The Tuesday letters page recommends Screamer despite the relatively high price, as one reader laments the rising cost of amiibo.

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

Full Spectrum warrior
Really enjoyed the Reader’s Feature at the weekend about Ant Attack and I agree it was a classic that needs more recognition today. It’s definitely one of the best games on the Spectrum but it had me thinking about what my actual favourite is.

I’d say Elite, Chuckie Egg, Knight Lore, and School Daze are all up there, but I think my favourite might be The Great Escape. Another great isometric game but so complicated for Sir Clive’s tiny little 48K monster.

There’s not really anything like it nowadays, which is probably true for most of the games I’ve listed. I’m still upset there isn’t a modern Elite game on consoles and stuff like Knight Lore… I guess modern action adventures are in the same area but nothing has ever been quite the same since all these old UK developers gave up the ghost.
Franky

Back to front
We wall knew something funny was going on with Resident Evil Requiem’s story and ending and I think it’s just as simple as they were running out of time to make it out for the 30th anniversary. It’s such a shame because for the first six or eight hours of the game are pretty much perfect, then it slowly bleeds out.

It’s not enough to ruin the game or anything but when you get that close to nailing it, it feels really frustrating. I think it’s too much to hope for a director’s cut that retcons things but maybe next time Capcom should consider making the games backwards – starting with the final scenes and boss battles and working back from there.

Also, I cannot believe it’s not relatively easy to find someone in Japan that’s good at making boss battles. There must be ex-Treasure people and the like everywhere. It’s weird that’s been a problem with the series basically from the beginning.
Focus

The Legend of Elden Ring
Video game movies are not something I’d normally get excited about but it looks like Elden Ring could be the one to break the curse. I know they’ve been getting better lately but they’re still not actually good, but I hope that this could be the one, especially if Alex Garland is a fan.

The set footage isn’t much to go on but it does look exactly like the game so that’s got to be worth something, even if it is a fairly easy thing to recreate at that scale. It sounds like it and the Zelda movie might come out at more or less the same time, which is going to be interesting.

I imagine to ordinary movie reviewers they might seem very similar concepts, but I can guess which one is going to come out better – and it’s not the one by Nintendo.
Bluek

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Rising prices
I have just bought the Mario & Luma amiibo, which is my first amiibo I have bought with the new higher prices. I have attached a couple of photos so readers can compare their size with the cheaper amiibo. The Mario & Luma amiibo cost me £24.99 including delivery, the Super Mario amiibo on its own cost £12.99 and the Tom Nook one cost me £10.99.

As you can see, the packaging for the Luma amiibo is quite a bit bigger than the lower priced amiibo. I have included a Switch game in the photo so people have an idea how big the amiibo are. I bought the new amiibo as I am a big fan of Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2.

I will be more selective of what amiibo I buy in future, because of the new higher prices. I hope the amiibo for Resident Evil Requiem are not £24.99 each, as that will be £50 to own them! Nearly as much as purchasing the game!
Andrew J.

GC: The prices are shocking but we’ve got to admit, that Mario & Luma one is nice.

Too much money
That is very surprising to find that Take-Two has laid off their whole AI team. You would’ve thought they would’ve kept it going just to tick a box when attracting investors, but maybe they really don’t need the money.

If that is the case, and it’s not just that the boss has a pet hate, I wish we’d see this in other things they do. Like wasting money on weird ideas and indie games. But I can’t remember the last time Take-Two published anything that wasn’t just a sports game or something from Rockstar Games.

They might not need an AI department but you always need new and interesting games. Heck, I’d settle for a new Bioshock if nothing else.
Danson

Man attic
After making an obvious and cheap gag about the size of the PS5 Pro yesterday, I felt it only fair to show you can fit these modern consoles in quite easily under the TV and while big don’t quite deserve the reputation they seem to have.

This modest space, an attic conversion, has a PS4 Pro, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X, plug tidy box behind the Series X, Switch 2 behind the TV, PlayStation VR 2 in a case behind some classic gaming tat and all the controllers, games and charging leads in the box. The TV stand was £50 five years ago from Argos.

I will say though both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 look better stood up but I can’t imagine that’s the most convenient why for most to store them. So for me make the PlayStation 6 and Nextbox with horizontal as the design focus.
Simundo

Luck of the draw
I don’t know if it’s on sale or if it’s that dynamic pricing but I got Astro Bot off the PlayStation Store on Saturday for £32.99.

