Games Inbox: DualSense controller drift fixes, Starfield exclusivity, and Castlevania by From Software

The Tuesday Inbox is worried about the empty release schedules until after lockdown, as one reader thinks Rare are overrated.

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

Out of controller
So this controller drift problem is getting pretty out of control now, eh? I’m not sure I really understand what that teardown video was getting at with the same component being used in last and next gen consoles though. This whole thing wasn’t an issue last gen in anything but the Switch and I assumed that was because the Joy-Cons are so small, with so much tech jammed into them. Which, if only Nintendo would offer repairs properly, would be kind of understandable.

But what are Sony supposed to be doing wrong? Using the component wrongly? Designing the controller badly, so it gets damaged too easily? At face value I’d say the DualSense is one of the most solid and well-designed controllers I’ve ever used.

It’s too late for Nintendo to come out of this looking good but I just hope Sony hold up their hands and offer free repairs to everyone, no questions asked. Don’t make this something we have to drag out of them with lawsuits and constant complaints, until they finally give in. Just get it over and done with and a v2 DualSense out ASAP.

I’m not sure how much I believe that’s going to happen though. I don’t think Sony has said a single thing about the PlayStation 5 this year – just a couple of release date announcements – and that does not impress me. In these days of instant communication with companies they’ve managed to stay worrying quiet.
Danish

Exclusive revelations
Very curious to see what Microsoft are going to announce in this upcoming Bethesda livestream. I assume we’re going to get a few release dates, hopefully including Starfield, and an explanation for what will be Xbox exclusive and what won’t be.

I think most people assume that games that are already multiformat will stay that way and ones that are new, like Starfield, will be exclusives. Although if Starfield isn’t an exclusive, even when it could easily be, I don’t see how there’ll ever be an argument for making any Bethesda game exclusive. Which I’m sure will be fine by most people, although again you’ve got to ask why Microsoft paid so much money just to sell games on other people’s consoles.

Maybe they’re trying to undermine the whole concept of exclusives and force Sony into releasing their games on Xbox? I don’t really see that ever happening, even if it’s meant to be a long-time goal. And besides, Xbox would have to go first and release Halo on PlayStation.
Gunship

Strange days
I didn’t realise until now just how empty the release schedules were for the next few months. There’s basically nothing but a couple of Switch third party exclusives until May with Resident Evil Village and then getting a little busier after that. Oddly, that’s exactly the time when lockdown will be ending and people will be going outside again, so the exact opposite of what we needed.

These are strange times for everyone, but I do wonder what the pandemic Is going to mean for gaming when it’s all over. People are playing more than ever now but does that mean they’re going to be sick of it by the time lockdown is over and they can go outside without restrictions? When new games start coming out in June who is really going to stay inside to play video games again?

That is a question because I really don’t know the answer. Obviously I want this to all be over, but also I feel anxious now when approaching anyone without a mask and it is going to take a long time to get back to normal.

Maybe people will still cling to games for their social interaction and we’ll just slowly drift back to normal, but it’s difficult to say. Will things ever be the same again?
Cranston

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Rare complaint
Can I be controversial for a minute and say that I’ve always thought Rare were overrated? I loved GoldenEye and Perfect Dark but other than that they always seemed like a knock-off Nintendo to me. Games like Banjo-Kazooie and Diddy Kong Racing were good but they were nowhere near as good as their Mario equivalents and I never understood why they were competing with games that already existing on the same format, by the same company that owns them. Especially when the games they made that were original, like GoldenEye and Blast Corps was much more interesting.

Conker’s Bad Fur Day was rubbish too, a bad game and not really very funny, so I agree with those saying there’s no point bringing it back. Star Fox Adventures was the real stinker though. A dumbed down Zelda that had nothing going for it except good graphics. I’m still surprised Nintendo even released it, especially as it was another nail in Star Fox’s coffin.

I haven’t got an Xbox so I haven’t played Sea Of Thieves, and to be honest it doesn’t seem like my thing, but at least it’s something original and different.
Purple Ranger

Fromvania
I’m sorry, but there will never be any better developer to make a modern Castlevania than FromSoftware. Dark Souls virtually is Castlevania already anyway. Just add in a few more puzzles and gadgets and it’s a 100% match. I’m sure it was on an influence on From and in a way there’s not any need to make it official.

