Playground Games has revealed the full map for Forza Horizon 6, which encompasses Tokyo and the Japanese Alps.

Beyond the actual racing, one of the fundamental joys of Forza Horizon is exploring the vast recreations of real-world locations.

Past games have been set in Mexico, the UK, Australia, France, Italy, and the US, but the upcoming sixth instalment is heading to Asia for the first time, with the Japanese setting being highly requested by fans.

Developer Playground Games has now revealed the size of the map in Forza Horizon 6, and funnily enough it’s based on the same Kantō region which inspired Pokémon Red and Blue.

‘This is Horizon Japan!’ a tweet from the game’s official X account reads. ‘From the iconic downtown streets of Tokyo City all the way to the snowy Japanese Alps, Forza Horizon 6 introduces our most dense and vertical map yet.’

The map itself, if you compare it to the actual Kantō region in Japan, focuses on Tokyo and the Kanagawa prefecture. However, with the inclusion of the Japanese Alps at the top, it’s clear they’re taking some creative liberties in terms of 1:1 realism.

Forza Horizon maps are fictionalised, truncated versions of a country, and for the sixth entry, the game’s art director, Don Arceta, has promised to showcase both the urban and rural parts of Japan.

Speaking to Xbox Wire last year, Arceta said: ‘From the neon lights and towering buildings of Tokyo City – one of our most detailed and layered environments to date – to the serenity and natural beauty of Japan’s rural and mountain areas, we think players will be blown away by the open world of Japan that we have built.’

While Forza Horizon 6 is coming to PlayStation 5 following its launch on Xbox Series X/S and PC on May 19, 2026, there is no word yet on whether it’ll come to the Switch 2.

In the past, Microsoft has talked about its plans to support Nintendo’s console, but it hasn’t delivered much so far, outside of ports of South Of Midnight and next month’s Indiana Jones And The Great Circle.

Forza Horizon 6 might be technically too demanding for Nintendo’s hybrid, but not necessarily, as the console has been able to run the likes of Resident Evil Requiem and Star Wars Outlaws surprisingly well.

Also, it’d be a chance to actually have a Pokémon crossover – even if it’s just car livery – which Nintendo probably would agree to, as they already allow Zelda references in the Switch port of Skyrim.

While that’s not going to happen any time soon (even the PlayStation 5 version is coming out after the Xbox one) reliable leaker billbil-kun has revealed that Forza Horizon 6 will be getting a limited edition Xbox wireless controller and headset.

Both will be released at the same time as the game, on May 19, with the controller expected to cost $89.99 and the headset $134.99. No UK prices have been leaked but similar accessories were released for Starfield at launch, which cost £69.99 and £114.99, respectively.

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MORE: Cyberpunk 2077 gets 90fps support but PS5 Pro update has some ‘minor quibbles’

MORE: Games Inbox: What is the best PS5 game?

MORE: Xenonauts 2 review – a legally distinct XCOM 3

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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 upset that there’s never been a truly great The Lord of the Rings game, as one reader learns about the Max Payne 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

Earliest memory
I shed a tear of nostalgia when I heard they were bringing back Defender Of The Crown, then I shed a second tear of despair when I found out it was 40 years old. I thought it was early 90s, but 1986? Man, I’m old for remembering it the first time round – even if I was just a kid at the time.

I never owned it, but I do remember it being demoed in a shop a couple of times, so it’s an early memory of gaming. But that made me think what is the oldest game I’ve ever played? I don’t honestly know but I assume it must’ve been something in the arcades, as I don’t remember anyone having a console or computer back when I was a kid.

I’m pretty sure I played an original Space Invaders coin-op, which the internet informs me was made in 1978, but I doubt that was the first one. I’m not quite that old but I know I played one in the early 80s. I always liked OutRun, which apparently was also 1986, so maybe it was that.

Curious to know what other readers’ earliest memories of games are. And if anyone says something on Xbox 360 I’m going to start crying again.
Grackle

Secret plan
I’m getting really anxious waiting to hear about the next FromSoftware game. We still haven’t heard anything more about The Duskbloods, which is supposed to be out this year, let alone their next multiformat game. I’m sure this must be the longest we’ve ever gone without any news from them. Not even any leaks or rumours, as far as I know.

They must have a plan, because they’ve said no Elden Ring 2 and they keep stopping all these Bloodborne projects, but what are they doing instead?! I realise that none of this will matter the second they do announce something, but not knowing is driving me nuts.

