Next-gen is right around the corner, with the imminent release of Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X consoles, we’ve been promised a generational leap like no other as both parties fixate on ray tracing capable hardware, 4K/120fps console gaming, and superfast SSDs. But some of us have left a little bit… underwhelmed by the graphical fidelity of some of these next-gen titles, so we wanted to ask you how you feel about them so far.
Just to be clear though, we’re not talking about graphical fidelity specifically, that’s just one example of some over promised tech that has left us a bit disappointed. Halo infinite was recently under fire for not looking next-gen enough, for example. We’re also talking about video games in general here, not just titles coming to PC.
Really I just want to get a sense of how everyone feels about “next-gen”, gameplay-wise, graphics-wise, story-wise etc. Are we looking at just more generic games like every year? Or are we now on a much more interesting and unique path of diverse games, genres and styles? Or maybe this generation is leaving us worried about our PC systems and the inevitable ordeal of having to upgrade our hardware?
Personally, whilst we may not be seeing some truly ultra-realistic graphics just yet, I have noticed that a lot of next-gen games are taking much bolder and unique approaches to their art style. PS5’s recent State of Play event comes to mind with the reveal of Aeon Must Die, The Pathless, etc.
Gameplay-wise we’re seeing more than your typical 1st/3rd person shooters, the aforementioned The Pathless involves players darting around a world by shooting arrows at floating points, all focusing on movement and speed. Crash Bandicoot 4 looks absolutely stunning in my opinion, especially on the animation side.
But what do you think? How do you feel about next-gen games at the moment? What next-gen titles have stood out to you the most? And is next-gen making you excited about games to come? Let’s debate!
Login or Register to join the debate
PC Specs
a diverse extensive and vast dynamic gameplay mechanics.. Fallout NV quest line ie: Ultra-Luxe was a big jump on how side quest are, and the overwhelming scale of Divinity Original Sin 2
PC Specs
Oh how I wish that gameplay and mechanics become more deep and complex, but at best we'll get vr + motion control watered down gameplay and mechanics... changing the control method doesn't make it any deeper nor more complex.
PC Specs
Large Maps
Huge Draw Distances
Everything Physics Based [Buildings, Trees, Vegetation, Terrain]
Procedural Destruction Applied to Everything INCLUDING THE MAP
Increased Player Counts 256-1024
Increased NPC / Enemy Counts [fight an army
PC Specs
Fight an Army of 400-2000 rather than a few teams of 20-50]
Improved Player animations and increase in fluidity as character animations reacts to actual Physics based world. no more objects clipping and entering other objects or surfaces
PC Specs
Machine Learning to learn player behavior and improve Ai Tactics, Strategy, Positioning, and outsmart players.
Imagine Battlefield Or Call of Duty Matches with 64-256 players against an AI controled Army of 1000s
Same for Racing titles wh
PC Specs
Each Ai Driver behave's differnently and have a unique Driving Style and they all react differently to you. and with time develop new ways to put pressure on you till you make a mistake, get overtaken, or defend against you.
Imagine a Sing
PC Specs
single player game wherein you break into a building shoot people and get out depending on how you played you walk out of a perfectly fine builing or the building literally breaks down like a scripted scene from Uncharted of sorts.
PC Specs
I love playing against good AI, so I'm really looking forward to them implementing good AI for match based games.
PC Specs
Imagine Boss Battles against Ai where the entire server tries to figure out a way to blast its way into the fort past its defense lines and ambush setups both sides have limited resources. but everytime you play you make the ai better
PC Specs
Mythic+ in WoW. :D
Not that it's AI based but still.
Starcraft 2 as well, this time it's AI based.
For shooters it's the best.
PC Specs
for real you saying something like this for shooters already exist? i dont care FPS or TPS i am in
PC Specs
With increased draw distance and cpu power, I’d like to see a hundred drones (halo) coming right for me to snipe out of the sky before they get too close. I’d like to see an overwhelming onslaught of flood infection forms forcing me to push through a level, but most importantly, I want my familiar enemies to do the unexpected, to strike fear in me, to give me new challenges that my hundred+ play throughs in the past games could not. I need smarter foes, better stealth, better player problem solving. I am no longer a child who can be impressed with fast pace action with little substance. Where is this generations ‘Combat Evolve
PC Specs
as long as there's console's on the market nothing will change much unless it's PC exclusive.
PC Specs
nope, even then they'll target low-end PCs. I mean take a look at PC exclusives. All the successful ones run on toasters, the ones that push for higher graphical fidelity get a month or two of fame and go to the benchmark category and then they get forgotten.
PC Specs
Console players bickering about graphics? Good one xD
PC Specs
People bickering about graphics in video games.
PC Specs
I'm looking for gameplay mechanics that were not possible before. Graphics are great but not essential. Beyond that, devs... surprise me. Honestly, its up to them to turn the tables, that's why we pay 60$ a game to do. 60$ in the millions I might add.
PC Specs
In the past 10 years graphics have reached realistic levels. All that is happening since then are minor improvements and some new very demanding techniques (ray tracing). What gamers across all platforms need is better gameplay and better story.