It’s as good as everyone says it is. Been a while since I’ve enjoyed a game this much. Holds up very well against Super Mario Odyssey.
Tom Thomas

GC: We think it’s dynamic pricing (which is disgusting) as it’s £42.59 for us, at a 29% discount.

A real scream
I bought Screamer over the weekend, as I love arcade racers and I’ve been loving it. My only issue with gameplay was the twin stick turning, which I just couldn’t get the hang of. But thankfully you can map both sticks just to the left stick and it was a gamechanger, it feels much more natural. So if anyone is put off by the controls you can change them.

There’s a lot of mechanics to learn, which offers strategy to the racing, but another nice touch is in private matches or split-screen you can turn off anything that others feel complicated and just have a standard racer, which is cool.

The biggest problem is the price. £60 is a lot for a racer which is trying something new and I feel it’s putting a lot off. I managed to pay for half of it with Microsoft Points, so it only cost me £30. I think it should have been £40 and it looks like the game is suffering because of it, which is a shame as it’s up there with Split/Second: Velocity and Blur for me.
Rob

GC: We agree entirely. It’s a great game but the price is a big ask for an IP most people have never heard of.

Inbox also-rans
That Jesus: The Journey game has got to be some kind of failed superhero game they found the code for or something. Like you said, I don’t see how this stuff gets on PlayStation Store in the first place. Can I just upload some pirated ROMs and Sony will leave them up for six months until they realise what they are?
Campbell

Never heard of the dude that died but Double Dragon was always a favourite of mine when growing. So kudos to Yoshihisa Kishimoto and shame he went so relatively young.
sniperboy

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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.

MORE: Games Inbox: Has the new Mass Effect been cancelled?

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

MORE: Games Inbox: What score would you give the PS5 out of 10?

The Thursday letters page has initial fan reactions to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, as one reader is annoyed that Sora and Pragmata are coming out at the same time.

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

Review in progress
I’m sure we’re probably only a month or too away from Sony officially announcing the PlayStation 6 now, just like Microsoft already has for the Xbox. I’m not going to bother saying I think it’s too soon because I think that’s almost everyone’s opinion.

The PlayStation 5 still selling so well makes it seem extra unnecessary, but it did make think what the legacy of the console will be. For me the PlayStation 4 was Sony’s best console, thanks to its great games line-up, so I’d give it a solid 9/10.

But what about the PlayStation 5? For me personally it’s no more than 5/10, maybe less. There has been great games on it but Sony hasn’t had much to do with most of those and most seem like they could’ve just been PlayStation 4 games.

Am I being too harsh? Curious to know what other readers think as I realise that’s quite a drop.
Purple Ranger

Subliminal marketing
Just seen The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and I already don’t believe a word about not building up to a Smash Bros. film. No spoilers, but let’s just say the Fox McCloud cameo is not the only one that comes out of nowhere.

The amount of time spent on Star Fox kind of surprised me though. There is no way they aren’t building up to a new game reveal. That whole bit was basically an ad for a game that hasn’t been announced yet. Although I’m perfectly happy with that.

I thought the film was good, at least in terms of pleasing kids and Nintendo fans (i.e. me). The story’s very basic but I was surprised that all the characters got a little chance to shine, even though there’s a lot more heroes than the first one. My kids loved it.
Penfold

Portable games for portable consoles
The idea of a PlayStation 6 (or more likely PlayStation 5) handheld sounds all well and good but I sincerely doubt that Sony is going to make or encourage games that are exclusive to it, which means you’ll only ever be playing the same home games on a handheld.

I know some people like this, but I’ve never really seen the appeal. I’m not that desperate that I need to still be playing on the train and even if it’s in bed or something I’d rather just set up a TV there, it’s not much effort.

Am I the only one that only likes to make games made for a portable? That’s how it was for the PSP and PS Vita after all.
Gauntlett

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Out of control
I am an avid fighting game fan and have been enjoying Street Fighter 6 and the recent release of Virtua Fighter 5 on Switch 2 (it plays fantastically well, by the way). However, when playing in handheld mode I find the Joy-Cons, especially the L and R buttons, way too easy to accidently hit and cause the wrong move to come out in a match.

Nintendo designed the L and R buttons to be longer and extend round the side of the Joy-Con. This design choice means I frequently make input mistakes. Am I the only person experiencing this? Nintendo seem to celebrate the design choice, but it removed handhled play for me with some games. Using a Pro Controller in desktop mode is a workaround but it would be good to be able to pick up and play in my hands sometimes. Have you in GC has this issue?
Bristolpete

GC: Not really but the Joy-Cons are a jack of all trades, master of none type situation. So there’s always going to be some games where they’re not very well suited.