I also realise that, in theory, I should be hoping they announce something new and in a different style but I have to admit I just want Elden Ring Part 2, no matter what they call it or what kind of setting it has.
Olang

Hardware preparations
I have to agree with the reader at the weekend, that it’s not that PCs have become better or more desirable, it’s that people are fed up with consoles and they’re being pushed away. Anyone thinking about buying a new console now, or preparing for the next generation, is much more likely to consider the PC now than they were at the same point last gen.

That’s not just a guess either. I know at least two friends that are in that exact position and if I hadn’t got my PlayStation 5 a couple of years ago, I’m sure I would be as well. I can’t imagine anything that would make me want to buy a PlayStation 6, unless it too played PC games. I don’t think there’s any rumours that say it will but at this point that must surely be a possibility.
Kranker

Remake ≠ remaster
I’ve got a bit of a niche question that hopefully someone out there in the GameCentral universe can answer.

I’m a massive fan of the original Secret Of Mana on the SNES, so much so that it is still the second best game I’ve ever played, in my own opinion, and I even went to the lengths of playing all the way through the sequel with all its Japanese text because I wanted more.

I’ve never played the remastered version on newer consoles, in fear that it might take the shine away for me. However, I would like to buy it.

Have any other gamers on here who played the original back in the day bought the newer version?
How did they find it?

Is it worth buying and jumping back in or should I just fire up the old game?

Many thanks in advance guys.
freeway 7

GC: Do you mean the 2018 remake? We’re afraid to say it wasn’t very good.

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Minimum progress
I just read that Remedy are remaking Max Payne 1 and Max Payne 2, in collaboration with Rockstar. From what I can see the project has been in full production for almost 18 months and could be released towards the end of this year. This is amazing news as the first Max Payne in particular was one of my favourite games.

Does GameCentral have any news on this, and have you seen any footage
Subzero Radio

GC: Nothing at all, we’re afraid; other than it is still in development. It was announced ages ago but nothing has ever been shown of it. We can only assume that GTA 6, and Remedy having multiple projects on the go at once, have slowed progress to a crawl.

Mistaken identity
Am I alone in having never heard of The Lord Of The Rings: War In The North at all? What a strange game to want to bring back, especially as it apparently wasn’t even any good. I thought it was what I have now learned is called The Third Age, which was kind of a Japanese role-player that I do remember, but apparently War In The North is something else.

All this does is underline how there’s never really been a great Lord of the Rings game. Those movie tie-in action games were okay, but I wouldn’t buy them again if they were remastered. Shadow Of Mordor was probably the best, overall, of the modern games but I still don’t think it was great.

Maybe Lord of the Rings doesn’t translate well to video games. You can do stuff if you lean into the movie interpretation of things but if you go back to the original text… it is not suitable for a video game tie-in. Not beyond the broad concepts that everything else in fantasy has been ripping off for so long.

Some kind of strategy game with graphic adventure aspects, when you interact with characters, would probably be the only way to even attempt it and somehow I can’t see anyone spending the money to make that.

Game Of Thrones might work better but it’s probably the same deal. Warner Bros. was probably pretty sensible not to try and make a console game of it before. Especially when even that Telltale Games attempt turned out to be a dud.
Focus

Not over yet
After around two years, I have finally gotten through my Switch backlog and with no new major releases for the hybrid, I think it’s safe to say I’m done with the Switch.

Next console please…
LeeDappa

GC: There’s lots of new Switch games still scheduled, including first party titles Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream and Rhythm Paradise Groove.

Different worlds
I’m not sure PlayStation or Nintendo need to be terribly worried by either the Steam Machine or the NeXbox Helix X. Making a more palatable, user-friendly PC for the living room is a solid idea on paper, but Valve’s offering appears to be underpowered (roughly on par with base PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X, with no word as far as I’m aware on whether it will be customised to enable use of FSR 4.0 upscaling).

And both machines will be more expensive than a PS5 Pro (which still exists and is getting a major upgrade soon). There’s also the issue that the PC and console userbase doesn’t overlap as much as some people seem to think, and while these machines are intending to streamline the PC experience that will still be too much for many console gamers.

If Microsoft subsidise the Xbox DNA I’d consider it, as my PC is getting old and some foolish multinationals have made building a PC super expensive. Otherwise, I think that and the Steam Machine will be the preserve of the hardcore few.
Magnumstache

Inbox also-rans
Shame 1348 Ex Voto isn’t any good but if the success of Kingdom Come: Deliverance is gong to lead to a bunch of historical knock-offs I would be absolutely fine with that. Hundred Years’ War next, please!
Pewter Parker

Anyone that says they hate microtransactions and don’t care about piracy are okay with me but when is Slay The Spire 2 coming to consoles? I don’t care if the PC is hot at the moment, I don’t want to use one to play games.
Henk

GC: They haven’t said but based on the last game it could be around two years away.

