In the latest edition of the GameCentral Games Inbox, published on December 16, 2025, readers have turned their attention to the enduring legacy of iconic video game characters, the tantalising rumours of long-awaited sequels, and the shifting landscape of the industry's biggest publishers.
The Queen of Gaming?
A central thread of discussion questions whether Lara Croft retains her crown as the most famous female character in video games. One correspondent, writing under the name 'Queen Lara', notes the current buzz around Metroid Prime 4 and the new Tomb Raider title, both featuring celebrated female leads. The reader argues that a key complaint about both Samus Aran and Lara Croft is a move towards being "boring and overly serious."
The letter suggests that the Tomb Raider franchise lost its way when it began to take its protagonist too seriously, despite the inherently silly nature of plots involving dinosaurs and magic amulets. Drawing a comparison to the charm of Indiana Jones and Nathan Drake, the reader hopes the new game learns that lesson, stating: "You can’t have dinosaurs and magic amulets in a game and expect to take everything deadly seriously."
Despite these criticisms, the writer firmly believes Lara Croft remains the most recognisable female game character, especially as the centrepiece of her own series, even if characters from Arcane (based on League of Legends) have gained modern prominence.
Industry Shake-ups and Impossible Sequels
The inbox also delves into the potential decline of traditional gaming giants. A reader dubbed 'Changing of the guard' reflects on how figures now openly discuss publishers like EA and Activision as "has-beens." The letter suggests the industry has been choked by "greed and stupidity," leading to a bizarre situation where these former backbones are struggling.
The writer expresses a pessimistic view that larger indie studios may simply fill the void and become just as problematic, but holds out hope for a brief "golden age" of more affordable, creative games before that happens.
Meanwhile, the perennial hope for Half-Life 3 gets another airing. 'Impossibility machine' reasons that, given the accuracy of recent leaks for The Game Awards, the persistent rumours about Valve's mythical sequel might be true. The reader speculates it could serve as a launch title for a new Steam Machine, aligning with a console market that feels "less solid than it used to be." The sentiment is summed up: "It truly will be strange to think the game would become something that actually exists after all this time."
Reader Reactions and Miscellaneous Musings
Other highlights from the letters page include:
Tomb Raider's Comeback: 'Comeback raid' expresses concern that the new Tomb Raider trailer wasn't as highly watched as expected during The Game Awards, but remains hopeful the series can recapture its former UK popularity.
Dinosaur Delight: 'T-Rex crisis' welcomes the less serious tone shown in the new Tomb Raider footage and champions more games featuring dinosaurs, calling the T-Rex a "classic and formidable foe."
Metroid Prime 4 Disappointment: 'Sub-optimal Prime' delivers a sobering assessment, claiming that now many have played it, Metroid Prime 4 is widely seen as not being a great game and is "a million miles away" from the original's quality, possibly due to a troubled development.
Collector's Edition Buzz: 'Dobkeratops lives' highlights a lavish £180+ collector's edition for R-Type Dimensions 3 from Strictly Limited Games, featuring an impressive alien figurine.
Cheat Code Discovery: 'Optional cheats' shares a tip for Terminator 2D: No Fate, revealing that rapidly pressing left and right on the D-pad in the options menu unlocks a cheats menu with infinite health and continues.
The inbox closes with a humorous note from 'Sootie607', who, at 53, realises they'll be lucky to see GTA 9—a title projected for around 2065.
GameCentral continues to invite readers to join the discussion by emailing gamecentral@metro.co.uk and is actively seeking Reader's Features of at least 500 words for the holiday period.
