The Wednesday letters page is worried it hasn’t got time to play all the great games lately, as one reader admits to enjoying Star Wars Outlaws.
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The big box
An amusing story about the guy that’s bought 24 years’ worth of PS Plus but it does raise some interesting points, including whether any of us will be here by that point in time. Assuming we make it though I can’t imagine home consoles being a thing at all. Surely broadband will be good enough by then, that it will be everywhere at the same level and 100% reliable. At that point streaming becomes all you’ll ever need.
So, in that sense subscriptions like PS Plus probably will still exist but the question is will PlayStation specifically still be around? I find that impossible to answer as they have certainly been acting very flaky lately. But perhaps drawing a line under Concord and moving away from mobile will help to refocus them.
PlayStation 6 will be an interesting one because you have to ask whether Sony will go for a Switch style hybrid, as Xbox is expected to, or whether they’ll stick with a massive box under your TV. I think this is a difficult call but somehow I think Sony will want the big box, just because it gives the illusion of power much more than a little handheld.
It’s what happens for the PlayStation 7 and onwards where things are likely to see real change. PlayStation 6 is close enough that it’ll still be mostly what we’re used to, but after that I think all bets are off.
Focus
Too many games, not enough time
Having read your reviews of Metaphor: ReFantazio and Dragon Age: The Veilguard in the last week my first thought was how on Earth am I ever going to find the time to play all these games? I mean, those two games alone are going to take about 200 hours, so you’re already looking at three to four months before I’d finish them both! Add in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and that’s half my year’s gaming gone!
I do really want to support these big budget single-player games, but I already own loads of games I haven’t played (including Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain from 2015, which I started just this week!) that buying any of those at full price simply makes no sense, seeing as my backlog will easily last me at least a year – probably more depending on the free offerings from PS Plus and the Epic Games Store.
The crazy thing is I average around two hours gaming time per day, so outside those people that seemingly don’t have to sleep or work, I’d say I spend as much time gaming as anyone. If I can’t keep up with all the releases, there can’t be many people that can…
drlowdon
Life is Bad
Earlier this year, I wrote into the Inbox expressing my love for the first Life Is Strange game, after playing True Colors.
In the same email, I mentioned that some players (not me though!) were looking forward to re-seeing Max in the new game, after wishing for her return for years, and that I looked forwards to reading GameCentral’s review of it.
In the aforementioned email, I was mostly concerned about the developers ruining the feel and legacy of what made the first game special.
Well, after reading your review, it seems gamers need to be careful what they wish for, as it appears too much of a good thing can actually be bad and not what was expected.
LeighDappa
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Short term gain
In the last two months GC has awarded 9 to nine games: Astro Bot, UFO 50, Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection, Frostpunk 2, Silent Hill 2, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Super Mario Party Jamboree, Batman: Arkham Shadow, and Drage Age: The Veilguard.
I’m also still really looking forward to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, and Indy.
Not ignoring the current industry problems and what it means for its long term future we are going through a good extended patch of games released.
2023 is considered a standout year for gaming. This year has been very good and 2025 is already looking very promising with hopefully the first mainline 3D Mario in seven years, Doom: The Dark Ages, Metroid Prime 4, GTA 6, Ghost Of Yōtei, Fable, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and a new Professor Layton game.
Simundo
GC: It has been a lowkey great year for games. We don’t regret any of those 9/10s and, as you say, there’s potentially more to come.
Personal bests
I’ve been extremely fortunate to have played a magnitude of video games. I’d like to henceforth list my all-time, 10 favourite titles.
10. The Wolf Among Us – A Telltale masterpiece and I can’t wait for the sequel.
9. Ghost Of Tsushima – An open world marvel and a brilliant Japanese samurai homage.
8. What Remains Of Edith Finch – Heartbreaking and beautiful.
7. Baldur’s Gate 3 – Larian’s masterpiece and a true continuation of the turn-based epic.
6. Dark Souls – Darkly enriching and beautifully challenging. Just a masterpiece.
5. Red Dead Redemption – A beautiful tale of the past, always catching up to you and the journey of redemption.
4. Mass Effect 2 – A triumph of storytelling and the perfect sequel.
3. Silent Hill 2 – In my restless dreams, I see that town. Hauntingly beautiful.
2. Bloodborne – Truly an efficacious gothic portrait of Lovecraftian horror.
1. The Last Of Us – A story that has moved me to tears and never left my soul. My favourite story and my favourite heartbreak.
Shahzaib Sadiq
Not at full price
I’m really enjoying Star Wars Outlaws so far (I know I’m a bit late but no way am I going to pay £60+ for a game, sorry games industry). I think a large part of this is due to me being a huge fan of the movies, books, TV series and the universe in general. You get a really good experience of living in the Star Wars world.
My main takeaway so far is that open world games work so much better when there is a lack of immediacy in the main story. You are usually working towards a huge, life altering, world saving outcome, so it makes no narrative sense to do side quests and take your time.
I’m still early in the game so maybe this changes, but so far it all feels a lot more natural and the side quests fit with what the character is trying to do. There is nothing more game-breaking for me than searching for a villager’s cat instead of doing something that could save the world.
I’m glad that I can be positive about this game and if you are a big Star Wars fan but have been put off by the negativity, I urge you to give it a go. It’s certainly not perfect but it does enough things well to make it probably the most enjoyable Star Wars game for me since Knights Of The Old Republic.
Themadmonk82
GC: We largely agree. The problem for Ubisoft is that it’s the perfect example of a game where everyone thinks, ‘I’ll get it when it’s cheap.’
Confirmed perfect
Recently I have been playing Wave Race 64 on Nintendo Switch using the N64 controller.
I remember loving this game when it first came out and I have been longing for a new game in the series. But the N64 version is so good there is no need for a new one. So please Nintendo, just make a new Pilotwings instead.
Ed
Perplexingly good
Upon completing the excellent Silent Hill 2 remake I got what I guess is considered the good ending. I feel it’s the most satisfying, for the extra bit of context provided for the protagonist’s state of mind.
I wanted to see the other two main endings and having read the requirements to trigger them, was impressed they were achieved by how you played the game and made sense for those actions taken in game.
As interesting as each ending is, the gameplay requirements for triggering them isn’t as nuanced as it first seems. I personally was able to trigger all three endings by loading my final save and doing the final few parts of the requirements for each ending.
It’s probably my game of the year so far. Not sure if a remake deserves to take that title come December though. Much of what makes it great – the story, characters, mood and setting – were crafted by another developer many years ago.
But it’s so good, it’s a dilemma.
Simundo
Inbox also-rans
I’ve been thinking of getting a PlayStation Portal but because I have so many games and books on my shelf I was wondering how much space the portal games will take up? My wife doesn’t want anymore ‘nerd rubbish’, as she calls it. She’s already tried to get me to sell my 200 Star Wars paperbacks, thanks in advance.
Zombiekicker (PSN ID)
GC: It’s quite long, about 34cm by 15cm.
I had no idea there’d been so many Speedball games. That is, err… quite brave of them to want to do another one, given that track record. Best of luck to them. Ice cream!
Goulash
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The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.
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