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

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

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

The Friday letters page doesn’t think parents pay enough attention to age ratings for games, as one reader wishes John Carpenter hadn’t made Toxic Commando.

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

Simultaneous release
So Project Helix is a codename, but what do we think Microsoft is really going to call the new console? For a start, they need to get rid of all that Series X/Series S nonsense, because that was terrible. Just call it Xbox something. Xbox Infinite always seemed a good one to me, but I’m fine with calling it Xbox 6, because at this point who’s counting?

I don’t want to get into a PlayStation vs. Xbox thing because I think if Project Helix is different enough it can exist alongside the PlayStation 6. But releasing them both at the same time seems like a really bad idea.

If Helix is more expensive and PlayStation 6 has actual proper exclusives I don’t think anyone is going to pick Xbox unless they’re hardcore fans. And I don’t even know if there’s many of them left.

Microsoft was probably aiming to get Helix out before PlayStation 6, but I wonder if Sony fast-tracked their console when they found out. That doesn’t bode too well for either the hardware or the launch games.
Focus

Force themselves
Strange how quickly Battlefield 6 has fallen out of favour. Beating Call Of Duty one minute and then going free to play the next. I guess for all its faults Call Of Duty probably knows how to keep people playing better and as much as fans hate all the wacky skins at least that gives you something eye-catching to promote the game with.

EA said they’re going to keep everything in Battlefield 6 realistic but if that’s the case how many camouflage outfits do you really want to pay for? I was going to buy the game when it was cheap, so I guess I’ll try it out for free and then by the time that’s over it’ll probably be discounted enough for me.

I feel this improves the chances of Star Wars: Battlefront 3 though. EA’s likely to see it as a quick and obvious way to reuse the same tech in a new game. One where you can do as many wacky skins as you like and no one’s going to complain. Not saying they’ll definitely do it but it does seem more likely to me now.
Taylor Moon

Price block
I don’t like to be negative about something we haven’t see yet but I have to agree with other readers that I’m already sick of hearing Microsoft talk about Project Helix. The arrogance and complete lack of humility hasn’t changed at all since the exit of Phil Spencer, proving it was always just the company standard.

I think the real cynicism is coming from the price though. I just don’t see how you get past the fact that Helix is going to be more expensive than any other format, including Steam Machine. People would be taking a risk on Helix, and when you’re doing that you don’t generally want to be spending more money than you would have otherwise. I don’t care what the marketing campaign is like, there’s not getting over that.
Heston

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Free money
Of all the games that John Carpenter could’ve put his name to it ended up being a Left 4 Dead clone? I don’t believe for one minute that Toxic Commando was his idea. If you know the man, he often talks about how he enjoys putting out his hand and getting free money for doing nothing, every time a company wants to remake one of his films. It happens so often he just treats it like a joke.

I think he must’ve been the same with this game. Someone phoned him up and asked him if he could do a soundtrack and sketch out some hokey story. That’s money for old rope as far as he’s concerned. The only downside is he has to put his name to the game, when it might not be that great, but they didn’t make him do any press for it, that I’ve seen, so it’s pretty low risk/low effort.

It’s a shame because I don’t think he’s got it in him to make a new movie, but a game could’ve been something else. A slower paced survival horror would’ve been absolutely perfect for him, but I don’t think it’s ever going to happen. He is attached to the Halloween online game, but I think that’s just going to be another free handout.
Saltie

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Artificial temptation
The worst thing about Microsoft not mentioning AI, when talking about Project Helix, is that we all know it’s going to be there, but they know it’s not popular, so they’re trying to pretend otherwise. I’ve got a genius level idea: maybe if people don’t like something you shouldn’t do it? Especially if you’re trying to hawk your ultra expensive PC in a box.

We all know that Project Helix is going to be a failure, but I predict it will be over AI. It’s going to be too expensive already, but you know Microsoft can’t stop themselves from pushing games made by AI and they’re all going to be horrible. The Microsoft boss is a nut for AI, there’s no way he won’t force them to do it.
Goose

Wrong number
Interesting to see the change in age ratings for games like EA Sports FC. Although I would be absolutely shocked if more than 10% of adults paid even the slightest bit of attention to a game’s age rating, and I’m probably greatly overestimating that amount.

