Ever since it was founded, Tango Gameworks has throughly established itself as a studio associated with horror. Its first game, The Evil Within, released in 2014 to largely positive reviews, prompting a sequel a few years later. Tango Gameworks is now delivering Ghostwire: Tokyo to fans, and while Ghostwire: Tokyo isn’t billed as a horror-centric game, its monstrous enemies and ominous environments still offer plenty of horror potential. The studio’s inclination towards horror isn’t particularly surprising, given studio founder Shinji Mikami’s roots in the Resident Evil series, but its experiments with horror and fear in video games are noteworthy nonetheless.
In spite of this tradition of horror elements, Tango Gameworks will apparently branch out in the near future. While speaking with Famitsu, Mikami briefly discussed the next Tango Gameworks game, and explicitly said that the upcoming game doesn’t have to do with horror. Mikami didn’t provide details, but from the sounds of things, its next game will go as far away from Tango’s starting genre as possible. That decision is a surprise, but in the long run, it could be brilliant. Versatility is a valuable trait in the game industry, so Tango Gameworks is wise to push its limits after Ghostwire: Tokyo.
Expanding Tango Gameworks’ Repertoire
Tango is certainly well-equipped to stick to horror forever. The Evil Within and its sequel have given it experience that can drive further horror games, and Ghostwire: Tokyo has likely helped Tango think creatively about instilling fear in the player, thanks to its focus on action-adventure play. However, leaning on that established skill set could also be highly limiting for Tango. Few studios focus exclusively on a single game genre, and those that do have to consistently deliver excellent content within that genre to survive. If Tango focused on horror alone and interest in its horror-flavored franchises waned, then it may not be equipped to easily fall back on another genre.
By pushing itself to make something free from horror content, Tango Gameworks is vastly broadening its horizons. Stepping away from horror will mean working with entirely different game design and learning to produce games in new genres that are of the same caliber as The Evil Within. Sticking to horror would force Tango to constantly reinvent itself in every game in order to keep players engaged, but dabbling in multiple game styles would allow Tango to try lots of creative things without the limitations of its usual genre. Impressing players with non-horror titles could ultimately increase interest in Ghostwire: Tokyo and Tango’s other works too.
Tango Gameworks’ Experimental Future
Tango still has the power to change its image as a horror-centric game developer. Since it was founded in 2011, Tango Gameworks is still relatively young, so there’s time for its reputation to change. It also only has a few finished games so far, meaning its library has a lot of room to grow, which will ultimately give fans a better picture of what Tango makes. Odds are good that making non-horror games will also give Tango new ideas that it can apply to its horror titles. Working in an unfamiliar genre is always a great way to get a new perspective on game development.
It doesn’t sound like Tango will reveal its new non-horror game anytime soon, especially since Ghostwire: Tokyo is still front and center for the studio, but there’s already signs of Tango’s new directions. Later in 2022, Tango will release a mobile game called Hero Dice which is a clear deviation from its usual genre. Hero Dice could serve as a valuable warm-up for Tango Gameworks before it moves on to more ambitious projects in new genres. There’s no telling what the future holds for Tango, but its willingness to try something new is cause for optimism.
Ghostwire: Tokyo releases March 25 on PC and PS5.
