What Remains of Edith Finch

There are quite a few games disparagingly labeled “walking simulator” due to the lack of action present. What Remains of Edith Finch proves that “walking simulators” don’t have to be boring and they can present some of the best examples of video game storytelling.

What Remains of Edith Finch tells the tale of the titular Edith Finch who visits her ancestral home and uncovers the terrible events that led to their deaths. It’s a game that packs an emotional punch, and there’s a lot of tragedy to process. For a unique gaming experience, this is a title not to be missed.

]]> 599284 https://gamingbolt.com/15-single-player-games-from-the-1990s-you-didnt-play Fri, 27 Sep 2024 12:41:23 +0000 https://gamingbolt.com/?p=598903 The 90s are generally considered the golden age of gaming. A plethora of amazing games were released, giving gamers more than enough to pick from. Naturally, some of the best titles slipped through the fingers of even the most ardent gaming fans. Fortunately, this feature will alert to you some of the underappreciated games that deserve more attention than they received.

System Shock (1994)

The game that started it all as far as story driven action and sci-fi shooters are concerned. Yes, we are talking about System Shock. At the time of its release, it garnered good reviews and slowly but surely built a cult following. System Shock is ahead of its time in many ways, blending cyberpunk elements with horror. Players take control of a nameless protagonist who wishes to put a stop to the nefarious AI SHODAN. It may be difficult for modern gamers to get into the swing of things, but it is worth it.

]]> 598903 https://gamingbolt.com/15-problems-hardcore-gta-fans-wont-admit Wed, 25 Sep 2024 15:57:05 +0000 https://gamingbolt.com/?p=599194 Grand Theft Auto is a massive franchise that has left an indelible mark on the gaming industry. Players have fallen in love with the sprawling urban open-worlds presented, and the franchise’s irreverent humor has consistently been a point of controversy. Despite how beloved the series is, there are aspects of the games that are less than perfect. The following list highlights the problems in the series that fans often choose to overlook. All the points apply to the main campaign of the games unless otherwise stated.

Driving in GTA 4 is Annoying

Driving is an important aspect of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, and GTA 4 is no different. Liberty City is filled with vehicles for players to purchase and steal. With this title, Rockstar strove for realism and this extends to the handling of vehicles.

Unfortunately, the result is that cars feel like they’re slipping on ice, and they sway far too much. It’s a damper on gameplay, and it makes driving from point A to B a tedious task. The problem also rears its ugly head when attempting to escape from the police, as weaving through traffic almost invariably results in collisions. Luckily, this issue was addressed in GTA 5.

A PC Demo is Available 

Some players may be unsure whether they want to purchase Final Fantasy 16. Fortunately, a demo is available to help those who are on the fence and need a little extra convincing. Much like the PS5 demo, PC players get to try out the game’s prologue and tinker with a special “Eikonic Challenge” mode. The PC demo is perhaps a bit more important than the console counterpart, as it gives PC players a chance to see how the game runs with their specific specs. It can be downloaded on Steam and the Epic Game Store.

PC Minimum Requirements

With all the action FF16 brings, it’s no surprise that it’s a somewhat taxing title when it comes to PC specs. However, it appears that developers have made the game quite scalable, as the minimum PC requirements aren’t too demanding for any modern PC build. With this said, you may need to upgrade your storage because an SSD is required. Using the minimum requirements, you can expect FF16 to run at 30fps at 720p, which is enough to bring Clive Rosfield’s story to life. The minimum specs call for Windows 10 or 11, an AMD Ryzen 5 1600 or Intel Core i5-8400 processor, and 16GB RAM. For graphics cards, you need an AMD Radeon RX 5700, Intel Arc A580, or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070. The minimum specs also require Version 12 DirectX and you’ll also need 170GB of storage.

PC Recommended Requirements

If you have a beefier PC build, you can shoot for the recommended PC requirements, which will have the game running at 60FPS at 1080p. Once again, as expected, an SSD is required. These are the specs that the developer recommends Windows 10 or 11 OS, an AMD Ryzen 7 5700X or Intel Core i7-10700 processor, and 16GB RAM. As far as graphics cards go, an AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 is recommended. Developers also recommend Version 12 DirectX, and you should have 170GB of available space.

