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Metro
2 days ago
- Business
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Games Inbox: When will there be Nintendo Switch 2 console reviews?
The Wednesday letters page is surprised at Sony's provocative State of Play annoucement, as one reader finally starts to get excited about Nintendo Switch 2. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ No notes Pretty gutted to hear that there'll be no Nintendo Switch 2 reviews at launch but that was the rumour, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. I don't really need a review of Mario Kart World, especially with the previews out, but I would've liked to see a detail hardware review of the console and its peripherals. Do you think it's possible a hardware focused site like Digital Foundry or a similar YouTube channel could've been sent the consoles early to review just them, and not the games? I haven't pre-ordered, but I was probably planning to pick one up this week if I can, now I don't know what to do. I don't really buy the day one update excuse (what's the betting the patch notes don't explain anything?) but I also don't know why else they'd do this. Nintendo games always review well so it's kind of worrying that they don't think these ones will. Benjy Dog GC: It's possible Nintendo could've given hardware-only outlets early access, but as far as we know everyone in Europe is in the same situation (or worse) as us. Perhaps one or two of the bigger US sites will get them earlier but we don't think so, given they haven't got them yet. Less than perfect So there we have it, officially: there will be no Nintendo Switch 2 reviews before launch and I'm guessing not until next week. Although I'm sure we'll see a bunch from more unreliable sites anyway, which is a handy opportunity to make a note of who never to listen to in the future. I think probably Nintendo is not trying to manipulate anything exactly, but I have seen a number of previews, including GC and Eurogamer, have pointed out that the open world isn't really used for much, other than messing around. This is not something I'd considered before, I just assumed it would have all sorts of extra races and things, but it seems the extra missions are pretty trivial. Nobody seems entirely sure, because nobody has played more than five hours or so, but if this has been left intentionally blank for future DLC I think that's pretty cynical and will backfire badly, given the cost of the game. But I don't know what the alternative is? That Nintendo has lost its touch and made a big open world and forgot to put anything in it? No one seems to be complaining about the actual races, but I don't get the impression this is going to be getting any 10/10 scores. Focus Poke the bear Pretty shocking that Sony would have their State of Play try and undermine the Switch 2 launch. They can deny it is, but to announce it at the last minute like that, to take place literally an hour before the Switch 2 comes out. They knew exactly what they were doing. It's a long time since Sony has been this aggressive. I don't think they've even acknowledged Nintendo publicly since the PSP was battling the DS all those years ago. On the one hand it's childish and petty but on the other hand at least Sony did something. At least they woke up for a second and showed some fight. I worry that whatever's in the State of Play is just going to be more live service rubbish but if they manage to put out a good one then maybe this will be seen as a turning point and whatever it is they think they've been doing for the last two years can quickly become a memory. Hammeriron Email your comments to: gamecentral@ Now and then I sold my Xbox Series X last year and considered a PlayStation 5 but then Sony decided to raise the price while hinting at the PlayStation 6, which put the kibosh on that idea. But I've just bought a new gen Fire TV Max stick and noticed you can stream Xbox games with Game Pass Ultimate. So, while I wait to buy a Switch 2 (not pre-ordered), I dusted off my last remaining Xbox Series X controller – a custom job by The Juve using my Microsoft Reward points – bought one month's Game Pass and had a quick blast. I have to say it works really well – no problems with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor or Atomfall so far, other than maybe around textures. Next up will be Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I recently upgraded to decent broadband though, so I doubt I'd have been as impressed a month ago. However, while I'm pleasantly surprised at how well it works, I still don't see the value in a persistent subscription, especially at the current price. I'll dip in and out I reckon and, frankly, physical media will always be king. Foximusprime81 (gamertag/NN ID) A right State Ain't that a gander. To see your week become busier than usual. Firstly, the most indomitable question must be asked. Doth Sony know, thy move is folly? Because their announcement screams only one word. It isn't genius or excitement. It's desperation. Sony are perhaps feeling the blues. With Nintendo two days away from stealing their limelight. Why commit the move of further humiliating themselves? Let's just say it. The State Of Play will disappoint us once more. It will marginally fail on each and every count. Why wouldn't it? Sony aren't exactly helping themselves, with the banal focus on live service titles, such as Marathon by Bungie. This intermittently reeks of even attempting to steer away the focus from Summer Games Fest and the Xbox Games Showcase. Because of either sheer mismanagement or a wrong chess move. At this point, must I even shake my head at the people who will expect the world and collect the scraps? Shahzaib Sadiq GC: The last State of Play was pretty good. Shadows Die Thrice I'm very much looking forward to getting my Switch 2 on Thursday, but the wait has not been painful at all, as I've had the absolute pleasure of playing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice for the first time. I think it might just be my favourite