Games Inbox: What is the biggest Xbox game of 2026?


Games Inbox: What is the biggest Xbox game of 2026?
Halo: Campaign Evolved – not necessarily the biggest Xbox release of the year (Xbox Game Studios)

The Friday letters page tries to guess what the Nintendo Switch 2 Lite will cost, as one reader is shocked by the behind the scenes info on The Last Of Us Online.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

First party trio
I know that Xbox gets ragged on a lot everywhere nowadays, and I’m not going to pretend they don’t deserve most of it. However, it’s not all bad and, as someone that owns an Xbox Series X/S, I feel I have to try and look on the bright side.

This is easier than you might think because they have a really stacked first party line-up this year, including Forza Horizon 6, Halo: Campaign Evolved, and Fable. There might also be Gears Of War: E-Day, but I’m not clear if that’s meant for 2026 or not.

That is a much better line-up than either Sony or Nintendo at the moment, in my opinion, and while I agree it may get overtaken by the end those are not games to be ignored. I would assume Forza to be the biggest, but I think Fable has a chance to do very well too. I’m not so sure about Halo though, given we’ve already had one remake of it and there’s no multiplayer.

Crazy to think Halo has gone from Xbox’s most important franchise to a second-stringer. Nothing lasts forever, I guess.
Korey

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GC: Gears Of War: E-Day has no release year, so it could conceivably be this year.

Lite on value
With prices constantly going up it seems to be only a matter of time before the Switch 2 is even more expensive and I still haven’t got one. I have to assume this is encouraging Nintendo to fast-track the Switch 2 Lite, although who knows how quickly it will be to appear. But perhaps the biggest question now is how cheap could it be?

The normal Switch 2 is £400, or thereabouts, so surely the aim would be to get the Lite version to under £300. But even that seems a lot. That’s still only what the original Switch was at launch, so I’d appreciate at least another £50 off. Although in this case I do accept that there are outside factors.

Gaming is going too expensive in every aspect and I really think it’s about time console manufactures acknowledge this and make an effort to change things as a priority. I would look to Nintendo more than anyone to lead the way on this but so far there’s not really been anything.
Ollienaut

Come back later
I completed Life Is Strange: Reunion over the weekend and basically agree with your review. The whole thing is a rushed mess, with reused graphics, bad branching storytelling, and a terrible plot. Not only do I not think there’ll be another one after this, but I don’t want it after this; Max and Chloe deserved so much better.

Square Enix obviously knew all this would be disaster or they wouldn’t have held back the review copies, so why do it at all? Better to let the series rest for a few years, until people really start to miss it, and then do a new game, even if it ends the story, then with a team that wants it and hasn’t just been gutted by their corporate overlords.
Grackle

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The budget of Zelda
The idea of Nintendo becoming a big time film studio is so funny to me. The company with the least interest in telling a story is making the most successful movies… even if they don’t have stories either. The success of the second Mario film, which I haven’t seen, is only going to cement them further and other studios will be knocking down their door trying to get involved.

But like you said, that live action Zelda seems near impossible to get right. It could be done but I don’t have enough faith in the director or Nintendo as producer to make it work. I also can’t believe that Nintendo will pony up enough money to do the visuals justice.

An animated movie would’ve been such a better choice and a really good thing for more adult themed animation at the cinema. Or at least more adult than Mario. Zelda is the best video game franchise ever but what’s the betting it won’t be the best film ever? Or anything less than an embarrassment?
Coolsbane

Virtual worlds within worlds
Buying a game to pretend to own boxes of games you already have on digital is a hell of an elevator pitch. It’s always fascinating to me to read about these weird PC simulators, like truck sims and that powerhouse one.

I’d never want to play them but after thinking they’re a joke I always end up looking them up and it turns out they’ve sold 10 million or something. It’s easy to forget that non-gamers have very different interests and priorities to the rest of us.
Snoopy
PS: What is an elevator pitch anyway? Is that an American thing and they mean lift?

GC: We think they mean lift, yes.

Cyberdyne Systems
That guy that was working on The Last Of Us Online for seven years only for it to cancelled must have a level of patience I can’t even begin to imagine. Apart from anything, I’m surprised he stayed in the games industry and didn’t go off and work for a saner kind of company afterwards.

Never mind the amount of hours everyone must’ve spent on the game, how much money did it cost to employ hundreds of people for seven years to make absolutely nothing? And the reason they cancelled it is because they didn’t want to spend the next 10 years making more content for it? Did they not know what a live service game was before they started?!

The more you learn about the games industry the more you begin to wonder whether anyone in it has any common sense. There are some creative geniuses making the games but everyone else around it seems to be running on only half a tank.

They keep trying to replace developers and artists with AI but how about swapping out some of these producers and exec types? As useless as AI is I don’t see how it could do any worse in most cases.
Lynch

Resiopia PD
I knew fans would get creative with Pokémon Pokopia and some of those examples were really great. I particularly appreciate whoever did the Resident Evil one because they edited the video for it so well too!

My dream is to recreate the towns as they were, but I don’t know if I’ll ever really get there. I still hold out enough hope that I don’t want to read that Reddit that tells you how to do it though. The fun of the game is working things out for yourself, and I appreciate that it doesn’t hold your hand as much as you’d think.
Bosley

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Do a barrel roll
Nice article on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. I agree that it’s definitely not a dumb Minions style movie that just wants you to ‘switch off your brain’ (ever notice that the people that say that are the least likely to ever watch something where you need to switch it on?).

It’s crazy and weird (I saw it yesterday with my kids) but it’s meant to be like that and, as you say, it’s closest thing you can get to a game without actually playing it. Is there a better movie that could be made with more character depth? Maybe but I don’t know who you’d get to write it.

As far as I’m concerned the only thing it could do with is more proper jokes in the dialogue, as it was kind of flat like that. But I enjoyed it. The only character that came anywhere close to being annoying was Yoshi and he was fine. I don’t anticipate getting to watch it 100 times when it hits streaming but the first time at least it was pretty fun.

I especially like the Star Fox bit, which I don’t see how any kid could properly understand, but Glen Powell was perfect and I now fully expect a new game to appear, because there’s no way they did all that just so people can play Lylat Wars on Nintendo Switch Online.

I do wonder what it’s going to be but perhaps something lower budget, that is just an on-rails shooter, and go back to basics like that? That’s not the normal approach Nintendo takes but then they don’t have many dead franchises like that, that they have to try a different trick with.
Gordo

Inbox also-rans
If it really is just a fiver I think I’d be a lot more interested in an Indie Game Pass than the Xbox one. I had it for a while and I barely played any of the first party games.
Renton

I’m not sure I see the point in a PlayStation 6 portable. If you’re only going to use it in the house how would it be any different from using a PlayStation Portal?
Wilks

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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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Games Inbox: Is Marathon worth playing?


Games Inbox: Is Marathon worth playing?
Marathon has some unusual ideas (Sony Interactive Entertainment)

The Monday letters page is keen to find out what happens after Resident Evil Requiem, as one reader has no sympathy for Crimson Desert players.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Marathon effort
The thing that gets me about this weekend-only Marathon business is how Bungie have less than zero respect for people’s time. We’ve all been saying that about games for a while now but level-grinding to unlock something you can only play for eight days a month is crazy too me.

Never mind what you’re supposed to do if you happen to work over the weekend (I often have to come in on a Saturday) but I guess that just makes the ones that do get to play it even cooler, right?

As if the ugly graphics weren’t putting enough people off, this actually kills any though I had of ever giving it a try. I don’t know whether the game is going to be successful or not – it seems to be doing okay but not great – but when I play a video game it’s not so it can become a second job for me.
Zeiss

Marketing spend
Is it only me that gets constant adverts for World Of Warcraft’s new expansion, every time I go on YouTube? I have no interest in the game, I’ve never played it or visited a website about it, and I’ve certainly never watched a video on it, but I get spammed with ads for it constantly.

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The weird thing is I get very few other ads about games, despite that being one of my favourite things. Fortnite is about the only other thing I get a lot, which probably says a lot about how much these companies are spending on advertising compared to everyone else.

I’m a big Resi fan and have been watching a ton of videos about it lately, but I never saw a single ad for Resident Evil Requiem. That doesn’t seem to have affected its sales but I wonder what would’ve happened if it had been shown everywhere?
Logan

Risk and no reward
I’ll be honest, I don’t think I’ve got any sympathy for anyone that pre-ordered Crimson Desert and is now regretting (or, more likely, pretending to anyone that will listen that it’s good, actually). A too-good-to-be-true game from a developer with no experience in the genre, or anything much except one MMO, should send those alarm bells ringing straight away.

