I originally posted this on Knights’ Archive, early April 2014.
I almost had a heart attack, jumped around for joy, and yelled, “Wizard!” and actually meant it, when I first heard this next bit of news. And while you might not have the same reaction when you heard it, I’m going to do my best to make sure you realize why I did. Amy Hennig, known most recently and awarded a lot for the Uncharted series of video games on the Playstation 3, has joined Visceral Games as Creative Director for their upcoming Star Wars project.
The award-winning Uncharted games have quickly become my favorite game series of all time, giving players the chance to live out a contemporary Indiana Jones-like adventure. And if you remember how each character had distinct, but relatable personalities from the Indiana Jones films, Uncharted has some the best written and most easily likable characters out of all video games, from the main character, those who join you on the journey, villains, and everyone in-between, thanks in no small-part to Amy Hennig.
But most importantly, Amy has been responsible for writing actual female characters in video games, like Chloe and Elena, who do way more than just fawn over the lead Nathan Drake and can hold their own in any situation. Star Wars as a whole has been lacking in this department (especially the video games) and if she can bring more female characters, along with relatable personalities to every character, we are going to be in for something very special. So if you’ve wanted a better written Star Wars game, full of unique personalities no matter the gender/race/species, then you should perk up your little Ewok ears and take notice of this announcement.
She recently left Naughty Dog, the studio responsible for the Uncharted games (as well as the critical hit The Last of Us) in a rather surprising move. Her name carries a lot of weight in the video games industry, so I’m sure there were tons of companies trying to throw money at her. It’s just as surprising to see her leave Naughty Dog as it is having her as part of the Star Wars universe and we all win out in the end.
It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to contribute to the Star Wars universe, after it’s had such a formative influence on my life.
— Amy Hennig (@amy_hennig) April 3, 2014
I do have some speculation on the project, so take this next bit with a grain of salt: Visceral is most likely working on an open-world Star Wars project and while Disney let the 1313 trademark go, they could still conceivably be working on where the LucasArts team left off but be taking it in a new direction. Amy’s inclusion in their project and 1313’s heavily borrowed Uncharted-type gameplay is what makes me think they could be continuing with the game, but that’s just more wishful thinking on my part than anything. In the end, I’m pretty sure we’ll love whatever they come up with. (via USATODAY)
UPDATE 5/28/15: In my latest video game related opinion article, I talk about the speculation (and do some of my own) regarding the latest teases from Visceral about their upcoming project.
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth.
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