Supports Up to 240fps

PS5 players enjoy a quality mode that runs at 30fps and a performance mode that runs at 60fps. On PC, developers have been able to take things further with official 240fps support. It’ll take a very capable PC as well as upscaling to achieve this framerate.

FF16 Will Feature Dynamic Resolution Options

FF16 will feature the option to turn on dynamic resolution which will allow the game to adjust dynamically to meet graphical demand. Additionally, there will be a host of upscaling options, as confirmed by the developer. More specifically, as revealed in the demo, the dynamic resolution options will include NVIDIA DLSS 3, AMD FSR 3, Intel XeSS 1.3, and Legacy (TSCMAA + AMD FSR 1). Upscaling is not available when dynamic resolution is enabled.

Various Graphical Settings Will be Available

If you purchase FF16 on PC, you will have access to several graphical settings, allowing you to adjust the game to suit your machine’s specs. As seen in the demo, it’s possible to change the screen brightness, choose between upscaling options, and enable dynamic resolution. The following graphics settings can also be adjusted: sharpness, frame generation, framerate, motion blur, vignette, chromatic aberration, NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency, graphical fidelity, texture quality, terrain detail, shadow quality, water quality, clutter density, NPC quantity, screen space reflection, ambient occlusion, bloom shader, and variable rate shading (VRS). It should be noted that the settings may change in the final retail version.

Save Data from the Demo Will Transfer to the Retail Version

You shouldn’t hesitate to immerse yourself in the demo version of FF16 out of fear that all the gameplay will be for nothing. As is the case with the PS5 demo, the save data will transfer to the retail version. That means you won’t have to play through the prologue once again when the game launches on September 17. It’s a beefy demo, containing over 2 hours of content, so it’s really convenient to not lose all that progress.

A Normal and Complete Edition Are Available

Final Fantasy 16 PC is available for pre-orders, and fans can choose between a standard and complete edition. The regular version contains the base game and it’s priced at $49.99. For $69.99 players can grab the complete edition which comes with the Echoes of the Fallen and Rising Tide DLC.

Fixes Have Been Pushed Out Following Demo Feedback

In the Rock Paper Shotgun interview, the developer explains that optimizing the game for PC wasn’t an easy task because the original game was “tailored for the PS5 in a lot of different ways.” Following the release of the demo, developers have received feedback regarding the game’s performance, and Update 1.01 was pushed out to address some complaints.

The update addresses several issues, including Dynamic Resolution being locked on the lowest setting and enemies not appearing properly in specific battle content. Graphics not being displayed properly under some states have also been mended. Other fixes included fixes graphical tearing in particular instances when using borderless screen mode and special effects not playing properly under specific conditions. Furthermore, UI not displaying properly under some conditions, screen resolution changing under certain conditions, and rare instances of GPU crashes have been dealt with, in addition to other minor issues. Developers aren’t done yet perfecting the game and are still fine-tuning the game, and they are investigating instances of stuttering in a few environments.

Steam Deck Users Shouldn’t Have High Expectations

The Steam Deck has shown itself to be quite capable of punching above its weight and playing a host of recently released games. Final Fantasy 16 runs on the handheld, though you will have to make a few compromises. By default, the game uses low graphics presets on Valve’s device, and AMD FSR 1 is turned on. With these settings the FF16 demo hovers around the 30fps mark, though it does drop to as low as 19fps during intense moments. Anyone familiar with the PS5 version will notice the dip in graphics, though it’s amazing that the game runs at all on the Deck.

Numerous Cutscenes are Capped at 30fps

FF16 features stunning cutscenes that tell the story of Clive Rosfield and his battles against the Eikon. Some are rendered in real time while others are pre-rendered and capped at 30fps. It isn’t too much of a problem, though it may be annoying to some players who are used to higher framerates. If it’s too much of a distraction, a mod is available for the PC demo which unlocks the cutscene framerate.

