My Wants for Scalebound
Another GamesCom has come and gone, and we again saw some amazing games, one of those that we knew would be there well in advance was Scalebound. The title from PlatinumGames and headed by Hideki Kamiya generated decent buzz with its initial reveal at E3 2014 but then went quiet for well over a year before being sighted once more at GamesCom. Now pencilled in for a Q4 2015 release there’s a lot of questions to be asked of a game that frankly we still know little about, so naturally there is a lot of fantasising going on as our imaginations run wild. Trying to channel those outlandish dreams is quite a tough ask, but what I deliver to you now is What I Want in Scalebound.
1 – Improved Dialogue
Unless unlikeable, spoilt brat is what Platinum is going for then they might do well to take a look at Drew, the games lead protagonist. While it seems as though Platinum is attempting to replicate the same feeling that the recent DMC reboot evoked, it doesn’t seem to be working as well in Scalebound. I can’t quite place my finger on it yet (whether it is poor writing or voicework) but in the case of Drew it doesn’t seem to be quite there yet. New casting or better writing is necessary if Platinum wants us feeling immersed in the narrative and character they’ve created.
2 – Co-op Chaos
The Gamescom demo revealed that Scalebound will boast cooperative play; four player co-op to be specific. While it’s unlikely that we’ll be gifted four player split-screen co-op the ability to team up with online buddies is an attractive prospect. What I would love to see is it for the game to give us Borderlands styled co-op play, one where friends can drop in or out, where you don’t necessarily have to play with three friends, but anything up to four players, and the difficulty scales accordingly. I would hate to see this four player co-op be a tacked on extra when it could seamlessly integrate into the main-game.
3 – Multiple Dragon Companions
Customization is awesome, but cosmetic changes only hold so much sway with me, diversity is much better. The short co-op reveal in the recent GamesCom trailer seems to indicate that players have the ability to control different dragons, but as of yet I’m not sure whether these dragons have different skills and attributes or whether it is purely aesthetic. While already awesome, wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could have an ice breathing dragon, maybe one that boasts two heads, or even one that slithers through the seas like a serpent? The way this takes place can differ, maybe there are some pre-set choices or alternatively we can use a skill tree to outfit our pal – all I know is that we need diversity.
4 – Open World Wonder
Though the demo and PR seems to suggest that Scalebound will be open world, I’m waiting to see evidence of this. What I would love to see is for Platinum to follow through on that PR speak and actually deliver us an open world to traverse, one that contains no seams and one that we can inspect any time. Having seen the GamesCom demo, as well as the post event extended 8 minute demo I’m of the belief that they’re on the right path but as a team who are yet to deliver a massive open world experience, in favour of more linear affairs, my judgement currently remains reserved. Give us a true open world and let us take to the skies to explore every nook, crevice and corner of it.
5 – Polish
Though not likely to be a concern in over a year when the final product launches, it was hard not to notice in the recent GamesCom demo that the game chugged in a few moments. Some framerate issues hurt the demo a little bit but being so far from release I’m sure that the game will be cleaned up mechanically. Far too many games these days launch with technical issues, it’s rare that a Platinum game suffers the same fate so let’s hope that trend continues.
There’s a lot to be excited about with Scalebound, and while there are a number of things that either need improvement or have yet to be revealed the basic premise already has me riveted. Smashing through a massive open world, and taking to the skies on top of ferocious beasts makes Scalebound one of the most exciting prospects in an already jam packed 2016 but if Platinum can get it right then not even the sky is the limit. What do you want from Scalebound? Are you as won over as I am? Sound off in the comments below or hit us up via Twitter and Facebook with your thoughts.
Paul James
