September 26th 2023.
EA Sports FC 24 - have you played it yet? I've been giving it a go over the weekend and I'm inclined to agree with GC's assessment so far. To me, it feels like a major step up compared to the previous iterations - it's much the same game, but there's something different about it. The graphics are really good, and the PlayStyles system works great. It's like a proper role-playing game now, and it's obvious that they've been building towards this for years.
When it comes to sports games nowadays, microtransactions are always the biggest downside. But if we take that out of the equation, I think EA Sports FC 24 has the potential to be the best football game we've ever seen. It's a clear step up from FIFA.
The Tuesday letters page recently discussed the Sony hacks, and what secrets they might be hiding. It's an interesting thought - what would we expect to find on the company's computers? Would there be dozens of unannounced games? An explanation for their radio silence? Or would the hard drive be mostly empty, hinting at the fact that they don't have many projects on the go? We can only speculate, but the longer Sony goes without announcing anything, the more surreal and inexplicable the whole thing feels.
RE: Orgen letter on space games. If you're looking for a great game of that genre, I'd recommend Endless Space 2. I've been playing it on Xbox Game Pass, and I'm loving it. It's for the Xbox Series X/S, but you can also play it on the Xbone through the cloud. It takes a while to get used to the controls, but once you do, you'll be hooked. There's no on-foot stuff, just piloting around the galaxy. You can also take part in stories and missions, and it's the closest thing to old-style Elite we've seen in space games. You can do combat, trade, mine, upgrade your ship, and so on - it's got it all.
I also wanted to mention the movie Cube - a fan-made version of a game based on it is currently being worked on, and it's getting more upgrades. I often wonder if the movie's owners and the game's creator would consider working with a studio to make it into a full-blown game. Has GameCentral ever heard of this movie, and what do you think of the fan-made game?
Finally, I've been using a Backbone One for remote play. It's good, but the main issue is the small screen size. I recently got the Logitech G Cloud instead, and I'm really impressed. The screen is a little small for some games, but for the most part, it works perfectly.
As for the PlayStation Portal, I think some people are being overly negative. It's got an even bigger screen, the controls are identical to those of a regular controller, it's cheaper, and you'd expect the support to be good. When you compare it to the Logitech, it's a no-brainer. If I had a PlayStation 5, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
EA Sports FC 24 – have you played it yet? It's been a game I've been playing over the weekend and I think I’d generally agree with GameCentral's appraisal so far. It’s one of those special years where you can feel that the game has hit another milestone, despite what the Ultimate Edition box art would have you believe! The graphics are great and PlayStyles works well too, plus the role-playing element is a nice touch that has been built towards for some time.
People have complained that FIFA was the same year to year, but I think it’s like fighting games – you’ll always struggle to come up with new ideas with just 12 months between updates. Microtransactions are always an issue, but if you take that out of the equation, I think EA Sports FC 24 could well be the best football game yet.
The Tuesday letters page has been pondering what secrets the Sony hacks might be hiding. It would be ironic if the only way we found out about their future plans was via someone literally ripping the information out of their hands. We can only speculate what we would find if we had access to Jim Ryan’s laptop – dozens of previously unannounced games? An explanation for the lack of updates on PlayStation VR2? An empty hard drive? Sony has gone two years without announcing a new single-player game, and it’s getting more and more surreal.
Organ letter asked for a good space game, and I’d recommend Endless Space 2. It’s available on Xbox Game Pass and it supports Xbox Series X/S, as well as Xbone via the cloud. It takes a while to get used to the controls but once you do, you’ll love the combat, first or third person views, trading, mining, ship upgrades, and more.
Finally, Gaz Be Rotten asked about a fan-made game inspired by the movie Cube. I can’t say I’ve heard of this before, and I wonder if the owners of the movie and creator of the game would consider working with a studio to turn it into a full game.
I’ve been playing with the PlayStation 2 headset recently and the experience is great – much better than the original PlayStation VR. But unfortunately, the catalogue of games for the original headset is far superior. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission and Blood & Truth are up there with Half-Life Alyx, as well as Skyrim, Doom 3, and so many more. It’s quite frustrating to find myself returning to an older headset in order to find engaging games. Sony really needs to get a grip and make or upgrade some great games.
I’ve also been using a Backbone One for remote play. I bought a Logitech G Cloud recently too, and my ultra-short review is that it’s good and does everything you expect. Some people have been overly negative on the PlayStation Portal, but I think it could be great. It’s got a bigger screen, identical controls to a regular controller, and it’s cheaper. Plus, you’d expect good support from Sony – much better than a free app in an App Store. If I had a PS5, I’d definitely buy one.
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