Star Wars Battlefront 3 needs to have these new features – Reader’s Feature GameCentral Published May 24, 2025 9:00am Star Wars Battlefront 2 – would you like to see another one? (EA) A reader reacts to the sudden popularity of Star Wars Battlefront 2 by making suggestions for how a sequel could improve on it. I enjoyed the recent articles about the best Star Wars games and the iconic TIE Fighter game, which GameCentral did for Star Wars Day recently. I particularly empathised with the bit about not even knowing whether you are a Star Wars fan anymore, given how many poor quality shows and movies there have been. And then, to my surprise, I found myself enjoying a bit of a high with the franchise, thanks to season 2 of Andor and the 20th anniversary of Revenge Of The Sith. Two very different things and you could argue Revenge Of The Sith is not a good movie but it’s weird and funny and entertaining in a way bad Star Wars can be sometimes. Because it’s a strange series, where you have genuinely good things, cheesy but entertaining things, and absolutely terrible things. And that goes for the movies, the shows… and the games. Obviously, that’s what I’m going to try and write about now, because I was inspired by the sudden increase in popularity for Star Wars Battlefront 2, which is being played by more people now (on Steam at least) than when it was released eight years ago. I’m not entirely sure why it blew up like this, but I assume it was because of Star Wars Day and the new releases – and then people just realised that it’s actually a really good game. They probably didn’t know at first because it was caught up in all the controversy over loot boxes, which EA removed, and a lot of the best maps and characters came with the DLC. Even so, it was not a perfect game. As GameCentral pointed out, the gunplay is not great, and while the ship combat is fine it doesn’t integrate into the ground action as well as the old PlayStation 2 game. The hope now is that EA will think about making a third game and apparently a lot of the developers are keen on making it too. Of course, it’s not up to them though, especially not given how expensive a game like this would be. But there’s so much more Star Wars stuff that could go into a new game now, compared to eight years ago, and it wouldn’t have to rely on the awful sequels at all. In fact, I imagine most people would prefer they be left out as much as possible, especially given the upsurge in appreciation for the prequels recently. But other than the six main films I’d like to see more from The Clone Wars and Rebels, as well as The Mandalorian, Ahsoka (she’s barely in the current game, beyond one set of skins), Skeleton Crew, and Andor. You’ll see a lot of fans saying the game should have a 100 maps or whatever, as a reaction to the current game not launching with much content, but that’s just silly. It just needs variety. With all the good stuff we’ve had lately you can go from prequel era sci-fi fantasy, to space pirates, to weird Force temples, to grounded fights on Coruscant, and jetpack battles on Mandalore. All of these shows have brough their own new vehicles and mounts too, so it doesn’t just have to be the same old, and it doesn’t matter if you’ve seen the shows or not because it’s just cool designs at the end of the day. I’d also like to see the ability to travel from the ground to space in one map, which is something that was planned for a cancelled PlayStation 2 game but which we still haven’t seen in the modern day. Basically, I want to see every possible aspect of the mechanical side of Star Wars in one game, from the weapons to the vehicles to the ships. More Trending I’ve nothing against Jedi being in it but I think it’s important that doesn’t over overwhelm. This needs to be the definitive Star Wars combat game and I really hope EA makes it. By reader Gabbo May the Force be with the developers (EA) The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro. You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

5 reasons why I’m not buying a Nintendo Switch 2 this year – Reader’s Feature GameCentral Published May 24, 2025 1:00am Is it better to wait? (Nintendo) A reader is convinced it’s best to wait before getting a Switch 2 and lays out five reasons why he’s going to hold back until at least next year. Nintendo’s new console is going to be out in just a few short weeks and I am excited about it, but it’s been pretty obvious to me for a while that there is no point in buying it at launch. I do like Nintendo games, and have been very happy with my current Switch, but there’s no getting away from the fact that the Switch 2 is very expensive and that makes me, and I’m sure lots of other people, very wary. I’ve come up with five good reasons why I don’t think buying it at launch is a good idea, despite all the talk of it being a big seller, and while some of them apply to most new consoles I do think there are particular concerns that are specific to the Switch 2. 1. There’s obviously going to be an OLED Model and probably quite soon. Nintendo always releases multiple versions of all their consoles, especially handhelds, and I’m sure it won’t be long till the Switch 2 Lite turns up. An OLED version is even more likely though because they had to downgrade the base model back to a LCD screen. There’s no way they’re going to stick with just that for long, and we even got a sort of confirmation for that with Samsung’s recent rumours. 2. There’s only one exclusive. If you discount Welcome Tour, which I’m certain almost everyone will except Nintendo (discount… get it?) there’s only really one properly appealing Switch 2 exclusive this year and that’s Mario Kart World. There’s also Metroid Prime 4 but that’s only a remaster and is really a Switch 1 game. I’m sorry, but that’s just not enough for me and it’s a much worse start than the Switch 1 had. Instead of Splatoon 2 and Super Mario Odyssey later in the year we’re getting… Hyrule Warriors 3 and Kirby Air Riders 3. 3. They have not proven their third party credentials. This is related to the previous point but it’s something a bit different, in that while I’ll take it for granted that Nintendo will make lots of great games for the console, I have no such faith when it comes to third party publishers. Very few third party games have been shown so far, with Microsoft and Ubisoft not announcing anything. Plus, the only big third party game – The Duskbloods by FromSoftware – is an exclusive Nintendo had to pay for. I want to see proof that third parties are going to support the Switch 2 all the time, without needing to be bribed to do it. 4. I’m worried about technical problems. I was quite upset to find out that the new Joy-Cons do not have Hall Effect sticks, as I thought that had been confirmed earlier. The fact that it hasn’t means that they could still have joystick drift and even if they didn’t there’s a whole world of other technical problems they could suffer from, that will only be discovered by early adopters. I’m still not convinced about those magnet connections, especially as there was nothing wrong with the old method, and would prefer to wait and see if it’s an issue. More Trending 5. There’re no new game ideas. If I had one complaint about the Switch 2 it’d be that it didn’t use its success to introduce much in the way of new IP. There was ARMS early on but that was about it, and it was pretty minor anyway. The Switch 2 shows no sign of being any better, as the only new franchise they’ve shown is the basketball game whose name I can’t remember but which looks like a bad indie game. I really needed to see something better than that before I hand over my money and I until I do I’ll hold my fire on getting the Switch 2. By reader Himbo Mario Kart World is the Switch 2’s big launch title (Nintendo) The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro. You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Resident Evil 9 began as ‘open world multiplayer game’ as insider reveals scrapped sequel Adam Starkey Published May 23, 2025 5:22pm Updated May 23, 2025 5:22pm Leon Kennedy is apparently back for Resident Evil 9 (Capcom) An insider has shared details about early plans for Resident Evil 9, amid claims of a canned follow-up to Resident Evil: Revelations 2. While Capcom has confirmed Resident Evil 9 is in development, we still know nothing about the sequel – with an official reveal expected at some point this year. The only details we have about the follow-up to Resident Evil Village is from rumours, which claim it will mark a ‘big reinvention’ for the series, be open world, and use the same tech as Dragon’s Dogma 2. The source of these rumours, AestheticGamer aka Dusk Golem, has now made several claims about the sequel on X, including how it apparently began as a multiplayer title. According to the insider, Resident Evil 9 began development in 2017 as a ‘big open world multiplayer game’, a decision which was apparently made in response to Resident Evil 7’s low sales at launch (it later went onto find success with over 14 million copies sold). It’s unclear whether this refers to cooperative or competitive multiplayer, but the leaker claims this original version featured Leon Kennedy and Jill Valentine as the game’s protagonists, and was set on a fictional island based off of Singapore. It’s claimed Resident Evil 9 underwent a ‘pretty heavy reboot’ in 2021, around the launch of Resident Evil Village, but ‘a few things stayed the same’. According to the insider, one thing which remained was Leon Kennedy as the main character, but Jill was apparently dropped. While it isn’t stated explicitly, it’s implied the multiplayer aspect was dropped as well – considering that aspect has never been mentioned before. Past mainline games have leaned on cooperative multiplayer, specifically Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6, but these are widely considered to be among the worst of the numbered entries. In other posts, Dusk Golem claims Resident Evil 9 is ‘designed as a third-person game’, so it won’t have the first-person perspective of Resident Evil Village. They also claim it will launch in 2026, although Capcom’s recent financial reports suggest it will be sometime after March. Beyond Resident Evil 9, the insider claims a sequel to 2015’s Resident Evil: Revelations 2 was also in development at some point, but it was cancelled by Capcom in 2022 to prioritise ‘manpower and budget’ on Resident Evil 4 remake and Resident Evil 9. More Trending Resident Evil: Revelations 2 was an episodic sequel to the 2012 spin-off, which originally released on the Nintendo 3DS. As of March 31 this year, the sequel has sold 3.7 million units, so it’s on the lower end of Resident Evil sales overall. Capcom hasn’t announced anything about Resident Evil 9, so it’s worth taking these rumours with a pinch of salt, but it has dropped hints that news could arrive soon, with all eyes on Summer Game Fest on Friday, June 6, 2025. Aside from the next mainline instalment, Capcom is said to be working on several Resident Evil remakes too, with the next one expected to be Resident Evil Zero. A Revelations 2 sequel is apparently off the table (Capcom) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

You can get three Warhammer games for free right now Adam Starkey Published May 23, 2025 2:01pm Updated May 23, 2025 2:01pm He wants a word (Auroch Digital) Several new Warhammer games have been revealed in a showcase, including a throwback shooter which is entirely free. A slew of new games were announced as part of the Warhammer Skulls Showcase this week, but the Warhammer celebrations continue beyond the presentation. In the showcase, Warhammer 40k: Boltgun 2 was revealed, a sequel to developer Auroch Digital’s 2023 retro shooter. It’s set to be released across Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC sometime in 2026. As an extra surprise, Boltgun fans were treated to another announcement in the form of spin-off Warhammer 40k: Boltgun – Words Of Vengeance, a ‘first-person typing’ shooter which is completely free on Steam. The shooter is basically an alternative take on Boltgun where you type out randomised words to kill the enemy hordes. You play as Malum Caedo, who is on a mission to ‘cleanse Forge World Graia of cultists, traitors, and Chaos daemons that threaten to overun it’. This isn’t the only Warhammer game which is currently free. Warhammer 40k: Gladius – Relics Of War is free to keep on Steam if you download it before Monday, May 26 at 6pm BST. This is a turn-based strategy game developed by Proxy Studios which originally came out in 2018. Meanwhile, 1999’s Warhammer 40k: Rites Of War is free on GOG until Thursday, May 29. This is another turn-based strategy title, which was re-released in 2015. While you can download all these games for free and keep them, if you have some spare time over the weekend, you can play 2018’s Warhammer 40k: Mechanicus for the next three days for free on Steam. A sequel is currently in development at Bulwark Studios. If you’re not a PC player, there are heavy discounts on other Warhammer games across Xbox and PlayStation, although none of them are free unfortunately. What games were announced at the Warhammer Skulls Showcase? Along with the aforementioned Warhammer 40k: Boltgun 2 and Words Of Vengeance, there were several other announcements at the showcase. Developer Owlcat revealed Warhammer 40k: Dark Heresy, a narrative-driven tactical role-playing game which features ‘intricate investigations’ and player choices that ‘carry grave consequences’. It is set to be released on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC at an unspecified future date. Owlcat also announced its second expansion for Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader, titled Lex Imperialis, will launch on June 24. A second season pass is also in development with two additional 15-hour expansions. More Trending Elsewhere on the DLC front, Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 will soon receive a new PvE Siege mode, where three players must survive and defend a fortress against waves of enemy hordes. It will be playable on Steam via Saber Interactive’s public test server from June 4, and will roll out across all platforms as part of a free update on June 26. For fans of the original Space Marine, a Master Crafted Edition re-release is set to launch on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Game Pass on June 10, 2025. This edition, described as a ‘thoughtful restoration’ of the 2011 original, includes 4K support, revamped controls, improved visuals, and all previously released DLC. Relic Entertainment’s real-time strategy game, Warhammer 40k: Dawn Of War, is also getting a modern revamp via a new Definitive Edition, which includes the base game along with all previous expansions. However, a release date is yet to be announced. A sequel to Boltgun is on the way (Auroch Digital) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Hollywood is about to get Tarnished (Bandai Namco) A film adaptation of FromSoftware’s Elden Ring is in the works, with George R.R. Martin on board as a producer. After rumours emerged earlier this month, FromSoftware has officially announced it is partnering with A24 to make a live-action film adaptation of Elden Ring. As announced in a press release, Alex Garland will write and direct the project. He’s best known for directing films like Ex Machina, Annihilation, and Civil War, but he’s also served as writer on several Danny Boyle films, specifically Sunshine, 28 Days Later, and its upcoming sequel 28 Years Later. Garland has worked on video games too, serving as a co-writer on 2010’s Enslaved: Odyssey To The West and a story supervisor on 2013’s DmC: Devil May Cry. George R.R. Martin, who contributed to the story of Elden Ring alongside the game’s director Hidetaka Miyazaki, is a producer on the film. He’s joined by Game Of Thrones producer Vince Gerardis, Peter Rice, and Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich from DNA Films. Interestingly, Miyazaki’s name isn’t mentioned, which suggests he’s not involved. Speaking to The Guardian last year, he expressed his interest in making a film adaptation of Elden Ring but said he doesn’t think he has the ‘knowledge or ability to produce something in a different medium’. Adapting Elden Ring’s dark fantasy world to live-action will certainly be a challenge, but the biggest task might be translating the game’s lore into a tight narrative, unless it opts to tell its own story within the same universe. More Trending Between Garland and Martin though, this is probably the most promising film based on a video game currently in development. Others in the works include a BioShock movie at Netflix, a new Street Fighter movie, a