Bring my Girl Back!

I've been trying to actualy play Dead Space 2, which I purchased a couple weeks ago on sale at Amazon and, despite being quite good, I'm only about 2.5 hours in to it. I can't really tell you why except it really just hasn't grabbed me. Don't get me wrong, it really is a well made game. The graphics are fantastic, the pacing and level design are far superior to it's predecessor, I like that Issac (the protagonist and PC)is a person who speaks and has a face, and I really jumped at the morgue thing (you know what I mean if you played the game). It's also technologically functional, which is a lot more than other games released recently can say. Problem is there are, and have been so many good shooters released in the last few years it really takes a great shooter to suck me in (here's hoping!).

With that said I have been succumbing to one-more-term-itis this weekend, but I did think of an ancient franchise that really would make a fantastic, actually mature title and would sell very well on it's own license. That game would be a new, mature "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?"

Anyone who is around my age (28) spent plenty of time with the game as a child. Developed by long defunct Broderbund Software, I spent hours playing on my Apple IIc as a child. The game was great; it was new every round which added crazy replay, had a compelling and mysterious antagonist, and actually taught me a lot about the world without me even realizing it. The game also challenged you to think; which is a lot more than can be said about most titles these days. Also if you are older that 23 you immediately heard the theme song to the crappy quiz show in your head. You know that just happend (do it Rockapella)!

So how on Earth would a kids game, over 20 years old, be revived as a "mature" title? Well journey with me here. You have a concept based around chasing an arch criminal around the world and dismantling her international crime syndicate. You have just about any exotic setting you could want. You work for Interpol. The main demo for games (males and females 24 to 38) already know and probably have a favorable view of the franchise. There are also so many ways you can go plot wise.

Rat in Interpol? Foiling heists? Tracking associates around the world of course. Crazy action sequences and interrogation sequences, puzzle solving, etc.

There are also a couple different ways you could go gameplay mechanic wise too. I see it mostly as Elder Scrolls meets Uncharted. Definitely a lot of exploration and NPC interaction, but you definitely need the scripted action sequences. You can't have THAT open a world in the traditional GTA/TES tradition, but you have a lot of smaller levels based in 20 or 30 cities around the world.

Would you buy that? I definitely would!