GamesAdventureAfter 25 years, God of War and Star Wars Jedi veteran says his new studio is a chance to make “something original to us"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesAdventureAfter 25 years, God of War and Star Wars Jedi veteran says his new studio is a chance to make “something original to us"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Giant Skull)
Giant Skull wasunveiled earlier this month, with the announcement that the team is striving to create “game-play driven, story immersed, action-adventure games set in captivating worlds''. Speaking with Asmussen, it’s clear that curiosity is an operative word for the kind of experiences the team wants to craft.
“I’m always curious, I’m always asking questions and looking for answers. It’s a major part of my creative drive,” Asmussen says. “And a lot of the people that have joined the studio, they’re looking for the same thing. But it’s more than that. When you play games, especially these types of games, you’re curious, you’re probing the environment, there’s riddles and you’re trying to find the answers. And when you do, there’s something that’s very satisfying about that. And that’s a major point of emphasis on the games that we’re going to make.”
New direction
(Image credit: Giant Skull)
I’ve probably spent too long typing in commands to see what will come up on Giant Skull’s site, which as Asmussen says, speaks to “our vision of wanting to feed the curious mind, because you can ask a lot of questions, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to get a lot of answers''. It almost feels like a kind of game on its own - the team may even “feed new questions and answers into it as we’re growing as a studio”. Above all, it’s got me wondering: what will an action-adventure from Giant Skull look like? Of course, it’s still very early days, and while the team are “working right now”, it’ll be some time before we’ll get an answer to that question.
Adventuring(Image credit: Rockstar Games)The 25best adventure gamesto get swept up in right now
Adventuring
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)The 25best adventure gamesto get swept up in right now
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)
The 25best adventure gamesto get swept up in right now
Made up of 30 developers, including veteran names with experience on everything from God of War and the Batman Arkham series to Fortnite and League of Legends, Asmussen alone leads Giant Skull with over 25 years of experience in the games industry. Credits include work on the original God of War trilogy atSonySanta Monica and director duties at Respawn Entertainment, working on the aforementioned Star Wars Jedi games. Asmussen speaks highly of his time at Respawn, expressing appreciation for the amount of trust he was offered from Vince Zampella when he joined what was then an independent company as the first member of the second team, which he took “from one all the way up to 200 people”. While it wasn’t something Asmussen was “actively looking for”, the opportunity to form a new studio with people that he trusted came along during development onStar Wars Jedi: Survivor.
With an experienced development team well-versed in storytelling, traversal, and combat in games like Star Wars and Batman, it’s already exciting to imagine what the talent on board will cook up in the future. While it sounds as if we can look forward to a fresh IP, nothing is off the table for Giant Skull: “If a licensed game came along that was incredibly intriguing… This is something that I certainly would entertain,” Asmussen says. “I mean, we are working right now, but the idea of making something that we own that’s original to us, is incredibly intriguing. And I’ve done both. So, at the end of the day, it’s a great position to be in and I’m very grateful for it.”
(Image credit: EA)
The kind of games the studio aims to develop certainly align with the team’s strengths. With a focus on creating “gameplay driven, story-immersed, AAA action adventure games”, Asmussen even says it makes sense to make games he himself enjoys and not go outside of his wheelhouse. But as descriptors go, “AAA” certainly stands out when it’s coming from a smaller, recently formed studio. As Asmussen explains, it points towards some of the big goals the team have - including the level of quality they hope to deliver.
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“The word AAA gets thrown around a lot, and it’s an easy bullet point when you do a press release,” Asmussen says. “But what I feel that means is its premium quality, where we had the time to execute on our vision, we had the support to execute on our vision to create something that really summarizes that, and will be a well rounded and thoughtful experience for the player. That doesn’t mean that you can’t do that on a smaller budget, but it’s more that we have like a certain degree of like, no limits. Because there’s trust that we’re going to be able to execute. So it’s again, it’s about just trying to try to be the best that we can be, the best version that we can be.”
“Another big goal is that we form a relationship, a bond, with the players with the games that we make. That’s something that’s really important to me, and I’ll never take for granted is that, when the game goes out the door, we have this amazing opportunity, while we’re making it, that we can’t have any regrets. Because people are going to buy this game, they’re going to play the game. And we have the potential to put a smile on their face, and bring some light into their day. So it’s important that we cultivate and really respect that relationship that we have with the player.”
The people
(Image credit: Giant Skull)
“It’s been a real gut punch. And the thing is it happened so quickly. When I started this studio back in late September, I don’t even think the writing was on the wall,” Asmussen says. “And then it’s just one after the other. And I know so many people that have been affected and it’s terrible. We’re still a small studio, but there have been people that we’ve been able to pick up because of that. And as we grow, I see that as an opportunity. One of the things that a lot of people might not know, is when I went to Respawn, it was after I was working at Sony and I was on a cancelled game, and 40 people were laid off. But a lot of those 40 people were able to, over the years, come and join me at Respawn.”
“The bottom line is there’s nothing more important than the people on the team.“Stig Asmussen
“The bottom line is there’s nothing more important than the people on the team.”
“We have a very strong group of individuals already, with a track record of getting things done and shipping and succeeding. And a lot of that is built in the leadership that we have as well. We take this opportunity very, very seriously. And part of that, too, is building a place where you feel that you’re not going to get in that situation where people are going to have to be let go. You never know what’s going to happen. But I’ll tell you one thing, I’m going to do everything that I can to keep that from happening.”
Speaking of the team and the plans for the future, Asmussen states very firmly that “the bottom line is there’s nothing more important than the people on the team” and they are “where the value of a studio really rests”. While they have a very talented initial crew, the studio plans to continue looking for good people in a “pragmatic way” as they set out to create an experience that captures a sense of “curiosity, mystery, and intrigue.”
“We want to make sure that the games have that kind of hook to it so that people jump in and they want to keep on playing because there’s something kind of leading them along the way. That’s just intriguing.”
See what we have to look forward to with our roundup ofnew games for 2024and beyond.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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1
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”