God of Wartook the industry by storm when it hit the scenes in early 2018. Earning numerousGame of the Year nominationsand wins, it was clear that Sony had yet another mega hit on its hands for the PlayStation first party lineup. A great deal of the title’s praise was aimed at its ambitious one-shot technique, mimicking the continuous visual style often seen in popular movies. This was by no means an easy feat to pull off, but game director Cory Barlog pushed the team to its creative limits, and it paid off in a big way.
WithGod of War’s one-shot visual style proving to be such a hit with critics and players, it wouldn’t be surprising for other big names in the gaming industry to try and adopt the trend. This of course shouldn’t be done just for the sake of it, and should fit with the overall tone or gameplay of each particular franchise. The following examples, while either obvious or unconventional choices, would most likely mesh very well withGod of War’s one-shot camera trick.
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First and foremost, theDead Spacefranchise is a perfect fit for this visual style. It is worth noting, that its placement on this list is largely in part to it already being confirmed by developers that theDead Spaceremake will be in one-shot, similar toGod of War. So, while confirmed, it cannot be emphasized enough just how much this will benefit the overall game.
Being an action/horror experience, switching to cutscenes now and then may cause a disconnect in the building of suspense. TheDead Spacefranchisehas already made great efforts to keep itself as immersive as possible, with features like the in-game HUD on Isaac’s rig. However, adding this one extra little touch will only sweeten the scare factor even more.
The Last of Us
Speaking of intensity and scares, while not specifically a horror game,The Last of Usfranchise does have elements of terror within in. The clickers are greatly unsettling adversaries, while shootouts with human opponents can often be pulse pounding. For the most part,The Last of Uskeeps its action continuous, with areas lasting a long time as the player controlsJoel or Elliethroughout the story.
Every so often, a cutscene will interrupt the gameplay, and while masterfully created, it can be abrupt in the middle of intense sequences. Considering that the over the shoulder gameplay clearly had an influence onGod of War, it would be fitting for things to now come full circle.The Last of Ustaking things that extra step would make for an even more immersive experience than before, and its something that a talented studio such asNaughty Dogwould surely be able to pull off.
Call of Duty
The one-shot technique isn’t just fitting for slow paced scare fests, but can also be effective within more bombastic action spectacles as well.Call of Dutyis among the expected yearly franchises, and with that, some players feel that it is growing more and more repetitive. However, the campaigns have usually been seen as a bright spot, with gripping narratives and unforgettable set pieces.
Considering that these campaigns are generally brief (lasting just 5-6 hours), the one-shot technique would be incredibly fitting here. It could draw influence from a popularwar film such as1917and follow a singular mission through the eyes of one soldier, witnessing every single moment from beginning to end.
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Silent Hill
Rumors of a newSilent Hillgamehave been running rampant on the internet for a while now, and while nothing has been confirmed, many theories have risen up as to what shape the project will take. Whatever ends up happning, aSilent Hillgame would be a perfect pairing with the one-shot technique.
As stated above, the horror genre functions well with this kind of cinematography, as the continued, lingering visuals provides no break from the horror on-screen. This has been utilized countless times in the world of cinema for horror movies and with good reason. For further evidence,P.T.was all delivered in one-shot, and that was meant to be aSilent Hillrevival. Players are still raving over its masterclass display of fear, which says something about the effectiveness of a one-shot technique and the horror genre.
Tomb Raider
TheTomb Raiderreboot from 2013 redefined what to expect from the franchise, and now with a few sequels out, perhaps its time once again to spice up the established formula. Cory Barlog, the director ofGod of War, has revealed that he actually pitched the sameone-shot style forTomb Raideryears ago, but the concept was turned down. Now, afterGod of Warhas proved it can work, there may be a chance the idea will be revisited for a newTomb Raidergame.
Considering the shift to a more serious tone and emphasis on survival based gameplay,Tomb Raiderwould benefit greatly from the one-shot camera technique. To once again return to movies,2015’sThe Revenantwas a movie that used several long takes to show the harsh brutality of surviving against the wildnerness. A similar approach would not be a stretch for a new adventure starring Lara Croft.
StarFox
While Nintendo’s space combat series may seem like an odd choice, there is a way to make it work very well here. TheStarFoxfranchise, for the most part, has been mostly dormant over at Nintendo. However, with each new return, Nintendo always seems open minded to try a new gimmick with the series in order to keep things fresh.
A one-shot game from the perspective of the cockpit, that also allows for real time travel from planet to planet, would be an amazing new take on the franchise. The game can take a few notes fromNo Man’s Skyin that regard, allowing Fox and his crew to soar in and out of the atmosphere across multiple planets in the Lylat system. It would be an ambitious venture for sure, but asGod of Warproved, without risk, there is no reward.
God of Waris available on PC and PS4.
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