If you’ve got £55 just lying around, that you can afford to gamble on a game being good, based on virtually nothing, then I don’t think you can really complain about anything. I’ll wait until the game is cheap… and then spend the money on something else, because it sounds awful.
Spency

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Single option
I don’t think the PlayStation 5 still beating the Switch 2 in sales is too much of a surprise. Nobody is going to buy an Xbox Series X/S at the moment so if you want triple-A games then the PlayStation 5 is the only option.

The Switch 2 is a great console but it’s not going to be the first choice for anyone but families and hardcore Nintendo fans. That is still a lot of people, but I think there’s always going to be more wanting to play the best-looking versions of the latest games.

Resident Evil Requiem on the Switch 2 looks good but it’s still not as great as the PlayStation 5 version. But it’s not just graphics. Nintendo’s online services are still very limited compared to Sony and Microsoft. Who wants to play EA Sports FC on Switch 2? And you still can’t play Call Of Duty, despite all Xbox’s talk.

If you’re into games even just a bit you can’t make do with just a Switch 2, so your only options are a PlayStation 5 or a PC.
Kimble

Pokémon Endgame
Loved the Reader’s Feature about Pokémon Pokopia. I’m what I guess you’d call a lapsed fan and haven’t really been into the series properly since the DS days. I took a chance on Pokopia, after all the good reviews, and I’ve been loving it.

I almost got teary eyed at the end, especially when I realised there was tons of stuff I could still do, and that’s before getting into the Minecraft stuff or Animal Crossing style home improvement. Really excellent game and all the better because it was a surprise. More of this please, Nintendo!
Colin

Future fashion
Nice Reader’s Feature about what the next mainline Resident Evil should be, although I doubt even Capcom knows yet, as the success of Requiem probably caught them a bit off guard. If the rumours are right, we’ve got remakes of Code: Veronica and Resident Evil 1 coming first, so it’s obviously a long way off.

I’m more than up for those but Resident Evil 1 again seems like the perfect time for another soft reboot, with Resident Evil 10 following after that. As to what it will be I think there’s two main problems: do you change the characters and do you change the gameplay?

Considering how popular Grace seems to be I think there’s no doubt that Capcom can still make fun new characters, without having to rely on the old ones. In terms of gameplay though, Requiem was pretty traditional really and people loved that. Probably a lot more than if it had been open world or co-op or whatever.

So as much as we can predict anything at the moment, I think you’ve just got to look at what’s successful now, before they start making the new game. If people had hated Requiem and were demanding something new then that’s probably what Capcom would’ve done, but that’s not how it is right now.

Games taking longer to make is bad in so many ways but one that I think not a lot of people mention is that you start making them based on current trends and then by the time it’s finished who knows what will be popular. That probably explains a lot of live service games.
Cubby

How they do it
Just wanted to say that I really appreciate the behind the scenes videos in Resident Evil Requiem. I guess I already knew that’s how they did the tech but it’s really nice to see a fairly long segment broken down like that.

Although I wonder how long until time-consuming and expensive things like that are just faked with AI, because it’s ‘good enough’. Crazy to think that 30 years ago the same franchise had tank controls and characters that looked like something out of Minecraft. Happy birthday Resi!
Winston

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Front loaded
That’s me finished Resident Evil Requiem on all three difficulties. It’s safe to say it is superb, with amazing graphics, fun gameplay, and a pitch perfect tone.

I still can’t help feeling it could have been even better though. To my surprise, as a big fan of Resident Evil 4, my favourite sections of the game were Grace’s. They’re really tense and atmospheric, with the Rhodes Hill Care Centre making for a wonderful setting. Having zombies with personalities works brilliantly and I wish they had doubled down on the idea with even more variety.

The second half of the game has more generic and returning enemies from the series, which seem a bit uninspired compared to those in the first half. There is too much fan service in general towards the end, especially with the bosses, and I would have preferred to see more original ground broken. I’m not convinced we even needed to return to Raccoon City at all, I’d have preferred to stick around Rhodes Hill with perhaps more institutions/buildings nearby to explore.

It’ll be really interesting to see what direction they take for the next game. I know they experimented with open world for this one and I think that might be the way to go to reinvent the series again. Can’t wait to see!
Ryan O’D
PS: My favourites are:

  1. Resident Evil 4 remake
  2. Resident Evil 2 remake
  3. Resident Evil 1 remake
  4. Resident Evil Requiem
  5. Resident Evil 7

GC: We think it’s fair to say most, if not all, Resident Evil games are better in the first half than the second.

Inbox also-rans
This business about the EU Switch 2 model made me realise how happy I am that region locking is a thing of the past. What a dumb idea that was.
Focus

Crimson Desert might be a bad game but I tell you one thing, it’s made me really keen on playing a new The Witcher, just from looking at the videos. Hopefully the rumours of new DLC this year are true.
Kryzer

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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.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.




Games Inbox: Is Crimson Desert worth getting?


Games Inbox: Is Crimson Desert worth getting?
Crimson Desert – out now, for better or worse (Pearl Abyss)

The Friday letters page is surprised GTA 6 no longer has the most watched trailer record, as one reader laments the death of Red Storm Entertainment.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Crimson letter day
Can’t say I’m surprised at the negative Crimson Desert reviews. Although I guess I should call them ‘mixed’ which seems to be what we’re supposed to say when all the trustworthy sites mark it down and the ones you’ve never heard of give it 9/10.

The graphics do look good, and I can’t pretend I wasn’t swayed by them when I was watching the trailers, but I’m very suspicious of any game that’s claiming to be the next big thing, and it’s made by a developer with very little experience in the genre.

When you know they’ve only ever made an MMO before the whole game seems like exactly what you’d expect from that. Its Metacritic score is lower than some people seem to have expected, so I think it’s clear it’s not a great game, but from what I’ve read the score isn’t low enough.

I also have a really bad feeling about the console versions. The fact that there’s not a single review of the PlayStation 5 version is giving me Cyberpunk 2077 vibes and that’s not going to be a pretty sight.
Hammeriron

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Not awful
Can anyone explain to me why anyone thought Crimson Desert was going to be amazing? I’m going to assume it was nonsense whipped up by streamers and YouTube, since as I write this it’s doing really well on Twitch, but why? Surely they haven’t run out of things to talk about or were they just doing advertising for the company?

It may seem harmless but they’re talking people into paying £50+ for a game that doesn’t sound like it’s any good. And we haven’t even seen what it looks like when it runs on consoles, so I can’t wait for that obvious disaster to be revealed.

Of course, the second stage will be people who were tricked into buying it pretending to everyone else that it’s actually really good or ‘not that bad’. I don’t know about you I demand a bit more than that for my entertainment.
Lee Perrin

Losing the crown
Interesting that GTA 6 had its trailer record broken by what I would’ve thought was a relatively ordinary new Marvel movie. I’m sure it will do well, but it won’t do as much as the last Spider-Man film (because it was a crossover) and I doubt it’s going to be a cultural moment like Avengers: End Game or something like The Force Awakens. GTA 6 is absolutely on par with those sort of things though, so I’m surprise it’s not still number one.

I guess population growth alone will mean the number always goes up but with cinema attendances down… it’s just not something I would’ve betted on. I’m not going to say something daft like GTA 6 isn’t going to do well but this is the first sign we’ve had that it does have its limits. But to be fair that surprisingly sensible Take-Two boss does seem to realise that.
Dustin

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Beyond monsters
Been playing Pokemon Pokopia since launch. My, that game is a compulsive one, right?

Anyway, got me thinking, when is a pocket monster not a pocket monster and it’s just an animal? When a bird can fly and dart about quickly, isn’t it just a bird? No room for you in my pocket, pigeon! And if a squirrel doesn’t have a flaming tail or the ability to bend spoons with its mind then isn’t that just a fluffy rodent?! Kicked from the team ya furry rat!

Is there a discernible difference, or was Ash just going around enslaving wildlife for 25 years?
big boy bent
Currently playing: Pokopia and Thank Goodness You’re Here!, was chuckling away as I mowed the park with the daisies because I knew what was coming… I love you… I love you… I love you…. ha ha ha! Looking forward to more.

GC: Pokémon are fully sapient, unlike ordinary animals. No more so than in Pokopia, where they communicate with each other like a human would and perform complex tasks.

BSAA Dispatch
I hope Leon and Ada have hooked up, I think that would be neat. I think other than Barry Burton none of the other characters are confirmed to have a partner of any kind? I love Resident Evil and I would very much support a game that was not a survival horror. Something that was more comedic, sure, but also something that was more dramatic, with time for everyone to sit around and chat.

I don’t even know if half of these people have even met each other. Does Leon know Jill? Does Claire know anyone that isn’t Chris? Why has Sheva never come back and do they keep in touch?