I used to work at a games shop when I was a student and not only did parents not care they would get violently angry if you pointed out that a game was above the age of their kid. This happened so many times with GTA that my boss told me not to bother, even though it was supposed to be policy that we did.

It was obvious why they were angry too. They knew what they were doing was wrong, but they didn’t care because games are too good a babysitter to give up just on the off chance that it turns their kid into a badly adjusted person.

I also can’t say how many times I heard parents try to argue that the number was the difficulty of the game, as if I wouldn’t be the one to know that it definitely wasn’t that.

To anyone out there reading this, that’s a good parent and careful about what their kids play I salute you, because I can tell you that you are the minority.

Of course, nowadays you have Roblox instead, which is a thousand times worse and doesn’t have any age ratings, but thankfully that’s not my problem.
Coolsbane

Strange selection
Has Bafta ever commented on why they always try and ignore Japanese games as much as possible? It’s so blatant I really don’t know how they justify it. Although the real insult is not doing it and yet also nominating something as milquetoast as Ghost Of Yōtei as game of the year.

That’s just rubbing your face in it, especially when they didn’t even nominate Hollow Knight: Silksong or Hades 2, which I think most people would say were easily a lot better.
Hibby

Day of the plumber
Nintendo has finally recognised the day GameCentral and their viewers have been celebrating for years! It’s MAR10 Day (earlier in the week)! I usually get newsletters from Nintendo quite regularly, but it’s the first, if I remember correctly, that I have seen this from Nintendo as a form of advertising.

There is definitely cause for celebration with Pokémon Pokopia and their 2.2 million sales of the game, which appears to be a considerable success story if ever I saw one. It’s a very cutesy game to look at, with the charm and not too over complicated gameplay mechanics to enjoy and experiment with. The setting up of one’s home looks a wee bit convoluted and a wee bit messy, but apparently completing the story mode gives you a useful skill to help craft and build your home better.

It appears also, that Resident Evil Requiem has been a big success, and we’re only in March, but two very different games have hit their mark in only a short space of time. Very well deserved too and I can’t wait to be getting back to this amazing franchise soon, after my little backlog has been lightened.

With the Super Mario Galaxy movie coming out soon, it’s the latest adaptation to follow Fallout, Borderlands, Sonic The Hedgehog, and Resident Evil films, along with the excellent Castlevania and Tomb Raider animations.

I saw an awesome movie based on a game the other day, called Iron Lung, by YouTuber Markiplier and despite it having its critics, it basically follows the Iron Lung story and gameplay perfectly, including the environment it’s set in. Will be definitely getting the Blu Ray when it’s released.

So hopefully everyone had a fantastic MAR10 day and wow, what an amazing start to the year for games, and movies inspired by games, setting up 2026 to be one heck of a year!
Alucard

GC: Nintendo has been using Mario Day to promote things since 2016.

Inbox also-rans
I think Marathon is going to be hit. I’ve completely enjoyed everything I’ve played of it so far and I’m very much looking forward to the big update. I don’t think it’s as good as Destiny 2 but it is good.
Carpetnator

Does anyone else wish Capcom would remake Resident Evil 3 again before moving on to other stuff? That one was so bad and it was almost nothing like the original, which is weird because all the other remakes have been good.
Icchi boo

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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 buying physical video games becoming more popular?

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

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

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

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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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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 Tuesday letters page is shocked at how expensive amiibo have got, as one reader laments the recent job losses amongst Battlefield 6 developers.

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

Yearly celebration
So MAR10 Day is here again but this time it feels like Nintendo is building up to something in terms of an annoucement. There was that Mario Kart World rumour but if that happens I don’t see how it’s going to be announced because not even Nintendo shadow drops a Direct. Unless Nintendo is also going to start announcing things through tweets, but let’s hope not.

I have to say, I can’t wait until the Super Mario Galaxy Movie is out because I feel too much attention is being taken up by that and we won’t get any real movement on a new game until that’s over. I couldn’t care less about a Mario film but I’m really impatient to know about the next 3D game. But I think it’s pretty obvious they’re waiting for the movie to come out first.

Even so, I do have some hope we’ll get at least a tease of the next 3D Mario today. They’ve already announced their sale and the new games on Nintendo Switch Online, so it would be disappointing if we didn’t get at least a little bit of news.
Onibee

Premium products
I completely believe that Project Helix is going to be around a grand, but I also believe that Xbox are crazy to dot it. Except, it does seem to be the way things are going. If less people are buying and playing consoles then the obvious way to make up the money, for a publisher, is to make a more expensive item, which will make the same amount of money even if less people overall buy it. It’s why Ferrari don’t bother to make a family hatchback, because it’s chicken feed in comparison.

