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Metro
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Games Inbox: How would you improve Mario Kart World?
The Wednesday letters page fears next year could see the reveal of the PS6 or next gen Xbox, as one reader wants a Fallout game set in Russia. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ Constructive criticism I've really been enjoying Mario Kart World but there is a few tweak/options I would like to see. The obvious one is three lap races, but they need to reduce the players to 12 in that mode, as 24 is just too chaotic on small courses. Also, I would like to see the options back that can turn what weapons you want on/off in private matches, as I feel some are too overpowered. The last thing is they need to improve the battle mode, it hasn't been good since Mario Kart 64 and I couldn't put my finger on it till I played it again. In Mario Kart 64 karts turn really sharp, so you can spin round quickly to attack or change direction, in Mario Kart World the karts feel sluggish in turning and it takes an age to turn round, making it frustrating. Maybe they need to add a handbrake option but then I realised that all the karts feel like that, even when racing on some sharp circuits. All the karts struggle to turn sharp, even when you slow down, so I feel all the karts need a handling tweak. But even with these issues I can't stop playing the Knockout Tour mode, it's got that one more go because I think I can do better. Rob Old/new blood I would be absolutely fine with someone else making a new Fallout, or The Elder Scrolls for that matter. Bethesda broke the mould with The Elder Scrolls and Fallout 3 but all those games are very old now and they've not done anything as good since. In fact, they've barely done anything at all since. Apart from New Vegas 2 by Obsidian. I think my dream project would probably be Fallout set in Russia by one of these new start-ups founded by ex-BioWare or CD Projekt devs. There seems to be plenty of them about nowadays and I'd hope they'd be able to combine some old school experience with new ideas from a hungrier team. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Something tells me Todd Howard will drag his heels though and this chance to expand things won't be the opportunity it should've been. Taylor Moon It's happening again So we're probably going to see the hype for the PlayStation 6 and next gen Xbox building next year, right? Possibly even an official reveal for one or both. I'm not going to bother saying it's too soon, because I assume that's what everyone's thinking, but what is this going to mean for new game releases? Sony has already slowed to a crawl so are they just going to give up entirely and try and start with a fresh sheet? Could Microsoft be thinking of holding things like Fable back, maybe that's why we haven't seen it properly yet. Maybe they'll even make it an exclusive again, not that I think they should. Although I think this will happen, I hope it doesn't because I don't want to go through the whole circus of reveals, pre-orders, bad launch line-ups, and two years of middling games before they get into gear. It always happens and we don't need it again so soon. Winston Email your comments to: gamecentral@ The next reveal It's quite perplexing to nail down when the next trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 will be announced. But since the game is set to release in May 2026, surely it could be either January or March at the latest? Personally, as long as it includes a release date and a gameplay reveal, since we've yet to actually see any footage nad we've only seen the backdrop of Vice City, Jason and Lucia's reveals, and not much else. I'm hoping personally to see more from the numerous rural areas of Vice City. If there's any wacky characters to meet, the pastimes, and hobbies. If we'll see surfing and beach activities, for example. Maybe even throw in a strip club as well. I'd also like to see how the wanted system works. Will an army response be warranted, after the maximum wanted level is achieved, like the old titles, or is it more realistic? I'm just very much anticipating the gameplay reveal and to see if it's a change from GTA 5, or maybe it's just a similar follow-up. With the delays I expect interstellar quality. As far as my gaming life is concerned, I'm currently playing Assassin's Creed Shadows on PlayStation 5. So far, so good. Shahzaib Sadiq Marry and reproduce Anyone remember when people were defending the Activision Blizzard acquisition and rubbishing people who said there'd be job cuts? We don't hear from those people much anymore, huh? And now the other obvious thing has been proven: Microsoft wants to replace everyone with AI. Because I know I can't wait to play a game where the story and level design was created by a puffed up autocorrect. For some reason I can't help but think of the John Carpenter film They Live. I used to think that message was too blunt and comical but as time goes on you realise that consumerism really is that blatant. Just take everything companies throw at you and never question authority. Gifford Direct requirements Count me as one of those also desperate for a Nintendo Direct… and I haven't even upgraded to the Switch 2 yet. To say the console launch has been a disappointment is obviously ridiculous, it's only been out a month, Mario Kart has reviewed well (though there is a surprisingly about of discourse around it) and the machine is selling like hot cakes. However, the lack of nailed on releases dates, news over third party support, and Nintendo's big franchises AWOL has me a little worried. Like a letter the other day said, I was expecting Nintendo to come out firing their big cannons not the staid rollout we've seen. The varying quality of the ports so far also has me concerned; Cyberpunk 2077 looks good for a handheld… but it is a noticeable step down on PlayStation 5 from what I've seen in side by sides. Hitman is a poor effort and Wild Hearts S dropped last week with shocking results, looking worse than the five-year-old Monster Hunter Rise on the original Switch. You might expect this from a new format, but I haven't yet upgraded to PlayStation 5 either (like the Reader's Feature at the weekend, I'm stuck on last gen completely, with Switch and a PlayStation 4) and looking at the current situation on Switch 2 does have me thinking ,'Why wouldn't I just get a PlayStation 5?'