Death Stranding film, OutRun with Sydney Sweeney, along with countless more. There is no indication of when the Elden Ring film will be released, or when it will start shooting, so it will likely be a few years away yet. This announcement comes a week ahead of Elden Ring: Nightreign, a roguelike multiplayer spin-off which is set to launch on May 30 across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Nightreign launches this month (Bandai Namco) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Another return to Rapture? (2K) A source has claimed a BioShock announcement is set to drop this summer, and most signs point to a potential remake. While we know several projects are underway in the BioShock franchise, news around the series has been relatively light over the past few years. The next mainline instalment, provisionally titled BioShock 4, was announced way back in 2019 from developer Cloud Chamber. We’ve heard little about the game since, outside of a job listing which suggested development was ramping up last year. We know a Netflix film adaptation is also in the works, while rumours of a BioShock remake have floated around following a LinkedIn post from a 2K employee. We’ve heard little about these projects either, but an insider has claimed news related to the franchise is on the near horizon. According to leaker Kurakasis (via Mp1st), who accurately outed the existence of a Metro VR game last year, publisher 2K is preparing to make an announcement related to the BioShock franchise, which will ‘likely’ happen before the end of the summer. The actual contents of the announcement are unknown, but the leaker claims Rapture, the underwater city setting from the first two games, will play a ‘significant role’. As such, they speculate it could be connected to the rumoured remake of the first title. However, the report throws up some other possibilities. While rumours suggested BioShock 4 would be set in the Antarctic, it’s possible it could feature Rapture in some capacity. The announcement could also be tied to the Netflix movie, which will presumably adapt the events of the first game. More Trending While it hasn’t been announced, a remake of BioShock makes a lot of sense as a way to drum up excitement for the next instalment – especially as the latter might still be a few years away. Considering how vague the details are though, it’s possible this announcement could be related to something else entirely within the BioShock franchise. So let’s just hope it isn’t a mobile spin-off. As for when this announcement could happen, the obvious contender is Summer Game Fest on Friday, June 6. It could also pop at Microsoft’s Xbox showcase on June 8, or the rumoured State Of Play from Sony. The original BioShock looks a bit rough these days (2K) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

7 free games we’re playing this long weekend to keep our brain sharp Tamar Hela for Arkadium Tamar Hela for Arkadium Published May 23, 2025 8:00am These games are the perfect way to spend the long weekend (Picture: Getty Images) Ah, the long weekend – that blissful stretch of time when the pace of life slows down just enough for us to breathe, relax, and recharge. Whether it’s a bank holiday or you’ve simply taken a well-earned day off, weekends are the perfect opportunity to take a break from the chaos of daily life. For some people, that break means heading outdoors for an adventure. Others may catch up with friends over drinks or dance the night away. But what if your idea of relaxation leans toward a quiet but cosy solitude? No problem! There’s absolutely nothing wrong with staying in and unwinding with a few rounds of online games. Online games offer you an easy, enjoyable escape without needing to spend a single penny. They come in a massive variety of genres – from soothing puzzles to mind-bending brain teasers and fast-paced timed challenges – so there’s always something to suit every mood. They help pass the time and offer the benefits of keeping your brain sharp and engaged while still feeling relaxed. We’re spotlighting some of the most entertainingArkadium games you can play for free. So grab a cuppa, put your feet up, and let’s explore some brilliant ways to unwind this weekend, all from the comfort of your favourite device. Easy Crossword A classic for a reason, thiseasy crossword is just challenging enough to get your brain ticking without leaving you stumped. It’s ideal for a slow morning with a coffee in hand, giving you that satisfying ‘a-ha!’ moment when the clues click into place. With a fresh puzzle every day, it’s a great way to keep your mind sharp over the weekend. Mahjong Candy Sweet, colourful, and endlessly replayable,Mahjong Candy is a sugary twist on the traditional tile-matching game that’s visually delightful and mentally engaging. Its fast pace makes it perfect for quick bursts of fun, and the satisfying animations add a playful charm. It’s a solo game that’s easy to get into and hard to put down. Cooking Live Channel your inner chef and keep your reflexes sharp with thisfast-paced cooking game. You’ll need to juggle multiple tasks at once by prepping, cooking, and serving hungry customers under time pressure. It’s a vibrant, high-energy option that’s as entertaining as it is addictive. Although it’s great fun for solo play, you can’t help but compare scores with your mates. Deal or No Deal Deal or No Deal is an entertaining way to test your luck and decision-making skills. You’ll feel the tension build with each briefcase as you try to outwit the banker and walk away with the highest virtual prize. While it’s a single-player game, it’s also a crowd-pleaser that’s fun to play alongside friends or family for a bit of friendly competition. Word Scramble Word lovers, rejoice!Word Scramble is a great brain workout that challenges your vocabulary in a rapid format. Each round gives you a fresh set of letters and a ticking clock, pushing you to think creatively under pressure. While you play solo, racing against friends to beat each other’s word counts adds a competitive edge. And if that’s not enough words, more word games are available around the corner from Arkadium. Texas Holdem Fancy a bit of strategy and competition? A weekend poker classic,Texas Holdem is the perfect mix of luck, bluffing, and brains. You can play against real opponents, which adds excitement and unpredictability to every hand. It’s a brilliant pick for weekend game nights when you want something a bit more tactical. Ballistic Fast, colourful, and satisfying to play, this game is the kind ofarcade-style challenge that hooks you instantly. Your goal is to break through layers of blocks with precision and planning, all while the balls bounce and ricochet in chaotic, satisfying patterns. It’s perfect for winding down after a long day or squeezing in a few energetic rounds between weekend plans. More Trending Discover other addictive games atFreegames at Metro. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Doom The Dark Ages – not a cheap game (Bethesda) The Friday letters page blames Sony for the decline of Bungie, as one reader thinks they’ve guessed the secret of Super Mario on Switch 2. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk Top three I was considering buying Doom: The Dark Ages but was shocked to find that the game is £70 on PC. I know it’s that on console too but normally PC games are at least £10 cheaper, although I’m not sure why. So we’ve got a game that is single-player only, can be beaten in around 13 hours, and is not only the most expensive a console game can be but the same on PC too. How many different ways can Bethesda find to put me off buying the game?I wonder if this is an attempt by Microsoft to push people towards paying for Game Pass, but I can assure them that is not going to work on me. I’ll just buy the game on Black Friday, when I’m sure it’ll be at least half price – just like Doom 2016 was by that same point. Video games might not have seen much of a price rise over the decades, I understand that, but what these companies seem to forget is that back in the SNES days most of us were only getting two or three games a year, because they were so expensive. If Microsoft and whoever wants to go back to those days then fine, but I can tell you Doom is not going to be one of my three for 2025.Sonny GC: PC games are usually cheaper because there’s no licensing fee to pay to publish them, as there is on consoles. Expect nothing So basically Sony are wasting another year? Possibly no summer showcase at all and if it is it’ll just be a bog standard State of Play? That is just tragic at this point. We’ve had three years of them acting like this and I have no idea why or what would convince them to stop and go back to how they used to be. I guess the assumption has to be that they’re never going to now.We’ve got Ghost Of Yōtei this year and the Returnal sequel next year and I think that means nothing else is imminent. If they had something coming out between those two, I think we would’ve heard about it by now. We might get more games published but not made by them, like Death Stranding 2, but I’m not even sure if that’s hoping for too much at the moment.Scooby Tears of the Mushroom Kingdom How did Nintendo shake up the long running Zelda franchise? They went open world with Breath Of The Wild. How are Nintendo shaking up the long running Mario Kart franchise? They’re going open world with Mario Kart World (it’s in the name!) for the Switch 2 release.So, what do I predict they’ll do with the next mainline Mario game to shake up the franchise? No, I’m not going to predict anything because it’s a fool’s errand to predict Nintendo!ttfp saylow (gamertag) Now playing: Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom (rescued from the backlog) and Crime Scene CleanerEmail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk Hands-on management I have been hearing about Bungie having bad management for years, long before Sony bought them, so I’m not sure why this has never been solved. Obviously, they’re the ones in charge, so there’s not much the workers can do, but Sony certainly could, and should’ve, knocked some heads together.In that sense it’s hard not to at least partially blame Sony for the mess that Bungie has got into. They bought them but don’t seem to have had a plan for what they were going to do with them. It makes me wonder whether these companies are just bought like trophies, with no real idea of how they could be used effectively. I remember when Sony bought Bungie the rumours were that they did it just as much to stop Microsoft from getting hold of them, who would’ve presumably used them to revitalise Halo. But then what has Microsoft done to change or improve Activision? As far as I can see nothing has changed and they certainly haven’t started making more games or bringing back any of their old franchises. The average person probably has no idea they even changed hands.Whisper No answer I have been trying for hours to find a direct link to GAME online UK customer services contact details, to raise an issue with a faulty controller purchased in April of this year.Although on the GAME website there is information regarding contacting customer services every link you follow sends you to drop down menus that do not meet the criteria I’m looking for. I have accidentally but more successfully had immediate contact with GAME SA via WhatsApp or email but as for GAME UK, no response at all. Is this a purposeful ploy on behalf of GAME online UK to make their customers so frustrated they give up?!Lorraine First impressions I just wanted to say thank you to GC for their preview of the Nintendo Switch 2. I just finished reading the feedback, from the press event in Paris. It was a very informative piece and I’m modestly relieved to see positive impressions. I am pleasantly unsurprised to see the Welcome Tour was the lowest point of the event. Of course, you had to expect that GC. It did put someone to sleep, after all.I’m glad to also see that Cyberpunk 2077 is a winner as well. It was a dumpster fire on PlayStation 4, so it’s extremely important that it was ported sufficiently enough to ensure the same issues never bore fruit. Mario Kart World is shaping up to be a wonderfully delicious experience and I’m deeply glad for it, since I’ve brought the bundle. It was important that my investment is paying off. I also am curious to see how the titles that we’ve yet to see test footage run on the system, namely Star Wars Outlaws and Borderlands 4. I’ve also heard that the upcoming James Bond title will be ported; very interesting to hear. I wasn’t expecting that at all and it’s definitely something to keep an eye on. But we know nothing of the title yet, so that’s essentially a long time away. That’s all my thoughts. So, I’d like to thank GC again and I am indeed much more positive. With two weeks left until launch day, hopefully the positive momentum continues.Shahzaib Sadiq Giving it a chance I’m glad that Assassin’s Creed Shadows has done well, despite all the negativity before it was released. Ubisoft brought some of it on themselves, but it reviewed well and I took a chance and was very impressed by it. It has some of the best graphics I’ve ever seen and while the gameplay is a little predictable for the series it’s still a lot of fun.It makes me want to try out Star Wars Outlaws too, as that good a bad rap before it was released as well, mostly just because it was a Ubisoft game, as far as I can tell. So I’m going to try and pick it up next time I see it on sale. I’m not a fan of any company but I don’t think it’s right to dismiss any game just because of who made it.Arnie All in good time I definitely agree that Rockstar’s best game is possibly Red Dead Redemption and taking nothing away from Grand Theft Auto due to the more interesting new ideas involved in the game. One of these was getting a bounty on a person and being able to hogtie a target and take them back alive if possible, which was just like a Western film.Literally. you had every location going, with the great plains, the forests, the variety of frontier towns with the characters doing an amazing job creating the best drama out there. And of course, the mountain ranges and across the border to the desert region and Mexican villas, amongst their own unique landscapes. The city is awesome in GTA and the night life and sunrise appearing on the horizon, with your favourite radio station blasting a belter of a tune, is how gamers fell in love with GTA. But Red Dead just made it work over a 100-odd years prior. A future Red Dead Redemption 3 would be an incredibly exciting experience to dream about, with all the amazing possibilities that Rockstar’s clever devs can give us. But hey, GTA 6 soon and I’ll go with that for now.Alucard Inbox also-rans I’m still kind of shocked that Monster Hunter Wilds is the best-selling game of the year. I know of literally no one in the real world that is even aware of the franchise. Good for Capcom though, I guess.FocusReally excited about the fan campaign for Star Wars Battlefront 3. I’m not sure it’ll work, given the costs involved, but I’d love to see it, given all the new shows they could base maps on. I want to play as K-2S0!Gordo More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk The small printNew 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. 