I don’t think it’s going to work for Xbox, because who’s going to want to buy Xbox after all this, but it definitely seems to be the way that Valve are going with the Steam Machine. Sony are basically there already, given how expensive the PS5 Pro is.

There’s no way I’m paying that much for a console, but it does make me wonder what kind of games are going to playing on it. Are they just going to be the same ones as normal with better performance? Because I can’t imagine anyone making an exclusive game for a format with only a few million customers.
Hammeriron

Worst job in the world
It’s been said before, but I honestly don’t know why anyone would want to be a games developer. I imagine the pay’s okay (except for all the unpaid overtime) but there’s literally no certainty of keeping your job, no matter how well whatever you’ve made does. And even if you do keep your job you’re only months away from being replaced with AI. And then, if by some miracle, you’re still kept around you get to worry about death threats from rabid fans.

I don’t see any positives at all. If you’re intelligent enough to be able to make games there’s a hundred other jobs using similar skills that would be far less hassle. I remember when it used to be seem a dream job to me but now it seems more like a nightmare. Commiserations to everyone working on Battlefield 6 that got laid off by EA.
Royston

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A new problem
I can tell you now, if dynamic pricing becomes a thing with video games I’m out. It’s retro and indie games for me and nothing else. Every day publishers seem to come up with new reason not to buy their stuff and it’s doing my head in.

Make a good game and I’ll pay for it. I’ll probably even pay £60+ if it’s really good and I don’t feel that you’re messing me around. But it’s never that simple. Everything’s got to be more expensive than it pretends or have small print that makes it worse.

I know there’s no going back but I really miss the PlayStation 4 era. All this stuff was starting then but it hadn’t got bad yet, while the games were top notch. This whole generation has been nothing but downhill in every way.
Stoney

No story
Some interesting info on Marathon’s player counts on the Xbox, with is at number 32 over the last week with the server slam at 37th. Also note that Helldivers 2 is still number 16 on this list.

There’s no supporting narrative, but the PlayStation side of things shows Marathon as 38th with the Server Slam at 26th. Helldivers took 18th place over the week.
NatorDom

GC: We’re not sure what to draw from this other than both games are doing quite well on both formats?

Ignorance is bliss
There’s been a lot of talk about what Xbox is doing in terms of hardware but I think a bigger question is what’s going to happen to the games under this new boss. Any decent business person should be able to make fairly sensible decisions about a console but game development is a whole different kettle of fish.

It’s different for every game, it involves lots of factors she won’t have a clue about if you’re not a gamer, and in management terms Microsoft has been terrible at it since forever. On the hand that could actually be good news because maybe someone more objective, that isn’t particularly interested in games, can offer a better perspective on things.

We all know Phil Spencer didn’t work out so he kind of makes a good argument that the people in charge shouldn’t be gamers, because they have a warped perspective.

But how is this new ‘AI guru’ going to make decisions on what to do with the next Halo or if Gears Of War needs a reboot? The problem I see is that Microsoft already tends to overestimate how good, and how popular, its games are and now we’re going to have people whispering into the ear of this acknowledged non-gamer that everything they do is fantastic.

There’s so much that can go wrong, but I guess we’ll just have to see. But if there is a turn around we’ll know from now on that the secret of running a good games business is to know nothing about games (at an exec level at least).
Gorf

Half price
Happy Mario Day to GameCentral, all readers, and Underboxers! I see the Pragmata amiibo is in stock to pre-order on the UK Nintendo Store, it is £24.99 – which is a lot for one small amiibo.

I thought there might be an amiibo of the soldier too but there isn’t.
Andrew J.

GC: That’s madness. The game itself is only £50.

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People change
To Scooter and changing tastes in games, my niece, well great niece, at 11 plays all the usual: Minecraft, Fortnight, Roblox, Rocket League… but I suppose that’s for socialising purposes too, but she’s more than willing to try other games.

Couple of years ago I got an arcade emulator, two hardy joysticks and six buttons a piece, you can jostle each other and slap the sticks around, just like you’re in a real arcade, circa ’94! And she loves that, her and her sister discovered the many joys of all the varying versions of Street Fighter 2 at Christmas. The younger one found Chun-Li instantly, girly and cute, and quickly discovered her button mashing 100 foot kick, which she used constantly to defeat her big sister!

