GHOST OF TSUSHIMA NEW DETAILS REVEALED

289ISSUE PLAYTEST EXPLORED THE PS4’S NEXT INDIE CLASSIC MONSTER HUNTER WORLD CAN CAPCOM’S CULT HIT FINALLY CRACK THE WEST?

Issue 289 PLUS spider-man • concrete genie • dreams WelcomePS4 PSVR PS3 VITA PSN A closer look at all of games on the horizon INTO THE WILDS

DO YOU REMEMBER the moment that you fell in love with PlayStation? I remember mine. And, if you’re willing to indulge me for just a few seconds, I would love to share it with you. I probably wouldn’t be where I am today were it not for Final Fantasy VIII. Not because of the game’s world, the characters, or its story (as excellent as they may indeed be) but that damned cinematic intro. In just three minutes and 13 seconds it had cast its spell over me, and never once has it broken. This was 1999, and so you have to understand that VIII was, without question, the greatest-looking thing I had ever seen, that anybody had ever seen – it was a window to another world. The thunderous escalation of Liberi Fatali – a hauntingly beautiful Latin choral piece that plays behind Squall and Seifer’s epic sparring session – is burned into my very being. That it is able to so convincingly, so eloquently, capture a time and place so quickly still astounds me to this day. I remember resetting the PlayStation every time it finished; over and over I watched it, afraid to start the game properly in case the opportunity to watch it again disappeared forever. Eventually, the disk broke. I cried. Trust me on this, it was some pretty savage breaks. It would be months before I’d have the opportunity to play through it properly – and it was everything I had hoped it would be. In the years that followed I had always dreamed of a time where videogames would look, sound and play in a fashion that echoed that intro. And guess what, now I’m living it. We all are – it’s truly incredible how far this industry has come in such a short span of time. Final Fantasy VIII made me fall in love with PlayStation, and so many other series have only reinforced that. And, well, I have a feeling that the best is yet to come. Regardless of whether you’ve just picked up your first console and are looking to create your first PlayStation memory, or are a brand loyalist with your own to share, this is going INSIde MONSTeR to be one hell of a radical year for gaming. I can’t 04 huNTeR: WORLd wait to share and experience it with you.

JOSH WEST DEPUTY EDITOR GeT IN WWW @Origamikid TOuch! PSN: Origamikid Facebook Twitter Play blog YouTube currently playing facebook.com/playMagazineuK @playMag_uK play-mag.co.uk youtube.com/playMaguK Night In The Woods

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28 34 52 04MONSTER HUNTER: KENTUCKY GAME OF THE OUT OF THE WORLD ROUTE ZERO YEAR 2017 SHADOWS The inside story on Join us as we look A decade on, we revisit We venture into the wilds with Capcom to get the best indie game back at the greatest the debut of ’s an inside look at its ambitious action-RPG you've never played games of 2017 Assassin's Creed

FEATURES PREVIEWS REVIEWS PLUS 4 Monster Hunter: World 14 Ghost Of Tsushima 40 Star Wars Battlefront II 56 Yosuke Matsuda Interview 26 Top Ten For 2018 16 : Part II 42 Hidden Agenda 58 Extended Play 28 Kentucky Route Zero 18 Concrete Genie 44 Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 60 PS Plus Trophy Guide 34 2017’s Finest 20 Spider-Man 46 Need For Speed Payback 64 You Haven’t Played 52 Play Classics: 22 Erica 48 Hand Of Fate 2 66 Playlist Assassin's Creed 24 Shadow Of The Colossus 50 Sonic Forces

| 3 4 | Can this Cult series finally CraCk the west? it’s a question that many have asked over the years and we’re tired of hearing it. so, what are we going to do about it? we took it direCtly to CapCom, to the people responsible for 2018’s first must play aCtion-rpg to find out onCe and for all: is this a monster hunter for the world to enjoy?

| 5 Better on pro If you’ve got yourself a fancy PlayStation 4 Pro you’ll find that Capcom will let you decide where that extra processing power is going to go. While we would recommend using it to stabilise the frame-rate, you can instead push it into graphical fidelity or resolution.

Bring your Best There are 14 weapon types in Monster Hunter: World. This is important to note as each effectively changes your play style and role in co-op sessions. It would be wise to spend some time with each to really figure out what your speciality is going to be

6 | Monstrous scale One of the coolest things about the Monster Hunter games is the scale of them. The size of the creatures is pretty amazing this time out, making for some truly spectacular battles. While Capcom is yet to reveal all of its monsters the one’s we have seen have been impressive.

