The 2.6-mile Craster to Dunstanburgh route in Northumberland which starts and finishes at Craster Quarry car park, takes around one hour to complete.

It was highlighted by Which? following a recent survey by its members.

The short walk was recommended for its “epic, almost heroic feel” as the “romantic” ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle are “constantly in view” along the shoreline.

Experts at Which? also suggested walkers stop by The Jolly Fisherman when arriving back in Craster for “reviving” crab sandwiches and crab soup.

Introducing its latest outdoor guide, the consumer brand said: “In our survey of the best walks in the country we’ve found that gentler routes around the coast are often the favourite of Which? members.”

It added: “Wherever you are in the country – and however fit or unfit you might be – there’s a walk for you.

“Members scored routes on everything from the scenery and wildlife, to signage and accessibility, and those that offered the best food and drink options nearby.”

All of the UK’s best walks for 2026 can be found in the full results table published on the Which? website, where all routes are categorised by how easy they are.

Why has Craster to Dunstanburgh walk been named best in North East for 2026?

Which? shared: “The romantic ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle are constantly in view on this short walk, looming ever closer and giving the stroll along the rocky shoreline an epic, almost heroic feel.

“No wonder then that Which? members voted it their favourite walk in the North East, with five stars for scenery.

“It all starts modestly in Craster, a village wreathed by the aroma of its 130-year-old smokehouse, L Robson & Sons, famous for its kippers.

Top Winter Walks in the UK

“Leaving the harbour and its boats’ rigging clinking behind, the path snakes through grassland towards the distant castle.”

It continued: “It also got four stars for wildlife spotting opportunities – look out for fulmars and razorbills as you see if you can hear the haunting call of the curlew. And further out to sea, you might even spot a grey seal. 

“Dunstanburgh Castle can only be reached by foot, so arrival at its massive gatehouse and its twin turrets feels virtuous.

“Walk back to Craster for reviving crab sandwiches and crab soup at The Jolly Fisherman.”

The Craster to Dunstanburgh walk was given a score of 86% and a difficulty rating of 2/5 by Which? members who took part in the survey.

Have you had a crab dish at The Jolly Fisherman? (Image: Tripadvisor)

Meanwhile, The Jolly Fisherman located at Haven Hill in Craster currently has 1,646 “excellent” reviews on Tripadvisor.

Last year, it was named one of the UK’s top pubs for a pint by the sea by EnjoyTravel.com.

A recent customer who stopped by for a Sunday roast commented on Tripadvisor: “Popped in for Sunday lunch while visiting the area. Warm, cosy and beautifully decorated we ate in the bar area as they allowed dogs. Staff were super friendly and the food was glorious.

“Best Sunday lunch we have had for a while. Highly recommend you pop in and try one.”

Someone else wrote: “A special lunch for my son’s visit to the NE. We received a warm welcome from the staff and were seated in the restaurant with a sea view.

Recommended reading:

“The service throughout was pleasant and prompt.

“I chose the kipper pate followed by the salmon – both – excellent; my son enjoyed the soup and the mixed seafood plate.”

Have you tried this best-named Craster to Dunstanburgh walk? Let us know in the comments below if you would recommend it.

Catherine O’Hara has won the Actor Award for Female Actor in a Comedy Series, weeks after her death at the age of 71.

O’Hara received the posthumous award for her work in The Studio, the Apple TV+ Hollywood satire led by Seth Rogen. She played Patty Leigh, a former studio head and mentor to Rogen’s character Matt Remick.

Rogen accepted the award on her behalf, delivering a heartfelt speech while many of those in the audience were brought to tears.

“I’ve been given the sad honor of accepting this award on O’Hara’s behalf,” said Rogen. “I know she would have been honored to receive this award from her fellow performers, who I know she respected so much. She was such big fans of all of yours.

“I, obviously, have been reflecting on the time I was fortunate enough to spend with her, working with her, and something that I’ve just been marveling at over the last few weeks was really her ability to be generous and kind, while never ever minimizing her own ability to contribute to the work that we were doing. She knew she could destroy, and she wanted to destroy every day on set.”