I’m imagining some kind of visual novel/point ‘n’ click thing. Maybe something like Dispatch, where action is happening but it’s all about how the people are behind the scenes, I think that’d be a great idea.
Lobbie

La fin
Very sad to hear about the death of Red Storm Entertainment. I used to love the early Rainbow Six games, back when they were primarily tactical games, with action only as a minor aspect. Those days are obviously long gone but then so too is the whole franchise. Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon are both dead, and so is all the experimental stuff like EndWar and H.A.W.X.

Rainbow Six itself is essentially dead, with Siege being all that’s left of it, and it has nothing in common with the old games. The only other thing is The Division, which I would’ve sworn is also dead but apparently has a third game on the way, but either way it’s just another live service game.
As an adult, I have to admit I do look on the games in a different light.

They’re very right wing (as Tom Clancy was himself, even if he wasn’t a nut about it) and the whole gun fetish thing is kind of distasteful in the current age. As was said, it’s completely different to what Ubisoft used to be about and in that sense I’m not as sad to see the end of it all.

Let’s face it, if they were to bring these franchises back it’d be in name only, like Ghost Recon Wildlands, so what’s the point? I wouldn’t have shut down Red Storm but I would’ve had them making something that was a bit more political nuanced and not so much trying to appeal only to Americans.

I don’t have much faith that Ubisoft can make it through the next few years but if they do I hope they can get back some of what made them interesting in the early 2000s. Military games are fine, but they have to make them more than just shooting galleries. They need a more European perspective, not an American one.
Claborn

Petition for a petition
Can confirm that boost mode on the Switch 2 is really good. It’s the only thing that’s got me off Pokémon Pokopia (for a while) and while it is a shame that not all games are affected equally, I do think it’s a good start.

I would definitely sign the petition for a Switch 2 edition of Astral Chain, but I realise that’s never going to happen. I would love to hear of a sequel though, because I thought the original did better than expected. PlatinumGames seemed like they were in trouble for a while there but Ninja Gaiden 4 reviewed well, so hopefully they’ve still got the juice.
Luminous

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Cheap graphics
I found the DLSS 5-ified images revealed the other day a bit off putting to be honest.

While clearly a lot better in the amount of detail over the original images I do think they all were overly bright and had that artificial, unnatural feel you see with a lot of AI.

While not AI, the first thing that sprang to my mind was the awful, garish, pimped up remaster of Halo: Combat Evolved. I’ve played the game several times since and always use the original graphics, just at a higher resolution, as I think they look much better and atmospheric than the technically better, more detailed, retina burning newer graphics.

I’m sure DLSS 5 and its implementation will improve though and look more natural. It’ll probably be useful for a lot of smaller devs to punch above their weight in the graphics department.

I quite like that Take-Two guy but GTA 5 is generally considered the highest grossing entertainment product ever, with something like $10 billion in revenue. He’s got a bit more resources at his disposal than nearly everyone else.
Simundo

GC: That doesn’t seem like a good reason to put up with AI slop. Many lower budget and indie titles are visually impressive already, the idea of losing that in favour of a generic AI look is an awful thought.

Inbox also-rans
Why would Sony change the name of PlayStation Network? PSN is a perfectly good acronym and unlike most Xbox names it means what is. I’ll put it another way: I’m jealous of how many millions of dollars some marketing consultant charged to change it to PlayStation Online, or whatever it’ll be.
Cinder9

I am also very keen to know what Persona 6 is like. I’d be going through the roof now, annoyed at the lack of news, but I remember it was exactly like this waiting for Persona 5. That was worth it so hopefully this will be too.
Tater

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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.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.




Games Inbox: Is buying physical video games becoming more popular?


Games Inbox: Is buying physical video games becoming more popular?
Resident Evil Requiem – did you buy the boxed version? (Capcom)

The Thursday letters page explores the modern Nintendo vs. Sega rivalry, as one reader wants an end to Resident Evil remakes.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Turn back the clock
With Resident Evil Requiem and Pokémon Pokopia both selling out in terms of physical copies I wonder if there might still be a way to reverse the trend towards digital only? There’s lots of stories about Gen Z going retro for physical media, like CDs and DVDs. I’ve never heard game mentioned but I would’ve thought the same logic applies there.

Part of the reason behind the trend (apart from being contrary) is that they’ve realised it’s actually fun to own things, to put them on shelves, and to know they can’t be taken away from you. None of that applies to digital games so my hope is that we will see the increase in digital sales begin to slow and hopefully reverse.

If vinyl can make a comeback – and I hear even audio tapes and VHS – then video games absolutely should. There’s so much more to be gained by owning the games you pay for.
The Bishop

Your sequel is in another decade
A Fallout 3 remaster is all well and good but it’s now over 10 years since the last mainline Fallout game and we have absolutely no idea when Fallout 5 is coming out. After The Elder Scrolls 6 could mean 2033 or later. By that time we may not need a video game to experience a post-apocalyptic wasteland!

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If I was Microsoft I’d hand the whole franchise over to Obsidian, who made New Vegas. Bethesda has been sitting on the series for so long and they’ve done absolutely nothing with it. They’ve had all the time and money needed to get more people in and work on two games at once but that doesn’t even seem to have been a thought.

I think it’s because Todd Howard wants to do everything himself but, I’ll be honest, him not working on the next Fallout 5 would be better news than it coming out tomorrow.
Focus

Super Pokopia Odyssey
I see Pokémon Pokopia has sold over 2.2 million copies in four days, which puts it ahead of the pace set by Super Mario Odyssey… which went on to sell over 30 million. Very happy to see, not just because it’s a great game but because it’s a bit of a risk that’s been rewarded.

You can slap the Pokémon name on anything and it’ll sell something at least, but they obviously put a lot of care into this one, more it seems to me than the mainline games. We all know GC hates the Dynasty Warriors games, so they get the bonus of Omega Force being taken off that while they’re busy with Pokopia.

Looking forward to playing it some more and it already looks like there’s lots of plans for post-launch support.
Zeiss

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Brief rivalry
It is always funny to compare Nintendo’s fortunes to Sega’s. They’ve been partners now for much longer than they were ever rivals but there’s no way Sega is in the same league as Nintendo now, if they ever were.

I think the reason Nintendo is reaping the benefits of good reviews, but Sega isn’t, is that Sega’s brands are just too old and tarnished. After all these years, nobody expects a Sonic game to be good and Shinobi may be a good game but nobody remembers or cares about the franchise.

On the other hand, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a weird game, with a weird name and concept, that looks basically like a PlayStation 2 game. I played it and loved it but frankly I’m surprised it did as well as it did.

Sega left it far too late to revive their Mega Drive era games and now the majority of gamers don’t even know what they are. While with Nintendo it’s the opposite and Pokémon is a household name that only boosts the sales of an already good game.
Onibee

Console first
Is Microsoft’s proposed combination of PC and console likely to shift Sony’s policy of putting console exclusive games on the PC, or is that something that had already shifted?

As an aside have just completed and really enjoyed Death Howl. Excellent game – thanks for highlighting it.
Matt (he_who_runs_away – PSN ID)

GC: We’ll probably never know for sure, because Sony hasn’t commented publicly on any of its policies for years. The most recent suggestion is that Sony is more worried about Valve’s Steam Machine than they are Project Helix.

Quiet for now
The build-up to a new console launch is always tiring in terms of all the nonsense companies talk. I can’t wait for the tech demos that don’t look anything like any of the games that ever get made. Anyone remember the one for the PlayStation 5, with the Tomb Raider looking woman and the promise that SSDs would change the way games are designed (spoiler: they didn’t)?

As usual, Microsoft just cannot shut up and let its product do its talking. They’re still going on as if they’re a big deal and it’s just getting sad. They could’ve just been the next EA and that would’ve been plenty important for them, but now we’ve got to endure Xbox One Part 3.

It should be humiliating for them that Sony don’t care what they think, they’re only worried about Steam Machine, even though it flopped once and there’s no guarantee that Valve can make it a hit at all.

And yet still Sony apparently think there’s a better chance of that happening than Xbox messing up their plans. And yet despite all that I think going for a premium price PC is actually a good idea for Microsoft. It’s not the same thing as PlayStation and it sounds like it’s going to be more expensive/more powerful than Steam Machine.

At least that’s a clear point of difference, so they may have some luck with it, even if it is for a niche audience. But for pity’s sake just stop with the hype until you’ve got something to show, by which I mean a games line-up, a price, and a release date.
Jakey

Monster anticipation
Are you planning on reviewing Monster Hunter Stories 3? I very much enjoyed the last two and the third looks like a development on an already very enjoyable series.

I have the game pre-ordered and whilst I don’t always agree with your reviews I am curious about your take on this spin-off series.
BristolPete

GC: Yes, we’ll have a review this week.

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Keep the plates spinning
Nice to see Resident Evil Requiem doing so well and looking forward to playing it. I’m cheap these days and with a sizeable backlog anyway, can wait for the sales. Still haven’t finished Resident Evil 4 remake yet.

