Entertainment

Games Inbox: Is Hellblade 2 worth playing, Black Ops 6 teasers, and Doom: Year Zero anticipation-GameCentral-Entertainment – Metro

The Friday letters page asks whether the Xbox Series X/S is still just a ShooterBox, as one reader hopes for a new Splinter Cell game.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 – have you played it? (Xbox Game Studios)

The Friday letters page asks whether the Xbox Series X/S is still just a ShooterBox, as one reader hopes for a new Splinter Cell game.

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

Free time
I’ve seen some people describe Hellblade 2 as the ultimate Game Pass game, in that you get to play it for no extra charge and appreciate the graphics, but I don’t know. I think it’s a pretty well documented thing that not paying for a game (or I assume anything) means you don’t feel the need to try and get your money’s worth out of it or even necessarily give it your full attention.

I don’t know how much that was a factor, but I was bored silly by Hellblade 2. The graphics are amazing, no doubt about that, but they’re pretty much just rocks. The landscapes are amazing but they’re also mostly the same throughout (except for that weird bit in the woods, that seemed completely pointless).

The story doesn’t seem to make any sense, in terms of whether it’s all real or not, and the characters are actually pretty basic and cliched, especially the slaver guy. I can’t say more because of spoilers but the main problem is simply that it’s so boring to play. The combat is super simple and super repetitive and the puzzles are the same.

Is it good that I got to play it for nothing? I guess, but if that hadn’t been an option I just wouldn’t have played it all, which after coming out the other side seems like it would’ve been the preferred option. It wasn’t worth my time, and I wouldn’t really recommend it.
Gannet

Proof of power
There were some very differing opinions about Hellblade 1 and I’m not surprised to see the sequel is the same. As a fan of the original I’ve now played the second one and I love that too. If I’m honest, it’s probably not quite as good, as naturally it’s all a bit familiar now. Plus, I preferred how the original story is more squarely focused on Senua.

But I thought the combat and puzzles were a major step forward on the first one, especially the puzzles. Plus, of course, it’s completely amazing to look at. No question in my mind that it’s the best graphics ever and I don’t even know what number two would be. It almost doesn’t matter because it’s so far behind.

Hopefully it being on Game Pass means a lot of people will get to appreciate it and realise that the Xbox Series X really is more powerful than the PlayStation 5. In fact, I’d like to see the game go multiformat, so we can see how well the PlayStation 5 handles it. Although that raises the question of whether Microsoft would make a full effort to port it? A strange thought but if they want it to sell I guess they would.
Taylor Moon

Pretty but dull
RE: Bobwallett. I actually liked Ryse: Son Of Rome and there was a decent combat system there, albeit not exactly super duper deep.

It got more criticism than it deserved.

It was fun, albeit it got little old and samey towards end.

Hellblade 1 was a beautiful mind-bending, dull as dishwater affair though.

I really couldn’t get into that game and even found the whole puzzle side to it to be really tedious affair, and not even really challenging.
Kiran

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Dream come true
Heads up for anyone with an Xbox who’s fancying a bit of racing action. GRID Legends Deluxe Edition, which includes all DLC, is currently £7.99 on the Microsoft store. It’s an absolute steal at that price! Also on sale is the excellent EA Sports WRC at £17.99. Originally released last November, the game has had a few updates and is playing much better now than it was then (car handling, frame rate, etc.). Hopefully there’ll be some DLC with extra stages coming out later this year.

Nice to read the letter and the reply yesterday about the forthcoming Tomb Raider remaster physical releases. Good stuff! I couldn’t wait that long; I had to get the digital release. It’s everything I ever wanted from a Tomb Raider remaster.
Paul C.
PS: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Quality.
PPS: Looking forward to, and wanting, a new Splinter Cell game. Will this ever happen?

GC: If a remake counts, yes. Assuming it hasn’t been quietly cancelled, as it’s long time since anything has been heard about it.

Credit where it’s due
Just thought I’d share a positive shopping experience with Currys. An Underboxer said they had a poor transaction with them and it was my first time using them so wondered how it would go.

Anyway, wasn’t the case. They normally have a 25% off pre-order code for Nintendo Switch games so pre-ordered Paper Mario for £37.50 after the reviews went up.

It arrived 11am launch day. Delivery was free, tracked with an email and text saying the hour slot when my parcel would arrive by DPD and the option to give instructions if I were not home.

On top of that the purchase qualified for a three-month free sub to Apple TV+, along with their other services if you want them. Been wanting to catch the fourth season of For All Mankind for a while.
Simundo

Moving in
I beat Marvel’s Midnight Suns a little while ago, now – and it shouldn’t surprise you that I was playing the PlayStation 4 version. I suppose that’s where the technical issues were arising for me. Though, to me, the graphics looked somewhat… Xbox 360. At times. Obviously, more must be going on under the hood but the Resident Evil 4 remake looked much better on last gen hardware, with very little compromise. I did notice that in the ruined staircase area where you fight a lot of the flying bugs, smashed vases wouldn’t disappear. But that was it.

More disturbingly, for me, is that I bought a complete edition of Midnight Suns but can’t find the DLC missions. I figured they would become available after I beat the game, but no. The store is being very weird about it. But I have a PlayStation 5 now! Perhaps if I transfer the game over my DLC should be easier to find?

That said, the purchase was a painful one. £340 used at my local indie store and £100 less than that thanks to a very generous contribution from one of my housemates, but that still leaves me feeling a very big pinch for the rest of the month. Like from one of those lobster monsters from Elden Ring.

So, no new games as such to go through. I have contented myself with seeing what’s new in Fallout 4. Which so far appears to be the Enclave and they take a whole lot of killing. Even on the easiest settings. And I haven’t worked out how to transfer my PlayStation 4 saves over to the new consoles. Trying to do everything at once on day one just made the PlayStation 5 very unhappy and crash. So, yay, I guess…
DMR

Comeback year
So we’re back on the roller-coaster for this year’s Call Of Duty. I really hope they’re going to push the boat out this year, after the awful Modern Warfare 3. The fact that it’s Treyarch and Black Ops is a positive sign, but nothing so far in these teasers tells me anything about what it’s going to be like.

The whole concept of a yearly Call Of Duty may be lazy but when they get them right I’m still a fan. It feels a long time since we’ve had a decent story campaign though and I’m hoping that Black Ops 6 will see that come back in a big way.
Royston

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