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Let’s Get Weird with Suda 51

Let’s Get Weird with Suda 51

Recently, famed Japanese developer Suda 51 commented on the remaster of his studio’s first independent game, The Silver Case , which is finally being translated for Western audiences. He also discussed the possibility of future remasters as well as developing the long-abandoned sequel. There’s a caveat, however: The Silver Case has to sell really well.

Suda 51 commands an interesting presence in games media. His auteur status and quirky nickname make him as recognizable as Hideo Kojima, yet such recognition fails to translate into highly profitable games. In reality, he’s more like a Tim Schaefer. No More Heroes , for instance, was considered a financial success with only 208,000 copies sold in the U.S. When EA published Shadows of the Damned , which was intended to cater to fans of shooters, it didn’t sell nearly as well, and that is usually how most of Suda’s games do. Like Schafer, the guy makes interesting games that are doomed to fail.

Grasshopper Manufacturers’ games are known for several things. First, they’re weird as hell and darkly humorous. Second, they’re usually considered unwieldy games mechanically, but they’re also unique. Even as Suda began to branch out into action with Killer 7 , he managed to create an on-rails exploration experience that has yet to be replicated – arguably for good reasons, but I freaking love that game.

Lately, his games have become more and more streamlined, action-oriented games. Even with this shift towards the mainstream, Grasshopper Manufacturers’ games continue to tell weird, satirical stories; yet, some have criticized his latest work for trying too hard to be weird. Perhaps fans are starting to become desensitized to the company’s punk style. Maybe Suda’s decision to allow other employees to direct his games has created a noticeable detrimental effect for his fans. Either way, if you look at his focus on action adventure games, such as with his latest free-to-play Let It Die , it seems like he’s beginning to embrace normalcy. Can’t blame him considering his creative risks rarely yield profitable rewards.

Which brings us back to The Silver Case , his first work outside of Human Entertainment. Originally released for the PS1, the text-heavy adventure has a reputation for being notoriously difficult to translate, but Active Game Media is up to the task. From what I’ve seen, there’s no action, and if it wasn’t for the fact that this is an old game that is only finally being made available for an English-speaking audience, I would say it’s a return to form.

Let’s Get Weird with Suda 51

If it’s successful, however, Suda may soon return to form for real with the sequel, The 25 th Ward , which, according to Destructoid, will be “… Silver Case sequel as done by full-on Suda51.” That’s exciting to me! Don’t get me wrong; I continue to love his games, and I have no problem with him developing action games. Still, I have noticed his games haven’t been quite the same since he’s allowed other directors to bring his scripts to life, so I’m hoping this means he’ll come back to direct the sequel. Or maybe he won’t have the financial opportunity to create the sequel but is willing to remaster his classics like Killer 7 .  Either way, the potential success of The Silver Case and its sequel could lead to Suda 51’s return to form.

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