From Obsidian’s entries in Fallout and Kotor, to Ninja Theory’s DMC, and even Namco’s Pokken, sometimes a studio “guest develops” a franchise to extremely interesting results. With no limits or restrictions, what’s your dream developer cameo on a franchise?
I’d love if Arkane made a Final Fantasy. Western triple A games often feel incredibly cynical and jaded, and having them adopt FF’s earnest energy is really compelling to me. Also solving immersive sim problems with firaga and morph!
Game Freak develops FIFA. Toxic fan cultures crash and destroy Twitter. The world breathes anew.
Seriously - Fumito Ueda and his crew (Shadow of the Colossus) x Zelda. I think there would be some interesting things done with the cyclical nature of that franchise, and the combined aesthetic could be cool.
And, coming back to Pokémon, I would be interested in seeing somebody radically shake that franchise up. What could Nintendo EPD do with it? Or, in a radically different direction, the Nier: Automata team?
Arkane making a 3D Mark of the Ninja.
Arkane making a BioShock.
Arkane making a Cyberpunk game.
Bethesda Game Studios making a Magic: the Gathering game.
Sony Santa Monica making a Superman game.
Sucker Punch making a Daredevil game.
This might seem like an odd fit, but I’d like to see Frictional make a Warhammer 40K game. My absolute favourite part of that universe is the cosmic horror tone that typifies 40K at is grimdarkiest.
Like, imagine a Soma-style game where your ship gets trapped in the Warp (timeless space hell, for the uninitiated). Or you’re captured and taken to Commorragh. Make a game that looks like all that fucked-up Drukhari art.
I’d also love to pair up Arkane with any number of literary franchises. Gimme a Bas Lag game from them.
If Firaxis made an XCOM-style Pokémon game I don’t want to think about how much money I would give them for it. An unhealthy amount, for sure.
Man I should really replay Prey.
Prey’s a little bit more System Shock than BioShock in that it turns up the survival elements pretty high and doesn’t do quite as much of the fun “I’m going to light these enemies on fire and then shock them when they get in the water now they’re running over there to heal themselves but I hacked that First Aid Station hey I win” that the original BioShock does so well. I want to see what Arkane does with a Shock-style game that doesn’t hide the toolbox behind the morality system.
One of my favourite ‘guest developed’ games is Cadence of Hyrule, which is Brace Yourself Games (of Crypt of the Necrodancer fame) developing a Legend of Zelda rhythm game. So my mind immediately jumps to indie developers getting to take a major franchise for a spin.
It’s been a year since Paradise Killer came out so I’m reminded of how fond I am of that game, and Kaizen Game Works could release a take on tic-tac-toe and I’d likely come along for the ride. The phenomenal worldbuilding, attention to detail in the conspiracies, and gorgeous character art would be an appreciated addition to any franchise, but wow, they’d do a lot in the Dishonored universe.
Worst Girls Games (We Know The Devil/Heaven Will Be Mine) - a visual novel developer with a great grasp on abstract ideas and love to go around for a bit of polyamory. I think they’d make a phenomenal Kingdom Hearts game, is what I am saying. Kairi deserved better than Melody of Memories.
Colestia should write the new Wolfenstein or Sniper Elite, because that would kick ass.
And while I know this one is phenomenally abstract, Zachtronics can make everything from complex programming games to compelling visual novels to multiple neat variants on Solitaire. A lot of range in storytelling and gameplay, similar to the range on display in a franchise near and dear to my heart. A franchise that has taken beloved characters and had them say that - actually - they are Henry Tudor; a franchise that has taken its classic gameplay and twisted into everything from chess to D&D to dice. That’s right folks, I’m talking Yu-Gi-Oh! - I just want a Solitaire variant using Blue Eyes White Dragon.
YO the Regency Solitaire people making a Yu-Gi-Oh game? Tell me where I’m sending my money.
I want the Ace Combat team to make a space combat game, I don’t care what francise, lets say Star Fox for lulz
The Destiny Team and the Final Fantasy 14 Team Switch offices and projects with no communication like a Masterchef Relay challenge.
Super Mario Odyssey Team does Digimon
Team Cherry does Metroid
Supergiant does Star Wars
Edit: Fast And the Furious / Forza Horizon Studio
Team Cherry on Castlevania. But finish Silksong first.
Stole this one from Alex Navarro on Twitter but Ryu Ga Gotoku on F&F because they understand family
genDESIGN to make a Princess Mononoke game.
I like Remedy’s concepts, story, and environmental design, but I really dislike the actual gameplay of their games.
Koei Tecmo seems to have a long history of saying “What if we copied this really popular game, but gave it a super amazing combat system”, but then they just set it in feudal Japan because they seemingly aren’t interested in any other settings. I’m looking at you, Nioh and Toukiden.
I want an Alan Wake remake where Koei Tecmo does the combat. Use the Nioh 2 parry mechanic for the flashlight! They would probably replace the guns with a kusarigama or something, but that would just add to the mystery of what’s going on!
Give From Soft the Dune license!
Worst Girls Game and Cultist Simulator. in this world, the game wouldn’t be about running a cult but instead becoming part of a coven that is providing a safe haven for those who are ostracized from society. also cool transformations
also obviously i thought more if they did the franchise instead of the actual developer. i misunderstood the premise slightly 
Onion Games and Wario would be a match made in the highest heavens.
Here me out: Nintendo finally makes a dedicated Waluigi game, and they give the project to Onion Games
Brilliant. Somehow, that would feel like coming home.
F*ck Titanfall 3. What if Respawn picked up the rights to HAWKEN and went all-in on a fast-paced mech-only combat game?
