Do you have faith? (pic: Sony)

The Wednesday letters page argues for and against Xbox Game Pass, as a reader asks who pays attention to Metacritic user reviews.

To join in with the discussions yourself email [email protected]

Test of faith
With console warring being worse than ever in the last year or so I feel most arguments have given up on any kind of logic and are just based on faith. We aren’t arguing about which console or game is best, we’re just arguing about what side we support and nothing else. We’re like football fans who no matter what the arguments will never stop supporting their favourite.

I really don’t think that’s healthy though. I just go with whatever console suits me best each generation and I find that’s changed been Xbox and PlayStation more than once. It might not have been a majority but how many diehard Xbox fans refused to give up on the Xbox One, even though it was clearly a disaster?

Everything I’m hearing about PlayStation 5’s future direction, with the live service games and even one of their own execs talking it down sounds terrible and I’m going to wait till well after the June showcase before I make any kind of decision on buying one.

Maybe I’m too cautious but I’m curious to know what more committed PlayStation fans think of this change of direction and whether they still have faith in Sony? Do they still know what they’re doing? Will we still get enough normal games like usual? I’m not so sure and remain to be convinced.
Chorlton

His dad is who?
So, I’ve just had Star Wars Jedi: Survivor spoiled for me. Some jackass in the comments on YouTube thought it’d be a good idea to spoil the most important things. And there is one thing that I assume is not obvious and now that moment’s going to be ruined for me. I’m not super spoiler sensitive or anything like that but this was basically like having the end of Empire Strikes Back spoiled for you.

I do not understand why these companies are not doing anything about the problem. It’s happened with every game for the last year, basically, and yet still they let shops sell them early. Star Wars even apparently needs a download to work and yet they still couldn’t keep people from playing it early? It’s not only annoying it’s weird that it keeps happening.
Salty

Occasional gems
Just read the article about Xbox going third party and saying a few things about Game Pass.

I’ve got something to say about it, in order for Xbox to come out on top they need to deliver what they promised with Game pass. 90% of new games they release are games you’d see on your phone and it’s so disappointing.

There’s a few good games here and there, like Valheim, for example.

Small game produced by few people, that was originally designed for mobile!

It’s like a Viking survival game and it’s absolutely beautiful.

But back to my point, in order for Microsoft to take back the lead in the gaming industry they need to stop mucking around and give value back to their customers who’ve paid for Game Pass and stayed loyal.
Anon

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Change as good as a rest
When I read GC’s review that Dead Island 2 was more linear and not open world, I was initially pleased. Having previously got open world fatigue thanks to Red Dead Redemption 2 and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, I couldn’t get into Dying Light 2, unlike the first game. The irony is playing Dead Island 2 has me missing the open world, so I jumped back into Dying Light 2. I have to say, I do think Dying Light 2 is the better game overall, but it’s thanks to Dead Island 2 I have a new found appreciation.

Timing is everything with gaming. At least it is for me, as I can find it easy to get fed up with a certain type of game. I have been playing linear games like Callisto Protocol, Dead Space remake, and Resident Evil 4 remake. Dead Island 2 is arguably more linear than a few of those mentions, so it was almost inevitable I was ready for a change. So Dead Island 2 will be put on the back-burner until I’m fed up with open world games again. At least I will finish Dying Light 2 now, thanks to Dead Island 2.

I have to ask, as reviewers, do GC get fed up with certain type of games? I would find it extremely difficult to be objective if I was playing games of a similar ilk in a row. I imagine I’m not alone in this, and gamers suffer from a similar fatigue. I do think I need to consider what games I’ve played previously before deciding upon my next purchase. I could save myself a lot of money.

I’d be interested to know if other readers encounter similar issues? I don’t mean buyer’s regret for a game they don’t like, specifically it being a matter of timing.
Anon
PS: Dying Light 2 is 50% off for the next few days on the Xbox and PlayStation stores. So, if there’s any fellow linear game sufferers out there? Plus, the game has been updated to death, so it’s a better experience now.

GC: If anyone felt that way, we’d just give it to a different reviewer.

Delaying Evil
I’ve always liked fishing in games, so Dredge looked interesting. I haven’t got that far into it (just upgraded my hull) but it’s a really good little game so far and well worth 20 quid from the PlayStation Store.