A game of two halves
I don’t know about a backlash for Resident Evil Requiem, because I don’t think there’s any doubting it’s a good game. But I do think it’s been overrated and the way it gets worse the longer you play it is very disappointing.

What I find interesting though is a comment GC made where they said that the second half in Resident Evil games is almost always the worst. And it’s true! The problem is that most of the time that always involves some kind of underground laboratory and at that point all the gothic horror goes out the window.

Mind you, I think they were trying to avoid that in Village and I don’t think it worked. Probably because that one was just okay all the way through.
Grinch

Ring out
I don’t know what’s going on with the rights exactly, but The Lord of the Rings seems to be having its Star Wars sequel trilogy moment right now, where they’re just churning out any old rubbish because they’re desperate for content and they know they’ve already done all the obvious stuff, so they’re just throwing things at the wall in desperation.

You’ve got the awful Amazon series, the deeply uninteresting sounding Hunt for Gollum movie, and almost every video game ever made since the movies were out.

Now we’ve got rumours of the Tomb Raider people making a game, which has got to mean it’s an action game, because they’ve never done anything else (also, you would’ve thought they’d be too busy with the new Tomb Raider).

A Lord of the Rings game should be about strategy and dialogue, not trying to turn it into a Dark Souls clones or whatever it is that Crystal Dynamics are planning.

In terms of action, what everyone remembers from the films is the epic battles on a huge scale. I don’t think there was any on-on-one combat that was particularly memorable, unless you count Gandalf vs. Saurman.

The Shadow Of Mordor games were okay in themselves but they weren’t really anything like the movies and definitely nothing like the book. It’s not a question of getting the visuals or the lore right, you’ve got to let the game match up with the nature of the source material and I don’t think any Lord of the Rings game has really done that.
Focus

Extinction event
In Wednesday’s Inbox, Solabound said, ‘Also, I echo the reader’s sentiment that Sony have just removed any chance of me buying into a PlayStation 5 or 6; I’ll be very surprised if that isn’t the death knell of the traditional home console industry.’

I made very accurate predictions about the PlayStation 7 and the future of gaming that other readers in the Underbox simply scoffed at, at the time.
LeeDappa

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Bad timing
A useful summary of the most interesting game for April but I do find it interesting how which months are busy now seems to have become completely random. It used to be that November was busiest, ahead of Christmas, then Easter (because kids are off the longest) then just a bit run-off early in the year from games that missed their spot.

Now it seems a big game can come out at anytime of the year. I think that’s for the best, as everything coming out at once doesn’t help anyone and it stops video games seeming like just a kid’s toy, even if Christmas is never not going to be the busiest time.

For April I’m most interested in Pargmata and Sora, which both seem to have something in common with each other, as old school third person shooters, that seem to require quite a bit of skill to play.

I assume them both coming out at the same time is just a coincidence but it’s odd how often that happens. We haven’t seen anything like them for what seems like years and yet, just like buses, here are two of them at the same time.

It may seem like just a meaningless quirk of fate but it’s actually more important than that because I can’t afford to get both at once, so I’m going to have to wait for the reviews and make my decision then, which might not have happened if they’d come out a bit more spread apart.
Grant

Inbox also-rans
Having just seen the new Super Mario movie (which I thought was all right) I don’t believe for a minute that Nintendo isn’t building up to Smash Bros. There’s a cameo near the end that makes absolutely no sense otherwise.
Lawton

Just came back from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and I really enjoyed it. I’m not sure it makes much sense if you’re a non-fan but the big surprise is that Star Fox is in it quite a bit and I thought that worked really well.
Xama

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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.

MORE: Games Inbox: Is there a Resident Evil Requiem backlash?

MORE: Games Inbox: How expensive will the PS6 be?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is there really going to be a Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake?

A reader offers up his own personal list of the best male protagonists in gaming, from Super Mario to Resident Evil’s Leon S. Kennedy.

Video game characters are often discussed in terms of which is the best, most iconic, most memorable, and most favoured.

They range from characters who have appeared in only one title (Arthur Morgan) or legendary characters such as Samus Aran and Marcus Fenix, who have their own established franchises.

I’d like to take this time to list my own 10 favourite male gaming characters. I will list my favourite female characters in a future feature.

10. Mario

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Super Mario

The face of Nintendo itself. A plumber with a moustache and an unmatchable presence. Mario is without a shadow of a doubt the greatest and bravest plumber who ever lived and a bona fide legend of gaming.

