Don't Expect ustwo Games to Release Monument Valley 2 Any Time Soon
Fresh from scooping major awards all across the globe, should gamers be getting ready for the announcement of a sequel to Monument Valley?
Monument Valley is an exceptional gaming experience. Inspired first and foremost by architecture, it’s a masterpiece in design, effectively turning illusionary art like that made famous by M. C. Escher into interactive gameplay. It’s an exploration into infinity, asking you to see beyond the immediate and curve your perception until you can find a way to guide the little princess Ida through each stage. If you’ve yet to enjoy it, you can download it here.
If we had one criticism of the game, it was that it was too short. Just when you were totally lost in its dreamy sounds, sights and swipes, the end would come and you’d be desperately wanting more. Not that you weren’t already full, but that’s the emotion the tastiest experiences evoke. After millions downloaded the game and the tributes began to flow, the developer did relent and provide an expansion pack, filled with great new levels to explore.
Buy will we ever see a Monument Valley 2?
As part of an extensive feature that detailed the making of Monument Valley, Grab It spoke to designer Ken Wong about his plans for future projects while creating an exclusive making of cover story. You can read the full interview in Episode 3 of our iPad digital magazine, but a key quote appears following the question; what has completing this game inspired you to do next as a developer? The answer:
“To do something completely different! We thrive on creating new things. One of the key strengths of Monument Valley is its power to surprise and delight. We want to keep surprising ourselves and delighting players with whatever we come up with next.”
It’s a pretty emphatic no. And the developer certainly felt burned by the reaction to the expansion pack, which many in the mobile environment felt should not have been sold at a premium price. At the time, studio director Neil McFarland claimed it was the vocal minority making all the fuss – and he was right – but it wouldn’t have warmed the studio’s heart about servicing the millions of fans with more content.
Ustwo does have two other games that precede Monument Valley in its library, the also enjoyable Whale Trail and Blip Blub – both of which have never received a sequel either. So while a Monument Valley 2 looks unlikely at this point, at least we can look to other developers – like Back to Bed creator Bed Time Digital Games - who are taking the gameplay concept further.
