Necessary Force: A Closer Look

We reported a while ago on the plight of Midway Newcastle. Basically most of Midway is being snapped up but the Newcastle studio has been excluded from the rescue package and left out in the cold. They are the studio responsible for The Wheelman which was a better game than most gave it credit for. In fact, most of the criticism for The Wheelman seems to be based around the notion that it was not expanded as much as it could be. A lot of people seemed to feel that The Wheelman could have benefitted from some more work and a more original style.

So, on the metaphorical eve of destruction, Midway Newcastle have shown the world what they can do with the launch of NecessaryForceGame.com featuring the trailer for their unfinished project which looks, interestingly, like an open world game with an individual art style and an interesting story. Like The Wheelman but darker, grittier and more edgy. Who doesn’t want that?

The studio is gaining some attention from industry websites and news blogs so hopefully they will have their project picked up. It certainly seems like the sort of game that could become a very popular franchise if it is allowed the proper development time.

There might be comparisons drawn between this and the new Max Payne game that RockStar are working on. Both seem to feature a brutal and conflicted lead character who operates within a law-enforcement or security agency but definitely outside of normal legal channels. Both appear to feature gritty violence in an open world setting (although open-world is not confirmed for Max Payne 3, it is presumed).

Rockstar’s title is scheduled for release before the end of the year so we will get to see how this dynamic works and just how hungry the market is for this type of story. If there is any justice left in this industry then Midway Newcastle will get the opportunity to develop Necessary Force into the game that it deserves to be. Hopefully they will be able to build on the consumer’s appetites, whetted by Max Payne 3 and build this promising concept into a full and rich game-universe which lives up to its potential.