Ubisoft is no stranger to success, with much of it coming from games in the shooter genre. From Far Cry to Tom Clancy’s The Division, Ubisoft’s action-heavy shooter titles often come around, and while few been abject failures, many have struggled to find a foothold in the current landscape. Be it for reasons out of the developer’s control, the lack of innovation present each release, or the volume of games that are available, Ubisoft’s current offerings like Hyper Scape aren’t gaining the traction its lofty name would typically bring.
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Tom Clancy’s Name Recognition
One of the brands that Ubisoft has attempted to push in recent years has been games that fall under the Tom Clancy banner. The American novelist’s approach to storytelling for military and espionage tales has been beloved, and gamers have become familiar with his name ever since the release of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six in 1998. The author has been in the title of dozens of Ubisoft projects, often with that name being the only thing they have in common. From Splinter Cell to Ghost Recon, it’s always been a task to differentiate the games that release regularly with Clancy’s name on the cover.
It’s rare that there is clarity around which game precedes the next, so with other developers and franchises putting out shooters of equal quality, it’s easier for players to jump ship and find enjoyment elsewhere. So much of Ubisoft’s shooter stock is placed alongside the Tom Clancy brand, so the barrier of entry feels high for beginners. In this case, familiarity hasn’t produced consistency, be it in playerbase or quality.
Ubisoft’s Reputation as an Open-World Developer
As the AAA space becomes more diverse than ever, certain companies are increasingly known for a particular niche. Polyphony Digital and Playground Games have become known for offering genre-defining driving games like Gran Turismo 7 and Forza Horizon 5, meanwhile Naughty Dog has become synonymous with linear, narrative-focused affairs like The Last of Us. In the case of Ubisoft, the company has become so intertwined with open worlds that it’s hard to garner much interest when it deviates from the genre. The upcoming Star Wars game from Ubisoft will likely include non-linear level design, further proving that fans have expectations from an Ubisoft product.
The shooters that Ubisoft have presented in recent years haven’t stood out from the crowd enough compared to the releases from other companies. It doesn’t make much sense for players to invest time, money, and effort into a shooter like Ghost Recon: Breakpoint when studios such as id Software and Bungie have already perfected the formula. The magic of Far Cry 3 was its incredible Rook Islands setting, and though its shooting mechanics were solid, they didn’t revolutionize the genre. The series’ sixth mainline installment predictably builds on the series’ gameplay only slightly, with higher emphasis on the world that the game takes place within, once again playing to Ubisoft’s strengths.
Though many of its shooters have seen positive reception, Ubisoft has yet to release a game in the last few years that is an undeniable hit. Not since Rainbow Six Siege has the company felt like it had a grasp on the genre, and even that took a while to gain traction. There are developers in the AAA scene that are more proficient in forging a great or memorable shooter, and with Ubisoft’s status as the industry leader in open-world design, it may very well be cursed by its own success.
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