The morning Inbox tries to predict the best graphics of the generation, as one reader imagines a world in which FIFA flops.
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Another upgrade
Ive been reading all the comments about whether its worth buying the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro, the so-called upgrade consoles, and it just reinforced my impression that theyre a terrible idea all round. The difference they make, while noticeable, is in no way worth buying a new £400 console for and only just worth £100 extra. And I still dont really see what Microsoft or Sony is supposed to be gaining from them. Sales are low enough that they cant be making much money from them and bragging about the extra power doesnt seem to have done anyone any obvious good.
My biggest concern though is how its going to affect the next gen. Say that Microsoft does announce plans to release an Xbox Two next Christmas, thats going to be only two years since the release of the Xbox One X. So imagine someone buying an ordinary Xbox One at the start of the gen for £400, then another £400 for the Xbox One X, and then presumably the same again for the new console.
That is a lot of money to be spending on hardware over such a relatively short period. I guess hardcore gamers wont care but I cant see it doing anything but putting other people off buying new hardware. The PS4 Pro is hardly in any better position, having only come out a year earlier.
This makes me think the next gen will be something other than just another black box, it has to be. Its either going to be a Switch style hybrid or a streaming console or something else. These companies cant expect us to keeping shelling out £400 every two or three years for a minor upgrade… and I dont care how things are with smartphones!
Doshin
Award predictions
With next year probably seeing the release of at least one next gen console then logically that means we probably already know about most of the big name games that will be released only on the current gen. Which gets me to wondering which console game will be deemed to have had the best graphics. The way I see it there are four main contenders at the moment: Forza Horizon 4, Red Dead Redemption II, The Last Of Us Part II, and Ghost Of Tsushima.
Im not counting Cyberpunk 2077 because the demo is only running on a PC and I suspect itll only look like that on next gen consoles and not the current ones. So out of the four what does everybody think? The Last Of Us Part II is an obvious contender but its levels tend to be much smaller and constrained which means more power left over to make more realistic people.
But Red Dead Redemption II seems to have people that almost look as good and a huge open world. Rockstar also has basically unlimited funds to through at the game, thanks to raking it on from GTA Online, so I think they can just afford to go crazy on the details. So thats my prediction: by the end of this generation the best graphics will be Red Dead Redemption II. And Ill be happy to be proven wrong if theres something even better looking!
Beeman
Too big to fail
I wonder if the whole loot box backlash is maybe whats hurt FIFAs sales this year? Digital is obviously a factor, and so is the higher supermarket prices this year, but I think the whole unfairness of FIFA Ultimate Team did seep through to the ears of the casual gamers. Enough to knock a few percent off anyway.
That got me imagining what would happen if FIFA sales really started dropping though, because it is the cash cow that keeps EA afloat and means it doesnt matter really what else theyll do since theyll always make money. But I dont see how FIFA could ever be that much of a failure. People want football games and at the bear minimum FIFA looks good and has all the official kits, it cant not make money.
The only chance I could see of it real failing is if they have a bad year when it comes round to renewing the licence with FIFA, but really what else are they going to do? Sell it to Konami? FIFA (the game) is just too big to fail and as that means EA are too.
Fidel
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Doomed to cuteness
Great to read about how good Astro Bot is, especially as Id never even heard of until now. As I think others have acknowledged Sony are doing really great work with the PlayStation VR. I know some people would like to see them pumping out loads of big budget VR games but thats clearly not sensible at this stage. But Astro Bot doesnt look cheap and they have lots of other smaller games as well.
Whats interesting for me, as someone that seems to get sick more than average when using VR, is that the best games are turning out to be those with a third person view. The obvious thing when you hear that is why not give all third person games a VR option?
Im not sure how easy that is on a technical level but ignoring that wouldnt everyone end up looking like little cute character. If you were controlling Lara Croft or Marcus Fenix or whoever theyd appear to be quite small on screen or otherwise you wouldnt be able to see whats going on. So at best itd look like you were controlling an action figure. Maybe theres some clever way round this but to me it sounds like all third person VR games are doomed to be cute.
