The United States returns to the pitch for its final World Cup group-stage game with some decisions to make.

The Americans have already won Group D to lock up a spot in the knockout stage and will face winless Turkey in Inglewood, California, on Thursday.

Christian Pulisic returned to training after missing a 2-0 win over Australia, but coach Mauricio Pochettino has to decide how much to use his star player in a game that’s meaningless in the standings and the knockout stage right around the corner.

There are similar decisions to make with Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson. They’re all on yellow cards and would miss the first knockout round game if they picked up a second against Turkey.

The U.S. has won consecutive World Cup matches for the first time since 1930. Its six goals in the first two matches are one short of the team record for a World Cup.

Turkey has yet to score a goal in its first World Cup in 24 years and is already eliminated.

Thursday will be the second day with six matches, including Germany looking to win its third straight game, Ivory Coast aiming to make the knockout stage for the first time and Ecuador needing a win to escape the group stage.

What to watch on June 25

— Curacao vs. Ivory Coast , 4 p.m. EDT in Philadelphia (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)

— Ecuador vs. Germany, 4 p.m. EDT in East Rutherford, New Jersey (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)

— Japan vs. Sweden, 7 p.m. EDT in Arlington, Texas (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)

— Tunisia vs. The Netherlands, 7 p.m. EDT in Kansas City, Missouri (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)

— Paraguay vs. Australia, 10 p.m. EDT in Santa Clara, California (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)

— Turkey vs. United States, 10 p.m. EDT in Inglewood, California (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)

Ecuador faces must-win against Germany

Ecuador arrived at the World Cup on a 19-game winning streak.

It could face an early exit if it can’t find a way to beat Germany in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Ecuador opened the World Cup with a 1-0 loss to Ivory Coast on Amad Diallo’s goal in the 90th minute and played to a scoreless draw against Curacao, the smallest nation in the World Cup.

That leaves Ecuador trailing both Germany and Ivory Coast in Group E with one point and needing to beat the Germans, who have already clinched the group but will be without defender Nico Schlotterbeck for the rest of the World Cup because of an ankle injury.

Ivory Coast on the cusp of knockout stage

Ivory Coast has a chance to make history in its fourth World Cup.

With a win already under their belt, the Elephants can clinch a spot in the knockout round for the first time with a win over Curacao in Philadelphia.

Ivory Coast pulled off a 1-0 win over Ecuador and had a halftime lead over Germany before losing 2-1. Ivory Coast’s previous best chance to reach the knockout stage came in Brazil in 2014 when it opened with a win over Japan before losing the next two games.

Curacao still has an outside shot of reaching the knockout round, needing a win and some goal-differential help from Ecuador. Curacao has a goal differential of minus-6, thanks to an opening 7-1 loss to Germany.

Group F winner still up in the air

The Netherlands and Japan will be playing for the top spot in Group F on Thursday night — the Dutch play Tunisia, the Japanese face Sweden — but both teams have said they want no updates on each other as their games are progressing.

“You have to focus on making sure you win the match,” said Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman, whose team has a record World Cup unbeaten streak of 14 matches, excluding penalty shootouts. “We would love to be first in the group and of course the result will have an impact on that, but that’s not the most important thing. Playing this game is the most important thing.”

The Netherlands and Japan both have four points and a plus-four goal differential. Sweden is at three points with its 5-1 loss to Dutch.

To finish first in the group, Sweden has to win and have the Netherlands do no better than a draw.

“It’s literally my first rodeo in terms of a World Cup so it’s going to be new to me,” Sweden coach Graham Potter said. “But yeah, it’s best for us to try to get the positive results and focus on that.”

Paraguay, Australia play for second in Group D

There’s plenty at stake in the final Group D match between Australia and Paraguay.

The Australians will clinch second place in the group and a spot in the knockout round with either a win or draw. Paraguay clinches second place with a win and is almost assured advancement as a third-place team with a draw. The situation will be more tenuous with a loss for either team, with goal differential likely deciding the fate.