As a fan of the series, though, I’m surprised Capcom and gamers (looking at the GC letters page) are so unimaginative with where they could take these now beloved characters and the absurd zombie conspiracy story they’ve cooked up over the years. Online all you hear is talk of the next remake or DLC. However, with such a rich tapestry to draw on, they could easily churn out new spin-offs and semi-sequels for a while yet.

I mean, why tie yourself down to remaking older entries at all? With the modern RE Engine perfected, just reuse assets from the previous modern games to do side entries with new stories and more regularity. Send Jill Valentine off to Latin America to battle an outbreak and meet a new bunch of scientist weirdos for an all-new direct sequel to Resident Evil 3.

Give Leon and Chris a new game taking down dodgy virus labs in made up ex-Soviet states now they’re special forces bros., etc. Maybe call it Resident Evil Revelations 3. I guess you’d risk it becoming the video game version of those supposedly bad CGI movies nobody watches… but Capcom are on such a roll I’d trust them to get the job done for a few games, before it got stale.

They don’t need to go through the mill of making Resident Evil 5 or 6 work in the modern age, just forget them.
Marc

GC: Resident Evil spin-offs have a very mixed history, whereas almost all the remakes have been great; so it’s not hard to see why fans might prefer one over the other. That said, we’d love to see Revelations 3 happen.

Inbox also-rans
A new game by he creator of Wordle? I wish you hadn’t told me that, as now I will be doing my best to pretend I didn’t know, so I don’t waste my entire morning on it.
Aslan

I wonder why February has become such a big month for new releases. I guess it’s because it’s still dark out in the evening, but so is almost all of March. Seems odd to go from busy to almost nothing.
John Parsnip

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Pokémon cards are a hot commodity, and B.C. thieves aren’t playing around | Globalnews.ca


Pokémon cards were the focus of a gang who turned up at an Abbotsford, B.C., collectibles store on Friday — but they weren’t there to play.

Pokémon cards are a hot commodity, and B.C. thieves aren’t playing around  | Globalnews.ca

In pre-dawn scenes captured on the store’s security video, the masked raiders smash a window then loop a chain and a large hook around the security grate, which they wrench out with their car.

Owner Brandon Chreptyk said the gang then ransacked the store for about two minutes, making off with approximately $30,000 worth of Pokémon cards.

“They were targeting us for Pokémon cards specifically, which seems to be a trend right now. A lot of stores in the Lower Mainland have been robbed for that specifically,” said Chreptyk.

Pokémon cards have gone from being a childhood playground game to valuable investments — some worth thousands or even millions of dollars — making them a lucrative target for thieves.

Story continues below advertisement


This image from a security video shows thieves targeting the House of Cards store in Abbotsford, B.C., in the early hours of  March 6, 2026. The thieves made off with Pokémon trading cards worth about $30,000.).

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout – House of Cards (Mandatory Credit

There has been a spate of Pokémon card robberies around Canada in the past year, including at the Everything J & J store in New Westminster, B.C., where thieves made off with cards worth thousands on Jan. 19.

Calgary police said in November they were engaged in an ongoing investigation into Pokémon card thefts, while RCMP in Fort McMurray, Alta., said last August they had made an arrest after $20,000 in cards were reported stolen.

Chreptyk said the video of the robbery at his store, which has more than 6.5 million views on Instagram, is horrifying for him to watch. The thieves are seen hurdling the counter to stuff boxes of cards into white bags.

“It was just the sheer amount of damage they did was crazy,” said Chreptyk.

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He said police were on the scene in 4 1/2 minutes, but just missed the robbers.

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Sgt. Paul Walker with Abbotsford police said the House of Cards theft is classified as a break and enter, and remains under investigation. He said he could not release more details.

Hailey Finnigan, a communications officer with New Westminster police, said officers are seeking CCTV footage to help identify suspects in the Everything J & J break-in.

Finnigan said Pokémon collectors should be wary of being targeted by criminals.


Click to play video: 'Another Pokemon card theft has happy ending'


Another Pokemon card theft has happy ending


Chreptyk said his store doesn’t keep its high-value products at the store — instead, they are in bank safety deposit boxes.

The Pokémon trading card game was launched in Japan in 1996, based on successful video games. The game’s concept involves capturing, training and fighting with various Pokémon — short for “pocket monsters” — which have different powers and attributes.

Story continues below advertisement

They are now part of a multimedia universe, including an anime series and a live-action movie, starring Ryan Reynolds.

Chreptyk said children still love Pokémon cards, and his store hosts popular Pokémon tournaments.

But adults are more focused on buying and trading rare cards, which can be “quite valuable,” said Chreptyk.

How expensive? American social media influencer Logan Paul sold a card for US$16.49 million last month, having acquired it for about a third of that in cash and trades.


Chreptyk said his store steers clear of such rare, high-end cards since they would bring in the wrong crowd.

“We’ve been doing Pokémon for 15 years, and it’s only been crazy in the last five years since the pandemic. And now it’s just a frenzy. It’s bad news — the wrong people are involved.”


Promotional Pokemon cards are pictured behind a security gate at Team Collectors store in Richmond B.C., on Monday, March 9, 2026.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

Keith Wong and Max Wong, co-owners of Team Collectors in Richmond, B.C., said the break-in video posted by House of Cards took them aback.

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“I was pretty shocked, surprised by how actually well co-ordinated they are,” said Max Wong. He said he knew of “so many” break-ins.

One of the most expensive cards at Team Collectors is worth about $20,000. Keith Wong said they don’t feel comfortable bringing it to the store.

“We could still sell them, but it would be appointment-only or meet at local banks or police stations,” he said.

At their store in the Parker Place mall, they point to black security gates that they had installed after the J & J robbery.

They also added more security cameras, bringing the total to 10. There’s also a 24-hour security service for the mall.

Keith Wong gestured to a yellow Pikachu figure on the counter, joking that the most famous Pokémon character was also part of the security crew.

Max Wong said many collectors want to relive the childhood excitement of opening a pack of Pokémon cards to find out what was inside. Others were focused on their investment value.

“Any age can collect Pokémon, and any dollar amount can also start playing Pokémon,” said Keith Wong, adding that the hobby could cost from 25 cents to millions of dollars.

In Abbotsford, Chreptyk said the store is open again after the cleanup. He said the response from the local Pokémon card community has been overwhelming, with supporters bringing them doughnuts and hand-drawn pictures of Pokémon characters.

Story continues below advertisement

The store shared a child’s drawing on Instagram, showing a colourful Pikachu with the message: “To House of Cards, I am sorry about your stolen cards, from Olivia.”

“Our community is the best,” the store responded.


Games Inbox: Will Project Helix be a successful comeback for Xbox?


Games Inbox: Will Project Helix be a successful comeback for Xbox?
Will Project Helix be a hit with gamers? (Microsoft/AMD)

The Monday letters page tries to predict what will be announced on Mario Day, as one reader has some ideas for how Ubisoft could revive Prince Of Persia.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Next gen distraction
Interesting to see the new Xbox boss is going all out already with the Project Helix idea. I realise they haven’t shown anything yet but I don’t see how they can get way from the fact that it’s going to be super expensive. That’s the only detail they’ve given so far and it’s kind of one you can’t get way from.

I’m going to say that right now, considering everything that’s going on in the world, and the certainty that things are only going to get more expensive in the short term, nobody is in the mood for spending hundreds and hundreds of pounds on a next gen Xbox.

If I were them I’d just give up all hope of making consoles and concentrate on being a third party publisher. They’ve got plenty of big names, many of which have not been treated well in recent years, and I actually think being distracted by Project Helix could be a big problem for them.

Microsoft want a comeback for Xbox but I just think it’s too late. They’ve messed up too many times and I think the Xbox One was their last real chance, which the failure of the Xbox Series X – which wasn’t a bad console – kind of proves.
Winston

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Resident gamer
RE: Resident Evil Requiem attracting older gamers. I think we’ve known for a while now that the audience for single-player games is skewing older but there’s two alternatives here and one of them is not a bad thing at all. Either only old people like ‘proper’ games and when they die off there is no audience left (which is obviously bad) or people just get into traditional games as they get older, which is fine.

You’re not likely to be too interested in fishing or gardening or loads of other things when you’re a teenager but that doesn’t mean you won’t get into them later. Video games have long ago stopped being a thing that only young kids like and there’s now different types for all kinds of different people, at different points in their life.

Your taste in music changes over the years so maybe your taste in games does too. I know mine has, although when I was a teenager you didn’t have nearly the variety in gaming you do today.
Scooter

Lucky number seven
Nintendo has got to be trolling us with the Directs now. Six in 2026 and not one of them is a proper one or has announced anything of any real interest? I checked the list from last year and there’s already nearly more this year than the whole of 2025, and we’ve only just started March!

