With Google’s entry into the console gaming (well, sort of) ring now firmly established, it’s time to start speculating. There’s plenty we already know about Google Stadia – what games will launch for it, what its technical capabilities are, when it will launch (November, if you’re interested) – but we don’t know what the future looks like. Given the power and reach of Stadia, it’s not unreasonable to want games that push its technical limitations and show us what it can really do. Here are some of the games we want to see on Google Stadia.
Dark Souls Trilogy
As far as we know, Japanese action RPG giant From Software doesn’t currently have any kind of presence on Google Stadia. In fact, the service is kind of lacking in Japanese gaming offerings in general. Final Fantasy XV and Samurai Shodown are representing the Rising Sun on Google’s service, but there’s no sign of the Dark Souls Trilogy. That’s a shame, because experiencing the legendary Souls games in 4K HDR at 60FPS would feel marvellous. A smooth gaming experience and Dark Souls go hand in hand, so here’s hoping Google can work something out with From Software and make it a reality. If not, we’d also settle for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition
While there probably isn’t any gamer out there who hasn’t yet experienced the myriad delights of Geralt’s latest journey, we still think The Witcher 3 is an excellent fit for Stadia. Even on PS4 and Xbox One, Geralt’s adventure looked a little shoddy in places, so having the whole thing rendered on Google’s glistening high-spec servers then beamed into our living rooms would be awesome. Of course, we’d want the full Witcher 3 experience complete with the two DLC packs, because The Witcher 3 is an incredible game and its DLCs are even more stunning. Make it happen, CD Projekt Red, and while you’re at it how about Cyberpunk 2077 as well?
Grand Theft Auto VI
Now, we don’t know a huge amount about Grand Theft Auto VI yet. We’re hoping Rockstar is hard at work on its next opus, because although we loved Red Dead Redemption 2, we’re yearning for a return to the urban sandboxes and criminal abandon of the GTA series. If the rumours are true and GTA VI is set in two different sandbox cities, then what better way to render these cities effortlessly than with Stadia? Google’s servers would really be put to the test with a Rockstar game, since they’d have to render the winding city streets and shimmering vehicles of both cities smoothly and slickly. Grand Theft Auto VI may be a glint in Rockstar’s eye, but we want to see it on Stadia nonetheless.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Since Square Enix’s (formerly Squaresoft’s) opus has made the transition to non-Sony consoles, a Stadia version doesn’t seem to be asking for too much. We’d be content with a re-release of the original PS1 classic, but what we really want is the PS4 remake. The E3 2019 trailer for FFVII Remake has us salivating, and there’s no better way to render the glistening buildings and grimy underbelly of the city of Midgar than Google Stadia’s squeaky-clean streaming tech. We know that Final Fantasy VII Remake is going to be episodic, so perhaps we could have the first episode and see whether the tech supports the game or not? Right now, Final Fantasy VII Remake has only been announced for PS4. Still, we’re living in hope.
Skull and Bones
Google Stadia seems to be in need of a bona fide pirate epic, so we’d like to see Ubisoft’s Skull and Bones hoist the flag for the California tech company’s platform. Skull and Bones takes the sailing sections from 2013’s excellent Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and puts them front and centre. Everyone knows the piratical sailing was the best part of that game, and apparently, so does Ubisoft. Expect good old-fashioned swashbuckling on the high seas and a dash of supernatural horror to go with it. Stadia seems the perfect place for this game thanks to the roiling open seas and beautiful ships that populate its world. Let’s hope Ubisoft doesn’t sail past Stadia’s port when Skull and Bones launches next year.
The Elder Scrolls VI
If we don’t see this on Google Stadia, then we’ll be very surprised indeed. The Elder Scrolls is a series well-known for its rolling hills and deep subterranean caverns; each entry in the series is a graphical feast par excellence, and despite a fairly non-specific trailer, the sixth game looks to be continuing that tradition. Stadia would be the ideal home for The Elder Scrolls VI because the vast, unending landscapes of its world could easily be handled by Google’s high-spec servers. Imagine being able to explore a world significantly more beautiful than Skyrim’s but in 4K and 60FPS. When we put it like that, doesn’t The Elder Scrolls VI seem like a shoo-in for Stadia? If Google knows what’s good for it, it’ll be looking for this game to put on its platform posthaste.
