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Naughty Dog or Santa Monica Studios -Which Sci-Fi IP would be better

Which studio would do Sci-Fi better, for YOU?

  • Naughty Dog

    Votes: 74 51.4%
  • Santa Monica

    Votes: 81 56.3%

  • Total voters
    144

Beer Baelly

Al Pachinko, Konami President
Either way, a sci-fi universe with aliens is the perfect fit for their woke agenda. Isn't Corey Ballrog working on something?
 

ProtoByte

Member
Because I know Barlog is doing a new IP, I'm more interested there. His writing for GoW 2018 was really good.

The rumour is that Naughty Dog’s next game is a brand new medieval fantasy IP.
I'm so sick of medieval fantasy. If they go the fantasy route, it should be modern/urban.

This makes a lot of sense, the past two games were TLOU and for all it’s greatness, it does have a lot of shortcomings especially in its gameplay and combat mechanics.
What? That's probably the last thing I would highlight as a shortcoming after TLOU2. Peerless in terms of the sheer quality of the mechanics and design.

I also hope SSM can push their sci-fi game to the next level, it’l be such a flex if they can do things Starfield couldn’t… like fully fledged space traversal from space onto planets without any cutscenes.
I honestly don't care about flying a ship in empty space. Whatever they do, I hope it's level/zone based. Plus, similar to medieval fantasy, space is just really played out - and people don't even like it as much as the former.
 

Kikorin

Member
At this point are both pretty similar studios IMHO. I guess Naughty dog would make Uncharted/TloU in space, so I'd take Santa Monica that maybe would have some kind of twist on the gameplay.

Graphically wise Naughty Dog would do slightly better, but both would be incredible so not a problem.
 

Hugare

Member
After the TLOU and Uncharted 4, I'm not confident Naughty Dog have the chops for making a decent original sci-fi that doesn't just come out as "TLOU... iN sPaAaAaCe".

SSM have shown a willingness to evolve recently that Naughty Dog really hasn't, so, I'd be much more excited for their sci-fi work.

"Uncharted in space" would be the Han Solo simulator that people have been asking for decades

That Star Wars game from Ubi could scratch that itch, but I trust ND way more to deliver

Santa Monica tried to mimic ND's style of sotrytelling with Ragnarok to cringe worthy results.

So I would rather have something from ND
 

killatopak

Member
If it's grounded, think Starship Troopers, I'll choose modern ND.

If it's about the adventure with many locales then SS.

It's pretty easy to see their strengths based on their most recent games. ND chose character drama while SS is masters at world building.
 

ZehDon

Gold Member
"Uncharted in space" would be the Han Solo simulator that people have been asking for decades...
And Naughty Dog would never make that game. Fun is a four letter word for modern Naughty Dog. They turned Uncharted into a dour slog to get away from it. If they did their "Han Solo", you better believe it would dictate that Han Solo is actually toxic and you're a bad person for romanticising him.
 

sainraja

Member
are we talking an on rails, linear experience from both? Cause if so, than no thanks. Tired of those type of games.
Ya'll need to stop acting like linear games (the type of games they have made recently) didn't exist before and dumbing down the actual experience incorrectly by simply saying "on rails".

There is no shortage of open-world type of games.
 

Hugare

Member
And Naughty Dog would never make that game. Fun is a four letter word for modern Naughty Dog. They turned Uncharted into a dour slog to get away from it. If they did their "Han Solo", you better believe it would dictate that Han Solo is actually toxic and you're a bad person for romanticising him.
Don't know man, Ucharted 4 was the better playing Uncharted ever

It's even more fun to play than TLOU 2, imo.

Combat was awesome, but had way too little of it. Pacing was terrible.

Uncharted 4 gameplay + space powers/tech Mass Effect-like would be

jizz in my pants GIF
 
Naughty Dog are the pinnacle of game development currently but going outside their comfort zone would cause problems for them ( look at the development problems they're having currently).
 
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Lokaum D+

Member
... do we even know if they're making sci-fi games to begin with?

