But part of the problem is that they’re not above the age rating, often things like Fifa are rated as suitable for children. And ultimately, the ratings are guidance, they’re not rules or law. There should definitely be a push for parents to actually look into it properly though, I do think that’s a big part of the issue, and leads to legislation such as age verification, which just makes things more difficult for everyone.

But how many children are playing those games and buying lootboxes without their parents’ knowledge?

I am absolutely in favour of less lootboxes in games though. They are an unfortunate natural progression of microtransactions, and the fact that they make so much money means they’re unlikely to go anywhere without any systemic measures being put in place.

I guess what I meant, but didn’t go as far as saying, is that lootboxes should be categorised as gambling, as they currently show up in games like Fifa, rated for children, which parents likely wouldn’t think twice about until they see their next credit card statement.

Ultimately parents need to do more to safeguard their kids, but the sneaky and insidious way lootboxes are used makes it significantly harder, and I would argue goes beyond what the average parent would reasonably be able to look out for.

Make it so that gambling leads to a higher age rating for the game, and then let parents manage that the same way they would violence or language in a game. I think (hope) this would lead to a huge drop in lootboxes, rather than changes to ratings, but either way works for me.

Oh dear oh dear, it’s really brok

But you can still get hold of a VHS player if you were so inclined…

Would that be your classic ‘meant to lose’ fight, usually against the big bad, which is technically winnable but the vast majority of players will lose and progress the story as planned? The example that comes to mind is Ghost of Tsushima, but it crops up in plenty of games.

Is this only in custom ROMs, or is there a way to do it through normal settings?

To be a bit of a pendant

To be a bit of a pedant, it’s pedant.

Several games I’d have recommended have already been said, so I’ll chuck in a nod for Thomas Was Alone, incredibly moving despite the only ‘characters’ being a range of shapes.

“Keep that hair short”