I think it would be an understatement to say this has been a pretty awful year for most people on our little blue rock. With real signs of global warming bearing down on us in the form of devastating wildfires and rapidly melting glaciers; there has never been a better time to take these issues seriously. Of course the global pandemic holding the world to ransom is also still ongoing and has shaken our civilisation to its very core. Yet the games industry has endured and in many ways thrived in this new world where liars can be kings and a good firm handshake can kill you. While trapped indoors and reminiscing about simple freedoms, digital worlds have become the escape so many people yearned for. I put it to you that we have never needed gaming more.
In the last few weeks we have seen some massive events in the games industry and I would be remiss not to include the next generation of consoles being properly unveiled. After the longest game of chicken in history, Sony have finally revealed the PS5 and in terms of the show, they nailed it. We were treated to a promising lineup of games including a new Final Fantasy and confirmation a new God of War is in the post. For me the really exciting element of this console is the hyper fast SSD and what this means for game design itself. I have been surprised how many people have been willing to give up their physical media (and the freedom it grants) by going for the fully digital PS5, but that is another story. After many years of prevaricating over a 4K TV, our new LG OLED arrived this week and it is a beautiful thing: I cannot wait to see how the Miles Morales runs on it in November.
As a PC gamer it has always made sense to own a Sony console because most Microsoft games now land on PC. Speaking of team green, they have also been doing very well as of late. The new Xbox X itself is a very impressive piece of kit and offers console gamers a huge jump in visual oomph. Game Pass has also secured itself as the best deal in gaming right now: for a relatively small fee, you get access to a huge catalogue of games including day one releases. If this wasn’t good enough, people who have Game Pass Ultimate will get access to EA Play as of November the tenth which then makes this an insanely good proposition. However, a day before preorders for the new Xbox went live, Microsoft were holding an ace in the hole that has changed the landscape of console gaming forever.
On the 21st of September Microsoft announced that they had bought Zenimax Media, the parent company of none other than Bethesda. This now brings a staggering number of development studios under the wing of Microsoft and simultaneously gives them a clear edge for this console generation. Some of these developers include Machine Games (Wolfenstein) Arkane (Dishonored and Prey) and id Sofware. This now means that games like DOOM, Fallout and Elder Scrolls are all under direct control of Microsoft, all for the princely sum of 7.5 billion dollars.
The reaction by most gamers has been a mixture of surprise and guarded optimism. I think mostly because it means that games like Fallout New Vegas 2 could now actually happen, but there is another benefit to this acquisition. Bethesda has been on the ropes for a few years now, with disasters like Fallout 76 making the company a laughing stock in the industry. Rage 2 was also given a lukewarm reception (although I loved it myself) and the latest Wolfenstein game was just awful. I think many now hope that under the watchful eye of Microsoft, Bethesda can get back on track and start rebuilding their once awesome reputation. Of course, the big question console gamers are asking is how many of these AAA games, (which were always assumed would grace PS5 and Xbox X) will now be exclusive to the latter. While this move would lose a chunk of potential money, you have to ask yourself why else would Microsoft have forked out this much cash? Surely not to let their competitors profit from games like Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6? If this is the case Sony can’t really complain because they have been beating Microsoft over the head with excellent exclusives for the entire last generation. I for one have reservations about any one company having so much influence in the games industry and hope we don’t see things go sour in the future. Either way, this new console generation is getting off to an explosive start.
So you might think at this point I’ve forgotten Rigged for Epic is a PC centred website but remember that many of the ripples from console shenanigans will at some point cause waves in the PC gaming space. With that being said, PC gamers have had cause for celebration these last few weeks with the much anticipated 3000 series GPUs. In September Nvidia showed off the new Ampere based 3070, 3080 and the massive 3090. There have been many technical breakdowns since that day but one fact that grabbed headlines is that the 3070 would best a 2080ti and for a fraction of the price. This was not a good day for anyone who had picked up a 2080ti in the last six months.