PC Performance Impressions

The demo has been tested with minimum and recommended specs, and the results are good, although there are a few complaints, as per Youtuber Daniel Owen. Even on an RTX 4090 with the game running at 60fps, there is some stuttering though, as previously stated, developers are aware of the issue and are investigating it. On a GTX 1070, it’s possible to hit 1080p but the game won’t hold a consistent 30FPS. For players using an RX 6700 XT, it’s possible to hit medium settings, with the game hovering slightly above the 60fps mark.

No Native Ultrawide Support

Unfortunately, FF16 doesn’t have native ultrawide support on PC. Once again, PC modders come to the rescue and with a simple mod, it is possible to enable narrow and ultrawide support. The useful mod also allows you to adjust gameplay FOV and removes pillarboxing and letterboxing in borderless/fullscreen mode.

Final Fantasy 16 Has DirectStorage

DirectStorage is a technology developed by Microsoft to take full advantage of SSDs. It promises several benefits, including faster load times, reduced CPU overhead, and optimized data streaming. The advantages of DirectStorage are seen in titles such as Forspoken, which manages to “reduce its load time from an average of around 10 seconds down to a single second.” FF16 will support DirectStorage so you can expect speedy load times.

Has support for Adaptive Triggers + ability to switch controller button icons

Not all PC players enjoy using a keyboard and mouse for gaming, and some prefer using a controller, especially for third-person RPGs. On PS5, Final Fantasy 16 uses the DualSense’s unique features to increase immersion. This includes the implementation of the adaptive triggers during several moments, including when opening doors and pulling levers. PC gamers can enjoy the PS5 experience, as the game has support for adaptive triggers. In addition, players can switch controller button icons to their liking.

Naturally, fans will have a lot of questions regarding the upcoming game. Some newcomers may also be curious about what to expect. Though developers have kept a lot under wraps, there has been a wealth of new information revealed that should help gamers decide if Space Marine 2 is the title for them.

There Will be Various Types of Tyranids 

The Tyranids are one of the main enemies players will be up against in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. They move in overwhelmingly large swarms, making strategization a must if players want to come out on top.

Though Tyranids are all controlled by the Hive Mind, players will face different types of these enemies. We’ve gotten a glimpse of some of the Tyranid types to expect. This includes the common Termagants, Hormagaunts that stick to the front of the swarm, and the ruthless Tyranid Warriors.

Why Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2’s Co-op Multiplayer Will Only Feature Three Players

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 will feature a co-op multiplayer mode. Typically, such a mode is a four-player affair, but developers settled on making it a three-player experience. This has been done to ensure the game isn’t too easy.

In an interview with PCGamer, Saber Interactive’s Yann François shed light on the studio’s decision. He explained that Space Marines are almost invincible, so having four of them working together would eliminate any challenge, and “that is what led to the choice of creating a multiplayer of up to three players.”

Hive World

Titus makes a return in Space Marine 2, and he’ll be tackling two planets, namely, Death World and Hive World. The latter is similar to the setting of Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, and it will feature Hive cities packing billions of people in large vertical areas. Players can expect dense, highly detailed environments where the hordes of Tyranids will roam.

Inspiration Behind the Return of PvP and the Development of a New PvE Mode

Space Marine 2 will feature both a PvP and a new PvE mode. This choice was motivated by the desire to craft the “perfect sequel” which would necessitate not cutting any features present in the first game. This meant that the return of PvP was a must.

The three-player PvE co-op mode was inspired by the fact that there is a galaxy-wide conflict with the Tyranids going on. Titus can’t be everywhere at once, so he needs a squad. Hence, the Operations mode was created.

Improved Enemy AI

The Tyranids move in swarms like insects. However, they haven’t been designed as mindless foes. Instead, Saber Interactive has taken the time to improve enemy AI to ensure a more challenging and engaging gameplay experience. The Tyranids attack in more coordinated ways, making it a bad idea to blindly charge into battle. Players will have to take a more tactical approach and adapt to varied situations to emerge victorious.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Will Feature Both Ranged and Melee Attacks

An arsenal of weapons will be available to players. It’ll be up to gamers to decide which weapons are best suited for what situations. For ranged attacks, there will be numerous rifles and pistols to use. When players are up close with enemies, it’ll be smart to opt for one of the various melee weapons. This includes the standard combat knife as well as the Chainsword and Thunder Hammer, to name a few.

