Gaming
Quality RPGs: How Much? It’s always rising
PC Gamer recently hosted an RPG roundtable where veterans like CD Projekt Red’s Pawel Sasko (quest director on Cyberpunk 2077) and Mike Laidlaw (Dragon Age lead designer) addressed some of the genre’s biggest issues.
The AAA arms race, especially the price of cutting-edge tech, top-tier development talent, and rising player expectations, was cited as a driving factor that needs to be addressed. Cyberpunk, which cost over $310 million, symbolizes the issue, and Pawel adds color: “When it comes to triple-A, we are just running at a f*cking wall, I think, and we’re gonna crash on that wall really soon.”
Core gamers expect a lot from sprawling, immersive, aesthetically pleasing RPGs and modern single-player games. Video games are already cheap per hour, so if we want them to keep pushing the envelope, we’ll have to pay more.
“As soon as you’re delivering something that starts to be cinematic, you then are essentially inviting comparison to the most cinematic things,” Laidlaw says of role-playing developers’ biggest challenge. You’re keeping up with Cyberpunk or Naughty Dog.”
Pawel cites Disco Elysium as an example of a groundbreaking RPG made on a budget. Its branching-narrative structure, top-down perspective, and quality writing make this possible. Words are cheap.
Thus, roleplayers should prepare for an economic imperative. Because gamers still insist on paying $70 for big, beautiful RPGs, something has to give. Will you pay? Would an increase make you seek entertainment elsewhere?
Sonic Frontier’s third and final free DLC update, The Final Horizon, is frustrating some players with its difficulty. Some say it’s Sonic’s hardest gameplay ever.
Many players complained about this unexpected difficulty spike in a 12-page GameFaqs forum post called “This DLC is way too hard” (thanks VGC). One of the main complaints about Sonic Frontiers was that it was too easy, and Team Sonic overcorrected, which makes it surprising.
Final Horizon, the last free update, let players play as Tails, Knuckles, and Amy and complete a variety of optional challenges, which is the challenge. Many are breaking down after a vertigo-inducing tower that requires pixel-perfect platforming without checkpoints, apparently inspired by viral Twitch hit Only Up!
Have you tried Sonic Frontiers Final Horizon DLC? Is it really that hard, or has Sonic always been the Dark Souls of mascot platformers?
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s cinematic trailer appeared suddenly as the wait seemed endless. It shows us that together, we can overcome anything.
The scene is surprisingly sad, with flashbacks to each Spider-Man’s tragic past. As property damages mount, Peter and Miles have emotional internal monologues while fighting Venom.
Venom appears to be about to lose when he realizes they can be stronger together before the scene fades to black. We won’t know how this story ends until Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 launches exclusively on PS5 on October 20.
Do you think teamwork makes the dream work? Should you see more of Insomniac’s latest or are you sold?
A new trailer featuring Aleks Le’s fearless protagonist S.E.E.S makes Persona 3 Reload more real. Atlus promises weekly character tributes, so get excited. Our stoic protagonist, who will be playable on PS5 and PS4 when this remade RPG releases on February 2, is introduced well.
We’ve accepted playing without our favorite character and are starting to like Reload. The setting, story, and cast have always been great, and the more we learn about the proposed changes, the more we want to return to Tartarus.
With Persona 3 Reload, where are you? Did you play the game before or is this your first time?
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