The evening Inbox wonders when the next Nintendo Direct might be, as one reader struggles to enjoy Metroid: Other M.
To join in with the discussions yourself email [email protected]
PLEASE NOTE: Were currently preparing special content to run over the Christmas and new year break, and as usual wed like this to include a number of Readers Features. So if youve been meaning to write one but never got round to it, now would be the perfect time. The topic doesnt have to coincide with the time of year, just anything video game-related that youre interested in and which you think others might be too.
Immersion factor
Its interesting to hear so many different opinions on Red Dead Redemption II. I personally loved it and its definitely my game of the year, although God Of War is sitting under my TV waiting to be played so maybe I should reserve judgement for now.
Ive noticed that my taste in games has changed slightly over the past five or so years. It seems strange to admit this, but there are aspects of games that are more important to me now than minute-to-minute gameplay. Dont get me wrong, I still love me some Mario and Ive been hacking away at the silky-smooth Dead Cells for a while now but its games like Red Dead II that I most look forward to. Games that I can properly immerse myself in, with worlds that you can get lost in.
Obviously, Id love the gameplay to be pristine as well – if the gameplay is broken then that affects immersion – but, for me, it doesnt need to be perfect. Ive written in about The Witcher 3 a few times and thats a good example. Some janky controls, Roach sticking his head in the frame when youre in a pub talking to the barman, Geralt sliding down a mountain on the soles of his feet while standing bolt upright… but its still one of my favourite games.
Weve always had games with good graphics, good stories, good characters, immersive worlds. But the quality of voice acting, motion capture, graphics, the orchestral music… its all light years ahead of what I had growing up. Games are immersive in a way that I would have thought impossible 15 years ago and I think this has meant that, for people like me, the quality of these other aspects can be so high that they more than make up for some occasional dodgy controls.
It depends on the type of gamer you are. Im the kind of gamer who takes a week off when Red Dead comes out and spends hours just trotting around, soaking up the views, and enjoying the little character-building interactions when I occasionally come back to camp for a shave. If youre the kind of person who wants pixel perfect controls and doesnt want to worry about accidentally shooting someone when you just want to focus on them, then you might not get as much out of Red Dead II.
Which is fine, thats one of the great things about games nowadays. More than ever, I think theres something for everyone.
deckscrubber02
Introduction week
I wanna say Red Dead Redemption II was worth the wait and the delays. It delivered for me. I read someone say its a flawed classic, for me its classic Western game with a family touch. In the gang I found lots of unique characters. It followed GTA Vs path of interactions between multiple characters that cross paths, but here they eat sleep and live together.
Its depth impressed the most, and am I the only one that has no problem with the controls or the menu options? Yes, it took me about a week to navigate it and familiarise myself, but I had no problems. My only problem was while riding my horse through the tree areas I kept using the left stick, and of course you run into a tree and keep falling off the horse – so many times you lose count. Until I saw a video on YouTube, where you just click X a few times and take your finger off the left stick.
Anyways, my backlog for early 2019 includes Horizon Zero Dawn, God Of War, and Spider-Man (look forward to your full DLC review). Merry Christmas everyone.
Mark R.
GC: The final DLC isnt out until Friday, so thatll have to wait until the new year.
Streaming benefits
Just crazy to see how well Nintendo has done with the Switch, straight off the back of the complete failure of the Wii U which is technically even the same generation! As ever its all down to the games, except this time its clearly also just how good an idea the Switch is. I know I never expected to be using it as much as I have and as well as Nintendo games I now purposefully try to get indie games for it if I can, just because its so convenient and fun to use.
Its only a shame its not more powerful or Id happily play all my multiformat games on it as well. But I guess theres only so much power you can pack into something that small.
When streaming becomes a thing though… I hope Nintendo are on top of that (I bet theyre not) because that could really benefit them. When consoles dont have to run the games then it all comes down to the software and the hardware design and thats something Nintendo excels at.
Polke
Advertisement
Advertisement
E-mail your comments to: [email protected]
Early Direct
Looking ahead to the new year, I was contemplating what Nintendo games we can all look forward to, and this led me onto wondering when the next Nintendo Direct might be.
It seems like 2019 is going to be a stellar year for Switch fans, with Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Luigis Mansion 3, Animal Crossing, and a core Pokémon role-playing game all due for release. Thats also not including titles Im not necessarily excited about, such as New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe and Yoshis Crafted World, and a plethora of other titles Ive probably missed out (Im sure a Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney collection has been announced but not released yet…) or havent been confirmed for 2019 (Im looking at you, Metroid Prime 4 and Bayonetta 3!).
It seems that there could be a huge number of big games coming out on the Switch next year, especially if Metroid Prime 4 and Bayonetta 3 do end up squeezing in there, but a lot of these still dont have confirmed release dates or even release windows. This has me hoping therell be a Nintendo Direct early in January to kick off the new year and provide some release dates for the year ahead, as well as new gameplay, trailers or even new game announcements.
I havent bothered to research into previous Nintendo Direct dates so we might be nailed on for a January Direct for all I know. But I do hope they dont wait until February for the first one of the year. And Id be really foolish to hope theyd release a Direct before Christmas or the New Year, wouldnt I?…
Hubert
GC: Not entirely. This is Nintendo, after all, and although a January Direct seems very likely you can never really predict what theyll do.
