Games Inbox: Best PS3 game on PS Plus Premium

The Tuesday letters page discusses its hopes and expectations for the Nintendo Direct Mini, as one reader suggests a Red Dead Revolver remake.

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Catching up
I realise it’s not a very comprehensive list yet, until Sony adds more games, but GC’s rundown of the best PlayStation 3 games on PS Plus Premium is really not that great. I think everyone, including Sony, will admit it’s the least of the PlayStation console but it is surprising how few genuinely classic exclusives there are.

I’d actually say the best game on the list at the moment is Ico HD, and that’s just a PlayStation 2 remaster. The Last Of Us and the Uncharted games do fit that bill but they’re both counted as PlayStation 4 games thanks to their remasters and I don’t think the original games are even on the service. God Of War: Ascension and the inFamous games never reviewed all that well at the time and Sony hasn’t even bothered to put Killzone and Resistance on yet.

I am interested in giving Puppeteer a go though, as I like the look of that, as like many I owned an Xbox 360 during that period, and this only confirms to me that it was the right choice. Sony obviously learned from their mistakes though, as Microsoft did with the Xbox One, so it’s all turned out okay in the end.

I know Sony are being weird about how they’re handling PS Plus Premium but I’m happy to give it a go and see what I missed, even if it’s not very much.
Focus

Disorganised collection
I tell you what’s weird about PS Plus, apart from the lack of official information and marketing, it’s the way none of it is organised in any kind of a sensible manner. I got a cheap upgrade to Premium, so I was keen to give it a go, but there must be half a dozen different buttons and options in the main menu (I’m not sure if other people can see it if you’re not a subscriber).

Nothing is organised by format and even if it is most of the listings don’t even say what the games are, unless you open it up and read the description. A lot of them are just listed as PlayStation 4 because they’re counted as remasters as something, which I get with The Last Of Us but why is Ape Escape the same?

Why can’t I click a button and just see all the PlayStation 2 games or at least click on a filter? The whole thing is a literal mess and looks like someone just uploaded a bunch of ROMs and was given an afternoon to sort out the interface. It’s a strangely amateurish effort by Sony and I’m not surprised they don’t want to advertise it at the moment.
Cosmo

Third-ish party
Well that Nintendo Direct Mini rumour is one I didn’t want to become true but now it’s been proven already. If it’s just third party games I question why Nintendo is even bothering. All it’s going to do is make people more resentful they didn’t have a proper one, although at least calling it a Mini one sets you up for disappointment.

I guess you could say that Bayonetta 3 and Mario + Rabbids don’t really count as first party though, so if they’re both there then that will be interesting. The first Mario + Rabbids is sorely underrated by some, and I say that as a committed XCOM fan. The new one looks interesting too, in that it’s trying to do something different by getting rid of grid movement. Now look for the Direct to be all about four year old ports and neither game is actually there…
PhantomZ

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A good year
I have to agree with the people talking up Nintendo’s line-up this year. There aren’t many big hitters, in terms of the usual suspects, but it’s a really good selection, with plenty of variety: Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Splatoon 3, Bayonetta 3, (lot of threes), Pokémon Scarlet/Violet, and the recent Mario Strikers and Fire Emblem Warriors. I’m even looking forward to the Live A Live remake.

It’s definitely they’re best offering since the pandemic started, throw in Advance Wars and it’s one of their best with no qualifications.

I wonder what they would’ve done if Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2 was ready when it was supposed to be though? Would they have delayed some of these just to even out the release schedules a bit? Or sat on some of them completely, like they’re apparently doing with this secret Fire Emblem game?
MG93

50 years old
I don’t supposed many people care but Atari are 50 this year. I know it’s not the same company anymore, they just bought the name, but it’s still an interesting sign that video games have been a mainstream thing now for over half a century.

I know a lot of people that still think of them as a new thing, even relatively young people, and I think it’ll be a long time before those attitudes really change. The NES is going to be 40 years old next year too, which is going to be quite the milestone (which Nintendo, being them, will most likely ignore).

Old school gaming really is old school and soon we’re going to start losing the generation that knew it from the very beginning, which is kind of grim. On the flipside it means you have to go a long way back now to find anyone that didn’t grow up with video games around them, in some form. Even if it was just them ignoring them in an arcade or pub.
DarkMoogle

Black pot
GameCentral on Monday morning, another football-ification Reader’s Feature that seems to insist that you must nail your colours to the PlayStation/Sony mast or choose Microsoft instead (why not just enjoy ALL games?). Cannot help but imagine that such types voted Brexit too.

Then a front page filled with the most anti-game, games I have ever known… Tomb Raider, Ratchet & Clank, and God Of Bore (sorry ‘War’).

The passing of Sega (as a mainstream publisher) and the death of the arcade really has affected this glorious industry more then we realise. At least gems like Elden Ring still exist to cast light onto the aforementioned casual’s beloved (yet not deserved) duds.
Paul Barnett
OutRun, Gradius, The NewZealand Story, Bubble Bobble, Tron, Soulsbourne.

GC: We’re not even sure which Feature you’re referring to, but none of them were as dismissive about other people’s favourites as your letter.

Red Dead Begins
Never mind Red Dead Redemption, I’m a little surprised that Rockstar hasn’t tried to remake Red Dead Revolver. It’s not open world but it’s a really good game if you ask me. It’s a total love letter to old cowboy movies and there’s a lot of variety.

More importantly, there’s actually a reason it’s called Red Dead, unlike the sequels. Red Dead Redemption 1 is great but it’s not very different from its sequel, I’d rather see its predecessor again instead.
Wotan

Some questions asked
Although I also assume From’s next game will be an Armored Core sequel/reboot what I’m most interested in seeing is if their next ‘big’ game will be Elden Ring 2 or not. The game’s been huge, much bigger than they can ever have hoped, but to start it all again with a sequel, I can’t imagine how you even go about. How do you sit down with a blank page and make another Elden Ring?

That’s true of any sequel I guess but even the new Zelda seems to be using the world and systems of the last game as it’s basis, so it’s not like they’re making that from scratch. Maybe they wouldn’t for Elden Ring 2 but they have for every other Souslike, so I think they’re crazy enough to try it again.

If they didn’t do a direct sequel though what would they do? Go back to a linear game with a different setting, like they did with ninjas and Sekiro? That would actually be my guess. From aren’t the most technically accomplished so if the next game is next gen only I can see them wanting something slightly smaller scale to get their heads round the SSD and all that.

Assuming the Armored Core theory is true it’ll probably be a long while before we find out about anything else but at this point, if it’s got From’s name on it I’m buying it day one – no questions asked.
Dale

Inbox also-rans
Amiibo alert! Nine Monster Hunter amiibo in stock again! Including the Sunbreak ones.
Andrew J.
Currently playing: GNOG (PSVR)

I find it incredible anyone could defend the Obi-Wan Kenobi show on any level, let alone its similarity to Fallen Order. I’m not sure how bad something has to be before Star Wars fans disown. I sometimes feel Disney is trying to answer that very question.
Trigger

This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Tosh, who asks what’s your favourite PlayStation exclusive?

Inspired by the recent launch of PS Plus Premium, we want to know what’s your favourite PlayStation exclusive. It doesn’t have to be one made by Sony, just one that, at the time at least, was only available on a PlayStation console (including portables).

How important was the game, and exclusives in general, to you getting the console or forming a positive impression of the PlayStation brand, and is the franchise still going now? If it became multiformat did that lessen your enthusiasm for it in any way?

E-mail your comments to: [email protected]

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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