FromSoftware game. It probably has the best combat of any game I've played, definitely the best stealth ever, extremely satisfying traversal, and a fantastic 16th century Japanese setting. The balance between parrying, attacking, dodging, and countering is truly inspired, with the fights having a real feeling of flow and fluidity. The world and enemy design is top notch, with a welcome emphasis on more human rather than fantastical opponents. It's interesting that many people bounced off the game due to the difficulty. I don't think it's any more difficult than any other Soulsbourne game, probably easier. Even the famed final boss was not insurmountable once you learned his tricks. I remember Laurence and Orphan of Kos in Bloodborne being much harder to defeat, not to mention Ornstein and Smough in Dark Souls! (I hate dual bosses!). I would very much welcome a sequel, spiritual or otherwise, to Sekiro with lots more potential in the whole concept. I hope it isn't the last we've seen of the lone wolf! Ryan O'D Omni Consumer Products Loved your preview of the RoboCop expansion, the original game was a blast so I can't wait to get stuck into this (it's just £20 to pre-order from Fanatical). I wanted to ask, is the game a rougelike? With the tower set-up it made me wonder if it was, but there's been nothing from the trailers I've seen to totally confirm or deny this? Sunny GC: It's not a roguelike. Good enough I'm starting to get excited for the old Switch 2 now, finally. I've one booked and fully paid for at Argos, and a backup £20 deposit for a Smyths down the road ( not going at midnight, that's a young man's game. And I won't be scalping if I get hold of one of them). Mario Kart 8 has become an almost nightly ritual for me and my partner, so Mario Kart World is a no-brainer, especially with the bundle. I'm like 95% through Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom, so intend to upgrade and finish that, and strangely I'm dying to play the original Ridge Racer via Arcade Archives. Is that the most amazing launch line-up I've ever encountered? No, but with Donkey Kong: Bananza in July, Metroid Prime 4 at some point, and maybe some bits and bobs before Christmas I'd say it's a strong enough suite of games for a launch window. My biggest worry is figuring out which SD card works and what to buy and transferring my games and saves from my launch Switch 1. Looking forward to your and other readers' reactions to the console and games. We're finally here! ANON Inbox also-ransI have to say that Mario Kart World review was kind of concerning. If there's not really much to do in the open world except drive around and look for little mini-challenges, was there really a point in doing it that way? Tacle Welcome Tour is the strangest thing I think Nintendo has ever done. What possible benefit does its existence have, except to make Nintendo look bad, in terms of making a boring 'gaming', charging for it, and looking like chumps compared to Astro Bot. Oberon9 More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers' letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader's Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot. You can also leave your comments below and don't forget to follow us on Twitter. MORE: Games Inbox: How much are you spending on the Nintendo Switch 2 launch? MORE: Games Inbox: Will Nintendo games ever come to PC? MORE: Games Inbox: Are you getting a Nintendo Switch 2 next week?
Metro
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Games Inbox: Is Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion better than Skyrim?
The Tuesday letters page thinks a new 3D Mario could still be released this year, as one reader looks forward to Doom: The Dark Ages and a Quake reboot. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ Best Scroll So, the world's worst kept secret is finally going to be revealed, with The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion remaster/remake. It sure has taken a long time to get here but I am convinced it will be worth the wait and that people are forgetting what a great game it is. Morrowind and Skyrim are the games that always get talked about, but I honestly think that Oblivion is better than either of them. Morrowind is just too old and janky, and probably should've got a remake first, as it's almost unplayable right now. Skyrim is obviously a classic, but it's so overexposed I don't think there's anything that could get me to play it again. But Oblivion is basically Skyrim but with more varied scenery and I think that with a good makeover it'll be seen as one of the best role-playing games ever again. The only problem is that its story is even more of an afterthought than Skryim, but it's not really good for any of The Elder Scrolls games, so that's hardly a dealbreaker. Hammeriron Too much excitement So I guess the only real chance for a 3D Super Mario this year is if they announce it between now and their June event. But, like you say, if that was the plan why not just announce it at the Direct? Even if it's out next year, the Direct would've been fine I think. I mean what's the worst that can happen, that people get too excited for your upcoming slate? Although, I suppose, if I was to think like a marketing person, they probably don't want to give you any reason not to get Donkey Kong. If you knew that was coming out in July and Mario in October, you might be tempted to just skip one and wait. That makes a fair amount of sense, I guess, and does leave a chance for there to be a secret big Christmas game. I dunno though, this all seems to be creating so much unnecessary confusion and speculation. I really don't know how it benefits Nintendo to leave people guessing like this. Statto Every second counts A nice reminder, with that Paul Rudd 1991 advert, that marketing back then didn't mean anything more complicated than a 30 montage of games… apart from Paul Rudd in a trench coat that was it. Ah, simpler times. Maybe 30 seconds is a bit short but I'd much rather that the Nintendo Direct had been a lot shorter and packed a lot more