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Monster Train 2 – running on time is the least of your problems (Big Fan Games) One of the few deck-building roguelites to challenge Slay The Spire gets an impressive sequel that may be the most fun you can have on a locomotive. Roguelike deck builders are having a moment. A search for them on Steam will net you an astounding 861 results, making it a category that’s quite a bit more populous than you might imagine. Despite the high number of matches though, it’s a genre that’s been made famous primarily by just two games: Slay The Spire and Balatro. The latter is regularly cited as one of the best games of 2024 but it’s the former whose content and style is closest to Monster Train, which was originally released in 2020. It was a game about defending the frozen wastes of Hell against the invading forces of Heaven. In its sequel, Heaven and Hell are forced to unite to face the Titans, a new threat that could lead to the destruction of both realms. None of that’s especially relevant to the gameplay, which once again takes place onboard a quadruple-decker train. The turn-based battles are waged across the bottom three floors, with the train’s penthouse reserved for the pyre, the burning heart of your train, which in a mechanic borrowed from tower defence games is effectively the train’s power bar. Your job is to stop invaders reaching the pyre, because if they do and its health gets down to zero, it’s game over. In the original that often meant stacking your third floor with the strongest troops you had available. The sequel prefers you to mount a defence across all three floors and to encourage that, there are now room-level upgrades available, that for example will increase valour – the stat that equates to armour – to all troops, or reduce the cost of magic, making different floors more suitable for certain troop types. This adds a fresh layer of tactics and feeds into the meta game of deck building. There are now a total of 10 different clans to choose from, with each run featuring a main and support clan, both of whose cards you’ll have available as you play. Completing runs earns experience for the clans you’re using and as each one levels up, you’ll slowly gain access to more of their cards. Naturally, the game tends to gate the more powerful ones behind those higher experience levels. All of this reinforces the fact that Monster Train 2 is very much a roguelite, your power growing as you unlock new cards and spells, as well as adding permanent upgrades that make each subsequent run easier. It also adds a pleasing sense of progress, which persists even after a run that otherwise went badly. Plus, you’ll still earn experience and potentially extra cards or magic items to assist in future escapades. As with all roguelites, there’s a powerful sense of repetition, with the entirety of the game’s action taking place in the relatively claustrophobic confines of your train’s four storeys. It’s fair to say though, that the random elements in runs tend to make each one feel quite different from the last, especially as you start to unlock more clans and the extra cards they offer. To add further variation, there are challenges, which you play on a grid, with the next one opening up once you’ve beaten its nearest neighbour. Challenge levels constrain you to the use of specific clans and each comes with ‘mutators’ that add extra conditions, like reducing the cost of spells or giving certain card types extra health or attack strength. You can also change your pyre heart. Each heart has different attack and defence stats, which come into play when the top floor of your train is invaded by Titans, and each comes with a special ability. These can be anything from reduced prices at the shops you encounter after each level, to more esoteric benefits, like the power to heal the front unit on each floor of the train once per battle. This adds to the interconnected network of effects that stack to create some truly formidable stat increases, even if it’s not easy remembering what’s active and how each of those different buffs interacts with the others. Obviously, the game automatically calculates all the bonuses on each attack and defensive play you make, but it can be tricky keeping all those layered effects in mind when you’re placing cards or activating spells. More Trending It’s also important to know which bosses you’ll be dealing with and to plan accordingly. There’s only so much you can do when you’re always partly dependent on the luck of which cards you draw, but you can still make sure you have troops available that act to counter bosses’ special abilities, hopefully containing them before they can overwhelm your defences. There’s notably more focus on character and story in this sequel, the plot playing out in a series of text-only encounters triggered when you return to the game’s hub between runs. Clearly inspired by Hades, it doesn’t quite equal that game’s wit and personality, but it’s nice to see additional elements fleshing out the game beyond its core, quick fire turn-based combat. If you loved the original Monster Train, this goes further than simply delivering more of the same. There’s fresh new strategic options and combinations of troops and spells to experiment with, as well as cards from the game’s new clans to unlock and slot into your deck. There are many games that try to copy Slay The Spire and yet very few that come close to its quality, but Monster Train 2 is certainly on track in that regard. Monster Train 2 review summary In Short: An effective expansion of the original’s deck-building roguelite structure, that adds lots of enjoyable new features and becomes one of the few games to rival Slay The Spire. Pros: Pacy and easy to understand, with complexity layered in as you progress. Lots of fresh systems and mechanics to try out, and as immaculately well balanced as ever. Cons: Eventually gets repetitive. Using a controller isn’t as intuitive as a mouse or touchscreen. Some runs can be severely compromised by random factors beyond your control. Score: 8/10 Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PCPrice: £19.99Publisher: Good Shepherd EntertainmentDeveloper: Shiny ShoeRelease Date: 21st May 2025Age Rating: 7 The world’s least authentic train simulator (Big Fan Games) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

It won’t just be Nintendo games on the Switch 2 (Nintendo) Metro journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn more Several retailers have new Nintendo Switch 2 bundles available to pre-order, but you’ll have to act fast. The Switch 2 has been available to pre-order in the UK for over a month now, but despite largely selling out everywhere, some retailers are still getting occasional bursts of stock. Nintendo is selling the Switch 2 in two variants, with the base console priced at £395.99 and a Mario Kart World bundle at £429.99. However, some retailers have started to sell their own bundles featuring other games and accessories. Along with The Game Collection, Currys is now selling various bundles starting from £569. One of these includes the Mario Kart World bundle, alongside another pair of Joy-Con 2 controllers, the wheel attachment, and a Switch 2 camera. Another, which also costs £569, comes with the Switch 2 base console, Street Fighter 6, the Switch 2 Pro Controller, and Switch 2 camera. The more expensive bundles come with additional games on top of the Mario Kart World bundle, with one adding the Switch 2 versions of both Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom for £579. At the time of writing, the base console is still available at Very and the My Nintendo Store. For the latter, you’ll need an active Nintendo Switch Online membership to pre-order (the free trial period doesn’t count, unfortunately). Where to pre-order Nintendo Switch 2 in the UK? At Nintendo: Nintendo Switch 2 console – £395.99 Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World – £429.99 At Very: Nintendo Switch 2 console – £395.99 At Currys: Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle + Joy-Con 2 controllers + wheel attachment + Camera – £569 Switch 2 base console + Street Fighter 6 + Pro Controller + Camera – £569 Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle + Camera + Street Fighter 6 + microSD Express memory card – £579 Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle + Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom + Zelda: Breath Of The Wild + Carrying Case – £579 The launch is less than two weeks away (Nintendo) Switch 2 pre-orders at The Game Collection: Nintendo Switch 2 + Split Fiction + Switch 2 Camera – £484.95 Nintendo Switch 2 + Hogwarts Legacy + Switch 2 Camera – £484.95 Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World + Split Fiction + Switch 2 Camera – £519.95 Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World + Hogwarts Legacy + Switch 2 Camera – £519.95 Nintendo Switch 2 + Cyberpunk 2077 + Micro SD Express Card + Switch 2 Camera – £559.95 Nintendo Switch 2 + Cyberpunk 2077 + Hitman + Micro SD Express Card + Switch 2 Camera – £609.95 Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World + Cyberpunk 2077 + Hitman + Micro SD Express Card + Switch 2 Camera – £644.95 It’s very likely these deals will go fast, but it’s worth checking back at the above links anyway as restocks do seem to happen on a weekly basis. The Switch 2 is set to launch worldwide on June 5, 2025, so you have less than two weeks if you want to secure one for release day. Mario Kart World is the Switch 2’s big selling point (Nintendo) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.

A voyage to Awaji (Ubisoft) A new leak has shed light on the release date for Assassin’s Creed Shadows first DLC, along with a rumoured co-op mode. Assassin’s Creed Shadows may have fallen short of sales for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, but it’s still been a major hit for Ubisoft. Set in feudal Japan, the new instalment scored the second highest day one sales in the franchise’s history. In the US, meanwhile, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the second best-selling game of the year so far, behind Monster Hunter Wilds. Ubisoft has already announced the game’s first DLC, Claws Of Awaji, will release later this year, but a new report has narrowed down the release date. According to Insider Gaming, Ubisoft is ‘targeting September 2025’ for the Claws Of Awaji DLC, citing sources familiar with the game’s development. However, it’s claimed the DLC could be pushed back to October this year, depending on Ubisoft’s release strategy for other titles. Elsewhere in the report, the previously rumoured co-op mode for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, codenamed League, is said to still be in development and will launch ‘sometime next year’. While this co-op mode was originally assumed to revolve around the game’s two protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke, a source suggests it might include other characters too. ‘While they’re obviously central characters, there’s a deeper narrative tied into the co-op that will expand the experience beyond just the two of them,’ a source states. Assassin’s Creed has some history with multiplayer, with the Paris-based Assassin’s Creed Unity featuring dedicated co-op missions. Other games in the series have had multiplayer modes as well, like Assassin’s Creed 3’s wolfpack mode, but this was only really a minor distraction. More Trending As for Assassin’s Creed Shadows first DLC, Claws Of Awaji takes place on the island of Awaji, where you will ‘reclaim a lost treasure while avoiding the traps and ambushes of deadly new foes’, according to a synopsis. It will feature a new bō weapon type for Naoe, along with new skills, gear, and abilities over the course of 10 hours. Beyond Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ubisoft is reportedly developing a multiplayer spin-off codenamed Invictus and a remake of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag. Ports of both Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Shadows are also apparently on the way for the Switch 2. A Switch 2 version is apparently on the way (Ubisoft) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Former Bungie developers blame corporate ‘greed’ as cancelled subscription plans revealed Adam Starkey Published May 22, 2025 1:32pm Updated May 22, 2025 1:33pm A marathon of issues (Sony Interactive Entertainment) Former staff at Destiny developer Bungie have spoken out about the studio’s downfall, citing ‘disconnected leadership’ and a toxic work culture. Bungie were once one of the most respected developers in the world, following their work on Halo and Destiny, but the situation at the studio is drastically different as we approach its next project, Marathon. Since the launch of Destiny 2 in 2017, the studio was acquired by Sony and subject to several rounds of layoffs. While job cuts have been widespread across the industry over the past few years, the situation at Bungie goes beyond post-pandemic cuts; with missed financial targets leading to drastic structural shifts. Reports of leadership mismanagement at Bungie have cropped up before, but several ex-employees have now spoken out about their own experiences within the studio. In a video by YouTuber Destin Legarie, former employees at Bungie cite various reasons for the studio’s decline, including a ‘lack of player empathy, disconnected leadership, and a corporate-first culture’. The recurring point of contention is the studio’s ‘toxic’ leadership, who allegedly ‘shut down creatives on a core level’ and prioritised monetisation over player satisfaction. According to one ex-employee, staff received a huge ‘scolding’ in a meeting with leadership over monetisation. ‘Everything happening to Bungie is because of greed,’ said one former employee. This alleged push for further monetisation was presented in various ways. One source claimed the studio’s leadership pitched the idea of adding a subscription model to Destiny 2 at one point, but the idea was ‘vehemently’ shut down by the team. Another source claimed Bungie leadership were concerned the Trials Of Osiris PvP armour was ‘too attractive with its glow effect’, which might negatively impact Eververse sales (Destiny 2’s cosmetic store). Destiny 2 launched as a paid-for game but it became free-to-play in October 2019, with DLC expansions being sold separately. The next expansion, The Edge Of Fate, is set to launch on July 15, 2025. The video features other allegations, including ‘HR working in their own best interest’ and claims leadership undermined the ideas of staff in public. ‘If they didn’t think of it, it wasn’t worth doing,’ one former employee said. GameCentral has reached out to Bungie for comment. Marathon is in trouble too (Sony Interactive Entertainment) One former employee suggested these issues have now ‘just shifted to Marathon instead’, which is currently in the middle of a plagiarism scandal, after an ex-artist at the studio took assets from someone else’s work without permission. More Trending As detailed in livestream last week, Bungie is currently in the process of ‘auditing all of the previous work by the internal artist’ and is looking to remove ‘anything which is questionably or inappropriately sourced’. Beyond this controversy, Marathon hasn’t exactly hit the ground running. A closed alpha test last month was met with mixed reactions, which has reportedly led to several changes to the game’s future plans. Marathon is set to launch on September 23 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, but all signs suggest it could be delayed. More expansions are coming to Destiny 2 (Bungie) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

