Games Inbox: The best online shooter, Civilization 7 trust, and Sonic X Shadow Generations Dreamcast-GameCentral-Entertainment – Metro

Is Call Of Duty the best online shooter? (Activision)

The Friday letters page thinks Nintendo should make its own Uncharted clone, as one reader dares to hope for a new Breath Of Fire.

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Same old choices
With the news that Call Of Duty: Warzone is bringing back its original map it got me thinking back to lockdown, when I played the game quite a bit – despite never previously having been much of a fan of online shooters.

I do sometimes feel in the mood for a competitive blast, but I feel that the options are surprisingly limited at the moment. Fortnite and Apex Legends seem to be aimed only at teenage boys, Rainbow Six Siege and Counter-Strike seem too serious, Overwatch 2 seems too unpopular, and Call Of Duty is just so bog standard and generic (yeah, I know I was playing Warzone but I was bored and it was free).

It seems to me the market is wide open for a new game to come in and make a name for itself, as long as it does things a little bit different. I don’t know of any plans for that to happen though, despite the mad rush for live service games. Not sure if readers can make any suggestions for something a bit different? What would you say is the best online shooter?
Kola

Formative memories
In reply to Loadstone’s letter questioning if anyone cared about Croc HD. My brother and I certainly do! Our parents got us a PS1 as our first games console in 1999 and Croc was one of the games that came with it. The game holds a lot of nostalgic value for us and whilst rose-tinted spectacles and all that, we can’t help but be excited for the remaster.

Our experience is anecdotal I know but I doubt we are the only people the remaster will appeal to for similar reasons.
Pigfish2 (PSN ID/NN ID)

Rare treat
Nice preview of Civilization 7, GC. It does seem like an odd thing to show at a big noisy event like Gamescom but I’m always glad when a strategy game gets that sort of attention, and they don’t get any bigger than Civ.

Like you, I have been playing the games for decades and while some have annoyed me the basics are so strong it’s one of those games I’ll just buy instantly, no questions asked and no reviews needed.

There’re very few franchises I’d say that for but thinking about them, they’re all games, like Zelda and Naughty’s Dog stuff, that only comes out very rarely. I don’t think there’s any way to release games more frequently and for it not to affect the quality.
Foory

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Rumoured solution
I think I may have just fallen into something everyone else already knew. I remember seeing that the Switch 2 was to have magnetic controllers. I couldn’t figure out why that would be beneficial, but it has just dawned on me that it would be the tidiest way of having the controllers attached in both landscape and portrait orientation, which would make it aesthetically pleasing for playing DS games. What a good idea.

Also, with Sony looking into the idea of another portable, is it feasible that a handheld could run at HD quality when undocked, but then when docked, run 4K graphics with the additional processing being handled within the dock? I would love another portable PlayStation.
Ed

GC: The magnetic controllers thing is just a rumour. Everything about the Switch 2 is a rumour at the moment.

Blue blurred out
Just as a reminder Sonic Generations Collection (2011) is being delisted from the Steam Store on Monday 9th September 2024 due to there being a new remaster. It is currently £14.99 on Steam. After 9th September you will only be able buy the original as part of a bundle of games which will be more expensive.

The Sonic The Hedgehog Ultimate Bundle, which includes 10 Sonic games including Sonic Generations (2011) is normally priced £171.86! I will be going for the £14.99 option before the 9th September.

Also, on the topic of Sonic, you can get a replica Dreamcast with a Sonic and Shadow the Hedgehog stood on it included with the Sonic X Shadow Generations Collector’s Edition on Limited Run Games currently. I would really like the Dreamcast replica without Shadow on it (I am big a fan of Mega Drive and Dreamcast Sonic games) but the price for the Collector’s Edition is an eye watering $249.99! Not including postage and tax to the UK.
Andrew J.

The Dreamcast lives! (Limited Run Games)

Obsolescent AI
The thing that gets me about AI, and this isn’t just for games, but what is the point of making it so it can build games or design artwork or whatever? We already have human beings that can do that, they’re not very well paid and they’re much better at it than a computer. They’ll always be better too, because they’re creatives and all an AI can do is copy.

Given the huge amount of money that is being spent on AI to get it to a point where it can do something that there’s no real need for, surely it’s not worth? OK, you get to layoff a few low paid artists but is that really worth all that research & development? On top of it, you known, being a horrible thing for those people.

You could argue that AI is useful in creating background characters and textures and that sort of boring work but surely that’s the sort of thing a less experienced artist would start on, as they learn their trade? What’s going to happen to them now those entry level positions are being erased?

And who wants a Doom game designed by an AI? By John Romero, sure but some random, soulless creation? No, no thanks.

Please go and find a better way to spend your time and money than putting mid-range workers out of a job. Replacing CEOs with AI is fine though, I’ve a feeling that would work. I’m also certain it will never happen.
Plensious

Original and the best
I’m ecstatic the OG Warzone map is returning. I can’t believe I’m getting nostalgic for lockdown, because that was the only game I played religiously throughout that period.

The Warzone map linked to Call Of Duty: Vanguard was awful. The current map isn’t bad, but not a patch on the original. Let’s hope they keep it this time, and maybe add to it.
Si

Uncharted territory
Disappointing to find out that, after all that fuss, Nintendo’s big ‘horror’ game is just some weird nostalgia fest for Japanese gamers. I mean, if you can’t be bothered to record English voiceovers I can’t be bothered to pay £40 for it. And let’s face it, that’s a lot of money for a visual novel that barely has any proper moving graphics either.

I’ll let it slide though, as it’s clearly not aimed at the likes of me, and it’s easily avoided. But it does raise the question of whether Nintendo should try to make adult-orientated games at all. Emio – The Smiling Man is 18-rated, which is something I’d never have expected to see from a first party Nintendo game. Especially as it includes child killers and suicide and whatever (I haven’t played it, I’m just going by the reviews).

I’m not really interested in a grimdark Nintendo though. What I would like to see though is a more serious story for an action game. Nintendo dialogue is really good, but it’s usually only used for comedy, so I’d like to see a Nintendo take on something like Uncharted.

Something that’s not too serious but is grounded to a degree and can have more complex characters than is the norm for Nintendo. Since Naughty Dog aren’t making any more I think Nintendo could fill that gap perfectly. Or if not that then a more serious role-playing game or perhaps some kind of Soulslike.

They don’t have to make Silent Hill 2, but I would like to see the notch taken up a few levels in terms of some games, even though I would want them to continue with what they’re known for as well.
Kapow

Inbox also-rans
Not to excite anyone but if you, like me, have fond memories of the Breath Of Fire franchise, Capcom has organised some new merch at Fangamer. Probably doesn’t mean anything but they were talking about wanting to revive old franchises…
Boney

Am I the only one that was really looking forwards to Fallout: London but still can’t get it to work properly? I’m not used to mods but the problem seems to be bugs, not something I’ve done wrong.
Sharpstag

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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.

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