Rogen added that O’Hara would frequently propose revisions to her scripts for The Studio, saying: “I haven’t said this to the other actors, because I didn’t want them to get ideas, but pretty much every evening before she had a shooting day on our show, she would email me and [co-creator] Evan an email that always was pretty similar. It said: ‘Hello, I hope you’ll consider the following…’ and then there would be a completely rewritten version of the scene she was in.

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“And literally, 100% of the time, it made not just her character better, but it made the scene better and the entire show better as a whole. She really showed that you can be a genius and be kind, and one of those things does not have to come at the expense of the other in any way, shape or form.

“So I guess I’ll just leave you with this. If you have people in your lives that don’t know her work, if there are kids in your lives, or just people who are out of touch or stupid or something, just show them O’Hara dancing to Harry Belafonte in Beetlejuice. Show them O’Hara hurting her knee in Best in Show, doing that amazing thing where she hobbles around, and tell the people, as they are laughing, that that’s Catherine O’Hara and we were lucky that we got to live in a world where she so generously shared her talents with us. Thank you.”

It was reported last month that O’Hara’s immediate cause of death was a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in her heart. Rectal cancer was listed as the underlying cause.

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Although she played a wide variety of characters in a career that spanned five decades, she was perhaps best known for playing mothers. She played Macaulay Culkin’s character Kevin’s mother, Kate McCallister, in the first two Home Alone films — spawning the viral “Kevin!” meme — before going on to play matriarch Moira Rose in hit TV series Schitt’s Creek.

The result is a production that is consistently watchable and intermittently very funny, but which stops short of being fully satisfying.

There is always a particular expectation when a new show from Grimes and McKee arrives on the stage. Over the past two decades, the duo have cultivated a loyal audience through their brand of locally rooted comedy, blending sharp political observation with an accessible, often affectionate, sense of humour. I Was the Voice of Gerry Adams, now running at the Waterfront Studio arrives with pedigree and goodwill, but what it delivers is more uneven than their strongest work.

Set against the backdrop of the early 1990s and the broadcasting ban on the voices of Sinn Féin representatives, the play draws on a curious and very Northern Irish slice of history where actors were hired to dub the words of politicians deemed too controversial to be heard directly. It is fertile comic territory, and in the programme notes Conor Grimes makes clear the personal origins of the story, recalling his time “popping in and out of the BBC” as a young actor. That autobiographical impulse gives the piece an authenticity that often works in its favour.

Structurally, the show is built as a two-hander romp through memory, media and the peculiarities of local politics. Both Grimes and McKee perform a wide range of characters, sometimes inhabiting the same figures with different inflexions. At its best, this showcases their well-honed comic chemistry. Their timing remains instinctive, and there are passages of genuine laugh-out-loud humour, particularly when the script leans into the absurdities of the era.

However, the device of rapid character-switching is also where the production begins to falter. Without clear enough physical or tonal differentiation, some transitions blur together. Audience members who momentarily lose the thread may find themselves working harder than they should to track who is who. In a comedy that depends heavily on rhythm and clarity, that occasional confusion disrupts momentum.

The script itself is packed with recognisable Grimes and McKee hallmarks. There are nostalgic callbacks, knowing political winks and a fondness for heightened storytelling. Yet the narrative spine feels looser than in their most successful outings. Scenes sometimes drift rather than build, and while individual moments land, the overall arc lacks the cumulative punch one might expect given the subject matter.

Zoë Seaton’s direction keeps the staging clean and functional within the intimate Waterfront Studio space. The production values are solid without being showy. Isaac Gibson’s sound design and Ciarán Bagnall’s lighting support the action effectively, though neither element is asked to do particularly heavy lifting. Sarah Jane Johnston’s choreography is used sparingly but adds welcome texture where it appears.

What cannot be faulted is the audience response on the night. The crowd was warm and frequently vocal, and the show ultimately received a standing ovation. That said, the reaction was not entirely universal. From the press row, there was a more measured reception, reflecting the sense that while the piece entertains, it does not quite reach the bar set by the duo’s previous collaborations.

