Palworld is a (pocket) monster hit (Picture: Pocketpair)

The Tuesday letters page has more reason to think the end of physical games is nigh, as one reader wants to try Silent Hill on PS2.

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Out of the blue
Where on earth did Palworld come from? Now that it’s out and all across the internet I vaguely remember seeing it in an Xbox trailer, maybe at the summer showcase? Looking into it, and reading GC’s review, I cannot begin to fathom the appeal. Maybe if it was free like Fortnite but it’s not unless you have Game Pass, and the news says it’s sold 5 million copies since Friday. That’s sold, not just played!

I get the idea of wanting a technologically advanced Pokémon game, but this doesn’t even seem to be that, it just looks like it but is actually a survival game? And you can run a sweathouse and outfit your ‘Pals’ with AK-47s and rocket launchers? Yeah, it’s not for me.

I’d say kudos to the developer but looking at those comparison shots between pokémon it’s very obvious what’s going on here. I’d say I’ll just try to ignore it but somehow I get the feeling I won’t be able to over the coming weeks.
Focus

The usual signs
So Palworld has been out for three days so far and has sold five million copies and attracted several death threats. Yep, that sounds like a successful video game all right. Sometimes gaming can be so exhausting.

Obviously death threats or any kind of online hostility are wrong but I really don’t know how the developers can keep a straight face saying that they didn’t copy certain designs. Especially when they claim only one person, who had no previous experience, made them all? I mean… it’s not like AI is a secret. We all know what it can do.

If it was free I might give it a go but there is no way I’m paying £25 for a Pokémon shooter.
Gosling

Tipping point
Reading about Walmart slowly inching towards ditching physical games entirely… I’m not surprised. My prediction is that after this year no physical store will stock video games. It’ll all just be online like Amazon and maybe a few speciality stores. (Are there still independent game stores? I haven’t seen one in years.)

There’s really no point being sad about it or pointing fingers because the game is well and truly over and there’s nothing we can do about it. Maybe if people took a stand 10 years ago or so but even then I doubt we would’ve changed anything.

As the Xbox One proved, publishers want digital-only because they make more profit and they will do everything to chip away at people’s aversion to it. Here’s looking forward to the next online sale so I can actually afford to buy a new game!
Johno

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Original horror
I’ve been thinking of Silent Hill recently. I suppose everyone has, with the wait for any news, snippets or details regarding the release date for the Silent Hill 2 remake. Apparently, there’s meant to be a State Of Play and I don’t see a high possibility of it popping up, if the rumours are true. These events always disappoint us and the fans raise their expectations.

I’ve been giving the first game some thought. I’ve never played it, actually. The PlayStation 2 was my first console and the game wasn’t ported to the system. Since I actually purchased a system recently, I was wondering if the first title, is playable on a PlayStation 2? Would I require a memory card? I’ve read that many PlayStation 1 titles are indeed compatible with the PlayStation 2 but I’ve never tried myself.

If GC or any readers know anything, regarding compatibility, and if it’s playable on my system, I’d appreciate a reply. Maybe one day, we can also see a remake of the first instalment.
Shahzaib Sadiq

GC: All PlayStation 2s are backwards compatible with around 98% of PlayStation 1 games, although that percentage does decrease slightly with the later models. As far as we know Silent Hill always works.

No middle ground
Square Enix to focus only on massive games is a bit of a disappointment, whilst The Diofield Chronicles obviously wasn’t brilliant, I found it different and pretty good fun, as I did The Last Remnant many years ago.

just makes me sad, but if people aren’t buying the games I guess it doesn’t make business sense to keep making them at a loss.
Michael, Crawley

GC: Their plan isn’t just massive games it’s no to any more mid-budget games. But that would probably include The Diofield Chronicles.

Funky music
Good god is Bomb Rush Cyberfunk’s soundtrack phenomenal. I mean, I was expecting it to be good but not this good!

It’s honestly every bit as eclectic and electric as Jet Set Radio’s iconic soundscapes, if not better because there’s more house and garage music featured, which transports me back to the more idyllic times of my spunky London-centric youth.

Crazy how the game starts off proper with this absolute banger of a track and just gets better and better. Hands down my favourite soundtrack of the year so far, beating out such honorary greats as Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom, World Of Horror, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider, Hi-Fi Rush, and Final Fantasy 16.
Galvanized Gamer

Potter: Arkham Legacy
It’s been over a decade since I wrote in, maybe I’ll explain why in a Reader’s Feature, if there is interest.

Watching my family play Hogwarts Legacy reminds me so much of the Batman: Arkham games, to the point that I have no interest.

My concern is these games and others are the same but with different skins.
Hedgeman
PS: I’ve been here since the digitiser Teletext days.

GC: Apart from a Gothic setting and a third person view we’re not seeing it.

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Take it slow
Replying to Sharpie’s Reader’s Feature. I can understand where he is coming from because I have been there. I call it the Video Game Midlife Crisis. This has happened to me when I faced more responsibilities as an adult because of work, chores, and other life changing situations. This is when you start to notice there is much less time for gaming compared to your young carefree days, when you had no bills to pay. It then leads to seeing gaming as more of a time-wasting hobby rather than something recreational and helpful.

What I noticed was that he mentions games which require a lot of hours not only to complete the game, but also plenty of commitment. Here is my suggestion. First, go back to playing games from your youth that you enjoyed but are also quick to get into. This depends what era of gaming you started in or enjoyed most.

My old favourites are Sensible Soccer and the early Pro Evolution games. Then try more modern stuff. My preferred choices for quick games are the BlazBlue fighting games. Mobile games like Candy Crush Saga have also helped me, when I want to play something that does not require bucketloads of time to complete one level.

In short, don’t go after games that you know will take too long to complete. Instead, go for short arcade type experiences. I hope this helps everyone going through the same phase and that they get their gaming appetite back.
orionz25

Inbox also-rans
I really hope the new Quake has the Lovecraft setting of the first one and not the boring Stroggs. I would really have liked a Wolfenstein 3 first though, but it looks like that’s dead now.
Supes

Just to add to the physical games doom and gloom, I read that Another Code: Recollection got a really low print run. So if you want it on cartridge now might be your only chance.
Donner

This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Franky, who asks what is your favourite modern video game music soundtrack?

Assuming that means any game released in the last two generations, which has been your favourite and why? How do you think the use of original and licensed music has changed in the last decade and how would you like to see it further evolve, in regard to the type of music and how it’s used?

Do you own any game soundtracks from the last two generations and how do you think they compare to older titles?

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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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The Tuesday letters page has more reason to think the end of physical games is nigh, as one reader wants to try Silent Hill on PS2.