Destructoid Checkpoint: S happens.

In a display of freakish chance, all subjects and subheadings of this week’s newsletter will begin with the letter S. This was not intentional, and should be seen as neither an overreliance on the letter S in my writing, nor an overt fondness for it. It is, quite simply, a case of “S happens.”

Scalpers strike again

The recently released Steam Controller disappeared from sale in the blink of an eye as eager beavers descended to snap it up. Some of the folks who got their hands on it were genuine fans, but if eBay listings are anything to go by, quite a few scalpers managed to pick one up, too.

Reviews of the controller have been great, with people seeming to really appreciate its considered design and attractive features at a competitive price point. This was also always gonna mean demand was high, as there is nothing closer to a “unified” brand for PCs' open platform than Steam. People just seem to like supporting the company, and it is largely seen as doing more good in the space than harm.

Scalpers are aware of all the reasons people want things and will always aim to slide into the line ahead of folks looking to buy the products they like to sell them on sites like eBay for a ridiculous markup. 

Sadly, it has worked yet again, and reselling sites saw plenty of massively overpriced Steam Controllers listed. Sadly, they also started to sell. Only the truly ridiculous markups seemed to stall, although I am convinced that those are fake listings by scalpers to make the lower prices seem remotely reasonable. 

I don’t want to go on a big rant about scalping, which is a scummy practice that we all know is morally questionable, but I do want to point out that it only works because we, as consumers and fans, let it. Scalping fails if you don’t buy the item being scalped and just exercise some patience. If it helps, you are most likely already overpaying for the things you buy when you get them from the manufacturer or legitimate resellers. Don’t let scalpers get away with it by buying from them.

Slay the Spire 2 review-bombing is not what people think

Slay the Spire 2 had a great launch, but is currently being review-bombed into oblivion, for the second time. Mega Crit’s megahit has found itself in the sights of the Chinese audience, who are taking to Steam to express their unhappiness with how development is progressing.

The devs have been handing out nerfs and changes to certain builds and cards, which drew the ire of some users. The thing is that this originally happened on a beta branch for the game, not the main build. Those changes recently landed for the main game, and once again, players are not happy. This seems to primarily be users in China, if you look at the language breakdown of the reviews.

Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese games are deeply unhappy, and these make up a huge portion of Slay the Spires audience. According to the developers, the initial success of the first game was small until it was picked up by Chinese streamers, which massively grew their fan base in that market. Chinese players have shown themselves to be very vocal about game balance, and there seems to be a bit of a disconnect happening when it comes to what they might expect from an early access game that is likely to see a lot of work on balance.

I am seeing some reports that negative reviews on the game are because of the involvement of Anita Sarkeesian, the media critic behind Feminist Frequency, which became one of the focal points for the original GamerGate movement back in the day. A simple examination of the reviews in different languages shows that negative reviews about that are a drop in the ocean compared to the balance issues. Seeing reports that seem to focus on that aspect of the review-bombing rather than digging deeper to understand it fully is a bit of a shame, frankly. 

Subnautica 2 goes to Xbox Game Pass

Fans of Microsoft’s recently price-reduced subscription service will be happy to know that Subnautica 2 will be added when it launches on May 14. The original game was hugely successful and beloved, and while the sequel has been trapped in a complex version of development hell that we discussed in a previous edition, it now seems to be moving forward nicely. 

Adding this title to the service likely wasn’t cheap, but with no real information about when the deal was struck, it’s hard to know who this is telling us more about. If it were recent, it truly lets us know that the New Xbox Era is all about adding value. If it were prior to all the developer and publisher drama, it lets us know that maybe Krafton was trying to set up a fixed financial reward, even if they suffered a lot of fallout from the attempts to oust the old leaders of Unknown Worlds. 

The story of Subnautica 2 is one of those that, if all the details come out, will likely make an incredible book or documentary, as it really does seem to be filled with all kinds of corporate shenanigans that will make for an epic tale.

The good news, for us at least, is that the game is on the way, and I am excited for it. 

So, what’s happening, Destructoid?

Scott Duwe tried to meet his favorite K-pop group in Roblox. It wasn’t a smooth experience, but it sounds like he had fun. - “The concept of a “meet and greet” in a video game is totally beyond me, so when I heard that my favorite K-pop group LE SSERAFIM was hosting one inside of a Roblox game, I just had to see it for myself. LE SSERAFIM is currently promoting their second full album, PUREFLOW Pt. 1, due to release on May 22, and a full-fledged map inside of the Roblox game Berry Avenue was crafted to help spread the word. This isn’t the first time Roblox has hosted something like this, but it was my first time experiencing anything like it.”

Tiago Manuel is wondering if the internet was always quite so vicious about games as it appears to be now. - “Video game discourse currently sucks. Sure, it wasn’t always stellar, but I was pretty sure I remembered a time when I both looked forward to talking about new games and reading the reactions to new titles on the Internet. Were those fake memories? Was the Internet always this insufferable?”

Rachel Samples spent some time with Duck Side of the Moon to see if it's cracked or quacked. - “Crash-land your spaceship in a strange asteroid belt full of overly cheerful rock people, and your first instinct will probably be to get out—fast. But spend a little time there, and the place starts to grow on you. That’s precisely the charm of Duck Side of the Moon, Starbrew Games’ debut cozy adventure. In it, you play as Doug, a lost duck just trying to find a home, hopping between asteroids, helping oddball locals, and killing time with a steady stream of mini-games along the way. It’s a short, easygoing throwback to old-school, family-friendly adventure games—light on challenge, but packed with enough charm and variety to make the trip worthwhile, even if a few rough edges keep it from fully taking flight.”

And that’s it for this week!