Part of the challenge may be expectation. Grimes and McKee have previously demonstrated an ability to balance broad comedy with sharp narrative drive. Here, the balance tips more heavily toward anecdotal humour without always delivering the same dramatic payoff. The result is a production that is consistently watchable and intermittently very funny, but which stops short of being fully satisfying.

There is still plenty for loyal fans to enjoy. The performances are committed, the local references land with knowing precision, and the central premise remains inherently appealing. But taken as a whole, I Was the Voice of Gerry Adams feels like a show that has not yet fully found its sharpest shape.

It entertains, certainly. Whether it lingers in the memory in the way of the duo’s best work is another question.

I Was The Voice of Gerry Adams runs at the Waterfront Studio until 14 March. Tickets are priced from £22.50 excl booking fee.

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Vows by Iran to punish the US and Israel for killing its supreme leader and starting a war have yet to translate into decisive military action despite the first American casualties.

Iranian forces have launched hundreds of drones and missiles in multiple waves across the Middle East, but without inflicting significant harm against American assets in the region, such as sinking a warship or destroying a base.

By contrast, American and Israeli strikes have already devastated regime targets in Iran. They have taken out the head of the regime, Ali Khamenei, as well as the army’s chief of staff, General Abdol Rahim Mousavi, and defence minister General Aziz Nasirzadeh.

Iran latest: Three US service members killed

Then again, it is only day two of the war and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has pledged “severe, decisive and regret-inducing punishment”.

Yet the more time that passes without this rhetoric becoming a reality, the greater the questions about whether Iran’s most feared military forces still have the capability to locate, target and strike the US and Israeli warships and jets attacking them.

General Sir Richard Barrons, a former senior UK military officer, said a number of factors would likely be limiting Iran’s options for manoeuvre, not least the loss of so many top leaders.

Any move to fire missiles would also expose the launch site to American and Israeli attacks from the air, meaning Iran’s missile launchers would have “quite a short” life expectancy.

In addition, previous attacks by both the US and Israel against Iran over the past couple of years have already degraded its missile stockpiles, launchers and air defences to blunt the regime’s ability to detect incoming enemy aircraft.

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Moment IDF hits Iranian headquarters

All of this could explain why so few US and Israeli military targets appear so far to have suffered much meaningful damage despite Iran firing hundreds of missiles and drones.

Though the full extent of any damage is unclear.

UK Defence Secretary, John Healey, warned that a wounded Iran still has the capacity to cause harm – just potentially in even more erratic ways with little regard for the impact on the millions of civilians who live across the Gulf.

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UK forces ‘taking down’ Iran drones – Healey

“This regime is lashing out. It’s lashing out in an increasingly indiscriminate and widespread way,” he said, speaking to Sky News’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Philips.

“And people will be really concerned that it’s not just military targets, but civilian airports like Kuwait, hotels in Dubai and Bahrain are being hit.”

Tourist hotspots in the crossfire

Countries so far impacted include Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq, where a number of American bases are located.

Many of the munitions appear to have been intercepted, but falling debris can be deadly.

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Damage in Dubai airport after Iranian strikes

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With so much metal flying around, civilian and tourist locations have been caught in the crossfire, including one of the world’s busiest airports in Dubai, where all flights have been halted, and the entrance of a luxury hotel.

This would have been terrifying for those affected but these strikes appear to have done nothing to degrade the ability of the US and Israel to keep hitting Iran.

Read more from Sky News:
How have Iranians reacted to death of supreme leader?
Trump has tipped Middle East into war that could last weeks

A high-value target for the regime must surely be two American aircraft carrier strike groups, led by the USS Gerald R Ford – thought to be located south of Cyprus – and the USS Abraham Lincoln.

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Military analyst on what’s happening now in Strait of Hormuz

An attempt to hit these warships might explain why the UK says two Iranian missiles were fired in the direction of the Mediterranean island. Britain has bases on Cyprus but they are not thought to have been the focus of the attack.

General Barrons said an outmatched Iran on the battlefield might seek alternative ways to strike back such as by closing the Strait of Hormuz – a vital transit point for global oil and gas exports.

