Games Inbox: Predicting Alien Isolation 2, Mario Kart Maker, and the future of Halo-GameCentral-Entertainment – Metro

Alien: Isolation – the terror returns (Sega)

The Tuesday letters page has some advice to get Ubisoft out of its current financial trouble, as a reader recommends Tactical Breach Wizards.

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

Definitive adaptation
So, Inbox magic strikes again? Only days after a reader talks about Alien Isolation being one of the scariest video games ever (which I agree with) we get an announcement for a sequel! I did not expect that. Not only has it been ages since the first one but I don’t think it was a big hit at all, and it didn’t look like a cheap game either.

So given it wasn’t that successful, what is the sequel going to be? To me, the obvious route is to make it more Aliens than Alien, but then it won’t be as scary so I don’t know. Mind you, the first Aliens Vs. Predator was scary so maybe this could be too? You could put some shooting into it but just make that a smaller part of it than it might’ve been.

I think it’s the story they’ve got to work on most though. People wouldn’t have complained it was too long so much if the game had actually had a memorable plot or characters, but it was almost a total blank. I can name every character in Alien and all but the most obscure marine in Aliens, but I don’t even remember what Ripley’s daughter was called in the game – let alone anyone else.

But these are solvable problems that, better still, don’t cost money. So sort that out and after all these years this could be the definitive Alien game.
Abel

GC: That reader was just ruminating on the 10th anniversary, which the sequel announcement also coincided with.

Ultimate Kart Maker
I think the next Mario Kart (Mario Kart 9) will be the last traditional Mario Kart game we ever get, with Mario Kart 10 (aka Mario Kart X or Mario Kart Ultimate) being the Mario Kart Maker we’ve all wished for.

I think there will be a few Nintendo-made tracks in that game just to start us off with.

DLC will come in the form of drivers, karts, and maybe pieces of track or background.

And of course you will be able to publish those self-made tracks for others to race on, meaning an endless supply of content for many years to come.
LeighDappa

GC: Those are some very specific predictions.

Slight delay
Good evening GameCentral, hope all is well

When will the review for Metaphor: ReFantazio come out? I’ve seen a lot of very high scores coming out, but as always rely on Metro for a balanced opinion.

Enjoyed the demo but felt like the fantasy setting was a bit heavy-handed, plus the UI was very cluttered, and the name is clunky. I feel it’ll be an 8, but so far all I’ve seen is 9.5 which seems almost too good to be true. That said, Persona 5 is an all-time great and Atlus seem to be on a great run at the moment
Michael, Crawley

GC: Thank you. It’s a long game and we weren’t quite ready for the embargo, but our review is live now.

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

The one that got away
I’ve just finished Tactical Breach Wizards on the PC (for now) and can thoroughly recommend it.

It’s from a British team, which really shines through in the excellent dialogue. Its broadly similar to something like Into The Breach or Invisible, Inc. in terms of gameplay, with you controlling a small, varied team in a succession of scenarios that follow a storyline (it’s not a roguelike like Into The Breach).

It’s pretty cheap at £15 on Steam, with plenty of content, (though it doesn’t outstay its welcome). If you have a PC, I’d give it a crack. 8.5/10
Matt (he_who_runs_away – PSN ID)

GC: It’s top of our list of reviews to catch up with before the end of the year, so if anyone else has any requests along those lines do let us know and we’ll try and do at least some in December, once the new releases dry up.

Over the Hill
I wrote in previously about my regrets on switching from PlayStation to Xbox this generation. Clearly, I’ve backed the wrong horse in this race. I’ve been looking forward to seeing how the Silent Hill 2 remake might turn out and have been thrilled that its clearly turned out better than most imagined.

Was looking forward to buying the game and getting stuck in, but no – it’s another game that doesn’t seem to be coming to Xbox anytime soon. This information had completely passed me by and I’m honestly incredibly frustrated. It’s the first new (sorta) game in ages I’ve been prepared to spend money on day one and yet it’s nowhere to seen.

What is the actual point of owning an Xbox at this point when you can’t even play games?
Chris

GC: Silent Hill 2 seems to have a year timed exclusivity deal with PlayStation 5, so hopefully it’ll be out on Xbox this time next year.

Obvious answer
If Ubisoft is in financial trouble I don’t think you have to look far for the explanation. Any sane person should realise that two games a year for any series is a bad idea, but doubly so far one that is basically the same every time. It’s only taken a minor controversy to put people off Shadows and I don’t think it’s just the game itself but general franchise fatigue.

From a gamer’s perspective at least, Ubisoft’s problems are obvious: they keep making the same game over and over again, and it’s getting old. Not only are all the Assassin’s Creed games the same, but they’re very similar to Far Cry, which is similar to Star Wars Outlaws, which is similar to The Division, and so on. Just big open world games with very basic gameplay and endless little icons on a map.

I can’t remember the last time Ubisoft published something big that wasn’t a bloated open world mess. Well, there’s all their failed live service games but do they even count as real games? If they want to turn things around the solution is obvious: make something new. Simple as that.
Yoni

Instant collection
UFO 50 is possibly, for me at least, one of the greatest games ever made. For anyone that doesn’t know, UFO 50 is a collection of 50 ‘retro’ games that were released by the fictional UFO soft. These are 50 games, not just mini-games and some are quite long (including a 15+ hour role-playing game).

This is probably rather controversial, but does anyone else think that this fictional library is better than any real 8-bit console? I love the NES (although I don’t have any of the nostalgia for it) and consider many of the games (especially Super Mario Bros. 2 and 3) to be masterpieces but the games in UFO 50 are on another level.
Daniel Tachauer

GC: It’s certainly an excellent (fake) gameography.

Only on Xbox
It’s encouraging news that 343 Industries (now Halo Studios) has shifted to Unreal Engine 5. I recall Jez Corden stating they were moving to Unreal Engine 5 many months ago. I agree with GC’s logic, a Halo: Combat Evolved remake will likely be a launch title for the next Xbox. But it has to only be on the next Xbox (not cross-gen or PlayStation 5). Putting Bethesda games onto other formats is excusable, albeit a missed opportunity. The same for live service games such as Sea Of Thieves. But Halo or Gears Of War on PlayStation would be a wrap for Xbox.

Some clarity from Phil Spencer is long overdue. If David Jenkins interviewed him, I think we would have some answers. I do miss E3.

I imagine there will be some smaller Halo games like ODST. Maybe even a sequel? Going back to the beginning and bringing Halo up to date is desperately needed. If Gears Of War: E-Day is also a launch title, and there’s no confusion over exclusivity, Microsoft could absolutely entice me back to Xbox.

I was a loyal customer of Xbox since the original console but abandoned it recently due to their shenanigans. If I can play Xbox games on PlayStation, then what’s the point?

I would like to think the actions of Xbox fans like myself will cause them to wake up. Microsoft loves their data, after all. Game Pass cannot be the only incentive to buy an Xbox. Maybe once Xbox sales completely fall off a cliff, which I predict they will, it may influence another pivot. The next Xbox being the moment to reset their dumb strategy.

PlayStation fans need Xbox to be competitive, whether they like it or not. A £699 console is a warning sign!
Si

GC: Phil Spencer hasn’t given those sorts of interviews for a long time now, not since he went up a rank at Microsoft.

Inbox also-rans
They’re going to make Alien Isolation 2? And it wasn’t leaked out a hundred times before the official announcement?! I am totally shocked.
Kace

I can’t help feeling Halo’s time has been and gone. They’ve messed it up so far I think there’s only so many times people will give it a second chance, and little reason for someone new to the series to even bother.
Dibble

Email 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 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.

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