9. Jin Sakai

Ghost Of Tsushima

One title to his name and what a beautiful story it was. Trained as a samurai and a journey to becoming the first shinobi. To visit his grave in Ghost Of Yōtei and claim his mask as Atsu was truly a heartwarming moment.

8. Nathan Drake

Uncharted

The character that I can relate to more than anyone on my list. I truly adore Nathan as a protagonist. Endless charisma and impeccable charm. A testament to the genius of Naughty Dog and a perfect series of performances by Nolan North. Nate is truly a special character.

7. Cloud Strife

Final Fantasy 7

It will be 30 years since his debut in 2027 and his presence still remains legendary. With a giant sword and spiky hair, Cloud remains a fantastic character and it’ll be a boon to see the third title in the remake trilogy and the continuation of Cloud’s journey

6. Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Assassin’s Creed 2

The man who remains untouched in Ubisoft’s long-running series. Charismatic, skilled and loyal to no end. Ezio will always remain the best of them all.

5. Leon S. Kennedy

Resident Evil

Where’s everyone going? Bingo? How could I not include my favourite Resident Evil character on my list? The master of one-liners and a guy who always puts others ahead of himself. Leon is the definition of a role model. Ada is a lucky woman indeed.

4. Master Chief

Halo

Prominently known as John 117. The single most badass soldier who ever lived and the face of the original generation of Xbox. Chief is the embodiment of a super warrior and it’ll be amazing to see his debut on PlayStation 5 this year.

3. Solid Snake

Metal Gear

Kept you waiting, huh? The greatest stealth protagonist of all time. The perfect weapon and a marvel at going prone. Snake is certainly an example to follow and is the reason why we have stealth focused characters such as Sam Fisher, Ezio, and Corvo Attano. He truly began it all.

2. Link

The Legend Of Zelda

A hero without fail. A perfect knight in shining armour. Link is yet another Nintendo legend and if it wasn’t for his continuing heroics, Zelda would have been long dead. He’s truly a perfect fighter and more than deserving to be on my list.

1. Kratos

God Of War

The epitome of character development and personal growth. A warrior. A father. A champion. Kratos’s journey is one of exceptional writing and a truly memorable story. From a vengeful killer without equal and a revenge tale spanning an entire journey to a hardened father, raising Atreus through a harsh and brutal Norse world.

To see where he began from and where we left him it’s, in my opinion, the best written character ever in gaming and my personal favourite male character. I could have given Arthur Morgan that honour, but I’ve yet to play through Red Dead Redemption 2 and for now I’ll say that Kratos is my all-time guy in gaming.

I cannot wait for the next evolution of his story and that will be the remake trilogy. I can’t wait to return to Greece and take vengeance once more on the pantheon.

By reader Shahzaib Sadiq



The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot.

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MORE: What I want from Resident Evil 10 after playing Requiem – Reader’s Feature

MORE: How Pokopia finally made me a Pokémon fan on Switch 2 – Reader’s Feature

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The Tuesday letters page is surprised to find how big Crimson Desert developer Pearl Abyss is, as one reader is doubtful as to whether Screamer will be a hit.

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

May contain annoyances
So I bought Crimson Desert on Saturday, after reading several reviews and watching some YouTube videos of the game with the intention of getting a refund if I didn’t get on with it. The funny thing is it wasn’t even on my radar really until everything blew up, but it really got me curious as to how some reviews were really high on it and some very average.

Long story short, I didn’t refund it and I’m several hours in now and I’m hooked. It’s just such a fascinating game to play, I’m finding the flaws almost endearing and even though the controls certainly are a choice you do get used to them. It’s not what I thought it would be at all either, it’s closer to a sandbox fantasy simulation with so many interconnected systems and depth.

It feels like every suggestion for a minigame or feature was evaluated by asking the question, ‘Will this be fun for someone?’ and if the answer was yes it went in and that feels quite refreshing, especially since it seems like you can ignore those quite happily if you don’t want to bother with them.

I will say, however, that this is almost certainly the most Marmite game I’ve ever played. It will either draw you in or you’ll bounce off it, I think. So I can totally see why there isn’t as much of a consensus on this as something like The Witcher 3.

It reminds me in some ways of Destiny, when that first came out. There was something so compelling about that game, that just hit the spot for those of us who really got into it and this feels exactly the same to me. So, I don’t think the people who are saying it’s good and enjoying it are kidding themselves.