in. I really don't know why they didn't include teasers for things like Mario and Animal Crossing, that we know are coming but they haven't mentioned yet. Just five seconds each would've been fine but a montage of everything coming to the Switch 2 for the next few years would've got me opening my wallet a lot quicker than Hyrule Warriors 3 and Kirby: Air Riders. Benjy Dog Email your comments to: gamecentral@ Doomed release I'm really looking forward to Doom: The Dark Ages next month, but I notice there's not a lot of hype around it at the moment. I don't see many people talking abut it and I don't know anyone in real life that is aware of it. This disappoints me because the other two reboot games are some of my favourites of the last 10 years or so and, I would say, by far the most interesting first person shooters of the last two generations. I guess they're pretty hard, and the Doom franchise isn't as big as it was, but I hope The Dark Ages isn't the last one for now. I also hope there's more interest in the long rumoured new Quake from MachineGames. After the success of Indiana Jones And The Great Circle I feel they must be in Microsoft's good books at the moment and will hopefully get a lot of money and support. I'd really love to see a big budget, Lovecraftian Quake with a proper single-player mode, that has the weird, experimental atmosphere of the original. None of the other sequels had it but I'm really hoping that MachineGames will vibe with that, and we can get another classic on our hands. ChrisI Froze toes Very interested to see what Assassin's Creed Shadows looks like on Switch 2, but I've already got the game so I'm not going to be buying it. I do feel it's a bit of a shame that Ubisoft has not announced anything new or exclusive yet though. They've always worked closely with Nintendo and I even enjoyed ZombiU and Rayman Legends on Wii U, so I was hoping they'd do something similar now. I don't know if getting burned on those made them not do exclusives for the Switch 2, but I hope other publishers don't get cold feet for similar reasons. You'd think the success of the Switch 1 would mean no hesitation but that's not what we're seeing so far, which surprises me a bit. Tacle When worlds collide It's interesting how much effort CD Projekt seems to be making with the Cyberpunk 2077 port for the Switch 2. I guess there was The Witcher 3 port but otherwise I don't recall them having much contact with Nintendo or ever really acknowledging them. I always like the idea of opposites working together though. I'd love to see an actual collaboration with CD Projekt. Not V being in Smash Bros. but a whole game that they both worked on, CD Projekt doing the script and role-playing elements, maybe, and Nintendo providing the gameplay. Or imagine Nintendo co-operating with Naughty Dog! That's the one aspect of console exclusives that I don't really like, that the very best developers are locked to one system and can never really escape. Although it's a price worth paying, especially when you look at what happens when they do, with someone like Bungie. I always wondered what level of involvement Nintendo had with Eternal Darkness, since they always advise on every game they publish. There probably wasn't much to do there, since that wasn't really about the gameplay but the thought of Nintendo helping out on a mature rated game intrigues me. Lawgiver9 Parent company I was wondering why Cristiano Ronaldo was in the new Fatal Fury and now I find out it's because SNK is owned by a Saudi company and he plays for a Saudi team? And people wonder why buyouts and acquisitions are viewed as a bad thing. Smaller companies either lose their identity as part of the larger company or end up having to do things like change their games to include things they don't want. To be honest, it's put me off the game entirely and I think I'll take a pass until it's much cheaper. I knew they weren't the same SNK they used to be, but I didn't realise things had got this bad. Loscus The game of forever With so many companies very obvious getting out of the way for GTA 6 I'm more interested in what happens when the game comes out. It's not just that it's going to suck all the air out of the room at launch, people are going to be playing this thing for months and years. I genuinely think there's a danger GTA 6 could bring the games industry to its knees but being almost the only thing people play for years on end. Even people that say they don't like GTA are going to want to see what the fuss is about and that's just going to bring in more and more players. Short of Rockstar's servers breaking down, which seems like a real possibility, I don't see what else is going to stop people playing it. Why would you stop if it plays and looks as good as the trailer. GTA 5 is a pretty flawed game in a number ways but people are still playing it more than a decade later. A brand new GTA 6, that looks and plays better, is going to be so big I don't think people are prepared for the impact. It would be an irony if the biggest danger to the games industry was its greatest success. Trent Manger Inbox also-rans I still think that McDonalds' DualSense is the ugliest controller but I've got to say that Cap'n Crunch one comes pretty close. Maybe they can sell them in those weird American Candy stores they have everywhere now? Jester Not quite sure what's more hilarious: Cristiano Ronaldo appearing in the new Fatal Fury or the fact that the depiction of him in the game is even worse than that bronze statue of him from a few years ago! Still, I guess the goal of raising visibility for the game has been achieved, so well played SNK. Julian More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers' letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader's Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot. You can also leave your comments below and don't forget to follow us on Twitter. MORE: Games Inbox: Will GTA 6 be on Nintendo Switch 2? MORE: Games Inbox: Is Mario Kart World going to be worth it? MORE: Games Inbox: How long will the PS5 console last?
