What’s Teravision Games playing? (Winter 2020)

Here’s a few games that our team members have been playing this winter and what we’ve liked and learned from them:

Daniel, Lead Tech Artist

• Killer Instinct, PC: This is a game that has aged so well – for me, it’s the best fighting game of this generation. Great gameplay, great rollback Netcode, overall a good fighting experience.
• Ori and the Blind Forest, PC: I loved the level design, it’s a very “Metroidvania” style of game.
• Bloodborne, PlayStation 4: I couldn’t play it at launch, so I’m really late to the game here. But the story is crazy good and the gameplay is a good example of high risk -> high reward. There’s very clever level design with the open-world structure and the ability to unlock shortcuts and hidden areas. Really great game overall.
• Red Dead Redemption 2, PlayStation 4: I’m just starting as the first one (Red Dead Redemption) is one of the best games I’ve ever played. My expectations for this game are very high! But so far, so good – it seems to be a deep story with improved mechanics over the first one. I’m really looking forward to finishing it.

Edwin, Tech Artist

• Borderlands 3, PC: Combining PBR with stylized graphics is great! I love how this game is a good example of how to do environmental storytelling and set dressing.
• Overwatch, PC: Marvelous VFX. I never thought I would looooove to wall ride and play healers. 
• Jedi Fallen Order, PC: Your hair looks amazing! Haha, but really, from a tech perspective – the hair shading there looks great. I want to be like them when I grow up.
• Observation, PC: This game is a great example of how a user interface CAN make the whole game experience!

Nico, Lead Programmer

• Undertale, Nintendo Switch: By breaking the 4th wall, Undertale lets the player be a part of the main story. And not just that – you get to be more than a player, as the player can be a story character.
• Hollow Knight, Nintendo Switch: The music and story are amazing! The main story can be discovered by the player itself.
• Gears of War 5, PC: One of my favorite game franchises, ever. A new enemy has to be felt – not just different, but synchronized with the main story.
• Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, PC: This game shows have audio can be such a fundamental part of storytelling!

Francisco, Programmer

• Dishonored 2, PC: Great example of replayability in a game. The mechanics complement each other and the levels allow the player to win in many different ways.
• Doom, PC: Know your audience – this series keeps the franchise’s personality (in this case, with fast-paced gameplay, big guns and lots of demons).
• League of Legends, PC: The developers have done an amazing job here of listening to the community and giving them content that they desire when it’s possible. They’ve made a game that can be played over and over while still being entertaining.

Dani, Sound Designer

• Apex Legends, PlayStation 4: I think one of the main reasons why this game is so successful is because of the audio work behind it. Not only is it key to the gameplay but the sound design is extremely satisfactory. All the weapon sounds are powerful and so unique that for regular Apex players, just the sound of a shot at a distance can inform you what weapon the opponent is wielding. Audio also represents the damage dealt to an enemy (like when a shield is broken or an enemy is knocked down) and those sounds are so satisfying that they help make the game addictive.

Camilo, Programmer/DevOps

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Wii U: This game has a gigantic number of systems that interact with each other and offer the player the ability to solve challenges in several ways.
• The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Gamecube: Despite being a game criticized by its cartoon graphics, today it’s still one of the few games of that generation that still looks great. The toon style and lightning took full advantage of the Gamecube hardware and its open world truly feels alive.
• No Man’s Sky, PlayStation 4: Although the game doesn’t shine for its gameplay, the concept of procedural generation is amazing. They used several algorithms for the generation of organic content, which is fascinating.