Please, Nintendo, just put us all out of our miseries and do something. Or at least don’t call a new trailer for a movie, and two minutes of blather from some Hollywood mouthpieces, a Direct. It’s not a Direct, none of the things you’ve had this year so far have been, as far as I’m concerned. It’s put up or shut up at this point.
Korbie

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Yearly schedule
I’m not sure I remember Nintendo announcing or releasing anything in particular on MAR10 Day before. It’s usually just sales and merch and littler things like that. A Mario Kart World update would be interesting, but that only means Nintendo is getting even more unpredictable.

Even with another not-Direct announced I still think there’s a good chance of the big one this month. Unless… the Switch 2 reveal was in April so maybe they’re going to make that an annual thing? That could be their main time for unveiling things now. It’s only a guess but I think we’ve got to realise that as weird as unpredictable as Nintendo seems to us, to them what they’re doing always makes perfect sense.
Zeiss

Prince’s Creed
The thing I don’t understand about the Prince Of Persia reboot and bringing it back, is how is it supposed to be different to Assassin’s Creed? Assassin’s Creed evolved out of an unreleased Prince Of Persia game and I don’t know how different a new game would be, except probably having no stealth.

It could be done though, if you put the emphasis on sword-fighting and platforming. That would make it more like the original games and also different from Assassin’s Creed. I’d also make it more light-hearted and try and make the characters likeable rather than ‘badass’. This is what people liked about Sands Of Time but I don’t think Ubisoft really understands that, especially after that Metroidvania spin-off, where everyone was angry again for no reason.

But I’ve got to be honest, if I was a money guy at Ubisoft, and I knew the company was on the rocks, it’s not something I’d be pushing for in a hurry. Whatever chance Prince Of Persia had for a revival I think it’s gone now.
Stennar

Out of stock
Pokémon Pokopia wasn’t initially a game that was on my radar. However, I’ve got a few games to trade in and have been tempted after the rave reviews, and it seems to be popping up on my social media feeds.

After some back and forth I thought I’d take the plunge. But I simply cannot find it in stock anywhere. Argos, Smyths, and Currys are all sold out. Likewise, ShopTo and Amazon. Even CeX don’t have any copies.

Recently, I tried and failed to get the Resident Evil Generation Pack and resigned to getting Requiem as a standalone. And getting Assassin’s Creed Shadows also provided slightly tricky.

It seemed an odd choice for a Nintendo exclusive to be a Game Card title to begin with and then to produce seemingly limited physical copies feels like a slightly underhanded and sneaky way of pushing consumers towards digital only.

Personally, I’m loathe to buy any digital-only title at full price, especially when I’m somewhat on the fence already.
matc7884

GC: In this case, it just seems to be unexpected demand, as it’s also sold out in the US in a very similar manner. However, as we type this it is in stock at Argos, Amazon, and ShopTo.

Gamer Boi
I recently game across a great song that I am sure everyone here will like and enjoy having a listen to. I came across this song which was posted and linked by Sarah Wingfield, who is also a gamer and disability advocate who does phenomenal work.

Here’s the link to her video which links the song and song title and I recommend everyone show her their love and support.
gaz be rotten (gamertag)

The motherlode
I’m in the process of moving house, big change as I’ve lived in south west London all my life, but we have decided to relocate to Cornwall (I work from home these days, so not tied to an area other than for family reasons). As a result my wife and I have been clearing stuff from the loft for the last few days.

Thought readers might like to see some of what was up there.

PlayStation 1, 2, and 3, GameCube, N64, Xbox (first one), Wii U, Nintendo DSes, PS Vita, Atari Lynx, Switch 1 and 2, Xbox Series X, Sega Dreamcast, Game & Watch. I have a lightgun for the Dreamcast, multiple controllers for each…. oh, and loads of games. Maybe a couple of hundred (e.g. Shenmue, Power Stone, GoldenEye 007, Grand Turismo, Zelda: Ocarina Of Time, Klax, etc.).

It’s put a massive smile on my face while wading through junk we’ve hoarded for no real reason…. Equally sad that I got rid of things like my imported Japanese Super Famicom a fair while ago (although maybe a family member has that, I’ll have to ask them).

I’ll be taking it all with me of course and might try and set up a gaming space in the new house. Wish me luck.
Birdmanrob

Large pile of games consoles
That’s a lot of game consoles (Birdmanrob)

Inbox also-rans
It’s a shame there’s never really be a definitive Star Trek game. There are a bunch of good ones but no great ones, I would say. Bridge Commander is probably my favourite but it was only combat based with not much else.
Kaon

Just want to add another recommendation for Minishoot’ Adventures. Zelda in a spaceship does sum it up pretty well and while that’s an odd idea I’m really enjoying it.
Johnson

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Games Inbox: Is Pokémon Pokopia really worth getting?


Games Inbox: Is Pokémon Pokopia really worth getting?
Pokémon Pokopia – have you played it? (The Pokémon Company)

The Friday letters page is loving Resident Evil Requiem, as one reader is frustrated at how Sony has used Naughty Dog during the current generation.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Surprise hit
Just come back from two hours of playing Pokémon Pokopia and… there’s not much I can tell you at this point, really. I do like the size of the world though and if everything is made out of Minecraft style blocks then it should be very customisable, so I like that.

I also see where the Fallout 4 comparisons are coming from, as seeing the ruined Pokémon Center like that is pretty crazy. I’m not clear what happened though. It obviously wasn’t a nuclear war, so was it an asteroid hit? Or maybe it’s actually a virtual world or something? Curious to find out the truth.

So far, I like the game and I specifically like that I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know what the game’s limits are or most of what I can actually do as a character. I’m not sure how many different pokémon are in it and I’m not clear whether it’s a game you can win or whether it goes on forever.

As far as I’m concerned, not knowing what’s coming next is the best thing that can happen to you when playing a video game. I admit I didn’t expect a Pokémon spin-off to be the sort of game to offer that level of freedom but then reading all the reviews I get the impression nobody else did either.
Wendel

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Saturated market
As far as I understand it there hasn’t been any real growth in the games industry since around the PlayStation 2 era, so I’m not really sure what anyone is expecting to change. Even when the games are free – and that’s what most people are playing – it still isn’t rising. I think we just have to accept that the amount of people playing video games right now are the same percentage that has always been interested.

I guess you could try and open up new markets, like India and such like, but they’re not going to have any nostalgia for franchises celebrating their 40th anniversary, or whatever, so good luck with that. As I always think, if publishers just knuckled down and put out a regular supply of great games they’d be fine, but they can’t seem to bring themselves to do that. Sony seems to be finally realising that truth, but only after wasting five years and who knows how much money.
Bootles

Gaia takes the reigns
So the hits keep on coming in terms of the games industry being in trouble, eh? It seems to me like nature is taking over and doing what publishers wouldn’t. They needed to cut budgets and lower prices but they didn’t so now they’ve got no choice, because no one can afford new consoles, or even PCs, anymore.

I’m joking of course, but if this forces everyone, especially the companies, to stick with the current gen then I think that’s a good thing. No one wants to fork out for a new console right now, and no one wants to see game prices rise any further. The microtransaction angle is a worry but as long as it’s always something you can do without I’ll leave it to the mugs that care.
Futterman

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Unreality engine
What a weird pandemic of boring video game reveals. Tweets, no-info blogs, and now nine minutes of a racing game in which there’s no racing. Is it the same company doing the marketing for all of this because whatever publishers are paying them it’s too much.

I assume not but this does highlight one of the problems I’ve already had with open world racing games in general, in that they’re always so empty feeling. It’s all very well being realistic but if there’s barely any cars on the road, and little or no pedestrians, it feels like you’re driving around a model village or something.

I thought this in the UK one for Forza Horizon, where everything looked like real places but there was no life to it. It felt very artificial, beyond the fact that obviously it is. GTA might not have very good driving but at least it feels like you’re driving around a real place, where you can hit people and cars get damaged.

The lack of collision damage is the other big flaw with Forza Horizon, as far as I’m concerned, especially as it only adds to the sense of unreality.
Terry Gold

I’ve made a huge mistake
Interesting that publishers are suddenly going after leakers, but I think it’s probably a coincidence given this Epic leaker was a producer there. I expected him to be a temp or IT guy or something, but a producer?! What was he thinking to risk his job just to tell nerds on the internet when there was going to be an Overwatch crossover?

The worst thing is that Fortnite leaks are all from dataminers, I thought. I didn’t even realise there were really leaks from actual insiders. What’s the point and what a way to ruin your career. And that’s on top of getting sued by a multi-billion company. Some really questionable life decisions there.
Colin

Bad Dog
Thinking about Sony’s problems this gen, and the hope that they may have finally seen sense, I think the biggest problem is how they’ve handled Naughty Dog. They’re the biggest weapon in their armoury and yet they haven’t made anything all gen, apart from a completely unnecessary remake of The Last Of Us Part 1, a cancelled online game, and two seasons of TV (or at least their main guy went off to do that, which I’m sure was very distruptive).

