Mortal Kombat 1 – Scorpion and Sub-Zero get along now (pic: WB Games)
The Friday letters page is glad Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom doesn’t spoil its puzzles, as one reader has some demands for Spider-Man 2’s plot.
Crossing the line
I watched the Mortal Kombat 1 trailer and you weren’t joking, that is a lot of blood and guts. I hate to come across as a prude but is there not a point at which the people making this think they’ve gone too far? The throat slitting seems completely unnecessary and the fatality at the end, while ridiculous, was really unpleasant.
I seem to remember the developers complained of mental distress making the last game and some people thought that meant this next one would be less over-the-top, but I guess that wasn’t the case. I’m not looking to ban anything but I certainly am not interested, despite enjoying previous games, and absolutely wouldn’t let my kids play it – even though I’m sure most parents won’t even think to check.
As graphics get better and better I really think we have to have a serious debate about the level of violence in games. It wouldn’t be so bad if there was any humour to Mortal Kombat but there was certainly nothing in the trailer to make me think this is anything other than mean-spirited and purposefully edgy.
Waylon
Hope is a dangerous thing
I don’t think I have anticipated a review as much for some time, as I am your review for Lego 2K Drive. The core game looks great and right up my street. As a child I was a big fan of Lego Racers, and I am daring to hope Lego 2K Drive can recapture that for the modern day.
However, my head tells me it is going to be spoilt by microtransactions and the issues created by the always online requirement. I just can’t bring myself to trust 2K to make a good, solid game with no catch. At least I won’t have much longer to find out!
Pigfish2 (PSN ID)
GC: Here’s our verdict.
Property is dead
The idea of ads while playing games sounds horrendous to me but I suppose it is one way to get around how expensive they are nowadays. Is Xbox implying they could actually drop Game Pass in favour of a model like that? That’s kind of the impression I got from reading the interview, which seems pretty wild.
The idea of buying a physical game is already falling by the wayside but I wonder if we’ll get to the point where the concept of owning a video game in anyway just disappears. Nowadays I don’t think many people think that way about movies or music, so will it become that way for games too? We’ll only ever be renting them or accessing them via a subscription? It’s not necessarily a bad thing but it is a big change.
Gunner
Not laughing now
No… Just no… I’m not having it! I love my racing games, I enjoy a bit of Lego now and then (and yes, I am a middle aged man, so what?).
I was thinking Lego 2K Drive looks great! I might get that!
But then your report about deleting saves?! People losing hours of progress?!
What the bleep?
I can see no reason for this to need to always be online, or how it improves the game at all. So now, it’s a hard no from me until they fix it! (Which they will if there’s an outcry – but why even do it on the first place?)
What is it with video games companies acting like some sort of dark video game overlord? Always seemingly pushing something stupid and pointless for no apparent reason, almost as if to see how much us gamers will accept rubbish?
I blame Oblivion’s horse armour. Oh how we all laughed. ‘Who would pay money for a cosmetic bit of clothing in a full price game?’, we all said. And now microtransactions are huge.
Damn you, games companies! Just make a good game, release it working, and stop trying to find new ways to annoy your customers!
Whew, rant over. Right, now I’m off work and then a bit of track time on Assetto Corsa Competizione.
Have fun gaming y’all!
The Dude Abides
00 All-Stars
Weekend Hot Topic suggestion: what game(s) are reader’s most excited about for the forthcoming Xbox and PlayStation shows? It doesn’t have to be a confirmed title. It could be a rumoured game or just wishful thinking (Half-Life 3 excluded).
I’m most intrigued to see the Bond game from Io Interactive. Given their pedigree with the Hitman games, a third person action adventure set in the Bond universe could be exciting. I really hope you get to choose your Bond character from all the movies at the beginning of the game.
I’m probably being too optimistic as it would be expensive but imagine choosing your favourite Bond to play as. It would be a toss-up between Pierce Brosnan and Sean Connery for me.
