Resident Evil – good things come in threes? (pic: Capcom)

The Wednesday letters page thinks the Xbox Series S could be a major advantage for the PS5, as one reader demands more fighting game spin-offs.

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Back to the beginning, again
Curious to see the Resident Evil livestream on Thursday and get more of an idea of how the Resident Evil 4 remake works. It really could go either way, as while Resident Evil 2 was great, Resident Evil 3 was pretty bad and 4 is a lot harder game to get right.

I’m not expecting it to be announced this week but what I’m curious to see after 4, is whether they do another remake of 1. Nobody wants remakes of 5 and 6, so to me, logically, the next step is a new version of the original game. The problem is though, that it’s a much simpler game than the others, so it might seem like a backwards step.

Plus, the original remake is still great, and I don’t know whether Capcom skipped ahead to 2 because they didn’t think the first remake could be bettered or because they just thought it was too soon. I’d like to see it though. They could maybe add some new stuff to it, like the first remake, and perhaps elements of Resident Evil 0 too, since I’m sure that will never get a dedicated remake.

Basically, I love Resi and am always happy to see more of it, both new and remake. They’re not all classics but I’d say the hit ratio is better than almost any other big name franchise.
Grackle

Holding back
Before I even got to the end of that story about the Xbox Series S holding back the generation I knew people were going to be saying the guy didn’t know what he was talking about and it was all some anti-Xbox conspiracy. Because if there’s one type of person I’m going to trust over an experienced professional who’s actually spoken to the people that make the game, it’s a random nobody on the internet.

We’ve all noticed how underwhelming the new graphics are on the PlayStation 5, and especially the Xbox Series X, and while it is early days there’s clearly something holding it back. We all thought it was being cross-gen but the Xbox Series S explanation makes total sense as well.

Unlike cross-gen it’s not a problem that’s going to go away though, as all multiformat and all Xbox exclusives are going to suffer from it. Which actually gives Sony a chance to pull ahead with the PlayStation 5. I’m excited to see if that happens.
Xane

No time to talk
Interesting story about Insomniac saying they haven’t got time to talk about or promote Spider-Man 2. I get it, for both them and others, but I still think it’s a mistake. Maybe not for Spider-Man 2 specifically, because that’s a guaranteed hit, but all these other games coming out with no hype and no previews… is anyone willing to bet that Need For Speed Unbound will be anything other than a massive flop.

I really feel that publishers should be stepping in her to take up the slack. Surely there’s things they could do that won’t interfere with the developers’ work at all? To take Need For Speed as an example surely they could’ve had some kind of studio tour and some artwork shown in a video a few months ago and that would’ve been fine. People understand the pressures, just not the vow of silence going on at the moment.

Microsoft and Sony are obviously the worst, not least because they should be in the best position to provide a general overview of what they’re working on and when to expect things out. Instead they just say absolutely nothing. I just hope their game developers aren’t as out of ideas as their marketing people.
Gaston

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Acting doesn’t pay
So, if we could have some clarity on the Bayonetta 3 controversy, GC, as while there are those who are disingenuous, there is also legitimate confusion surrounding the issue. $4K sounds like a lot to me, if it was just the work of one day or even a week – but I don’t know. How long would it take to record lines for such a project as this? Or is the issue that voice actors, who are part of the union at least, are typically paid by the hour?

What would Hellena Taylor have received for similar work on a feature length movie or cartoon series? Yes, much like Bayonetta herself, I suppose I’m playing devil’s advocate – not something that I wanted to be doing. And as Sterling has said in their video the Jimquisition, this is not just a specific issue to either Platinum or Nintendo but an industry-wide problem that doesn’t seem to think much of the voice talent.

Let me be clear: my instincts tell me that Taylor is in the right, compounded by Hideki Kamiya behaving like a juvenile buffoon these past 36 hours or so. I don’t like those, and let’s not be coy about it, genuinely awful people saying: ‘Oh, what about the developers? What about the other cast members? What about this? What about the other?’ A line of argument always used to defend the status quo rather than challenge it.

If I suffer, everyone should suffer, is that it? There are a worrying number of people who think like this who would sooner attack those who do speak out than work with them to improve their own lot in life. Maddening.
DMR

GC: Voice acting isn’t a 9 to 5 job with a guaranteed income. According to her she earned less than $8,000 over nine years, helping to create a character that has generated $15 million in revenue. The question is not whether $4,000 is insultingly low but whether Taylor is being truthful about the offer.

Spin-off phobia
Now that I think of it why haven’t they done a Mortal Kombat role-playing game before? Or Street Fighter or any of the others? Shenmue was supposed to be a Virtua Fighter spin-off at one point but not even that happened.

It always surprises me that they never try to make fighting game spin-offs, considering they have some of the most recognisable characters in gaming. Where’s my Chun-Li solo game or a Morrigan role-player, a Terry Bogard scrolling beat ‘em-up, or a Yoshimatsu ninja game? Capcom can’t even manage to make a new Final Fight game!