Brutal Executions Return

Space Marine 2 is a stomach-churningly violent game full of action. Players will be slaughtering Tyranids in the most gruesome ways possible. Fans can look forward to the return of brutal executions. There will be three types of executions: parry executions, melee executions, and pistol executions.

These executions can be performed when an enemy is staggered, leading to a gory death animation. Executions recover some health and shield, so it’s worth grabbing the opportunity to perform them whenever possible.

You Don’t Need to Play Space Marine 1 to Play Space Marine 2

Space Marine 2 will appeal to its player base but this doesn’t mean that gamers need to play the first title to understand the upcoming game. According to Saber Interactive, “it’s a fresh story that can be understood as its own without having played the first game.” This is good news for those who haven’t gotten to the first game but want to jump into the action when Space Marine 2 launches.

There Will be Varied Dialogue Depending on Player Actions

The developers have gone all out when it comes to voice acting. As creative director Oliver Hollis-Leick explains in an interview with Gamereactor, “every single Space Marine class is a character, fully voiced by an actor, they have their own personalities.” The dialog will be varied and responsive to different situations, meaning players will hear different dialog depending on their playthrough choices.

There Will Be Different Difficulty Levels

Not everyone who jumps into Space Marine 2 is going to be a veteran when it comes to third-person action games. This isn’t a problem, as the game will have varied difficulty levels to accommodate all kinds of gamers. According to PCGamesN, there will be four difficulty levels to experiment with. Depending on what difficulty levels players pick there will be small changes regarding how they’re meant to complete objectives. This ensures the game has high replay value.

There Will be Quick Time Events (QTEs)

In a move that has received mixed reactions from players, there will be Quick Time Events in Space Marine 2. According to IGN, there will sometimes be a short QTE window giving players the chance to counterattack with a pistol blast. QTEs don’t have the best reputation but if implemented well, they could be an exciting part of combat that gives gamers a chance to gain the upper hand.

A Heraldry Editor is Included

Customization is a huge aspect of Space Marine 2, and players will be able to customize their weapons to their liking. Additionally, the game will feature a Heraldry Editor, allowing gamers to create their own combinations. This will be an important part of making every Space Marine feel unique. Players can expect more cosmetic options to be released post-launch, though there won’t be any microtransactions in the game.

There is No Friendly Fire

In multiplayer mode, things can get chaotic when bullets are blasting and swords are swinging. Fortunately, players need not worry about getting caught in the crossfire when their team is unleashing their arsenal. As confirmed through reports, it’s impossible to harm your own teammates. The lack of friendly fire means players can focus on the important things, like tearing up Tyranids.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Will Feature Cross Platform play

With multiplayer such an important component of Space Marine 2, fans may be wondering whether friends will be able to play together across different platforms. It has been confirmed that there is separate PvP matchmaking which means different player pools for PC and consoles. However, there is full crossplay for all platforms in campaign and Operations. Crossplay can also be turned off to stick to a specific platform.

Expect Cold Brutality

Space Marine 2 is not for the faint of heart, and it will feature gratuitous violence. According to Hollis-Leick, the studio is attempting to take the 2011 game and adapt the experience for modern audiences. The result is a game that’s less cartoonish and more ferocious. As Hollis-Leick explains to Gamespot, “things like the ranged combat, the melee combat, the scale were all great, but we wanted to make it more raw, more violent, and with a kind of cold brutality.”

Players can expect tons of action, heaps of customization options, and jaw-droppingly large swarms of Tyranids to chop down. It’s a title that appears to offer authenticity for series veterans while still being accessible to newcomers. Space Marine 2 launches on September 9 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

As per a recent statement from Ninja Theory head Dom Matthews, Hellblade 2 is going to be of a similar length to its predecessor. According to those numbers, Hellblade 2 will take roughly around 9 hours to roll the credits. This obviously raises some concerns about the game being too short in length according to modern standards, but we think that the game’s short length is what precisely makes it so special in the first place. 