All or nothing
Does it not seem odd that we still havent had a hint of any DLC for Super Mario Odyssey? I know theres been a few extra costumes here and there but I felt sure thered be a proper expansion with two or three new worlds.
It could still happen I guess, but that seems unlikely if the game is going to be over a year old now. I wonder if theyll just skip ahead to a straight sequel, kind of like how Super Mario Galaxy 2 was originally only supposed to be a standalone expansion?
Captain Major
Christmas schedule
Thought I would drop you an email keeping you up-to-date with my gaming Christmas schedule. I am pretty much 50% through God Of War and Horizon Zero Dawn, so hoping to complete at least one of them. I started Astro Bot but wanted to fully appreciate its greatness fully, so kind of saving that as I was enjoying it so much. This got me back into VR gaming so I bought Moss, not even put it in yet.
I still enjoy the odd game of Splatoon 2 but really want Smash Bros., so will probably get that at some point.
Then I try to keep my hand in on my fave online games like Modern Warfare Remastered, Battlefield 4, GT Sport, and not forgetting getting my beat em-up fix with Street Fighter V. But then I read on the Inbox that the free game Hue is a good little game, downloaded that and loving that too.
I dont know how other people make time for gaming, I really dont.
Happy Christmas to all at GameCentral and keep up the good work, I for one enjoy it every day.
Stone Cold Steve Austin
GC: Thanks.
Dead walking
As usual, I seem the only person that is interested in a zombie game. Any video I have seen of it looks good to me. I liked the introduction and the 14-minute herd video. Why is everyone else dissing it?
Before I get accused of working for this company as well, I do not work for the makers of the game just like I dont work for Bethesda.
Bobwallett
PS: Did anyone want ReCore?
GC: The hands-on reports from E3 were extremely negative, which is presumably part of the reason why it was delayed.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Catch up on every previous Games Inbox here
Worst till last
Ive done it again: Ive completed all of the games I have for a particular system, in preparation for buying a new one.
In this case it was the Wii U in order to get a Switch (though Im also finishing with my 3DS before I take that plunge) with the last game being Metroid: Other M – and Ive just got to say Wow, what an incredible… ly missed opportunity.
Did the actress who voiced Samus think she was meant to be a robot? What an awful performance.
I know that each game needs to start with Samus being stripped of her abilities, but the reason in this game was so idiotic! Couldnt they have said that the suit was damaged at the end of Super Metroid (so it could last for that finale but be broken now)? I need to get through this door, and I have the required ability… so instead Ill look for an air duct!
Towards the end of the game, she even throws the reason out of the window, activating an ability and sarcastically asking Adam if its OK, as if he was forcing her to not use them. But it was her decision – its her fault! I didnt feel it was as sexist as I had initially suspected, but it was still preposterous.
I did like the gameplay ideas, though: a side-scroller until you aim by going first person, but the aiming was so fiddly.
This became very problematic in sections where you had to investigate the environment. Some sections are forced into first person mode until you aim at a particular section of the environment, triggering the next cut scene. However, sometimes there was no indication of where to look, and numerous times where I aimed at the correct spot (without any feedback to say that) except not for long enough, or maybe I was off by a pixel. Either way, it was frustrating.
The plot was ridiculous too. Hey, remember that AI that went mad and threatened to take over the universe? Wouldnt it be brilliant if we copied it?
The ending felt rather rushed – having gone through the game, and getting close to unravelling the mystery (but not being allowed to fight metroids that are invulnerable to freeze rays because that might be too much fun) you suddenly have a middle of the road boss fight, followed by a humongous exposition dump, and then a small section where you have to stand still and point at a particular place on the screen, followed by the credits.
It had potential, but there was so many missteps, I dont understand how anyone would have been a fan of it.
Joseph Dowland
Inbox also-rans
I dont know if this counts as Inbox magic, but to the reader wishing there was another BioShock there are strong rumours that a VR version is about to be announced. Not a new sequel but its still a good sign in my book.
Ross
We might not have seen that new Alien game at The Game Awards but just the mere mention of it made me want to switch Alien Isolation back on and give it another go. I swear its the scariest horror game ever!
Tron
This weeks Hot Topic
As the last Hot Topic before Christmas the subject for this weekends Inbox is what game have you enjoyed the most this year that wasnt released in 2018?
Well do our usual Readers Top 20 in the new year but what was your favourite game this year that came out before 2018? It can be from any time period, from this gen to the 8-bit era, but what did you enjoy the most and why?
How often do you play older games and was your favourite something youd played before, or was it perhaps part of a backlog? Or is it something you picked up for cheap and youre just now catching up on recent releases?
E-mail your comments to: [email protected]
Advertisement
The small print
New Inbox updates appear twice daily, every weekday morning and afternoon. Readers letters are used on merit and may be edited for length.
You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word 4Player viewer features at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.
If you need quick access to the GameCentral channel page please use www.metro.co.uk/games and dont forget to follow us on Twitter.
Advertisement
Advertisement
