Xbox Series X – could it be a late bloomer? (pic: Microsoft)
The Tuesday letters page is beginning to pick holes in the Xbox Games Showcase, as one reader doubts Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora will be a hit.
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Balance of power
So it’s pretty unanimous that Xbox ‘won’ this summer’s round of showcases, eh? For me there’s no question: that was easily the best event I’ve ever seen Microsoft put together and the PlayStation Showcase was easily the worst Sony has ever done. Like everyone else, I have no idea what Sony is playing at, and I have no way of explaining what they were going for.
Maybe it’s something to do with Activision Blizzard but the idea that Sony is going to influence decisions based on what new games it shows seems very silly to me. Not in the sense that it isn’t necessary true but that if that is Sony’s reason for shooting themselves in the foot then they deserve everything they get.
The next test for Microsoft is going to be the difficult one: making sure these games are actually goood. I’m already dubious about Avowed and while Clockwork Revolution seemed a good idea, I’m not sure about InXile’s ability to execute on it. I also share GC’s qualms about Starfield, especially the obviously terrible dialogue.
The biggest question for me is Fable, which has never been a very good series but since this is a brand new game and developer that’s essentially irrelevant. I hope it’s good, because it was a funny trailer, but I don’t feel we really learnt anything about the game itself. If they can pull it off though, and Xbox gets its own Zelda equivalent, then the balance of power really will start shifting.
Gantry
Not quite a scoundrel
Ubisoft’s Star Wars game looks good but I’m slightly surprised, and disappointed, at how similar it looks to Star Wars Jedi. The same cute Swiss army knife, non-talking companion, similar looking action, similar looking open world, and just a general vibe that is not very different. They’re both Star Wars, obviously, but I thought that a game about the seedy side of the Star Wars universe would be, you know, seedy.
I agree with GC that the main character seems a bit too nice, although if the guy is implying she gets mean and cynical as the story goes on that could be interesting. I’m not really sure that’s what the developer was getting at though.
If it was me doing it I wouldn’t have gone with a named character at all, I would’ve made it a proper role-playing game where you can create your character from different species and such. I’d have focused it more on bounty hunting than smuggling though: easier to add some edge that way and if you’re going to be a smuggler than personally I’d expect something more like Elite.
I mean, what does Kay smuggle? ‘Spice’, aka space drugs? It seems to me they haven’t really committed to the whole underbelly of the galaxy thing and everyone is going to end up as a superfriend fighting the Empire.
Blanche
Going backwards
Assassin’s Creed Mirage looks okay but I think it hits my limit of what I can get nostalgic about. Like you said, the first game wasn’t actually very good and while I did enjoy the subsequent pre-role-playing games the thought of turning the clock back and just doing them all again, just with better graphics doesn’t appeal.
I’m sure they’ve been modernised to a degree but it seems a backwards step to me. I’d prefer they evolve the series into something else again, rather than just walk it back to what it used to be. I think the truth is there’s no real artistic decision going on here, just they saw Ghost Of Tsushima did well and they needed something quick out this year. I doubt it has much influence on future games.
Taylor Moon
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Hello fellow kids
Am I the only one who thinks the new Prince Of Persia game looks good? Putting aside the ill-advised presentation and soundtrack, which comes across as what a bunch of 40-somethings think will appeal to 14-year-olds, the core platforming and combat looks excellent. Like a platforming version of Devil May Cry or Bayonetta, which I’m all for. Difficult to tell from the trailer but could have some Metroidvania elements too.
Also, have the weekend Hot Topics stopped now? I can’t contribute every week, but it’s the first thing I look for on a Monday morning, scrolling to the end of the Inbox to see if I can!
Julian
GC: The last few Hot Topics got hardly any responses and we didn’t have time to do them while we’re in L.A. We might consider bringing them back when we return but the normal weekday Inboxes are much more popular. Oh, and The Lost Crown is indeed very good and very Metroidvania.
Avatar Outlaws
A great showing from Ubisoft. I feel they get some rough criticism from gamers at times, down to the copy and paste nature of their successful titles. Star Wars Outlaws was very impressive though and looks a sure-fire hit. With Starfield also impressing, expect an influx of sci-fi themed games.
I thought Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora also impressed, even if it borrowed elements from Far Cry. Although I’m not a big fan of the movies, I suspect I will enjoy Avatar more as a video game. Certainly, the art style and Avatar capabilities lend itself well to a video game format. I’m much more interested in both games, rather than revisiting Assassin’s Creed.
Anon
One-man show
Expectations can be a blessing and a curse. For the uninitiated, I’m of course referring to Sunday’s Xbox Showcase, which sufficiently exceeded my expectations. I’ll mark this chapter by stating that Starfield, by Bethesda, was the absolute highlight of the event. When PlayStation showcased the bare minimum and disappointed the fans I was actually catching a plane to Bali from Dubai. Therefore, I’d like to share my thoughts on Xbox’s showcase.
Avowed looks confusing and, if I’m being honest, it seems a discounted and toned down, bootleg Skyrim. I’m not too sure what it’s trying to be. But we’ve yet to see more so I won’t judge too soon. Hellblade 2 was barely showcased, other than Senua walking slowly and the echo of voices. Again, it was a disappointment.
Fable wasn’t showcased enough, we barely know anything of it. But I believe it will probably be lacklustre, as that’s been the case for the franchise as a whole. Starfield looks phenomenally electrifying and it was the entire highlight. It’s what Spider-Man 2 should have been seen as and I can state that it comes across as a breath of fresh air. The elements look great. I’m personally excited to see the choices that hopefully have consequences (looking at you Fallout 4).
On a final note, I’m still positively upset to see Alan Wake 2 confined to a digital release. It will mean less copies sold for Remedy and it may backfire. I’m still buying it though. I’m a fan.
Shahzaib Sadiq
Biased source
While I will definitely play Starfield, since it’s free on Game Pass, I’m pretty sure that that footage were shows was so massaged and carefully edited it might as well be pre-rendered. These showcases are exciting but I wouldn’t believe anything I ever see in them.
If a publisher says something is real gameplay or running on a console who is going to prove them wrong? We only have their word for what any of the footage is and I say you’d be unwise to trust it.
Grant
Starting from zero
I’ve been rewatching the Xbox Games Showcase and I’m beginning to lose some of my earlier enthusiasm. That Avowed looked pretty bad, like an off-brand Skyrim, and I didn’t really like anything about Starfield except the graphics.
Fable seemed pretty good, and Clockwork Revolution, but it’s definitely going to be a wait and see approach for me. Which makes me realise that Microsoft’s real problem here is that they’ve yet to build up any element of trust.
Nintendo announces a game and nine times out of 10 you’re going to give them the benefit of the doubt that it’s good. Pretty might the same for Sony (well, maybe dropping down to eight out of 10 for me). Microsoft, though? Based on everything up to this showcase I wouldn’t have trusted them to tie their own shoelaces, let alone anything else.
You’re only as good as your last game though, so if they can build up their reputation with these gamest they’ve announced then they can probably turn things around pretty quickly. Next year is going to be a very interesting time to be a gamer.
Ace
Inbox also-rans
That Avatar game looks okay but I really don’t see anyone being interested. It seem to me merchandise for those films never sells and I doubt that’s going to be any different.
Wrexis18
I don’t know about anything else but that Star Wars Outlaws game sure was pretty. They’re really starting to get to grips with the next gen consoles (even though I bet that trailer was on a PC).
Cranston
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The Tuesday letters page is beginning to pick holes in the Xbox Games Showcase, as one reader doubts Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora will be a hit.