Game mechanics are the things players are usually talking about when they talk about the gameplay in a video game. Finding fluidity to the mechanics, even introducing new ones, can make a game stand out among the hundreds of games released each year. However, for iconic game director Fumito Ueda, the director behind games like Shadow of the Colossus, Ico, and The Last Guardian, game mechanics, or new ones, at least, are part of a bygone era of video games.
Spotted by VGC, in an interview with Japanese publication DefamicoGamer, Ueda made the comment while talking about Katamari creator Keita Takahashi's latest game, To a T. "I don’t remember exactly why I replied with a ‘like’ at the time, but I was probably thinking, ‘the era of game mechanics is over. I wonder if we are no longer in the era where we need to provide new devices or new game mechanics every single game." Per VGC, Takahashi claims that Ueda has been spreading this particular gospel for years, specifically since Thatgamecompany's Journey released in 2012.
Ueda added, "Even if the mechanics are not new, you can focus on the feel and art. Whether you like it or not, it’s better to sharpen the existing mechanics."
What qualifies as a 'new' game mechanic is ultimately going to be subjective for players and game developers, but it's difficult not to see Ueda's point when you consider how difficult it can be to introduce something truly new to modern players. Art style, game feel, game narrative, and how fluidly all those elements are woven together are what can make games feel new, even if nothing about the individual parts is new.
Lies of P, for example, is a game that borrows plenty from other games. Customizing weapons isn't a new game mechanic, but how its weapon customization weaves into the rest of the game, in terms of its art, combat, and narrative, all help make the way Lies of P does weapon customization feel new for players.
Perhaps the most significant element of this insight into Ueda's view of modern video games and game making is the fact that we know he's working on a new project. Announced at The Game Awards last year with an intriguing trailer, this unnamed project already felt like a callback to Shadow of the Colossus, and it'll be interesting to see where else those similarities lie, and how Ueda chooses to sharpen game mechanics in his next game.
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