Games Inbox: What is your favorite sport of 2024 thus far?

Infinite is not a number
I enjoyed GC’s list of the top 20 games of the year so far and found myself agreeing with a lot of it, even if there was a lot I’ve not played yet. I was glad to see Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth featured highly but I think for me it’s my number one.

I’ve played Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Animal Well but the game I’ve enjoyed the most this year is still Infinite Wealth. Admittedly I’ve always been a fan of the series but while I thought the change in character and turn-based combat would ruin it, it’s only made it better.

For anyone that hasn’t played one before, you probably don’t realise just how funny the games are, especially this one. It’s filled with in-jokes about gaming, and just about everything else, and many of the mini-games are more fun than some full price games I’ve played.

So that’s my tip but I’m curious to know what everyone else thinks, especially if it’s something that wasn’t on GC’s list.
Tom Meadows

Plug the leaks
I am just fascinated to know what Nintendo has planned for the Switch 2 and its games. They seem pretty confident, if they’re busy stocking up on enough of them that there’ll be no point scalping, and you’d imagine that the mistakes of the Wii U will be something they’re not keen on repeating. But who knows.

I’m still counting on a reveal in mid-autumn, but I do wonder that if Nintendo has all these consoles they’re churning out, surely it’s inevitable that some photos will leak out? I’m sure Nintendo will sue the culprit to hell and back, but I doubt that’ll put off some guy that doesn’t think it through too carefully.

I can only imagine how tight security is at the factories right now, but I honestly hope it doesn’t leak out, because it’s going to be much more fun to see it revealed properly by Nintendo themselves.
Lister

Temporary boost
I see Palworld is already starting to slip back down the Steam charts, despite the release of its new DLC. I just don’t think there’s room for more than a handful of these live service games to be successful. Not only do people not have the time but they’re not going to put down something they already enjoy, to play something else that isn’t necessarily as good.

At this point a live service game has to be absolutely top notch to get any real transaction and while I haven’t played Palworld I know that doesn’t describe Helldivers 2, which by all accounts is the better game.

That explains why Sony is charging for these games though, even if it’s not full price, because at least that way they make some money back. They must understand the risks but I’m still not sure they’re worth taking.
Terry Gold

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Shadow of a chance
I have some tips for anyone having trouble in Elden Ring and its DLC.

1. Have lots of vigor. The more health the better. I’ve got mine to 60+.
2. Use a large hammer or mallet or blood-letting attacks with a large hammer.
3. Have lots of stamina for running away.
4. Get to the Haligtree for the best anti-damage talisman.
5. Get the Dragon Rot breath.
6. Use your mimic in every fight.
7. Learn the quit out method to reset enemies that are chasing you.
8. Don’t start the DLC in New Game +2 like I did. Enemies are brutal even with tons of health and armour.
9. Explore the DLC to grab more scuda stuff, to make enemies hit slightly less hard.

Using my tips you too can get to the Twin Rennala boss, who moves faster than Sonic on crack and still two-shots me even with all my health.
Bobwallett

Old masters
If there’s one positive to come from all the job cuts and industry chaos of the last year, it’s that I have a newfound respect for Nintendo. I’ve never been big into their games but have always accepted that they’re very good at what they do. More recently I’ve realised that they’re very sensible and careful about their business in a way I didn’t appreciate before.

A lot of their decisions some nonsensical from the outside but it’s clear that there’s always a back-up plan waiting in the wings. They got the Switch out in double quick time, after the failure of the Wii U, and that didn’t happen by accident.

Compare that to Xbox, who have been dithering for 10 years before they just gave up and bought everything – or Sony who has been completely unprepared for the problems of this generation – and they seem amateurish by comparison.
Statotally

Some fanfare
I’ve just finished the campaign for Turbo Overkill on Steam Deck. It was released for PC in 2023, to not much fanfare, but it’s a very good cyberpunk firs person shooter (of the ‘boomer shooter’ variety) that borrows from other games like Doom, Titanfall 2, and Vanquish to make something that stands on its own.

The game introduces new ideas and enemy types at a good pace (for the most part) and is ideal for shorter bursts of gaming as the levels can be cleared in 5-10 mins. The platforming is a little rage-inducing at times, particularly the grappling hook which I never mastered, but whether you’re zipping from enemy to enemy or sliding around on your chainsaw leg the game gives you plenty of options and is rarely dull.

The only negatives for me were that I was rubbish at the platforming (and when you’re rubbish at it, the last thing you need are the couple of timed sections which rely on it which appear right at the end of the game…). I also felt that it slightly outstayed it’s welcome at ~16 hours: a bit of restraint would’ve made it a better game, as the last couple of levels felt like they were just chucking more enemies and longer boss battles at you (but maybe if I’d taken a break and not been so keen to finish I’d have felt differently).

It’s not out for consoles yet but I’d recommend checking it out if/when it’s ported over, solid 8.45/10.
Magnumstache

GC: That’s a very specific score.

To be this good takes ages
That Sega Neptune is cool and all but it reminds me that we still haven’t got a Saturn mini-console and probably never will. I keep hoping it will happen one day, because the Saturn was actually quite big in Japan and Sega doesn’t seem to mind releasing things that only appeal to their home audience.

It’s never happened though, despite the odd rumour. I wonder if it’s because they’ve reportedly lost some of the game code from that time, but surely they could just dump a bunch of ROMs and use them, as long as the emulation works? Here’s hoping.
Benson

Cheese camp
I think the fact that the one thing Capcom has said about Resident Evil 9 is the director is definitely meant to be a message. The only way I can interpret is that it’s going to be more like the game he last worked on, i.e. Resident Evil 7.

I’m all for cheese and camp in my Resident Evil but I think if you do multiple games like that in a row then you risk turning it into a total joke and it becomes impossible to go back and make it scary again. Resident Evil 5 and 6 basically got to that point (although they were also really bad, which had the same basic effect).

I don’t think it necessarily needs to be a case of one scary game, then one goofy one but I wouldn’t overplay it in either direction. My hope is a proper horror game this time, which I’d be happy to see experiment with open world, and then at some point go back to something of a more horror comedy.

Resident Evil has never been that on purpose, although Village comes the closest. I’d love to see them hire a straight comedy writer and really go for something in the style of Shaun Of The Dead or Zombieland. Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright seem to be Resident Evil fans so why not even ask them to help?
Dougie Sr.

Inbox also-rans
Depressing to see that even indie developers are laying people off now, with job cuts at the studio that made Tales Of Kenzera: Zau. I don’t know if there’s ever going to be a new normal we can be happy with.
Hedin

I don’t know if GC saw, but there’s a new Transformers game just announced. It’s primarily a racing game, and it looks pretty low budget, but I’ve seen worse and I do like the designs, that are nothing like the Michael Bay films.
Oskar

GC: Hmm… On a more positive note, there’s been whispers that the Activision Transformers games might become available again, as they’ve been mysteriously relisted on Xbox and Steam – but are not currently available for purchase.

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