OR CAPCOM, THIS MIGHT Why do you think Monster Hunter is BE THE MOST IMPORTANT considered to be such a niche title in F MONSTER HUNTER RELEASE the West? EVER. While the series may have made Ryozo Tsujimoto: Japan is quite a its debut in 2004 – selling more than 40 densely populated island country, where million copies worldwide – there’s still this public transport usage is very common, perception that it can’t find success in the so it was the perfect environment for a West. Here it’s a title of niche interest, but in multiplayer portable game to take off Japan it’s a god-damned phenomenon. in popularity. There seem to have been Consistent critical acclaim has done little fewer opportunities like this in the West, to help Monster Hunter in this regard. Still, which is probably why we’ve often had a steep learning curve, obtuse mechanics requests from Western players to bring and systems, and glacial game pace are too Monster Hunter to home consoles! often cited by consumers as reason enough This has lined up perfectly with our to approach this cult hit with caution. concept for World, which is to use the latest Capcom is hoping to change that in just a technology to portray the world of Monster few short weeks. Hunter. We’ve essentially rebuilt the game With Monster Hunter: World launching from the ground up, so we were able to 26 January there’s a larger potential player work on the finest of details. We have base out there than ever before – it’s easy worked hard and utilised the know-how to forget, but there are over 70 million of we’ve built up over years of making this you PS4 owners out there – and Capcom series to ensure that, while we are making needs to get World right if it wants to impact a game that more players than ever before get soMe Friends Western markets. That all begins with a can enjoy, we don’t lose the essential core While Monster Hunter: World supports solo play it’s always perception shift; the studio is making a Monster Hunter DNA that makes the better to bring a friend. The game supports four-player number of integral changes for newcomers series what it is. co-op and it’s here where the game balance and array of to the series, whilst still trying to retain the For example, regarding controls, some weapons truly shines. Seriously, tell your friends to get heart that has made Monster Hunter so of the more unusual or unique controls involved with this one. beloved to veteran hunters. have perhaps been too difficult for new We’ve played enough of it over the players in the past, such as holding R1 to last few months to know that Capcom is run, while most action games these days certainly heading in the right direction. This use a stick click for this action. So we’ve sprawling new edition features gorgeous added that option to keep in line with open maps, seamless transitions between industry standards, but at the same time solo play and four-player co-op, refined we’ve kept the classic controls too so that controls, and more opportunities for veterans will feel comfortable as well. broader monster tracking experiences than ever before. But, and perhaps most Do you see this as something of a importantly, it’s just a whole lot of fun. fresh start for Monster Hunter? Capcom understands what it needs to do Tsujimoto: It’s certainly a very important and we are confident that World is going chapter in the ten-year-plus history of the to impress, it may even be the first Game series. We’ve built up a lot of knowledge Of The Year contender for 2018. But that in that time and are using it in conjunction doesn’t mean that it is perfect. with the latest console tech to make We still have a few lingering questions the unique monsters and ecosystems and concerns but, instead of whining about of Monster Hunter more detailed and them on Twitter, we decided to take the believable than ever. I think even ‘veteran most pressing of these directly to the people hunters’ who’ve been with the series working behind the polygons. We sat down a long time will be blown away and, with the World team to get their insight into needless to say, for anyone for whom how Capcom is planning on breaking down World is their first Monster Hunter game, the barriers to play to make this the biggest it’s going to be an amazing experience! and most impressive Monster Hunter We’ve certainly had both in mind as we’ve game ever. developed the game.

| 7 This is the first home console Monster weapon controls, in particular, have been Hunter in some time and the potential completely rethought, and I think shooter player base is bigger than ever. What players are going to be able to pick them were your priorities when it came to up right away and have a blast. designing World for a new audience? In multiplayer we’ve made it more Tsujimoto: It’s our biggest release ever, flexible by allowing for players to join for sure; we’ve kept that in mind when someone who’s already started a . developing the game, as it means we If you’re playing alone you also have the “We’ve tried to reduce RYOZO will have a large number of first-timers new option of sending up a SOS flare, TSUJIMOTO joining the hunt. As an action game, the which lets other players come to your frustration in every area Producer most important thing is the satisfying aid, seamlessly transitioning your quest of the game to alloW the feeling players get as they pull off moves, into multiplayer mode. There are many unique, satisfying hunting and then the feeling of achievement when more examples but, overall, we’ve tried gameplay to come to the they clear a quest. I also felt that we also to reduce frustration in every area of fore and shine” needed to make sure that we had great the game to allow the unique, satisfying guidance and tutorials in place, as well as hunting gameplay to come to the fore YuYa Tokuda Director localising the game into more languages and shine. than ever before. During development, we carried out Would you say that the biggest changes several focus tests, where we got some to Monster Hunter been structural or YUYA TOKUDA Director great feedback. We analysed this and mechanical? chose the areas we felt needed further Tokuda: Both have been changed adjustments implemented. substantially in accordance with the concept of this game. We’ve created a Talk us through them! What kind of dense, living and breathing world where changes and improvements can we you can enjoy hunting action that utilises expect to see in World? this believable environment. And we Yuya Tokuda: There are too many designed the gameplay so that anyone changes and improvements to list! We’ve can do that. added voiced tutorials and adjusted Kaname Fujioka: For example, the fact KANAME controls and gameplay systems in that the environments are much denser FUJIOKA Executive director ways that should let players get into the and topographically complex makes & art director game a lot quicker. The Bowgun ranged them easier to get lost in. So we added a

n Above: While many of the somewhat convoluted control schemes have been cycled out, Capcom has ensured that these can be switched back on should veteran players be more comfortable with the old way of doing things.

8 | updated play The biggest changes coming to Monster Hunter: World Refined TRacking While veteran players will still be [1] able to get down in the dirt to track the hulking monsters that stalk the open maps, newer players will surely take delight in a more streamlined tracking experience. By finding a few points of interest (footprints, marks in the environment) the player is then able to mark the creature with Scout Flies that will lead you back to it at all times – no matter how hard it kicks your ass. RewoRked weapons While the 14 mainline weapon [2] types from Monster 4 and Monster Hunter: Generations will be making their way into World, each of them has been totally reworked. Capcom has gone out of its way to give each a more distinct feel and personality, helping shift into your personal play style, while the varying ammunition has been clarified and refined to be easier to parse. There will even be a host of new equipment introduced to further increase the scope of play for hunters both old and new.

dYnamic woRlds n Monster Hunter is launching for the very first The shift towards more open areas, time on PC with World, although it’ll be missing the [3] and in being able to seamlessly January launch date. Expect to see it drop later this summer when Capcom is done with optimisation. cross through ecosystems and zones, means Capcom has had to put more personality into the environments – now they can be used as gameplay mechanic by which you search and properties will we give the monster? a weapon against your prey. Given the size for monster tracks and use your Scout In addition, we look at the overall balance of some of the monsters you’ll be dealing Flies to pick up their scent and find the between new monsters and ones that are with here, looking for ways to use the world monster. You always need to consider returning from previous titles, so that the as another weapon in your arsenal will be both sides of the game experience you roster feels well balanced. integral to make it through battles alive. want players to have and the learning Once we have this structure in mind they need to get them there. we’ll consider the shape and skeleton that oveRhauled conTRols we want a monster to have, and design Monster Hunter has always had a What’s your process for creating and it with the desired features in mind. Once [4]rather idiosyncratic control scheme, testing new monsters before they are finalised, that design is the basis for though perhaps that’s putting it kindly. inserted into the game? modelling, animation and so on. Once Capcom recognises that much of this no Fujioka: First of all, we decide what implemented in the game, we check to longer resonates with fans of modern action role the monster is going to play in the see if it fits in the game as we intended games or gamers in the West and that’s why progression structure of the game. Is and if it’s looking like the kind of monster it has taken steps to modernise many of its this a ‘tutorial’ monster who’ll teach we wanted it to be – whether each core systems and control inputs. Fans of players something they’re going to need monster’s individual personality and role the old way can change the controls in the to use later? Or maybe an action-focused comes across during gameplay is a very menus should they prefer, but new players monster you’ll come across at a point important point. will find this the easiest, most streamlined, in the game when we want to ramp the Finally, we balance the monster Monster Hunter to date. intensity up a bit? And to achieve those according to the design of the maps it roles in the game, what kind of abilities appears on, and against all the weapons

| 9 Hunt, Kill, proceed There’s something special about the core game loop within Monster Hunter. Unlike most other action RPGs, your character doesn’t have any speciic or intrinsic abilities – nor will they earn any through progression or stat- allocation. Instead, it’s the 14 weapon types and the various equipment that you can select that denotes play style and proiciency. Weapons will change n Above: Damage numbers have made their way to Monster Hunter and fans are split. Capcom is hoping that it’ll make it easier (and ultimately more enjoyable) for people this way, the way you can track and combat now that they can easily track inflicted damage, though this too can be switched off. the monsters, while armour will need to be mixed and matched to provide beneicial bonuses and survivability. Of course, acquiring all of this is easier said than done. World features a light in-game economy; a few items of interest can be purchased, but much of the best loot will be found through trapping and killing monsters, completing quests and journeying out into the wilds with three other friends by your side. It’s a lot of fun once you get into the rhythm of it; and armour in the game, to let it fit into Tokuda: I can’t say we didn’t have any Tokuda: Fortunately, the team was made tracking speciic monsters that you the game as a whole while maintaining concerns about the damage display, but up of not just Monster Hunter series fans think you can topple in the open world, its uniqueness. when we tested it out with players we but also people who love Western games, earning the correct crating materials found that even the veterans found them so I believed we had the background to ater defeating them and strategically Combat and navigation are better than useful in deciding which parts to aim for, let us achieve this balance. During the creating the right items to allow you ever before! How long have these or which Bowgun ammo was the best course of development we held focus to hunt bigger and meaner prey. There changes been in the works and what choice. So when it comes to new features tests in the West and also showed the isn’t anything quite like it. are you most excited to see players get or changes like streamlined their hands on? controls, we choose which “ Tokuda: We’ve evolved the action over ones to add not just based We had to not just the course of the series with each title, on how newcomers will find look at Which parts based on each one’s concept and the them, but whether they can of the game Were a hardware it was released for. The concept bring something that are not barrier to entry for for World – creating a living, breathing just there for newcomers neW players, but environment with an ecosystem you can necessarily, but also whether also Which parts use as you hunt monsters – is what I’ve they are useful and beneficial Were most beloved wanted to make since I joined Capcom 13 for everyone. I feel that by existing players” years ago. damage numbers definitely There are many things I’m excited for adds quality, but I know that kaname fujioka executive Director players to enjoy, as there are many ways some series veterans will to play the game, but for me, strategically not want them, so I made sure we also game at events around the world, where pitting two monsters against each other included the option to remove them if we got really great, positive feedback to my advantage is one of the most you like. from players. That in turn gave us the exciting things in the game! confidence to push forward and make the Is it a challenge to balance the game’s finished game as great as we could. A number of new additions and huge legacy against the need to bring changes – from the introduction new players into the experience? Monster Hunter has always sought of damage numbers to more Tokuda: It is. Given the uniqueness and to make each of its maps its own streamlined controls – seem specificity of the game’s controls and compact ecosystem, has the transition to be aimed at courting new gameplay, that was a difficult task. to an open world affected the depth Monster Hunter players, but Fujioka: We had to not just look at which and nuance of the environments? was there any worry that parts of the game were a barrier to entry Tokuda: One of the most important things this could push away series for new players, but also which parts I wanted to include in this game was veterans? were most beloved by existing players. letting the player and monster actions n Monster Hunter: World is Capcom’s best opportunity to crack the Western market, offering an overhauled set of core mechanics and systems, revised gameplay and a sprawling open world to explore with your friends in co-op. have an effect on the game world, and to do this the loading areas between zones of the map had to be removed to make each one a singular, seamless ecosystem. This meant we had to think about the design from two different sides: where the strongest monster in the map would make its nest, where it would go to feed and how the player would come across them and what kind of geography is best suited to this map? For example, if there are bodies of water in the map, where are they sourced and what kind of landscape would there be around them? Our level designers and artists had to have deeper discussions than before, and they even sometimes made clay models of the maps in order to better understand their structure.

Do you think this is Capcom’s best chance at cracking the Western market with Monster Hunter? Tsujimoto: I don’t know if this is the best chance, but it’s great timing. I’m just looking forward to everyone around the world finally getting their hands on the game and seeing what they think about it. I have confidence in this being a great game, and I’m hoping that the community of monster hunters will explode in 2018!

You can join the hunt in Monster Hunter: World in just a few short weeks. Look for it 26 January.

| 11 THE ONLY WAY TO READ

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Available today on myfavouritemagazines.co.uk PREVIEW GHOST OF TSUSHIMA PS4

ETA TBC 2018 PUB DEV SUCKER PUNCH Ghost of Tsushima Sucker Punch turns away from the streets of Seattle and heads in to the wilds of Feudal Japan

The industry left the samurai behind. Tenchu and Onimusha faded into the annals PS4 of history, while Genji never quite found its footing between the generation divide. For the longest time, it had looked as if we would never receive the sprawling open-world samurai game that the period so clearly deserves. Enter developer Sucker Punch, breaking silence after three years – following the release of PS4 launch title Second Son and its 2014 expansion First Light – and looking to deliver the ultimate samurai experience in Ghost Of Tsushima. “We wanted to have a clear fantasy for the player. Who are you [and] what are you going to be doing in the game? And then we came upon this game idea, which is awesomely simple – to hear about it is to want to play it,” teased creative director Nate Fox as he revealed his labour of love. “When we hit upon the Mongol invasion of Tsushima of 1274, it all clicked. Suddenly, we knew who the heroes were, who the villains were, what the stakes were for the world, and we had a videogame.” If Infamous let us explore myriad powers, Ghost Of Tsushima will show us what it is to be a power – the last samurai of Tsushima, caught up in the first Mongol invasion of Japan. 1274 was a pivotal time in history; the battle for this strategically located island was bloody and brutal as the Kublai Khan looked to extend its dynasty out from China and Korea, its sights focused on Japan. You will be tasked with exploring a truly gorgeous open-world here as battered samurai Jin (played by Daisuke Tsuji), attempting to battle against overwhelming odds and adapt to the devastating terror inflicted upon the land by the Khan. You’ll wield ancient weaponry in this exciting 2018 PlayStation 4 exclusive, look to master a new combat discipline (the way of the ghost), and become legend in a world being torn apart by war. “Feudal Japan is beautiful; from the swaying bamboo forests to the ornate castles, it’s a place that demands to be explored. Don’t you want to wear a suit of samurai armour? Wouldn’t you like to fire a six-foot-tall samurai long bow? Want to journey across a lush countryside with a katana on your hip? For me, the answer is clearly ‘yes, yes please.’”

GHOST OF TSUSHIMA is the latest project from Infamous developer Sucker Punch. Find out more here: suckerpunch.com

14 | | 15 PREVIEW THE LAST OF US: PART II PS4

THE CULT AND THE FIREFLIES Lots of speculation about the origin of the seeming cult, why its members all have scars on their cheeks (note that the hanging woman doesn’t) and whether the phrase ‘clip her wings’ might be a Firelies reference. We like the idea that the outcasts from this group, who seem to think of the infected as demons, might actually go on to form the Firelies, who Ellie is know apparently hunting down and killing. Did Anna have a big part to play in that organisation? Was her death their fault? Could be a fascinating direction to follow.

GODFATHER THEORY This one might be our favourite, but it’s been suggested that since Anna is known to have died within a day of Ellie’s birth, that if she is in The Last Of Us: Part II, it could be something similar to The Godfather: Part II, where we split the game between the events of Anna’s life and those of Ellie. It ties in nicely with the naming convention has chosen for this sequel, as well as offering a unique narrative structure for the experience. The movie is also a great example of a sequel to a masterpiece that many consider as good if not better than the original, if Naughty Dog is looking for a good omen.

16 | the hanGinG WoMan There has been plenty of speculation around all of the characters in Naughty Dog’s new trailer, but most of it has focused around the woman at its heart, being hung by what appears to be a religious cult. The favoured theory is that this could be Ellie’s mother Anna before the birth of her child. We know from Naughty Dog tweets she’ll be played by Laura Bailey, a highly accomplished voice actor best known for her role as Nadine Ross in Uncharted 4, but unlike the other cast members, her character name has been withheld. The plot thickens.

ETA Q4 2018 PUB sony DEV nauGhty doG The Last Of Us: Part II Join us as we speculate wildly on what the deal is with naughty dog’s most brutal adventure to date Context can be very important, as Sony and Naughty Dog were likely reminded rather starkly when PS4 they faced a barrage of negative feedback for the unexplained brutality and violence of its most recent The Last Of Us: Part II trailer. But context can be found, as those following the game were able to decipher, thanks to a series of supporting images, clues and tweets in the last few weeks. We’ve spoken extensively in the past in defence of games using violent imagery, so we would be hypocritical to criticise the scene that has been shown, but it was shocking and without knowing how it sits in the game, even a little, it was rather jarring. You might also think that it doesn’t really tell us anything about the game, save for it being pretty nasty, but actually there’s enough out there now to give us some clues, as intrepid fans have been exploring.