Disruption to this shipping lane would impact economies around the world – and it is already starting with tankers being targeted, including off the coast of Oman.

President Trump is gambling that Iran lacks the capability to resist his overwhelming firepower. And that may well be the case.

But it only takes one Iranian missile penetrating American air defences to alter that calculation or at least dramatically increase the cost to Washington of its war.

Donald Trump has spoken out for the first time on the three US service members who were killed in the Middle East.

Donald Trump has broken his silence after three US servicemembers were killed in the fighting in the Middle East.

Three members of the US military have been killed and five others wounded in the ongoing attacks against Iran, the Pentagon said Sunday. These are the first American deaths in the joint US-Israeli operation, reports the Mirror.

“They’re great people,” the President told the Daily Mail. “And, you know, we expect that to happen, unfortunately. Could happen continuous – it could happen again.”

Trump acknowledged the three deaths are the first in his second term, adding: “We’ve done pretty well. But they’re great people, with outstanding records, outstanding.” The president is due to meet the families of the deceased servicemembers “at the appropriate time” following his return to Washington later today.

He also said he wasn’t surprised by any of the outcomes of the joint operation so far, adding that “I think it’s going as per planned”.

“You know, other than we took our their entire leadership – far, far more than we thought. Looks like 48,” Trump said.

On Saturday, American missiles rained down on Tehran to target its regime, killing supreme leader Ali Khamenei in the attacks. Reports said the 86-year-old’s body had been recovered from rubble.

While Tehran retaliated, striking Dubai, Kuwait and Bahrain in an apparent revenge, Trump celebrated the death of the leader, writing “justice” had been served.

However, the president warned the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue “uninterrupted” for “as long as necessary”. The joint US-Israeli mission, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, continued to wage on into its second day today.

Earlier today, Trump also told The Atlantic the country’s new leaders want to speak to him. “They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them,” Trump said. “They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long.”

He also revealed he had spoken with leaders of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and a “couple of others”, stating Saudi Arabia is “fighting too”.

“It’ll be very interesting to watch,” he added when asked if democracy could emerge in Iran. “But a lot of things could happen and a lot of very positive things could happen.”

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Global oil prices have risen sharply after Iran’s response to the bid for regime change by the US and Israel disrupted shipping, raising the prospect of a new energy-led surge in inflation.

Early trading in Asia, the first main financial market activity since Saturday morning’s airstrikes on Iran, saw the international benchmark Brent crude climb 13% to $82 a barrel – its highest level since July 2024.

It followed a jittery session for oil contracts on Friday when a 1% rise was explained by growing fears that US-Iran peace talks were off track, leaving Brent 8% higher through February.

Iran latest: Tehran seeks revenge for supreme leader’s killing

The implications of an extended spike in oil prices

For the UK, the rise in oil costs threatens not only notable hikes at the fuel pumps later this month but also a wider lift in costs across the economy at a time when inflation had been forecast to ease sharply, largely on the back of lower energy prices – natural gas.

Last week, the vast majority of financial market participants had expected the Bank of England to cut interest rates at its next rate-setting meeting in just over two weeks’ time. That level of confidence may now be in jeopardy given the wealth of uncertainties now pressing on the price outlook due to the war.

Market commentators, however, suggested Monday’s oil price spike was likely limited by the fact that some members of the OPEC+ group of oil-producing nations, controlled by Saudi Arabia, had responded to the conflict by pledging a rise in production from next month.

It is not only oil…

Iran’s response to Saturday’s strikes has seen Gulf states targeted and nearby shipping run for cover. At least three tankers had been damaged by missile and drone strikes, according to news agency reports in the region.

The regime has not yet followed through with ferocity on a pre-war threat to close the key Strait of Hormuz through which around a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies flow, but its attacks involving shipping have effectively created a pause.

The channel accounts for more than 20 million barrels of oil a day, according to the latest annual figures, and the likes of tankers are vulnerable because the strait is just 21 miles wide at its narrowest point – around eight miles, when islands are taken into account.

