April 12th 2024.
Have you had a chance to play Fallout 4 recently? The Friday letters page has been discussing the game and one reader even thinks they could run EA better than the current executives. On a related note, another reader was unimpressed by Immortals Of Aveum. If you want to join in on the conversation, just email us your thoughts.
It's hard to believe that it's been nine years since Fallout 4 was released. But here we are, and I must admit, I'm feeling a bit giddy about the idea of playing it again with the next gen update. Maybe it's because the TV show based on the game is actually good, but I think Bethesda made the right call in delaying the patch until now. It's sure to generate a lot of interest in the game.
While both Fallout and The Elder Scrolls have similar gameplay, I've always been more of a fan of Fallout. The post-apocalyptic setting is unique, and I appreciate the humor that the game injects into the serious subject matter. Sure, it may not be as good as the earlier entries in the series, but it's still a refreshing change from the usual fantasy worlds found in other games.
I am curious to see how well the game holds up after all these years. Personally, I think it still stands strong, as I was playing with some mods just last year. But I'd love to hear from others who have played it more recently. Either way, I am definitely going to give it another go once the new patch is released.
It's crazy to think that Fallout 4 is almost a decade old now. I always thought of it as a relatively new game, but I guess I was wrong. And it's even crazier to think that we may not see Fallout 5 for another decade. This just goes to show how out of control game development has become. It's not Bethesda's fault, but if we have to wait until 2030 for a new installment, Fallout 4 will be 15 years old and Todd Howard will be 60. Something's got to give if game companies want their franchises to continue and keep their fan base.
Actually, maybe it is a little bit of Bethesda's fault. There was that story about them refusing to let Obsidian make any more spin-offs. They should have said yes to that.
The more I learn about the games industry, the more I realize that anyone could run a publisher. I'm not talking about actually making the games, that takes skill and dedication. But the executives in charge just seem to be really bad at their jobs.
Take EA and Dead Space, for example. What were they thinking? The original games were never huge sellers, so why did they expect a remake to sell in the millions? Maybe they were hoping it would be as successful as the Resident Evil remakes, but even those don't sell as much as people may think. Dead Space was never going to sell more than a million or so copies. They should have given it to an indie developer who could have made a new game at a fraction of the cost and still turn a profit.
I've been playing Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope for a few weeks now. I picked it up on sale before Christmas and the reviews were good, so I thought it would be worth a try. And it was! I really enjoyed the first few days of playing it. But as I got closer to the end, it started to drag on. I guess it's my own fault for trying to complete everything, but I'm so tired of those rabbids now.
I also bought Faeria and Ys Origin during the eShop sale. I had put Faeria on my wishlist a while back because it looked interesting, but I wish I had done more research. It turns out that the game requires an internet connection at all times and is primarily a multiplayer game, which is not what I was looking for. I'm hoping that Ys Origin will be more to my liking.
For all the amiibo fans out there, there's some good news. Nintendo's UK Store has listed a bunch of old amiibo from 2014 onwards, although they are not currently in stock. I'm sure they will be soon, as that's usually what happens when they list new amiibo. By new, I mean ones that haven't been in stock for a long time and are now newly listed. Some of the ones I'm excited about are Peach, Little Mac, Falco, and the various Mario characters in their wedding attire from Super Mario Odyssey. There are others too, and I'm just waiting for them to be in stock.
I've been playing Marvel's Midnight Suns lately and I'm really enjoying it. It's not as polished as XCOM, but it's more accessible. But let me tell you about the demo I played for SaGa: Emerald Beyond. It was extremely underwhelming, with a protagonist who actually introduces himself as the "hero of the story." It made Bubsy the Bobcat seem humble. It's better than Unlimited SaGa on the PlayStation 2, but that's not saying much.
One thing that really bothered me was during the tutorial section, I had to press a button to scan something in order to progress. But the font used made the "c" look like an "e." So I was wondering who this Sean character was that I needed to scan. It took me a moment and some squinting to realize my mistake. Needless to say, I deleted the demo.
Back to Midnight Suns, though. I love it! And I especially enjoy just hanging out at the Abbey and getting to know all the characters. However, the game does have its flaws. The music sometimes stops and starts, the loading times are long, and the textures on the characters' outfits can get blurry. The voice acting is also pretty weak. I do like the voice actor for Tony Stark, as he doesn't do a weak Robert Downey Jr. impression like so many others. But I have to wonder, why is Doctor Strange so camp and almost British? Maybe because Benedict Cumberbatch from the films is British? I would have preferred his atrocious American accent over what we got here.
My favorite characters are Nico and Magik. "Is portal," is such a brutally Russian line, and I love it. Some may argue that it's a stereotype, but I find her to be a fun character. And I fell in love with Nico from the SyFy TV series The Runaways. It's also cool that the same actress, Lyrica Okano, voices her in the game. It's a shame that there isn't much LGBTQ representation in the game, though.
Oh, and Robbie, the better Ghost Rider, is just adorable!
By the way, what format did you play it on? We didn't experience any serious bugs on PC, but we do agree that the voice acting is generally weak.
Fallout 4 - have you been keeping up with it lately? That's the question being posed on the Friday letters page. It seems that one reader believes they could do a better job running EA than the current executives, while another shares their disappointment with Immortals Of Aveum.