Even if you argue those characters aren’t famous enough, at least it’s a starting point and as long as the game is good it can still do well. Seems like a bit of a win-win to me, but it’s never really happened.
Janson

The great Sony mystery
So over the two years, and soon to be three, of the cycle of the PlayStation 5, we’ve seen some great exclusives. Returnal and Demon’s Souls are just some of the names that have given the system a great start. Whilst it’s true that some of these games are heading to PC, and therefore can’t be counted as true system sellers, I’d say one of the most memorable exclusives isn’t actually on PlayStation 5. Because Sony haven’t actually touched it for almost a decade and we’ve heard radio silence over a free update or even a remake/remaster.

As you’ve probably guessed, from my subtle hints, it’s only FromSoftware’s masterpiece, Bloodborne. Seven years ago it released on the PlayStation 4 and, such as P.T. did, it blew us away. But why Sony are ignoring a cash cow, staring them in the face and focusing on unnecessary remasters, such as Horizon, is baffling. You’d think even the bare minimum, such as a 60fps patch, in an update would be less work for the developers. But even From have maintained radio silence.

Not that I’m ungrateful for Elden Ring, but I’d expect them to care more about an IP that is so revered worldwide. I don’t know if they’ve had a fallout of sorts, but I can only keep hoping that this title is at least upgraded for the system, but my guess is that maybe it’ll be remade and sold for £70. Because that’s the cost of nostalgia and a masterpiece of gaming.
Shahzaib Sadiq

GC: It is very odd. A Reader’s Feature last weekend made the exact same points.

Usual rate
Out of interest GC, when you last played Gotham Knights, which version did you play? The whole 30fps thing doesn’t bother me, if the reviews are good I will get it, but I was still curious as I didn’t read one preview, when various sites did their final previews a couple of weeks ag,o mention the frame rate as being an issue.

However, someone pointed out to me that the previews could’ve been on the PC version which doesn’t have the 30fps cap.
Angry_Kurt (Twitter)
Now playing: Tinkykin (Steam Deck)

GC: We’re playing it on PlayStation 5, but until the review embargo we’re limited in what we can say about it. What we will point out though is that historically open world games are rarely 30fps, so it seems disingenuous for anyone to pretend Gotham Knights is some major step backwards.

Fluid argument
RE: Adamski and 60fps being a fashionable tech option. I just downloaded GTA: Vice City on PS Plus Extra and toggled between performance and fidelity. It’s amazing how choppy and rough 30fps feels to the smoothness of 60fps when you can do a direct comparison like this.

To say I disagree with Adamski is a colossal understatement. If tech can’t currently run the game at 60fps then I’m happy to wait until I have the tech that can, as it does make a significant difference to how the game is experienced and enjoyed.

Since the release of Returnal everyone has praised the fluidity and smoothness of the action and how it’s integral to its enjoyment and how the PlayStation 4 could run the game but not at the same performance levels, i.e. 30 fps instead of 60fps, so it wouldn’t be the same game. I agree.

I remember when Phil Spenser was doing the Xbox One X PR rounds and GC did an interview asking how nobody’s talking about frame rate even though it makes a bigger impact on a game than 4K and slightly better graphics. His response was to ask why do you care about it. With the Xbox Series S/X he changed his tune and was saying about it’s how games feel on next gen machines that really marks them out.

Fast loading and 60fps was very much part of the sales pitch for the current gen consoles and why there’s a kerfuffle that so early in the gen two current gen releases in a week are capped at 30fps. So yes, I expect many people who pre-ordered would have been expecting new gen performance of 60fps or at the very the least a performance option.

No problem with Adamski being fine with 30fps but let’s not lessen the impact 60fps has on a game or why people are complaining about it. Of course fast paced games benefit the most from 60fps, but open world games like Gotham Knights do as well. I won’t be touching fidelity mode in GTA: Vice City or any other game that has the option.
Simundo

GC: We’d love to see all games being 60fps, but an open world title has a lot more going on, in terms of scale and interactivity, than a fighter or shooter – so it’s much more difficult and you stand to lose a lot more by enabling it.

Inbox also-rans
Will you be reviewing Scorn?
ANON

GC: For some reason they wouldn’t send a copy until after release, so we may not have time now.

Just a short message to say there is a Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope keying and tote bag available now, separately, on the Nintendo Store. You have to buy them with Platinum Points and not real money. Just ordered the keyring myself.
Andrew J.
Currently playing: Life Is Strange: True Colours

I tried making some chips with my Xbox Series S, and I think I prefer real potatoes.
Commodore Fan

I have just seen the pricing for the new DualSense Edge controller at £209.99. Seems a bit steep for the UK! I mean I’m sure they will sell to certain folks, but at that price it is surely going to be a niche market with other people more inclined to swerve it at that price?
WAYNEOS

GC: The Xbox Elite 2 controller is £160 too; they’re both only intended to be niche.

This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was inspired by reader Carlos, and asks what video game are you best at?

No matter how old it is or on what format – single-player or multiplayer – what game do you feel you’ve truly mastered? Do you consider yourself good at it compared to other people and did you get anywhere of note on online leaderboards, if the game had any?

How did you get good at the game? Was it something you practiced at a lot or did you just seem to be a bit of a natural? Are you good at other similar games or are your specialities fairly specific?

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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: Saying no to a PS5 Pro mid-gen upgrade, Silent Hill expectations, and Bayonetta 3 shame

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MORE : Weekend Hot Topic: What is your most replayed video game?

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The Wednesday letters page thinks the Xbox Series S could be a major advantage for the PS5, as one reader demands more fighting game spin-offs.