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wfmag.cc \ 53Shinji Mikami \^ Developer ProfileVanquish
PS3 / X360 / PC 2010
Not a follow-up to P.N.03, but clearly everything that
non-classic should have been – Vanquish was and
is one of the best pure action shooters we’ve ever
played. Mixing tight third-person mechanics with
an almost shoot-’em-up-like focus on all-out attack,
combos, and beating your previous scores, this
would be PlatinumGames’ one true masterpiece,
were it not for the existence of Bayonetta.P.N.03
GameCube 2003
The first of the Capcom Five – five titles released
exclusively (initially) on GameCube in a project
headed by Mikami – P.N.03 was... well, it got better
when it was effectively repurposed into Vanquish.
A mishmash of ideas, the third-person shooter was
seen by some as clunky, others as intentionally
challenging. All things considered, it was a bold
experiment from Mikami, but ultimately lacking.Resident Evil 4
GameCube / PS2 / multi 2005
The fourth release in the Capcom Five, meanwhile,
reinvigorated a flagging franchise and single-
handedly raised the bar for pretty much all action
games to follow. It’s easy to overlook just how
impactful Resident Evil 4 was, but back in 2005,
it was a revelation. It looked great, it changed
what we thought we knew about games, and it
kickstarted a revolution in third-person action titles.God Hand
PS2 2006
God Hand was Clover Studios’ final release, and
on reflection would appear to be every single idea
Mikami had in the few years he was working at the
studio, all screwed up into a big ball and with an
intensely difficult fighting game wrapped around it.
God Hand is the stuff of actual legend – true ‘love
it or hate it’ stuff, and for our money one of the best
things gaming has ever produced. IGN gave it 3/10.
The Evil Within
PS4 / XB1 / PC / PS3 / X360 2014
Mikami’s Tango Gameworks produced The Evil
Within as its first release, and it marked the first
time the director worked with a non-Japanese
publisher. The result was what we expected, with
Bethesda generally staying out of the creative
process and allowing Mikami to do what he does
best: scare people. Oh, and have them chased by
an unstoppable thing with a chainsaw.08 09 10
06 07