It’s Summer 2013. I’ve got few complaints, aside from the heat. Summer sales are going strong; between Steam, GOG.com, and PlayStation Plus, I’ve acquired 10 or so games in the last month. I’m overwhelmed by options, and realistically, I won’t have time to play them all. How could I possibly be left wanting? The answer, of course, is that this year marks the start of a new console cycle, and this past month, E3 offered a taste of the future.
After the first day of E3, I was already excited. Sony and Microsoft showed off an impressive array of next generation games and hardware, evinced by record-breaking pre-order sales on Amazon. In those first 24 hours, I saw enough to justify pre-ordering a PS4 for myself; titles like Metal Gear Solid V, Mirror’s Edge 2, The Division, Destiny, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Watch Dogs promised to rock my socks off, and look amazing doing it.
That floor’s so clean you could eat a power-up off of it.
Loving you is easy ’cause you’re beautiful
Leading up to the announcements of these next generation consoles, I was in the camp of people who didn’t think graphical leaps forward would be significant this time around. To an extent, I was right; they don’t look leaps and bounds better than our current heavy-hitters, like the Crysis games or The Witcher 2. On a high-end PC, current games can look pretty snazzy. These games are the exceptional ones, though, as most games these days are created for consoles, and current consoles just aren’t top of the line anymore. This will all change very soon.
Now that developers are turning their sights toward the next generation, games are going to start looking better across the board. Console gamers, in particular, are in for an immediate treat when they fire up these systems this winter, as the jump in power will be dramatic. Games like Knack and Watch Dogs look great, but it’s the titles like Mirror’s Edge 2 and The Division that will drop your jaw. Their detail is staggering, and it’s mostly thanks to next-gen lighting and particle effects, not texture quality or model complexity.
Not to imply that the models aren’t amazing, mind you.
It’s easy to see the advances in game lighting when you watch next generation trailers. It makes everything feel more alive and vibrant, and the shadows cast go a long way in proving how much is rendered and affected within the game world. These worlds aren’t just prettier; they’re deeper, and more interactive.
Smoke and dust are vastly more realistic in the trailers for Metal Gear Solid V and Infamous: Second Son (Hideo Kojima has even said the latest trailer for MGSV used a current-gen PC engine; the finished product will look even better on Xbox One and PS4!). Whether it’s a sandstorm rolling in from miles away, or smoke shooting from Delsin’s fingertips, these effects are almost tangible. Looking at the games I’m playing now, I can’t help but notice their every visual flaw.
Click here to view the embedded video.
The second screen: a new way to play together
New features like the Wii U’s tablet controller, SmartGlass, Vita incorporation, and mobile/tablet connectivity are poised to change the way we imagine playing games together. Far from the minimally useful touchscreen on the DS and its descendants, next-gen dual screen tech means two different, but interwoven games being played simultaneously. Playing together now means you can play next to each other, in separate rooms, across the world, or all of the above.
Adding to the beauty of this functionality is its versatility. I’ve seen second screen support mean different things for every game that makes use of it. In Dead Rising 3, SmartGlass will allow players to perform supportive actions their character would not personally be able to execute, such as bombarding zombie hordes with airstrikes. With the Watch Dogs companion app, players can help or hinder their friends by hacking systems in that player’s game world. As a Vita owner, I’m excited to see what companion features developers come up with for the PS4.
This brings a whole new meaning to co-op.
Currently, players can experience the beginnings of this functionality with the Wii U, though that system is still in its infancy. The Wii U tablet controller is tethered to the console, but the second screen on the other two consoles could come into play from anywhere. This key difference could mean great things for people who don’t have much time to play. On the train to work, you could turn on The Division‘s companion app and help out your friends during your commute. These innovations are important, because they allow us to connect to each other and play, even when our schedules are busy.
Next Generation: Are we there yet?
There’s just one problem here: I’m still playing current-generation console games. My indie gaming habit doesn’t help, either, since these games are typically innovative fun, but often not visually striking. In my excitement for what’s next, I’m starting to look more critically at the current. I recently played The Last of Us, and while it’s a gorgeous game, I couldn’t help but smile at the thought that soon, most games will look that good or better. I’ve also been playing Saints Row: The Third, which is fun and hilarious, but compared to the games coming out this fall, it looks downright rough. This trend is sure to continue now that I’ve seen what to expect when I get my PS4 this fall. In the meantime, I may simply hold perfectly good games to standards higher than their hardware allows.
The post The waiting game: spoiled by the next generation before it’s arrived appeared first on Video Game Writers.