Considering the show saw a massive dip in popularity in its second season it all seems particularly pointless, as that’s what was pushing the big focus on The Last Of Us. So all Sony got out of them was one remake and lots of talk about never doing a Part 3. I don’t know how things could’ve gone worse really.

Well, the initial response to Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet wasn’t great either. We don’t know much about it yet but everything they’ve said about it makes it sound like a pretty heavy narrative game, just like The Last Of Us, whereas what they showed looked kind of goofy and cheesy.

I don’t much care which it is, but presumably it’s not both. Also, the name is terrible. Especially as I thought it was Interstellar, until I just checked the spelling. So, does that mean we’re getting the Bestie Boys on the soundtrack or not?

We hear a lot about how Microsoft are bad at managing developers, being either too strict or too lax, but seems to me Sony is pretty bad at it too. They’ve let their most important developer waste a whole generation and it’s still very hard to get excited about what they’re cooking at the moment.
Wotan

Medium expectations
So what do we think is going to happen if Marathon is a hit? With a bit of luck that will save Bungie, at least for now, but what will it mean for Sony’s live service plans?

I can’t see it being a mega hit but how medium a hit is enough to keep these things running? It’s a problem we don’t see talked about much, where how big is big enough to keep the lights on? Helldivers 2 isn’t massive but it’s always in the top 30 on Steam, so I would say that was more than just a medium hit.

But if Marathon ends up averaging only top 50 or 100 is that enough? Or it is literally all or nothing for these games?
Lentz

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Mission complete
I beat Resident Evil Requiem today and just wanted to write in and say how much I’ve enjoyed. There’s so many terrible things going on at the moment, in the games industry and beyond, that sitting back and relaxing, by putting a hatchet through a zombie’s brainbox has been so cathartic.

I can see why you were slightly down on the ending, as it did seem to run out of steam a little in the last hour or so, but it’s a minor dip and the rest of it was 10/10 as far as I’m concerned. The Leon bits, and his dumb as rock one-liners, were amazing but I really liked Grace as well. Leon is like an amped up superhero but Grace is more normal and I think cutting between them really worked.

Resident Evil 4 is great but it can be… I wouldn’t say repetitive necessarily but definitely one note. Requiem mixes things up perfectly and no part of it goes on for too long and many times you’re left wanting more, even though you know that would probably not be for the best (even though I do agree Mercenaries is definitely needed).

It may only have been a dozen or so hours but I was completely entertained the whole time and haven’t enjoyed anything – game, movie, or gig – as much as this for ages. So yeah, a bit of positivity and the same old message: at the end of the day it’s only the games that matter.
Taylor Moon

Inbox also-rans
Do you think the first party Nintendo Direct could be on MAR10 Day? Which is next Tuesday? They have got a new Mario game to announce after all, and everyone assumes they were going to do a proper Direct this month.
Gracke

GC: We don’t think they’ve ever done one on Mario Day before but now you mention it, it does seem a possibility.

I’m so happy that Resident Evil Requiem has been a big hit. Fastest selling entry after 30 years is nothing to sniff. Now do the decent thing and announce the Dino Crisis remake!
Austin

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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.

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Games Inbox: Will Resident Evil Requiem get a Mercenaries mode?


Games Inbox: Will Resident Evil Requiem get a Mercenaries mode?
Resident Evil Requiem – will Mercenaries be added later? (Capcom)

The Thursday letters page wonders when Pokémon Red and Blue will be remade in 3D, as one reader looks forward to Crimson Desert.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Mercenary thoughts
I wonder why Capcom hasn’t said anything about The Mercenaries yet? Maybe they don’t want people to put off buying the game at launch but personally I’d feel a lot more confident about buying it if they did announce it.

I’m glad to see Resident Evil Requiem doing so well though and will definitely get it at some point this year. I’m also on board with a new Resident Evil 1 remake, as it’s always been inevitable. But you’ve got to wonder what Capcom is going to do after that?

Even if they remake Resident Evil 5 and 6, which I would advise against, they’re still on the verge of running out of anything to remake. We can see that they like a new Resident Evil game coming out every year, or at least two years, so what takes the place of the remakes?

I only see two obvious options: remake obscure games like the Game Boy game or Outbreak or create a new sub-series. I would’ve made this Revelations, as I liked the focus on co-op, but I’m assuming they didn’t sell that well or we’d already have more.

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Maybe a series of prequels? If the main cast are getting old then maybe some stories of them as younger people? I don’t really understand what anyone in S.T.A.R.S. did before the zombie outbreak, so maybe they could explore that. Why did an ordinary city police force have such a highly trained team of special forces soldiers? Were they just giving out parking tickets before Resident Evil 1 happened?
Cranston

Simple explanation
I wonder how many cheering the death of Highguard (and all the job losses at the developer) have actually played the game? I played it and I thought it was good. Not mind-blowing or anything but something I enjoyed and which did have some good ideas.

Personally, I don’t think it failed for any reason than it looked and sounded kinda of generic. I really don’t think it was any more complicated than that. People getting upset about it being the mic drop at The Game Awards are the usual loud minority and I don’t think that affected anything.

It just took a bit of time and effort to get to know and appreciate, and I can totally understand that people don’t have much of the first to spare nowadays.
Bernie

Second thoughts
I completely support Sony’s idea not to release single-player games on the PC. Why they ever thought it would be a good idea I don’t know but, as most people have been saying all along, exclusives sell consoles. It’s why Nintendo is still in business, it’s why Xbox barely is, and it’s why everyone loved the PlayStation 4.

I’m genuinely surprised that they did a U-turn but I’m very glad that they’ve admitted the mistake. Assuming the rumours are true, I suppose, but I guess we’ll see.

It makes me wonder what else Sony might be having second thoughts on though. I imagine they took special note of Highguard’s failure but I wonder what the poor response to God Of War: Sons Of Sparta made them think? More first party games and less stuff farmed out to nobody developers?

I’d be feeling quite optimistic now, if it wasn’t for shutting down Bluepoint, which seems even more stupid given what we’re hearing now.
Goldface

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Whatever annoucement
I’ve got to say you are not exaggerating when you say companies are not putting an effort in anymore. Between Sony tweeting out Wolverine’s release date and whatever that Assassin’s Creed blog was supposed to be, things are being announced with all the enthusiasm of a bored office worker at 4.55pm on a Friday.

We’ve been hearing rumours about a Black Flag remake for years and all we get is a single picture that we’re not even sure is supposed to be there? And it’s not even a good picture, is what makes me laugh!

It’s pointless asking for E3 to come back but please, for pity’s sake, could publishers put some effort into pretending they want to be in the games making business? And by that I do not mean a super slick video were developers are reading things they’d never say in real-life off a board.
Scooter

The remake dimension
I have no problem with Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen being re-released on Switch, although personally I haven’t bought them. I’m curious, though, as to when the inevitable will happen and Nintendo will remake one of the older games in 3D (no I Choose You, Pikachu! doesn’t count).

I imagine the only reason it hasn’t happened so far is that they’ve been mocked for their bad graphics and bugs. But at some point Red and Blue is going to be remade to look like Winds and Waves, or one of the Legends games. It worked for Resident Evil, after all.
MonsterB

Unsatisfied customer
RE: Gambon and buying a PlayStation 5. I think it depends, as most of the best games on PlayStation 5 were cross-gen. If you have played the likes of God Of War, The Last Of Us, and Spider-Man 2 already on the PlayStation 4, and really don’t want to play them again, then it would seem a little pointless.

Resident Evil Requiem may run fine on Switch 2 but the PlayStation 5 is going to be a superior experience. Price wise, if you look at second-hand, you could probably get a PlayStation 5 and a PlayStation Portal for the same price as the Switch 2.

Then there is the game prices. For a tenner(-ish) a month you’d have a huge library of games on PlayStation whereas Nintendo you’ll be coughing up £60 a time to play something new. I have to admit I’ve been very disappointed with my Switch 2 so far and I couldn’t recommend it at it’s current price with the games that have been released.

Hated Donkey Kong Bananza (sorry) and I’m surprised Nintendo would release a game with such frequent frame rate and camera issues. Zelda was well worth playing again but not for the £500+ I’ve spent on it so far.
P B

Catch up
In response to Gambon asking about buying a Switch 2, I’d say that it’s an easy choice to make if you’ve never owned a Switch.

