The Monday letters page wonders if AI was used for the Tomb Raider remasters, as one reader looks forward to the final Mario Kart 8 DLC.
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A game of many halves
Starfield sure is proving very divisive and I’m not surprised. Not only have you got the complication of it being an exclusive and a Bethesda game – so that’s two sets of fanboys before you even start – but you’ve also got the question of whether being so much like Skyrim and Fallout is a good or bad thing.
I think one of the other problems is that the more you play it the more complicated the question of whether it’s any good gets. On the one hand the main story starts off poorly and gets worse and worse over time. By the point you realise it’s just going to be the same thing again and again the whole game starts to feel more like a 2/10 scam, especially when you get to the terrible non-ending.
But the more you play the more you get into the side quests and, in my experience, these are mostly very good. The Crimson Fleet pirate one is especially good, with the most interesting group of non-player characters, but a lot of the others are great too, like the one where you find what’s basically a sci-fi Batcave or the stuff with the old school colony ship.
At the very least the game is very inconsistent, and I would certainly agree with the Reader’s Feature at the weekend that says it has no business being given a 5/5 or 10/10 score, no matter what you think of it overall. Me personally, I’d give it a generous 8/10.
Terry Gold
Warts and all
I would like to comment on the Starfield debate as I have a point of view that differs from the majority. Starfield has taken a bit of a kicking since its release, and everyone has been weighing in to share their opinions on how the game has failed in so many departments. I have read many of these reviews and commentaries and I have to agree with a lot of the criticisms.
Amidst the vitriol there have been many valid points made regarding the systems in the game, the procedural elements, and the lack of explanation about how to do stuff (I’ve had to internet search more than once to learn a new trick). But here’s the thing, I got the game on early access, so have been playing it for a couple of weeks now, and I love it.
It’s rare for me to play a game as much as I have this one, and for my interest to be sustained. Believe me when I say many games have been downloaded onto my Xbox drive never to see the light of day or make it past the first session. Despite its flaws, and it does have some, I will be happily playing this game for many weeks and months to come, and I don’t care what the reviews say. You can give it 6/10 or 7/10 if you want, I still believe that this game represents a brave and ambitious idea and is a creative achievement.
Yes, it is disappointing when a game doesn’t live up to its hype, but how many really do? For me, I have got the game I fully expected to get – Skyrim in space – and I am perfectly happy with that. After all, calling it Skyrim in space to me is a compliment, not a criticism. I think that perhaps some people’s expectations of what media entertainment can deliver are way above what is truly possible.
Yes, maybe the hype machine needs to cool its jets, and take a more honest approach, and I think Bethesda does need a slap on the wrist for withholding the review code – that’s just not cricket guys – but in the end what matters is people playing the game and enjoying it. And that’s where I am, lost in space. Happily lost.
Phillip
GC: We’re not sure there is a majority view on Starfield.
Doing it again
I was like everyone else in my anticipation of playing Starfield; I downloaded it days before it was released from the Xbox Games Pass. Meanwhile, I was 20 or 30 hours into Remnant 2 on Steam Deck and thoroughly enjoying it – it’s hard but rewarding.
The Starfield launch day finally arrived and, not being one who takes reviews too seriously, I eagerly climbed aboard. My first impression was ‘This is an insult to my intelligence; I’m mining one minute, then I’m captain of a starship with a lethargic robot under my command.’ I then battled my way to the test centre where I passed my pilots exam.
The story so far was childish and uninteresting and to be honest it got worse, after about 10 hours or so I headed back to Remnant 2 for some decent conversation and excitement.
I deleted the awful Starfield from my Xbox to make room for Lies Of P, fingers crossed.
Meanwhile, I’m still battling through Remnant 2 and loving it, I’ll probably never make it to the end but I’ve had many hours of fun with it, and it was well worth the money on steam deck.
Graham Pollock
GC: Um… we think you probably should’ve waited for the Lies Of P reviews. Ours should be ready tomorrow.
E-mail your comments to: [email protected]
F-Zero forever
I’m going to say that my ideal Switch 2 launch game would be F-Zero, even though a new instalment was released like two days ago. It’s never been a big tentpole game, hence why there wasn’t a big home console game for decades, but F-Zero games have always been great technical showcases for new Nintendo consoles.
The original SNES game is maybe the best showcase for Mode 7, while F-Zero X showed that even the N64 could have dozens of racers on screen and still maintain a blistering 60 frames per second. Considering how well Nintendo has been able to rejuvenate franchises like Metroid lately, I think another stab at F-Zero is overdue.
Also, I just want a new game. I’m lucky that my other favourite Nintendo franchises are well-served, but I’d love for F-Zero to be a regular release when a new console comes out. Here’s hoping F-Zero 99 does well and can generate some interest; I imagine a lot of younger fans don’t even know what F-Zero is at this point…
ANON
Graphics by Skynet
Watching the trailers from the latest Nintendo Direct, is it just me or do the graphics for most games seem slightly off? Like in Mario Vs. Donkey Kong, as much as they’ve done a good job upgrading the style of that game from the Game Boy Advance, there’s just something about it that doesn’t feel right. Maybe it’s Mario’s legs, they seem too short to me.
