Fallout 4 – what could come next? (Picture: Microsoft)
The Tuesday letters page doesn’t think the Nintendo Switch 2 will be revealed this year, as one reader wishes there was a modern Shōgun game.
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Out of options
I’m sure Microsoft does want a new Fallout before 2030 but perhaps this will hammer home to them just how ridiculous game development times have got. There’s no way they’ll make anything half decent from scratch in less than three years and no way they could make an actual Fallout game in less than five years, probably six or seven. By that time the TV shows is going to be older than dirt.
I really don’t know what they’re going to do either. I’ve heard Todd Howard, this week, trying to pretend he has all these secret plans but he didn’t even come closing to implying there was a big budget console game anywhere near to finished, just mobile stuff and Fallout 76 content.
They could pause The Elder Scrolls 6 and switch to Fallout 5 but if they haven’t properly started it yet then that’s still 5+ years. GC’s idea of taking another game halfway through and rebranding it is definitely what they would’ve done in the old days but now there’s so few independent developers making triple-A games that I don’t see that working, unless they just go with an indie game.
I’m glad it’s not my problem to solve, especially as rushing things is usually never a good idea. But if this helps to convince Microsoft, at least, to do something about development times at least something good will have come from it.
Winston
Outside chance
As much as I’d love it to be true, I cannot see the Nintendo Switch 2 launching this year. Manufactured this year, sure, and I imagine that’s where the wires are getting crossed, but if they haven’t announced it already and they’re not going to be at Gamescom then it’s not happen. I guess there’s a sliver of hope until their not-E3 Nintendo Direct but after that you can rule it out, there just isn’t enough time for them to set out their stall and wind up the hype.
In my opinion, the only possible chance for a reveal this year is at The Game Awards. They’re not till December, so won’t affect Christmas sales too much, and Nintendo has attended before. I’d bet against it though. Nintendo like to do things their way and be in full control.
I would not be surprised at an announcement early on in January though. If I had to bet, that’s when I think they’ll start talking about it.
Ultimax
Time limit
Following the discussion of the pros and cons of easy access, the main issue, I would’ve thought, is that it can just as easily put you off a game as get you excited for it, even if it turns out to be better at launch. I played No Rest For The Wicked and after an hour I kept a close eye on the clock, because I was not enjoying it.
Got to two hours and just refunded it. It’s super generic, in my opinion, and the only thing that would’ve been good about it is the graphics, except they’re so buggy that you can’t even get that out of it. I wouldn’t recommend it at all, unless you love Diablo so much you want to play anything like it.
Maybe I wouldn’t have liked Dark Souls as well, if I’d only played the early stages when it was half finished, but that wasn’t how it worked, so that got my money and this didn’t.
Tpad
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No Returnal
As much as I would love to see a Returnal 2 announced this week I don’t see it ever happening. Housemarque has said it’s not their plan, the director has already left… there just doesn’t seem to be any desire there to keep the series going.
Ordinary that would upset me, because the original’s an amazing game, but if Housemarque’s next game is also an original IP then, as you say, that’d be even better. Even if it’s not as good as Returnal at least it’d be something new, which is vitally important in a world of almost nothing but sequels.
I just hope it’s not a live service game, because that would be depressing and such a waste of Housemarque’s talent.
Geordie
GC: We’ve just seen a theory, as we write this, that it’s actually just a comic book series, or perhaps an artbook, from Dark Horse Comics. So, yeah… expect to be disappointed when the official announcement arrives.
Outrage culture
The discourse surrounding the culture war champion Stellar Blade has always been bad due to that status but the petition accusing it of backing down on its ideals in that tedious debate, due to the patch, I don’t really agree with.
I’ve no problem with the game’s objectification. But also have no problem with those that feel it’s immature or embarrassing. I regard the games objectification on the level of a 90s lad mag.
Those mags don’t exist now but at the time lots of people had a problem with the content.
The complaints, like the ones of Stellar Blade’s objectification, are nothing new yet it’s been dragged into a wider conversation of woke culture, where I don’t think it belongs.
I’d always say be wary of censorship, and cancel culture is a thing, but when you look at the patched product for Stellar Blade it changes very little and the game still ships as a piece of sexist material that promotes unrealistic body ideals, if you want to view it that way.
The petition feels more like righteous indignation than any real injustice to fight against.
Simundo
Press R2 to leer
So, Steller Blade is pretty good. The combat is a lot of fun and exploring the environments is rewarding for the most part (in the more linear parts anyway).
I do find it has a bit of a creepy vibe to it though, like there’s been a couple of instances where you can press ‘R2’ near specific bits of furniture to ‘investigate’ them, e.g. EVE will bend over a pool table or look at a book on a low shelf. It comes off as super creepy. And it’s only the women in the game that have skimpy outfits, but none of the men – come on, if you’re going to make it pervy, at least give everyone something to perv on!
Mud
GC: Adam does have some alternative clothes but, as you’ve already guessed, there’s not an inch of skin showing in any of them.
Japanese adventure
Just finished the Shōgun series on Disney+ and that was amazing, so well done! Thing is, now I want to play a game but they’re either too far back in time (Ghost Of Tsushima) or too far forward (Rise Of The Rōnin). I get the feeling Ghost Of Tsushima will be quite a time skip forward though, so hopefully that will be around the same period. If it’s every announced.
In previous decades this would have got an official video game, no question. Even though there’s actually relatively little action. 10 years ago it would’ve at least got a Telltale Games version, but now not even that.
The Bishop
GC: There are actually three video games based on the original novel/TV adaptation, believe it or not. Two text adventures and one graphical one, all from the 80s.
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The thrill of not knowing
The problem with all these Nintendo Switch 2 rumours is that while I’m sure they’re true, none of them touching on anything that matters. I don’t care who’s making the memory or even what resolution it runs at. I want to know what it is, what it looks like, and what its games are!
I realise there’s almost zero chance of that leaking out, as I’m sure Nintendo is like a fortress right now, but I’m desperate to know what they’re planning. Although, ironically, I’ll be upset if they do leak out, as it feels like forever since we’ve had a game announcement that we didn’t actually know about beforehand.
I know the rumours about 3D Mario/Donkey Kong, but I feel like everyone would’ve guessed that anyway. Ditto a Zelda: Breath Of The Wild remaster. Knowing Nintendo they’ll probably add quite a bit to that, beyond just improving the graphics, so I’m all for it. As long as they don’t charge full price to those that already own it.
I’m just excited and want to see what the Switch 2 is actually going to be. This looks like being a pretty barren year for the second half, from everyone, and I’m looking forward to Nintendo lighting things up as soon as possible.
Onibee
Inbox also-rans
The idea of a Game Of Thrones MMO has missed the boat by a decade at least. Crazy to think how much that franchise has gone from hero to zero and, like you said, we never got a decent game out of the whole thing.
Boko
Returnal 2 would be great but the only thing that would be better is Nex Machina 2. But I’m afraid that’s got even less chance of happening.
Hydroclo
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