Games Inbox: Battlefield 2042 launch disaster, Halo Infinite cheaters, and Forza Horizon 5 60fps

Battlefield 2042 – has it really been a disaster? (pic: EA)

The Thursday Inbox extols the virtues of the Xbox Series S this Christmas, as one reader hopes for a Classic Mini N64.

To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Missed opportunity
I almost laughed when I read about EA’s attempt to fiddle the numbers with Battlefield 2042 and pretend it’s been a huge success. I know there’s some mixed opinions on the game, and I can imagine it would be a lot better after some patches, but as far as I’m concerned the launch has been a near disaster and the game as it is at the moment is not good.

It’s not a Cyberpunk 2077 style disaster or anything like that – although I have heard some people make the comparison – but it was clearly just dumped out in whatever state it happened to be in to hit the release date, with the usual logic of ‘we’ll fix it later’.

They may well do but I think people nowadays have had enough of that attitude and are no longer willing to put up with it. I certainly wish I hadn’t bought it and I’m already feeling a bit jealous that I don’t own an Xbox so I can play Halo instead. EA has missed their big chance to beat Call Of Duty spectacularly, and they’re not going to get another one for a long time.
Focus

Infinite cheats
So I played a few strange games of Halo Infinite and lo and behold the cheats have cracked the beta. This makes me mad. 343 need to fix this ASAP. PC players cross-play should not be enabled now, and put all the cheats in the same game set-ups.

People should be rewarded for teamplay and skill. Anybody can buy the autobox that they are using to win every damn game they enter. I won’t playing till it’s fixed, end of. Do you think this will be fixed before launching GC?
OZ ILLUMINATI GT

GC: Based on what has happened with other games, no.

Standalone upgrade
I recently bought Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order cheap second-hand on PlayStation4 and added it to my backlog list. The main reason I did is because of the PlayStation 5 upgrade patch that has been released, as I want to get as much use out of the console as possible whilst new titles aren’t coming along so quickly.

I’ve now seen a PlayStation 5 version of the game is cheap on Amazon for Black Friday and was wondering if there was any difference between the PlayStation 5 patch for PlayStation 4 version or the standalone PS5 version? Looked online and not really getting many answers and if there is, I’ll buy for PlayStation 5 and sell the PlayStation 4 one.
Lizardpudlian

GC: We would assume they’re the same, but we haven’t played the game since the original release.

E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Golden Raspberry
Legitimate cringe at the Critic’s Award result for the Golden Joysticks. Much like the one you’ll feel if you watch the new Ghostbusters movie. Not down in the depths of movie hell with the 2016 fiasco but not far off. ‘Do you remember things from the original movie? Well, here’s some more of exactly the same ad nauseam’.

I know the gaming industry can leave you with a felling of ‘Quelle la deuce’ when baffling decisions are made but Hollywood really has sunk into the fathomless sea of a fathomless void. What will they dig up out of the 80s movie graveyard next in an effort to create a cinematic universe? Please don’t say that the rumour of another Gremlins will turn out to be true, GC.
I’ll end up hearing the execs whispering soft ‘reboot’ in my nightmares.
The Twinkie eating, Stay Puft Gatekeeper

GC: What did that have to do with the Golden Joysticks?

Mini console wars
Nintendo with its Switch console right now is about as close as possible to a Mini N64 but here is one suggestion that could very easily go in Nintendo’s favour. What if Nintendo included a wireless internet adapter in the Mini N64 and allowed people to purchase and play SNES, Game Boy, N64 games, etc.. They could then add more games ensuring any great games they missed could be accessed via the online store.

It would be something that Sony hasn’t done with its PlayStation Classic and would give Nintendo the upper hand if they started doing this right now. I’m pretty sure it would sell much better if Nintendo did this and it would be a fantastic low budget option for retro gamers and would help ensure many of the greatest Nintendo games do not end up forgotten.

While there are many attempts from fans who have created their versions of a N64 Mini I think Nintendo needs to start producing a Mini N64 now, before it’s too late and both Sega and Sony have the PlayStation 2 and Dreamcast Minis out. If Nintendo got to a head start this would really help them.
gaz be rotten (gamertag)

GC: They’re not forgotten, they’re on the Switch.

