Page 51 - PC Gamer - UK (February 2020)

GAMES OF THE DECADE

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HI ST OR Y HALL OF F AME EA R L Y A C C E S S I LO CA L PL A Y TA C T I C S I PREDICTIO NS

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, or a good thing. It is,
M ark Essen has a simple justification for simply, the state of things. Triple-A publishers, in the
initially leaving out an online multiplayer
mode in Nidhogg: the tech was difficult to
megagame era, are betting on the interminable
build and expensive to deploy. He did not
have an army of netcode experts ready to contraptions that keep the service model viable.
Thankfully, indie studios stepped up to the plate
squash bugs, reduce latency and seamlessly connect to throughout the decade to remind us of a time when
servers. It was far more important to make sure the multiplayer didn’t require an account password and a
bow felt right. Wi-Fi connection. Duck Game, Stick Fight, Gang Beasts.
These were all modern games built on the archaic bones
“You’d need two computers, or you could possibly set it of Goldeneye and Halo – a time before placement matches,
up on one computer on multiple windows,” says Essen, as when superiority was only ranked on a dorm-room floor.
he wistfully reflects on his halcyon days of wheeling the And like Nidhogg’s origin story, most were constructed
prototype of Nidhogg to every indie showcase in the that way in order to cut costs. Beau Blythe tells me he was
whole world. “Just practically, it’s harder to make an living in his parents’ garage when he began work on the
online-only multiplayer game.” essential Samurai Gunn. Any added features on top of the
You probably know what happened from there. core gameplay were out of the question.
Nidhogg finally arrived on Steam in the beginning of 2014 “Local multiplayer is more accessible to small studios
(with network play implemented) and immediately and independent developers since you don’t have to
sparked a flashbulb consumer moment in gaming. Here
was a 2D, one-versus-one sword-fighting simulator, with
simple mechanics, a Luddite Atari 2600 art style, and a
distinct focus on couch multiplayer, that seemed entirely
out of step with the rest of the videogame industry. Didn’t LEFT: Nidhogg took
things all the way
matter, it still sold like crazy. Five years later, Nidhogg back to the Atari
remains one of the most thrilling experiences of the 2600 with its
decade. Living proof that the world is still capable of duelling system.
falling in love with local multiplayer. Innovation, through
limited means. It’s almost horrifying to imagine what BELOW: If you’ve got
would’ve happened if Nidhogg had a real budget. a big enough couch,
four people can play
Duck Game together.
THE COUCHPOCALYPSE
The story of videogames in the 2010s is the story of us
slowly conceding our brains to the
internet, all for the promise of more
purple guns in Destiny. Despite our
protests, and despite the fact that
deep down, we probably know better,
nearly everyone gaming on PCs is
clinically attached to some sort of
always-online robber baron. What’s
your vice? Hearthstone, Fortnite,
League of Legends, Dota 2? They are
all great games, but they’re also all
devious machines built to levy our
wallets with the power of new skins,
new maps, and bimonthly updates.
The idea of buying a game so you can
play it in its native state, offline,
without patching or installing, with
friends and family is a rapidly
crumbling memory. Call of Duty 4:
Modern Warfare is one of the great
couch games of all time. Its 2019
rebirth, of course, shipped without
local competitive multiplayer.

MARCH 7, 2016 M AY 24, 2016 J UNE 10, 2016
FABLE LEGENDS OVERWATCH HE WARCR AF T
MOVIE
CANCELLED Blizzard launches its M
D
The Fable series ‘hero shooter’. A Duncan Jones’ lavish,
CGI-heavy adaptation
appears to die away rabid fanbase seems C
eleases to rather
for good as Microsoft to spring up almost re
cancels this – though instantly, and the m
muted reactions
– though it goes on to
if rumours are to be landscape of –
believed there’s a new multiplayer gaming is g ross $439 million
w
game in the works. changed forever. worldwide.

FEBRUARY 2020 51