10. Satisfactory

You may not find the prospect of factory-building initially appealing, but Satisfactory makes the process addictive and wildly open-ended. Part of that open-endedness is the resource-rich open world you, as a settler, are tasked with exploring and mining for resources. Unlike a lot of management building games, everything in Satisfactory is accomplished from a first-person perspective, adding an extra ounce of immersion to your production chain empire. While the main route through the game starts off with limited technology tiers, progress grants you access to a vast toolbox to create anything imaginable.

As an action RPG, combat is central to the gameplay. Players can use pistols, swords, shields and wands, but it’s more than hacking and slashing. There are customizable loadouts to switch during combat, and you can even dual-wield wands. Freezing an enemy with a wand and shattering them with an offhand melee weapon is a strong combo.

One of the side quests is also showcased, with the player discovering some fallen soldiers and investigating a Private who fled. If they believe the Private’s story, the quest ends peacefully, but confronting him could lead to a fight. Returning to town will show the consequences of these actions.

Avowed is launching this Fall for Xbox Series X/S and PC. There will be more details in the coming months, so stay tuned.

https://youtu.be/Ni50utYFq14

While the focus is on companions and systemic elements with no class restrictions, there have been several changes throughout development. The developer was originally intent on making this their Skyrim before focusing on more “confined” stories. The final part of its 20th Anniversary documentary also revealed that the project was co-op focused early on.

CEO Feargus Urquhart said he pushed for Avowed to be multiplayer and “kept on that for a long time.” It was when the studio was still independent, and he felt it was “a more interesting game to publishers.” However, due to being too focused on co-op, the team changed its pipelines, how it wrote conversations and more, not focusing on what it was good at.

Urquhart realized this was the “wrong decision”, and Avowed became a single-player RPG. It releases in 2024 for Xbox Series X/S and PC, and is comparable in size to The Outer Worlds and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2. Stay tuned for more details.

Even so, as good as so many of BGS’ games have been, they haven’t been perfect- games rarely are. Even if you look at some of their more recent releases, from the modern masterpiece that is Skyrim to the fun post-apocalyptic ride that Fallout 4 delivers, there are flaws that you can point to in both games, for all of their strengths. Our hope, of course, is that Starfield will address some (or even all) of these issues, and here, we’re going to identify a few such areas that we’d most like to see improvements in.

FEWER TECHNICAL PROBLEMS

It makes sense to begin with the obvious pick, right? That BGS games are full of bugs and technical issues is a effectively a universal rule without exceptions at this point. Even when the studio has put out genre-defining gems like Morrowind, Fallout 3, and Skyrim, those games have been plagued with a flood of technical problems. And while that may have been more palatable to audiences when those games released, we’re now in a time where hyper-polished open world productions like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Tears of the Kingdom exist. Starfield will find it much harder to seek ignorance or forgiveness for major technical issues from is playerbase, especially given the fact that it’s a first party Xbox exclusive game now.

DEEPER RPG SYSTEMS

Something that Skyrim and Fallout 4 have in common (among many other things) is that they both delivered a more streamlined role playing experience than their immediate predecessors, with Skyrim trimming some of the fat compared to BGS’ previous releases, and Fallout 4 doing the same afterward. Collectively, they definitely went a little further than they should have. Hopefully, Starfield will be the game to pull it back, and based on what’s been shown of the game so far, it may very well be. From character backgrounds and traits to multilayered progression systems, it seems like Starfield is going to deliver a treasure trove of options in its RPG systems.

BETTER DIALOGUE OPTIONS THAN FALLOUT 4

The one area where Fallout 4 differed most from BGS’ previous offerings was its dialogue options. Instead of having a voiceless protagonist and presenting players lists of choices like traditional cRPGs do, Fallout 4 gave its protagonist a voice, and in doing so, significantly cut down the breadth of options available to players during conversations, thanks to its limited (and poorly executed) dialogue wheel-esque system. Starfield needs to do better than that- and again, by the looks of it, it will. It’s returning to a silent protagonist, and dialogue choices will be presented through old-school lists once again (which, to be fair, we already have seen BGS go back to in Fallout 76).