It certainly has been a strange generation forPlayStation (Sony Interactive Entertainment) Sony is not thought to be planning any showcase or State of Play event this summer, as insiders tease big Japanese game reveals for Geoff Keighley’s show. Over the past five years, Sony has held either a State Of Play presentation or a PlayStation Showcase during the months of May or June. This in turn is the continuation of a decades long tradition of preview events originally timed to coincide with the now defunct E3 expo. Along with Microsoft and Nintendo, Sony has always kept to the same basic schedule (although recently they’ve preferred late May to early June), while third party publishers have relied on Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest. The Xbox showcase is already scheduled for June 8 but given the Switch 2 launch in the same week it’s unclear what Nintendo will do. Sony has said nothing so far about an event but multiple insiders suggest that they may not have any presentation until September. Earlier this week, reliable insider NateTheHate, aka NateDrake, (who, amongst other things, accurately predicted the Switch 2 reveal date) has said he still hasn’t ‘heard anything about a May event from Sony for this year’. This was supported by fellow insider John Harker, who responded to a post in the same ResetEra thread, which speculated Sony was targeting September for its next event. ‘Indeed,’ he wrote in response. While there’s a chance Sony could announce a show over the next two weeks, and blindside everybody, there are usually whispers from insiders in the weeks prior – so the lack of any information suggests Sony might not hold any presentation this summer. If true, this would be somewhat surprising, considering Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is just around the corner, on June 26, and there are rumours of a new God Of War game, but it’s possible Sony could showcase these during the main Summer Game Fest show. In fact, in a separate post, NateTheHate has said he knows ‘of a few Japanese games being shown and/or revealed at Summer Game Fest’, which could include Sony. More Trending This post was in response to a ResetEra user who asked if Japanese games will have a big presence at the show, with Kingdom Hearts 4, Resident Evil 9, Persona 6, and the successor to Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth named as their dream reveals. While it’s unclear if he was being sarcastic, NateTheHate replied: ‘Your expectations don’t seem too high, so you should be ‘thrilled’ per your own words.’ Square Enix recently provided an update on Kingdom Hearts 4 for the first time in years, so it’s possible a new trailer is on the horizon. Similarly, Capcom appeared to tease Resident Evil 9 in a video last month, while rumours of a Persona 4 remake have also accelerated recently – so there’s a chance they will all pop up in some capacity. Although there’s normally always a Nintendo Direct in early or mid June the timing of the Switch 2 launch makes it very hard to predict what they might do. But if they do miss their usual spot there’s likely to be another Direct in the late summer. Is it time for Kingdom Hearts 4? (Square Enix) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Should Sony embrace a PC future? (Sony/Metro) The Thursday letters page is surprised that Nintendo Switch 2 stock is relatively easy to find, as one reader looks forward to Hellblade 2 on PS5. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk Box it up Hearing about the rumours of the next gen Xbox being basically an ordinary PC makes perfect sense and is not a surprise to me. I think it’s the only logical move left for Xbox, even if I’m not sure how they’re going to make any money from it if Steam and the other stores are going to be on there.PC gaming is quickly taking over, so my question is whether the PlayStation 6 could also be a ‘PC in a box’. It may sound crazy but a few years ago, so too would the idea of Sony games appearing on PC. I really don’t see what the argument would be against it, especially given how expensive the PS5 Pro already is. Making the next PlayStation, or at least the PlayStation 7, a PC means Sony don’t have to spend nearly as much on hardware R&D and can instead concentrate on making games. Something that they don’t seem to have had the time or money for this gen. I think especially as streaming starts to take off, as the preferred casual method for playing games, it will only be the PC that is left as an alternative. It’s sad in a way but, personally speaking, as long as the games are still good I don’t really care that much.Purple Ranger Doomed highlight I’ve just beaten Doom: The Dark Ages and thoroughly enjoyed it. I think your review was accurate but since I was playing it for free on Game Pass the faults didn’t really bother me. However, I have to comment on the story, or rather the fact that Bethesda chose to highlight as one of the most important new features of the game.It’s a complete non-event: boring and cliched, with no characters of any interest. Even the game seems to lose interest because there are very few proper cut scenes in the second half, not that that’s a problem. None of it is a problem, really, because who wants a story in a game like Doom? So why did Bethesda make so much of a fuss about it? If it had been good that would’ve been one thing. If there’d been a lot of cut scenes that would’ve been something else. But it was just nothing. I really don’t understand why they ever thought to mention it.James Speed of Mercury Is there a chance you will review Blades Of Fire, please? I’m very interested in MercurySteam games; I love both of their Metroid games and I’m that one person that liked all three of their Castlevania games (yes, Lords Of Shadow 2 was unfocused and padded out, but I loved what it got right so much).Your reviews are the ones I trust the most so if you do have the time I’d appreciate it, the few I’ve seen have been quite mixed. Thank you, keep up the excellent work.Beastiebat (PSN ID) Currently playing: Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition, Metroid Dread, and Elevator Action -Returns- S-TributeGC: Thank you. We’re trying to get it done but we’re a bit behind this week, due to staff holidays and press events. Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk News update There’s a couple of things I’ve not seen yourselves or any readers mention lately, so I thought I should bring them up.The Sea Of Stars DLC is out now! It’s absolutely free too, which seems crazy because it looks quite substantial. I’m looking forward to playing it this weekend when I have more time. Another thing I’ve not seen mentioned is that Hogwarts Legacy on Switch 2 can be bought at a huge discount if you own the game on Switch. Around £10 reportedly. You can even buy the game on Switch in the sale now and then buy the Switch 2 version, costing under £30 in total, it seems, which is a great deal. It’s not an upgrade as the Switch 2 game isn’t a port. Keep up the great work! I don’t write in much, but I still read every morning. I finally prefer this than the Teletext days now.Fatys Henrys GC: Thank you for your patronage. Old and new Excited to hear some actual news about the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel and that it will feature at least one whole new city. However, I hope that the game features both the whole of Night City and the new one. Strangely, I can’t think of any sequels that do that. With GTA, they don’t include the previous game and the new one, and I’m not sure anywhere else does either.Weirdly, the only example I can think of that did that is Pokémon Gold and Silver, which had the whole of the map from Red and Blue (thanks to no less than Satoru Iwata himself). I’m sure there’s technical reasons it doesn’t happen usually but while the PlayStation 5 and beyond may no longer show much of a graphical improvement perhaps there’ll be able to do things like this more easily.Kankor The end of the beginning So, after being reminded that my mother’s partner doesn’t like me very much I’ve cheered up with two lovely pieces of news. Stellar Blade is getting a sequel, very soon. It releases on PC next month. The second announcement is Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 on PlayStation 5 in the summer. This is something I was highly anticipating. Just the graphics alone makes it worth the time. So, after this and Gears Of War also releasing on PlayStation I’m not asking if Xbox is truly dead. It’s a fact that Xbox is indeed only kept afloat by Game Pass.This is only the start. Halo will release on PlayStation 5. Fable. Avowed. State Of Decay 3. Starfield. The list goes on. In hindsight this is deserved. Because of the Xbox One’s failure Microsoft lagged behind an entire generation and Sony raced ahead, never looking back. I never brought an Xbox One, actually. The PlayStation 4 was my choice in 2013 and after picking up the last one, at Argos in 2014. I never gave the Xbox One a second look. Today, Microsoft are still suffering from their malignant decisions and it is thoroughly deserved. If I was Phil Spencer I’d cancel the upcoming handheld, because that is leading up to a fail, much more so than the Xbox One. Not even ASUS can save Xbox.Shahzaib Sadiq Direct from the source I’m always fascinated by Nintendo’s Ask the Developers interviews, they’re so in-depth and genuine and I don’t think they get enough recognition. Nintendo’s reputation is of being secretive and distant, but Sony and Microsoft would never do something like this. They just have carefully worded developer quotes that were probably written by a marketing person anyway.Who would’ve guessed they’ve been planning Mario Kart World for eight years or that they were already making Switch 2 games, based on preliminary specs, in 2020? I guess that’s the sort of time you need but it’s very interesting to get exact dates and to hear it from the horse’s mouth.Onibee In stock now I’ve managed to bag myself a Switch 2 pre-order after you put your article up on where to buy it. I was going to hold off; eventually decided I can’t resist the temptation to play the new Mario Kart. But I think it will be a good long term investment and there’s no ruling out that there might be an eventual price increase of the unit, like there’s been recently with other consoles.After I managed to get my pre-order done about a week ago or so I’ve visited some of those retailers, websites just to see how lucky I got managing to pre-order it in the first place. I’ve been able to see deals every time; different deals but there’s always been at least one available with Mario Kart or the Zelda pack or camera or SD card bundle. I’ve checked out of curiosity about four or five times and could have dropped on a pre-order again and again, so does that mean Nintendo is actually beating the scalpers? Or is it too expensive or is there a lack of interest? I couldn’t for the life of me get an Xbox Series X day one, at the start of the generation because of the use of online bots, but it seems something has changed for the better with the latest Nintendo console release. That’s got to be a good thing for everyone, except the scalpers.Nick The Greek GC: It’s hard to tell but there’s no indication of a lack of demand, given analysts think Nintendo is being too cautious in its sales predictions. They always said they wanted no shortages at launch, so we guess their plan worked. It was probably helped by the fact that the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 came out at the same time, during Covid, and so were competing for manufacturing time and resources. By contrast, Switch 2 has a clear run at a quiet time of year for games. Inbox also-rans I had literally no idea that Fortnite wasn’t on mobile for the last five years. I would’ve figured that was its biggest format, but I guess you’re saying it wasn’t?MouseGC: No, it’s one of the smallest. Apparently not even Fortnite fans want to play with touchscreen controls. I would never, ever in a million years pay £80 for a video game. Even if I got it for cheap later, the fact that it was at one point that much would still put me off.Gribbly More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk The small printNew 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. Arrow MORE: Games Inbox: What is Rockstar Games’ best game? GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Hellblade 2 is coming to PS5 (Xbox Game Studios) Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is the latest first party Xbox game to come to the PS5 and this time a special effort is being made with its already excellent graphics. The annoucement of previously exclusive Xbox games coming to PlayStation 5 is becoming increasingly commonplace but so far none of them have been anything more than straightforward ports, with no enhancements or additions beyond DualSense support. A PlayStation 5 version of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 was rumoured earlier in the year (along with an already confirmed version of Gears Of War) but according to Microsoft it will be optimised for both the standard PlayStation 5 and the more powerful PS5 Pro. They’re currently being vague as to what difference this will make but it will coincide with a free update for Xbox Series X/S and PC that will add new features to all versions of the game. As we explored in our original review, Hellblade 2 isn’t a very good video game, but it does have perhaps the best graphics ever seen in a console title, at least in terms of photorealism. Things can always be improved though, especially with the benefit of hindsight, and the PS5 Pro is the most powerful console ever made, even if its abilities haven’t really been stretched so far. Unfortunately, the annoucement of Hellblade 2 for PlayStation 5 is vague across the board, with the release date confirmed only as sometime this summer. That means It will likely appear as part of the Xbox summer showcase, on June 8, although that’s not entirely guaranteed as Microsoft continues to be very reticent about talking about multiformat releases in public. Not only that but the pretence of supporting the Switch 2 has so far added up to nothing at all and Hellblade 2 is also not coming to Nintendo’s new console, although in this case it is unlikely the Switch 2 could handle the game and have it look anywhere near as good as the Xbox version. More Trending That said, the original Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was released on both PlayStation 4 and Switch, before Microsoft bought developer Ninja Theory in 2018. As the developers point out on their website, the studio got its first big break working on PlayStation 3 exclusive Heavenly Sword, back in 2007. There had been some concern that Hellblade 2 had performed poorly on Xbox and PC, in terms of sales and Game Pass usage, and that it might put Ninja Theory at risk of being shut down. But not only are they working on a horror project codenamed Project: Mara, they’re also helping out with Microsoft’s attempts to use generative AI in video games. The PC version is absolutely gorgeous (Xbox Game Studios) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

It didn’t shine for very long (Sony) Sony is shutting down the PlayStation Stars loyalty scheme for PS4 and PS5 and it’s already stopped taking new members. After significantly downgrading the service in 2024, Sony has done the inevitable and announced that the PlayStation Stars loyalty programme is to be closed, after just three years. The service allowed you to earn points by buying and playing games, which could be used as discounts for various PlayStation products, including games. However, you needed to earn thousands in order to get a full-priced game and that became even harder when Sony tightened the rules last year. Although fine in theory, PlayStation Stars was never very well promoted and Sony seemed to quickly lose interest in it. But while it’s now in the process of being shuttered they have promised to replace it with something better. ‘Since launching the programme, we’ve learned a lot from evaluating the types of activities our players respond best to, and as a company, we are always evolving with player and industry trends,’ reads the annoucement on the PlayStation Blog. ‘Through this evaluation, we have decided to refocus our efforts and will be winding down the current version of PlayStation Stars. We will continue to evaluate our key findings from this programme and are looking into ways to build upon these learnings.’ Starting immediately, PlayStation Stars will not accept any new members and if you cancel your membership now you’ll lose all your points, no matter how many you have. Members will still be able to spend their credits and level up their status, but only until July 23 at 3.59pm BST. After that there will be no new rewards or status benefits, with the whole service shutting down completely on November 2, 2026. More Trending Whether the PlayStation Stars name will be kept in the future is unknown. It’s also unclear whether the replacement will be up and running before the current one closes down, as it’s a long wait until next November. The programme’s brief lifespan may have been the result of the collapse of the NFT market, which it initially seemed like PlayStation Stars had been designed for. The digital collectibles are not NFTs though and cannot be traded or sold, but some suspect that was the initial idea, before Sony thought better of it. ‘We want to thank all of our players for supporting PlayStation Stars since the launch in 2022. As we explore new ways to evolve our loyalty program efforts for the future, we’ll continue to celebrate all of our players through the various community activities we have planned,’ is the only other thing Sony has to say on the matter. How many will morn the end of PlayStation Stars? (Sony) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Mario Kart World was originally designed for Switch 1 reveals Nintendo GameCentral Published May 21, 2025 5:01pm Updated May 21, 2025 5:01pm Mario Kart World only works on Switch 2 (Nintendo) The new Mario Kart for the Switch 2 was not originally designed for the console, as Nintendo reveals how and when the game came to be. The launch of a new console is always an exciting time but the first few years of a new format’s existence can be frustrating, when it’s obvious that most of the games were actually designed as titles for the previous generation of hardware. This has been exacerbated on the PlayStation 5, where Sony continued to release cross-gen games for much longer than usual. It was equally obvious with the Switch 1, given launch title Zelda: Breath Of The Wild was released simultaneously on Wii U and many of the other first party titles were also Wii U ports. The only similar situation so far for the Switch 2 is Metroid Prime 4, which is primarily a Switch 1 title, but Nintendo has revealed that Mario Kart World was originally designed for the earlier console, until they realised it was never going to work on the older hardware. Nintendo has revealed that they first started thinking about the new game way back in March 2017, when the Switch 1 was originally released. That’s not too surprising, as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a Wii U port and technically there’s never been a new Mario Kart made for the Switch 1. ‘I felt that in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, we were able to perfect the formula that we’d been following in the series up to that point, where players race on individual courses,’ says Mario Kart World producer Kosuke Yabuki in a new interview. ‘That’s why, this time, we wanted the gameplay to involve players driving around a large world, and we began creating a world map like this.’ The idea that Mario Kart 8 takes the original idea as far as it can go has been echoed by many, with Mario Kart World appearing to be the series’ Breath Of The Wild moment, where it radically changes the franchise’s approach. No previous Mario Kart game has had an open world environment but according to programming director Kenta Sato, the current Switch 1 couldn’t handle the ideas they wanted to include. ‘We discussed things like toning down the visuals, lowering the resolution, and we even considered dropping the frame rate to 30 fps in some cases. It was a tough situation,’ he admitted. ‘Once we decided to release this game on Switch 2, we expected our worries to evaporate all at once. I remember being overjoyed when I discovered we could express even more than we’d originally set out to.’ According to Sato, the decision to move the game to the Switch 2 took place ‘around 2020’, which enabled the team to expand their plans and ensure the game would still run at 60fps. More Trending ‘Back then, we already had an idea of the next console’s expected specs, but it wasn’t until a bit later that we actually received working development units. Until then, we just had to proceed with development based on provisional estimates,’ says Sato. ‘Once we decided to release this game on Switch 2, we expected our worries to evaporate all at once. I remember being overjoyed when I discovered we could express even more than we’d originally set out to.’ The whole four part interview is well worth a read on Nintendo’s website, with a lot of insight on both the game and how Nintendo prepares for the launch of a new console. Mario Kart World will launch alongside the console itself on June 5. Controversially, the game is £75 for the physical edition and £67 for a digital download. However, the game is effectively half price if bought along with the console, as part of the official hardware bundle. All this and now you can play as a cow too (Nintendo) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Fortnite mobile still not available in UK despite return to US App Store GameCentral Published May 21, 2025 10:43am Updated May 21, 2025 10:43am There’s still no good news for Fortnite fans in the UK (Credits: REUTERS) The long road towards getting Fortnite back onto the UK iOS and Android app stores continues, even though it’s back in the US. It’s taken five years, a costly legal battle, and several court orders, but Fortnite is finally available again in the US App Store, meaning that American fans can now play it on iPhone and iPad. According to publisher Epic Games it should turn up on the Epic Games Store and AltStore in the EU today as well, but unfortunately none of that seems to be helping its availability in the UK. Epic hasn’t been specific about anywhere else, but as of right now the mobile version of the game isn’t available in the iOS App Store or Android’s Google Play in the UK. And it’s not clear when that’s going to change. The game’s absence began in 2020, when Epic purposefully broke Apple’s rules about fees for in-app purchases, knowing that it would get them thrown off the store. This led to a five year legal battle which seemed to end in a stalemate, but which this year saw a US judge instruct Apple to stop trying to take a cut of payments. This immediately led to Epic announcing that Fortnite would be making a return, but its initial attempts to do so were blocked by Apple. Apple was told to stop doing this, by a US judge, and so on Tuesday the game finally returned to US App Stores, complete with the ability to buy cosmetics and other in-app purchases directly from Epic. That means more money for Epic, as they won’t now be giving 27% of every payment to Apple, but it makes little difference to players, other than there are some good deals at the moment to incentivise them into using the Epic store. As you might gather from all this, Fortnite mobile is not actually a very large proportion of the overall audience, or otherwise Epic Games wouldn’t have allowed it to sit the last five years out. Instead, they embarked on a bizarre marketing campaign, using Orwellian imagery and trying to paint Apple as a restrictive tyrant. Really, the only problem was that Epic didn’t like having to give Apple money, in what is a fairly standard licensing arrangement similar to how Steam and video game consoles work. But then Epic boss Tim Sweeny doesn’t like those either. How to play Fortnite mobile in the UK Since Epic hasn’t been specific about any region other than the US and Europe it’s unclear exactly what’s going on in the rest of the world but as of right now Fortnite is not available on iOS or Android. So, sadly, the answer to the above question is just to… wait. More Trending Last year, Epic Games stated that they hoped to get Fortnite back in the UK in the second half of 2025. That was before the recent court judgements in the US, but it’s unclear if that’s going to speed things up or not. Thanks to Brexit, the UK is no longer in the EU, so any changes to the situation there have no relevance here. However, the UK does have legislation very similar to the EU’s DMA (Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act) so in theory there shouldn’t be a problem. Epic boss Tim Sweeney told The Guardian last year that, ‘Unless Apple and Google manage to lobby the UK government that they should be able to continue blocking competition, we should be able to move on that by the end of next year.’ There’s no sign that Apple and Google are trying to lobby anyone at the moment, so that hopefully clears the road for a UK annoucement soon. Mobile gamers are going to miss the Star Wars season (Epic Games) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Cyberpunk 2077 sequel will feature at least two cities says franchise creator GameCentral Published May 21, 2025 11:37am Updated May 21, 2025 11:37am Cyberpunk 2077 – the sequel is bigger than just one city (CD Projekt) The sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 will involve ‘another city’, as tabletop game designer Mike Pondsmith offers the first detail about the new video game. It was a bumpy ride getting there, but Cyberpunk 2077 is now uncontroversially accepted as one of the most critically and commercially successful video games of all time. And there’s only one thing that means: a sequel. One has been announced, under the codename Project Orion, but very little has been said about it so far, by developer CD Projekt Red – who are currently more concerned with Switch 2 launch title Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition. Although many don’t realise, Cyberpunk 2077 is based on a tabletop role-playing game that dates all the way back to 1988. Creator Mike Pondsmith was a consultant for the first game and has some involvement with the sequel too, which he’s probably said more about than he was supposed to. Speaking at the 2025 Digital Dragons conference in Poland, Pondsmith mentioned that he, ‘spent a lot of time talking to one of the environment guys and he was explaining how the new place in Orion… because there’s another city we visit.’ He seemed to be aware that he probably wasn’t supposed to be saying any of that, but continued on anyway, confirming that Night City is also still part of the sequel. Although he didn’t state what the new city is called, he recalled another conversation with CD Projekt Red’s developers: ‘I remember looking at [the new city] and going, ‘Yeah, I understand the feel that you’re going for and this really does work. It doesn’t feel like Blade Runner, it feels more like Chicago gone wrong’. That doesn’t mean that it literally is Chicago, but perhaps not coincidentally, that has been rumoured as a destination in the sequel for some time now. There are several posters in Cyberpunk 2077 that mention the city, with one that reads ‘Travel from Chicago to Night City in under three hours, coming in 2080.’ You can view that as simply a bit of environmental detail or a purposeful clue, perhaps even to the name of the sequel. Things get even more suspicious when you take into account the DLC expansion Phantom Liberty, one of whose endings is set several years later, after the ‘Transcontinental Maglev Network’ to Chicago has been completed. That does seem to add up to a pretty compelling rumour, but whether it’s just a made-up city that looks a bit like Chicago, or the place itself, Pondsmith does make clear that the original Night City is not the only location in the sequel. Despite insisting that he’s not as involved with the follow-up as he was with the original, Pondsmith says he’s still shown scripts and, as his anecdotes make clear, gets to visit the development studios, which this time round are in Boston and Vancouver. Phantom Liberty also seems to point towards Chicago as a future location (CD Projekt) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Beyond classification (Nintendo) The Wednesday letters page debates whether Borderlands 4 is worth £80 or not, as one reader looks forward to Nintendo Switch 2 OLED Model. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk Multi-generational I have a question about the Nintendo Switch 2. It’s not very serious and I don’t think it’s possible to have a definitive answer, but is the Switch 2 the start of the tenth generation of consoles or is it still part of the ninth generation?I was curious to see if Wikipedia had a stance on it, and it seems pretty unambiguous in counting it as ninth generation. I find this unsatisfying, as it’s clear that the Switch 2 is a big change for Nintendo, in terms of pricing and things like online accounts. Also, the tenth generation sounds like it’s going to start in a couple of years and I’m not sure it’s fair to pretend the Switch 2 isn’t part of it. For me it’s not a question of power but of who you’re competing with, and I’d already bet the Switch 2 is going to easily outsell the PlayStation 6 and next gen Xbox.Penfold GC: We’d say the huge gap between the release of the original and the Switch 2 means they cannot be considered the same generation. So, the real question is what generation is the Switch 1? Our initial reaction is to say eighth, but we’d also agree with the idea that the Switch broke the concept of generations and is simultaneously eighth and ninth and neither. So, if you wanted to consider Switch the start of the tenth we wouldn’t argue against it, but for us it fits better as ninth. A rich man’s world I’d say I was shocked by the arrogance of Randy Pitchford’s comments, about $80 games, but It’s Randy Pitchford so I’m not. I’m not sure I’d even argue a game like Borderlands 4 isn’t worth it: a co-op focused multiplayer game that’s got lots of replayability.It’s not like Doom: The Dark Ages where I imagine you’re only going to play it once but something that can potentially last for years (admittedly probably via DLC and other expensive extras). So in theory I can see the argument, but do all these millionaire owners and businessmen have to be so smug about it? Although it may not be a lot of money to them it is to the rest of us. If the price rises mean I have to be much more select about what I spend my money on then I think Borderlands 4 just went down the priority list a few notches.St1nger Take your pick It’s not a very Nintendo thing to do, because they sure do like to encourage double and triple-dipping, but I would’ve been happy if they’d releases the Switch 2 OLED Model and Switch 2 Lite straight away and just made them options. Everyone knows they’re coming, so it would be a lot fairer on people that don’t want to be caught out.I do wish you had not worked out the time from the original Switch to its OLED version though and said that means we might not get the Switch 2 edition until 2030. Not because I’m that desperate for it but because that just goes to show how long the Switch has been going and how long it’s been. I truly do believe it’s the best console ever and the length of time it’s stayed relevant just goes to show that.Gadfly Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk The funniest of us I will be very happy if Naughty Dog is working on another IP. They’ve been bogged down with The Last Of Us for too long now and I’d like to see them break out and do something new. Ideally, I’d like to see them do something a bit lighter in tone but I don’t see that happening with Neil Druckmann in charge.He even tried to make Uncharted more miserable, and took all the supernatural out of it, so I don’t know what kind of fantasy game he’d make. Probably something that would make Game Of Thrones seem light-hearted. Maybe it’s just me but given all the news from the real world at the moment I’m looking for something more hopeful and optimistic from my entertainment right now. Although given how long games take nowadays, who knows what will be going on by the time Naughty Dog’s latest is actually out.Pinky Grand Theft Horsey For me there’s no argument about Red Dead Redemption 2 being Rockstar’s best game… and one of the best games of all time. Yes, it’s too long, and that means the plot is not as focused as it should be, but that’s the only criticism I’m willing to take seriously.In terms of graphics, I’ve still never seen anything better and that goes for the open world too, which is just amazing. The amount of freedom and total non-linearity is amazing and yet the game is still able to have scripted scenes, like Arthur’s illness and the shipwreck that come out of nowhere, but which feel completely natural. An amazing game that may even end up being better than GTA 6. It’s certainly the one to beat as far as I’m concerned, as I’d put it several leagues above GTA 5.Keith Lowering expectations I am curious to know what the next mainline Pokémon game Is going to look like on Switch 2, but I really don’t know how optimistic I can be. The problem is that Pokémon has always been open world, right from the Game Boy games, so while Game Freak clearly aren’t very good at making modern 3D worlds, they kind of have to because there’s no way to take things back a notch and still be authentic to what the series is.If I was Nintendo, I would’ve sent Monolith Soft over to do all their tech for them, but that doesn’t seem to be how things work. Instead, I worry that all the talk of bugs with Violet and Scarlet will overshadow the improvements Game Freak tries to make. It would be great if their next game was bug free but if they put all their energy into that there’s going to be no time to actually improve the gameplay and try to innovate. Which has been the whole problem for at least the last decade. I just don’t know what to suggest. Based on the scale of the concept, and the popularity of the franchise, Pokémon should have the biggest budget and biggest number of staff working on it. It sells much more than Zelda and yet it looks so cheap and empty compared to it. But I don’t think Game Freak is capable of the kind of radical change necessary, to step up in the way it needs to. So I really don’t know what to expect at all from the next game, except probably disappointment.Tasker Uneven distribution Well, thanks to you guys I actually managed to bag myself a Nintendo Switch 2 with Mario Kart and the camera from Very. I was able to put it on But Now Pay 12 months later with interest free credit and I also got 10% off the total value too (due to Very owing me a discount code).However, I was very surprised though how long Very, Argos, etc. actually had the Switch 2 in stock for. It must of been three or four days before they all sold out?HAJ GC: We’re happy to help but it was strange, especially as some bigger retailers didn’t seem to get any new stock at all. Anniversary bump After your Star Wars feature, I thought you’d be interested in knowing there’s been a massive spike in interest in playing Battlefront 2 lately. The number of people playing on Steam has shot up and it’s just outside the top 20 selling games on PlayStation 5.That’s great because I think, after all the updates, it’s a really good game, but the problem is nobody seems to have any