PC Specs
Yup, that's what I've been saying for ages, but sadly people don't care much about that.
PC Specs
too many small studio/developers, we risk to find ourself buried under a mountain of indie games, it's gonna be frustrating trying to find good games in a sea of average quality. And It looks like sony an ms are supporting all this...This is definitely a step backward.
PC Specs
Nintendo Switch is one such place. It's suffering from the "Steam disease", with an avalanche of asset flips and general garbage, making actually good games pretty hard to find nowdays.
PC Specs
So far? Ehh.
I have a feeling it's gonna go downhill from here gameplay wise. Because they wanna shove more microtransactions down our throat. As if we weren't suffocating enough from it.
PC Specs
Gameplay has been going downhill for almost a decade if not more
PC Specs
Somewhat true.
PC Specs
not for every game series and not for every new IP, but in general it has.
PC Specs
Yeah
PC Specs
Most next gen games shown are platformers and indies or both. I quess i´ll take time to get up to snuff like every early console gen.
PC Specs
Well, I am excited about what developers could do with extra power of next gen, but we will have to move past transition period first, when games have to run on previous gen and offer equivalent experience, they just can't go too far in next gen, since everything next gen has to be optional. Plus developers need to get good at it. Early gen games always take less advantage than late gen games.
PC Specs
A for what matters, gameplay and story will always be kings here, especially with graphics even today being good enough. But still, for now we saw very little of next gen, so we need to wait to see more. Still, I do believe good stuff will come, even if not immediately after next gen comes out. Unfortunately things take time... but it should get cool.
PC Specs
Nothing substantial has been shown to get excited over. Maybe there are glimpses of whats to come like the seamless loading of worlds shown in Ratchet & Clank but if we have to really see what is to come then we may need to wait for games to be made with solely next gen in mind, leaving behind the older consoles. I dont imagine most developers would have had time enough to work with the new architecture fully. There is usually a transition period.
PC Specs
I am not impressed with the graphics. 4K is very demanding for the under-powered consoles.
PC Specs
I can make even 240p demanding for a GPU 10x stronger than a rtx 2080Ti... software will forever be limited by hardware. What's your point?
PC Specs
So far disappointed in both Sony and Xbox when they showed their next gen games, too many familly friendly games and I know I'm not alone as I've seen many comments like that, not many strong titles haven't seen much of a graphical leap over the current gen even tho consoles will be able to use ray tracing
PC Specs
Yep, visually alluring games will be enticing but game play will be no better or worse than the current gen. Very likely will be some awesome titles but not many. Current gen offers Cyberpunk and MSFS 2020, so plenty to keep going until things warm up.
PC Specs
Higher specs, more graphics, overall worse games, more micro-transactions.
My predictions if games don't start costing more per game than 60$ for the consumer and if they go balls out for graphics instead of actually making good games.
PC Specs
Higher specs are a given for AAA titles as it's already been reported that the first games that will require an RTX type of GPU without exception are due in 2023.
Games may not be overall worse but it's unlikely there will be many games with truly original gameplay. Controllers are effectively the same as the XBox 360 era for multiplat games so current genre games will end up playing the same.
PC Specs
Controllers haven't even become the limiting factor yet and we can always add more buttons.
PC Specs
Yeah, I was just thinking about how some devs have created new ways to play when given different ways to control a game, such as with VR or Nintendo's Wii.
PC Specs
I'm not searching few controls personally, I want mechanics and gameplay. When we get limited by keyboards/controllers then sure, but we haven't gotten even close to that, infact games are coming simpler and simpler, less and less buttons overall and less and less buttons at the same time.
PC Specs
I agree that game prices will unfortunately need to rise because some developers will go "balls out for graphics" due to some players expecting their new 4K, Ray-tracing capable consoles be pushed to the limits in that way.
If mtx continue to be just skins that don't effect actual gameplay then I won't be bothered as I won't be buying them anyway.
PC Specs
My concern is that developers may start cutting corners for DLC/Expansions by re-using entire areas of the main game and just adding a couple of new features into them instead of creating all new content. The Wolfenstein II: TNC DLCs pretty much did this already and with some players buying season passes before all the content is even confirmed some devs may try taking advantage.
PC Specs
I don't mind them reusing assets, but new levels(be it an open world or not doesn't matter) are a must.
PC Specs
The hardware site is interesting, but if they only add more pixels (which most people don't even notice) the software side will flop.
PC Specs
I'm kinda just waiting to see what Nintendo will do. I was really impressed with the Switch and since I play on PC too there wasn't many games I felt like I was missing.
PC Specs
I'll let you know when I get my hands on a next-gen title.
PC Specs
Looking fwd to your feedback.
PC Specs
4K/120fps console gaming? Not going to happen...
PC Specs
Of course it's not gonna happen :D. We can't get stable 4K/60fps with the most powerful GPU and CPU, we'll expect consoles to run at 120fps? It's not even a laughing matter.