Peter Molyneux, the renowned and often controversial English game designer, has recently spoken out about his upcoming title, ‘Masters of Albion.’ He describes it as his ‘redemption game,’ aiming to rectify his past reputation for frequently overpromising features and underdelivering on expectations.
In a recent interview with Edge, Molyneux reflected on how his tendency to make ambitious, unfulfilled promises for games like the God game ‘Black & White’ and the RTS ‘Dungeon Keeper’ has often landed him in hot water.
A reveal trailer for Masters of Albion was showcased, titled ‘Masters of Albion Reveal Trailer.’
Molyneux acknowledged past shortcomings, stating, "I think that line in Fable—’For every choice, a consequence’—wasn’t delivered on well enough." He also cited the possession mechanic in ‘Dungeon Keeper’ and the open-world freedom in ‘Black & White’ as areas where initial promise wasn’t fully realized. With ‘Masters of Albion,’ he sees a chance to blend these elements, pondering, "Even though one is an RTS, one is a god game, and one is a role-playing game, why the f**k can’t we mix them all together?"
He further revealed that ‘Masters of Albion’ is likely his final game, a decision influenced by personal health habits. This city-building God game, he explained, is his ultimate effort to course-correct after decades of leading fans astray with ambitious, sometimes unfulfilled, promises.
Expressing uncertainty but deep commitment, Molyneux shared, "And I don’t know if it’s going to work. It’s so important to me, this game, because to a certain extent it’s about redemption. I admit now that I did overpromise on things, and said things that I shouldn’t have said about Curiosity. But I only ever did that because I thought it was the right thing to do at the time. And so Masters Of Albion is a redemption title for me. But also, it’s my last game. It just is."
Despite declaring this his final project, Molyneux, perhaps predictably, hinted at the game’s unique nature. While refraining from making explicit promises about specific features, he asserted that this upcoming strategy simulation is "nothing you’ve ever played before." This wasn’t a direct promise, but rather an implication of ‘Masters of Albion’s’ exceptional quality. He emphasized its significance to him, stating:
“For me, it’s the most significant title that I’ve ever done, for sure. And I’ll tell you the amazing thing—it’s going to f**king work. It really is. It’s like nothing you’ve ever played before, but it’s still unbelievably familiar. It is Black & White, it is Dungeon Keeper, and it is Fable, but it’s a completely new genre. And it shouldn’t really work, but it does. I can’t call this a great game. That’s the wrong thing for me to say, because if I say in the press, ‘Masters Of Albion is going to be a great game,’ that’s a promise. So I’m not saying that. What I’m saying is, it’s a unique experience, which is unbelievably intimate and familiar to any person who played Fable, Black & White, and Dungeon Keeper. If I turn around and say, ‘This is going to be my greatest game,’ that’s when I get in trouble."
This conversation about promises inevitably brings to mind Bryan Henderson, the winner of Molyneux’s experimental iOS game ‘Curiosity’ in 2013, who famously never received his promised "life-changing" prize.
‘Masters of Albion,’ which has been in development for at least three years, made its debut at Gamescom Opening Night Live in August 2024. The gameplay involves building and managing a town by day, using collected resources and money, and then defending it from various nocturnal creatures like ghouls and zombies. While a specific release date is still pending, the game is confirmed for PC.
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