There’s been just one souls game since Bloodborne and it was DS3. Sekiro did have some important QoL improvements but it was its own type of game with its own caveats.
But Elden Ring returns to the Souls formula, and you can see several of those things that make it easier to play than any other previous game. It’s not the suggestions you’ve heard before of needing to grind or find some rare obscure weapon as the shorthand for easy mode, but actual genuine QoL features and additions like AI Summons, Health/Mana Potion Recovery on beating mobs, additional checkpoints closer to key enemies/map sections, etc on top of the return of Co-op summons.
Actually Rare was best when they still did smaller teams and games. Sure Donkey Kong Country was big, but not compared to modern games. Rare was fantastic though, and I think MS should allow them to make more smaller gameteams, maybe fluid were members join and leave dev teams on the fly, or whatever works for them.
But they should be able to reach a higher output then of A and AA games. Fun, family friendly games that don’t break the bank but work well on Gamepass. A modern version of Snake, Rattle and Roll for instance .
Doesn’t mean they can’t still make AAA games though . I more mean: Less polished, more fun and “screw the reviewers” if they expect “Third Person Action SADventures”.
I mean their SNES and N64 days were glorious! They pumped out titles, big and small, like no tomorrow! More or less responsible for so much of the N64’s library .
PS: It is not just technical marvel, it is also art style. Same as Nintendo and SEGA, rare is able to “shave off” polygon counts and memory while still making things really pretty to look at. For instance in Sea of thieves not being realistic and more cartoony, allows you to have the particle effects, water and performance people wish.
I mean look at any Nintendo game (or old SEGA game), even the Wii U was fantastic looking often! I miss that console a lot, simply as Nintendo was able to hide it’s short comings with stylistic choices.
I agree, for single/couch multiplayer/family friendly games they probably will license out their properties or will eventually move to smaller teams for those projects besides the Big Multiplayer games.
I’m on the firm belief that Sea of Thieves is by far the best game Rare has ever made. I’ve been toying around with their stuff since I first got a Nintendo 64 and their best games have always been the social ones. Diddy Kong racing, Killer Instinct, Pefect Dark, Goldeneye etc. Their most popular games have always been the multiplayer stuff.
Do I care about the story in Sea of Thieves? not in particular, but I do enjoy the social interaction I get out of Sea of Thieves. It can be a really funny game and a really satisfying one.
Perfect Dark??? are people forgetting that game is a Rare IP? While its’ no longer going to be developed in house at Rare, it’s still a Rare franchise that’s now owned by Microsoft.
When Microsoft acquired Rare they essentially give their IPs to Microsoft and just become another in house developer. I’m of the firm belief that Rare should be allowed to create whatever they please, and so far its been working well. They had that stretch during the x360 and beginning of the xbox one generation where they only made Kinect games but you know what? That kept Rare in the green and now they are back to making more traditional titles.
I wish Rare would expand like Playground is. Around 250 people (I believe) for such an iconic studio seems low by today’s standards. I want more Rare games.
We all do, but it seems like they are content at the moment. That said, I’d love for more people to join up and to form fluid teams on A and AA titles besides their one big AAA title every few years. Keep that Rare name out there and in the mind’s eye for so many :).
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