The game is a bit of a full-circle moment for Socceroos coach Tony Popovic, who played his final international game as a player against Paraguay in a friendly 20 years ago when he scored his eighth international goal.

“I didn’t score many so I have to remind you of that,” Popovic said. “It was a special way to end my international career. To think that all these years later I’ll be the head coach and we’re up against Paraguay is special. That was a great day and hopefully tomorrow will a special day for Australia against Paraguay once more.”

Australia will be without defender Jacob Italiano and forward Mat Leckie, who are dealing with injuries.

Paraguay will be without midfielder Miguel Almiron, who is suspended after getting a red card for covering his mouth during a confrontation against Turkey. Mauricio will start in his place, coach Gustavo Alfaro said.

More World Cup news

— Switzerland wraps up first place in Group B at the World Cup with a 2-1 victory over Canada

— Bosnia-Herzegovina boosts chances of advancing at World Cup with 3-1 win over Qatar

— Vinícius Júnior scores 2 goals as Brazil beats Scotland 3-0 to win its World Cup group

— Soufiane Rahimi and Gessime Yassine help Morocco rally to beat Haiti 4-2 at the World Cup

— Qatar’s Assim Madibo banned for 5 games after breaking the leg of Canada’s Ismaël Koné at World Cup

— ‘Our idol is back’: Neymar debuts in this World Cup as a sub for Brazil against Scotland

— Turkey coach Montella says he won’t resign after winless World Cup start, admonishes heckling fans

— Ivory Coast eyes knockout stage of World Cup with striker Elye Wahi expected back amid investigation

— Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha seeks new club after World Cup stardom, doesn’t rule out Brazil move

— Day 14 of the World Cup, in photos

Stats of the day

Switzerland has qualified for the knockout phase for the seventh consecutive time in major tournament football (World Cups and UEFA Euros).

___

AP sports writers Dave Skretta, Josh Dubow and Stephen Hawkins contributed to this report.

___

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Eight people remain in a critical condition following a train crash near Bedford

An investigation has found evidence of a fault in a train crash that killed the driver and injured more than 100 people. An East Midlands Railway (EMR) train crashed into another EMR train, which was stationary, shortly after 5pm on Friday, June 19.

Train driver Shaun Burton, 60, was killed and more than 100 people were hospitalised, with eight people remaining in a critical condition. At time of writing, 53 people remain in hospital. Significant damage was caused to both trains, which also partially derailed.

An initial Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report found that one of the trains was stationary when the crash occurred. The train, the 3.50pm service from Nottingham to London St Pancras, had come to a stop unexpectedly because a fault had developed with the Automatic Warning System (AWS) equipment fitted to it, which caused the brakes to apply.

Forward-facing CCTV (FFCCTV) images shows train 1H46, which was driven by the driver who was killed, passing a yellow (caution) signal – which signifies that the driver can pass the signal but should be prepared to stop at a red signal ahead.

Having entered the Up Fast line, train 1H46 then approached the signal. FFCCTV shows that this signal was displaying a red aspect as the train approached and then passed it, moments before the crash.

The 4.40pm train from Corby then crashed into the back of the Nottingham train at 5.15pm. The train was travelling at approximately 76mph around nine seconds before the collision. Data indicates that the train crashed at a speed of around 49mph.

The RAID said data from the front of the Corby train was still being analysed. This means that it is not yet possible to say what indication the driver received from the AWS equipment on the train or how they responded to this.

RAIB is continuing to work alongside the British Transport Police, the Office of Rail and Road, and the railway companies involved to secure the necessary evidence to support its independent safety investigation.

The Change.org campaign follows the tragic death of 13-month-old Preston Davey in July 2023 at the hands of teacher and adoptive dad Jamie Varley, 37, who was given a whole life order for sexually abusing and murdering the tot.

Varley’s partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, was sentenced to 25 years at Preston Crown Court, convicted of sexual assault, child cruelty and allowing the death of a child.