You see, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was one of the earliest flagbearers of the AA market. At a time when the AAA market was bursting with games that traded scope and scale for creativity and originality, Hellblade was Ninja Theory’s passion project that was created under middling budgets and lesser resources. It was bursting at the seams with original ideas and fresh designs, which isn’t something that you could say about many of the biggest AAA games of the time. 

But what made it so special was the deep understanding of what the developer wanted it to be, and how the developer purposefully honed in on those elements without bloating the experience with needless elements that could dilute the intended experience. For instance, there are no progression systems to be found in the first game, and you wouldn’t find much in the name of collectibles or side content either. 

With Hellblade 2: Senua’s Sacrifice, Ninja Theory seems to be building off the same elements that made the first game so special. As such, you can expect a rather straightforward story about Senua strutting across the Scandinavian Isle, fighting her inner demons, and solving the occasional puzzle to progress through an emotionally charged story. There’s no secret to the fact that there wouldn’t be much gameplay variety apart from fighting and exploration – so it makes complete sense to craft a story with a length that is able to support the said mechanics. 

It’s important to understand that Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 simply wouldn’t work if the developers were to craft a 60-hour epic spread across sprawling isles packed with optional nooks and crannies to explore. The combat mechanics would have run their course by the tenth hour, and players would be spending the next fifty hours fighting the same kinds of enemies with increasing levels of frustration. 

We believe that the virtue of a good game comes from the feeling of wanting more out of that experience, and making Hellblade 2 a lot longer than its currently speculated length would just churn those feelings out of the equation since the mechanics on offer aren’t really capable of engaging a player for the long run. It’s extremely appreciable that Ninja Theory knows about this careful balance between the mechanics and the story, so keeping the length on the shorter end is much better for the game itself.

Furthermore, Hellblade 2 is a game that largely follows the principles of design by subtraction. In this design philosophy, the developer pays due attention to what makes the game tick in the first place – and then the team ruthlessly chops down or alters other mechanics that don’t support that central hook. It’s almost impossible to create a consistently varied ride when you are working off a very singular game mechanic, which is why games that are a byproduct of this design philosophy are relatively short in length.

It’s the same reason why Shadow of the Colossus has only 16 bosses to fight as opposed to 60, and a game like Journey doesn’t stretch itself out too thin by being a massive trek that takes 50 hours as opposed to just a couple of hours at max. In fact, some of the best action adventure games are those that don’t stretch their mechanics out too thin just for the sake of artificially inflating their runtimes. Examples include but are not limited to games like Max Payne 2, Halo campaigns among others. 

Conversely, it’s the same reason that many of the biggest open worlds built on the philosophy of maximizing content generally fail to provide that feeling when the credits roll. We’ve often had feelings of frustration and exhaustion as we reach the final act of a boring open world game like Valhalla since most of the content is usually rehashed with little in the name of originality, hence losing the feeling of wanting more out of that said experience. 

Of course, there is also an argument to be made about the economics of the purchase. Understandably, many fans would want to have a game that would last a lot longer for the asking price, and while that is a genuine plea – there are two important points to consider here as well. For starters, Hellblade 2 doesn’t retail at the current standard price of $70 but will launch at a marginally cheaper asking price of $50. But you also have to consider that this is the price for owning the game, so players who just want to experience Senua’s journey and get done with it can also do that through an Xbox Game Pass subscription which costs $10 a month. And the fact that the game releases on the subscription service on launch day makes it all the more sweeter. 

These factors make Hellblade 2’s shorter length a lot easier to digest since you don’t even have to pay much of a price to experience Senua’s journey from start to finish. But even if would have to pay that price, there’s also an argument to be had for the quality of the hours that you get out of that experience as opposed to the sheer quantity of those hours for the same asking price – so there’s that to consider too. 

In conclusion, the length of a game is never indicative of its quality and there’s no such evidence that a shorter game is any lesser compared to a massive game. As we discussed, Hellblade 2’s shorter runtime is what makes it one of the more interesting releases to come out this year, and Ninja Theory’s persistence to stick to its artistic vision and not give into temptations of creating a sequel that loses its brand identity to cater a wider audience is certainly commendable. Of course, we are still some ways from its release and it wouldn’t be wise to continue singing praises for a game that hasn’t even come out yet – so we are keeping fingers crossed for now.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.