. I mean I could be playing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth or Baldur's Gate 3 out of the box next week, instead of keeping fingers crossed for inferior Switch 2 editions however many years down the road. Nintendo will be able to ride out the year (and probably next) with upgrading super fans… but need to do more to entice the next level down of Switch user to invest. Marc GC: Third party support for the Switch 1 was very poor and yet it could end up as the best-selling console of all time. The Switch 2 already seems to be doing better in the regard, assuming the current issues don't linger. Zero information What happened to that Star Wars XCOM game? Zero Company. I was really looking forward to that, but we still haven't got any real gameplay or sign of when it's coming out. I don't mind a teaser a long time before a game comes out, but I do like at least a hint of when that'll be. Have we had all the Star Wars events this year, is that what we're waiting for? I'm really hoping for EA to comment on Star Wars Battlefront 3 too. I love that Battlefront 2 is having a moment but I have no idea if a new sequel could happen. Sausegg GC: We've had Star Wars Day and Star Wars Celebration already this year, so there's really no way to guess when it will be show again. Maybe Gamescom or The Game Awards. To grind or not to grind In regards to game difficulty, I don't think there's ever going to be a consensus on if games should always have difficulty levels or not, but there's something else that has been bugging me since playing Lies Of P and that's levelling up characters. In Lies Of P you collect ergo as you defeat enemies, which you then exchange to increase your character's ability. This ultimately means you just replay levels until you've the boss has got easy enough to beat. The game has no difficulty setting, but any concept of the boss being an intentional difficulty level by the developer is lost. It's a similar situation in Clair Obscur, except that game also lets you pick a difficulty setting too. I'm awful at parrying, so when it got to bosses I had no chance with I made it easier (which I'm very thankful for). But later in the game I noticed recommended levels, that different guides were suggesting, were around 10 levels higher than what I was on. So, after replaying some of them I realised the levels people were suggesting make the boss fights easier than mainlining it on the difficulty below. These are far from the first games to be set up like this. I'm sure most of us as some point have got completely stuck on a boss, looked it up on YouTube and found everyone else has a health bar twice the size. Personally, I'd rather games let you pick a difficulty level that gives the right challenge for your ability followed by the satisfaction that you achieved it. Otherwise, you defeat a boss, but did you really do it, or have you levelled so far you're now in story mode? Tim GC: We mean… that's the whole nature of role-playing games, especially more old school ones. Inbox also-rans Can confirm that I also love John Wick Hex. There are dozens of us! Dozens! Opal fruit I would absolutely love it if Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 convinced Square Enix to make the next mainline Final Fantasy turn-based. I can't see it though, they'll chicken out and overcomplicate it. Turo More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ 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 is the next Assassin's Creed game? MORE: Games Inbox: What is the hardest game on PS5? MORE: Games Inbox: What is the easiest Soulsborne game?
Metro
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Games Inbox: What is the best retro video game?
The Monday letters page asks how anyone finds time to play video games, as one reader questions the idea of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Deluxe. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ My definition Since I haven't got a Switch 2 and the summer game drought is here, I started looking into playing some retro games instead. It's not too unusual for me to do that but over the years I have found myself become increasingly less tolerant of some older games and their ways. So that got me thinking about what is the best retro game that's actually still playable today? It's probably Tetris, but I haven't got an old version of that, so I thought instead it might be Street Fighter 2. I've got a few old versions and I put it on for a spin and it really is amazing how much fun it still is. Of course, it looks old but the gameplay is still basically the same as all the other modern versions today, including Street Fighter 6. Even the controls are the same if you use them that way. What other game can say the same, at least in terms of how specific the controls and action in Street Fighter are. Just the definition of a classic. Taylor Moon Bottom of the barrel I've seen some suggestions that Nintendo should make Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Deluxe, in the same vein as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. As long as it has an upgrade path like the Zelda games, I would be totally for this. I would assume it would have at least a few new characters, but the problem is who would they be? I don't see that Nintendo has anyone left they could do and not only does that create a problem in terms of selling new content but it also kind of emphasises how Nintendo are not making anything new. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. I guess they could make one of the wheelchair players from Drag X Drive a fighter but that doesn't seem likely, but it's literally the only new IP they've announced so far for the Switch 2. Unless they're going to do Duskbloods. Skybaot Amazing wait I do feel that Insomniac are overacting a bit to the hack, if that's the reason Wolverine is taking so long. Maybe I'm missing something about what was revealed but I don't feel finding out it was a third person action game was some kind of shocking surprise that they had to redesign the whole game because of it. Even if code was stolen, I'm not seeing what difference that would make in terms of what the final game is, but I guess they have their reasons. If they've got three games underway then that's great but if we've not heard of two of them then they're not going to be out for years yet, so it's kind of irrelevant. Spider-Man 2 was only two years ago but it feels much more than that to me. It wasn't though, so that means we have to wait and wait to get anything else new. Tasker Email your comments to: gamecentral@ Finding the time How do you play Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom? I don't mean, what weapon is the best or which shield to use. I mean, how do you play it to completion? I've sunk hours and hours into it and I've not even touched the surface. Thing is I know Donkey Kong Bananza is around the corner and I've been holding off getting Monster Train 2 because of Zelda. I'm not a young gamer by any stretch of the imagination and I'm loving Zelda, but because of work commitments I can only get through so much. It's a travesty to me that I likely won't get near to finishing it because there's always the draw of the next game (let's not forget GTA also). Do people play these lengthy games to completion or do they put them down to return to them at a future date, often forgetting what it was they were doing in it six months ago. I'm persevering, Donkey Kong is on order though and, as I said, I've held off getting Monster Train 2 but the seed is forever planted. Damn you Nintendo, for making such beautiful games. Anon Price of success RE: the letter about Halo being 'of its time'. I think the problem with gaming is that once a groundbreaking game comes out it gets ripped off, copied, and improved upon, so if you miss it at the time then it doesn't feel quite so special. I personally love the Bungie Halos – from the music and gunplay to the excellent AI, that makes every playthrough unique – but I now accept it's pretty much a dead franchise. Shame. Simon Very good advice I picked up a Switch 2 from Very, using their 12 months Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) option. Good service, will use them again, but how payments are structured is a bit convoluted. The BNPL balance is separate from your account balance. Your account balance will include any non-BNPL purchases but also insurances or interest from your BNPL balance. Any payment to the account balance will not reduce or apply to the BNPL balance. When making a payment you have to select if it's for your account or the BNPL balance. I had the payment and interest deferred BNPL for 12 months option, so didn't understand why it said I had to make a minimum payment of £3.99 on my first statement. As it is, I paid off my entire BNPL balance along with paying the £3.99 account balance just to be sure. It turned out the £3.99 was for postage, which wasn't included on the BNPL order and charged to my account balance on the first statement three weeks after the items were ordered and arrived. If I hadn't of paid that off and assumed clearing my BNPL amount would cover it, I would of received a late payment charge the next month. So the TLDR is make sure you pay the minimum amount even if you do have BNPL with Very. Simundo Nom de plume Did you see that Helldivers 2 is coming to Xbox, published by PlayStation Publishing? Pretty big shift from PlayStation, no longer pushing things through a third party publisher onto other platforms. Magnumstache GC: It's interesting, but it's still not Sony Interactive Entertainment, which is the label they publish games under on the PlayStation 5. PlayStation Publishing was set up for publishing PC games. Trust issues Time for Xbox to choose: people before profits, purpose over posturing For two decades, Xbox has been a symbol of gaming possibility – bringing worlds to life, elevating artistry, and fostering community. But now, amidst shifting market strategies, unprecedented acquisitions, and heartbreakingly routine layoffs, Xbox finds itself at a crossroads. The time for ambiguity is over. It must declare its path clearly: commit to being a third party publisher and cloud gaming powerhouse or risk losing more than market share – it risks losing trust, integrity, and the very soul of what gaming means to millions. Xbox's transformation has been whispered across boardrooms and debated in forums: is the hardware still the priority? Are exclusive titles still the north star? With the growing emphasis on Game Pass, the expansion onto rival platforms, and the monumental investment into cloud infrastructure, the writing feels etched across the digital sky. Xbox no longer wants to play only within its own console kingdom – it wants to provide the kingdom itself. Yet, while the vision expands, the cost has been cruel. Studios shuttered. Developers blindsided. Talented people – storytellers, coders, artists – let go like disposable assets in a corporate campaign. The very people whose ingenuity built the worlds we cherish are finding out their jobs are gone. It's bad. This isn't bold leadership. This is corporate camouflage. If Xbox truly believes in a future beyond the console – where Game Pass reigns across screens and where its IPs are liberated from platform exclusivity – it should stop hinting and start owning it. Embracing a third party identity doesn't mean surrender. It means evolution. A Game Pass app on every screen, platform, and ecosystem. No more tribalism, just access. But Xbox must be transparent and do so before no one trusts them ever again. BaldB3lper Inbox also-ransI'm actually kind of surprised we've never had a Resident Evil Tactics games before. This mobile game isn't that but if they did something like XCOM with zombies I'd be interested. Pogo I'm going to call it now, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is going to win all the game of the year awards this year, I just don't see what other contender there could be. Whistler More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ 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 video games too expensive for young people? MORE: Select Games Inbox: Has Xbox become irrelevant this generation?Games Inbox: Has Xbox become irrelevant this generation? MORE: Games Inbox: What will be the first Mario Kart World DLC?