As for me, it's been nine years since the release of Fallout 4 and I must say, I'm feeling a renewed excitement for the game now that the next gen update is finally here. Perhaps it's the positive buzz surrounding the TV show, but I believe that Bethesda made the right decision to delay the patch until now in order to generate maximum interest in the game.
While Fallout and The Elder Scrolls may share similar gameplay mechanics, I have always preferred the unique world of Fallout over the generic fantasy setting of The Elder Scrolls. Not to mention, Fallout has always had a great sense of humor, which I appreciate. Although it may not be as good as the earlier non-Bethesda entries, I'm glad that the game doesn't take itself too seriously.
I'm curious to know if the game still holds up after all these years. Personally, I think it does, as I was playing around with mods just a year ago. But I'd love to hear from others who have recently played through the entire game. Either way, I'm definitely going to give it another go now that the new patch is out.
Speaking of long waits, it's crazy to think that Fallout 4 is almost a decade old now. It's a bit of a shock to realize that what I still consider a relatively new game is actually quite old. And with the possibility of not seeing a Fallout 5 until at least 2030, it's a clear indication of how out of control game development has become.
Of course, this is not entirely Bethesda's fault. But if we do get Fallout 5 in 2030, the game will be 15 years old and Todd Howard, the director, will be 60. It's not sustainable for companies to expect fans to wait that long for a new installment in a franchise. I can imagine some young gamer in 2030 being surprised to find out that a game was made based on an old Amazon Prime show.
On that note, I do believe Bethesda is partly to blame for this situation. There have been reports that they refused to let Obsidian create any more spin-offs in the Fallout universe. They really should have reconsidered that decision.
As I learn more about the games industry, I can't help but feel that anyone could run a publisher. Of course, creating games requires expertise, commitment, and talent, but it seems like many executives are simply not good at their jobs.
Take EA for example, with their recent release of Dead Space. What were they expecting? The original games were never huge sellers, so why did they think a remake would suddenly sell millions of copies? Perhaps they were hoping to replicate the success of the Resident Evil remakes, but even those don't sell as much as people might think. It would have been wiser for EA to give the project to an indie developer, who could have created a new game for a fraction of the cost and still turn a profit.
I've been playing Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope for the last few weeks and I have to say, it's been a mixed experience. I bought it on sale before Christmas for £15, based on the positive reviews. While I really enjoyed the first few days, towards the end I found the game to be quite tedious. But I suppose that's my fault for trying to complete everything. If I had just stuck to the main story, I probably would have finished much sooner.
I also recently purchased Faeria and Ys Origin from the eShop sale. I had added Faeria to my wishlist a while back because it looked interesting, but I wish I had done more research. It turns out that the game requires an internet connection at all times and is primarily focused on multiplayer, which is not what I was looking for. Hopefully, Ys Origin will prove to be a better purchase.
For amiibo fans like myself, there is some good news. Nintendo's UK Store has relisted a lot of old amiibo from 2014 onwards. While they are not currently in stock, I expect they will be soon. This is usually the case when 'new' amiibo are listed, meaning those that have not been in stock for a long time. I'm particularly excited about the Peach amiibo no. 2, Little Mac amiibo from Punch-Out!!, Falco amiibo from Star Fox, and the various Mario characters and Bowser amiibos in their wedding attire from Super Mario Odyssey. There are others as well, but at least Diddy Kong is currently in stock. When I searched for 'amiibo', there were 137 results the other day and now there are 151 results.
I've been playing a lot of Marvel's Midnight Suns lately and I must say, I'm really enjoying it. While it's not as polished as XCOM, it's more accessible. However, I do have to mention the demo I played for SaGa: Emerald Beyond. It was extremely underwhelming, with a protagonist who introduces himself as the 'hero of the story'. He makes Bubsy the Bobcat seem humble. It's certainly better than Unlimited SaGa on the PlayStation 2, but that's not saying much.
In the tedious tutorial section, you have to press a 'scan' button to progress. However, due to the heavy serifs used in the typeface, the 'c' looked like an 'e'. I found myself wondering who the heck Sean was and why I needed to press his button. It took a moment and some squinting to realize my mistake, and I quickly deleted the demo.
Back to Midnight Suns, though. I really love it! I enjoy spending time at the Abbey, getting to know all the characters. However, I must admit that the game is a bit rough around the edges. The music often stops and starts, the loading times are long, and the textures on the characters' outfits can get blurry at times.
The voice acting is also inconsistent. The actor playing Tony Stark does a decent job of not imitating Robert Downey Jr., but it seems like that's what the director wanted. His ego is truly the size of Galactus. Doctor Strange is not great, with his campy, almost British accent. I suppose they were trying to replicate the British actor who plays him in the films, but I'd rather hear his terrible American accent instead.
My favorite characters are Nico and Magik. Nico is so brutally Russian, I can't help but love her. She may be a bit of a stereotype, but I find her to be great fun. Plus, I fell in love with her character in the SyFy TV series The Runaways. It's worth noting that Lyrica Okano, the actress who plays her in the show, also voices her in the game. Unfortunately, there isn't much LGBTQ representation in the game, which is a bit disappointing.
Lastly, I have to mention Robbie, aka the better Ghost Rider. He is absolutely adorable!
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