Maritime shipping in the Gulf – bordering the United Arab Emirates and Iranian coasts – has been shown to have made a dash for anchor in many cases while new sailings appear set to be subject to wartime insurance levels, according to industry experts.

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The significance of the Strait of Hormuz

The disruption threatens to raise shipping costs, at least in the short term, and some Europe-bound vessels have been diverted away from the firing line and around Africa, instead of transiting through the Suez Canal.

The longer route can add up to a fortnight to transit times.

No price data was available on Sunday night but the maritime insurance industry news provider Lloyd’s List said that approximately 170 containerships in the region had reported delays.

Read more:
Why the Strait of Hormuz is so important
What ship tracking information tells us about Gulf disruption
Dubai hotels hit during Iranian missile fire

Wider financial market movements

Futures information from the brokerage IG suggested the FTSE 100 was set to open down by more than 0.9% after Friday’s record close at 10,910. That prediction, made late on Sunday, would be expected to shift in advance of the market open in Europe.

Energy stocks should benefit from higher wholesale prices. Precious metal miners could get a boost too from a rush towards safe havens, with gold for example building on Friday’s rise – an increase that came in sympathy with oil.

Kathleen Brookes, research director at XTB, said of the stocks at risk: “Airlines and hotel groups could sell off sharply at the start of this week, as flights are grounded and air space remains closed in the Middle East.

“Holiday bookings over the lucrative Easter period may also start getting cancelled, after reports that Iran launched drones at UK military bases in Cyprus”, she wrote.

In Asia, the dollar strengthened in early dealing and took more than half a cent off the pound, to stand just above $1.34 – sterling’s lowest level since late January.

There was also support for the safe haven Japanese yen and the Swiss franc.

Another source of safety in troubled times, gold, rose by almost 2%, above the $5,360 per ounce level.

Linfield are now eight points behind leaders Larne after one of their worst displays of the season at Solitude

Linfield’s unlikely title charge looks to have run aground as clinical Cliftonville put them to the sword in north Belfast.

Blues boss David Healy claimed afterwards that their away form has been ‘nothing short of disgraceful’, while adding that there was a sense of embarrassment over their display.

“Our away form this year has been nothing short of disgraceful,” Healy fumed afterwards. “We’ve put ourselves in a predicament in terms of winning the league.

“But if we’re not going to win the league, we need to finish second. And if we’re not going to finish second, you’re going to have to work hard to finish third.

“The players will be disappointed of course. I think they will be a little bit embarrassed about the level of performance and the way we lost today.

“As I always say, it’s always on to the next game. The players need to stick together, look after each other and hopefully be better.”

Linfield are now eight points behind leaders Larne after one of their worst displays of the season at Solitude.

Brian Healy’s powerful front running was on display early on as he drove at Darragh Leahy before firing a low shot at goal that Linfield keeper Chris Johns got fully behind to save.

Linfield began to take control though, and Adebayo Fapetu put in a pair of brave blocks to repel fierce efforts from Matthew Fitzpatrick and Kyle McClean.

Kirk Millar was next to try his luck for the visitors, curling an effort over from distance after being teed up by the busy McClean.

Millar did better with his next effort after Reds keeper PJ Morrison went walkabout, bending a smart effort in on goal from a narrow angle that Shaun Leppard had to head clear, leaving the sides locked in stalemate at the break.

Joe Toole impressed with his industry for the Reds in the first half, and he made a lung-busting run up the right flank soon after the restart before sending a lovely cross to the far post, where Liam McStravick volleyed over.

McStravick was growing into the game well, and the livewire winger nearly came up with a spectacular goal when he weaved in from the left before letting fly from distance, forcing Johns into a brilliant tip over the bar at full stretch.

From the resultant corner, Cliftonville broke the deadlock in the 64th minute. Micheal Glynn clipped a dangerous in-swinger towards the back post and Leppard outmuscled Isaac Baird to get his head on the ball, diverting it down and past the exposed Johns.

Liinfield had a chance to quickly draw level from a corner of their own when Euan East’s ball in found Ethan McGee lurking with intent, but the full-back looped a poor header over the bar.