The appeal, known as “Preston’s Law”, currently has more than 26,100 signatures and aims for new mandatory child protection measures known as the “Preston Trigger”.

The “Preston Trigger” would mean that if two independent safeguarding concerns are raised about an adopted child, an urgent safeguarding review must be automatically triggered.

“Preston’s Law” more broadly calls for mandatory, structured safeguarding follow-ups for all adopted children, monthly for the first six months and then regularly for a minimum of two years.

Dawn Gibson, 32, a residential childcare worker who started the petition after working with vulnerable adults for 14 years, says she had “broken down in tears” after reading the “gut-wrenching” details of the case.

Dawn Gibson started a petition to improve safeguarding for adopted children (Image: Dawn Gibson / SWNS)

Baby Preston was placed with foster parents at just five-days-old, but when he was nine months he was moved to live with Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley, from Grimsargh in Lancashire, who were approved for adoption in April 2023.

During his four months with them he was ill-treated, sexually abused and physically assaulted. His injuries included bruising to his mouth, throat, bowel and bladder along with a healing fracture to his left arm which was deemed to be non-accidental.

Dawn says: “These places [care systems] don’t have enough resources. They don’t have enough staff, they don’t have good enough pay.

“It can’t continue on the way it’s happening, because it will happen again, and that’s what’s frustrating about it.”

Preston Davey (Image: Lancashire Constabulary / SWNS)

The mum-of-two from Stirling, Scotland, adds: “We’ve been in these situations before. It’s so frustrating that we’re hearing about this again and quite frankly, it’s absolutely heart-breaking.

“I have literally broken down in tears thinking about him, I wake up thinking about him.

“I’m sick of it. I want to do something to make a change.”

Preston had been in the sole care of Varley the day he died, until McGowan-Fazakerley returned from work and the couple took the 13-month old to hospital.

Varley told police baby Preston had accidentally drowned and died in a bath, but a post-mortem examination revealed he had 40 injuries and his airways had been obstructed.

Dawn says she started the petition not only because of the impact Preston’s case had on her personally and her work as a carer, but also because she “experienced significant instability” within her own family as a child.

Dawn hopes the petition will have a “massive impact” and that “it would eventually open doorways for better safeguarding for all children”.

The carer says her petition, which was created on June 16, had received 10,000 signatures within two days of it being live.

She adds it is “definitely bittersweet” that the petition has received so much traction.

Read more:

Grandmother of baby murdered by adopted parents ‘wanted to keep him’

Adoptive parent found guilty of murdering 13-month-old baby Preston Davey

Dawn said: “As much as it’s amazing that the petition’s getting all these signatures and things – the petition shouldn’t even have to be a thing.

“I’m so thankful that people are signing it and we’re all coming together, but reading all the comments and seeing everybody talking about how it’s affected them, it’s so sad.

“I think we live in a time where a lot of us don’t talk to each other, we don’t talk about things, we’re quite keen to turn a blind eye, especially with the horrors that go on.

“We turn a blind eye because it’s to protect our own mental health and our own sanity but I think there’s got to come a point where we all just go, no, enough is definitely enough.”

Visit change.org and search ‘Preston’s Law’

A beach that starred in Bill Forsyth’s 1983 film Local Hero and has amazing views over the Cuillin peaks on the Isle of Skye has been named the best in Scotland in a new rundown

Scotland’s finest beach has been revealed.

It’s hot. Really hot.

On Tuesday, Scotland recorded its hottest day of the year with predictions that the country will experience a heatwave later this week. A high of 29C was recorded at Dyce in Aberdeen, beating the year’s previous high of 28.1C at Floors Castle in the Borders on 25 May. Temperatures are expected to peak today.

Given the weather, now seems the perfect time to head to the beach. And there are plenty of beautiful ones to choose from in Scotland. Sandwood Bay in Sutherland is an unspoiled, pink-hued sand beach framed by dramatic cliffs and a massive sea stack, while Portobello in Edinburgh is a popular year-round swimming spot that is easy to reach from Edinburgh city centre.

