God of War Is a ‘Good Thing’ For the Industry, Says 11-11 Creative Director

A lot of publishers seem to be torn on the idea of single player content as of late. EA decided to close down Visceral Games and change direction with its Star Wars game in favor of something multiplayer-oriented; while Bethesda believes in strength of single player video games, such as Prey and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.

But one game that easily turns the tide on such an argument is God of War. Ever since its release earlier this year, it’s become an instant success, selling millions of copies and reaffirming the idea that single player games are here to stay. And 11-11: Memories Retold creative director Yoan Fanise is a big believer in that.

While speaking with DualShockers, Fanise believes that some developers and publishers are changing their status quo, mainly due to the success of Sony‘s action game. “I think things are changing,” he said. “God of War was a very good thing for the industry because you can see that despite the fact that there is no multiplayer, it sold well. It’s good because it’s just about whether it’s interesting, and whether the story is compelling.” (And, fortunately for God of War, it definitely has both of those factors nailed down.)

Memories Retold, which should be releasing on November 9 for PS4, Xbox One and PC, is a game that’s built on the belief of single player strength, so Fanise knows what they’re talking about. And it seems he isn’t the only one that talks about the value of a single player game, as several fans — God of War or not — have expressed interest in seeing more stuff that they can do on their own.

Hopefully this will serve as an example of more developers working more on the storytelling side of games. Sure, multiplayer romps are fun, as games like Fortnite easily prove; but it also does a world of good to see a game move us in some way, whether it’s with an extraordinary twist (like God of War possesses) or just a general theme that sticks with us throughout the adventure — and maybe even after as well.

We’ll see what developers have in mind in the months ahead. But if you really want to see God of War in action, we highly recommend it. You can play it now for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro.