Games Inbox: When will the next Tomb Raider be released?

The Friday letters page isn’t convinced by the idea of an Xbox handheld console, as one reader tries to imagine legacy sequels in 2044.

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Two Laras
I see the rumour is that Sophie Turner from Game of Thrones is going to be the new Lara Croft in a live action Tomb Raider TV show. Doesn’t seem a very good fit to me but what I want to know is which Lara is she going to be? Is the going to be the fun, quippy Lara from the early games or the whiny psycho killer from the newer ones?

I think you can tell from that which one I’d rather she was but I’m really not sure they’ll go that route. In fact, I’m not sure how the reboot trilogy is really thought of nowadays. I thought they were decent games but the older they get the less I want any new entry to be like them, in terms of gameplay or Lara.

The problem is that the old games were mostly puzzle platform games and the action was kind of incidental. Obviously, they reversed that in the modern games but are people really going to be excited by the prospect of getting stuck in a puzzle room for two hours, not sure what they’re supposed to do?

That’s what the original games were like and while I’d love to see more like that, I’m not sure that’s what we should really be expecting from the next game. I guess it depends when it comes out. If it’s after the new show, and Lara in that is fun and devil may care, then maybe they’ll make the game more like that. If the game comes out before, they’ll probably make her grumpy and serious again.

Problem is, given when it was announced, I think it’ll be out in the next year or so, so there’s probably no time for any crossover TV influence.
Klondike

End of season bargains
It does seem odd that the PS5 Pro is being discounted already. They may may not be hot sellers, due to the cost, but what do these shops gain from making them cheaper? Are they so desperate to clear out their stock after just a couple of weeks? Doesn’t make much sense to me.

I hope this means there are going to be a lot of hardware bargains during Black Friday though, because I wouldn’t mind picking up a cheap Xbox Series S or Switch OLED. But neither had any decent deals last year. Maybe things will be different this time.

So strange how this generation has worked out. The Switch is basically doing victory laps at this point and yet Xbox Series X/S has basically flopped and PlayStation 5 has stalled. All those plans Sony and Microsoft must’ve had at the start of the generation and they’ve all been abandoned. And yet the one thing we thought was a joke, about the Nintendo Switch last 10 years, has turned out to be true!
Golem

Xbox Deck
On the surface, Xbox releasing a handheld device seems to make sense given the popularity of Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. However, with a bit more scrutiny, I do wonder who it will be aimed at. Given how long games take to produce these days I can’t see a handheld system having exclusive titles and given how it’s been alluded to that Xbox might soon have all its games be ported for PlayStation 5 this seems even less likely.

It’s already possible to play most Xbox titles, as well as games developed by Sony on the Steam Deck and other handheld PC devices, as well as Game Pass games. Therefore, if anything an Xbox handheld is likely to be more restrictive than other devices already on the market.

The only possible advantages are that should it be a hybrid console, players are able enjoy the portability of a handheld and still be able to play on a bigger screen should they wish. Also, whereas sometimes handheld PCs require system updates and support from addition applications, supposedly an Xbox handheld would be more in keeping with a traditional plug and play console.
matc7884

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Legacy sequels
With so many games celebrating their 25th or 30th or 40th anniversaries I would’ve actually guessed that World Of Warcraft was older than 20 years. It seems like it’s always been around, so I looked up what else was going on in 2004 and found out that was the year the DS launched, as well as Half-Life 2, Halo 2, and GTA: San Andreas which, yep… those are old games. Katamari Damacy too, which I would have said was more recent, but I guess it was a PlayStation 2 game.

Strange to think that while on the one hand so much has changed in those 20 years but most of those franchises are still going. Even Katamari Damacy had some remasters recently. Does this mean that in another 20 years the games will still be very recognisable? I bet Halo and GTA will still be going and they’ll still probably be more or less the same thing. So much changes and yet so much stays the same.
The Bishop

GTA: San Andreas screenshot — GTA: San Andreas – a 20 year old game (Rockstar Games)

Trusted importers
In response to David’s question about importing games, I have imported a lot of games in the past 15 years. I bought from Amazon UK recently, where you can usually choose to get the American version of a game or film from Amazon US through the UK site. Unfortunately, the Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection for Switch isn’t available this way, so I am going to buy directly from Amazon.com (USA site).

I am waiting for YouTubers to review the game on Switch, to see if all the games and content is included on the cart without an additional download before I buy the game. It looks like on Amazon.com once you have bought the game there is no import fees when it arrives in the UK, but I can’t be 100% sure. When I bought through the Amazon UK site from Amazon US they told me to get in contact for a refund if I got any import charges but I don’t know if the US site does that or not.

I also have used Video Games Plus in the past, which is a very good company, but I have not used them for a few years but when I used to use them sometimes you would get import charges and sometimes not when the game arrived in the UK.

I also use Limited Run Games a lot for region free physical releases of games but they stock a selected range and not specifically A to Z like Amazon and Video Games Plus. Limited Run charge you import and duties and postage when you buy the game, so there are no fees when the game arrives in the UK. Hope that helps.
Andrew J.
Currently playing: Astro Bot (PS5)
PS: For any Astro Bot fans like me you can pre-order some official wearables based on Astro from Insert Coin currently, I have pre-ordered a couple of T-shirts with the friendly little bot on.
PPS: Forgot to say, but sometimes when you buy in a different currency your bank charges a small separate transaction fee or two. If the website takes PayPal you don’t get the fee but as you probably know Amazon don’t take PayPal, unfortunately. I always pay on Limited Run Games by PayPal to avoid the transaction fee, which can be between £1 to £2.

GC: Video Games Plus is still going? That’s nice to know.

Verbal inexactitude
Does Phil Spencer lie with every breath he takes? First about games staying only on Xbox and then he says Xbox has never been more healthy. How is that possible? He’s spent billions on developers and the only reason he’s in profit at Xbox is because of other platforms.

He’s spent all that money trying to get Xbox under every TV and even giving them away for free wouldn’t get rid of them. It’s not that I don’t like Xbox, it’s that I don’t like Phil Spencer. He’s always smiling like he’s the saviour of gaming. He’s been at Xbox for years now and all he’s done is spend money. Xbox is under a worse condition then before he took over and then he says Xbox is healthier. I’m sorry Phil, get your head out of the clouds.
David

Life is like a box of chocolates
I am definitely disappointed about the not very satisfying review of Life Is Strange: Double Exposure! I have very fond memories of the original game in the series, when I purchased the Life is Strange Limited Edition, with soundtrack, art book, and extra episodes, etc.

It was such a compelling game to play and I agree it was better than Telltale’s The Walking Dead series and with characters which I felt were fleshed out more respectfully. Not the same type of game but you do get to care differently about the story and characters within the two types.

Of course, The Last Of Us was character driven to a point, and I felt at the time that Life Is Strange stuck in my head more due to the conversational choices which created different outcomes, based on some big decisions and smaller ones to a degree. The characters expressed themselves very effectively and it felt as though the surroundings were all there to match the unfolding drama.

The cut scenes in the Last of Us were cinematic and gripping and still some of the best I’ve seen in video gaming. But Life Is Strange just makes you feel more part of the characters’ lives in a more intimate way, which was quite groundbreaking back in the day. So, with a pretty good second series with Life Is Strange, it’s a bit bizarre why Double Exposure, developed by the same developers apparently, then loses its way somehow.

It’s hard to know what was going on within the development team and the ideas they had and chose to implement in the new game. Did they have any pressure or deadlines or was the cohesion of minds just not there?

It’ll be worth maybe getting it down the line, but for now I’ll stay with the good memories I had with Max and co. with the time rewind and its butterfly effect consequences. I hope this does not put off the devs and they are able to make another game but maybe with a new intellectual property. Time will tell.
Alucard

GC: Double Exposure developer Deck Nine previously made Before The Storm and True Colors (both of which were good), not Life Is Strange 1 and 2.

Inbox also-rans
Is Miyazaki’s ‘liking’ for feet and showcasing them at every opportunity in the FromSoftware games a real thing?
P.Ella

GC: Are you sure you’re not thinking of Quentin Tarantino?

Unreal Tournament? Now there’s a name I haven’t heard in, well… 25 years apparently. A quarter of a decade. Wow, I’m getting old.
Gatz

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The small print
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