The Friday letters page praises Stardew Valley and its latest update, as one reader discovers Will Smith’s Undawn.
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Pretty good recommendation
I see Horizon Forbidden West is now available on PC this week, which made me wonder how the game and the series are perceived at present. When it initially released on PlayStation 5 there was a lot of discussion about there being too many Horizon games, along with the VR game and rumors of live service titles, but that no longer seems to be a problem, as no one purchased the PlayStation VR2 and there has been no official news about the live service game.
In my opinion, both main games are good and Forbidden West is an improvement, but the entire series could go further. The graphics are obviously fantastic, which is its biggest appeal, and all the robot animals are great. However, the story and characters are rather uninspiring and I am not invested in any of it. The explanation for what’s happening is pretty cool, but the actual plot not so much.
I believe this could be Sony’s Zelda series if they managed to enhance it. The combat is okay but quite shallow. What they need is some genuine puzzle-solving and exploration that goes beyond finding one of the four different side quest types. The platforming also requires no skill, which makes it rather pointless.
If I sound negative, I want to clarify that I do like the game but looking back, it feels like it’s holding back, too hesitant to upset casual gamers. Perhaps that’s the challenge that all big budget games will face from now on, but I think with just a little adjustment, Horizon could become something truly exceptional. For any PC owners considering whether it’s worth playing, I would say yes. Just anticipate something attractive but shallow.
Colt
Option two
So I just learned about a game fronted by Will Smith called Undawn (how bad is that name?) that has now flopped despite apparently having millions invested in it. Now, I don't want to criticize anything, but this game clearly did not exist and is some sort of elaborate setup for an April Fool’s joke. I mean it’s either that or the entire games industry is on the verge of collapsing due to extreme negligence. It couldn’t possibly be the latter, could it?
For anyone interested in reading about this fictitious game, I’ve included a link to a related article.
Chris in Belfast
Justified win
I completely agree that Capcom has been the top publisher of the past year and, really, for most of their history. They and Nintendo (who are essentially second on the list) are the only two companies where I’ll be automatically interested in any game they make.
Resident Evil 4 and Street Fighter 6 were both outstanding games for me last year and I also enjoyed the Mega Man Battle Network remaster compilation. I was never a big fan of the first Dragon’s Dogma, and it doesn’t seem like much has changed, but I am willing to give it a try purely based on their track record. I am not sure if they have much else releasing this year, but I hope they reclaim the number one spot soon.
Korbie
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A result of its era
I read GC’s preview of Princess Peach: Showtime! which included a discussion about Super Princess Peach. This is a critique I have seen used against this game before, and maybe when it was first released. The critique is that Princess Peach relies on her emotions to advance in the game because she is a woman. She is not given any 'real' or impressive powers, and it is a prejudice from the developers.
I have two main points about this. First, the storyline is somewhat different from what the prevailing criticism suggests. The introduction shows Bowser trying to gain control of this emotion wand, then he becomes overwhelmed with emotion, along with Toads, Mario, etc. Peach appears as the only one who can control her emotions and rescue Mario.
This leads me to my second point; Nintendo often reflects everyday observations by its developers. Not huge social commentaries or prejudices but just normal everyday people living their lives.
Boo is supposedly based on a developer’s wife being shy in public but angry at him for working late when no one else is there! Chain Chomp’s influence was a dog that used to scare the creator of Mario, Pikmin was inspired by gardening.
My second point, then, is that at most the game touches on an observation that perhaps some women are potentially more emotionally mature. That is just a speculation though.
I can’t discuss the conclusion of the game though as ultimately it was just a bit dull. Something that I found disappointing as I wanted something new and different.
My intuition is the new Peach game will end up in the same category.
SB
GC: Super Princess Peach received a lot of criticism for its portrayal of Peach in 2005, let alone now. It probably is a better game than Showtime! though, even if it’s still not great.
Computer pioneer
I worked in a computer shop in North London from 1979-92 (and IT support after that) and used to go to all the product launches, exhibitions computer shows and fairs, like this one (I wish I had brought a camera).
I have been collecting old computers and computer games from the mid-1980s to the present.
I appeared on the BBC TV show The Net about collecting old computers and software in 1994. (After the Doron Swade interview, about 13 minutes and 45 seconds.)
The first early computer I had was a Digital Equipment Corporation DEC PDP-8e minicomputer from 1971/2 but I had to get rid of it when I downsized.
Nowadays I have mostly microcomputers from the late 1970s to the 1980s, as they are small, easier to fix and take up less space. I like playing computer chess, adventure, and arcade games on them.
