The morning Inbox is too scared to see if P.T. demo still works, as one reader offers some dubious advice on becoming a lapsed gamer.
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Two horse race
So were a good ways into the Christmas games rush now and its got me wondering whats going to be the most common game of the year. As far as I see it the main two contenders are God Of War and Red Dead Redemption II, with nothing else really coming within spitting distance. Not all games are out yet, of course, but I really dont see Fallout 76 or Battlefield V deserving the top spot. There is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but I think thats quite divisive even amongst most Nintendo fans.
I know it was always inevitable that this year wouldnt be as good as 2017 but in the end I think its been quite disappointing in terms of quantity, if not quality. Sure, the very top games have been fantastic but theres a big drop for anything below that, I think. Marvels Spider-Man might get a lot of votes from some people I guess, but for me its not that good. Ditto things like Shadow Of The Tomb Raider and Assassins Creed Odyssey. Theyre good, and better than the last ones, but not game of the year material.
Maybe theres some indie games Ive forgotten about or havent played but it seems to me that when the awards start coming in at the end of the year its really only going to be an either/or question.
Bootles
Opposite attractions
Interesting to see comparisons between Red Dead Redemption II and Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and having now beaten both of them I can definitely see why you would. In terms of graphics, story, presentation, etc. obvious Rockstar are way out ahead but for me Breath Of The Wild is a much better game.
Its not just that the open world is more interactive (or rather the traversal is a lot more fun) but it feels much more varied and imaginative. Theres some neat secrets hidden in Red Dead but for the majority of the time all youre doing is riding from one place to another and getting caught up in exactly the same sort of shootout every time.
The game obviously realises this and a lot of the missions really dont involve you doing much at all, as stated in GCs review. But these are always the best ones and I was very interested in following Arthurs journey and seeing him react to the people around him. This wasnt a part of Breath Of The Wild at all really. Everything good in Nintendos game is centred around gameplay and, for me at least, thats why its the better game.
Josh
VR effect
For anyone with a PlayStation VR headset I would definitely recommend checking out Tetris Effect, as its one of the best things Ive played on it. I remember GC saying it was good at a preview but its not just the VR effect but the way it builds this atmosphere around you where the better you do at the game not only does the music get more animated but the world around you seems to come to life as well.
Its also a normal PlayStation 4 game as well, if you dont have a headset, but since Ive got the options I dont see myself ever playing it that way. Theres such a huge number of great VR games now I really dont understand why people try to hold that against it. If you havent got one I would seriously keep an eye on the Black Friday sales.
Strider
PS: Will you be reviewing it, GC?
GC: We will be, but the embargo is bizarrely late on Friday.
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Daily routine
OK, I have now had a good week to spend some quality time with good old rootin tootin Read Dead Redemption II. All I can say is that this is the game that I have waited 43 years for. Some of the systems in place and the artificial intelligence have surprised and amused me like no other game I have played.
All this talk of slow pace, clumsy controls, and have you finished yet? are surely missing the point. I sleep at night, shave and bath in the morning, choose a natty outfit, brush Elvis my horse, and then decide how I am going to spend the day. I will be honest and admit that I forgot there even was a story!
John Hooperman Wayne
Relatively mini
Has no one else (and correct me if they have) thought that these mini-classic consoles (the industry itself seems caught between these names) would be ideally suited to modern tablet/smartphone screen connectivity? Being the size they are and seeing what a hit Switch-type gaming has become, I would have thought a Bluetooth connection to a portable screen would work perfectly. The fact that the PS one games are going to look pretty awful on a 40″ modern TV makes this seem even more logical.
And yet the NES, SNES, and PS one classic havent included this. Is it fundamentally problematic? Or does controlling old games with a joypad feel funny when the screen is perhaps smaller than what youre holding?
If I knew I could buy 21 perfectly emulated games with original controller AND be able to play them anywhere on my 6″ phone or maybe Windows laptop using their custom app, Id definitely have bought the SNES Classic.
Owen
GC: Classic Mini is Nintendos name for them, we imagine theyve trademarked it. We dont think theres much of a technical issue in using a smartphone as a screen, but were not sure what the advantage would be because youd still have to carry around a fairly large (its not that mini, after all) console with you.
Topical tie-in
For those who grew up back in the 80s might remember a movie that was popular called Ferris Buellers Day Off. The film made the top 10 highest grossing films in the United States on its year of release and it is still being enjoyed, as in 2011 it actually was made as an anniversary edition on DVD.
This leads me to ask if Paramount has ever considered having a video game made on this film and if any of the actors from this film would consider appearing in an official Ferris Buellers Day Off video game. Im sure Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, and Alan Ruck would consider doing some voice acting if Paramount decided to work with a developer and make this happen for fans of the film.
