Stadia, Google’s dive into cloud-based gaming, will enter our lives in November of 2019. As long as you have at least 35Mbps, you’ll have access to 60fps streaming, 5.1 surround sound, and 4k. However, that’s only for those on their pro membership. Later in 2020, a free tier will be available that will require fewer Mbps (10 Mbps) and will stream at 720p. This hardware is perfect for those who don’t want to go through the process of building a computer or needing to upgrade their console hardware every couple of years as everything will be on Google’s server-side. Now that we know about the basics of Google Stadia, let’s take a look at the list of games confirmed for Google’s hardware.
Mortal Kombat 11
The eleventh instalment in the Mortal Kombat franchise has made an appearance on every console so far (yes, even the Nintendo Switch), so it makes sense the popular fighting game will have a place on the Google Stadia. It will also be interesting to see if the Google Stadia will be used at major fighting game tournaments such as Evo. While the game initially had a rough start due to how much of a grind many gamers felt it was, it’s a welcome fighting game start to the Google Stadia.
The Division 2
A sequel to Tom Clancy’s Division, The Division 2 is already out for every system except for the Nintendo Switch. For those who are playing on a lower-end graphics card on a regular PC, they’ll finally get to enjoy open-world Washington D.C. in higher definition with the Google Stadia. The Division game series has always been a fun looter scooter that will bring in a whole new slew of gamers through Google’s Stadia to team up with their sessions and even join up in clans. Hopefully, the Google Stadia launch of the Division 2 is as strong as its launch for other systems.
The Elder Scrolls Online
The Elder Scrolls Online looks to be the first confirmed massively multiplayer online role-playing game for the Google Stadia. This is a welcome addition to a system claiming to run a 60fps. Imagine seeing the world of Tamriel in high-definition for those who couldn’t afford high-end computers and are currently playing The Elder Scrolls Online on a console. Fortunately, for those wanting to get into The Elder Scrolls Online through the Google Stadia, the game is free-to-play. The MMORPG subscription model used by games like World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV seems to be a turn off for many. For those who have been into the Elder Scrolls lore and have enjoyed games from Morrowind to Skyrim, the Elder Scrolls Online on the Google Stadia is a welcome system to the franchise.
Metro Exodus
The third instalment to the Metro franchise, Metro Exodus is a survival horror game already available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, but it’s also making its way to the Google Stadia. Metro Exodus will take place after the story of Metro: Last Light and continue as the character, Artyom, as they traverse the nuclear winter in a post-apocalyptic world. For those on PC who was angry at the game’s exclusivity for the epic games store, this might help bring people back to the franchise after a boycott. It’s time to experience a nuclear winter in 4k resolution and 60 frames per second HDR.
Tomb Raider Trilogy
Shadow of The Tomb Raider capped off a reboot trilogy that started in 2013 with the Tomb Raider in 2013. This wildly successful franchise has sold millions of copies. The first Tomb Raider game in the reboot series alone scored more than 11 million sales. Rise of the Tomb Raider released for the two most recent Xbox systems in 2015 before coming out for the PlayStation 4 and Windows a year later. Unfortunately, the second game in the series didn’t fare as well as the first (probably because it made the mistake of releasing on the same day as Fallout 4). As stated before, Shadow of the Tomb Raider capped off the series and was released in 2018. The final game was praised for its graphics than its gameplay, so for those who want to see Lara Croft in even higher definition will have to grab the trilogy for the Google Stadia.
Final Fantasy XV
In June 2019, Square Enix announced its fifteenth main installment into its long-running Final Fantasy franchise will hit the Google Stadia. The game already has amazing visuals the player can explore in its open-world environment, so imagine seeing it with the beauty the Stadia promises to offer. It will be especially beautiful for those who have been waiting since the game started development in 2006 as “Final Fantasy Versus XIII”. After a few changes (including directors) an entire universe was developed for the game before its release with an anime and feature film. While the game’s floundered a bit upon its release, it still eventually became a commercial success and possibly saved the franchise. Although Final Fantasy XV has mixed reviews overall, we’re sure there will be those who pick it up for the Google Stadia that didn’t get to try it on a previous console.
There’s a decently-sized list of games that are already confirmed for Google Stadia. The prospect of not needing to worry about the hardware end of gaming will open up a lot more options for those who weren’t able to join the gaming community before. The Google Stadia will hit the shelves near the end of 2019.