BETTER COMBAT

This, too, is a bit of an obvious pick, because BGS games not having the best combat is about as common of a criticism as their technical problems. Obviously, their are always redeeming qualities to consider, like the amount of options Skyrim provides in combat for how to deal with enemies, or, of course, Fallout 4’s incredible VATS system. But by and large, combat in BGS’ titles tends to feel clunky and unsatisfying. The developer is promising major improvements in this area with Starfield, and the gameplay that we’ve seen thus far has certainly been flattering. We just hope it feels as good to play as it does to watch, if not even better.

BETTER FEELING THIRD PERSON GAMEPLAY

Skyrim, Fallout 4, and of course, most of BGS’ previous RPGs have provided players the option to play either in first person or third person (which, by the way, is something that probably deserves more credit than it gets) and Starfield is naturally going to have that option available as well. But as most who’ve played the studio’s games will tell you, these are very much first person experiences by design, because even though you can play them entirely in third person, that option doesn’t feel as great to play, whether that’s because of sluggish movement or even clunkier combat. Hopefully Starfield will look to make improvements in this area, and hopfully they’ll be significant ones.

BETTER FACIAL ANIMATIONS

Coming back to the traditional technical deficiences of BGS games, another area where they’ve often received criticisms is the way characters and NPCs’ faces look, and how unnaturally they animate during conversations. More often than not, it’s hard to take them seriously as actual people (and even harder to connect with them as characters on any meaningful level). Can we expect Starfield to make a significant jump on this front? Based on the footage we’ve seen of the game so far, it certainly does look like improvements have been made, if not as significant as many would have hoped for. But then again, maybe there’s a limit to the level of fidelity that each NPC’s face and facial animations can boast in a game that’s as massive as this one.

BETTER ENEMY AND NPC AI

Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Bethesda’s previous RPGs have boasted incredibly organic worlds that are teeming with gameplay opportunities, a lot of which is down to what’s been dubbed the Radian AI system. But though it obviously deserves a ton of credit for what it does accomplish, AI in these games is often far from perfect. Sure, the inane, random conversations between NPCs have gotten better over the years, but from causing their own deaths in the most hilarious fashion to getting stuck in places or the environment’s geometry to providing little to no challenge during the majority of combat encounters, enemy and NPC AI still needs a lot of work. This is an area that Starfield should ideally target with extreme prejudice, because there’s a lot of room (and need) for improvement here.

BETTER ENVIRONMENTAL VARIETY

The massive open worlds of Skyrim and Fallout 4 are incredible maps, given how many endless hours of dynamic content they provide, but if there’s one area where they can make improements, it’s the environmental variety they have on offer. As a game set across a massive galaxy with literally over a thousand planets to discover, we’re hoping for radical improvements on this front in Starfield. This is a game that needs to show us the most diverse and wondrous sights as we travel through its expanses, and it’s be a huge disappointment if it didn’t deliver in this area, especially given its setting and premise.

MORE REWARDING SIDE QUEST LOOT

Side quests are obviously the bread and butter of any BGS game, and if Starfield is anything like its predecessors, some of the best content in the game will be found in its side quests. But though that is very much true for BGS’ past efforts, the tangible rewards they tend to dole out isn’t always up to scratch. Sure, this is a nitpick, especially since BGS’ RPGs don’t tend to be as focused on something like loot as a great many other games in the genre do, but given the expanded role playing options in Starfield, one would hope a deeper gear system would be on the docket- and, in turn, more interesting tangible rewards being tied to optional content.