Hopefully over time the annoyances and the issues will be ironed out, as the dev team do seem to be responding quickly to the community. But even if those issues remain, I’m still enjoying my time with the game, warts and all.
Carl

Money to burn
I love how all this stuff coming out about the developers of Crimson Desert just spamming the game with random features and parts of other games, is exactly how the reviews described it and imagined it must’ve been made. What I wonder is how the game ever got founded, because I definitely would not be giving a bunch of people who have only ever made one MMO before the cash to make a… whatever Crimson Desert is supposed to be.

It’s funny how often the biggest disasters in gaming can be seen from a mile away but I guess as long as the right people are making money from it all the madness is left to continue.
Sagat

GC: Pearl Abyss is actually a really big company, with over a thousand employees; they also own EVE Online maker CCP. Black Desert Online is very popular in Asia.

Resist temptation
The fact that Rockstar Games is paying some people less than minimum wage is beyond disgusting. I don’t care if they’re the cleaners, this is the company that makes the biggest entertainment product in human history and they have to have their knuckles rapped by the government in order for its employees to earn a living wage.

I’m extra shocked that this is happening in the UK, although I guess the US government would never have cared and we wouldn’t have found out. But c’mon Rockstar, try and do better. It’s not that hard not to be evil.
Bootles

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Exception to the rule
I appreciate the review of Screamer, which I had never heard of until now (including the old 90s game). It sounds great: inventive and unique, which is why I’m sure it won’t sell at all and then everyone will complain why are there no arcade racers? Or whatever your favourite rare genre happens to be.

People have to vote with their wallets to get anything noticed and yet we constantly see great games do badly and then there’s no follow-up, from either that developer or another. I’m still shocked that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was a hit because it seemed to have everything going against.

Sure it was good, but if that was all you needed for something to be a hit the world would be a very different place.
Hordak

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Still in the game
I have to hand it to Microsoft, they are trying to carry on as if everything is normal. That Partner Showcase thing sounds like it’ll be a bit of a dud but they’re doing it anyway, as if everything was normal and the Xbox was still a viable format.

I’m very interested to see what they’re going to be like when they unveil the next gen console. Probably very arrogant and trying to pretend they’re king of the world, but I can’t pretend I’m not interested in seeing what they put out. It’s obvious they haven’t given up yet.
Holstis

Remasters and remakes
I have to admit I am very impressed with what I have seen with Resident Evil Requiem. Although I did not buy this game I did watch a 100% walkthrough and I can assure everyone this game absolutely delivers. From an honest perspective I am an original Resident Evil 2 fan and that was the game that got me into Resident Evil, alongside Resident Evil 1.

Also, with new DLC coming for Requiem we have been spoiled savage by Capcom and hope that we will see them consider continuing with new DLC in the foreseeable future, as the game has already sold 6 million copies. I’d love to see them do DLC adding more characters with unique campaigns, such as past Resident Evil characters making a return, like Alyssa has.

Also, I think now that in 2026 it is time Capcom considered making future Resident Evil games more open world, with PlayStation 6 and Next Gen Xbox coming.

Finally, there is one point I’d like to bring to everyone’s attention. Someone has done an AI 4K HDR10 overhaul of the original Resident Evil game with up-to-date graphic enhancements and it looks and plays glorious, here’s the video.

If this can be done with an AI overhaul surely Capcom could do this with Resident Evil’s Directors Cut, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis in a remastered HD Collector’s Edition that would be sweet and nice for fans.
gaz be rotten (gamertag)

Loveable Evil
Kudos to the people that organised that Resident Evil fan film. I can’t believe the amount of effort it must have taken to organise, on top of all the normal problems of making a film. I’d love to know how much convincing the actors took. They apparently couldn’t get Jill Valentine but I’m amazed any of the others wanted to remind people of their roles, so kudos to them.

Despite all the gore and horror, Resi really is such a loveable series. It’s so dumb and honest and fun. I agree that it should never be taken seriously because that completely robs it of half its appeal. The skill from Capcom is in riding that line between cheesiness and real scares.
Necktie

Never again
Crimson Desert is indeed many things: ambitious, overstuffed, bloated, disappointing, and a generic single-player title that I pre-ordered and in less than 24 hours traded in immediately to CeX. Because it is, from what I’ve played and the many reviews, a very barebones title. Personally, I am very glad to be rid of it and just from seeing the awfully bland graphics, the awful controls, the lack of a narrative to grip you. It is indeed one of the most disappointing games of 2026.

