Boss Moves: If I were the head of FromSoftware (and CD Projekt Red) –

If I were the head of Naughty Dog

Don’t get me wrong – I love The Last of Us. But if I had been in charge at Naughty Dog, I would have put the series to rest for a while (perhaps continue as a side project with Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet ) and instead return to something that is almost the definition of an adventure: the Uncharted series. It would no longer focus on Nathan Drake, but would instead be based on a new glorious gang (maybe even his daughter) that traveled the world exploring ruins and finding hidden treasures. Just a new generation of treasure hunters, a new vibrant and delightful group of characters with charm, humor and just the right amount of opportunity for mayhem. There would be beautiful environments, clever puzzles, physically impossible climbing (it is Uncharted after all ) and various strategic choices in encountering enemies. Do you want to sneak, do you want to attack or just avoid – the choice would have been yours. An adventure that would have been fun and emotional and would have made both Nathan Drake and Indiana Jones proud.

If I were the head of CD Projekt Red

I really like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077, although the latter had to be justified after its disastrous launch before I could recognize it. But if it had been up to me, I would have started a whole new project separate from those titles. The basics would have been similar: an epic third-person role-playing game where you build your character from the ground up with different backgrounds, abilities and skills. The choices you make have a huge impact on your surroundings, as well as on your relationships with other characters, relationships that can be built but just as easily broken down, all with characters we can love, but also hate. All this, but in the same world as The Lord of The Rings. It would be epic, occasionally beautiful, and above all a tribute to Tolkien’s brilliant work. Imagine an open world in Middle-earth, where you are given a free hand to explore and establish your character. Not just a repeat of what we already know, but a new story with thoughtful side-quests, new characters and new environments to be enchanted by. Just start taking notes and get to work, CD Projekt Red.

If I were the head of FromSoftware

Elden Ring is all well and good, but with me at the helm we would have gone back a few years and given many of the players what they wanted most – Bloodborne 2. In my alternate universe, we would have left behind the foggy alleys of Yharnam to explore the world beyond. What lies beyond the city walls? What does the rest of this rotten reality look like? Are all cities like Yharnam? What happened to the world beyond the chaos? All of this would have been explored and answered in our sequel. The Victorian/Gothic theme would have been retained as the heart and soul of the game’s aesthetic, but we would have opened it up to new types of horrors, new knowledge to dive into, and of course new bosses bent on crushing your psyche. It wouldn’t have been exclusive to PlayStation this time either, but available on PC and other consoles from day one, with full cross-play co-op. And since I’m stepping into the role of the boss anyway, the difficulty would have been increased in co-op mode, so you’re really pushed when you fight together. Epic, challenging and perfect.

If I were the head of Konami

We would have focused on two things: first, we would have immediately remade both Silent Hill 1 and 3 together with Bloober Team. Better graphics, improved sound design, but the same care for the source material as in the Silent Hill 2 Remake. Then we would have dug up P.T. and lured Hideo Kojima back with promises of free play in exchange for him continuing to work on Silent Hills with Guillermo del Toro. They had been given total creative freedom over the project. Silent Hills would be creepy, raw, deep and, above all, a high-level psychological horror. Horror that does not just rely on boring jumpscares, but challenges the definition of what makes something scary, which is what we would have made. Silent Hill would once again become a name associated with chilling horror, and we would have made it hard to turn off the lights at night.

If I were the head of Larian Studios

Few games leave as much of an impression as Baldur’s Gate III. It’s a role-playing game that not only sets the standard – it breathes new life into the genre and really shows where the ceiling should be. The characters, the stories, the freedom of choice – it’s hard to get more perfect than that. So when Larian announced it would be a one-off project, many, including myself, were incredibly disappointed. But if I had been given the chance to dream away at a scenario where I have a say, it would have been obvious that the studio was already fully engaged in the development of Baldur’s Gate 4. All other plans would have been put on hold. There would have been total dedication to the next chapter of Faerûn, focused on delivering an adventure that lives up to its predecessor. New areas to explore, new characters to love and fear, and a new story to captivate. If only that were true…