MORE ENGAGING MAIN STORY

You an spend literally dozens (if not hundreds) of hours with a BGS game without ever engaging with its main story, at least in any maningful way. And yes, that’s partly down to just how engaging the optional and emergent content tends to be. But by that same token, it’s also down to the fact that the main story content on offer just isn’t able to match up to the rest of the game’s quality. That’s not to say the main stories in the likes of Skyrim or Fallout 4 are awful, but our hope is that BGS will be aiming for a higher standard than that where Starfield’s main quest is concerned.

Deus Ex to Mankind Divided

Deus Ex was a revolutionary game when it was originally released way back in 2000. Its complex web of mechanics and interesting narrative themes paved the way for systemic game design for years to come, and a lot of that still stands true for Mankind Divided which is the latest entry in this long-running franchise. Of course, there’s a night and day difference between the visual fidelity of both games – and a simple side by side comparison is all that’s needed to see the graphical leap in all its glory. Mankind Divided has amazing weather effects, superb lighting and reflections, and lifelike animations while the original feels clunky and borderline unplayable by modern standards.

As an Envoy to the Aedyr Empire, players venture to the Living Lands to investigate a mysterious plague. It’s devouring the region and is described as a “unique soul plague” – part of your mission is to stop it. The Envoy doesn’t have a Watcher’s powers but does possess a “unique soul connection” to the Living Lands and the mysterious forces at work there.

In terms of combat, Obsidian wanted to take the same breadth and depth from Pillars of Eternity, where players could invest in whatever play-style appeals to them, but in first-person with attacks feeling visceral and dynamic. Though not as big as the original plans to make it like Skyrim, Avowed is “roughly comparable” to the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 and The Outer Worlds in size.

There are interconnected open zones, which are explored at the player’s own pace. You can discover every secret, side quest and character or focus more on the story.

Avowed launches in 2024 for Xbox Series X/S and PC. For more details, head here.

Avowed is set in the Living Lands, a remote part of Eora (the same setting as Pillars of Eternity). A plague has broken out, and as the Aedyr Empire’s envoy, it’s your job to investigate. “Not everybody in the Living Lands is super thrilled to have an imperial presence in this far-flung land. So adventure ensues,” says Patel.

The envoy’s role is fixed, and you can only play as a human or elf (not other races, though). However, their “personality, appearance, and philosophy and vibe you bring to that role is up to you as a player to decide.”

She also spoke more about the focus on narrative and your companions instead of a massive world. “As someone who’s come through development as a narrative designer, companions are a huge part of the experience and draw for me both as a player and developer. One thing we wanted to do with Avowed was make sure the companions felt integral to the story.

“In some games, they’re optionally recruitable, but in Avowed, they’re deeply tied to the story, tied to your party… we wanted to create this sense that you’re in this big wild frontier, you’re going on this adventure of discovery, and you have this small but tight-knit crew with you. The sense you’re adventuring through the wilds together, sharing in the discovery and the danger. These people are just as much a part of your story as the larger events that you’re getting in the middle of.”

Your interactions with them are akin to The Outer Worlds, and you can choose dialogue fitting a desired tone. “We try to hit a sweet spot when we’re writing dialogue options where we invest enough personality for those options to be fun and interesting, but also leave enough space around them so that the player can really invest whatever headcanon they built for their character into that option.”

Avowed is single-player-only – no co-op – and there are some systemic interactions (lightning will shock water, for example). Throughout the journey, you can have up to two companions with unique abilities and motivations. The player can choose from various skill trees with restrictions on classes or play styles. Instead of increasing stats, you’ll spend more time unlocking abilities when leveling up.

Releasing in 2024, Avowed will be available for Xbox Series X/S and PC while also launching day one on Game Pass. Check out some of the latest screenshots here.

That’s because Obsidian decided to go with a different approach. Speaking to PC Gamer, CEO Feargus Urquhart said, “Originally we were pitching, in essence, our Skyrim. I think over time, as we worked on it… Bethesda makes an awesome Skyrim. Mojang makes an awesome Minecraft, and Turn10 makes awesome racing games. What we do is make our awesome RPGs, right? That’s when we backed up and said again: What are we good at? What’s our lane?”