It’s no surprise that Pearl Abyss’s stock has fallen, but my mistake is one to be learnt from. I ignored the countless red flags, the shady tactics by Pearl Abyss to implement a review embargo so very late and the lack of any explanation, as far as any hints to the narrative beats and overall themes of the world. It was only false window dressing, disguised as the next great open world feature.

Patches can only do so much to fix or even try to fix what is essentially a title that will be forgotten very soon, especially when we are less than a month away from the release of Saros and Pragmata. They seem infinitely more interesting, but I cannot stress this enough, I’ll be waiting for reviews for both releases.

I’m more confident about Saros, since it’s a continuation of the systems introduced in Returnal, but if my mistake has taught me anything. It’s that always trust your instincts. I only wish I hadn’t even gazed at Crimson Desert or given it a glance at all. That’s truly a regret I have to come to terms with.

As far as the reviews go, it sits at a 78 on Metacritic. In my opinion, it’s far too high of a score for such a wasteful opportunity. It deserves far much less. Even GC scoring it a 6 is far too kind. It’s more or less a 4 or a 3 out of 10. For utilising a beautiful world but lacking in many important factors.

May there never be a sequel to this debacle. On a final note, it would be absolutely phenomenal if GTA 6 was to release on the Nintendo Switch 2. But it is even possible? We’ll have to see and wait.
Shahzaib Sadiq

Inbox also-rans
Sympathies in advance to whatever penniless students end up having to walk around the Minecraft theme park wearing a bunch of cardboard boxes to look like the characters. I feel grateful my boy has never shown any interest in the game.
Scourge

Agree on adding more character moments to Resident Evil. The next game definitely has to have Leon and Ada putting on a dinner party for Chris and Jill and the rest. And then zombies attacking, obviously. (Or maybe Hunters? They were always my favourite and it feels like we haven’t seen them for years.)
Grossman

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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.

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Marathon worth playing?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Crimson Desert worth getting?

MORE: Games Inbox: Are people right to criticise Nvidia’s DLSS 5 tech?

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.

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.

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Crimson Desert worth getting?

MORE: Games Inbox: Are people right to criticise Nvidia’s DLSS 5 tech?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Starfield a good game?

With Resident Evil Requiem confirmed as a critical and commerical hit, a reader offers some spoiler free suggestions for what he thinks should come next.

I’m not sure when this will be shown, if it is shown, but it’s the 30th anniversary of Resident Evil on Sunday and I don’t think anyone could have asked for a better celebration. Not only is Resident Evil Requiem a great game but it’s done incredibly well in terms of sales, virtually guaranteeing we’ll get at least another 30 years of zombie blasting in the future.

I’m not going to try and predict what the Resident Evil of 2056 is going to be like but having played and enjoyed Requiem I do feel we can make some predictions and request for the next game, which I think will almost certainly be called Resident Evil X.

Who will be the lead is a bit hard to say but while it’s certainly Jill’s turn I do think they will start to move towards the Young Avengers line-up that they seem to be preparing, with characters like Rose and Grace. Perhaps it’ll be like Requiem, but with Jill in the Leon role and then Grace and her super friends as the alternative.

Not only am I happy to keep multiple playable characters but I’d also be fine with there being co-op. The difference is I’d keep the two players separate as much as possible. So like Resident Evil 0, but as if it had co-op. The problem with co-op in Resident Evil is that you can’t get scared if you’re not on own, but if you technically are, but you have another person helping you out, you’d hopefully get the best of both worlds.

So you’d have all the usual running out of ammo and getting menaced by Lickers, but there’d be some way for the other player to pass you items and then occasionally you’d meet up for more action style parts. It wouldn’t be an easy thing to design but with Capcom on fire at the moment I feel they could do it.

The best thing is, they could keep the two styles of gameplay from Requiem and just give it to one person, depending on what they preferred. Or they could let you tag team at certain points, so you get a taste of both worlds. I really do think it’s an idea that has a lot of promise.

In terms of what they could improve on from Requiem, I think one clear problem is the boss battles. I’d never really thought about it much until now, but Resident Evil has never been good at them. They’re fine in terms of the set-up and everything but the actual battles just make all the enemies bullet sponges and that’s it. Both the Resident Evil 4 and Requiem final bosses are really bad, and that’s a weird mistake to keep making.

The only good one that comes to mind is Krauser and that’s because you were fighting him like a relatively normal human, which is kind of cheating for Resident Evil (also, I still don’t really understand who Krauser is, even after all these years).

The obvious options are to either get in someone to design some proper boss battles, which should be easy enough for a Japanese company like Capcom, or just stick with something more puzzle-based. The final face-off with Nemesis in Resident Evil 3 (the original, not the remake) is still my favourite and it’s not really a traditional boss fight at all, Jill just flips a switch.