THE LAST OF US: PART II is the latest project from the adventurous folk at Naughty Dog. Find out more here: naughtydog.com

| 17 PREVIEW CONCRETE GENIE PS4

ETA TBC 2018 PUB SONY DEV PIXELOPUS Concrete Genie Offering a light in the dark, this is one intuitive that needs your attention

The world can be a bit of a work of Super Punch with Infamous: Second Son here; Concrete Genie looks gorgeous in action, miserable place. For Ash, a or Supermassive with for proof of sharp and intuitive, while its story and themes teenager stuck in the isolated that fact. Pixelopus, the studio behind Entwined, give it more depth than your average smaller- PS4 fishing down of Denska, is planning on using it as an extension of your scale production. that means dealing with the fingertips – giving you the freedom to splash paint Scheduled for release in 2018, powered stain of pollution and a local gaggle of bullies. across the village and bring your creations to life. by the Unreal Engine 4, Concrete Genie is yet Thankfully, this needn’t be his reality for long; The idea, as simple as it may seen, is for anybody another example of Sony supporting new ideas Concrete Genie puts you in charge of cleaning to be able to paint in this game, and it’ll take just and keen initiatives. What’ll be interesting to up the streets with a magic paintbrush, using a handful of strokes of the brush to turn the walls see is how the game deals with letting off the the power of paint to cleanse the surrounding into beautiful, reactive pieces of living artwork. leash, of backing away from templated designs, area of pollution and hopefully make a few new For Concrete Genie this is important to note, before going crazy with your own creations as wondrous friends along the way. because it affords Ash the opportunity to paint the game progresses. Either way, keep your While motion-controlled gaming never took the friends he has never had in his real life into eyes locked to this one – we think it’s going to be off in a big way for Sony, its internal studios have existence. The game isn’t just a cute opportunity something special. done a pretty good job with it over the years. The to splash some colour across a drab world; DualShock controller, in particular, has proven it’s also dealing with the nature of bullying and CONCRETE GENIE is the latest project the to be a more than adequate tool for exploring overcoming social pressures. What we’re trying imaginative folks over at Pixelopus. Find out more new types of innovative play – just look at the to say is that there is more than meets the eye here: .com

18 | WHAT MAKES THIS GAME GREAT?

It’s a bloody beautiful game that will look It’s from a small but bold team that is hell It’ll make artists out of us all thanks to smart All of your drawing will magically spring stunning on your PS4 Pro and 4K TV. bent on forging new experiences. and intuitive controls. to life, so expect some crazy puzzles.

Sony seems to have been mastering the neon light in a dark location look since the release of infamous: Second Son. this is a very different game, but the visual impact it boasts is very similar indeed.

| 19 PREVIEW Spider-Man pS4

BEAUTIFUL oPEn-WoRLD Spider-Man could very well be the irst videogame to ind a happy balance between navigation, combat and content in an open-world environment. Typically, studios have struggled to strike a suitable one between all three, although Insomniac knows what it’s doing. The studio has built its reputation on stylish navigation, quippy writing and great mission design, and of course, incredibly focused combat mechanics. Spider-Man has never been in a safer pair of hands.

ETA Q2 2018 DEV PUB sonY Spider-Man Insomniac is proving once and for all that it’s the perfect studio to take on this Marvel classic

Spider-Man has always had a contentious relationship with the world of videogames. No developer PS4 has ever quite nailed the balance between free-flowing navigation, buoyant combat and quick-witted dialogue that has come to define the role; each studio that has taken on the character has usually left its mark in one of these areas, but has never been able to pull it all together into one cohesive whole. That’s where Insomniac is hoping to make an impression, despite existing for over two decades, this is a studio that feels purpose-built to deliver the Spidey fantasy we’ve always wanted. That’s because it understands the character of both Spider-Man and Peter Parker, and the struggle that exists between the two roles. It knows how to build fluid movement systems and integrate them with punchy, irreverent fighting styles (and yes we hate to admit that to you, given how Sunset Overdrive was an One exclusive and all), but can it deliver a few laughs? Are you kidding us, of course it can! Spider-Man is in Insomniac’s DNA, and that’s what makes this 2018 Sony exclusive so damned exciting. By offering a fully formed version of New York City to explore, by giving us a Peter Parker eight years into his career as the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, and by having the confidence to utilise the full extent of villains, periphery figures and storylines at its disposal, we are in for a special superhero game.

SPIDER-MAN is going to come out swinging from Insomniac Games in 2018. Find out more here: insomniac.games/games

20 | sPoILT FoR CHoICE While many of the previous Spider- Man games and movies have had a tendency to focus on the same familiar cast of villains, Insomniac recognises that it is spoiled for choice in this respect. Mister Negative will take centre stage – the dichotomy of Martin Li’s situation a relection of Peter’s own – although we should expect to see some surprises along the way. Shocker has been teased; will the rest of the Sinister Seven follow, or will Insomniac dive into the archives?

DIFFEREnT PERsPECTIVEs Insomniac understands that the best Spider-Man stories are those that cause the lives of Peter Parker and his alter to collide; while the thrust of the game is focused around the antics of the web-slinger, we will also have the opportunity to play as Peter trying to navigate his day-to- day. Additionally, we will be able to take control of Mary Jane too, giving a broader view of the impact Peter is having on both the city and those closest to him.

| 21 PREVIEW ERICA PS4

ETA 2018 PUB SONY DEV FLAVOURWORKS Erica Is this the closest we’ve come to an interactive movie yet?

Sony is making a real push to ensure that its ‘For the PS4 players’ mantra is more than a mere marketing message. PlayLink is bringing games to the PlayStation 4 that are designed primarily as an experience – one to be enjoyed by any and all – rather than a pure challenge, requiring no knowledge of how to wield a controller or navigate virtual spaces. Erica is perhaps one of the biggest proponents of this philosophy, the debut title from Flavourworks that’s perhaps the closest we’ve come to receiving a full-on interactive movie experience. Erica is a unique live-action adventure, built around a branching narrative where every choice has a profound impact on the game and the characters caught within it. We’ve seen it in action and we have to admit, it’s certainly impressive. The studio has promised that the game features no trace of 3D modelling, which is a little crazy given that any and all objects that can be interacted with are bound by a realistic physics engine. Interactions and dialogue selections are controlled entirely by flicks of the finger across a phone screen (or a Dualshock controller, should you rather) and physical actions Sophie Delpitzzo takes centre are tied to decision-making in the game. stage in Erica, with Flavourworks Bursting through a door, for example, could utilising the same cameras, sets and alert others to your presence earlier than expected, production techniques as you’d expect while inching it open slowly may give you a little to see from a modern Hollywood film. extra time to snoop around a room for clues. Again, with the game reacting dynamically to your interaction, feeding live-action footage forward to your eyes in real-time with no pausing or interruptions, Flavourworks has crafted something very impressive – the technology behind Erica could have a huge impact on the FMV development scene in the future. While we have a little concern over the direction of the overall narrative – which sees Erica (played well by actor Sophie Delpitzzo) caught between an old family friend and a killer on the loose – which feels as if it’s an area bereft of new ideas, we are certainly eager to see how the introduction of interaction and branching pathways can make a fairly well-worn story new again. Erica is lined up for a 2018 release and joins Supermassive’s Hidden Agenda as an exciting new breed of games looking to truly bring the whole household into the joys of gaming.

ERICA is the latest project from the inventive folks at Flavourw. Find out more here: lavourworks.co

22 | WHAT MAKES THIS GAME GREAT?

So long as you've got your phone handy It's essentially an interactive movie; the None of the objects in the game have been Erica will feature a branching narrative, you can ind yourself in control of Erica. natural evolution of the FMV game. rendered, each of them has been fully captured. encouraging multiple playthroughs.

Erica is designed to be a short and sweet experience, taking just a handful of hours to play through. Designed around replayability, it’s supposed to replace the Friday night movie experience.

| 23 PREVIEW SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS PS4

ETA 8FEB 2018 PUB SONY DEV BLUEPOINT, TEAM Shadow Of the Colossus Protagonist Wanda and his loyal horse Argo Hands-on with a are still pretty unwieldy. Bluehole has shown great restraint here, opting to convert as much of the legendary title reborn original game feel and experience as humanly possible. for a new era of players

Team ICO unleashed a truly landmark game in Shadow PS4 Of The Colossus; the 2005 PlayStation 2 classic is without question one of the all-time greats, a surreal and powerful adventure that felt like the absolute antithesis of what was happening elsewhere in the industry. Sony’s decision to order a full remake of the game from Bluepoint was certainly a welcomed surprise, but there was some concern on our end that, in attempting to overhaul Shadow Of The Colossus, some of its magic would be lost in the high-definition translation. It is, after all, a product of a different time; a stark and subdued experience that found perfection in its endless emptiness, its atmosphere a direct result of the PS2’s limitations as much as it was a deliberate design decision. Seeing Shadow Of The Colossus running on a PS4 Pro, its spanning vistas presented in 4K and HDR for the very first time, it’s enough to take your breath away. That isn’t hyperbole; it’s a required medical warning. Bluehole has done a phenomenal job here and there’s no way to prepare for the way “SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS IS AS THE PUREST OPEN WORLD IMPORTANT FOR GAMING AND THE INDUSTRY TODAY AS IT EVER WAS” it’s going to make you feel. Approaching the first of ultra high-definition textures, but there’s an extent to the colossi is still as awe-inspiring today as it was which you’ve never seen Shadow Of The Colossus in 2005; the creature’s fur might be denser and the this way – and that isn’t necessarily for the better. detail across its body more intricate than ever, but The world was always the charm; its emptiness the encounter has lost none of its lustre. and that clawing sense of isolation that came with The pang of guilt still ricochets through your it. The feeling of hopelessness that sunk in over the heart as you plunge your sword deep into the hours as you roamed the land looking to wipe all silent giant, and the swell of the score as the beast of its life from existence – you don’t want to do it, falls limply to the earth is still a gut punch through but there’s something out there in its shadows that the initial adrenaline rush of earning your ‘victory’. compels you to. Shadow Of The Colossus is as important for Where it was once miserable, the world now The last decade has seen the scope and size of open worlds grow exponentially. They are full of things to do, things to see and objectives gaming and the industry today as it ever was, and looks a little brighter. You can pick out hues of red to complete – in doing so player retention has become tied directly to there’s still so much it can teach us – as players, in the rocks, scratches of colour in the sky, and look busy work. But that’s part of what makes Shadow Of The Colossus feel so as developers, and as appreciators of interactive out upon the sprawling mess of moss across the refreshing in the modern era. It is one of the purest open worlds ever created, simultaneously bereft of things to do and impossible to look away from. It’s entertainment – as the industry looks to widen the otherwise barren deserts. It’s beautiful and awe- free of mission markers and waypoints; there are no NPCs, no rules and no purview of the videogame experience. inspiring, but it felt foreign. In some sense, Shadow distractions. It’s free of mess and noise, leaving you with just its silent beauty It is strange though, seeing it this way. It’s Of The Colossus really had a home on the PS2. and haunting isolation to keep you entertained. certainly bold and visually impressive, imbued with That said, it’s still going to be a must play, even

24 | The colossi battles haven’t dulled with age. They are still incredible, breathtaking encounters. With no new content being added to the game, we recommend you go in as blind as you can – rediscovering them all over again is half of the fun.

WHAT MAKES THIS GAME GREAT?

A decade on and this legitimate PS2 has done an incredible Each of the colossi are beautifully designed and It's a bold and heartfelt game, one that classic has lost none of its spectacle. job with this remake, it’s truly stunning. each of the battles beautifully staged. you certainly won't soon forget.

Shadow Of The Colossus is without question one of the if it’s a little more vibrant than it was before. The best-looking games available on core of the game is still intact, albeit with a few the PS4 hardware, particularly for minor embellishments from Bluehole. The controls those of you with a Pro. After the somewhat problematic remaster are still as clumsy and unintuitive as ever, and from a few years back, it’s great the camera is still a force unto itself, but it’s these to receive such a pure conversion. imperfections that help make Shadow Of The Colossus what it is. It’s a game that springs to life in its battles with the colossi – each a challenging puzzle to solve and a majestic feat of game design in and of itself. None of that has been lost here, and Bluehole should certainly be praised for the improvements it has made to the art assets and for the performance improvements it has made behind the scenes. Whether the more vibrant aesthetic will have any major impact to the feeling of the game remains to be seen, but either way this is a must play – whether you are going in for the first time or returning to relive past misguided heroics.

SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS is being resurrected by Bluepoint Games . Find out more here: bluepointgames.com

www.play-mag.co.uk | 11 FEATURE TEN OF THE BEST TEN OF THE BEST ARRIVING IN 2018 WANT SOME MORE GAMES? GET THESE TEN ON YOUR RADAR ALREADY

GOD OF WAR ■ IS GOING back to basics in 2018’s God Of War. Sony Santa Monica is treating this as a soft-reboot, taking the action out from under the shadow of Mount Olympus and into the chaos realm of Norse mythology. It’s going to be bolder, bloodier and – surprisingly – far more heartfelt than anything we’ve experienced from this series in the past. Can Kratos and son survive the unknown? We’re desperate to find out.

DREAMS

■ IT HAS BEEN a long time coming but we finally have a better idea of what to expect from Dreams, ’s ambitious follow up to Little Big Planet 2. The creator controls have been totally overhauled, with Dreams designed to act as a vessel for your creative juices – basically, if you can dream it, you can create it here and then easily share it out to the world for others to play and enjoy. This is going to be big.

FAR CRY 5 DAYS GONE ■ GIVEN HOW MUCH we've seen and played and it has never looked better. The gunplay and ■ A DIFFERENT KIND of open world adventure, Days Gone brings of Far Cry 5, we were a little surprised to hear sound design is incredible, the game structure hordes of mutated monstrosities together with roaming gangs of angry of its delay. But a little extra time can’t hurt, has been totally overhauled and, yes, Towers bikers in a brutal post-apocalyptic world. It’s going to be brutal and particularly with something as ambitious as and the mini-map are out. Far Cry 5 is almost awesome in equal measure. Days Gone is all about spectacle and survival, this. Far Cry is heading stateside this March guaranteed to offer up a good time. a showcase for what your console is capable of in 2018.

26 | RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 ■ IT ALMOST GOES without saying, but we’re starting to get pretty hyped DETROIT about Red Dead Redemption 2. Almost. But here's the thing, this is going to be a ■ SAY WHAT YOU will about Quantic Dream’s landmark release. Rockstar North has output, but there can be no denying that Detroit a tendency of getting the very best out is going to be one of the most talked about of the current generation of consoles games of the generation. Following on in a and we can’t wait to see what it delivers. similar fashion to cult classic Heavy Rain, you Sprawling open worlds, beautiful vistas will be tasked with taking charge of multiple and an array of lovable outlaws to characters in a insanely intricate branching meet and shoot in the face, Red Dead narrative – their stories and their fates are in Redemption 2 is without question one of your (hopefully capable) hands in this beautiful the biggest games of this year – if not the and politically charged sci-fi drama. generation. Prepare to have your mind blown, because Rockstar is about to change the game.

A WAY OUT

■ A DIFFERENT KIND of co-op experience, A Way Out is without question one of the most exciting games coming to PS4 this year. The entire game has been intricately designed to be played with a buddy by your side throughout, with each of you having different experiences every step of the way. Coming from the developers of Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons this March, you should expect the unexpected. A Way Out is going to be an unmissable experience.