Sometimes I rebuild ‘work a-like’ machines with modern components. I prefer playing on original hardware, but it’s not easy as they are fragile and were never expected to last 40+ years. They need lots of TLC as the plastics get brittle and the components get damaged by heat and regular use.
I am also a licensed radio amateur as well and often try to combine the hobbies.
In the early 2000s I made a career change and switched to photography and did press and celebrity photography. I have been fortunate to have had a few careers.
Stephen
The terrible truth
Enjoyed the letter about giving the consoles away because you make money on the actual games. If Sony has lost, say, £100 on every PlayStation 5 sold and it’s sold 50 million units… well that’s much better on the bottom line than losing an additional £400 on each of those 50 million units. Not even Microsoft would sign off on that billions sized loss in the hope of signing up a few extra million Game Pass subscribers.
I’d imagine the cost of making the machines to give away would vastly outweigh the increasing market share, the balance of what loss can be made up on software has probably set the market rate we see now. I am surprised that a pay monthly model like how we buy smartphones hasn’t worked for consoles though.
The reader does raise an interesting point, about how on earth the game industry increases the overall size of the market. Something that desperately needs to be done, as the cost of making games ever escalates. Given how much more influential gaming is compared to 20 years ago it is strange that the home console market hasn’t really expanded. Is modern gaming’s prevalence in pop culture now all driven by the likes of Roblox and mobile?
With hindsight, you can see that Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo spotted the problem that escalating budgets would hit the ceiling of the current market size. Their solutions, from Kinect to GamePass, Wii motion controls, and Sony style blockbuster gaming haven’t worked to sustainably expand the player base. So how does the market expand?
Maybe there is an uncomfortable truth that us gamers need to face… that the gaming that we all enjoy doesn’t truly have mass appeal? Factors inherent to gaming, like the amount of time, art design and aesthetic, complex controls, learning gameplay systems, and high levels of violence, etc. mean the market can’t be expanded to cover increasing costs without a major rethink over what games actually are.
Or maybe AI will save it. Turning out games like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth or Spider-Man 2 at vastly reduced costs, meaning the console market can roll on as before as if nothing has happened… it’s just cost it its soul.
Marc
Re-review showdown
How would GC feel about me reviewing a game you already reviewed a while ago? Doing it as a Reader’s Feature? It’s you that swayed my attention to the game in the reboot of the game in the first place.
It’s been a few years since its release but yet it’s just captured my attention. It’s packed with DLC and since your review it’s gone from pure quality to absolute quality.
I don’t think these Metacritc scores are always fair. They are almost certainly a review based on the initial release of a game.
All I will say is…
The way of the samurai is to know death.
The way of Shura is to know victory.
I am the ultimate fighter, and all those who stand in my way shall…
FALL!
Nick The Greek
GC: We’re always happy to run readers’ reviews.
Valley paradise
I am so loving the 1.6 update of Stardew Valley – the game that always seems to give. Such a generous developer who’s respectful to all the fans of the game. An absolute genius who cares for the game and the Stardew community as a whole.
Until now, I have discovered a lot of special items, as well as setting up the new furniture and trying out the new farming style called Meadowland. There is a new mission and some new neighbors and a bunch of new pet updates. However, this patch only represents a small part of the whole update.
The great thing about this game is that I purchased Harvest Moon for the GameCube a long time ago and enjoyed it then, but compared to Stardew Valley, it was just a mediocre game.
The celebrations are events to look forward to and more festivals and seasonal events have been included in this new update, making this game delightful to play and work in, as the farming year offers new events for you to get ready for.
The music is excellent and the fact that a single developer created this game, including the soundtrack and effects, is incredible, and new features are still being added.
It’s definitely a game that takes up a lot of time, but in a very positive way, which is truly brilliant. With 30 million copies sold, it deserves the recognition that a gaming gem of this kind should receive. May Stardew Valley continue for a long time.
Alucard
Inbox also-rans
I watched some footage of Dragon’s Dogma 2, and, to be honest, it seems like a high-resolution modification of the first game. It features the same enemies, moves, and environments.
Bobwallett
I don’t understand why Nintendo believes that Princess Peach fans are only very young, while Mario fans can be any age. Why didn’t they just make Ninja Peach the main character throughout the whole game? That would have been a better idea, in my opinion.
DocMan
The small print
New Inbox updates emerge every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes on the weekend. Readers’ letters are used based on quality and may be shortened for brevity and content.
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