Warren Spector, the famed producer of games including System Shock, Deus Ex, Crusader: No Remorse, and Epic Mickey, is working on something new: "An immersive simulation based on a completely new intellectual property developed by Otherside," the studio Spector joined in 2016.
"Fans of my work already know what to expect: an immersive world and engaging narrative that players will directly impact through their choices and playstyles," Spector said in a statement. "We are still in early development and are looking forward to sharing more information soon!"
As a fan of Spector's past work I find the promise of something in a similar vein to be very exciting, and only mildly tempered by Underworld Ascendant, the catastrophically bad spiritual successor to Ultima Underworld that Otherside released in 2018. Part of my optimism arises from "lessons learned"—it's unlikely anyone would screw up that badly twice, right?—and also because of the separate announcement of the hiring of Jeff Goodsill as general manager, a position from which he will "lead the growth of the independent studio and oversee production of upcoming next-gen console and PC titles," including Spector's new game.
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Goodsill has credits going back to 2001 on games including Nascar Racing, Titan Quest, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, and Age of Empires 2. He's also served as a "strategic advisor" to Otherside over the past six months.
"As an advisor, Jeff has already made us a more effective development studio," Spector said. "As a full-time member of the team, he’ll be invaluable in helping us achieve our goal of becoming a top-tier developer of games that empower players to tell their own stories through play."
There are no details about the project, but the single piece of key art is interesting: A squadron of stingray-driving sea pilots emerging from what looks to be some sort of city or settlement on the back of an apparently massive blue whale. BioShock meets Wandering Village, perhaps? Maybe that's a stretch, but I'd play it.