In terms of other issues from Requiem it’s really very minor. I’d like to have seen more puzzles; I know they’re silly but they’re part of the formula and they’re a good change of pace. I’d also like to see them iron out the storytelling unevenness a bit more. Requiem had serious parts and absolutely ridiculous parts full of jokes and it didn’t work for me.

You can still have some heartfelt moments in amongst all the cheese, but I think taking anything in Resident Evil completely seriously is pointless and potentially tasteless. The only other thing I’d say is don’t lean too much on nostalgia. There was quite a bit in Requiem but since it was the 30th anniversary I think that’s fine, and they didn’t go overboard.

But now is the time to try some new ideas and I think Requiem is actually a good springboard for that. New ideas, new characters, new monsters, and new locations. That’s what we need, after all there’s another 30 years of gaming to get through!

By reader Symbal

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot.

Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email.

MORE: How Pokopia finally made me a Pokémon fan on Switch 2 – Reader’s Feature

MORE: The 5 retro video games that have aged the best – Reader’s Feature

MORE: Donkey Kong Bananza is the perfect killer app for Nintendo Switch 2 – Reader’s Feature

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

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.

MORE: Games Inbox: Are people right to criticise Nvidia’s DLSS 5 tech?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Starfield a good game?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Requiem the best Resident Evil game?

The Wednesday letters page agrees with the backlash against Nvidia’s DLSS 5 tech, as one reader wonders why Öoo was never in the UK Indie World.

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

No star review
So the inevitable has finally happened and Starfield is coming to PlayStation 5 (but not Switch 2, for some reason, I noticed). As someone that has played the game on PC I would say now that it is not something to get excited about. I have no idea what the new story DLC will be but the problems with the game are so deep it’s literally impossible for it to fix it.

I really resent that game. It tied up Bethesda for years and is going to lead to something like a 20 year gap between Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls 6. 20 years! And the only other proper game they’ve made since then is Fallout 4. People talk about Sony wasting a generation, but Bethesda has wasted two. Skyrim was an Xbox 360 game, for pity’s sake!

The worst thing is that thanks to Skyrim I have little faith in The Elder Scrolls 6 being worth the wait. Starfield has a shopping list of problems but one of the main ones is that it’s so old-fashioned. The dialogue system, the AI for companions, and the way towns work is almost exactly the same as Skyrim.

And then the one thing you’d want to be the same as Skyrim – the exploration and open world design – is completely missing. Instead of getting an amazing open world with a secret around every corner you get an infinite collection of identikit, randomly generated planets that are about as interesting to explore as Milton Keynes on a Sunday. So no, I would not recommend Starfield to any PlayStation owners.
Korbie

Consumer backlash
GC always says the best way to stay positive about the games industry is to just go away and play some new games. That’s true but the other thing that gives me hope is how the majority of gamers are anti-AI, much more than you would expect of a hobby where technology is so important.

This Nvidia DLSS 5 tech is horrendous and emphasises the fact that AI is attempting the death of art. As if it wasn’t bad enough that all AI artwork looks the same, and it is everywhere because it’s so easy to make, now games have to look like it as well. The levels of uncanny valley are off the scale, while there’s no consistency of any kind (Grace doesn’t look anything like herself in AI-o-vision) and the lighting is terrible – like the game is constantly shining a high-powered spotlight at the screen.

As usual with AI, it’s all a solution to a problem that doesn’t actually exist and as usual I imagine Nvidia and other companies will respond to the intense, and very clear, negative reaction by… doubling down on it all and blaming gamers for not liking it. I don’t know about PlayStation 6 but it is very obvious that the next gen Xbox is going to do nonsense like this and I’m already sick of it.
Zeiss

Ugly future
That Nvidia DLSS 5 stuff is so ugly, I can’t believe anyone involved thought it was a good idea. Do they not have eyes? Digital Foundry is getting so much grief for being positive about it and I can’t say they don’t deserve it.

What makes me laugh about all the comparison images is that the only game that looks halfway decent is Starfield, and that’s because it already had a bland art style with dead-eyed characters, so adding an AI filter of exactly that didn’t make it any worse.

The Resident Evil Requiem shots are laughable though and the idea of video game graphics no longer being what the developer intended but some on-the-fly guessing game made up by the AI is disgusting to me. The future sucks.
Focus

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Secret mode
I love seeing the difference between how other companies show off their new products and updates and what Nintendo does. We get a big blog post and lots of details from Sony about their PSSR tech. Then we get some kind of preview blow-out from Nvidia about their AI thing, which seems to have blown up in their face. And then for Nintendo and their boost mode… they keep it a secret and don’t tell anyone.