Performance testing for the 3080 has also shown huge leaps in the graphical prowess of PC gaming which will undoubtedly become the go to GPU for most gamers looking to upgrade. If you do like to dim the lights in the house when you boot your rig up there is also the 3090, which sports some insane levels of performance. This card is also physically massive and has caused much speculation on whether vertical builds will be required to support its weight (assuming it fits in your case). These cards also now seem infinitely more capable to handle software and games with RTX, something that has understandably left prior generation owners feeling like test subjects. Just bear in mind that at the time of writing there have been a good few third party cards having problems, seemingly due to them using cheaper capacitors and causing instability. Right now the Founders cards are the safest bet and I would wait for at least six months before trying the other companies (which with shortages it might take that long to get one anyway).
So, world changing seismic events aside, what games have I actually been playing over the last few months? In my personal time I sat down and played through the beautifully animated Spiritfarer which I can highly recommend. In the Oven there are only two games currently languishing in early access but that is about to change. This week I’ll be publishing my first thoughts on not one but two games that have yet to fully rise. First we have a title that could very easily be a gaming adaptation of Honey I Shrunk the Kids. Grounded is a beautifully presented survival game which has you facing off against a whole manner of backyard insects. While there are still a lot of bugs (I’m not even sorry) and jank, there are also some surprisingly polished elements already in place. My second addition to the Oven will be the eagerly anticipated Baldur’s Gate 3 from Larian Studios. In a move that shows confidence, the studio have asked full price for access into the first segment of the game, something like twenty five hours of play. Of course if you play it a few times (and you should) then this is a good chunk of fun to be had; not to mention playing co-op with friends. So far the impressions are that it is well presented with gorgeous visuals and excellent writing. There are also bugs aplenty, so we shall see how it all pans out but I have a really good feeling about this one.
With Cyberpunk 2077 just over a month away it seems like CD Projekt Red have narrowly avoided another delay by ramping up the hours for most employees. This process has been dubbed ‘crunch’ in the games industry and has become something of a crusade for the likes of Jason Schreier. For over a year now I have seen a small cabal of websites such as Rock Paper Shotgun, Polygon and Kotaku trying to find issues with CD Projekt Red (and their game). Going as far as to accuse them of being transphobic because of a poster in the fictional dystopian city where Cyberpunk is based. I’m pretty sure nobody ever accused Stephen King of being a murdering git just because he wrote the Shining. Needless to say, I strongly believe these sites seek to generate internet traffic (and income) by swimming against the inevitable praise this game will attract. In contrast, I do think that the hype that Cyberpunk has generated will cause many people to feel disappointed with the final product, how could anything live up to these monumental expectations? I would just say go in with an open mind and enjoy the game for what it is.
When I sit back and consider how things have panned out for PC gaming in the last few years, it really does feel like we have entered a golden age for the platform. With Microsoft now treating PC gaming as almost an equal, this ensures a consistent stream of top tier games on the platform at launch. EA have also now seen the light and have been releasing many of their own games on Steam and this arrangement seems to be doing well. Indeed, even Sony have decided to grace the PC with some of their biggest exclusives, albeit a few years old. In terms of hardware consoles have finally levelled the playing field on data transfers speeds which is awesome for load times and other techniques to enhance gameplay. No gamer worth their salt should ever wish another platform to experience worse performance so they can remain top dog. We are all gamers and I believe strife based on which system you choose to play games on is (and will always be) a very bad thing.
So the table is set for an utterly fantastic end to 2020 (at least in terms of gaming). In between now and Cyberpunk 2077 we still have Watchdogs Legion and Assassins Creed Valhalla. Ubisoft have never once responded to my requests for review codes but regardless we shall try to make contact. Assuming I can play enough of them before the 19th then I shall indeed publish my reviews or least my initial impressions on Twitter. Based on what I know right now I am far more hopeful for Watch Dogs as Valhalla is looking very ropey on all the footage. If you haven't been checking in then head over to the reviews section where you will find my thoughts on Control (Ultimate Edition), Fall Guys (now heading into season 2) and Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition. All these games are well worth a look but Horizon didn't land in the best state and so I am now tracking the fixes as they roll out. That is all for now ladies and gents, stay safe out there.