Blues boss David Healy threw forward Chris McKee on for McClean to bolster his attack, and the former Rangers man was quickly into the action, drawing a great stop from Morrison after he smashed a left-foot shot at goal.

Luke Conlan then came up with a super block to stop Kirk Millar scoring from close range after the ball broke kindly for the Linfield winger but the pressure was mounting.

Millar was left with his head in his hands in the 90th minute after showing great technique to connect with a left-foot volley from a McGee knockdown only for the ball to whistle just over.

It was left to Joe Gormley – on as a late sub for Healy – to apply the coup de grace, bundling the ball in after Ryan Curran flashed a shot across goal as Solitude erupted.

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The Monday letters page thinks there’s less crossover between console and PC gamers than publishers pretends, as one reader tries to imagine a Capcom console.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Evil weekend
Been playing Resident Evil Requiem over the weekend and I’m loving it so far. I was surprised how relatively serious it was at first and then the bit with Leon and the chainsaws is… I think that may be one of my top five Resi moments ever.

Grace’s longer section after that was amazing too and I’ve just finished that and very much looking forward to the rest of the game. I think it’s obvious the game has lived up to the hype and I’m only sorry it’s not going to last me that long, but there’s no way to make a game of this intensity last forever.

Resident Evil games have neve been long and they’re definitely not going to get any longer given how expensive games are to make now. Plus, the appeal would probably wear off if they were 60 hour epics. I mean, how many times can you go searching for weird-looking keys?!

But it gets top marks from me so far: great graphics, great atmosphere, and Leon’s gameplay (and one-liners) are great. Roll on Resident Evil 10!
Bouncer

Each to their own
So just finished Resi, 12 hours to complete. And while it was good I was left a little disappointed as I’d been looking forward to it for a while. I really enjoyed the Grace parts, especially with my headphones on. I did also really like 7 and Village and the 2, 3, and 4 remakes.

However, I did find this to be a step backwards, personally. I also found it to be a little bit grey in places, taking me back to Xbox 360 days. I’m glad I got it on disc, as I can now trade it in. I will say I’m still happy I played it and I did enjoy it, but it’s got me in the mood to play through The Last Of Us again now, which In my opinion is a better game.
P B

On a roll
Capcom are on great form recently. Resident Evil Requiem looks really good, but it’ll have to wait for me, I’m mid-game replaying the great Resident Evil 4 remake again, which brings me to… Dragon’s Dogma 2, another great game.

I played the first game all those years ago and while the base game was good, the Dark Arisen DLC made it better. It was brutal! I was hoping for similar DLC to be released for Dragon’s Dogma 2, but it appears Capcom have forgotten about it.

Damn shame really. It would be great to go back to Bitterback Isle on the PlayStation 5 but it appears the ferrywoman on the pier is busy elsewhere…
Chevy Malibu (PSN ID)

GC: They do run hot and cold on that franchise in a very peculiar manner.

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Pre-console pre-order
There is a Kickstarter to bring Bit.Trip ReRunner to the Switch 2 currently live on said crowdfunding website.

I first played the games on the Wii, where you play Commander Video jumping, dodging, and kicking to a funky soundtrack. It’s currently a third funded with 16 days left to go. If you back it at $25 dollars and above you get a Switch 2 code for the ReRunner game and your name in the credits of the Switch 2 version. There are optional add-ons for the previous games on Steam and PlayStation 5 at half price their usual store prices.

On PlayStation 5 there is only one game available but on Steam four different Bit.Trip games are available at 50% off to help fund bringing ReRunner to Switch 2. I’ve backed at the $25 level and also added an add-on for one of the other games. I haven’t got a Switch 2 yet, but when I do the code will be sitting there waiting for me.
Andrew J.

Second sequel
A couple of people wrote in about it and whether Kitana is in the original Mortal Kombat film. I picked up the Mortal Kombat Legacy Collection really cheap (massive nostalgia) and it got me in the mood for the films. Kitana is in the first film a lot and plays a major part in the plot and Talisa Soto is gorgeous too.