You’ll have instant access to an incredible library of games like Super Mario Odyssey, Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and Tears Of The Kingdom, and a host of amazing indie titles like Into The Breach, Hades etc. that are great for playing handheld.
drlowdon

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Better than fine
Nice pick up on the Switch 2 version of Resident Evil Requiem. I’m sure it’s something that a lot of buyers were looking at. I remember the ‘impossible ports’ of the OG Switch, like The Witcher 3 and Doom (Eternal) and despite them being amazing technical achievements… well, they were pretty dire compared to their PlayStation 4/Xbox One counterparts.

I haven’t seen the latest Resident Evil running on Switch 2, but my young cousin has Cyberpunk 2077 on his and I have compared it to my playthrough on my PlayStation 5. It’s worth remembering that two things can be true with these ports; If you’re not a big gamer they are good enough and remarkable for a handheld, however they are downgrades across the board on the PlayStation 5 versions.

Even to untrained eyes they are noticeable and whether you can put up with that is only something the individual can answer. I’m reminded of PlayStation 2 ports of Xbox or GameCube titles back in the mid-2000s (Max Payne anyone?), they’re fine as long as someone doesn’t show you the other version, after which it’s tough to go back.

I guess the biggest question was always not whether the Switch 2 could run these games… but whether the consoles primary gamers would actually buy enough third party titles to make the efforts worthwhile? The legacy of the OG Switch is that Nintendo taught its users not to expect good third party ports, so those gamers probably picked up other formats in the intervening years leaving just those who played Nintendo exclusively ready to upgrade to the new machine.

Turning that around will be a slow process and news that third party titles are continuing to sell below publisher expectations is a worry.
Marc

GC: Resident Evil Requiem on the Switch 2 seems to have sold well. It’s just difficult to tell, because a lot of people bought the trilogy bundle instead.

Inbox also-rans
Will you be reviewing Crimson Desert?
LoRd SiNn

GC: Yes. We’re also interested in reviewing crimson dessert. Red velvet cake is delish.

It is so weird to me to see people talk about having a pre-order and then worrying whether the game will be good or not. Why are you pre-ordering it then?
Fome

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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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Games Inbox: Is it worth buying a PS5 in 2026?


Games Inbox: Is it worth buying a PS5 in 2026?
Still worth getting or should you wait till the next one? (Sony)

The Wednesday letters page defends Nintendo’s first party record on Switch 2, as one reader offers their opinion on the Marathon Sever Slam.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Hardware options
I’ve been watching all the news about memory prices rising and the PlayStation 6 being pushed back to who knows when and it’s left me unsure as to what to do, because I currently only have a PlayStation 4. Naturally, I don’t want to buy a PlayStation 5 just as it’s replaced by a new machine. But at the same time I don’t, as you can tell, care about getting the latest hardware just as it comes out.

Curious to know if anyone else is in the same boat, as I’ve kind of got three options: skip the generation entirely, get a Switch 2 instead, or get a PlayStation 5 and just end up late to the PlayStation 6 as well.

I previously didn’t give much thought to the Switch 2 option but given how well things like Resident Evil Requiem have apparently turned out I’m thinking that might be the best bet. I’ve only had a Wii before, so it’d be kind of interesting to take a break from Sony while the bigger picture sorts itself out.
Gambon

Opposites attract
Really looking forward to playing Pokémon Pokopia tomorrow. It wasn’t on my radar at all until I saw all the positive reviews and now I’m really excited to spend the weekend with it, especially as it’s something my wife will almost certainly enjoy as well.

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I got Resident Evil Requiem last week and loved that but at the end of the day it’s only 14 hours or so long and while I do want to replay it, it’s not something I want to do immediately. But a game that is apparently very long and involved, but also laid-back and ‘cosy’, sounds like the perfect follow-up.

Reminds me of the time Doom Eternal and Animal Crossing: New Horizons came out on the same day. Sometimes it’s nice to have a contrast, where the only similarity is that both games are good.
Carson

Not a sprint
Just passing on my thoughts about Marathon, I hope the full game sells well to keep Bungie alive, but I’m on the fence whether to buy it or not.

I played about six hours of the Marathon Server Slam. The base gameplay and shooting mechanics are great. I for one loved the graphic style too. However, I’m not sure I will bother with the full game due to it being an extraction shooter. For me, I just find it a bit too tedious; the missions are mundane. Each round you play is ~20 minutess and you only meet one or two teams of real players. I find it overly repetitive, similar to how Helldivers 2 was.

Now I don’t know if the full game will have deathmatch mode or something similar added, but if it does I would buy it nearly half to relive the old Halo 3 Slayer days.
Carlos

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Ooo, that’s a good one
I really enjoyed the new Indie World Direct. I’m delighted by Heave Ho getting a sequel, the first is probably one of the funniest games for multiplayer.

Getting a shadow drop for Blue Prince is very welcome too, I did a lot in that game through Game Pass but will double dip on Switch 2.

That wood game looked adorable and I’m keen for anything from the Guacamelee developers.

Unbelievably though, I’m most excited by a game that was only in the Japanese version of the Direct. Öoo got an unexpected release and wasn’t featured in the Western stream. I’ve had my eye out for this since it came out on PC, so an unexpected shadow drop on Switch is brilliant news and may sway me away from Resident Evil Requiem, even though I want to finish that before Pokopia.

I know everyone wants to hear from Nintendo about their first party plans, but it’s nice to have such an overwhelming selection of brilliant third party indie and AAA games to enjoy in the meantime.
Euclidian Boxes

GC: Thanks for mentioning that, we had no idea. It’s on the UK Nintendo eShop right now, so we’ll see if we can get a review done.

Something to look forward to
The behaviour of FromSoftware towards Bloodborne truly is bizarre. They keep saying the game is special to them and everything, but they won’t even release a PlayStation 5 patch?! How does that make any sense whatsoever?

Mind you, I don’t understand why anyone is pushing for a remake either. The game’s a PlayStation 4 title, how much better do you expect it to look? Especially as From won’t do the remake themselves, so it’ll be missing lots of little details and secrets that only they know about.

What we need is a sequel, and soon. For all we know that’s what they’re working on but the way he talks about it I don’t think there’s any chance the director would be anyone other than Hidetaka Miyazaki. But he’s doing The Duskbloods at the moment, which implies no serious work has started on Bloodborne 2 yet.

So… I look forward to playing it in 2031, I guess? Or maybe 2035 for the 20th anniversary? Let’s at least hope they can make it by then.
Gavin

User approval
Congratulations to Capcom for scoring the highest rated user score on Resident Evil Requiem. I’ve only played a bit of it and I’ve so far played through the introduction, dispatched some zombies as Leon, and woke up in a very creepy medical centre.

I have to also commend Capcom for changing up the behaviours of zombies. A zombie that sings creepily, a maid zombie cleaning the floor, and a chef zombie with a chainsaw. Very unique and it’s very well deserved to see Requiem dethrone Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Which is the better game is a topic that will divide fans and gamers, but that’s a topic for another day.

Crimson Desert is set to release in over two weeks, and I honestly can say I have no idea where the reviews will land, especially with the embargo lifting one day before release and by then my pre-order will be all but ready to be dispatched. I truly hope this is the next Elden Ring and Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, rather than the next Forspoken. It looks insane and if the execution is right it could be the perfect title to hold us off until GTA 6 releases.

I’ve also heard some rumblings of Cory Barlog’s next game. Starring Faye as the lead character and utilising a Devil May Cry style of combat gameplay. It’s certainly what I didn’t expect and didn’t ask for. But it’s unconfirmed for now, so I’ll wait until Cory clears the rumours up. But it seems quite a disappointment to me. I would have preferred something fresh instead. Not a live service title per se, but maybe an original story and a new set of characters.

Faye is only in God Of War Ragnarök for 10 minutes and considering I only saw her once in the game, when I came to her section, I don’t see a full title warranted. Freya would have been a better choice. Perhaps a prequel and her journey up to the events of the 2018 game. She’s one of my favourite characters, so I would have loved to see her have her own game. No one asked for Faye. But we’ll see and wait for confirmation.

On a final note, I’m absolutely stoked for the Fatal Frame 2 demo that drops in two days. I really hope this works as well as Silent Hill 2 and Resident Evil Requiem has. Then we can get the first and third games remade and on PC. Fingers crossed.
Shahzaib Sadiq

Regular event
The Indie World was fine and all but I can’t believe they couldn’t have found a fair few more games to promote. 15 minutes seems kind of pointless. If you’re going to try and make people sit down and watch a showcase at least make a proper go of it. 15 minutes is okay if it’s just one game but either this needed longer or they should do it on a more regular basis, like once every month.