As excellent as both of these are, they’re not the best in Scotland.

That honour goes to Camusdarach.

“I might be biased because I’m born and raised in Scotland, but you really can’t do much better than Camusdarach. This rugged coastline boasts one of the cleanest beaches on the western coast, with a crescent of pillow-soft white sand hugged by clear-blue waters and framed by dramatic, jagged rocks. Sure, there’s not a lot in the way of facilities, but the nearby town of Morar (an eight-minute drive) offers home comforts in the way of cafés, restaurants and hotels. Drive a little further north to Mallaig where The Jacobite steam train (as seen in the Harry Potter movies) calls by. Have a meal in the old dining cars or even stay over in the restored carriages,” writes Chiara Wilkinson of Time Out, which ranked the beach third best in the UK, and the best in Scotland.

Rather than being one singular expanse of shoreline, Camusdarach is divided into a series of smaller crescent bays, rocky coves, and hidden inlets. During low tide, these individual sandy pockets join together to reveal a sweeping expanse of silvery-white sand.

The beach is situated south of the estuary of the River Morar and has amazing views over the Cuillin peaks on the Isle of Skye, the summits of Rum, and the sea cliffs of Eigg.

The journey from the car park to the water’s edge is a pleasant ten-minute walk that winds through high sand dunes covered in marram grass. It’s only once at the top that you get a full sweeping panoramic view of the turquoise sea and the Hebridean islands beyond.

Camusdarach isn’t well known just because of its good looks. The curve of white shell sand was used in Bill Forsyth’s 1983 film Local Hero. Stand on the sand and the dunes, the curve of the bay, and the islands are the same shot.

Beyond the dunes, stabilised by marram and lyme grass, there are lovely stretches of machair grassland — one of the rarest habitats in Europe. It’s also on Scottish Natural Heritage’s list of Scotland’s most beautiful beaches.

Top ten UK beaches

1. Traeth Llanddwyn, Anglesey: A vast sweep of golden sand backed by dunes, pine forest and mountain views, Traeth Llanddwyn feels blissfully remote, while its tidal island, lighthouse and romantic Welsh history add extra charm.
2. Cuckmere Haven, Sussex: Framed by the dramatic Seven Sisters cliffs, Cuckmere Haven offers some of England’s most cinematic coastal scenery, with unspoilt surroundings, winding river views and remarkably peaceful walking trails.
3. Blackpool Sands, Devon: Sheltered by evergreens and pine trees, this immaculate pebble beach combines crystal-clear waters, excellent facilities and a relaxed atmosphere, making it one of Devon’s most appealing seaside escapes.
4. Camusdarach Beach, Scotland: With dazzling white sand, turquoise water and rugged rocky outcrops, Camusdarach delivers a wild Highland beach experience that feels wonderfully secluded despite its breathtaking natural beauty.
5. Weymouth Beach, Dorset: Golden sands, a bustling promenade and traditional seaside attractions give Weymouth timeless appeal, blending family-friendly fun with historic harbour views and the nostalgic atmosphere of holidays past.
6. Watergate Bay, Cornwall: Famous for its powerful surf and energetic atmosphere, Watergate Bay attracts watersports enthusiasts year-round, while its expansive shoreline and dog-friendly policy ensure broad appeal beyond surfers.
7. Kynance Cove, Cornwall: Turquoise seas, white sand and striking rock formations make Kynance Cove one of Britain’s most spectacular beaches, with hidden caves and smugglers’ legends adding adventure and intrigue.
8. Alnmouth Beach, Northumberland: Stretching beside a colourful village, Alnmouth offers dog-friendly sands, outstanding coastal scenery and excellent birdwatching, complemented by welcoming cafés, pubs and restaurants just moments from the shore.
9. Mwnt, Ceredigion: A sheltered bay overlooked by a historic church, Mwnt combines peaceful coastal scenery with exceptional wildlife watching, including opportunities to spot dolphins in Cardigan Bay’s resident population.
10. Camber Sands, Sussex: Vast dunes and miles of golden sand have made Camber Sands an iconic British beach, offering atmospheric coastal walks, plenty of space and easy access to historic Rye.