It could be an open world game which would allow you to explore Chicago and would provide an interesting story and could pave the way for extra storylines via DLC, should Paramount decide to offer this along with the game which I am sure fans would love to see happen.
Given that this has never been done before and that this is one film that truly deserves its own official video game I feel this would be a great addition for fans of this popular movie.
Lets hope Paramount will choose to do this eventually as the film has accomplished enough to warrant the development of an official video game.
gaz be rotten (gamertag)
GC: Seriously?
True fear
Great Hot Topic on the weekend. I completely agree with Dettol on Lisa and the P.T. demo for Silent Hills. Im glad I still have the demo and play it now and again. With headphones on it is even more creepy.
It is such a shame that the game will never see the light of day but is probably for the best now that Hideo Kojima has left Konami.
A big thanks to Dettol also, as I wasnt aware of the extra footage from Tokyo Game Show.
I also hope its not true about Konami trying to patch the demo out of existence. Ive switched off auto updates just in case and wont ever check on it.
Not games related but for those who like creepy horror I would strongly recommend The Haunting off Hill House series on Netflix. Its really good and creepy.
Steve
GC: Never mind Lisa, were too scared to check whether our copy still works or not.
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No fate but what we make
Interesting Readers Feature at the weekend from Daniel Scoulding, about falling out of love with modern video games. Im in a similar malaise myself and have been for three to four years ever since the current gen was released and I realised nearly all the games were remakes or rehashes of existing games, or at least didnt offer enough of anything new or exciting to be interesting for me.
I have a decent powered PC that enables me to max out games on my 1080p TV and the last game I really enjoyed was The Witcher 3, which was the first next gen (or current gen as it is now) game Id played. I havent bought a game since. I have been slowly working my way through Skyrim and at times may play as little as an hour in a month. Im in no rush and its not actually going anywhere so its ready any time I want to play. Its tedious but I dont have to think too much and can just slash and hack my way through it and if I do get stuck, or just want to get through a stage, I just google it.
I have several games that I feel obliged to play that I downloaded cheap or for free, that the good readers here have highlighted, or have as a backlog on my PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Ive had these games for several years now and I have little interest in playing them at present. Ive always thought I wont move onto the next gen consoles until theyre done and I wonder if/when that will be. But you know what, thats OK.
Everyone can get in a rut over anything at times. Sometimes its because weve become saturated with it, or just plain bored, or busy doing other things that are perhaps more interesting without you realising. What it tells you is that you need a break from it. And this is probably what Daniel needs. Just dont play games. Dont think about them. Just pack everything away and in the loft. Just get on with all the other things in your life. If you never come back to games then thats OK. We change as we get older.
There are foods I would have thrown an utter hissy fit over as a child if I had been forced to eat them yet now I will gladly polish them off! Its the same with anything including gaming. I grew up in the Spectrum/C64 era and by the late 80s I wasnt interested in, there were other things I was hooked on. I knew of Nintendo and Sega and briefly looked at Sega and was frightened off by the £500 odd to get going at it in the mid 90s. But when I saw the N64 at a cinema advert once and looked at the PS1 I was hooked again. Until recent years.
So leave gaming alone and perhaps its six month, maybe a few years, or maybe never but something may just pop up in general news, maybe its the next gen arrived and theres some new experience thats got everyone hooked and it suddenly piques your interest. It doesnt matter but I think accept where you are now, i.e. out of love with gaming. The sooner you arrive there and accept it the sooner you can leave and move forward.
Paul
GC: That all seems needlessly fatalistic. Wed stick with our usual advice: just play something different than you normally would. If all youre playing is rehashes and remakes youre just picking the wrong games.
Inbox also-rans
Heres another Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 promotional code for £5 off at Amazon, for anyone that wants it. I believe it has to be redeemed by the 8th of this month.
Silverfox-75 (PSN ID)
GC: Thanks very much.
Just noticed that Deltarune is an anagram of Undertale. By the way, Destiny 2 on PC is up for grabs for free on Battle.net, details are here.
Sheel
This weeks Hot Topic
The subject for this weekends Inbox was suggested by reader gaz be rotten and asks what do you want from the next generation consoles?
It looks increasingly inevitable that the PlayStation 5 and the successor to the Xbox One will at least be announced next year, so what are you hoping theyll be? How much of an improvement do you want and expect from the graphics and are there any features, such as motion controls, VR, or streaming that you think will – or should – become a new standard?
What kind of games do you want to see on the new consoles and what new features do you hope theyll include? What would a new console have to have for you to consider getting it and do you think the next generation is coming too early or about right?
E-mail your comments to: [email protected]
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The small print
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