The answer, for Urquhart, is story-telling. “Outer Worlds is the greatest, latest example of that, and even Pillars. Pillars is less linear than Outer Worlds, but it’s still a game that has you go through a story. And [Pillars of Eternity] 2 was even less linear, but still, again, you have this core story as you’re going.”

Instead of scope, Avowed is now about your companions and their impact on the core story. One of those companions is Kai, who also narrated the recent trailer and plays a “major” role.

“We could go off and create an 8km x 8km open world and then deal with all the consequences – because that makes it a different style game. But we want to tell more confined stories that the player can experience with their companions, and then move from part of the world to part of the world. And, as I said, in the end, that’s us,” said Urquhart.

This change reportedly led to reboots and leadership changes. Neither Urquhart nor director Carrie Patel confirmed if that officially happened, but the latter said, “Every game development process for every title is this chain of ideation, iteration and polish.

“Sometimes you realize the way you’re building is not quite living up to the experience you want to create. And so, in iteration and refinement, you say, ‘Well, how do we create the experience that we want to deliver to players, particularly as a studio? How do we deliver on what we’re really good at specifically?’

“I think where Obsidian shines as an RPG maker is with this really evocative nuanced world building, stories that are more focused on depth and breadth, and really thoughtful quest design that rewards experimentation and exploration from players – that gives them a sense of agency. And that gives them a meaningful set of options for how they interact with the world and characters.

“As we looked at the Avowed we’re building, we wanted to make sure that we were really fulfilling those strengths and creating something that felt like a true Obsidian RPG.”

Avowed launches in 2024 for Xbox Series X/S and PC. Even though the scope and scale are nowhere near Skyrim’s, it still features similar combat, with swords, shields and magic, while adding firearms. Players can even dual-wield for more tactical options. There will be more details closer to the launch, so stay tuned.

To celebrate Skyrim’s tenth anniversary later this year, Bethesda will be releasing the game once more with a new Anniversary Edition, giving everyone another chance to jump back into the game for the hundredth time and dive into that world once more. And ahead of its imminent launch, here, we’ll talk about some key details that you should know about Skyrim Anniversary Edition.

INTRO

Just in case you’ve somehow managed to not only avoid ever having played Skyrim to date, but also having learned much about it in the years since its launch, let’s start with a basic introduction of what it is and what you can expect. Bethesda’s open world RPG is set in, well, Skyrim, a land that’s currently in the grips of a furious civil war raging between the native Nords and the Empire whose rule they’re trying to end. But that’s far from the biggest issue being faced by the people of Skyrim. As the game begins, you find yourself headed straight for the chopping block to be executed for your crimes against Skyrim and the Empire- but your execution is cut dramatically short when you and the soldiers you’re with are attacked by a dragon. Dragons are thought to have been extinct for a long, long time, and their return spells imminent disaster for everyone in Skyrim. Luckily, some mysterious powers awake inside you and you emerge as the Dovahkiin, or the Dragonborn, a hero destined to destroy Alduin the World Eater – the ultimate big bad dragon – and save the world.

CONTENT

So what exactly is going to be included in Skyrim Anniversary Edition? A lot, as you’d imagine. For starters, it will include everything that was included in Skyrim Special Edition, which launched for the PS4 and Xbox One back in 2016. That, in turn, includes the base game, as well as all three of the game’s expansions- Dawnguard (which sees you taking on vampires), Hearthfire (which lets you build and customize your own home), and Dragonborn (which takes place on the island of Solstheim and sees players crossing paths with the previous Dragonborn). In addition to all of this, Skyrim Anniversary Edition will also feature various additions and improvements. Lets talk about that now.