Rockstar Games has opened pre-orders for GTA 6, and while the standard edition does not cost £100, there is the Ultimate Edition that’s more expensive.

It’s been two and a half years since the first GTA 6 trailer debuted and despite the second trailer appearing last May we still know virtually nothing about the game, other than it’s set in Vice City and the protagonists are called Lucia and Jason.

We didn’t learn anything new about the game this week either, even though pre-orders went live today at midnight. Prior to that, Rockstar Games announced a new Ultimate Edition, although while the US prices were confirmed shortly after there’s been no UK price tag until now.

Now that pre-orders have begun, we know for certain what the game costs: the standard edition of GTA 6 costs £69.99 and the Ultimate Edition costs £89.99. That’s slightly less than previously feared and certainly not the £100 price tag that had been heavily rumoured.

Where to pre-order GTA 6 from in the UK

When GTA 4 and 5 came out, shops were constantly running out of boxed copies of the game, because downloading games was barely a thing back then. Everything’s very different now though and while online stores are not going to run out of stock there is the question of whether Rockstar manages to break the internet, with everyone trying to pre-order at the same time.

Assuming that doesn’t happen, the most obvious place to pre-order either edition is on the PlayStation Store or Microsoft Store. As a reminder, there is no PC version – at least not this year – and the game is only available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S – so not PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.

Many other retailers will also be offering pre-orders but the game is so widely anticipated there’s unlikely to be any significant discounts.

There is a physical edition, that you can pre-order from places like Amazon, Argos, and Currys but be aware that it’s just a code in a box and the game won’t be released on disc.

Is there a GTA 6 pre-order bonus?

Yes! If you pre-order the game via any retailer you’ll get both a month subscription to GTA+ and the exclusive Vintage Vice City Pack. Its contents are as follows:

’55 Vapid Stanier – a vintage sedan

Shore Court garage – a personal garage close to Ocean Beach

Exclusive outfits and hairstyles – a red sequin mini dress and curls for Lucia and a linen suit in vintage pastel for Jason

Exclusive weapon pattern – a homage to previous GTA protagonist Tommy Vercetti, with a palm tree design

What extras does the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition have?

As you can see, the Ultimate Edition isn’t that much more expensive than the standard version, and that’s because it’s all fairly minor DLC and cosmetics. It’s not yet clear how the exclusive shops and businesses are going to work but presumably they’ll only be something you can interact with if you own the Ultimate Edition.

If you buy the standard edition and then later decide you want the Ultimate Edition after all you can upgrade to it later, although there’s no price yet for how much that will cost. That means it’ll probably only be available after launch, when presumably it’ll cost £25.

’67 Vapid Dominator buggy and Paradise Garage – intended for use in the ‘backwoods of Mount Kalaga’ this ties in with the Mud Club which you can see in the first trailer.

’95 Grotti Cheetah – this is blatantly an off-brand 90s era Ferrari, complete with retro-future livery.

Vapid Ganado mods – if you own the Ultimate Edition you’ll be able to customise this pickup at Jason’s safehouse, as well as access a Dinka Enduro motorcycle and Crest kayak.

Vehicle mod shops – if you want to customise other vehicles the Ultimate Edition gives access to two exclusive businesses that will allow you to mod most other cars. One is called Rideout Customs, in Vice City, and the other is One-Eyed Willie’s in Lake Leonida.

Classic car collection – this seems to be an exclusive quest line that involves finding and refurbishing a range of classic cars, with four exclusive rides for the Ultimate Edition.

Shitzu Squalo – a pink and blue speedboat that comes with its own weapons crate and is great for fishing.

