Highlights
- Amy Hennig’s involvement in game development has resulted in some highly respected and beloved titles, such as Uncharted and Legacy of Kain.
- While some of the games she worked on received mixed reviews, they still featured interesting concepts and strong writing.
- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is considered her best game and is often regarded as one of the greatest games of all time, showcasing her talents as a creative director and writer.
Although Amy Hennig has fallen on some unlucky times since her departure from Naughty Dog, she is still a highly respected game designer and many players look forward to whatever future projects she’s involved in. Most famously known as the creator of the Uncharted franchise, Amy Hennig is a talented game designer who has been involved in some great projects.
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Most recently, Amy Hennig has started a new division at Skydance Media, where she has created her own division, Skydance New Media. She is reportedly working on two large, story-driven video games focused on Black Panther and Star Wars respectively. Whilst this is exciting news, players should also ensure that they’ve thoroughly experienced her previous works whilst they wait.
10 Forspoken
Metacritic Rating: 64
- Released
- January 24, 2023
- Involvement – Story Concept
Although Forspoken received pretty rough, if not critical reviews upon release, no one can doubt that the story concept is extremely cool, and that’s exactly where Amy Hennig was involved. The execution is what fell flat in this game, and it’s a shame because it had a recipe for greatness with an extremely cool narrative and gameplay concept.
Gamers can thank Hennig for the parts of this game that they enjoyed as she was directly involved in creating the concept for the story and bringing it to life. However, that’s about where her input ends. It’s interesting to think if only she’d been more involved in the overall development, then Forspoken probably could have been something special.
9 Battlefield Hardline
Metacritic Rating: 73
This was a unique and oddball entry in the iconic Battlefield franchise. Battlefield Hardline took the series away from its military roots and created and cops and robbers-type scenario where players took on the role of the police in the campaign, and could dabble in both sides in the multiplayer. It received mixed reviews but it was definitely an interesting concept.
The campaign itself was actually not too bad, and it featured some particularly strong writing. However, gamers just weren’t quite ready for the shift to a different Battlefield. Not to mention, this game launched with some seriously bad bugs and glitches. Despite it all though, Battlefield Hardline wasn’t terrible—it was just different.
8 Legacy of Kain: Defiance
Metacritic Rating: 75
- Released
- November 11, 2003
- Involvement – Director, Writer
As part of Crystal Dynamics, Amy Hennig was involved in a number of Legacy of Kain-related releases, most of which were excellent games. However, Legacy of Kain: Defiance was probably the worst of the bunch. That’s not to say it was a terrible game, it was just the least good.
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This was actually the fifth and final entry in the Legacy of Kain series so it’s a bit of a shame that it ended on a weaker note. However, gamers still overall enjoyed this action-packed vampire adventure game and it introduced a neat concept of being able to play as Raziel, on top of the titular Kain.
7 Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
Metacritic User Rating: 8.6
- Released
- November 15, 1996
- Developer(s)
- Silicon Knights
- Involvement – Design Manager
Amy Hennig worked with Silicon Knights on this occasion to create the very first Legacy of Kain title, Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. It was a fun and unique action-adventure video game that followed the protagonist Kain, a newly recruited vampire who seeks a cure for his affliction.
The player ultimately has to go on a rampage and slay the whole Circle of Nine, a group of mysteriously dark sorcerers who may or may not have the answers to all of Kain’s wants, questions, and desires. The gameplay is fast and dun. It’s graphic but not too over-the-top, and it perfectly introduced one of the best vampire franchises in gaming – no thanks to Amy Hennig’s participation in the design.
6 Soul Reaver 2
Metacritic Rating: 80
- Released
- October 31, 2001
- Involvement – Director, Writer
Soul Reaver 2 was the third game in the Legacy of Kain series, once again developed by Crystal Dynamics. It was released on the PS2 and for Microsoft Windows and saw Amy Hennig once again in a central position throughout its development.
Soul Reaver 2 featured a highly intricate plot involving time travel, theology, and a heavier sci-fi tone, which the team spent months researching and developing alone. It evidently pays off as Soul Reaver 2 has an enticing cinematic appeal to it that none of the other Legacy of Kain titles do. It’s an excellently developed narrative achievement that stands apart from its other entries in the franchise.
5 Jak 3
Metacritic Rating: 84
- Released
- November 9, 2004
- Involvement – Game Director
The Jak and Daxter series features some of the best platforming-action hybrid games of all time, and Jak 3 is no exception. This title was one of the first instances where both Neil Druckmann and Amy Hennig were involved in a game’s development which is certainly a dream-team lineup.
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Jak 3 ramped up all aspects of previous Jak and Daxter titles to create one of the most exciting entries in the series. The action is better than ever, with fun combat and some excellent aerial fights. The range of weapons available is also great, but the highlight is the level design and overall smooth platforming gameplay. It’s an extremely tight and well-directed video game.
4 Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
Metacritic Rating: 88
- Released
- November 19, 2007
- Involvement – Creative Director, Writer
Of course, the Uncharted franchise is the pinnacle of Hennig’s game development career, and Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was a fantastic start to the franchise which introduced gamers to the loveable Nathan Drake and co. This was the game that Indiana Jones fans had been craving, and it delivered handsomely.
Not only is this a fantastic third-person shooter, but it’s also a genuinely great puzzle game, a fantastic action-adventure game, and one of the best archaeological-themed games of all time. If gamers are craving a sense of adventure then Uncharted is the perfect solution, and Drake’s Fortune is a great place to start.
3 Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Metacritic Rating: 91
- Involvement – Director, Producer, Writer
Fondly remembered as the first entry in the Legacy of Kain franchise, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver is the predecessor to Soul Reaver 2, focusing on Raziel’s journey of vengeance against Kain, his former master and the one who turned him into a vampire.
Interestingly, this is the game that ultimately destroyed the fruitful relationship between Crystal Dynamics and Silicon Knights, yet still emerged as a terrific title despite being directly involved in development turmoil. Amy Hennig returned as director, producer, and writer to create a compelling, one-of-a-kind gothic video game.
2 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Metacritic Rating: 92
- Released
- November 1, 2011
- Involvement – Creative Director, Writer
Whilst not quite as popular as its predecessor, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is still a fantastic title and deserves all the praise it gets. The third entry in Nathan Drake’s story delves more into his and Sully’s backstories, which helps to further their characters.
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As a result, Uncharted 3 feels like one of the more cinematic entries in the classic adventure franchise that Amy Hennig created. Nathan Drake is just as loveable as ever, the side characters are all great and the narrative is fast, action-packed, and compelling. It’s great, but it’s not quite perfect.
1 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Metacritic Rating: 96
- Released
- October 13, 2009
- Involvement – Creative Director, Writer
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves blew fans away when it first came out, and even today it’s still an absolute masterpiece and often considered the best entry in the franchise. This is Amy Hennig’s best game that she has developed and it’s often included in lists for the greatest games of all time. The set pieces here are truly outstanding video game achievements. The action is fun and entertaining, and the characters and narrative are at their very best.
Everything here is perfect, from the direction to the locations and the designs. The voice acting is some of the finest in the industry and it’s genuinely Naughty Dog doing what they do best – create amazing single-player, narrative-driven, cinematic experiences that won’t be forgotten.
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