In any case, Naughty Dog.
we know nothing, this year Sony was silent, the last Sony Shoucase was a joke filled with GAAS, aside from Insomaniac and Guerrila we really dont know what Sony Studios are doing.
 

T0minator

Member
... do we even know if they're making sci-fi games to begin with?

In any case, Naughty Dog.

Other than Alannah Pearce letting it slip that she's working on a Sci-Fi game, and she works at Santa Monica Studios, not much else other than knowing they had a Sci-fi game in production years ago that could be getting revived.

Naughty Dog is more of a assumption considering the amount of Sci-fi references in the last of us series.

It's fun to imagine which studio would deliver a better experience in this style of game.
 

Perrott

Gold Member
Other than Alannah Pearce letting it slip that she's working on a Sci-Fi game, and she works at Santa Monica Studios, not much else other than knowing they had a Sci-fi game in production years ago that could be getting revived.

Naughty Dog is more of a assumption considering the amount of Sci-fi references in the last of us series.

It's fun to imagine which studio would deliver a better experience in this style of game.
Huh, I hadn't heard about that! Interesting...
 

tommycronin

Banned
I'll take anything off either of them considering how bad they're last games were. SSM would be a better choice for Sci-Fi. ND on rails Sci-Fi wouldn't work at all. They work with the illusion that's there's a lot going on with their games which there isn't.
 

Aenima

Member
Both studios are very talented with amazing artists and they can pull a great game in any setting. Naughty Dog has the edge.
 

EverydayBeast

thinks Halo Infinite is a new graphical benchmark
Naughty dog has a lot going on, whoever green lights games knows last of us 3 will be beautiful, and they’ll pay respect to uncharted.
 

Jigsaah

Gold Member
Sooooo, folks are basing this on pure speculation right? WE have no rumors about the substance of either title?

Hmmm that would only leave the pedigree of each studio to guess. I think both studios do great work. So it's a tossup for me.

The tweet says which one are you more excited for? Like, really!? Neither, we have zero information.
 

tkscz

Member
Oh I remember the "We have ratchet and clank at home" days.
The first one was nothing like Ratched and Clank and played more like Mario 64/Banjo Kazooie. Jak II and III on the other hand played a lot closer to Ratched and Clank.

Also maybe I'm old or everyone is aware that part of Naughty Dog has been long gone but why hasn't anyone else mentioned Jak and Daxter, a Sci-fi game ND created?
 

Fbh

Member
Both I guess? They've become pretty similar over the years.
I imagine the biggest difference would be that ND would probably stay in the TPS genre while Santa Monica might go for a more melee approach or a mix of both (sort of like Space Marine). And I ultimately still like Santa Monica better so I'll go with them.
 
I fear both of those games stories will be lost into far left activist themes and will badly use the sci-fi settings and potentially very compelling stories about the future of humanity.
 
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I can see Santa Monica's sci-fi being more out there, and Naughty Dog's sci-fi being more grounded, like hard sci-fi.

I could go for either one tbh. I'm eager see to the debut of new IPs from major studios.

Same. Seeing both studios try something novel sci-fi wise would be exhilarating.

Either studio would be perfectly capable. I mean....either one could do a Star Wars game and Star Wars is sci-fi so....

Personally I'd rather see them do an original IP not tied to (or nowadays, bogged down by) Star Wars. They'd have inspirations from Star Wars, obviously, but I'd rather Kathleen and the LucasFilm SW story group be as far removed from anything ND or SSM work on as humanly possible.

Not until they get their own Star Wars projects back on track again, at least.

I fear both of those games stories will be lost into far left activist themes and will badly use the sci-fi settings and potentially very compelling stories about the future of humanity.

TBF even shows like Star Trek, Babylon 5 etc., genuinely great sci-fi shows, had a lot of progressive themes in them, and used them to tell fantastic stories.

I think the problem is with selfish people who can't tolerate different perspectives, and they let that cut them off creatively. So their creative works become an echo chamber and reflection of real-world identity of themselves. Vicious cycle.
 

Gudji

Member
Wasn't ND fantasy and SMS sci-fi? Think that was one of the rumors. Anyway I hope none of them do cartoony shit, I want something gritty and dark.
 

