The rise and Titanfall of the next generation

With the launch of Titanfall, people are once again saying that the next generation has finally begun. While I would argue the release of hardware is when a generation begins, Titanfall does represent the launch of a truly new IP for the next generation of systems (or Microsoft system, to be more exact). Every generation has "this" game, the game that people cite as a reason to upgrade and point to as an example of the leap that is only possible with new hardware. What makes Titanfall and this new generation interesting is that the demonstrable power gap between console generations is shrinking. It's indisputable that the PS4 and Xbox One have a major performance advantage over their older brothers, but it's not as easy as pointing to the difference between a SNES and a Nintendo 64. There has been some movement in terms of resolution and frame rates, but to the average person on the street this is not an easy sell.

In terms of gameplay and visuals Titanfall seems to be everything it promises, a fast paced, Call of Duty like shooter that focuses on movement and scale. Its gameplay looks and feels fresh but is instantly approachable by anyone that has played a first person shooter over the last 10 years. Visually the game looks fantastic and the universe design feels cohesive and rich. The excitement for the product is there, as is the media acclaim. The question for Titanfall isn't if it will sell, the question is how well will it sell itself and how effective will it be in moving hardware?

The easy sell job with exciting new console launches of the past focused largely on graphics. Mario in 3D was exciting and easy to tell apart from his flat and instantly-by-comparison drab 2D games. Video games playing at high resolution were easily distinguishable from their SD counterparts. The current crop of next generation games, Titanfall included, all play at 720p to 1080p resolution, which is well trodden ground for console games. While those who are video game devotees may be able to tell the difference in visual fidelity, your average consumer of video games is most likely not going to pick up on the difference. Even if they do, I think beyond the hardcore players, the prospect of a $500 price tag for a new game that looks better, but not mind bendingly better than last generation titles is a tough pill to swallow.

Being an exciting new exclusive title really helps move hardware, especially in the early days, however Titanfall isn't quite as exclusive as it may seem. Titanfall is available for the Xbox One and PC with an Xbox 360 port to follow in the coming weeks. Microsoft is in a bit of bind in this regard, as they have almost certainly paid a king's ransom to have this exclusive title, but I can't help but wonder if it would have been wiser to swallow their loses and launch as an Xbox One only game. When a game has this much hype it's hard to deny that it would move at least some consoles, and I think it's safe to say they would have moved even more consoles if that was the only way to play it. Now I can understand Microsoft's choice not to do this, as I'm sure they'd like to recoup as much money as possible from this deal, but it's a tantalizing opportunity that leaves me wondering how close this ever was to being a pure Xbox One exclusive.

Microsoft has made sure to talk extensively about the cloud and their Azure servers being critical to Titanfall, but for most consumers this has about as much meaning as blast processing; A good game sells itself on the right mix of gameplay, setting, story and visuals. I believe that Titanfall has done this and the question will end up being if that mix will be good enough to move a lot of consoles. The game clearly stands on its own two feet, but it seemingly has the weight of an entire ecosystem sitting upon its shoulders. Simply moving software units won't be enough to ensure Titanfall's legacy, it will have to move hardware.

Watch for April's NPD numbers to be a gong show of speculation and hyperbole by enthusiastic fans of all stripes.

Driveclub is delayed (again)

In a carefully worded interview, Sony has gone on record to talk about how they won't ship Driveclub until it's ready. This game was once a highly hyped launch title and now it continues to struggle to find its footing. Sony hasn't outright said the game is delayed, but the writing on the wall is pretty clear. Driveclub is seemingly a step or two away from cancellation, so hopefully the extra time in the cooker will do the game some good.

Watch Dogs reemerges

If you read any video game news you will have seen that Ubisoft's Watch Dogs has been given a new release date and has reemerged from its self imposed radio silence after its last minute delay. There have been no shortage of new previews for the game and the impressions seem largely positive.

That being said there's no denying that there is, of course, internet rage going on from all corners complaining that the graphics are not as impressive as they were two years ago. One selected scene has been making the rounds (visible in comment threads such as this one) which seems to show a decrease in the graphical fidelity of the game. However these complaints all seem to be stemming from fans and enthusiasts, as I've yet to find a reporter from the event who holds the same opinion.

I guess we will see on May 27th.

Thoughts on Thief

Thief, like Eidos Montreal's last endeavour Deus Ex: Human Revolution, carries with it the baggage of nostalgia and the legacy of a legendary development team. Additionally, Thief has the fortunate and unfortunate distinction of being one of the first AAA games to land since the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One. Much has been made of the game over the last year as it has been both praised and criticized in the media. It's a lot of pressure for a niche title in the stealth genre which was probably unlikely to move a lot of units regardless of its critical success. Nonetheless, it's basically science at this point that a good Metacritic rating will give you a boost in sales. In this regard, Thief stumbles out of the gates because their Metacritic score is circling down at perilous levels.

If first impressions are paramount, then Thief does little to impress in terms of gameplay mechanics in its opening moments. The visuals are impressive, but the gameplay feels familiar in an uninspiring way. A first person Assassin's Creed setup for traversal and a very muted combat system aren't exactly going to command your attention, but they work. Over time you become adept at moving around the environment as Garrett. The limited controls are at odds with modern gaming, but reminds you firmly that you are a human first and foremost. In an era of Call of Duty and Gears of War,  Eidos Montreal was almost bold in keeping Garrett's move set fairly limited and free of the crazy acrobatics and parkour that define modern action games. It is at the same time refreshingly reserved, yet perhaps over safe feeling.

Likewise the world is a mixed bag of beautiful open environments and corridors laced with tiny rooms. Garrett's abilities and reputation beg for more verticality to play with, but the level design refuses to give in. Again this seems nearly at odds with modern design, yet if you were to replay the original Thief series you would find the world to be much the same. Garrett did not live in the rafters then and he does not now. Is this a lost opportunity or intentional? It's hard to tell. 

That sentiment perhaps best sums up the experience of Thief; it is a game that leaves us unsure of its intent. The game makes strange choices that clearly weren't well thought out (not indicating if a window is a loading point between zones stands out), but most of the time the games leaves me wondering if whatever was happening on screen was an intentional design choice or not. 

I would not call Thief a failure, and I would hesitate to call it a disappointment. Thief is fun despite its detractors valid complaints. The game is essentially what it promised on the tin, a sequel to a popular old franchise. It delivers on essentially everything that the originals did and attempts to add a little more to the formula. Thief will not be the game for everyone as early critical reviews have indicated. It will fail to please many who loved the originals and fail to entice modern gamers who are used to something more than Thief does. However, for fans of stealth games and of the Thief series, I think there is a very enjoyable core game here. If you're still curious about the game after reading all the reviews, odds are the game will be a fun one for you.