Xbox exploit
In response to Flashman’s musings on which console to buy, I can highly recommend he sticks with getting an Xbox Series S.

I bought one just to have a go on Microsoft Flight Sim. However, I found that Forza Horizon 4 got a whole new lease of life and then that was usurped by the brilliant trip round Mexico that came with number 5.
Halo Infinite looks set to reclaim its crown as the best shooter. I wish that I wasn’t so useless at it (feeling like I let my team down) so I look forward to the campaign so I can be useless at my own pace.

Game Pass is worth it just for the first party games, however if you find the odd gem from EA or any of the indie games then it makes the subscription even better value.

Yes, the small memory is a pain, however, I’ve not had a problem deleting and downloading as I tend to find there’s only two or three games at a time that I’m playing. Also, if you already have a 4K TV then obviously you’re missing out on that aspect by buying the Series S. However, I couldn’t justify buying a new TV just to play games when I had one that did normal HD and was still working fine.

I’d probably like a PS5 too at some point in the future but the cheap price point of the Xbox Series S and the Game Pass games due this holiday season, and in the next year or two, made it the right choice for me. Also, there isn’t a killer game that makes me feel like I’m missing out on not having a PlayStation 5 yet.

Also, if you really exploit the Microsoft Rewards system you can get lots of free months of Game Pass free. I’ve already had two months free from the last six months.
paulie wiseguy (gamertag)

Virtual console
Couldn’t decide which console to buy this Christmas but then I saw a deal to buy Google Stadia for £20! So I’ve gone and done that.

I’ve always been interested in the technology and it’s probably worth the £20 just for the Chromecast.
TommyFatFingers

More: Gaming

Keep your cake
Been flicking between quality/performance modes on a couple of cross-gen Xbox Series X games in Guardians Of The Galaxy and Forza Horizon 5. I’m both happy and a little disappointed with the results.

The big takeaway is 60fps is finally a consistent feature on console. Last gen’s GPU heavy consoles meant 60fps was not possible on loads of titles. This gen’s consoles are much better balanced between performance and graphics. The results are consoles that are silky smooth to play on, with the added bonus they are as quiet as a mouse. Having the option to switch between 30 and 60fps very quickly really highlights just how significantly smoother 60fps is.

The slight disappointment is how much better I found the quality mode’s graphics. For whatever reason I wasn’t expecting to see a noticeable difference but there is with the quality mode looking quite a bit lovelier on both. Having the option to flick between the two modes very quickly once again accentuates the difference. With Forza it’s the foliage density and general lushness of the biodomes and the lack of any pop-in in quality mode. With Guardians, Rocket’s fur looks much better in quality mode as does all the materials and general image quality.

The important thing though, is that both modes do their job and you have the choice. For Forza I want the sense of speed to be at its smoothest, so it’s the performance mode for me. For Guardians there’s lots of walking and talking, the combat is fun but inconsequential and the art design is gorgeous, so it’s been the quality mode I’ve been playing it in. My experience with the two though has confirmed I will wait for the PS5 Pro before getting a PlayStation 5, I want a machine that does quality mode at 60fps. Have my cake and eat it.
Simundo

Inbox also-rans
Halo Infinite is doing huge numbers on Steam and Xbox. Hopefully they sort out progression system, which they said they will. I’m just glad it seems Halo might be back!
Jez

On Epic Games Store, free from 4pm on Thursday, is Antstream Arcade Epic Welcome Pack and The Hunter: Call Of The Wild. The Epic Welcome Pack lets you buy $15 dollars worth of arcade games apparently, but there is a time limit. The other game is a hunting game, so not for everyone.
Andrew J.

This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Focus, who asks what’s the most successful video game franchise you don’t like?

From Pokémon to GTA, Fortnite to League Of Legends, what big name video games do you have no interest in and why? Have you played the games yourself and have you ever gone back to try a new entry, or update, despite not liking one of the previous ones?

What game’s success do you struggle to understand the most and is there anything it could do to change, to get you interested in it?

E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

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, 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.

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