Release Date: unknown likely 2027
Rating : TEEN

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・Epic Games Store
store.epicgames.com/p/gen-atlas-ff6272

・PlayStation Store
store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/10002572

・Microsoft Store

xbox.com/en-US/games/store/gen-atlas/9N844WWQT04G

Announcement trailer

Summer Games Fest Gameplay reveal

Interviews:

Fumito Ueda Interview IGN Japan June 8

jp.ign.com/untitled-fumito-ueda-gendesign-project/83450/gen-atlas

Video game chronicle interview

videogameschronicle.com/features/interviews/fumito-ueda-on-gen-atlas

Famitsu interview

famitsu.com/article/202606/77519

it took forever for the Last Guardian to come out so

gonna be litty

I can't wait for this

Hope we see more of this at the game awards

Real we can pray . If we don’t then it’s next gen lol

has my intrigue

I was gonna @ you on this bro 🙂‍↔️🫡

Man it’s like the only one I care about already just determining where I will play it based on which console I get to play gta

New interview

Interview Fumito Ueda's new work "gen ATLAS" is an open-world game, and if anything, it's a game type closer to "Shadow of the Colossus"?

In Ueda's previous games, the protagonists were human. In "ICO," he depicted the connections between humans; in "Shadow of the Colossus," he portrayed the courage of a young man facing great difficulties alone; and in "The Last Guardian," he depicted the bond between humans and animals. However, in this latest work, he doesn't depict "humans" at all; the protagonist is a humanoid without self-awareness.

"Unlike previous works, we haven't focused so much on the relationships between the characters. Rather, we're prioritizing the connection between the player and the beings in the game. The theme is 'giant robots and epic time.' The protagonist isn't human, so they have no lifespan. They spend an epic amount of time, and we hope that players will feel something from that," said Ueda.

The protagonist has no lifespan and lives almost forever. Hearing Mr. Ueda's explanation, I couldn't help but think of the episode in Chrono Trigger where Robo cultivated the desert for 400 years.

Ueda's games often use very little dialogue. While there are some exceptions, such as the protagonist's voice reflecting on the past in "The Last Guardian," there are basically no dialogue-driven scenes.

"This time, there will be more dialogue. The reason there wasn't much dialogue in previous games was that, in pursuit of realism, it would be unnatural for characters to keep repeating the same lines (during gameplay), so we eliminated it. This time, the theme is science fiction, and conversations between robots don't sound as unnatural. We've also incorporated things that weren't possible in previous games, such as robots recording things, and there is information conveyed through text. However, it's not overly explanatory, so in that sense, I think the overall feel is not drastically different from previous games."

In Ueda's previous works, the objectives of puzzles and other challenges were not explicitly stated, which sometimes confused some players.

"We do use visual hints, but in past games, gestures alone weren't always enough to convey the intended message. That's something we've learned from experience, so we're consciously trying to create games that are tailored to modern players," said Ueda.

However, what exactly is the "puzzle-solving" aspect of 'gen ATLAS'? Ueda didn't reveal the details, but he did explain the basic flow of the game.

"I can't explain too much, but the main character and a giant head adventure through a ruined world. There are various robot bodies scattered around the world. By connecting the giant head to these different bodies, those bodies are activated, and their abilities are used to engage in battles and puzzles."

Instead of befriending a single robot, the protagonist attaches a giant head to the bodies of various robots, traveling the world to acquire them.

The trailer shows the head flying through the air. According to Ueda, players will essentially be able to fly around the world freely.

"We didn't set out to create an open world, but in terms of its form, you could say it's an open world. However, it's not the type of open world with lots of side quests and missions."

Ueda, who himself plays games, believes that "if you can get the same feeling, shorter is better." In that sense, it would be good to imagine a field similar to that of "Shadow of the Colossus."

However, even if the field layout itself is similar to "Shadow of the Colossus," the worldview itself is quite different from Ueda's previous works.

"ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian were all set in castles and ruins. If I were a player, and the next game had a similar setting, I think I'd think, 'Not again... this pattern.' As a developer, I also felt like, 'Are we going to build ruins again?' So I came up with the theme of giant robots. As entertainment, we always want to add surprises and defy the player's expectations."