I only found out about it from the news reports but giving it a quick twirl it does actually seem quite good. You can definitely see the difference it makes and that’s pretty rare in these instances, in my experience.

Now all we need is an annoucement for that ‘proper’ Nintendo Direct we’re all waiting for. Which could take place anywhere from tomorrow to December. Because it’s Nintendo and who knows what they’re ever thinking.
St1nger

Improved formula
Am I missing something? All Resident Evil bosses are just run around, pop off a few shots, rinse and repeat. Not played Requiem yet but I can’t imagine it’s much different. Not that this is a bad thing but it is part of the formula.

I’m saying this as a massive fan too, but I love the games as an overall experience, in spite of the boss fights usually.
Bobwallett

GC: You are missing that… maybe that part of the formula should be changed?

Spore reproduction
I was thinking of old games that never got a sequel or modern day equivalent and I remembered Spore, which at the time it came out I was kind of obsessed with. For those that don’t know it was by the creator of SimCity and The Sims, so it was a big deal at the time, and was about controlling a species from microscopic organisms to space-faring aliens.

That sounded great in theory but in reality it was just half a dozen minigames that weren’t that great. However, the creature designer was amazing and I had hours and hours of fun creating my own creatures and messing around the editor. It was the only thing at the time better than the WWE creator-a-wrestler.

I think it was a flop, so there was no sequel at the time and to be honest I haven’t heard anyone talk about it in years. I do feel it’s the sort of thing that could do very well today with an update though, as, to me at least, it was basically the Minecraft of its day in terms of you ignoring what the game was actually about and making your own stuff.

One of the big ideas was that the things you designed in the earlier eras carried through to the later ones but that wasn’t really very obvious when you played so I would focus more on that and making it more one game with the same controls rather than a bunch of separate ones. Civilization takes place over thousands of years but it’s still the same game, so something like that.

It couldn’t be an official sequel though, because it was by EA and I don’t see any chance they’d approve anything like that.
Sandlow

Nothing like it
Thanks for the review of Öoo. I had never heard of this game until now and I don’t understand why it wasn’t in the UK Indie World. Surely the whole point of them is to highlight games just like this?

Given the low price I have bought it already and look forward to playing it tonight. I love seeing how unusual and imaginative indie games can be, compared to big budget games. Don’t get me wrong, I love myself a blockbuster, if it’s well done, but even something like Resident Evil Requiem is getting criticised for being original. That doesn’t seem to be a problem for Öoo.
Royston

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Prehistoric gaming
RE: Grackle and Mickah. Having just turned 50, and been around games since I can remember, I have some very old gaming first memories. I think the very earliest one would have been Escape for the ZX Spectrum – a simple maze game where you had to find a key to ‘escape’, avoiding dinosaurs as you ran around the map.

I also remember playing Gorf in the arcades around the same time, whilst on a family holiday to Swanage, and being amazed when my brother told me it was the word frog spelled backwards! (Well, I was only six at the time.)

I’ll try and find the time to turn this into a Reader’s Feature as I’m pretty sure I can remember the first game I played on many formats, including Spike on the Vectrex, Shadow Of The Beast on the Amiga, Pac-Land on the Commodore 64, and Cuthbert Goes Walkabout on the Dragon 32.

Good memories, good times.
Jonathan Foley
Currently playing: Horace (Switch) and Virtual Boy (Switch 2)

GC: We look forward to that Reader’s Feature.

Inbox also-rans
So this Clunkin’ Bell restaurant hasn’t even opened yet? We’re getting leaks and rumours about GTA knock-off restaurants but nothing about the actual game? That about says it all.
Mentz

I’m sorry but if DLSS 5 or anything like it is part of the PlayStation 6 then that’s it for me as far as gaming is concerned. These artless, cynical tech bros trying to destroy art, just because they can’t make it, is revolting to me.
Devo

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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.

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Requiem the best Resident Evil game?

MORE: Games Inbox: What’s the first video game you ever played?

MORE: Games Inbox: Who will win out of PS6 vs. Project Helix?

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!

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

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

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

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

The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

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

MORE: Games Inbox: Should Capcom remake Resident Evil 6?

MORE: Games Inbox: When will the next big Super Mario game be announced?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

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

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Pokémon Pokopia really worth getting?

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

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