Hawk & Little Morgan revolver – another nod to Tommy Vercetti, it can be bought from Ammu-Nation once you’ve progressed far enough into the story.

Personalised weapon variants – unique versions of existing weapons with their own engravings, with Jason having a Girardi ES9 pistol and Lucia a Klose K17 pistol.

PTT Youngin$ compound and scores – the description for this one is a bit vague but it seems to be a drug gang whose property you can raid in order to steal ‘special items and distinct contraband.’

Vice City styles – exclusive clothing and tattoos for both Jason and Lucia.

Goodtime Gear – a range of gachapon merch based on in-game TV character Macca the Gator.

Stock 305 clothing store – purveyor of ‘elevated streetwear’, this store offers exclusives cosmetics for Jason and Lucia, inspired by the Stockyard area’s murals and graffiti.

Sara’s Unisex Salon – presumably there’ll be other hairdressers in the game, but this one offers facial hair choices for Jason and makeup and nails options for Lucia.

Electric Fang tattoo – there’s also presumably more than one tattoo parlour, but this one has over 50 exclusive designs for either character.

Will there be a physical collector’s edition for GTA 6?

At the moment, the Ultimate Edition is the only other version of the game there is, so that means no ultra expensive collector’s edition with statues or apparel or whatever. There was one for GTA 5, so that’s a bit surprising – especially as many fans would no doubt jump at the chance to buy one for GTA 6.

It’s possible that Rockstar will release one later, especially as these things often don’t come with the game itself, but so far there’ve been no rumours of that.

Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter.

To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here.

For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.

MORE: Top 200 best-selling Nintendo 64 games contain some surprising revelations

MORE: GTA 6 fans ‘devastated’ there’s no disc as Rockstar confirms no online at launch

MORE: Star Fox review – roll out the barrel on Nintendo Switch 2

The cyclist, a 38-year-old man, was seriously injured and taken to James Cook University Hospital affer the crash on Tuesday (June 23).

He remains in a serious condition.

The crash happened around 7.45pm at the junction of Kirkleatham Lane and Broadway East in Redcar.

The driver of the Seat Ibiza, a 40-year-old woman, was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, and using a vehicle without insurance.

Cleveland Police is appealing for witnesses and are asking anyone with dash cam footage or further information to contact them on 101, quoting reference 121920.

Families looking for a new day out destination can explore this wholesome park, bursting with wildlife and with expansive facilities, where animals are at the heart of it all

With the school holidays coming up, families are looking for more ways to make their days easier, and this English attraction offers the perfect fun-filled day out.

After it picked up the gold medal in this year’s VisitEngland awards, at number one for Large Visitor Attraction of the Year, this wholesome attraction has started to gain more interest. While it continues to draw in the truest of animal lovers, many families may not have had it on their radar until now.

Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park in Suffolk is the ultimate day out that allows visitors to fully immerse themselves in a farm experience full of animals and a whole range of other outdoor activities.

At the helm of it all is TV presenter and animal-lover Jimmy Doherty, who has dedicated his life to learning about animals, farming and wildlife. After years of breeding, he came to be the president of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust in 2016 and continues to showcase rare and budding wildlife at the park, which is home to exotic animals, beautiful butterflies and even farm animals that we all know and love.

Advertisement

The park has over 100 species and breeds for visitors to engage with, from capybaras to crocodiles, pigs to polar bears; they truly cover all bases. One of the unmatched experiences on offer is to step into Lion Lake, the UK’s first lion viewing area with unrivalled views of the beloved park lions Kamal and Rani from over the water.

Visitors can even feed some of the animals and get up close and personal in animal talks and activities, teaching you all about the creature that lies before you.

Wildlife aside, the park hosts a range of fun-filled activities to keep all ages entertained made up of 20 attractions. Families can enjoy a sand play barn, offering a sensory experience for little ones, a huge indoor soft play area, pedal tractors, a full-size fire engine, an outdoor play area and so much more.

