The morning Inbox is surprised by the critical response to Fallout 76, as one reader wonders what Platinum Games have been up to lately.
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No way out
So it seems pretty unanimous: Fallout 76 is terrible. So broken that there may not even be a way to save the game and make it halfway decent. And if they do it will take a long time and a lot of money. The question is do Bethesda actually try to fix the game or do they admit it was all a terrible mistake and just try to move on?
To me the obvious way to respond would be by making Fallout 5 and have it be the major graphical and bug-free breakthrough fans have been always hoping for. Problem is that Bethesda (the developer) already has Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI underway, so I dont see how thats possible.
They could give it to someone else to do, but I dont see how thats going to end up with new tech, theyd just reuse the existing engine like they did with New Vegas. Its a very deep hole theyve dug for themselves and I dont know how theyre going to get out of it.
Unless one of the new games is ready sooner than we think, which I doubt, then the on choice is to try and improve Fallout 76. And I think its obvious that isnt going to work…
Hammeriron
Delayed response
After enjoying GCs savage review I was once again struck by how other reviews on Metacritic basically agreed but still ended up giving it 7/10 anyway. And once again the ones that dont are mostly British sites. I dont know whether American sites are more under the control of advertising, and darent give a bad review, or if they just dont know how to use the full 10-point scale.
I also find it slightly suspicious that IGN and Gamespot still havent posted reviews. Even though with their resources theyd should surely have been able to put it out earlier than most other sites. Maybe that means theyve been given the go ahead to review it properly but just not too early to affect sales. Its Thanksgiving on Thursday so even if they do put them up now theyre going to get buried as far as America is concerned.
Although Im not sure how much that really matters given how quickly the game is being discounted. Im going to predict at least one retailer will have it half price by Friday, which is going to be absolutely crazy.
Rico
Short wait
Damning review of Fallout 76 by GC. The score was lower than I was expecting, mainly because Im still living in hope its not that bad. Ive read and watched many reviews which all say similar things. Its broken. Bugged. Boring gameplay. Ugly, etc., etc.
Still though…. I know Im eventually going to get this game and now Im just waiting until its either fixed enough or cheap enough to take a punt on. Its because I loved Fallout 4 that I know Ill give this the benefit of the doubt. It still makes me sad Im not playing it right now, but even Im not that soft. When its below 20 quid Ill give it a go. So probably just after Xmas.
Neil
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A disturbance in the Force
There was a letter recently about how badly EA has wasted the Star Wars licence, and thats hard to argue with overall. But Ive just seen the trailer for the new Geonosis map for Battlefront II, and the addition of General Grevious and Obi-Wan Kenobi heroes, and I defy anyone to say they dont look great.
I do think the Battlefront games are underrated generally. The gameplay is a bit spongy and theres not nearly enough options but the graphics are still some of the best ever seen and that allows them to really nail the Star Wars atmosphere.
I know thats not enough to make a great game but its something at least. And considering the game can be picked up for virtually nothing even before Black Friday Id recommend it to both Star Wars fans and anyone that wants a different spin on online shooters.
Jar Jim Banks
Platinum silence
Is it me or is it a long time since weve heard about anything from Platinum Games? I know theyve got Bayonetta 3 on the go, and something for Square Enix, but as far as I know they havent actually shown these in public yet? Any ideas when they might?
I wasnt a big Platinum fan until NieR: Automata but now Im pretty much interesting in anything they do (except probably Bayonetta 3, as I really dont like the series). Are there any more role-playing games that theyre working on.
Zombieant
GC: The awkwardly named Granblue Fantasy Project Re:Link for PlayStation 4 is an action role-player, but it doesnt seem to have a release date at the moment. The Square Enix game is called Babylons Fall and nothings been seen of it since E3. Theyve also got two mobile games on the boil, with World Of Demons supposedly out this year. Although that might only be in Japan.
Short version
With the solid-sounding single-player I am now 100% looking forward to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. I always get them anyway, suckered in by the hype and the fan service, but this time it looks like itll be for something I actually enjoy playing.
Theres no way Im ever going to be able to compete online but my hope is that this will become something that I can play with friends and family, like Mario Kart. Unlike Mario Kart though Ive just got blank stares and confusion when Ive tried to get people to play previous entries and I hope things are different this time.
I dont know exactly what they can do, but there needs to be some kind of tutorial/introduction you can breeze through in a minute. Something interactive that explains the very basics enough for you to grasp whats going on and then start a proper game. Somehow I get the feeling thats not going to happen though and itll still end up primarily a single-player game for me.
Seiben
PS: Am I right in remembering that you said you didnt get to play any kind of tutorial?
GC: We didnt see anything of the tutorial or training modes, no.
Free mobile with your console
Just a quick heads up to anyone who is thinking of getting a new phone for themselves or family members and also considering buying a Nintendo Switch. EE is doing a special offer where if you buy a Huawei P20 Pro and take out a plan with them they will give you a free Nintendo Switch. Heres the exact link.
Hope everyone finds this information useful.
gaz be rotten (gamertag)
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Fallout76gate
Its been a relief in a sense to see Fallout 76 getting bad reviews. I know Im being selfish when I say that, as Ive never been a fan of the franchise, but its one of the rare times a big name has gotten a total beat down and not some wishy-washy 7/10 score and a bunch of excuses.
Ive been increasingly worried lately that publishers think they can just get away with anything, and that enough marketing and YouTube bribery will buy them a success no matter how much its deserved or not. The loot box disaster with Star Wars: Battlefront II was the first sign of some fight back and now were seeing Bethesda getting punished for what seems to be an early access title but charged at full price.
Im hopeful that this will all end up having a positive influence in the long run, as companies realise theyve got to have a good game as well as just good advertising. Maybe Im being naive but publishers should fear reviews and the wrath of their customers. Not in a Twitter death threat kind of a way but simply that if they dont make a good game then people wont buy it. Is that such a crazy idea?
Backula
Inbox also-rans
So Battlefield V came out on Tuesday and I dont think anyone noticed. I literally have not seen anyone talk about it. Anyone here buy it and care to comment?
Jeff
For the first time ever Im surprised that a game isnt actually older than it is. I couldve sworn Zelda: Ocarina Of Time was more than 20 years, it seems so long ago…
Doop
This weeks Hot Topic
The subject for this weekends Inbox was suggested by reader Anton, who asks how many online games are you currently playing?
Games as a service is one of the big buzzwords of the moment in gaming and means any game which is constantly updated with the intention of keeping you playing for months and years to come. Theyre almost exclusively multiplayer (and include MMOs), but the problem with their rising popularity is theres not enough time to play them all – so which ones are you favourite?
How regularly do you play the games and when did you start? How long do you expect to continue playing and how much time do you have for other games, whether multiplayer or not? What do you think of games as a service and how many can you generally have on the go at once?
E-mail your comments to: [email protected]
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