entirely but I’m not sure there’s any argument that could convince me these aren’t five of the best developers in the world.
5. Supergiant Games
There are so many great indie developers out there but it’s difficult for them to become famous because many don’t make more than a few games and not all of those are always successful. Supergiant though has been putting out hits since 2011, with Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, and the amazing Hades. I’m playing Hades 2 in early access right now and it’s just as amazing as usual, although it almost feels a shame that it’s their first ever sequel. What marks these games out is that they’re almost all perfect, for what they’re going for. You might not like them all but Supergiant’s stuff is so confident and refined there’s almost nothing to criticise.
4. Capcom
It’s been a real pleasure to see Capcom’s recent return to greatness, but they’ve always been good to some degree. From their classic arcade games to the initial Resident Evil games and now things like Monster Hunter and Dragon’s Dogma, they are the only ones that have a breadth and consistency of games to come anywhere close to my number one choice of developer. They’re one of the most exciting companies right now, not just because of their recent games but because we don’t know what they’re working on next. I can’t wait to find out though.
3. Larian Studios
These guys are basically the opposite of Capcom, in that they haven’t been around for long and only make one kind of game. Considering Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3 are two of the best games ever made though that doesn’t really matter. Although what I love them for the most is their recent comments where they said, ‘building games that are actually fun is going to make you the most money, that’s it.’ Following the recent stupidity at Xbox, I feel their words need to be heard more than ever.
2. FromSoftware
With my first three choices I would immediately be interested in anything they made but I wouldn’t take it as a guarantee that I was going to play and enjoy them. With a From game though, that’s it. You don’t need to tell me anything else. Ever since Dark Souls turned the industry upside down, they’ve been knocking out classic after classic and there’s no reason to imagine they’ll ever stop. Elden Ring and Armored Core 6 were both amazing and Shadow Of The Erdtree is my most anticipated game of the year. From don’t care about gaming fashions or pleasing everyone, they just make what they want, and they happen to be some of the best video games ever made.
1. Nintendo EPD
Having Nintendo in a list like this almost feels like cheating because nobody else even comes close in terms of consistency and longevity, with the most amazing highs that any developer has ever had. I’ve narrowed this down to their Entertainment Planning & Development Division, which is the studio that makes Mario, Zelda, Animal Crossing, Splatoon and a lot of their biggest games. But really, almost everything connected with Nintendo is great. It shouldn’t be, given how long they’ve been around, but their track record is beyond anything any other company could possibly compete with and that will probably always be true.
By reader Jonesy
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