It’s even delayed me from playing the Resident Evil 4 remake I bought recently and the GameCube original is one of my favourite games.

TL;DR: quite an intriguing game. I give it 8/10.
Chevy Malibu (PSN ID)

GC: We preferred Resident Evil 4.

Give it a try
If you’re like me, you might find it hard to justify paying full price for a game you’re not sure you’ll like. That’s where Game Pass comes in – it’s a great way to try out new games in genres you might not usually play.

Thanks to Game Pass I’ve discovered some amazing titles that I might never have tried otherwise. Ori And The Will Of The Wisps, What Remains Of Edith Finch, Tetris Effect, Carrion, Hellblade, Doom Eternal, A Plague Tale, My Friend Pedro… the list goes on.

Sure, I’ve also dropped a few games that didn’t quite click with me, but that’s okay as I would have never tried them otherwise. The point is, Game Pass has removed a lot of the barriers to trying new things, and I’m grateful for that.

As someone who’s been gaming for 20 years, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what I liked. But Game Pass has shown me that there’s so much out there that I never would have discovered on my own. And I’m sure there are plenty of other gaming enthusiasts out there who could benefit from this service too.

I also think Game Pass is still in its infant years. Only until the army of AAA exclusives start hitting such as Starfield, Hellblade 2, Fable, and Perfect Dark. Plus, very likely to be confirmed in the coming weeks/months add Activision Blizzard’s library. Only then can it be truly judged, as at that point it will be very hard to ignore.

So if you’re hesitant to try a new game because of the cost, or if you feel like you’re stuck in a rut playing the same old genres, give Game Pass a shot. Who knows, you might just find your new favourite game.
Jezza

Unwanted opinion
The thing that always baffles me about Metacritic scores is not only what kind of loser would review bomb something because girls were in it but who pays any attention to user scores in the first place?

Is there anyone reading this who makes their £70 purchasing decision based on what some random on Metacritic says about it? If so I can only assume you are very rich and don’t mind throwing your money down the drain. I’d just get rid of the whole thing, who needs it? It’s not like they can’t shared their opinion elsewhere online.
Gustin

Embargoed information
A question for GC if I may…

Zelda: Breath Of The Wild took around 50 hours to complete and probably double that to 100%. Even going with the lower figure that’s still several weeks of heavy playing. Given what we’ve seen so far Tears Of The Kingdom may well be even longer.

I understand the industry as a whole use review embargoes preventing you from publishing reviews until a specific time/date, usually a few days before the release. Given that most of Tears Of The Kingdom is being kept under wraps to date, I’m guessing review copies won’t be sent until the very last minute. As such, how will you be able to play it sufficiently to give a full review?

Will someone go without sleep for the week, or will you have a three to four person Le Mans style team playing it 24 hours a day in shifts? Or will you just skip past some of the game giving focus to the main quest?

Also, I’m just curious, but what would happen if you were to break the embargo? I know Nintendo is a very litigious company, but I don’t believe doing so would be any criminal offence. Would they just refuse to work with you again or is it more likely they would call the lawyers?
Huw

GC: We don’t know what you’re basing these assumptions on but they’re all wrong.

Inbox also-rans
So who would like to make a bet? Will FIFA 25, or whatever the first one is, be worse than the last eFootball game? I feel we could be scraping the bottom of the barrel with this one.
Virgil

Great feature on AI and its current and future effects on the games industry. I still see people scoffing about it and I have no idea why. This is going to change the world and video games are going to be on the leading of it, for better or worse.
Compf

This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader TheTruthSoul (PSN ID), who asks how often you play a video game to completion?

What is it that inspires you to finish some games and not others? Are there common elements which influence your decision, or does it depend purely on the quality of the game and external factors?

Do you usually aim to complete a game, and do you have any examples of times when you unexpectedly changed your mind, one way or the other? What do you consider completing a game to mean, and how often do you try to 100% one?

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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 via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

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MORE : Games Inbox: Zelda: Breath Of The Wild still the best game ever, CGI trailers, and Advance Wars love

MORE : Games Inbox: Why Game Pass wasn’t a bigger success, Street Fighter 6 demo review, and Unrecord realism

MORE : Weekend Hot Topic: Rebooting your favourite video game series

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The Wednesday letters page argues for and against Xbox Game Pass, as a reader asks who pays attention to Metacritic user reviews.