Epic Games

I don't leave no company out of dicrimination. As you seen with my Braid and Bungie post it is time for Epic. So lets dig more into this one and let the talks roll.

Really I think the only thing Epic has done good is give everyone Horde mode from the Gears of War Series. There core technology Unreal Engine in my own opinion is not that great of a gaming engine like everyone makes it out to be. You can discuss this with me, but I will go over that later on down the road. Then again can Epic develop a game that is out side the shooter genre or is it a one genre wonder?

The Unreal Engine to me even though it is highly used is not the best out there. Cliffy B in one of his many interviews said it could not do hair. Now when I think of hair I think of grass on a ball. So if grass / hair can't be done then it is not a solid piece of equipment. Yes the graphics look good, but then again I think most people are trying to repeat on how Gears of War looks and feels when using it.

One of the best things Epic did for gaming was Horde mode. I could care less about this mode even though it is popular in Cod: WaW Zombie mode. If it wasn't for horde mode I think Gears of War would be just another shooter game in the wind with a cover system. Surprising enough waves of enemies may be the thing to take shooters to a new era, but feels more arcady to me.

With that being said I don't see Epic Games doing anything more then just shooters which is a shame. Really it is sad they will only be know for the Unreal Engine and Gears of War. They maybe publishing Shadow Complex, but they didn't develop it. So for me it is another company just wasting talent to make a shooter.

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David Matos

August 14, 2009

Shooters have become the genre of this generation. Those and Music Games. Just like platformers dominated the NES/Genesis days and RPG's during the PS1/PS2 days.

Epic at least makes GOOD shooters, and has some good community features and options in their games.

Toby Davis

@David Epic truely has only made 1 shooter franchise in GoW to really call there own. Everything else was someone else's property at first.

That is why I give them props, but when will they work out side there bubble of normal and do something brilliant?

James Thornhill

Not sure what you mean by wasting talent at the end there. If anything, games like Shadow Complex show what those with a lot of creativity can do with the engine, and that Epic are looking to utilize said talent to broaden their horizons a little for the future.

@James - See even though Shadow Complex is using the Epic Engine and being published by them does not show case what Epic can do as a developer. This only shows to me that other people can do good work with there stuff.

The talent they have has created 1 good IP in GoW, 1 Good Engine in Unreal and now 1 good published XBLA game. How ever what there talent is not doing is trying to break the mold in gaming. Horde mode is not ground breaking as it was a lost art. As well as the cover system was not groundbreaking, but revitalized it to the masses.

It just seems to me they are wasting talent that should not be wasted in those people.

@Toby-I think you're being a little too tough on Epic. They made one good IP, a good engine (which MANY games use) and one good XBLA game.

Thats pretty good! Imagine if every developer did that. We'd have a lot more quality games out there. I like Epic as a developer because of their staff. I'm directing this to Cliffy B. he is an honest guy, who is a gamer himself. He has gone on record saying "I fucked up with the grenades" (In GOW1). Few developers are that frank and honets with the media about their products.

Sure they didn't invent the cover system, and few things are groundbreaking anymore. What they did was make a cover system so useful and intuitive that it has spawned countless clones in only a few years. revitalizing is the new "groundbreaking" nowadays.

I don't think Epic has done enough wrongs to warrant outcry. Breaking the mold isn't a waste of talent, no one breaks the mold anymore. Instead they have fine tuned the mold for people to enjoy.

@David I am glad some is having a good conversation on this with me. Maybe I am being to tough, but then again how many one hit wonders from companies like this have we seen over the years. I mean I hate to say it, but I don't like that Epic is sticking with shooters with there development aspect.

It appears anyone now a days can make a shooter, but very few developers ever break out side and do a different genre. Which will be mondays out cry ;).

To me even if they are fine tuning a mold then that in it self is all ready giving up on thinking out side and wanting to try something different and fresh.

Lance Darnell

Which will be mondays out cry

I am looking forward to Monday! And even if I wanted to disagree with you about Epic Toby, I cannot, for the only Epic game I have ever played was Gears of War! One-hit-wonder? :o

What I do love about Gears, and David mentions this, is the one-button cover system. Brilliant.

Jon Porter

If you name me an engine that can do hair well I will admit that the Unreal Engine is a bad piece of software. As it stands I think there's a reason why so many companies use it, even if this reason is not apparent to us non-developer types.

@Jon how about Gamebyro Engine or Evolution Engine.