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  • What Does it Take to Run Dead Space on PC?

    Dead Space Remake Takes Full Advantage of DualSense Controller Features

    The remake of the critically acclaimed 2008 game ‘Dead Space’ is now out in the wild. Even though the original still holds up amazingly well, the remake takes things to a new level altogether utilising all the improvements in computer graphics of the past 15 years to create the definitive way to experience this title. This is Dead Space at it’s gory, visceral best and I highly recommend it to any fans of survival horror games in general.

    However, you may be wondering what this ‘next-gen’ title will require of your gaming rig. If you are then fear not, as I will attempt to break-down the kind of performance you can expect depending on your GPU.

    Firstly, with the classic GTX 1060 6GB, you can expect around 30 to 35 FPS at 1080p Low Settings. This drops as low as 20 FPS at 1080p Ultra settings. Through the usage of FSR Performance, you can however exceed 60 FPS in many scenarios at the Medium and Low presets.

    The RTX 2060 represents a nearly 60% jump up from the GTX 1060 and an 18% jump from the 1070 which is the minimum recommended card to run this game. It is about equivalent to the GTX 1080. With this card, you can expect an average of about 55 FPS at 1080p Low Settings and Medium Settings. At Ultra Settings, you can expect around 45 FPS. It is overall a very playable experience at 1080p and DLSS/FSR would undoubtedly allow for a high framerate even at higher settings on this card.

    Next up, the RTX 3060 represents another jump of about 19% over the 2060. It is similar to the RTX 2070 which is the recommend card to run this game. With this card you can average just over 60 FPS at native 1080p Ultra Settings. This is the way I would recommend you to play, although you likely could increase the resolution if you are willing to lower the settings and/or settle for 30 FPS.

    Finally for those wanting to play in 4K, with the RTX 3090, you can expect around 45 FPS Ultra Settings at this resolution, while the RTX 4090 will mostly provide that 4K 60 FPS experience even with Ray Tracing enabled.

    Now excuse me, I have some necromorphs to blast to bits.

  • The Best Games of the Last Decade.

    As 2023 gets underway, I thought that it would be apt to take a trip down memory lane and remind ourselves of the best games released this past decade. Which ones from this list are your personal favourites? Feel free to comment them below.

    2013

    1. Grand Theft Auto V = 97/100
    2. The Last of Us = 95/100
    3. Bioshock Infinite = 94/100
    4. Super Mario 3D World = 93/100
    5. Fire Emblem: Awakening = 92/100

    2014

    1. Super Smash Bros for Wii U = 92/100
    2. Dark Souls II = 91/100
    3. Bayonetta 2 = 91/100
    4. Dragon Age: Inquisition = 89/100
    5. Mario Kart 8 = 88/100

    2015

    1. Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt = 93/100
    2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain = 92/100
    3. Bloodborne = 92/100
    4. Undertale = 92/100
    5. The Legend of Zelda: Majoras Mask 3D = 89/100

    2016

    1. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End = 93/100
    2. INSIDE = 93/100
    3. Overwatch = 91/100
    4. Forza Horizon 3 = 91/100
    5. Rez Infinite = 89/100

    2017

    1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild = 97/100
    2. Super Mario Odyssey = 97/100
    3. Divinity: Original Sin II = 93/100
    4. Persona 5 = 93/100
    5. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe = 92/100

    2018

    1. Red Dead Redemption II = 97/100
    2. God of War = 94/100
    3. Super Smash Bros Ultimate = 93/100
    4. Forza Horizon 4 = 92/100
    5. Celeste = 92/100

    2019

    1. Disco Elysium = 91/100
    2. Resident Evil 2 = 91/100
    3. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice = 90/100
    4. Fire Emblem: Three Houses = 89/100
    5. Super Mario Maker 2 = 88/100

    2020

    1. Persona 5 Royal = 95/100
    2. The Last of Us Part II = 93/100
    3. Half Life: Alyx = 93/100
    4. Ori and the Will of the Wisps = 93/100
    5. Demon’s Souls = 92/100

    2021

    1. Forza Horizon 5 = 92/100
    2. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury = 89/100
    3. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade = 89/100
    4. It Takes Two = 89/100
    5. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart = 88/100

    2022

    1. Elden Ring = 96/100
    2. God of War: Ragnarok = 94/100
    3. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 = 89/100
    4. The Last of Us Part I = 88/100
    5. Horizon Forbidden West = 88/100

  • Top 10 Games Out Before the End of March 2023

    24/01/23 – Forspoken (PS5, PC).