T0minator

Member
Sooooo, folks are basing this on pure speculation right? WE have no rumors about the substance of either title?

Hmmm that would only leave the pedigree of each studio to guess. I think both studios do great work. So it's a tossup for me.

The tweet says which one are you more excited for? Like, really!? Neither, we have zero information.
c'mon, dont take things so seriously, use your imagination a bit. I said in my first post in this thread "hypothetically" if they were to both create a Sci-Fi game who would do it better in your opinion. I know there's no real evidence of what either studio is doing. Alannah Pearce said shes working on a Sci-Fi game, thats at least something to start speculation
 

Arachnid

Member
Santa Monica from an artistic and character/story perspective. Naughty Dog from a gameplay perspective.

If I had to choose one, I'd always put gameplay first. I may have hated TLOU2s story and characters, but the gameplay is fun af. God of War is a bit too on-railsy for me whereas I actually enjoyed the hectic sandbox geurilla warfare style gameplay in TLOU2.
 
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Edgelord79

Gold Member
There are many threads on the forum. Do you go into each and every one to post a reply, regardless of whether you actually have anything meaningful to contribute to the discussion or not?
The main problem is the poll doesn’t take into account the option for neither. Its not a good poll. You are pigeon-holing the user into selecting one studio.

If you had asked “If you could only choose one studio..” then I get it.

So you get people coming in here voicing the third option that should have been there. It’s fair.

With that said and if so had to choose one, it would be Santa Monica.
 
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Jigsaah

Gold Member
c'mon, dont take things so seriously, use your imagination a bit. I said in my first post in this thread "hypothetically" if they were to both create a Sci-Fi game who would do it better in your opinion. I know there's no real evidence of what either studio is doing. Alannah Pearce said shes working on a Sci-Fi game, thats at least something to start speculation
Hey I'm just answering the question as reasonably as I can. I love both studios. I think they both have the talent to create a fantastic game. I just don't get excited over rumors.
 

Gojiira

Member
This thread is full of the same utter trite hyperbole, ‘moviegames’ ‘on the rails’ blah de fucking blah. Sorry Starfield is average but can the Xbox fans kindly jog on.
On topic, Santa Monica without a doubt, they are THE BEST at crafting set pieces and showing scale in games, them tackling huge bosses or lovecraftian monstrosities or even space battles or mecha could be incredible.
Naughty Dog could maybe make a great, tight Hard Sci-fi kinda game, would love to see them do something horror based in space or hell just a straight up Space cowboy game like Firefly. You know they could make a good Firefly game…
 
Naughty Dog for me or maybe some sort of co-development. If they were to go the Sci-Fi route I’d like to see a grounded story , from the space race of the 1960s in flashbacks to the future where first contact with aliens happens in the first game with a sort of Ad Astra meets Interstellar kind of tone.
 
The main problem is the poll doesn’t take into account the option for neither. Its not a good poll. You are pigeon-holing the user into selecting one studio.

If you had asked “If you could only choose one studio..” then I get it.

So you get people coming in here voicing the third option that should have been there. It’s fair.

With that said and if so had to choose one, it would be Santa Monica.

This doesn't make any sense. The poll presents two choices because among Sony's 1P we know these two studios most likely have a sci-fi game cooking ATM. And the OP basically asks the question you asked, just differently. Choosing one of the two you think would make a better sci-fi game is effectively the same as asking if you could only choose one studio.

Voicing a 3rd option is okay, I guess, but the question is about two specific studios, not any 3rd option someone wants to throw in. If someone wanted to choose neither, then they simply don't have to vote. Or, they can say it in their comment and (hopefully) justify why, which most who've taken that option have done.
 

Flutta

Banned
Sadly their latest games left a sour taste in my mouth that i don’t care much of what they are working on. It’s all about the message for them and that’s something i will never support.

Did not vote. Poll sucks 😝
 
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Roronoa Zoro

Gold Member
Naughty Dog does better gunplay and vehicle play or is at least more experienced there so I'd vote for them. Santa Monica does more melee so I'd like them to do something medieval
 
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