Visiting

Ahead of your visit to the idyllic family park, you can pre-book your tickets for your chosen date, which allows you to arrive at any time during the park’s opening hours, with last entry one hour before closing. Opening hours are 9:30am until 5pm, every day of the week.

One recent visitor shared on TripAdvisor: “I visited for the first time with my family, 2 toddlers, my husband and my dad, and we were all absolutely thrilled. We arrived at 10.30am and stayed until close so it made a fantastic day out.

“Upon arriving, it was very busy, but as soon as we entered the park, there was so much space, so it was never overcrowded anywhere.”

Another impressed visitor shared: “We had a fantastic day at Jimmy’s Farm, it was so lovely to see how well kept & the amount of space the animals have to explore and play in. It’s all so well maintained, with great paths for my mobility scooter, so I didn’t miss a thing, which pleased me immensely. Lot’s of play and picnic areas with plenty of toilets dotted around. “

Entry fees for adults currently stand at £25.00 according to their website, and children’s tickets cost £20. Any children under two, however, are granted free access to the exciting site.

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

The Thursday letters page reacts to the GTA 6 pre-order news and pricing, as readers discuss the difficulty of updating Star Fox.

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

Taking a stand
So here we go, one of the most influential games in terms of sales at least, has decided to jump both feet first into the digital-only future pool.

I understand people’s frustrations, but just commenting about it online and stamping your feet is never going to change Rockstar’s mind, especially if these same people still buy it anyway on launch day.

The only way to make an impression is to hit them in the pocket. Companies follow the money and if the sales aren’t quite up to where they wanted or expected, then they will have no choice but to release a physical copy.

If you don’t like the price or the quality of the product being offered to you then by all means don’t buy it. And before anyone thinks that is me getting on my high horse. Take a step back and think about it. That’s not me giving you that ultimatum, that’s Rockstar saying, ‘take it or leave it’.

Take an even further step back and realise it will have been over 13 years since the previous title by the time of this release, so what is another couple of months if it means you get a physical copy in your hands?

I’m not much of a fan anyway so I won’t be buying it, but I suspect a lot of people will.
freeway 77

Grand theft software
Are Rockstar having a laugh? £75 for a game box with no disc? No manual I’d imagine too. Is this the real theft happening now? Kinda of kidding but with this information in hand now I’ll be waiting on the PC version. Even if it’s two years away, I’ll wait. I have plenty to keep me going until then.

Anyone in GC Towers been privy to a preview? Can you say even if you have?
Bobwallett

GC: No we can’t, but Rockstar rarely do previews – they don’t need to.

Possible boycott
I’m not liking the fact that GTA 6 physical copies will only contain a code. I’m feeling like I might boycott the game in protest. Games should be available on disc or digital. That’s why I bought a PlayStation 5 with a disc drive.

I hope other companies don’t start this practise. And yes, I do know some games are already download-only currently. Thankfully, except for indies, they are in the minority.

Enjoy the heat! I assume GC Towers is air conditioned.
DB

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

Wait and see
I suppose it was predictable that GTA 6 was going to be digital only at launch. Oh well, guess I’ll just wait on the physical edition, should they ever release such a thing (I know, I’m old fashioned).

Plenty of other exciting games to buy and play beforehand anyways.
Ryan

90s hero
As a former Mega Drive owner I think we have to admit that Sonic has never been a contender outside of that one console. The second he moved onto the Saturn and beyond it all fell apart. They never found a way to make the game work in 3D and it says everything that Sonic Frontiers is the best effort when it took them 30 years to get there and it still sold less than 5 million copies.

There’re tons of indie games that sell more than that and it really puts into perspective how much of a second-stringer Sonic is in the modern world. He might sell movies and T-shirts, but he sure doesn’t sell games.

Is he cooler than Mario? Maybe in theory, but in truth he’s not really in the same league anymore.
Vida

New follow-up
Nice review of Star Fox, remember loving the original back in the 90s but given that it’s now the year 2026… won’t be partaking in pointless nostalgia. Time is too short to play slavish remakes, at least Resident Evil and Final Fantasy 7 have been fairly ambitious new games, offering a new modernised experience. To pick up your point on where Nintendo might go next. I have noticed something of a pattern with a few of the remakes we’ve had so far… also from third party studios no doubt under strict supervision.