So she’s now Chunners forever more, the older one now methodically tries each character until she comes across Eddy Honda and his own 100 hand slap! That’s the end of Chun-Li and all hell breaks loose. There’s screaming, name calling and a strop or two… ah, memories, of the days controllers used to hit the walls, controllers I hadn’t had to buy!

Also, with Game Share on Xbox, she’s had Street Fighter 6, Hogwarts Legacy, and WWE 2K24. She was keen on Star Wars Outlaws but don’t think she tried that yet and her mam said she couldn’t play the Resident Evil 2 and 4 remakes, ‘cos they were too scary. What kids play now is probably 50-50 gaming and socialising, which we/I could only do face to face back in the day.
big boy bent

Inbox also-rans
Interested to see what else Shinji Mikami can come up with at his company, but I’ll be honest, he hasn’t really done anything great since he left Capcom/PlatinumGames. If he’s still got one great game left in though, I’d love to see it.
Fester

I didn’t realise Slay The Spire is nearly 10 years old. Crazy how time flies. But I guess that explains why there’s been so many clones over the years, they’ve had plenty of time.
Lokishat

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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: Will Project Helix be a successful comeback for Xbox?

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

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

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

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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

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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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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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?

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

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

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: Will Resident Evil Requiem get a Mercenaries mode?

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

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

With hints that both Sony and Microsoft are moving back to focus on single-player console exclusives, a reader is relieved at the idea they’re changing their approach.

It’s not been easy being a PlayStation fan this generation. We’ve had some great games – by the time you read this hopefully I’ll be playing Resident Evil Requiem – but not nearly enough of them have been from Sony. Naughty Dog still hasn’t made a new PlayStation 5 game yet and we’re six years into the console’s lifetime.

These complaints are not new, of course. After all, six years is plenty of time for people with much more insight than me to complain about Sony’s bizarre, self-defeating attitude. Although the story this week, of them managing to schedule betas for both their upcoming live service games at exactly the same time really did take the biscuit for me.

That takes a special level of laziness and indifference and while I don’t care, because I don’t like those sorts of games, it really does sum just how incompetent they’ve been this generation. And yet, to my surprise, there has also been some hope, with talk that Sony is pulling back from their PC support.

This wasn’t just some guy on Reddit but two of the most reliable and respected leakers in the business, so there’s every reason to think it’s true and that Sony is beginning to realise that it was shooting itself in the foot with PC ports, swapping short term games for the long-term health of their console business.

There was an open goal for Sony this gen, where Xbox was in absolute disarray and had no first party games that anyone cared about. Considering how good Sony had been in the PlayStation 4 era this was the chance to deliver a killing blow but instead they did the opposite and essentially started to copy Xbox. Because clearly a Switch port of Patapon and The Last Of Part 1 on PC is going to be the difference between financial success and failure.

The money they make with multiformat releases is relatively miniscule but the amount they lose, in terms of undermining the whole purpose of consoles is enormous. But if these rumours are right they have finally realised what they’re doing is wrong and damaging. One can only hope they feel the same about live service games and that was in fact one of the other rumours this week, albeit from a leaker I’d never heard of before.

And then at the same time essentially the first thing the new boss of Xbox said, in reply to random Twitter fans, was a hint about bringing back exclusives. She didn’t say which ones, and I suspect she has no idea how hard that would be, but I think it’s very interesting that she recognises that it would be a good idea.

So all it’s taken is six years and suddenly the two big console manufacturers have realised that the status quo of the previous 40 years was in fact the best way to do things. What a complete waste of time, with a ridiculous business plan based on nothing but hope and vibes.

Running a console business isn’t hard. You make the console, you let other people make games for your console, but you also set the standard with your own games. First party games get to show off the technical abilities, they take advantage of the console manufacturer putting a lot of money into it, and they provide a specific, exclusive reason for people to buy the console over a rival’s.

It’s not rocket science. It’s also not anti-consumer or whatever other nonsense Microsoft has tried to say over the years (mostly driven by their CEO, I suspect, who constantly proves he knows nothing about games). You don’t like how Sony does business then go buy a PC, nobody’s stopping you.

That’s the way consoles have always worked and there’s never been a problem until now. (I also resent the idea of upgrade consoles like the PS5 Pro. The whole point of a console is everyone has exactly the same hardware).

So please, Sony and Microsoft, admit your mistake and go back to how things used to be. Innovation is needed in hardware and games but not in the way the industry works. That was all going fine until you messed it up for no reason, and now you have to try and put it back together again.

By reader Gollum

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