The waiting game

It’s been a while, so allow us to reference that hoary old Miyamoto quote: “A delayed game is eventually good, but a bad game is bad forever.” While we’re not about to argue with a master of game design, the line has always overlooked an uncomfortable problem with the idea of taking your time making a game. Such is the rate of progress in this industry that by the time you’ve perfected your concept, you risk it being rendered obsolete.

It’s a problem that’s been faced by a couple of the developers whose games we finally run the rule over this issue. The first of five acts of Kentucky Route Zero (p102), which has finally reached its conclusion this month, released in 2013. Much has changed since, and we’re not just talking about our waistlines. What was once a novel conceit – a story-driven game delivered episodically, with player decisions changing the narrative – is now firmly established, and Cardboard Computer’s adherence to the fundamentals of the point-and-click risked being left behind by, say, Life Is Strange’s comparatively more involved mechanics and lavish production values. It is testament to the developer’s talents that KR0 feels every bit as fresh as it did in 2013.

Shovel Knight has been in development for a similar amount of time and yielded almost the same number of instalments, though the release of King Of Cards (p114) is perhaps more of a commentary on Kickstarter best practice than anything else. Yet the fact remains that, these days,

Shovel Knight’s retro-obsessed platforming is hardly unique. Over the years and the releases, however, developer Yacht Club Games has got its craft down to a fine art. It’s a fitting end to a wonderful story. Miyamoto, then, was right once again – which is annoying, because now we’ve used that quote again it’s got to go back in the drawer for a while.