Ex-Mass Effect Devs: Nightingale Too Open World

Exciting changes are on the horizon for Nightingale, the innovative open-world crafting survival game developed by former Mass Effect creators at Inflexion Games. Dive into this article to discover more about Nightingale and the future plans that the team at Inflexion Games has in store.

Former Mass Effect Devs Share Their Vision for Nightingale

Nightingale Set for Major Update this Summer

Nightingale, the captivating survival game crafted by Inflexion Games and led by ex-Bioware head Aaryn Flynn, is poised for significant enhancements. In a recent YouTube video, Flynn along with art and audio director Neil Thomson, candidly discussed Nightingale's current state and their strategies to enhance the gaming experience. They openly admitted that the game has yet to meet their expectations. A substantial update, scheduled for late summer, aims to tackle these issues head-on.

"We are not satisfied with where the game is at, we're not satisfied with the overall sentiment, we're not satisfied with our player numbers," Flynn emphasized. Since its early access launch in February, Inflexion Games has been diligently working on quality of life (QoL) improvements and bug fixes. To the delight of the fanbase, the team introduced an eagerly awaited offline mode a few months back. Now, their focus shifts to realizing their original vision and rectifying the game's current shortcomings.

Nightingale invites players to explore the enigmatic and perilous Fae Realms in an open-world survival crafting setting. While open-world games are renowned for their extensive content and non-linear gameplay, Thomson pointed out that Nightingale might be "almost too open world, too self-motivated in terms of goal-setting." In response, Inflexion Games plans to inject "more structure" into the game, featuring clearer progression markers, defined goals, and revamped realm designs to address feedback on repetitive environments.

"We do love the game very much, but we do think there's a lot of room to improve it," Flynn noted. "One big way that we want to improve it is to bring more structure to the overall experience. What I mean by that is more sense of you as a player progressing; a better understanding of what you can do, a better understanding of the differences between these Realms." Additionally, the team is reevaluating core game elements and contemplating adjustments. The upcoming update is also expected to raise build limits, enabling the creation of more expansive and intricate structures. Flynn hinted that previews of these enhancements will be available in the coming weeks.

Currently, Nightingale holds a 'Mixed' rating on Steam, yet the trend is shifting positively, with around 68% of recent reviews being favorable. Flynn and Thomson expressed their gratitude for the community's support and encouraged ongoing feedback. "We played this new version really recently, and there's still a bit more work to do, but I think it's elevated it quite a bit, but obviously you'll all be the judge of that when we bring this thing out," Flynn concluded.

Echoing the sentiments of both fans and the developers, Game8 also observed that Nightingale could benefit from clearer guidance and simpler mechanics, particularly in crafting. For a deeper dive into our perspective, follow the link below to our comprehensive review of Nightingale!