Sony and Microsoft’s upcoming consoles both promise the removal of loading screens, allowing players to jump back into the game faster than ever. Specifically, Sony revealed that the load times on PlayStation 5 would be100x fasterthan they currently are on the PS4. While this may seem like a blessing at first glance, there are some downsides to the removal of the load screens that often accompany the load times.
Players have been worried about loading screens for almost as long as video games have been around, and some games, such asDestiny 2, are still experiencing problems with load times in 2020. However, the promise of shorter, if not nonexistent load times on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X is bringing new hope to the gaming community. Although many players and developers are excited for this technological achievement, Ryan Shah of indie studio Kitatus and Friends pointed out an issue that nobody had considered.
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According to Shah, there are many games that benefit from these loading screens, though players may not realize it at first. When asked to elaborate on his revelation, Shah said this: “Where in things like in Fallout 4 and even the Soulsborne games a lot of important hints towards the story and stuff that’s hold during the loading screens, and tips on how to play because they’re very much in the design of ‘Here’s the game, just go and play’. However, if you start any loading, here’s some background, here’s some lore or here’s a tip for how to not suck. Whereas now they won’t have that blanket. They’re gonna have to think of another way of presenting that information in, which is interesting and not something people are really thinking about at the moment.” Despite the widespread dislike of load screens, Shah does have a point to how their removal will impact future games.
For example, see the loading screen ofDishonored 2above. Not only does the screen include tips on how to successfully complete certain challenges, but it also gives a brief reminder of where the player is in the storyline. As with many games, including those set to release with the next-generation consoles likeCyberPunk 2077, lore can sometimes make or break a game if not properly explained. These load screens provide lore for returning gamers, as well as tips on how to progress through the game or use certain in-game items. Without these load screens, massive RPGs and Soulsborne-esque games will be forced to include tutorials, as well as in-game caveats that detail how to progress in-game.
To keep usingDishonored 2as an example, the game utilized on a lore-centric tutorial, intended to show players the ropes, whether or not they had played the first installment. As the game begins, the player was able to step into the boots of Emily Caldwell as she trains with her father, Corvo Attano, to become a stealthy fighter. The sequence of events makes sense and immerses the player a bit more in the game by providing lore and a tutorial at the same time. With the removal of load screens, next-generation games will either have tohide load times and issues, or adopt a tutorial style similar to that ofDishonored.
Although the shortened load times threaten aremoval of certain featuresas well as a lack of hints or lore, players should not despair. The loading screens often took up precious time that could be spent playing the game and familiarizing themselves with the controls, and this new feature will give players more time to experiment new combos or explore the game’s world for tidbits of lore. The loss of load screens may not be the end of detailed game lore as we know it, but it does mean that next-generation games will never be the same again.
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