I’d be happy if they did though, just because it’d be nice to see the franchise back and famous again. I just hope they don’t make it some anime nonsense like the Netflix show, which I couldn’t get into at all. Make it Dark Souls but just not quite so dark, or difficulty, and you’re there.
Badgerman

Time wasting, please
Two great 35th Zelda anniversary articles at the weekend; shame Nintendo didn’t bother to acknowledge it, despite doing it for Mario. I agree with the A Link To The Past writer, it was my favourite Zelda game and the best one, and like the writer it wasn’t the first Zelda game I played. I played A Link To The Past in the 2000s, after playing The Wind Waker and have to say how did people manage to complete A Link To The Past without the internet, as there are some real head scratching moments!

As for Breath Of The Wild 2, I really think it can top Breath Of The Wild. The new game would have the existing engine ready to make it the best Zelda ever. I would like to see fishing, swimming, and digging be included as time-wasting side activities. Please don’t include the Master Cycle or whatever it’s called, it’s absolutely terrible to control when compared to the horses in the game.

I also hope that they do include large dungeons, they can keep the shrines for bite-sized fun but nothing beats a multi-level sprawling Zelda dungeon. Also, variety in the bosses as well, as for the life of me I couldn’t distinguish any of the Divine Beast bosses. Can we also get some of the oddball items from the dungeons too, like the flying beetle?
Alek Kazam

Significant birthdays
With all the talk about Mario and Zelda 35th anniversaries it got me thinking, why do we even care about 35th anniversaries? I can maybe understand 25th ones since they are a quarter of a century, but do we have to celebrate every five years?

If we have to celebrate it should be 10th, 20th, 30th, etc. Anniversary rant over.
JDB

GC: Up until last year and Super Mario Bros. nobody did care. Nintendo suddenly decided it was significant because they didn’t have anything else going on at the time. Which is a shame as it’s Mario and Donkey Kong’s 40th this year and that looks set to go by with barely a mention.

Change of pace
Replaying The Division 2 on Xbox, after not really getting into it the first time, I’ve found myself much more drawn in by the shooter mechanics this time around and I’m really enjoying it. However, as I went through the game, sometimes picking up the odd voice recording/ECHO video which gave some info on the wider context of the story, it made me think about how much I would love to see more of that backstory fleshed out in the game. How did the Green Poison first start? What did the initial Division activation look like? How did society retreat to its current position of chaos? What tough choices might a player in these circumstances have to make?

It got me thinking about how it would be great to experience the same game, with the same setting, in a different way – as in, portrayed in a different gaming genre. With regards to The Division, I was initially thinking, ‘I would love to delve into this game’s setting and story more in a role-playing style’, only to learn that it is in fact considered an action role-playing game! Not sure I agree with this myself, as I felt the narrative and story are quite superficial and it’s more of a loot shooter, but I guess the classification of an role-paying game is quite a wide and varied net and many might have different opinions about what classifies a game as such.

Regardless, I wondered if there had ever been a Hot Topic for games that gamers would have liked to experienced in a different genre? So maybe you wanted to see Fallout represented as a full-on horror game, Mass Effect changed to be a first person shooter, or even switch Tomb Raider around so rather than playing as Lara Croft you’re playing as one of the mercs in a survival game against her? Might have already been done or not be suitable, but just got me thinking.

Hope readers and GC are all well and are keeping sane in the lockdown!
NL

GC: Having a story isn’t a prerequisite for a role-playing game. Most dungeon crawlers have little to none, for example. Still, it’s an interesting thought, although maybe a bit too specific for a Hot Topic. We’ll keep the ball rolling though by suggesting an Into The Breach action game spin-off – like Earth Defense Force but competent.

Inbox also-rans
The Last Of Us Part 2 is on offer at GAME for £17.99. Cracking price.
TWO MACKS

Great review of Capcom Arcade Stadium GC, I always love it when you do retro related reviews, you can really tell the knowledge and passion. It makes me wish you could do a regular feature or something on older games?
Yo-Yo

GC: Thanks. More retro content was one of the most common requests in the recent reader’s poll, so we are looking into what we might be able to do.

This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox is based on the fact that it was the 35th anniversary of The Legend Of Zelda on Sunday and so we want to hear about your memories of the series and where you’d like it to go in the future.

What’s the first Zelda game you ever played and in what circumstances? What’s your favourite Zelda game and how do you think it might influence future releases in terms or remasters/remakes and inspiring new games? What did you think of Breath Of The Wild and what do you hope for from the sequel?

It also happens to be the 25th anniversary of Pokémon on Saturday, so if you’d like to discuss that as well, or instead of, Zelda feel free.

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

The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday mornin, 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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MORE : Weekend Hot Topic, part 2: most impressive retro graphics

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