Harvey Smith, a veteran game designer best known for Dishonored and Deus Ex, says he typically doesn't play his own games until 5-10 years post release.
That's after playing them "nonstop" during development, he said in a recent tweet. "Usually I play our games nonstop as we are finishing them. But then I am *done* for a long while; often I don't go back to play for 5-10 years," Smith said. "One of the great pleasures in doing this is seeing little areas the team made that I love. Some special corner; someone cared so deeply."
Smith's latest release, Redfall, which he co-directed, recently got a big farewell update following the news of studio Arkane Austin's closure under Microsoft. The troubled vampire shooter's final update added the long-promised offline mode, revamped Neighborhood and Nest systems, single player pausing, a sweet Easter egg referencing Arkane's legacy in the immersive sim space, and more. According to Smith, it'll probably be another few years before he plays it himself.
Usually I play our games nonstop as we are finishing them. But then I am *done* for a long while; often I don't go back to play for 5-10 years. One of the great pleasures in doing this is seeing little areas the team made that I love. Some special corner; someone cared so deeply. https://t.co/I38XewTnl0June 20, 2024
While Smith probably isn't playing much of Redfall right now, it seems plenty of other folks are enjoying the final update. Smith recently shared his enthusiasm over the apparently positive response to "the cleaned-up, final version" of the doomed FPS, saying it gave him "a burst of energy." It also sounds like he's gearing up to reveal his next move after Arkane Austin's closure, but for now he's remaining tight-lipped on that front.
In the meantime, here are the best Xbox Series X games you can play right now.
