Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown – remember when the Prince used to be a nice guy? (Picture: Ubisoft)
The Friday letters page doesn’t understand why Spider-Man 2 was at the Summer Game Fest, as a reader wonders if Shenmue 4 will ever happen.
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Generic rage
Who’d thought the PlayStation Showcase would be equalled. That started terribly with Fairgame$. This started with the offensively ill-judged Prince Of Persia, where for reasons unknown they sucked out all of the charm and atmosphere from the original and decided to add some hideously out of place hip beats and make the protagonist immediately unlikeable. Why not have it understated rather than so edgy and 21st century?
In amongst the not much was some good stuff like the fantastic looking new Sonic, Alan Wake 2, and the artwork of Palworld. Unlike the PlayStation Showcase finale however, this ended on a game I am interested in. It still seems destined to rewrite one of the most iconic plot beats in gaming, but I was more interested in the combat and the game world which both looked excellent.
The script and cast were both top notch in the last one and I hope they retain that quality of scriptwriting. It just about wiped away my dislike of the opening title. Still, I have to ask why would they do that to an iconic title?
Wonk
GC: C’mon, it was better than the PlayStation Showcase, even if we agree with you on Prince Of Persia. We weren’t impressed by Palworld though, they should’ve just subtitled it Please Sue Me Nintendo.
A little crazy
Okay, so the Summer Game Fest was kind of limp? I mean, it was all right but I kind of regret watching it all and just getting the edited highlights. Ending on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was a major disappointment, especially given how they hyped up the final reveal at the end, and while there were a few interesting indie games a lot of it all looked very similar and generic.
And why was Sony there at all? Did they not know what the Spider-Man 2 release date was two weeks ago at their own event? I find that very hard to believe. Sony’s entire attitude lately is so bizarre. I really do think the Activision Blizzard business has turned them a little crazy.
Austin
Modus operandi
I don’t mean to be pessimistic, but the Sonic Superstars trailer is giving off a lot of Sonic 4 energy.
Surely Sega aren’t about to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory after Sonic Frontiers, but who’d put it past them by this point…
Needlemouse
GC: That’s been the Sega MO for the last three decades, why would you expect it to change now? Sonic Superstars is playable at Summer Game Fest though, so we’ll try and have a report on it soon.
Unrealised dream
So, I was watching the Summer Game Fest and I was thinking about dream possibilities that could show up.
Shenmue 4 came to mind!
A quick google showed a rumour floating about that it is in development but to my knowledge (and correct me if I’m wrong) nothing has been said with Yu or Deep Silver.
Has GameCentral heard anything about that? Could this be a big reveal this year?!
Sid
GC: If there’s one thing Shenmue 3 proved it’s that it’s not a big franchise; not in terms of sales. There were a few rumours of a fourth game a while back, but we haven’t heard anything about it in over a year.
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The season of disappointment
If we get a Nintendo Direct during July I think we finally see Switch 2, which could indicate a spring 2024 release. I hope so anyway. Metroid Prime 4 being a title which launches on both consoles, like they did with Zelda: Breath Of The Wild.
Maybe I’m being too optimistic, but it’s that time of year to have high expectations and be left disappointed.
Anon
All good things
I must have sunk north of 150 hours into Zelda: Breath Of The Wild on the Wii U before completion. I completed all the shrines (missed a few chests though), found way too many Koroks than I needed to and deliberately put off going to the endgame for a while, but I did eventually.
I didn’t want it to end.
I’m about 20 hours now, into Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom, and feel I’ve barely scratched the surface of the surface…
Captivating is the word. Nintendo at their finest.
Chevy Malibu
Golden opportunity
I’m often a critic of Microsoft but it has to be said, there’s a real chance they can steal the show this year with their summer showcase.
They definitely do appear to have more in the chamber than Sony at present. Granted Sony is suspected of holding back, but who knows what or when those suspected games might appear. Whereas Microsoft could unleash everything they’ve got over the next year and a half or so, leaving Sony looking rather sorry for themselves.
Between the potential of Avowed, Fable, Starfield, and perhaps Persona, Xbox is shaping up to be a powerhouse for role-playing games in particular. Dare I say it, I might be intrigued.
Despite that, It’s becoming increasingly clear that the day one Game Pass strategy isn’t the right one and they clearly need to give up on trying to kill off game sales if they’re going to have any success. And while they’re at it, drop the desperate buyout attempt of Activision Blizzard, which hasn’t done the industry any good.
Ian
GC: Persona 3 Reload is not rumoured to be an exclusive, the suggestion is merely that it’s being unveiled at the Xbox showcase.
Don’t forgot
For anyone who enjoyed Forgotton Anne, which is a puzzle/platform/cinematic adventure similar to Studio Ghibli’s work in films, the developer of said game (Throughline Games) are now making a spiritual sequel to it called Forgotlings and it is currently on Kickstarter. I’ve just backed it myself to get a digital copy of it on release. It has 38 days to go (on Friday 9th June).
Andrew J.
PS: For the reader who is interested in the Life Is Strange: True Colours game there is a prequel novel to the story called Steph’s Story on Amazon. I haven’t read it yet but I have read three of the six graphic novels set after Life Is Strange 1 and they are very good.
GC: We really liked Forgotton Anne.
Previous experience
The PlayStation Showcase was a mixed show, as may expected. Games I was interested in included Dragon’s Dogma 2, as I found the original game a rather interesting experience with satisfying gameplay mechanics and some pretty decent mission design, which included good main and side quests. The music was rather pleasant and I remember loving the archery in the game.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was definitely one of my favourites but did have fierce competition from Metal Gear Solid 2. I found Snake Eater had the most interesting variety of bosses, including The End, The Sorrow, and The Pain. Each boss had their own unique ability, like being the ultimate camouflaged sniper or a hornet controlling entity.
Alan Wake, to me, was one of my all-time favourite gaming experiences and to have the second one coming soon has pretty much got me pumped for the sequel. The location and weird supernatural story elements made it pretty epic and a thrill.
So I enjoyed PlayStation Showcase but can very much understand why people were maybe a bit underwhelmed by it in general. But with the Summer Game Fest on Thursday night, with possibly Death Stranding 2 footage on the agenda, who knows what could happen. Hopefully it will satisfy those gamers who are looking for some new exciting experiences to get them hyped up in the near future.
Alucard
Inbox also-rans
So there was a Geoff Keighley showcase and it didn’t feature Hideo Kojima? Even though Death Stranding 2 is right there. They must’ve had a falling out.
Focus
Why is Alan Wake so obsessed with writing and writers when the script is easily the worst thing about the first game? Remedy always seem on the edge of greatness but they never quite get there.
Domo
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MORE : Games Inbox: Second PlayStation Showcase this month, Fable vs. Zelda, and Kirby Tilt ‘N’ Tumble
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The Friday letters page doesn’t understand why Spider-Man 2 was at the Summer Game Fest, as a reader wonders if Shenmue 4 will ever happen.