idea why. I think it’s a combination of Andor and the re-release of Revenge of the Sith and its 20th anniversary. There’s a lot of good prequel era stuff in the game (far more than the sequels, oddly) and I think younger (or not so young now, I guess) fans appreciate that. I would be really happy if this convinced EA to make a third game, especially if it was based on the tech from the new Battlefield. I don’t know how likely that it is, but I think Battlefront is an important part of making non-Jedi elements of Star Wars work. For me it’s just a really good shooter, with some interesting weapons, vehicles, and great graphics. It is interesting to see how other media can affect games though, even if I’m sure this one was completely unanticipated by anyone.Terry Gold PS: I agree that Andor would be a much better for setting for the new XCOM clone game. The prequel setting makes no sense to me, especially given how perfect Andor would’ve been.Inbox also-rans I wonder what it would mean if Cyberpunk 2077 was a big hit on Switch 2? I’m sure Cyberpunk 2 wouldn’t work on it so would CD Projekt consider some kind of exclusive spin-off?BowieSo are we expecting the normal not-E3 Nintendo Direct next month? It’ll be pretty soon after launch so I’m not sure if there’s going to be any other announcements for a while.Toska GC: It’s very likely there’ll be a Direct in mid to late June, just like usual. Whether it’d have any new announcements is another question entirely. More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk The small printNew 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. Arrow MORE: Games Inbox: What is Rockstar Games’ best game? GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Next gen Xbox could remove backwards compatibility and add PS5 games says report GameCentral Published May 21, 2025 1:10am Xbox’s next gen plans are an enigma (Valve/Microsoft/Metro) New details about the next gen Xbox console suggest it will focus on support for Steam and Epic Games Store, potentially bringing Sony first party titles to Xbox. Although Microsoft has announced the next gen Xbox, and strongly implied that at least one model will be portable, there’s no concrete official information about it so far. It’s also very hard to guess what form it might take, given how poorly the Xbox Series X/S has sold and how much Microsoft has begun to focus on Game Pass and multiformat support recently. However, In recent days multiple sources have begun talking about the console supporting both Steam and Epic Games Store, implying that the new Xbox will be even more of a ‘PC in a box’ than usual. Something that should, in theory, allow PlayStation 5 games onto Xbox via the back door. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has talked about the idea of adding Epic Games Store and Steam to Xbox consoles before, although nothing has ever come of it. Nevertheless, Windows Central editor Jez Corden claims that Microsoft has been in contact with Valve and that testing of Steam on Xbox may already have begun. Although making the next gen Xbox console a PC makes sense on some levels (despite it sounding very similar to Valve’s failed Steam Machines concept) anything bought on Steam or Epic Game Stores means a cut of the money going to those companies – 30% in the case of Steam. Not only does that mean less money for Microsoft but it disincentives developers from making native Xbox versions of their games, since the PC version will already be compatible with the new Xbox hardware. These are major changes to the Xbox ecosystem but Corden also raises the possibility that in order to improve Windows compatibility, Microsoft is considering dropping backwards compatibility with older Xbox games. That seems like a public relations nightmare, but according to Corden the Microsoft document he saw, which suggested the possibility, is ‘a few years old’ and the idea may already have been dropped – although it’s certainly interesting that it was ever considered. Recent job ads seem to imply that Microsoft is still pushing for full backwards, and forwards, compatibility for Xbox consoles, while information from leaker eXtas1s suggests that cross-compatibility is still a big priority for Microsoft. More Trending Although eXtas1s’ track record is far from spotless, his information broadly matches with that of Corden, along with mention of Xbox emulation on PC and new tiers for Game Pass, including cloud-only and ad-supported options. He also claims that price rises are likely, particularly on PC. A next gen Xbox that is essentially a PC masquerading as a console does seem a logical move for Microsoft, and yet neither of these reports address the one concrete detail Microsoft has provided so far, that the new format will feature the ‘largest technical leap you’ve ever seen in a hardware generation.’ That has always seemed extremely unlikely, given the increasingly small improvement in graphics each generation, with the only explanation that seems to make any sense being something to do with AI – even though Microsoft’s attempts to extol the virtues of the technology, in regards to video games, has so far gone down poorly. It’s possible that they consider the integration of Xbox and Windows 11 support to be a technological leap but it’s not clear that ordinary gamers will be excited about the prospect or that its benefits will be obvious to mainstream customers. The next gen Xbox is currently a mystery (Microsoft) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Nintendo Switch 2 OLED Model is happening if Samsung gets its way GameCentral Published May 20, 2025 3:14pm Updated May 20, 2025 3:47pm How long till we get an OLED Model? (Nintendo) Nintendo has teamed up with Samsung to boost Switch 2 production but their long term hardware partner also wants to help them make an OLED Model. At £395.99, the Nintendo Switch 2 is considerably more expensive at launch than its predecessor, which started out at £279.99. That’s not unsurprising, given inflation and the more powerful innards, and, unlike game prices, has not been the subject of much consternation amongst fans. What has been though, is the fact that the new console is back to only having an LCD screen. It’s bigger than any previous Switch console but a lot of fans have got used to the superior quality of the OLED Model. However, using the same tech in the Switch 2 would’ve pushed it over the £400/$450 mark. Nintendo evidently doesn’t think that’s a good idea but following the signing of a new partnership with Samsung, for the first time the prospect of OLED Model for the Switch 2 has been brought up. Officially, the deal is for Samsung to make the main processor chips for the Switch 2, as part of Nintendo’s attempt to increase production. The console has already begun to run out of stock in Japan but while some companies would consider that a positive thing, Nintendo’s original plan was to have plenty of stock available from the start. According to a Bloomberg report, the new goal is for Nintendo to hit 20 million console sales by March 2026, which is higher than its initial projections of 15 million. It’s rumoured that Samsung is working on an 8 nanometre custom chip for the Switch 2, rather than using their more advanced 5 nanometre technology. This is apparently Nintendo’s idea, because it’s quicker and cheaper to manufacture. Korean company Samsung has worked with Nintendo before, especially in terms of providing NAND flash memory, but sees the deal for the Switch 2 as a chance to compete with Taiwanese firm TSMC. More Trending As a result, it’s suggested that Samsung is pushing for Nintendo to use OLED panels in a Switch 2 refresh in the future. This would presumably be the equivalent of the current OLED Model, which is more expensive than the other two. An OLED Model does seem inevitable at some point but, naturally, Nintendo has made no mention of it so far. The Switch 1 OLED Model was released in October 2021; the same wait would mean a Switch 2 OLED Model in January 2030. The implication is that Samsung is pushing for a release much earlier than that, but it’s still unlikely to be any quicker than the 30 months it took the Switch Lite to be launched, following the Switch 1’s initial release. Analyst predictions for the Switch 2 were already higher than Nintendo’s, with many expecting it will be the fastest selling console launch in history. One recent report has even suggested it will overtake the PlayStation 5 as the primary third party format. The Switch OLED Model is bound to have a Switch 2 equivalent (Nintendo) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. Arrow MORE: Games Inbox: What is Rockstar Games’ best game? GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

How much would you pay for Borderlands 4? (Take-Two Interactive) Randy Pitchford thinks that ‘real fans’ will ‘find a way to make it happen’ if Borderlands 4 ends up costing £80, but he insists the price isn’t up to him. It’s true that the price of video games has varied little since gaming went mainstream in the 80s and 90s. Back in 1991, the average price of a movie ticket in the UK was £3.03 and it’s now close to £8. And yet, at the same time, SNES games were regularly £50 to £60, with the occasional high-end title, such as Starwing (aka Star Fox), costing even more. And that’s ignoring the cost of import games – at a time when many games were never released in the UK – which could easily cost £100 or more. Not only has the face value of the games barely increased but adjusted for inflation, £50 in 1991 would be over £113 today. And yet the idea of paying £80 for Borderlands 4 has caused outrage even amongst fans of the series. It’s becoming increasingly likely that £80/$80 will become the norm for triple-A video games in the near future, with Mario Kart World costing £75 for the physical version (although no other Switch 2 game is that much and it’s cheaper on digital) and Microsoft warning all its games are set to increase to $80 from this Christmas. Other publishers are expected to follow suit, with particular concern over rumours that GTA 6 will end up costing £100 or more – which other publishers will also try to copy once it’s released next May. At the same time, it’s expected that the idea of a set price for most video games will also become a thing of the past, with Nintendo already embracing the idea of dynamic pricing, as well as Rockstar Games owner Take-Two – who is only charging £45 for the upcoming Mafia: The Old Country. That makes it very difficult to guess how much this year’s Borderlands 4 is going to cost, since it’s also published by Take-Two, although many fans fear it will be $80/£80. A reader asked Randy Pitchford, co-founder of developer Gearbox, about the issue on X and got an unexpected reply: ‘A) Not my call. B) If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen. My local game store had Starflight for Sega Genesis [aka Mega Drive] for $80 in 1991 when I was just out of high school working minimum wage at an ice cream parlour in Pismo Beach and I found a way to make it happen.’ You can imagine how that went down with fans, with many not believing that it’s not Pitchford’s decision – which it isn’t, although he probably can have some influence over publisher Take-Two. We can’t repeat some of the more impassioned responses to his tweet but Synth Potato insisted that, ‘Dawg we are NOT paying $80 for a Borderlands game fully knowing you’ll do multiple season passes that cost another $100 and you’ll probably sell weapon skins too.’ One of the more sage replies came from Jared Shapiro, who asked: ‘How many units of Starflight were sold in total? How many units of Borderland 4 do you expect to move?’ As he implies, Starflight was extremely niche and did not sell well, especially not on the Mega Drive. More Trending ‘The $80 price point wasn’t a thing when it [Borderlands 4] went into development, why not keep it at the targeted $70 to show your fans some good will? Maybe keep the budget in check for the next one and you can get it out at $60 and get praise like [Clair Obscur:] Expedition 33 and the Oblivion remake got for pushing out at $50,’ he added. This is not the first time Pitchford has claimed not to know how much the game will be sold for, which may be true, but a decision needs to be made soon as it’s supposed to be out on September 12. ‘It’s an interesting time,’ he said at the PAX East event at the weekend, via IGN. ‘On one level, we’ve got a competitive marketplace where the people that make those choices want to sell as many units as possible and they want to be careful about people that are price sensitive. There are some folks who don’t want to see prices go up, even the ones deciding what the prices are.’ ‘There’s other folks accepting the reality that game budgets are increasing and there’s tariffs for the retail packaging. It’s getting gnarly out there, you guys. Borderlands 4 has more than twice the development budget for Borderlands 3. More than twice. So the truth is, I don’t know what the price is going to be,’ he added. Borderlands 4’s price may be a step too far for some fans (Take-Two Interactive) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Baldur’s Gate 3 may have the worst video game merchandise ever made GameCentral Published May 20, 2025 5:05pm Updated May 20, 2025 5:05pm At least they’re offering a refund (WizKids) A set of figurines depicting the main characters from Baldur’s Gate 3 has been upsetting and amusing fans in equal measure, as a refund is offered by the manufacturer. Most people like to own a physical memento of their favourite games, whether it’s a T-shirt, key ring, or some kind of action figure or statute. You can get all that and more for most big name video games, although there has perhaps been less for smash hit Baldur’s Gate 3 than you might expect. Board game maker WizKids has attempted to fill that gap in the market with a range of miniatures recreating the game’s lead characters, but the end result has, to put things mildly, been something of a disappointment. The Dungeons & Dragons: Icons Of The Realms – Baldur’s Gate 3 is a set of seven figurines that costs £49.99 in the UK. That’s relatively cheap for this sort of thing, which is already a red flag, although no one was prepared for just how bad the final product has turned out. Although the official promotional images all seem quite impressive, the actual toys don’t look anything like them. As one fan on Reddit pointed out, the underlying miniatures are perfectly fine but the paint seems to have been applied by someone that’s either partially sighted, drunk, or both. Other fans on Reddit compared it, unfavourably, to the work of Picasso and the infamous ‘Potato Jesus’ restoration of a 19th century fresco in Spain. The characters are Astarion, Karlach, Gale, Shadowheart, Wyll, Lae’zel, and Withers; they’re all awful but Shadowheart seems to have come off the worst, at least in terms of the photos that have been posted online – but it’s very likely the quality varies greatly. To be fair, the figurines are quite small (WizKids) To their credit, WizKids has admitted the set is awful and is offering a full refund. ‘Unfortunately, we missed the mark on this goal with the D&D Icons of the Realms: Baldur’s Gate 3 Character Boxed Set,’ says a statement on their website. More Trending ‘We’re aware of the recent reports and complaints and are taking them seriously. Our team is currently investigating these issues and taking action to make this right for those whose purchases were negatively affected and to ensure these issues do not recur in future products and reprints. ‘Please accept our sincerest apologies for the frustration and disappointment these quality issues caused our customers. We, too, feel the same as the final product did not meet our expectations or that of our Wizards of the Coast partner.’ After a quick google we found the set being sold at Zatu Games for a reduced price of £43.19. There’s also what looks to be blind box versions of the same characters plus additional enemies and monsters at Forbidden Planet. There don’t seem to be any specific reports about the quality of those, but for obvious reasons you might want to think twice before giving them a try. This is what they’re supposed to look like (WizKids) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Red Dead Redemption 2 – Rockstar’s best game? (Rockstar Games) The Tuesday letters page asks whether video game execs need to be gamers or not, as one reader predicts Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Deluxe will be a while yet. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk Rockstar #1 Interesting to see people having the confidence to speak out against GTA, which I don’t think we’re going to see a lot of as the game gets closer. I won’t pretend I don’t enjoy the games, and still play GTA Online occasionally, but what I will say is that GTA 5 is not my favourite Rockstar game at all and I do feel it’s a shame they don’t make a wider range of games like they used to.Bully was great and so was The Warriors, but I especially liked the first Manhunt and I’m very upset that never became a regular franchise. I don’t think Midnight Club or L.A. Noire were as good but at least they were something different, as was Max Payne 3 (although I prefer Remedy’s two games). I would say that Red Dead Redemption 2 is easily their best game. It has all the scope and size of GTA but none of the flaws that people have been pointing out. It has a good, clear plot. The characters are all interesting and many of them are likeable. They act like people too, not just try hard characters. The gameplay still isn’t great but it’s no worse than GTA 5 and I definitely prefer riding a horse to driving a car, at least one designed by Rockstar. So while I am looking forward to GTA 6 there are quite a few other Rockstar games I’d rather see get a sequel first.Focus One for two Is it me or has Shuhei Yoshida been acting like a bit of chump in his recent round of interviews? He was very down on Switch 2 for no reason that I could really see, other than he’s ex-Sony, and now he, who is presumably very rich, is trying to tell us all that £80 for a video is a bargain and we shouldn’t complain?I’m sure it is good value for money but at the end of the day that’s money that a lot of us don’t have lying around spare. Only a few years ago I would’ve been able to get two triple-A games for £80, at least a couple of months after launch, and soon I’m only going to be able to get one. I don’t see how that’s good for gaming or publishers or anyone else. It’s definitely not good for my wallet.Brian Summer secrets So, the Switch 2 is out on June 5 and the Summer Game Fest is June 6… does that mean there’s going to be some kind of big annoucement? I know people are 50/50 on whether there’s a secret Christmas game still to be revealed but if there was I would’ve though this would be a good time to do it.I can’t see anyone getting all that excited when Nintendo try to make the reveal of the release dates for checks notes Hyrule Warriors 3 and Kirby Air Ride 2 seem like some epic reveal. I’m with everyone else that thinks they are very strange things to be out in the first year, especially when that could mean there’s really only big first party game out all year. I’m not going to try and predict anything, because it’s Nintendo and who knows, but does GC think the two dates are coincidence or are they going to end up being connected?Paulie GC: Our guess is that it’s just a coincidence. Nintendo doesn’t tend to use third party events to announce anything significant. They may try and squeeze something in at the last minute, just because the timing is so odd, but we wouldn’t count on it. Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk Strange ideas Like a lot of readers, I find Hideo Kojima a fascinating but flawed character. He’s got so much obvious talent, but he’s squandered so much of it on one franchise, that faded from public view surprisingly quickly. Dead Stranding was interesting but I’m not sure how a sequel is going to work if the core gameplay is still… walking very slowly and delivering parcels to holograms.I’m painting the game in its worst possible light there but even so, Death Stranding was just flawed as anything else Kojima has done and I would’ve liked to see him give it another roll of the dice with a different idea. Instead, he’s working on a sequel, and what seem to be spiritual sequels to Silent Hills and Metal Gear. By which time he’ll be well into his 60s… If all the ideas on the USB stick are as weird as the guy forgetting his abilities over time, I’d rather he do them now. It just feels he’s permanently got one foot in the past and it’s a real shame.Kurgen Come back later If Nintendo does do a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Deluxe edition for the Switch 2 do we have any idea who could be added to it? I would’ve said someone from a new Switch 2 IP but there really hasn’t been one yet, which is a real shame. Maybe they could try and do one of the wheelchair basketball people, but I can’t see many people queuing up for that.I also thought maybe a couple more Microsoft games, back when I expected them and Nintendo to be all chummy. Now it seems that was all just talk and Xbox doesn’t have any plans at all, or at least none so urgent they’ve felt the need to talk about them so far. So if a Deluxe edition does happen, I don’t think it’s going to happen for a while, for the simple reason that there isn’t anyone new to add, because they’re all already been done.Roel Dungeons master I was going to compose a missive contemplating the likelihood of Dungeons 4 being ported to the Switch 2, only to find out that it’s actually already out on Switch?! That would be an amazing feat if it worked but apparently it’s a bug ridden, almost unplayable mess from the only review I can find (I literally had no idea and can’t be the only one unaware of the port).So now, instead I’m wondering if they’ll release a Switch 2 Edition or complete edition with all the DLC, or even just put some fixes through so the game runs better on the new hardware. I hope they do the same for Tropico 6 (both are by Kalypso, so if ones done the other will probably be too). As an aside, put me on the boat for people not really interested in GTA 6. Five or six years ago I’d been down for it but current, me who replayed GTA 5 before getting shot of my PlayStation 4, I found it pretty awful actually. The characters, the controls, the story, were all just urgh. I appreciate the characters aren’t supposed to be likeable (except Franklin, maybe) but my god what were they thinking of with Trevor? Every time I had to play as him it felt like my soul was dying a little more, until I just gave up playing. I don’t expect much from the single-player campaign of GTA 6, if there even is one…Solabound Glory days I don’t think I’m the first person to say it on here but if Bungie lasts to the end of the year I will be shocked. I’ll also be relatively surprised if Marathon isn’t cancelled within the next few months. It’s a game no one wants, in a genre no one will admit to liking, by a developer that seems to be in a downward spiral.It’s sad to think how this sort of thing can happen. Halo 3 was 18 years ago now, and it’s at least five years since Destiny 2 was relevant. It’s unfortunate but Bungie were never the same after leaving Microsoft and I think the initial success of Destiny 1 just hid that for a while and now it’s obvious.Tony T. Management sim I’m in two minds as to whether the head of a big games company needs to be a gamer or not. It feels like it should be a thing but at the end of the day what’s most important is that they’re a good business person, which the Take-Two guy seems to be. At least going by how long he’s been in the job.Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata was a great leader and actually used to make games, but his replacement is just a businessman with no developer background at all, and yet he seems to be doing a decent job. Then there’s that other obvious example: Phil Spencer. He can’t stop talking about what a keen gamer he is, and I think he genuinely is a fan, but I also think it’s increasingly hard to pretend he’s doing a good job at Xbox. Ultimately, I don’t think it matters whether you’re a gamer or not, whether you’ve ever been a developer or anything. The only thing that matters is being good at your job, which has nothing to do with making games but backing the right people that do, making sure they have the resources, and not interfering with them. I believe that’s pretty much what the Take-Two guy himself said. Where you get a bit of a grey area is something like EA or Ubisoft, where you definitely feel like their leaders could stand to actually play some games once in a while, instead of just making decisions by spreadsheets. Remember that the team that made Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 used to work on Ubisoft, so they clearly weren’t being creatively fulfilled there and that’s a management problem.Lemmy Inbox also-rans I was thinking of getting Doom: The Dark Ages after the positive reviews but I was shocked to discover it was £70. This isn’t Call Of Duty, this is a single-player only game that apparently is quite easy. I’ll come back on Black Friday.PancusIf Red Dead Redemption 2 is out on Switch 2 this year I think that could be a really good selling point, because the obvious comparison, in terms of graphics, is Zelda and Rockstar’s game is lightyears ahead of that.Bosley More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk The small printNew 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. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. 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Whatever Naughty Dog is cooking it doesn’t seem to be more The Last Of Us (Sony Interactive Entertainment) The makers of The Last Of Us are working a second new game that doesn’t seem to be a sequel and is by the creative director of Mavel’s Avengers. It’s now five years since Naughty Dog has released a brand new game. That means they haven’t launched anything entirely new on the PlayStation 5, just remakes like The Last Of Us Part 1. They did announce Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet last year, but they didn’t say when it would be out or show anything other than a few seconds of gameplay. The assumption is that Intergalactic will be their next game, but studio head Neil Druckmann has revealed that he’s also working on a second unannocued new game. Naughty Dog has said before that they’re making ‘multiple’ new single-player games at the moment, but there’s no clue as to what they are. However, whatever this second title is it’s very unlikely to be The Last Of Us Part 3, because Druckmann says he is not the director. Druckmann has been inconsistent when discussing The Last Of Us Part 3, at times implying it has little chance of ever being made and at other times admitting he has an outline for the story. Sony would no doubt love a third game, but Naughty Dog’s fame and level of success appears to give them the freedom to do whatever they want, including cancelling plans for The Last Of Us Online. Druckmann’s comments were made as part of a Press X to Continue podcast, where he revealed that, ‘there’s another game that’s being worked on at Naughty Dog where I am more of a producer role.’ ‘I get to mentor and watch this other team, and give feedback and be the executive in the room,’ he added. Unless he feels it’s something Sony has forced upon the studio, it seems very unlikely that Druckmann would take such a back seat role for The Last Of Us Part 3, considering he was a director on the first two games (and heavily involved in the TV show). His comments give no clue as to what this secret game is but back in March movie insider DanielRPK suggested that Naughty Dog has a second game underway, that’s not The Last Of Us Part 3, and is being led by Shaun Escayg. More Trending That matches very closely with what Druckmann said, with DanielRPK suggesting that the new game has already been in development for three years (a triple-A game usually needs at least five years nowadays). Escayg started as an animator, before directing half-sequel Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and becoming creative director for Marvel’s Avengers and then The Last Of Us Part 1 (as that implies, he left and then rejoined Naughty Dog). Although there have been rumours of a remake, Naughty Dog has stated multiple times that it is done with the Uncharted franchise, with reports that Sony has been trying, so far unsuccessfully, to get other studios to work on it instead. That’s where the solid rumours dry up but there has been fan talk for some time now that Naughty Dog is working on a new fantasy IP, possibly one involving dragons. There’s little evidence for that, but if the new game has been in development for three years, that could be the source of those rumours… Uncharted: The Lost Legacy was pretty good for what it was (Sony Interactive Entertainment) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Rome wasn’t built in a day (Ubisoft) The fan favourite city-building series takes a welcome step back in time to second century Rome, as Anno 117 puts you in control of ancient Britain. Ubisoft’s Anno series, of historical city building sims, has quietly become one of the games industry’s hardiest perennials. Since 1998, it has mostly occupied a time period between the 15th and 19th centuries, albeit with two excursions into the future. Now, with Anno 117 (the eighth mainline instalment of the franchise), it is poised to take a large step back in time, to when the Roman Empire was in full swing and enjoying a period of extended peace. This is important because, as Anno players will be aware, the series is all about building, not fighting. We were given the chance to spend roughly three hours playing the new game, via Ubisoft’s streaming service on PC. Coming from the frenetic action of Doom: The Dark Ages, it felt like an oasis of tranquillity, with its considered gameplay requiring lots of thought and plenty of planning, along with a certain amount of waiting around for essential materials to be manufactured. As with all previous Anno games, it is very much a game for builders rather than destroyers. Given the technological sophistication of the Roman Empire – particularly by the time it had reached the second century AD – it’s surprising that the Anno franchise hadn’t previously explored the time period, but it’s obvious from the start that it’s a good fit. In the full game you’ll be given a choice between two areas of the Roman Empire, in which to establish your colony: Latium (an uncharted Mediterranean area which looks to be off the coast of Italy) or Albion – that is, what is now known as Britain. Much as we would have liked to have amazed the backwards natives by building a shiny Roman city on British shores, the constraints of the preview dictated that we would instead build in Latium. As such, our ship pitched up at a pristine, procedurally generated Mediterranean island, complete with a beach which could be developed into a port, flat land for farming, plenty of forests, a prominent river, and some mountains which could be mined. The first task – since we were taking on the position of governor of the new city – was to build a governor’s villa to accompany the trading post that had already been built on the beach. Once that was done, the from-scratch city-building started in earnest. Raw materials are obviously key, so a woodcutting operation was needed in the nearest forest, which has to be connected up to the trading post by road. As ever in a city-building game, close control over the network of roads is essential. Anno 117’s road-building system is exemplary – intelligent enough to let you curve roads to your satisfaction and snap them easily to form the connections they need to make. With a woodcutter and a sawmill constructed, and wood therefore in plentiful supply, we could then start building a number of homes for the workers who form the lifeblood of the city. Build those homes and you’re able to establish a workforce. In its early stages, Anno 117’s tutorial makes its objectives clear: you need to build 10 houses to establish that workforce. Unfulfilled criteria are clearly marked with little warning flags; Anno 117, mercifully, isn’t one of those strategy games which seems happy to leave you confused. After completing the tutorial, we were never at a loss as to what to do and the tutorial itself felt logical rather than manufactured. With our first residential area constructed and hooked up via a road network, we could start turning our attention to the needs of our burgeoning populace. Food, obviously, was required, so we built a fishery and established a wheat farm, along with a bakery and a porridge kitchen. We then began to have little interactions, as governor, with our inhabitants. We unlocked the ability to build a market and a tavern in the residential quarter, which bring helpful area effects. Pleasingly, what was now transforming from a village into a town began to exhibit some bustle, with carts of timber moving around and residents going about their daily work and heading to the tavern afterwards. Ancient Albion on the fringes of the Empire (Ubisoft) Our next task was to attract some more sophisticated, educated residents, by fulfilling a number of criteria in order to upgrade the basic housing. This brought considerations like fashion into the mix, by establishing a hemp farm and setting up a cloth-spinner. More sophisticated building materials such as tiles were also required, so we built a charcoal kiln and, on one of the river slots highlighted in the game’s geography, cleared a clay heap As that extended the city limits somewhat, it was necessary to build another warehouse. And we had to keep an eye on the mix of our population, between the basic Liberti and the more sophisticated Plebeians, by building more houses and upgrading some of them. Now that our town was really starting to take shape a level of exploration and interaction with other nearby enclaves came into play, with governors of nearby provinces appearing – giving us opportunities to indulge in diplomacy. Other residents then started asking to be ferried around the world map in the starting ship, which had previously remained moored as we established the basic structure of our town. More Trending During the tutorial period, we had concentrated on establishing a basic settlement rather than engaging in trade, so had been forced at one point to accept a loan from our superior in Rome. As the game progresses, trading becomes an increasingly important mechanism in the push to build a more sophisticated city. At this point you are given the ability to not only establish trade routes but also set religious criteria, by picking a preferred god to worship from the Roman pantheon. Even three hours in, we were quite happy with the progress we had made towards imposing a decent level of civilisation upon previously uninhabited territory. Those initial three hours with Anno 117: Pax Romana proved very satisfying and enjoyable. Although the series predates the phrase cosy game, it’s definitely that, while also being reminiscent of even older franchises like The Settlers (now also owned by Ubisoft). For a city builder, Anno 117 fells pretty exemplary in terms of its interface, which is clear and logical. It looks great and, with the local interactions and the trade route engine, offers more gameplay variety than most similar games. At the moment, it hasn’t been given a specific release date, but Ubisoft has said that it will come out this year on both consoles and PC. Formats: Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PCPublisher: UbisoftDeveloper: Ubisoft MainzRelease Date: 2025 Ocean trading is an important gameplay element (Ubisoft) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. 