An Audience With… Amy Hennig

The storied creative director and writer on starting a new studio and sticking to your guns

- Jen Simpkins

Storytelling in games is on the cusp of transformation: fittingly, so is Amy Hennig. The celebrated creative director and writer has become almost emblematic of the state of narrative design in games. Through her work on the Legacy Of Kain series at Crystal

Dynamics, and the Uncharted franchise at Naughty Dog, she helped push the medium to blockbuster heights thanks to an instinct for innovation – and a confidence that, by her own admission, hasn’t always been easy to maintain. She was set to continue with the singleplayer Star Wars game that she was working on at Visceral Games, before EA cancelled the project and closed the studio. Now, Hennig is looking to start up on her own, convinced that the future success of games as a whole lies in smaller experiences catering to a broader audience.

Firstly, congratulations on receiving the Lifetime Achievement award at the Game Developers Choice Awards. How was that?

It’s just such a warm feeling to feel recognised by your peers. I mean, we’re just all stuck in our heads and our own little worlds. We all have impostor syndrome. The people that don’t, there’s something sociopathic and wrong with them, probably [laughs]. You know, we never feel worthy of that kind of recognition. But you don’t want that to look like a lack of gratitude. I’m incredibly humbled and grateful.