Anon
GC: It’s too late to do this for Sony’s, so we’ll wait till closer to Summer Game Fest.
Stop talking!
It tickles me somewhat that the family friendly ‘kid’s’ console puts out a game with a refreshing lack of handholding that many find difficult. Not that I’m mocking anyone. I had the same experience with Zelda: Breath Of The Wild. It kicked my arse to start with, but I learnt it’s tricks, so not struggling anywhere near to the same degree with Tears Of The Kingdom. Not that there’s any real consequences to death though, unlike Dark Souls.
It occurred to me today, after spending 20 minutes scratching my head to the solution for something, only to realise the answer had been right next to me the whole time. If it were a Sony game Link would of given the game away after 30 seconds. This alone makes me grateful Nintendo make Link the strong silent type.
I enjoyed both Horizon Forbidden West and God Of War Ragnarök but a major gripe was the back seating and annoying spoilery chatter from Aloy and Ragnarök’s companions.
I checked the menus and you couldn’t turn it off, I don’t think anyway. If it was there I’m pretty sure Aloy would of mentioned it, she doesn’t leave much unsaid.
Simundo
Not halfway
I’ve always felt the PS5 Pro was an inevitability and that’s why I haven’t bought a PlayStation 5 yet. Sounds like it will be coming out at just the right time for me.
Although, does that mean Sony thinks they’re getting close to the halfway point for PlayStation 5? I know it’ll be three years old this Christmas but given everything that happened with the pandemic and stock issues surely those years are not going to count? If I start hearing about the PlayStation 6 next year I am not going to be impressed.
Audie
Story notes
So I wanted to say that Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom indeed stands a great chance of winning Game of the Year, because the reception has been phenomenally great. But I wanted to speak about another title, that may challenge that belief and could be shown at the PlayStation showcase: Spider-Man 2. Yeah, I’m absolutely hyped for it, but I’m slightly concerned with the story as a whole.
It echoes my worries that Kratos would be killed off at the end of Ragnarök and Ellie would meet her end by Abby’s hands at the climax of The Last Of Us Part 2. There’s a way to tell a story properly and I’m hoping to share some of my wishes. Firstly, I’d appreciate it if Peter and MJ don’t break up once more again, let the relationship stay strong. Secondly, I’m hoping they allow Eddie Brock to be Venom, since it wouldn’t do the comics justice to stray away from the sources.
Thirdly, I’m hoping Venom isn’t just a textbook villain, he needs to be fleshed out and given character development. It’d be interesting to see him face off against Kraven and it could be a phenomenal fight. Lastly, I’ve heard a few rumours of Norman Osbourne becoming Green Goblin. This definitely must be teased at the end of the game and become the focus of the possible third game. Let the focus be on Kraven first and then Venom.
All of these points would indeed lead to a title that supersedes the first game and will result in profit and lead to elevated hype for Marvel’s Wolverine. On a final note, please leave Black Cat out of this game. We’ve seen her enough times.
Shahzaib Sadiq
Inbox also-rans
I kind of think unveiling Persona 3 remake at the Xbox Showcase and then it not being an exclusive would be worse than just letting Sony do the reveal. Maybe it’s baby steps but Microsoft needs something much more serious than that to prove they can make it in Japan.
Allan
I’m willing to bet a GTA 6 reveal this year and release next Christmas. They’ll handle it like Red Dead Redemption 2 and that means a trailer probably early autumn. If I’m right credit my source as basic logic.
Unkle3t2
This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Damon, who asks what’s the longest you’ve ever spent looking forward to a game?
Although it’s becoming common for new games not to be announced until close to release even then they can often get delayed, leaving you waiting months and even years after their initial reveal. So which game have you waited the longest for and was it a disappointment – if it’s actually out yet.
What do you feel is the optimum time to announce a game, ahead of its released date and how upset do you get about delays, versus launching with bugs and other problems?
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 via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.
You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.
The Friday letters page is glad Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom doesn’t spoil its puzzles, as one reader has some demands for Spider-Man 2’s plot.
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