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Death Stranding 2 – before anyone says anything the decade ends in 2029, not 2030 (Sony Interactive Entertainment) Arguably the most anticipated game from Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima is still at least five years away, despite being announced a year ago. As well Death Stranding 2: On The Beach next month, Hideo Kojima’s studio Kojima Productions is working on two more projects. One of these is an Xbox published game called OD, a collaboration between Kojima and Get Out director Jordan Peele which stars Sophia Lillis, Hunter Schafer, and Udo Kier. The horror project was officially revealed in 2023, but nothing has been shown since. The other is Physint, a Metal Gear spiritual sequel which was announced in January last year. Unlike OD, no footage has ever been shown of the game, and there’s a very good reason for that – it’s still many years away. Speaking in an interview with French magazine Le Film Français (via VGC), Kojima was asked about the upcoming film adaptation of Death Stranding from A24, and whether he’d like to direct a film himself. ‘Oh, yes!’ Kojima replied. ‘I received many offers after leaving Konami.’ However, don’t expect a Kojima film anytime soon, as the developer wants to finish Death Stranding 2 and Physint before he even considers switching mediums. ‘Besides Death Stranding 2, there is Physint in development,’ Kojima said. ‘That will take me another five or six years. Maybe after that, I could finally decide to tackle a film. I grew up with cinema. Directing would be a kind of homage to it. Besides, I’m getting older, and I would prefer to do it while still young.’ While it’s unclear why Kojima didn’t mention OD, it’s possible he’s been told by Sony not to talk about the project while promoting Death Stranding 2, as it’s published by Xbox – although it’s unknown if it’s a console exclusive or not. More Trending Considering OD was announced before Physint, it’s safe to assume the former will be the next game from Kojima Productions, which implies Physint hasn’t made it past pre-production yet. While Kojima’s love for movies is clear in his games, an interview last week suggested he had been advised to stick to video games, by film director friends Guillermo del Toro and Nicolas Winding Refn. In that same interview, Kojima explained how he has a USB stick filled with game ideas, so his studio could have a secure future after he dies. He’s currently 61 and so could be 66 or older before Physint is ever released. Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is set to launch on PlayStation 5 on June 26, 2025. Death Stranding returns next month (Sony Interactive Entertainment) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

The Switch 2 will be at Gamescom this year (Credits: AFP via Getty Images) After skipping last year’s event, Nintendo has confirmed it will be attending Gamescom 2025, just two months after the Switch 2’s launch. Now that E3 is no more, Gamescom is the world’s biggest gaming event, based on its size and visitor numbers, but one company was notably absent last year. Nintendo skipped last year’s event, held annually in Cologne, Germany, and while no explicit reason was given at the time, it was presumably so the company could prepare for the Switch 2’s launch. Nintendo has now confirmed it will return for Gamescom 2025, which takes place from August 20 until August 24. The news was announced on Nintendo’s German account on X. ‘Mark your calendar in red,’ the post reads. ‘Nintendo will be back at Gamescom in 2025. We look forward to welcoming you to Cologne from August 20th to 24th!’ There are no details on what Nintendo will show, but it will likely focus on the Switch 2 line-up beyond its initial launch on June 5, 2025. Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza will both be released by the time Gamescom 2025 rolls around, so it might be the place to showcase Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends Z-A, which are both slated for later this year, albeit without exact release dates. More Trending Drag x Drive, aka the wheelchair basketball game, is also set to launch at some point in the summer, while Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment and Kirby Air Riders both have vague 2025 release dates, so it’s possible they could be playable too. Neither Microsoft or Sony have announced whether they’re attending Gamescom 2025, but the latter has skipped for the last several years. With Marathon and Ghost of Yōtei on the horizon though, it’s possible Sony could make an appearance. As usual, Gamescom 2025 will be preceded by Opening Night Live, hosted by Geoff Keighley, which serves as a starting presentation for the event with game announcements. Before Gamescom, Keighley is set to host Summer Game Fest on Friday June 6, which will be followed by an Xbox showcase on Sunday, June 8. Keighley summer is almost upon us (Gamescom) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

GTA: Vice City Stories was originally released on PSP (Rockstar Games) The Monday letters page is sceptical about third party support for Nintendo Switch 2, as one reader enjoys his time with Doom: The Dark Ages. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk Second story I think it’s obvious that GTA 6 is never, and could never, come to Nintendo Switch 2, but what do we think of the chances of there being a spin-off? There was Chinatown Wars, which was originally exclusive to DS, but there was also Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories, which I think would be a better template for the Switch 2.They could make a new one set in modern Vice City and make it a prequel to the main game. The graphics wouldn’t be as good, and the map smaller, but since it wouldn’t literally be trying to be the same game as GTA 6 I think there pressure would be off to be as good as it. It could do some things that GTA 6 probably won’t too, like maybe co-op using the Joy-Cons and touchscreen controls. If Rockstar wanted to, I’m sure they can make a good job of it. It just depends if they feel they have the time and if Nintendo are willing to foot enough of the bill to help.Anders Kojima clone Does anyone else feel that Hideo Kojima has become a parody of himself? I read that stuff about the game character forgetting stuff if you didn’t play it for a while and it reminded me of the PeterMolydeux parody account. Had a look at it for the first time in a while and lo and behold it had quoted the Kojima idea! When you’re being compared to Peter Molyneux’s crazy, impractical, stream of consciousness ideas, I don’t think that’s a good thing.At first, I was surprised Kojima was making Death Stranding 2, because it didn’t seem to need a sequel, but then I realised just how long he was stuck making Metal Gear games, long after the series had peaked. I don’t think he knows how to move on, but I guess he thinks it’s easier to get some of his wackier ideas made if he makes them part of an existing franchise. Maybe there’s some wisdom in that though. I find a lot of things about Kojima frustrating, but you can’t criticise someone for doing what they love.Benson Block and parry RE: Simundo. Was enjoying Nine Sols massively… until I reached a Sol, about number six? So the Sols (bosses) had started having two phases to their fights, then there’s ‘her’ who has three phases; she makes clones, so first there’s two others, then there’s five of her, then there’s seven, and you gotta parry or dodge them all, while looking for visual clues as to which one to attack, in about a millionth of a second. Get it wrong and you will be punished harshly!I got to phase three a couple of times, but could never finish her, so that was that bye bye Nine Sols and hello whatever replaced you. Now playing Clair Obscur… and also parrying everything in sight.big boy bent Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk Preferred formatRE: Panda. I can understand the benefits of digital games. I myself have been buying more but the shop bought games have so much more. It’s not only about the sell on bit, but there are other benefits as well. Wasn’t too long ago PlayStation went down and no one could play their digital games, no matter what it was. Soon as the network goes down that’s it, you can’t play. Also, at this moment, I’m waiting for the new Assassin’s Creed to drop in price, not because I’m tight but I’m fed up with buying a game at £70 and two months later on the store it’s half price. It’s £70 at the moment on the PlayStation Store. If I bought it on disc it’s £57.99, a saving of around £18. Factor in if I want to sell it on once I have done with it, which is even more of a saving. As for game sharing, how long is that really going to last before that is stopped? One little update and game sharing is over. Also, buying a digital games also has its ups: the game never breaks, you can download it as much as you like. Digital games do have benefits but for me physical games have so much more.David Downward trend I’m going back through all the Halo games at the moment, as it’s my favourite franchise and the games are all great. I don’t mind Halo 4, even though it gets lots of hate but Halo 5 is really bad. They had that cut scene at the start of Halo 2 Anniversary, with Locke and the Arbiter, and they had those great ‘hunt’ adverts with Chief and Locke, and then we got Halo 5 which was basically rubbish.I don’t know how they messed it all up so much and I’m expecting bad things from the remake of Halo 1.Simon Spoiling a good thing I know this is a terrible thing to feel but I’m currently experiencing feeling of schadenfreude directed towards Sony and their live service plans. While I understand there are thousands of hardworking people labouring away so that companies like Sony might find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, I’m personally delighted when gamers reject them. How many times do they need to hear we don’t need more live service games? Nobody wants them!The thing I can’t ever wrap my head around is Sony basically had it figured out with the PlayStation 4 – keep making big budget/iconic single-player games and let the rest of their gaming library be filled in by others. It was such a simple way to act but it worked. Now we all have to put up with constant negativity around ridiculous sounding games and the fallout from the inevitable redundancies associated with their failure. I just don’t know how any of these CEO types keep their jobs while the people forced to work on them lose out. One last point regarding Jade Raymond, a person I’ve been vaguely aware off since Assassin’s Creed’s early days – this woman seems to be the kiss of death for any game. The only time I ever hear about her it’s because she’s walked out on another company or been associated with a terrible game. Let’s be honest, the original Assassin’s Creed game was pretty poor, even back then. Seems to be some people can only fail upwards in the world of gaming. Lucky them.Chris GC: The unfortunate truth is that Sony isn’t making live service games for gamers, they’re making them for investors, to appeal to their all or nothing mentality. Carrying on I’d write a long review of the new Doom game but I’m too busy killing demons and, occasionally, dying myself. But I’d just like to say so far the game has been amazing.To play this free on Game Pass makes me wonder how Microsoft messed this up so badly. They should have sold a billion Xbox Series S or X consoles. Keep up the good work.Manic miner 100 (gamertag) GC: Thanks, although Doom has always been a multiformat series. No matter what had happened, Microsoft would’ve been heavily criticised for making The Dark Ages an exclusive. No switch expected Interesting take from those analysts, about the Switch 2 becoming the dominant third party platform. While that would be great if we’re making an effort to deescalate the ever-increasing budgets and development times for triple-A games… I have to say I’m not sure what evidence they’re looking at for this?The Switch 2 likely occupies a similar spot versus the PlayStation 5 as the original console did when up against the PlayStation 4, in terms of power and performance. The Switch also had a steady stream of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 ports to the device, ports you might say are the equivalent of putting PlayStation 4 games on the Switch 2. Also, the Switch sold 150 million units, many more than the Xbox One or PlayStation 4. A huge install base for third party developers to tap into. However, we never saw any major third parties prioritise Switch triple-A development, even out of Japan all we got was Monster Hunter Rise from Capcom. Why was this? The answer seems to be in the sales figures for the ports that were brought over, the list of million+ sellers on Switch is mostly (if not all) Nintendo titles. Historically, Nintendo machines play by their own rules and so do their buyers. They pick up first parties and the odd zeitgeisty cheap indie and call it a day. The price of these old and inferior ports is certainly one reason (they’re having a laugh with Yakuza 0 at launch) but even beyond the cost I just don’t think a lot of Nintendo gamers are into third party games, certainly not at the scale needed where they shift 5 to 10 million copies to make it worth prioritising development for. The numbers seem to bear that out. I expect Switch 2 support to be better, since now the Switch is a proven concept. But if 150 million Switches can’t persuade publishers to prioritise Nintendo, due to the demographic of those buyers, then in the end the Switch 2 will be no different.Marc Inbox also-rans Am I the only one that just isn’t enjoying Blue Prince all that much? It’s quite clever but also kind of boring. I never liked roguelikes, I shouldn’t have believed the reviews.LombardI feel like Devil May Cry is turning into Capcom’s Castlevania. It has its own animated show and lots of people talk about it, but it hasn’t had a new game in soooo long and there’s not even hints at it yet.Kalibak More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk The small printNew 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. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy