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It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what I love about gaming. There’s the simple fact that it’s fun, obviously - and varied, too.
An RPG can let me embody a character in a totally different world. A post-apocalyptic adventure can be a cathartic release. A platformer can be a stake-free dose of entertainment. Whatever mood I’m in, there’s a game to suit it - it’s very similar to the way I feel about Studio Ghibli.
Ember Lab's Kena: Bridge of Spirits is amongst the closest we've come to a Ghibli gaming experience. The game's adorable creatures, the Rot, were inspired by the creatures of Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbour Totoro. Take a look at them in action below.
If I want to be whisked away on a grand adventure, I can watch Spirited Away or Laputa: Castle in the Sky. If I’m in the mood for fast-paced action, Princess Mononoke and Porco Rosso have got me covered. There’s also My Neighbour Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service which, to me, are the filmic equivalent of a good hug, and we all need a bit of that from time to time. Studio Ghibli’s films fulfil the very same needs that I seek out in gaming. So while I love to sit back and watch a Ghibli gem, how incredible would it be to truly feel like part of a whimsical Ghibli world?
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I’m not the first to say it and I certainly won’t be the last, but Studio Ghibli really should consider releasing their own video game. When you think about the best games of all time - whatever you may consider those to be - there’s one key ingredient, creative innovation. Red Dead Redemption 2 rewrote the standards of what an open world should be. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time set the benchmark when it came to what a 3D adventure game should look like. Innovation is coded into Studio Ghibli’s DNA. Their unique art style is instantly recognisable and brought Japanese animation to the masses. It’s hard to believe that Studio Ghibli hasn’t yet wholly entered the gaming space given how primed their content is for adaptation. I say wholly as Studio Ghibli have, in fact, dipped their toes in the gaming waters before now, even if they haven’t quite dived all the way in.
It’s not something they’ve really shouted about, although they should, but Studio Ghibli teamed up with Professor Layton creators Level-5 on 2011’s Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. Originally made for the PlayStation 3, the game was later released on PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 in 2019. The third-person RPG follows the adventures of Oliver who must set out on an epic journey to save his mother by becoming a master magician.
Within the space of a single frame, you can clearly see Studio Ghibli’s input on the project. The studio created the animated sequences for Ni no Kuni if you hadn’t guessed. Interestingly, Level-5 intended to emulate Studio Ghibli’s art style from the get-go. It was simply a bonus that Studio Ghibli eventually came on board to lend an artistic hand. Level-5 aren’t alone in being inspired by Ghibli’s films. Moon Studios’ Ori and the Blind Forest, Die Gute Fabrik’s Mutazione, and Tarsier Studios’ Little Nightmares all cite Studio Ghibli as the main source of inspiration. Even without expressing a desire to branch out into gaming, Studio Ghibli is already influencing studios and developers across the globe.
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Ni no Kuni’s art style went on to receive rave reviews which certainly sets Studio Ghibli up nicely should they wish to make their own game. That being said, it’s all well and good if a game looks nice but there has to be substance too. Even if Studio Ghibli didn’t want to originate a new IP, their back catalogue is rich with adaptation possibilities regardless of genre.
If we’re talking action-adventure, Princess Mononoke has huge AAA potential. Think of Horizon Forbidden West but instead of Aloy riding atop a Charger, it’s San sat atop Moro. Instead of battling a Thunderjaw, you’d take on the cursed boar Nago. Replace bandit camps with settlements overrun by Lady Eboshi’s followers. Already, I can picture the game starting to take shape. What Ghibli fan wouldn’t want to spend hours on end lost in Studio Ghibli’s delectable interpretation of Japan’s mythical forests?
On the other hand, I think Studio Ghibli could easily tap into the market that Animal Crossing: New Horizons has captured so intensely in recent years. I adore a bleak dose of The Last of Us every now and then, but it’s nice to counter it with something a little bit cosier. Kiki’s Delivery Service would make a perfect rainy-day game. You could cook up baked goods at Gütiokipänjä Bakery (Cooking Mama style), before flying them across the city to customers via your broomstick, all while completing the odd magical witch-in-training side quest. Sign me up.
I could go on. If Studio Ghibli wanted to create a flying sim, Porco Rosso would be perfectly adaptable. If we’re talking puzzle-based games, players could unravel the mysteries of Yubaba’s bathhouse and its unique clients from Spirited Away. Platformers? I’d happily traverse the Tsukamori forest with Totoro and company.
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When you think about gaming releases over the past few years, nothing is comparable to the ineffable realms that Studio Ghibli excels at creating. Kena: Bridge of Spirits came close with its Ghibli-inspired tale, yet it was only a pastiche of the style that Ghibli has created and popularised. The only ingredient Studio Ghibli is missing is an army of talented game devs - but given how many are already inspired by the studio’s works, I’m almost certain they’d jump at the chance to work on a Ghibli game. Studio Ghibli, my attention turns to you. Pretty please, give us the game that we deserve.
Featured Image Credit: Studio Ghibli, Toho, Toei CompanyTopics: TV And Film, Opinion