Apex Legends developer Respawn Entertainment feels "pigeonholed" as a first person shooter game developer, studio head Vince Zampella reveals. Respawn has found huge success with first-person shooter Apex Legends but it seems that the developer is now ready to branch out.
Speaking to USGamer Zampella said that last year's release of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which is a third-person action adventure game, was "about showing that we're more than just a one trick pony." Zampella revealed that as "we've done a lot of multiplayer, first-person shooter games; we're kind of pigeonholed in there." Everyone who works at Respawn is "interested in so many different types of games" and that "we're trying to show the breadth of what we can do, so it was super important for me to really expand that."
Respawn's reputation as a quality FPS developer doesn't come from a bad place. Three out of four of the games it released before Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order were first-person shooters. Many fans of Titanfall 2 felt that the game set a benchmark for what shooter games could be and though it didn't sell well at release, the game did get a second wind after becoming a free PlayStation Plus title. Its fans are enjoying these shooter games which is why it keeps asking for more of them.
It's unclear when Respawn will next get its wish to make something that isn't a first-person shooter game. The next Respawn game is Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond which is a first-person World War 2 shooter set in VR. It's not the full reboot of the series that many Medal of Honor fans have asked for, but Respawn does have the skills to make a quality first-person shooter in VR.
Several Respawn job listings from 2018 also hinted at Titanfall 3. Unless the developer is going to surprise everyone by radically changing Titanfall to a third-person shooter series, that will probably be another first-person shooter.
There is huge potential for Respawn to make a follow up to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Publisher EA has confirmed that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order's sales surpassed its expectations, suggesting that it is ready to give Respawn the green light to make another one. New job listings also suggest that the developer is planning for a sequel. Nothing has been confirmed yet but it does sound like Respawn would be excited to make Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 2, or any game, as long as it's not a first-person shooter.
Star War Jedi: Fallen Order is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: USGamer