I’m also really looking forward to the Karl Urban Mortal Kombat 2 film in the summer, as everything he is in is usually great.
Simon

Very important people
Is there many electronic industries where we seem to take an obsessive interest in who the new boss is, etc.? Do we buy a mobile phone and wonder who is in charge of Motorola or Nokia? Do we buy a TV from LG or Hisense and wonder whom is on their board? Or do we buy a PC and really care about Asus, Nvidia changing their boss?

Personally, as someone who has owned an Xbox Series X for four years, I could not care less who the Xbox CEO is. Or whether she likes or plays games; why is that important to me? Saying that though, I think Peter Moore was great for Xbox, but was he a gamer? I doubt it.

And I totally agree with your comments in one article expressing reservation about the new CEO trying to appeal to gamers online. One suspects that some of it feels forced and she would be best not bothering and focusing on strengthening the Xbox brand.

Why does she need to bother but instead make decisions that will put the fun back into Xbox and make it a strong contender again. Perhaps price cuts for Xbox Series X/S before next gen Xbox arrives and free multiplayer for Series consoles.

Regarding exclusives, I’m content with what’s been on offer from Xbox, because I only have so much time and money to play them. For example, this year I will get Resident Evil Requiem and GTA 6, which leaves little room for anything else.

So, in summary I would rather most business heads were kept in the background and allow the product to do the talking. Maybe that was an issue with Phil Spencer as Xbox seemed at times to be more about him and not the consoles itself.
Stephen

Capcom Entertainment System
Great to see Resident Evil Requiem being launched multiplatform, scoring high and selling tremendously well. Even on their worst days Capcom makes decent games, a standard they’ve maintained since the ‘80s in the heyday of arcades.

When the Street Fighter franchise was at its most popular in the ‘90s/‘00s Sony (and Sega before) must have been thanking their lucky stars that Capcom never entertained the idea of entering the console market. If they had, they would have truly ruffled a few feathers and who knows how the market would look today.
Sam

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Separate formats
Seeing Ishi’s comment that Sony exclusives should remain exclusive I had some thoughts.

Personally, as a PC exclusive gamer, I think Sony (and Microsoft) porting games to PC is a good thing. But then I would say that I guess!

They do have very different strategies – Microsoft release games on PC at the same time as Xbox. Whereas Sony only release games on PC a few years after the original release, where, let’s face it, if you haven’t bought a PlayStation to get a specific game by that point, you are very unlikely to!

I personally am extremely unlikely to buy a console. I have already spent enough on my PC and its various peripherals that I’m not going to invest in another ecosystem. I also have a huge amount of games to choose from. I have literally hundreds of games I have never even downloaded thanks to Epic giveaways and Humble Bundles and the like.

There are games in the Sony ecosystem I would like to play, sure! But there isn’t a single one I would buy a whole new console for. I am currently playing Spider-Man on PC. I’m a huge Spidey fan and it looks fantastic in super-ultrawide 5120x1440p.

But if it hadn’t been released on PC I simply wouldn’t have ever played it. I also have The Last Of Us and Uncharted on my Steam wishlist that I will buy eventually, and if Wolverine ever comes to PC (and if GC reviews it well) I will probably buy that.

I honestly don’t think there is a huge crossover between PC gaming and console owning. Most PC gamers I know, if they do have a console, will usually have a Switch to play Mario Kart with their kids.

Obviously my view is entirely biased though! So perhaps take it with a pinch of salt.

Whatever you game on, enjoy!
The Dude Abides

Inbox also-rans
Just beaten got to Racoon City in Resident Evil Requiem and that whole bit was great. Fantastic game so far and I think the two character thing works really well. It’s like a best of hits for the whole series.
Toni

A Pokémon game with good graphics? What an incredible innovation that no one could possibly have anticipated. Let’s just hope that trailer is accurate to what it will actually look like.
Ant

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But if the regime survives, and it may well, then Washington’s triple demands of Tehran will come back into focus, namely: a curb on Iran’s suspect nuclear programme, including a return to inspections; an end to Iran’s ballistic missile programme; and an end to Iran’s support for proxy militias around the region, such as the Hezbullah, Hamas, and the Houthis.