I would be happy with that. I buy most indie games on Switch because it’s more convenient to play them like that, but while Nintendo does more to promote them than Sony it still doesn’t do much.
Tosh

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What’s the big secret?
Whilst I understand some of the frustration towards Nintendo I do feel it is somewhat overblown. I know people are keen for news on their big franchises such as Zelda and Mario. I’m in the same boat, myself. However, since the Switch 2 launched there’s many Nintendo exclusives that have released or are due soon, Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, Drag x Drive, Kirby Air Riders, Fast Fusion, two Pokémon games, Metroid Prime 4, Yoshi And The Mysterious Book, and Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment.

Granted, some of these are cross-generation and not all have been a hit. I get that the quality of certain games hasn’t been up the usual standard of what Nintendo usually produce and that gamers want to know what they are planning next. However, Nintendo have always seemed to keep things close to their chest and announce games only a short time from their launch date.

It’s still early days in the Switch 2 lifecycle and I’d argue they have been far more active in releasing new exclusives than Sony or Microsoft have been this generation.
matc7884

GC: You’re right but at the same time Nintendo has never been quite this secretive before, without an obvious reason. It’s not even clear whether they’re consciously doing things differently or if they’re just letting the chips fall where they may.

Inbox also-rans
It’s so weird to me that NieR:Automata is getting an Overwatch crossover and we still haven’t heard a peep about any kind of sequel. That game will be 10 years old next year!
Focus

Would just like to see I got Minishoot’ Adventures a year or so ago and really loved it. Would definitely recommend it to others now it’s on console.
Skimboat

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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.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.




Games Inbox: When will the next Legend Of Zelda game be announced?


Games Inbox: When will the next Legend Of Zelda game be announced?
There’s no clue as to when a new Zelda could appear (Nintendo)

The Tuesday letters page is surprised by all the positive reviews for Pokémon Pokopia, as one reader has had enough of God Of War.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Super Nintendo plan
So I’m guessing I’m not the only person to be annoyed that there’s still not going to be a full Nintendo Direct anytime soon. The Switch 2 is sitting there with almost nothing on its schedules and while it’s nice to hear Pokémon Pokopia is good it’s out next week and then that’s it, nothing else with a confirmed released date and hardly anything else of any kind at all.

I’m not going to bother trying to predict what a new Nintendo Direct may or may not annouce but I really hope it contains at least a hint as to the next Legend Of Zelda. It’s nearly six years since Tears Of The Kingdom, so they should be able to say or show something, even if it’s just a bit of artwork – which is usually how they start the hype.

I really don’t know how we’ve gone this long without any hint of a 3D Mario or a new Zelda. And in a year with a Mario film and a Zelda one next year! If there’s a secret plan Nintendo is following I’d love to hear about it, because at the moment it just feels like they’re asleep at the wheel.
Molston

Direct troll
I guess you could predict that Nintendo would do an Indie World next but, like another reader said, do they realise they’re trolling fans with how they’re handling this? I doubt they’re doing it on purpose, but the trolling is happening whether they intended it or not.

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So now we’re looking at a proper Nintendo Direct being mid-March at the absolute earliest, and probably later. I think that’s the latest Nintendo has ever done it in an ordinary year and yet the need for it seems like the greatest it’s been in a long while.

It’s interesting that Pokémon Pokopia has got such surprisingly good reviews, but I don’t know how much that’s going to satisfy people who want to know when the next big game is arriving. Apart form anything Pokopia barely has anything to do with Nintendo, since it’s mostly an Omega Force joint. So I wouldn’t count it as first party.
Sonicer

Surprise hit
Really did not expect Pokémon Pokopia to be getting such good reviews. Its Metacritic is above Resident Evil Requiem now, which I would not have betted happening. I guess sometimes you just have to make a good game and it’s great to have two good ones come out so close to one another.

I’m not convinced it’s something I’ll like personally but I’m very tempted, just because it seems weird and all the praise. It’s exactly the sort of game that I’d wait a few months for and pick it up when it’s cheap but since it’s a Nintendo game we all know that’s not going to happen. Oh well, maybe I’ll convince my girlfriend to half it with me.
Korbie

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Artwork of Vengeance
Just a heads up for anyone who would like to get Shinobi: Art Of Vengeance on Switch 1, you can currently get it from the Limited Run Games website while stocks last. The version they have has different cover artwork to the UK version and it contains a region free cartridge that
contains the whole game on the cartridge.

Please read the terms and condition on the page, which is not very long before buying. If you buy Shinobi UK version on Amazon UK it is a code in the box, so getting it from Limited Run Games mean you get an actual cartridge. It’s currently $39.99, not including postage and tax, which is a lot cheaper than going on eBay. I know a fellow GameCentral reader was interested in the Switch version of Shinobi.
Andrew J.
PS: Will Game Central be doing a review of the Talking Flower from the Nintendo Store when it releases? As I am thinking of getting it.

GC: Not unless Nintendo send us one, but its features seem fairly clear cut so we doubt they will.

Catching a feeling
I am delighted to see the widespread good reviews for Pokémon Pokopia. I have played all of the recent Pokémon games, as I continue to chase in vain that feeling of wonder and joy the series held in my childhood with the Silver and Ruby versions.

Only Legends: Arceus has come close since the DS era, but between the re-release of FireRed and now Pokopia’s imminent arrival, maybe I will finally recapture some of that feeling. I can’t wait to get stuck into both in the coming weeks! I am dubious that Winds and Waves can return the main series to its glory days but at least Pokopia is carrying the torch for them regardless.
Pigfish2 (PSN ID/NN ID)
Now playing: Mario Tennis Fever on Switch 2 and Resident Evil Requiem on PlayStation 5.

Are you a god?
A God Of War spin-off starring Kratos’ wife was not something on my bingo card and I’ll be honest, I’m already having trouble getting excited about it. She was in Ragnarök for 10 minutes, collecting berries, and didn’t make any impression on me at all. But now she’s going to be the start of a more action-based game?

God Of War might not have been non-stop but it was still an action game, so I’m not sure I understand. The mention of Devil May Cry was weird too. So she’s going to be dancing and spinning around like Bayonetta? That does not seem like something she would’ve done or anyone would have done in the God Of War games.

I’m also still confused as to whether giants in God Of War are actually giants? They seemed to be at the end of the first one and then there was some kind of retcon that they were normal sized? Mind you, I don’t really understand what a god is meant to be in this universe. Just someone that’s hard to kill but not impossible? I mean, it’s not like Kratos has any powers or is omnipotent or anything.

I really think it’s time to admit the God Of War story is over. There was no need for a prequel, there’s no point going back to the Greek games, and there doesn’t seem to be any sort of vision for the future. After the success of the last game they could’ve made anything they wanted and the idea that they’ve gone for some weird spin-off, rather than pushing anything forward, says a lot to me.
Hoofton

Adult response
I’ve been trying to figure out the logic of why Call Of Duty players are so much more likely to cheat than anyone else. You would’ve thought it’s because they’re all kids, but Fortnite was actually quite low down that list. I think the sad truth is that it’s probably because there’s more adults playing Call Of Duty and they can’t bear to lose to kids, so they show them how grown-ups handle a problem like this and… cheat.

I’ve pretty much given up playing any online game nowadays because of the amount of cheaters. I tend to lose anyway, because I’m not very good at them, but knowing I haven’t got a chance anyway, because of the cheats, just completely puts me off.
Corvey

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Mega music
The Sega Mega Drive is a console remembered from the 1990s, not only as one of the best consoles ever released for that time period, with its incredible library of games still enjoyed by fans today, but also because of the sound chip. Not only was this great competition for Sega’s competitor but it was also responsible for amazing games music. The Yamaha YM2612 was an impressive FM synthesizer which also worked alongside the Texas Instruments SN76489 PSG chip to ensure amazing audio.

You only have to look at classic games and the soundtracks for Streets Of Rage, Sonic The Hedgehog, Road Rash, Golden Axe, ToeJam & Ear and countless more to see just how incredible the music was for games of that era.

In 2026 we are still seeing fans create music using a Sega Mega Drive synthesizer and software to make new music, as well as many fans creating new Sega Mega Drive titles.

If that’s not enough to convince you that the Sega Mega Drive had the best soundtracks for its era just take a look at the hundreds of games released for this system and the top 10 soundtracks for it and hear for yourself why this console inspired gamers to make incredible music for future games consoles.

When you take a look at the new Mega Drive music being made it still sounds good. While the Yamaha YM2612 was limited at the time it still remains one of gamers’ most remembered sound synthesizers.

The Mega Drive’s sound was amazing and even today people still remember it and don’t forget about the amazing memories and times that were had with this awesome 1990s console.
gaz be rotten (gamertag)

Inbox also-rans
I appreciate you still reviewing VR games, but it feels like a losing battle. VR is dead as far as anything but low budget indie games go, and it’s a real shame. Thanks for nothing Sony.
Limpton

So now that Overwatch is popular again does that mean we’re never getting a story campaign for it? I was actually really looking forward to that.
Mick

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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.

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