    This is an Action Role-Playing game by Luminous Productions and Square Enix. You play as Frey Holland, a 20-year-old woman who is transported from her home city of New York to the magical land of Athia. It is open-worlded and aims to take full advantage of the power of the PS5.

    27/01/23 – Dead Space (PS5, XSX, PC)

    This is a remake of the classic 2008 original by the same name. It is a Survival-Horror title set on a mining spaceship full of deadly monsters called Necromorphs. You play as Isaac Clarke and must defeat them while dealing with the effects of growing psychosis.

    10/02/23 – Hogwarts Legacy (PS5, XSX, PC)

    Hogwarts Legacy is highly anticipated Action Role-Playing game based on the Harry Potter franchise. It takes place in the grounds of Hogwarts during the 1800’s and allows you to embark on your own wizarding journey as you join your own house, go to classes and freely explore the open-world that this title has to offer, either on foot or on broomstick. It is worth noting, finally, that the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game are scheduled to come out in April, while for the Switch it should finally release in June.

    17/02/23 – Wild Hearts (PS5, XSX, PC)

    Wild Hearts is another Action Role-Playing game developed by Omega Force and being published by EA. The goal is to hunt huge monsters known as Kemono in a fantasy world based on Feudal Japan.

    21/02/23 – Like a Dragon: Ishin! (PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX, PC)

    This is an Action-Adventure game by Ryu Ga Gotoku studio and serves as a remake of the original PS3/PS4 title that released only in Japan in 2014. It takes place during the late Edo Period of the 19th Century and you play as a Samurai who is on a quest to find the person responsible for the assassination of his former mentor.

    22/02/23 – Horizon: Call of the Mountain (PS5)

    This is one of the launch titles for the upcoming PS VR2 headset for PS5. It is being developed by Guerilla Games in collaboration with Firespite. You play as Ryas, a former Carja Rebel equipped with his trusty hunter bow who must atone for his crimes by investigating a new threat to the Sundom.

    24/02/23 – Octopath Traveller II (PS4, PS5, NS, PC)

    This is a more traditional Role-Playing game developed by Square Enix in collaboration with Acquire. It features a 2D HD art style and a turned based battle system.

    03/03/23 – Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX, PC)

    This is a game being developed by Team Ninja, the same company behind the popular Nioh and Ninja Gaiden franchises. It is set during the Three Kingdoms era and includes hack and slash gameplay reminiscent of many of the developers previous titles. If you enjoyed the type of combat mechanics seen in Nioh, I highly recommend you to check this title out on release.

    17/03/23 – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (PS5, XSX, PC)

    This is an Action-Adventure title serving as a sequel to the popular game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. It is set 5 years after the first game and follows Cal Kestis on his quest to do whatever it takes to survive as a Jedi all the while being hunted by the Galactic Empire.

    24/03/23 – Resident Evil 4 (PS4, PS5, XSX, PC)

    Last but certainly not least, we have the highly-anticipated remake of Resident Evil 4. This is a critically acclaimed Survival Horror title that originally came out in 2005 for the GameCube and soon after the PS2. It follows Leon Kennedy who is on a mission to rescue Ashley Graham, the daughter of the U.S President from a violent cult.

  • Forspoken’s System Requirements are Confusing and Absurdly High.

    The system requirements for the upcoming game Forspoken by Luminous Productions and Square Enix are higher than most would have predicted.

    The minimum requirements ask for a GTX 1060 for 720p at 30 FPS along with 16 GB RAM.

    Meanwhile, the recommended requirements for 1440p at 30 FPS are an RTX 3070 with 24 GB of RAM.

    Admittedly, it is strange that the recommended requirements target 30 FPS regardless of the resolution. It could just be that the game is poorly optimised making 60 FPS unattainable even for some of the fastest GPU’s out there. What’s more concerning is that less than 10% of PC users appear to meet those recommended requirements when looking at the latest Steam Hardware Survey.

    Lastly, for those wanting a 4K 60 FPS experience, you will need an RTX 4080 or higher along with 32 GB RAM. Clearly very few players will be able to experience this game in 4K especially since the RTX 4080 alone is going for well over 1000 pounds as of the time I am writing this post.

    All of this paints a concerning picture as to how the game will perform as a whole. In the Demo for the PlayStation 5, the game likewise showed some performance issues. The 60 FPS mode dropped at times as low as 720p and was mostly below 1080p according to the analysis by VGTech. The game overall seems to be very taxing and this could point to a lack of optimisation and general issues with the Luminous Engine that the game is being made with.