While his previous works were fantasy, 'gen ATLAS' is science fiction. However, Ueda himself says that this is not such a big difference.

"The concept was a giant robot, so it ended up being science fiction, but what I want to create is 'something that doesn't exist in the real world,' so I don't feel there's much difference between fantasy and science fiction."

When creating the game, Ueda says he also draws inspiration from the experiences he had as a player. The inclusion of shooting elements in this game is apparently partly due to Ueda's own desire to create that kind of gameplay based on his own sensory experience.

"It's not primarily a combat-focused game, but there's more combat than in previous titles. That being said, it's more of a puzzle-like combat system than something that purely relies on reflexes. There are a few parts that do require some reflexes, though. The shooting is just one element to help players feel the world realistically."

Given its relatively high proportion of combat, 'gen ATLAS' might be considered a game that's somewhat similar to 'Shadow of the Colossus'.

"Even with movies, what you want to watch depends on your mood, right? Sometimes you want to watch a fun movie, and sometimes you want to watch a movie that makes you think. With this game, I wanted both. A thought-provoking element and a guaranteed sense of exhilaration as a game. In that sense, I think it's similar to 'Shadow of the Colossus'."

Ten years have passed since the release of "The Last Guardian" in 2016. However, the development of "gen ATLAS" itself did not take 10 years. After establishing genDESIGN as an independent company, they initially focused on building the studio, conducting research and development, and technically verifying several ideas and creating prototypes, before officially starting development of "gen ATLAS" in 2020.
"I've never had a smooth development experience, but what's different from when I was at Sony is that I can use existing engines like Unreal Engine and Unity. Since we're using Unreal this time, we don't have to build everything from scratch, and it's helpful that we can focus our efforts on the unique aspects of this work that we want to concentrate on."

Development of 'gen ATLAS' began right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Ueda himself says that the concepts of "grand time" and "a ruined, deserted world" were not conceived because of the pandemic.

"I didn't make it a game about humanoids and robots simply because I like that kind of setting. I don't usually make decisions based on just one thing; I choose settings for various reasons."

The recent advancements in AI are one example of this.

"As a very realistic timeline, I think the presence of AI and robots will become increasingly significant in the future, so I've been doing a lot of imagining and speculating about that," and reflecting that in the game.

Ueda's work is often referred to as "art," but he himself says that while it may have an artistic appearance, at its core it deals with themes that everyone can find interesting.

"In 'ICO,' it's about the meeting of a boy and a girl. It's not a love story, but it's structured in a way that makes it appear that way. In 'Shadow of the Colossus,' it's a giant creature. I think this is a motif that everyone can be interested in. 'The Last Guardian' is about cute animals. I don't think there's anyone who dislikes that. When I thought about what to do next, I decided to make a game with a robot theme."

Ueda last worked on the PS4 exclusive The Last Guardian.
While Ueda's games are known for their moving stories, they aren't actually works with particularly rich scenarios. For example, there isn't a grand love story like in 'ICO,' yet through game interactions such as "holding hands," you get that feeling.

"Actually, I believe that scenarios and games are fundamentally incompatible," said Ueda.

"I've given up on the idea that it will ever click unless someone invents it. However, I think that expressions like haiku and tanka are easier to express in games. They don't have detailed descriptions, but you can imagine them by applying them to your own experiences. I think that kind of thing can be depicted in games without too much difficulty. I've used that kind of style in my past works, and 'gen ATLAS' also uses that kind of expression."

Gen Atlas is scheduled for release on PC (Epic Games Store), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. We look forward to further updates.

Video game chronicle interview

videogameschronicle.com/features/interviews/fumito-ueda-on-gen-atlas

Classic #4 otw

Developed in unreal engine

We’ve known this it’s an epic published game . As long as he eventually gets it to run well. Know it was previously 5 but hope it upgrades to 6 if it’s reasonable

We need to be ready for the collectors edition

I wasn’t aware but I’m still in for ueda don’t get me wrong