Features I Would Like to See in the Next Generation of Games
By PerryVandell 19 Comments
Whenever someone asks "What do you want to see in the next game console?" the answers are generally along the lines of "More Polygons, Better AI, Improved Physics, etc." While those things are all well and good, I find it fun to go a bit deeper and think of some really cool things that can't be done now, but perhaps could be accomplished in the next generation of game consoles. And so, here are some of the ideas that are rattling around in my head.
Improved Wound Physics
To explain, wound physics involves things like bullet/stab/burn wounds, and they aren't found in many games. When you shoot someone in a game, most of the time there's a blood splatter and the enemy falls down with no physical indication that they have been shot. With the next generation of consoles, it would be impressive if when you
Improved Environmental Effects
When I played Cryostasis, one of the most impressive things about that game was its ability to make me feel cold. I know that doesn't sound impressive at first, but think about it. When was the last time you watched something that actually made you feel cold without actually being cold? In Cryostasis, when you walked out into a blizzard
Make Minor Characters Look Great Too
I love me a good sandbox game. Running around in a huge environment while doing crazy shit is one of the most entertaining things you can do in a video game. However, one thing that seems to plague these bundles of joy is the quality of people who aren't the main character. Look at games like Infamous or Prototype, and you'll notice that while the main character looks great, every other character in the game looks like they come from a crummier-looking world. Of course, making hundreds of characters on screen look spectacular would bring most frame rates to a halt, but hopefully as technology improves, gap between main characters and minor characters is greatly reduced.
I suppose it's worth noting that I don't think these features should be found in every future game. Games like Kirby's Epic Yarn and Braid have a distinct aesthetic to them that wouldn't benefit from having the above effects included. The effects I features I listed above are meant for games that have a sort of realism to them, so it's important to keep that little side note in mind.
So those are a few of my ideas for how the next generation of games could be improved visually. Of course these are just ideas for the future and by no means do I want the next generation of consoles to come out soon. Game developers are still making games look better and better, and I feel this generation still has a lot more to offer.