The Wednesday Inbox is frustrated at Nintendo’s modern approach to Virtual Consoles, as another reader heaps praise on Psychonauts 2.
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The greatest
Interesting Hot Topic over the weekend, especially in that Red Dead Redemption 2 seemed to get so many mentions as an overrated game. I do get the complaints about the gameplay and length but for me it is a great game, that is one of my all-time favourites. I’d also say that it had by far the best graphics of the last generation, in terms of individual quality and the size and interactivity of the open world.
It’s an incredible achievement and while a lot of that is due to having lots of money I’d say that it makes a good argument for Rockstar being the best developer working today. I say this not just because I like their stuff but because nobody else is able to do create anything like their games. The only other open world game that gets so much praise is Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and that’s a completely different kind of experience, with very few characters or built up areas.
GTA and Red Dead Redemption are gaming monsters that are impossible for anybody else to match and for me that is an achievement that is worthy of praise. Maybe they’re not for everyone but I don’t think it needs to be for a game to be good. As far as I’m concerned, the only problem with Rockstar is that they don’t make more games and you have to wait so long for the next one.
Dis
Detailed change
I’m still not feeling Far Cry 6. It is probably the best, or at least most consistent, of the Ubisoft formula games but I’ve just played it too many times now. What’s really different about 6 other than a different setting and… flamethrowers? I’m sure there’s more to it than that but it sounds like they’re just details compared to the fact that we’ve all played this same game multiple times (there’s been lots more than six for a start).
I have no better suggestion of what to do with it, admittedly, but I’d say sci-fi or fantasy is the only way to go. The problem is that the settings are getting too similar now, the weapons are always broadly the same because it’s the modern day, and the whole fascist-leader-as-the-bad-guy thing is getting really old now. I predict the game will not be a major hit and that Far Cry 7 is going to be a reboot.
Lemon20
Deserved praise
Yeah – I’ll echo the Psychonauts 2 praise. It’s an excellent game – excellent dialogue and characters, surprisingly involved plotline, fantastic music, well judged length and pacing, and plenty of imagination behind it too.
It looks surprisingly great too, but while the gameplay is perhaps only good, and the game is relatively easy, there’s more than enough else going on to keep you thoroughly entertained. Would also recommend – particularly if you enjoy action platformers.
Matt (he_who_runs_away)
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Indefensible looks
When it comes to the debate about which looks better, the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, I don’t think we’re judging the winner for Miss World here (if it still exists). When I see someone get riled and leap to the defence of their preferred bit of moulded plastic I reminded of those stories of the world’s ugliest dog that pop up now and then and the people who insist it’s the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen.
Like those hell hounds (sorry being playing a lot of Hades the last few days) the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X have their unique charm but we’re not talking about a couple of stunners though.
Simundo
GC: We don’t think anyone’s really tried to defend the PlayStation 5 or suggest the Xbox Series X is anything more than adequate.
Anniversary choice
With a lot of buzz going round about GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas being remastered this does look like this might be a possibility as October 2022 will mark not only the 20th Anniversary of GTA: Vice City but also the 25th anniversary of the first Grand Theft Auto game. GTA 3 turns 20 this year, so to mark the 25th Anniversary of the GTA franchise this is something that Rockstar could do. Although San Andreas is still four years off from hitting 20 years of age that shouldn’t really stop a few remasters happening.
Although what is currently planned is unknown I would like to see some DLC come for these remasters to add some extra missions to the story, which could fill in some answers to questions for the after events from the other GTA games like Vice City and San Andreas. This would be a good way for Rockstar to make some amends and tie any loose ends, with both Ray Liotta and Young Maylay – even if it was some voice work or a cameo appearance.
gaz be rotten (gamertag)
No reason
Trying to understand Nintendo is usually impossible but the whole Virtual Console situation is particularly baffling to me. It’s basically free money (most of the emulation isn’t even that great!) and yet they just gave up doing it for no reason. And they stopped with the Wii U too, a console that was desperate for new content, even if it was just a 30 year old NES game!
If they want to release a remaster then there’s nothing to stop them. The new Advance Wars is a full remake so that could’ve existed whether the original was on a Switch Virtual Console or not. Maybe they couldn’t have got away with Super Mario 3D All-Stars but that compilation was a disgrace anyway and not something they should’ve been trying to sneak past fans.
I loved the idea that Sega and SNK and other more obscure formats were supported and would’ve loved to have seen that continue. But it’s not, presumably because some Nintendo exec got out of bed on the wrong side one morning and though that they better leave open the possibility of charging separately for them all at some later date… which they have never done either. Urgh, why is Nintendo so Nintendo!
Galactus
Simple answer
So was there any actual official explanation regarding the delayed again Lego Star Wars: Skywalker Saga game as it’s now been officially announced for a Spring 2022 release at last week’s Gamescom event, GC?
I’m definitely not going to hold my breath even for next year to be honest with you.
JAH
GC: The explanation was that it’s not finished yet.
Perfect movie
I know they were production photos, rather than stills from the actual film, but boy did those Resident Evil movie images look bad. I’m not even talking about the haircuts (although GC’s article breaking them all down did make me laugh, in how the film got every single one of them wrong).
Combining the first two games into one film seems a really bad idea too, and not just because of the large cast who, at least in the games, never meet up. Are they going to introduce Mr X and William Birkin in the same film, plus the tyrant from Resident Evil 1 and everything else and Lisa Trevor?! That is far too much for one movie, it’s just silly.
I think the perfect movie would be somewhere between what this seems to be and the old series. The old films were just making stuff up as they went along (how many apocalypses were there in the end?) and didn’t care anything about the games most of the time but plan out a whole series with a new cast of characters in a different location and that would work.
You can have a few cameos maybe but you can have all the standard Resident Evil monsters and craziness without constantly comparing yourself to the games and half-heartedly adapting them. Especially as no film is going to dare to be as cheesy as old school Resi.
Baker
Inbox also-rans
No offence to Manic miner 100 but what exclusives is it he prefers on the Xbox compared to the PlayStation 5? By my reckoning they haven’t had a proper one for over a year now? And before that it was, what, Gears 5?
Spiral
Microsoft paid $100 million for Rise Of The Tomb Raider to be an exclusive for a year? And they were trying to go up against Uncharted 4 with it? I doubt that there’s a gamer in the world that wouldn’t have advised them that was a bad idea and yet for some reason they did it anyway. All for the price of a hospital wing.
Coolsbane
This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Ishi, who asks how much do you actually play video games at the moment?
Ignoring time spent reading about them, or watching other people play, how much time do you spend playing games yourself, on the average week? Do you have a set routine or period of the day you set aside for games or does it depend on whether something new has come out?
How regularly do you play and does it vary according to the time of year or other outside factor? How much has the amount of time you play varied over the years, as you’ve got older?
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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.
You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.
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