MODS

Skyrim is one of those games that’s taken on a life of its own. It seems like a game that never ages, that just keeps living on and on- and so much of that is thanks to its incredible modding community on PC. Creation Club was Bethesda’s attempt at bringing that to all platforms, and even though it was significantly more limiting than you’d expect a modding-focused community feature to be, it did give us some good stuff regardless. In Skyrim Anniversary Edition, Bethesda is going to have 74 total creations, 48 of which are being brought over from the current Creation Club, with the remaining 26 being brand-new mods- which, in turn, will combine to make for over 500 new Creation Club elements. This will include new quests, dungeons, activities, bosses, weapons, armour pieces, spells, items, and more.

FISHING

Skyrim is an almost endlessly playable and replayable game, thanks not only to its excellent emergent and systemic sandbox, but also its bevy of engaging content. There’s no shortage of side activities in the game, but Skyrim Anniversary Edition is adding another new one- and a pretty notable one at that. Bethesda has confirmed that the game will now have a fishing minigame as well. It’s a little surprising that Skyrim didn’t have fishing to begin with, but there’s a large contingent of players out there who’ll be adding a healthy chunk of play time to their playthroughs now that a fishing minigame has been added in. Every game is better with a fishing minigame in it, after all.

SURVIVAL MODE

One of the best and most engaging pieces of new content that Skyrim Anniversary Edition is bringing over from the Creation Club is a new Survival Mode. Like any good Survival mode, it grounds players in the world with some very interesting modifications made. Everything from health to hunger to your body temperature to fatigue have to be kept an eye on and managed constantly in this mode, with a few other handicaps thrown in for good measure as well. You can only level up when you go to sleep, fast travel is locked, your carry weight is reduced, swimming in cold water can be dangerous, you can get diseases and afflictions that then have to be dealt with individually, and more. Survival Modes aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, of course, but those who’re into that sort of an experience will likely find a lot to love here.

TECHNICAL IMPROVEMENTS

Purely from a visuals and technical perspective, Skyrim was quite an outdated game even when it first launched back in 2011, and the Special Edition re-release a few years later didn’t exactly do an awful lot to sand out its rough edges. We’re not expecting Anniversary Edition to be any different, honestly, but Bethesda does say the re-release will feature various technical and visual improvements. The game engine has been improved, and the visuals will have more bells and whistles as well, including screen-scape reflections, volumetric god rays, new shaders for different terrains, dynamic depth of field, and more. Of course, on the newer consoles, you can also expect faster load times, thanks to their SSDs.

UPGRADE PATH

Sadly, Skyrim Anniversary Edition isn’t going to be a free upgrade. On the day that it launches, Skyrim Special Edition will be getting its own upgrade with technical and graphical improvements being added in, but if you want access to the new content in the Anniversary Edition, you’ll need to pay up. Bethesda confirms there will be a paid upgrade path to the Anniversary Edition for everyone who already has the Special Edition, but there’s no word yet on exactly how much it will cost.

LAUNCH

Since Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda, it’s become pretty clear that major upcoming releases from the latter are going to be exclusive to Xbox and PC, but when it comes to smaller ones like remasters or re-releases, Microsoft is willing to bring its games to other platforms as well- like the recent Quake remaster, for instance. Skyrim Anniversary Edition will be doing that as well, with its launch set for November 11, 2021 on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, and PS4. That’s exactly ten years on from Skyrim’s original launch (and, incidentally, exactly one year ahead of Starfield’s planned 2022 launch).

THE ELDER SCROLLS 4: OBLIVION

Let’s start with an obvious choice, shall we? Bethesda made a big deal of their new Radiant AI system before Oblivion’s launch, and to be fair, it definitely did add quite a lot to the game. Each NPC having their own unique schedules and patterns meant that the world felt dynamic and lived in- but then again, those NPCs were also dumb as rocks. From overreacting in the most hilarious way possible to someone getting attacked in front of them to walking right into an obvious deathtrap to turning a blind eye to blatant crimes being committed to so much more, Oblivion’s NPCs were a very special brand of stupid. Combined with the hilariously bad voice acting, that definitely made for some memorable moments- though not, we’re sure, the way the developers would have been hoping for.