Firstly, we had MercurySteam’s Metroid 2 remake on the 3DS, which after its success spun out into the all-new Metroid Dread on the Switch. Then we had the Game Boy Color’s Zelda: Link’s Awakening (apologies to the developers but I forget [Grezzo – GC]) which again was spun out into the all-new Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom. These sequels to the remakes did bring more ambitious ideas into the mix, while retaining their mostly retro gameplay design, after the studio’s proved themselves to the Big N.

We would have probably gotten the same thing with Advance Wars 1+2 if anyone had bought it and I’m sure there are others in Nintendo’s surprisingly vast array of OG Switch remakes and remasters that could also fit the pattern.

I expect this Star Fox will sell pretty well, and so a sequel to the remake along the lines of the aforementioned titles would be a possibility. Offering a few new features and new level designs but mostly the same retro into-the-screen shooter gameplay. I’m not sure you could do the same with Zelda: Ocarina Of Time, that will more likely spin out a slavish Majora’s Mask remake than a new sequel, to fill another schedule gap a few years down the line.
Marc

GC: Star Fox has never been a big seller, so the remake’s success is far from assured. But if it is a hit then, yes, we would not be surprised to see Nintendo greenlight a new game, in fact that’s already a current rumour.

Short and sweet
I really hope the Star Fox remake does well. The original was always one of my favourites and I’ll definitely be doing my part in picking it up, I just don’t know how well its old school gameplay is going to go down today. I remember back in the N64 days even, a lot of my friends thought it was too short and simple.

I’m not sure it wouldn’t have been better to just make a new game straight off the bat, because the remake looks pretty expensive as it is, but I guess we’ll see how things play out.
Onibee

Don’t miss Gaming news! Add us as a Preferred Source

As a loyal GameCentral reader, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for gaming stories. We have all the latest video games news, reviews, previews, and interviews, with a vibrant community of highly engaged readers.

Advertisement

Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.

Add us as a Preferred Source

Expensive ideas
Nice review of Star Fox. RE: what the series could do next to modernise and appeal to the mainstream; in a world where production budget wasn’t a limitation, I’d say the approach is already provided by the likes of Naughty Dog, Insomniac, and Sony Santa Monica.

As you say, the Star Fox games already seem to work best when funnelling you through set pieces, so just make those absolutely massive, with overwhelming spectacle, wild cinematic camera movements and semi-interactive near misses in the same way a lot of the highlight moments work in all those games Sony devs have delivered since Uncharted 2.

I do kind of take issue with the trend these sorts of games set, with player control seamlessly snatched away and given back, as dictated by the script. Like a roller-coaster claiming to be a real adventure. But if any game is going to suit that method in particular, it’s surely Star Fox.

The obvious issues are the budgets for God Of War, Uncharted, and Spider-Man, and a likely (and understandable) reluctance for any sensible business to dedicate that sort of resource to a game like Star Fox. But that’s the combination I think would work best.

It’s kind of like asking for a modern F-Zero to consist of an entire futuristic open city, with tracks integrated into it and scope for exploration and an interesting campaign. Nintendo isn’t going to fund it, but those feel like the sort of evolutionary paths I’d want to see these series take.
Panda

Inbox also-rans
Nice to see that GoldenEye 007 was the second-best selling N64 game. Younger gamers today will never understand how big that game was at the time, the multiplayer was out of this world.
Xane

It doesn’t seem to have been acknowledged much but it was the 30th anniversary of Quake on Monday. I’m guessing the lack of fanfare means those reboot rumours aren’t happening.
HEJ

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

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 our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Sonic the Hedgehog cooler than Super Mario?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is the Valve Steam Machine worth it?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 set to be a flop?

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.