Spider-Man 2 – could it end up better than Zelda? (pic: Sony)
The Thursday letters page encourages Sony to make a Call Of Duty killer, as one reader tries to guess the gimmick for the next 3D Mario.
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The fourth option
With all the talk of Zelda, Baldur’s Gate, and Starfield vying for all the Game of the Year accolades I do feel Spider-Man 2 is being unfairly ignored. I know it’s cool to hate on Sony at the moment, and I completely understand why, but are we forgetting that both the last two Spider-Man games were critically acclaimed and huge hits? It’s one of their biggest franchises ever.
I’ll accept that the gameplay reveal wasn’t the best but the whole PlayStation Showcase was bad. If we just accept that Sony isn’t very good at that sort of thing anymore, for whatever reason, I think there’s every reason to be excited about Spider-Man 2 and expect it to be one of the best games of the year.
Better than Zelda? I don’t know but it’s a very different kind of game, and even more different to Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield. I predict it will win some awards and it’s certainly one of those game I hope will turn out to be my personal game of the year.
Frankly
Shepard’s Gate
All this talk of Baldur’s Gate 3 sex scenes makes me pine for a new Mass Effect. It’s been over 11 years since Mass Effect 3 and all we’ve had since then is the dreadful Andromeda and the remasters that, while good, don’t seem to have gained it many new fans.
Maybe I’m loving in a bubble but I always thought Mass Effect was respected and successful but the way EA and BioWare treated it is like it’s a B-lister that they don’t know what to do with. I know they’re making a new one but we’re not going to get any movement on that till Dragon Age 4 is out and that doesn’t seem like it’s going to be anytime soon.
I so much prefer sci-fi to fantasy, so I can’t get very excited about Baldur’s Gate 3 and don’t have an Xbox so I can’t play Starfield. Oh, well, I suppose I could start another playthrough?
Wemble
Insufficient data
So, Starfield is finished and there’s going to be no more delays. Like another reader said I already feel like American sites have already decided it’s amazing, even though I don’t think anyone other than IGN has actually played, and that’s only going to lead to more strife when people get a hold of it.
Personally, I think it’s very difficult to call. It’ll obviously be good but something on the level of Fallout 4 was good but not great, in my opinion. A 7 or 8/10 job. Starfield is going to have to rely on them nailing the combat, the space travel, and get better at dialogue and bug hunting.
Have they done that? I have no way of telling but I do know they’ve never acknowledged these problems publicly, and that to me is a worry.
Lostem
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None of the above
I was wondering what GC’s feelings are concerning cut scenes for side missions? The ones where, upon quest completion, the non-player character pulls out something from his back pocket, that’s neatly hidden from view, and hands it to you conveniently underneath the composition of the shot. Your character then makes sure it’s still not in shot when the camera reverses to you, as he puts it in his own back pocket.
Et voilà, you have obtained your reward. I wondered if you like seeing that over and over again, like you do in Final Fantasy 16 or Horizon Forbidden West or do you prefer audio log exposition dumps instead, that are monotone in delivery?
Wonk
GC: We prefer them to get on with it.
Keep the ideas flying in
So if Nintendo are working on a new 3D Mario what do we think is going to be the gimmick? I’m sure nobody could have predicted Cappy but I’m sure we can come up with some good ideas anyway… that Nintendo will never use.
Me, I’d like to see flying come back in a bigger way. That was one of my favourite bits in Super Mario 64 and they’ve never really done it again, except for a few little bits in Odyssey. It could also be a nod to F.L.U.D.D. in that it could give you a second chance from falling off platforms.
Flying doesn’t come up in games because it’s tricky with the controls and giving you a big enough world but I’m sure Nintendo could make it work in an interesting way.
Wesker
Never look back
I think the best thing to do if you are interested in PlayStation VR2 is try somewhere, somehow to have a good couple of goes on it.
I think it’s the best gaming experience I’ve had in a long time (Gran Tursimo 7), but your experience may differ. It’s such a subjective and divisive thing.
As far as I understand it there is no good way to try it out other than knowing someone who has one. I know Currys in the past would often have a VR unit out on the floor, but it was usually other devices (Oculus/Vive, etc.).
Gran Turismo 7 has in fact turned me in to somewhat of a VR snob, as a result of being so good. I still play loads of flatscreen games, and always will, but recently I loaded up Forza on my PC, a game which I previously loved, and after 10 minutes promptly shut it down due to it being non-VR and a strangely flat experience.
The lack of buzz and announcements about upcoming games is a worry. I have my eye out for Firewall Ultra which is releasing towards the end of August (hope GC are reviewing it).
r-s-w
GC: The publisher has already been in contact about it.
Console bias
It’s funny anyone from Square Enix dreaming of a one format future, considering for them the PlayStation is really the only one they support properly. Their PC ports are a joke, the Switch is mostly ignored, and the Xbox doesn’t even exist to them.
That said, I do tend to agree that a monopoly doesn’t necessarily badly effect gaming and in the past has actually resulted in some of the best eras on record. Or is anyone going to claim the PlayStation 2 was a dud?
Septer
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The perfect moment
All the complaining from fans about Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and I will be very surprised if it sells any less than usual. Maybe a little less than normal but nothing that will give Activision pause. In fact, it will only prove to them that people will literally put up with anything. They’ll complain about it, but they won’t actually stopping buying or playing.
This makes me think that we really are overdue for a serious Call Of Duty competitor. Battlefield hasn’t been that for years, if ever, but if Sony has any sense they will be busying themselves making exactly. I don’t know if they’ll have the bottle for it, because they’ll know the comparisons will come and if they mess up they’ll loose face, but I think they’ve got to try.
They’re going to lose Call Of Duty sooner or later (10 years sounds like a lot but that’s not even enough to make two AAA games nowadays) and it’s the perfect time to strike, while the franchise is at a low ebb. They could even make it a free-to-play game if they’re still obsessed with those, although for me it needs to have a proper story campaign to be taken seriously.
As has been pointed out, Sony are currently hard to predict but this has got to have occurred to them. I wish them luck.
Cranston
Inbox also-rans
Thanks for the tip on the cheap Amiga mini-console, I think I’m going to pull the trigger on that. It’s pretty much the only time the Amiga gets any respect in terms of re-releases, and I don’t want to miss out.
Tonce
I’ve just got the true ending for Pikmin 4 and I’m seriously impressed. The game was much bigger and more varied than I was expecting. It also kind of had a proper story too and a surprise villain. Two thumbs up from me.
Gost
This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Johno, who asks what new gaming hardware are you playing to buy in the future?
Christmas will be here soon enough and with rumours of the Switch 2, the PS5 Slim, the PS5 Pro, and Sony’s Project Q are you starting to save up for new hardware? If you haven’t entered the current generation yet are you planning to get a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S this year? And if not, why not?
How much are your spending plans affected by the ongoing cost of living crisis and have you had to abandon plans to buy new hardware (including controllers, VR headsets, and PC components) this year or in the future?
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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.
You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.
MORE : Games Inbox: PS5 State of Play this autumn, Quake 2 memories, and Baldur’s Gate 3 accessibility
MORE : Games Inbox: Starfield 10/10 review, PS5 Slim redesign, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage nostalgia
MORE : Games Inbox: The price of the Switch 2, the worst sequel ever, and Zelda: Ocarina Of Time score
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The Thursday letters page encourages Sony to make a Call Of Duty killer, as one reader tries to guess the gimmick for the next 3D Mario.