Having said that, looking at the Tomb Raider remaster again something seems off to me. I don’t think it helps that the graphics in Anniversary look better than the remaster (of course Anniversary is pretty much a different game, with the same set dressing/plot as the original game), but even so it just seems kind of cheap looking and maybe I’m wrong but I wouldn’t be surprised if an AI upscaler had been involved in this.
Sunny
GC: You may be right, but Tomb Raider is multiformat so doesn’t really have anything in common with Mario Vs. Donkey Kong.
OG Kart
I really enjoyed the recent and mostly buoyant (semi-swansong?) Nintendo Direct last week. What stuck with me most though was the announcement of the final wave of DLC for Super Mario Kart 8. This has been an absolutely fair and worthwhile love letter to gamers. An absolute bargain!
I can’t help but speculate on the final race tracks though, aside from the only one that we were shown.
The last two gaps on the racer’s rostrum are filled now with both Diddy and Funky Kong, yet added Peachette?
Which brings me to Super Nintendo (speculation) Land…
I’m guessing that Peachette is a kind of button press (à la Big Blue music on F0-GX). I’m hoping that, aside from the one race track shown, Nintendo does the right thing and brings the curtain down on this game with a tribute to the classic SNES tracks that started it all.
We got Mario Circuit 3 in the DLC so far and it is glorious. I’m shocked that the original tracks are not referenced more, yet understanding that there are a lot of back catalogue tracks to pay homage to. I’m crossing my fingers for a return to MK1 (not Mortal Kombat) Koopa Beach, Donut Plains, Ghost Valley, Bowser Castle, Choco Island and Vanilla Lake. I would love that.
I understand that I am but a small voice in a vast galaxy…
D Dubya
Get knotted
Latest State of Play was a waste of time. You know there is going to be another on in the first week of October, to get everyone buzzing about Spider-Man 2, then it will be Xmas, new year, and maybe get one if we are lucky in March time.
How rubbish has this year been in PlayStation State Of Plays. It’s been a right joke. If Sony don’t pull their fingers out early next year I might give up gaming and start knitting, be far more better.
David
GC: We do not know that.
A game for all scores
Starfield is a 5 and a 7… and a 10 out of 10 game.
It’s been potentially one of the most controversial and divisive launches of this console generation.
It’s sold in record numbers. Millions of concurrent players across the gaming world.
It’s been heralded in gaming media as ‘monumental’, ‘unfathomable’, ‘unprecedented’, and ‘game of the year.’
It’s also been labelled ‘shallow’, ‘fairly typical’, ‘low-tech’, and ‘disappointing.’
Each to their own, I suppose.
I would say the best word to sum up Starfield is subjective. I’ve played a thorough amount of the game so far. I’m on my third playthrough, albeit after only playing the main quest on my initial run. I then also chose to skip the main quest on New Game +. So realistically I had 20 hours of levelling up done before I started playing the game proper.
Since then, I’ve gotten married, become a Space Ranger, saved the UC from a very nasty plot, found out how the pirating world spins, and become an intern at a very sketchy tech firm.
I’ve also lied to everyone of my friends about how I know so much about them. This being the third time I’ve met them and all.
The main quest is a straight line and remarkably… unremarkable. My expectations of the plot getting good once I collected all the artifacts were deflated upon the sight of the end credits.
Still, I play on.
I noticed all the little (and not so little) changes my world knowledge brings with it. Feeling like a badass, walking into a room and killing 40+ Spacers or using my diplomacy skills to shut down confrontations before they begin is very satisfying.
The game for me is vast and fun and unexpected.
The game for me is tedious and repetitive and lacklustre.
The game for me is buggy and silly and wonderous.
The game for me is predicable and charming and so much more besides.
I feel like I’ve played it all, and yet haven’t scratched the surface of it either.
A disappointing 5 out of 10.
A solid 7 out of 10.
A monumental 10 out of 10.
All at the same time.
Jay
Inbox also-rans
I still can’t believe that with all the duds they’ve been putting out the last few years that Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 7 remake actually turned out really good. Really looking forward to Rebirth now.
Donnie Darko
How a company as experienced as EA ever got convinced to put money into something called Immortals Of Aveum I’ll never know. I know they were only the publisher, but still. I’d love to know what their expectations were for that game.
Loball
This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Goulash, who asks whether video games are getting too long and if you have trouble fitting them into your life?
This year has already seen multiple high quality games that can easily swallow 100+ hours of your time but is that asking too much of people? Should most games be shorter than they are and are open world titles becoming too prevalent?
Have you found yourself playing less games as a result or are you happy with the status quo? In terms of value for money, what’s the minimum length of time you expect a full price game to last and are you ever prepared to put up with less?
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.
You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.
MORE : Weekend Hot Topic: Nintendo Switch 2 launch line-up predictions
MORE : Games Inbox: September Sate Of Play frustration, Nintendo Direct approval, and Final Fantasy 16 difficulty
MORE : Games Inbox: September Nintendo Direct predictions, Starfield vs. No Man’s Sky, and Square Enix worries
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