Darth Icky
Console upgrade
After forking out for the Ultimate Edition of Forza Horizon 4 Ive been playing the game solidly over the weekend and loving every second of it. This is the kind of arcade racer Ive been longing for since Project Gotham Racing 2.
The only problem with it is that now I feel like I have to get an Xbox One to play the game as it was meant to be played, since my modest PC can only run it on low graphic settings. And even then it chugs after about an hour due to the pressure on the graphics cards heat sink.
Ah well, still a brilliant game.
Andrew Middlemas
Emotional experience
I am writing after completing The Last Guardian this weekend. I find myself left with mixed emotions.
The cons first, though Im finding it difficult to be certain what exactly they are. It felt like a long game but judging by my play time it really wasnt. I think the game showed off most of its elements quite early on. Perhaps there was just too much switch pulling, and the old chestnut of walkways, etc. breaking, resulting in the need to find an alternative route. I found it difficult to find a rhythm. Everything felt hard won, even walking straight.
The pros? I didnt experience much frustration at all with Trico doing what I asked. In fact, I found it best to climb on his back and let him show the way.
The emotional connection with Trico certainly affected me. One of the reasons it took me so long to get through the game was that I was convinced I was leading him to his death.
I think perhaps it is the most convincing AI creature Ive experienced. The animation of Trico was so perfectly judged and so beautifully blended with whatever artificial intelligence underpinned it.
I think, ultimately, it was a game Im very glad to have experienced even though I didnt always enjoy it.
Matt Bryan (Biglizafish – PSN ID)
Week of gaming
RE: Supes. Ive actually gone a bit further and have taken the week beginning the 29th October off work to play Red Dead Redemption II. It does also coincide with my son being off school for half term so I dont feel too guilty, but I still would have taken the time off whenever it came out.
I used to take the day off every year when Pro Evolution Soccer came out but havent done that for a while.
Sam
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Ultimate fighter
Just curious and wondering if anyone would love to see a Tekken vs. Mortal Kombat vs. Street Fighter game that would incorporate all three fighting series into one game? What I would really like to see, and hope will happen, is the executives and representatives from Capcom, Bandai Namco, and Warner Bros. Interactive enter into discussions with each other in making this possible. Given the extensive and vast history of these three franchises and the popularity of these series, it would be a great addition for fans and would offer a unique experience never before seen or offered from a fighting game that combines the best fighting franchises in one game.
Adding to this you have a lot of characters that can be included and move sets which can easily pave the way for a great storyline and interesting multiplayer modes. It would be a great way to have characters from these franchises interact with each other. Street Fighter X Tekken did include two franchises and this was really successful. If a game like Tekken vs. Mortal Kombat vs. Street Fighter was released and developed it would also open the doors for an official movie as well, later down the line.
Im sure that it would be very easy for these companies to fund development of a game like this given the fact they could divide the cost between them and create a dedicated studio to work on a game like this to ensure it is the best possible fighting experience ever.
gaz be rotten (gamertag)
GC: The problem from Capcoms point of view is that they dont want Mortal Kombat characters ripping out Ryus heart or burning Cun-Li alive, etc. Weve never asked Namco about it, but we imagine they feel the same way. Also, Street Fighter X Tekken was not a sales hit and the intended Tekken X Street Fighter never materialised.
Inbox also-rans
Everybody who votes in the Golden Joystick Awards 2018 before 25th October will receive a free ebook. Your choices include Retro Gamer Annual Vol. 4, Minecraft Vol. 17, PC Gamer Annual 2018, or the T3 Buyers Guide.
stanley71
RE: The new gameplay trailer for Red Dead Redemption II: Looks alright.
JazzyWif (gamertag)
This weeks Hot Topic
The subject for this weekends Inbox was suggested by reader Gannet, who asks what generally disliked game do you think is actually good?
The game can be a commercial flop, have poor reviews, or just be something that nobody else you know likes. But why do you enjoy it? Do you think the complaints against it are unfair or do you acknowledge them but still think its fun anyway?
How often do you find yourself disagreeing with the majority opinion on a game and does it worry you when you seem to be out of step with the consensus?
E-mail your comments to: [email protected]
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The small print
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