The Game Awards2024 was filled to the brim with exciting, upcoming release announcements, but one that might get lost in the excitement of everything going on is an unnamed title, currently nicknamedProject: Robot. Despite being announced alongside massive names likeElden Ring: Nightreign,The Witcher 4, andBorderlands 4, this game deserves to be on many players' radar as well, even without a proper name and only a two-minute trailer. A massive reason for this is the reputation of the studio behind this project, genDESIGN, which houses some of gaming’s most legendary developers.
Almost nothing has been revealed about this game, other than a very cryptic two-minute trailer and a working title, yet there is still a lot to be excited about because of the studio’s immense reputation. The studio most recently worked onThe Last Guardianeight years ago in 2016, but the staff behind it is most well knownforShadow of the ColossusandIcofor the PlayStation 2. SinceThe Last Guardian,genDESIGN has remained quiet for some time, with this unnamed game potentially serving as a major comeback.
Shadow Of The Colossus & Ico Are Gaming Icons
GenDESIGN has Made Amazing Cult Classics
To understand whyProject: Robotis deserving of attention, it needs to be understood that the development team’s previous titles are cult classics that have developed a legendary status within the gaming industry.GenDESIGN is led by former staff from a Sony development team called Team Ico, which made its mark with the groundbreaking 2001 gameIcothat told an incredible story with minimal dialogue. It wasn’t a massive commercial success, but its amazing art, original gameplay, and story made it abeloved cult classic, a theme with Team Ico’s titles.
Team Ico was made defunct during the development ofThe Last Guardianafter director Fumito Ueda and members of his team left to form genDESIGN.
Similar praise was heaped onShadow of the Colossus, the team’s second title, which also had minimal dialogue and ground-breaking visuals.Shadow of the Colossusis the studio’s most famous title, earning aBluePoint remakein 2018, and earned acclaim for its visual storytelling that made people feel remorse for the Colossi. It’s a heartbreaking tale that stuck with people, and the stunning visual achievement of the title back in 2005 was unmatched for the time, making it a game that many players are nostalgic for almost twenty years on.
What We Know About The Game So Far
It Looks To Be A Team Ico Game Through And Through
Although called by a different name,genDESIGN appears to be making a Team Ico game through and throughaccording to the trailer, available on the officialPlayStationYouTube channel. There’s repeated, strange dialogue in heavily modulated English throughout as the main character is climbing a giant mech, probably meaning that the studio will stick to the minimal dialogue storytelling it is known for. The trailer also appears to be in-game footage, with the character clearly being controlled as they climb this massive mech.
The dialogue in the trailer says “Evacuate all areas within a 25-kilometer radius of ground zero now. 60 seconds. 55 seconds.” The countdown continues"Shockwave impact in 30 seconds. 25 seconds. 15 seconds",then counts down from 10 to 1.
Project: Robotseems to be the team’s first futuristic title,as all three of its other titles are in fantastical settings without extremely advanced technology. It does have the climbing elements seen inShadow of the Colossus, and the title could feature a similar approach but with giant, dead mechs to get from place to place to escape the haunting, shadowy mist on the horizon. The symbols on the character’s poncho could mean that the game is in the same universe as the other titles, as theShadow of the Colossusstoryboard connects it withIco’s world.
Why You Should Be Excited For This Game
Team Ico Has Only Made Great TItles
Even if Team Ico had a different name, the same people are involved with genDESIGN. This group, led by legendary director Fumito Ueda, has proved over and over again that it makes incredible titles that stick with its players for years after the fact. Although these titles rarely experience mainstream attention on the level of newannouncements likeElden Ring NightreignorThe Witcher4, they always end up as beloved cult classics with hauntingly beautiful stories to tellin worlds that feel rich and vibrant. With Epic Games' backing, this title could be the biggest and richest of the lot.
What was your favorite reveal from the 2024 Game Awards?
The Witcher 4 is certainly the reveal that I’m most excited about, but there were some other things I didn’t know about that appealed to me. The new Mafia game looks fantastic, as does the new Naughty Dog game, Intergalactic. I have doubts that I’ll have time to play all of them, but it was fun watching the trailers and I hope they turn out as good as they look!
Sometimes, the reputation of a studio is enough to carry a game forward, even if the studio has been dormant for some time. Although almost nothing has been shown off, not even a proper name,Project: Robotlooks as though it will have the Team Ico DNA that has never let the gaming industry down. When surrounded by trailers for sequels and spin-offs atThe Game Awards, an original IP from a legendary group of developers could be the antidote to an industry suffering from lacking creativity from many AAA developers who seem to have lost their spark.
