Spider-Man 3: When Will It Swing onto PS5?
This Monday's letters page sees readers debating everything from Spider-Man 3's release timing and Zelda remake pricing to Steam vs Sony refund policies and the finer points of Saros. As always, the Inbox is a collection of reader letters, comments and opinions, and you can join the conversation by emailing gamecentral@metro.co.uk.
Reader Korey is wondering about the absence of news on a third PlayStation Spider-Man game. With the new film causing global excitement, he notes that only small rumours have surfaced. He points out that God Of War Laufey is due next spring and Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet seems lined up for Christmas 2027 or early 2028. If Spider-Man 3 were imminent, we would likely have heard by now, so Korey guesses it won't arrive before 2028 at the earliest. He suspects Sony is debating whether to make it a PlayStation 6 launch title, though the component crisis makes the console's release date uncertain. Korey believes Sony is kicking itself for not having the game out this year, as it would have sold even more following the movie's success.
Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Remake Pricing vs GTA 6 Rewards
Long games, another reader, is planning to play both GTA 6 and the Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake. They enjoy a wide variety of genres but avoid roguelikes, tower defence and deck builders. They intend to buy Ocarina Of Time physically, hoping the price aligns with the recent Star Fox remake. For GTA 6, they plan to use Microsoft reward points, currently at around 40,000 and expected to reach 65,000-70,000 by release, translating to roughly £60 in rewards. That's why they've been mostly digital for the past few years.
GC responded that Star Fox can be beaten in two hours, so it's not a sensible benchmark for Ocarina Of Time pricing.
More PC Classics Deserve Console Ports
Michael Veal, inspired by the success of the Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag remaster, suggests more intriguing games could benefit from ports and moderate visual upgrades. He'd welcome the chance to play older PC games on PS5, having never owned a powerful PC and found game installation a hassle. He vaguely recalls getting partway through Half-Life and Half-Life 2, and would enjoy modernised ports. Black & White also intruigued him, though he never had the chance to play it. He acknowledges licensing and profit potential are hurdles, and jokes that he'd need a Steam Machine and a lottery win to fund his dream setup.
GC points out that Valve has never been interested in consoles, and even less so now that they make their own hardware.
Steam vs Sony: Refund Policy Differences Explained
David weighs into the refund debate, clarifying that Steam refunds go directly back to your bank account, while Sony refunds go to your PSN wallet. If you pre-order a game on PlayStation Store and then read a GC review giving it, say, 3/10, cancelling is a pain and you never get your cash returned. Sony instead issues a credit note. Steam allows up to two hours of gameplay before a refund, but Sony considers a game yours as soon as the download starts, even if you never actually launch it. David notes that this applies to all PSN content, and you're essentially buying a licence to play, with no refund or trade-in options.
Protesting Digital-Only: Focus on Terms and Conditions
Matt expresses sympathy with Henry's perspective on Friday's letters, feeling that the wrong thing is being protested. If the real issue is PSN digital terms compared to Steam, that's where the pushback should go. While discs have benefits and drawbacks, the PC has been digital-only for 15-20 years, making the move to digital-only inevitable. Matt believes the focus should be on improving the digital environment and advocating for better terms, rather than protesting digital-only itself.
GC countered that 'we' have no control over that; only Sony does, which is the underlying problem.
Saros: An Expertly Crafted Follow-Up to Returnal
GG shares a detailed comparison between Saros and its predecessor Returnal. Getting to the second appointment with Saros's final boss was surprisingly straightforward compared to Returnal's gruelling endgame, which required three full playthroughs to unlock the true ending. GG found that exhausting and still doesn't fully grasp Returnal's vague, Lynch-like resolution to Selene's existential nightmare. Saros, however, excels from a gameplay perspective, offering an engaging and exhilarating roguelite loop.
The protagonist Arjun is slick and speedy to control, with shooting and movement that feel airtight. The Ikaruga-style interplay between shield and bullets, and powering up auxiliary armaments, adds mechanical depth. Parrying quickly becomes a key tool, making combat feel more layered and rewarding than Returnal. The neon bullet visuals are mesmeric, and the boss design, especially the Architect and Shepard vanguards, is sublime. The difficulty modifier system is flexible without diluting the hardcore nature. However, GG feels Returnal's fragmented, Lovecraftian premise is more compelling and unique, and Returnal had slightly better weapon balancing, soundtrack, and biome art. Saros's side characters felt flat and superfluous. The smart rifle, crossbow and chakram guns are awesome, showcasing exceptional weapon design, even the starting pistol. GG reiterates that Housemarque deserve to be a household name.
Why No Assassin's Creed in Ancient Rome?
Simon questions why Ubisoft hasn't made a new Assassin's Creed set in the Roman Empire, given the wealth of stories and locations. He suggests an interesting time period would be preferable to the odd-sounding Hexe. GC replies that several games have danced around the edges of the setting, but a game solely based in Ancient Rome is probably being saved for a 'break glass in case of emergency' moment. A Japanese game also took a long time to appear despite years of fan requests.
Tomb Raider: Then and Now
Alucard recalls playing Tomb Raider II first, with its Venice setting and the butler following you through Croft Manor. However, they struggled with the tank controls, which were suited to early Resident Evil games but not to Tomb Raider's complex environments. Having been spoiled by Super Mario 64's fluid movement, Alucard found Lara's acrobatic jumps infuriating and gave up. They missed out on iconic games but are pleased the modern Tomb Raider games and remasters have fixed the controls. With the Legacy Of Atlantis remaster coming next year, they're excited to experience the first game and explore ancient temples and catacombs, possibly surpassing Assassin's Creed and Uncharted quality. They're also enjoying the current Netflix animation.
GC notes that the remasters of the original games include optional modern controls.
Inbox Also-Rans
Skill_Influx points out that buying a £70 PSN gift card from ShopTo makes the physical version about £1-3 cheaper depending on membership level, and convenience wins. David jokes about 'Ganon Theft Auto' and 'Glock-arina', to which GC replies that the first one is pretty good and may be stolen.
The Small Print
New 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 the Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot. Leave comments below and follow on Twitter for more gaming content.
