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Red Dead Redemption II

Red Dead Redemption II – one of its kind graphics

The morning Inbox worries that some gamers dont really play many games, as one reader asks what was the best-selling Wii U title.

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PLEASE NOTE: The GameCentral team will be away at a press event this afternoon, so there will be no evening Inbox today. Normal service will resume tomorrow.

Shocking visuals

I think for most people the shock of Red Dead Redemption II seems to have rubbed off now but I am still at awe over the graphics. The best bit for me is the plains area in the middle, not just because of the scenery but how it makes you feel like youre almost completely alone. The towns are great and all but I like to explore the best and constantly being interrupted by passing people kind of spoils the mood for me.

But when Im out in the Badlands it really does seem like the game transports you to another time and place. When you go a long time without seeing someone else you could almost mistake it for something prehistoric even.

I think Red Dead Redemption II is amazing but already Im imagining the hundred different ways the tech and open world could be used. Unfortunately I dont think Rockstar will do any of them, although Im holding out for another supernatural expansion like Undead Nightmare. What I really wish though is that other companies could do graphics this good. Imagine if every video game looked like this! Unfortunately thats not a tech issue though, just money.

Gameplay quibbles or not though I definitely think Red Dead Redemption II has the best graphics Ive ever seen.
Yublix

Dark influence

Its hard to argue theres not something weird going on with UK game sales at the moment. I agree we dont really have the data to get into, and wont do for years, but its obviously not just digital downloads. I wonder how much Black Friday is having an effect, particularly for anything coming out since the end of summer.

I remember when Shadow Of The Tomb Raider came out and everyone was predicting itd be super cheap during Black Friday, and Im sure thats right. But Ive certainly found myself holding back on a lot of things in the last couple of months, because Im certain therell be cheaper this week.

Assassins Creed Odyssey will be, Im willing to bet, and I imagine even Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be – a game I was on the fence about but decided to wait on to see if I could get some money off. I cant be the only one that thinks like this so I wonder if well see a difference with games that come out before Black Friday. Surely interest in Battlefield V cant be so low that itll be caught up in things, or will it…?
Pinky

No lies detected

It was interesting to see peoples responses to some of the many sequels not living up to sales expectations but some comments did stand out to me. First (and it has been mentioned by several people) was that Tomb Raider needs a reboot. Surely the lack of sales means that no, it actually just needs to go away?

Dont get me wrong, its a solid game series but none of the three new games have been huge hits. Theyve done well but can anyone really say that if there was never another Tomb Raider it would be really missed? And given that Shadow is the 12th games in the series overall, its not like we need any more of Lara Croft (a character who really has little depth anyway).

The other comment that struck me funny was Gish saying that if games were half the price they would sell twice as many. While logistically, Gishs maths would technically mean the same sales total in terms of cash (€50 game sells 100 is the same as €25 game sells 200), their overall point I thought was true.

If some of these games went with a lower price to begin with they would get more people on board quicker which maybe would prevent the bargain basement sale price that is needed just a few months later. And in the current climate, more players – even if they have paid less initially – means a greater market for DLC and a sequel (assuming the game is good at least)
Red Dave

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Forced change

I see the first scored reviews for Fallout 67 are starting to appear and it looks like its going to bottom out at 40% or thereabouts. Just shocking that such a major game from a well-respected franchise and company could turn out so bad. I havent played it but with reviews that low I dont know if Id even bother getting it cheap, especially as I assume the number of online players will have fallen through the floor by then.

I think people are right to say theres something in the air at the moment when it comes to games. Theres big changes coming and they dont seem to have anything to do with technology but the fact that weve been playing the same dozen or so games for 20 years and the joke is finally beginning to wear thin.

Ive no idea what the industry response to this is going to be. I imagine itll be to ignore it for as long as possible and then panic when they realise theyve reacted to late. That seems to be the standard for most businesses in or out of the games industry. But if they cant change then maybe they dont deserve to be around anymore.
Wallsy

Games and their owners

Isnt it a bit hasty to write off Hitman 2? How long has the game been out, a week? I expect most people who enjoyed the episodic game will be interested in the sequel and judging by the online comments Ive seen a lot of people did like the episodic game.

Ive just bought the game anyway and Im looking forward to hopefully trying it this weekend. On a side note, as the Hitman franchise has progressed throughout the years the aging process has enabled me to look more and more like Mr 47.

Back in 2002 when the original Hitman 2 came out on the PlayStation 2 I still had a decent amount of hair. These days hats are essential in cold weather and trips to the barbers are a distant memory.
msv858 (Twitter)

GC: Hopefully its not too late, but few games go on to do well after a bad start like that. Although a lot of the concern is for IO Interactive themselves, who are only newly re-established and dont need their first game to be a flop.

New Fighters

Im trying to think of a bright side to Hitman 2s poor sales and Im hoping that maybe itll be a new Freedom Fighters. IO has the rights to it now, and maybe they could make a bigger hit out of that? I love Hitman but maybe it was just too much too soon? I know a lot of people still thought it was episodic too, so obviously publisher Warner Bros. didnt really do their job in creating hype.

But Freedom Fighters would be a bit more action-packed and depending on how edgy they wanted to be they could really make something out of it by using the current political backdrop in America as the story rather than a Russian invasion. Mind you thats a risk, and Im not sure thats something they can afford to do at the moment.
Doubtmore

Changing priorities

Count me in for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as well. Was waiting to hear about the single-player and it sounds a major improvement on the stuff theyve had before. I was a bit dubious about the spirits thing when they first announced it, but that little detail of being able to set them up automatically has reassured me. Its stuff like that which can make or break a game so Im glad theyve thought of it.

I also agree with the reader comparing the average Bethesda or Ubisoft bugfest with the way Nintendo treats its games. I wonder if its more a Japanese thing though, because as mentioned Sony are very good at this but Microsoft were terrible with things like Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Different priorities maybe, but I know which are important to me.
Dustin

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True fans

I was just going to write in about how pleasantly surprised Ive bene about Pokémon: Lets Go, Eevee and then I read that it was being review bombed by angry fans because its not a mainline game. Even though they knew it wasnt and Nintendo has never pretended otherwise… and they know theres a mainline game coming out next year.

I know Lets Go was mentioned during the whole business about Diablo Immortal but who thought people could get so angry about these guys. Not just a bit upset, but one step away from death threats style livid.

I really think being a fan has become more of a source of entertainment for these people than actually playing the game. I mean, they cant have played Lets Go given the things theyre accusing it of. Its actually really in-depth and its really only the catching thats changed, which has the knock-on effect of making the rest of the game harder than usual (or at least Ive found).

I never understood the idea of people watching Lets Plays and Twtich and whatever, it always seemed like taking the interactive out of interactive entertainment but thats kind of beside the point now. Between that and trolling through the Internet I think thats all some people get out of being a gamer.
Lashly

Inbox also-rans

Interesting to see you mention Smash Bros. sales on the Wii U, was it the best-selling game for it then?
Ragu

GC: No, it was fourth. It, New Super Mario Bros. U, and Super Mario 3D World all sold 5 million and change, while Mario Kart 8 was out ahead at almost 8.5 million copies.

Unfortunately I think that readers probably right: 2018 hasnt been particularly good for games. God Of War and Red Dead Redemption II have been great, but Im not sure much else is going to be particularly remembered. Thank god next spring looks so good.
Dynoblaster

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?

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