ANTHEM METRO EXODUS KINGDOM HEARTS III

■ THIS IS GOING to be something of a departure for ■ ABANDONING THE TUNNELS of Moscow’s Metro ■ YES, IT’S STILL happening. At least, that’s BioWare. With Mass Effect on ice and no sign of another systems is a bold move for developer 4A Games. That’s right, what Square has assured us. Despite being Dragon Age anytime soon, the studio is turning its hand to Metro Exodus is taking the action above ground. The studio in development for what feels like an eternity, broader cooperative experiences. Anthem is so clearly inspired is looking to give players something of a new challenge and Kingdom Hearts III is finally nearing release. The by the success of Destiny and its sequel; it will push you to it has found it in the irradiated wastelands. This will be the studio is going all out, introducing a slew of new enter into huge shared open-world environments inside of first in the series to feature much larger open areas and Disney-inspired worlds, super-charged moves customisable exoskeleton suits, in an effort to combat the deeper weapon customisation alongside a broader story as and an array of fresh faces into play. It's going surmounting threats amassing on the edges of civilisation. returning protagonist Artyom looks for salvation to the East. to close out Sora’s story – over a decade in the Much is unknown about Anthem, but we can’t help but get Metro Exodus is going to be one of the biggest FPS games of making – and, we won’t lie to you, it’s going to excited about a different type of BioWare game. the year and it is going to demand your attention. get real emotional real fast.

| 27 the making of kentucky route zero A story told in five Acts at IS thIS the pS4’S nextSole IndIe In claSSIc?early 2018 we S ahead of ItS arrIval on con omputer to dIScuSS down wIth developer cardboard c thIS muSt play poInt-and-clIck adventure he circuitous journey that you undertake in Kentucky Route Zero feels in some way emblematic of the road Cardboard Computer has taken developing the game; after the team launched t the Kickstarter for KRZ in early 2011, they found themselves taking plenty of unanticipated detours. But both player and developer are almost at journey’s end. Early in 2018, Kentucky Route Zero’s fifth and final act will release on PC, along with the TV Edition that will bring this surreal adventure to PS4 in its entirety. For console players, this has been a long time coming. KRZ is unquestionably one of the most important, if not understated, releases of the last decade – a shining and subversive testament to what makes the medium of videogames so damned special. Cardboard Computer’s Jake Elliot, Tamas Kemenczy and Ben Babbitt join us to reflect on the journey before KRZ reaches its final destination.

28 | act i inSPiration moment,” Elliot recalls. “It was a prototype “We all met in the art community in Chicago,” of the game, but more like an atmospheric Elliot tells us when we ask how the team got prototype or a thematic prototype, to figure together. “Tamas and I have been working out what the game was going to feel like together on electronic art stuff, like installation before we got into implementing what it was art, software and performance, since 2005 or going to play like mechanically.” 2004 and only started making games together And when it comes to the mechanics, Kentucky Route Zero.” a year or two before you might be surprised to find out just how One of those games was what Elliot different KRZ could have been. “I think describes as a “sort of experimental remix of in the initial email that I sent to Tamas I from the seventies, Metroid A petrol station with no Colossal Cave Adventure proposed that it was going to be like Metroid power, manned by a lone which is another adventure game set in or Castlevania, but a non-violent Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.” In that project or Castlevania, like if you replaced all the man with financial troubles: ’s first Elliot and Kemenczy saw the seed of an combat with talking,” says Elliot. Kentucky Route Zero idea for something more ambitious. As they Once work on the game began in earnest, location sets a tone and kicked around ideas for what would become however, Cardboard Computer soon tossed KRZ would be establishes themes that will Kentucky Route Zero – fittingly, as Elliot was the original concept for what be followed throughout. driving around Kentucky – it was that seed to the wayside. It found a new form for the that took root. Elliot and Kemenczy invited game, one that better matched the tone and Babbitt on board to put together a band to atmosphere it had sought to establish in that compose music for the game and, eventually, KRZ – the early trailer… the trio ended up co-designing ent to original idea to be fleshed out and evolved “I thInk In the InItIal emaIl that I S during development. Indeed, go back to the game’s original tamaS I propoSed that It waS goIng to be Kickstarter trailer and you can see that a lIke metroId or caStlevanIa, but a non- lot has changed over the past six years. aStlevanIa” The team tells us that they were always vIolent metroId or c open to that. “That initial trailer was sort of a pitch for the game and a way for us KRZ]. That was to establish the tone of [ the most important thing for us at that

| 29 act ii finDing form be, followed what was interesting and made “It’s been such a long time that it’s hard for practical concessions where necessary. me to remember if there was a specific thing “We always had the story divided into that clicked,” Kemenczy says, reflecting on these sections, but we thought we’d release it how KRZ landed on its now established style. all in one go,” Elliot tells us. “Once we started “But I do remember there being one or two working on it, it hit us how long it takes to steps between what was the style you saw in execute some of this stuff. We learned that on the Kickstarter and what we have in the game the job,” he continues. This image is just one of now. It was several iterations. We started After working on the game for about many examples of the

to look at the environments that we were a year, the trio came to realise that they way Kentucky Route Zero something or face the building more as little theatre stages or set either had to release beautifully frames its scenes pieces. Set pieces with actors, thinking about unappealing prospect of working in isolation with an approach that feels blocking – how characters are on the stage for what could have been many years. So, both theatrical and filmic. and how the lights turn towards the camera the act release and development structure all the time. So, a lot of character movement emerged. A practical decision it may have that automatically turns them towards the been, but it also turned out to be a good camera as if they were actors speaking to an creative one. audience,” Kemenczy explains. “It gave us room for the whole thing to “There’s a certain economy of reusing time become larger in scope,” Elliot says. “Each and space for a bunch of different scenes episode, we can take a little time between or settings within a play, and that seemed them to kind of re-centre ourselves and let interesting. It seemed boring to create a each episode grow into the scale that they “we alwayS bunch of scenery just to see characters run need to be. For example, the fourth episode had the Story through it like a lot of platformers do.” ’s of the game, in the original outline, is just That framing of Kentucky Route Zero about crossing a river,” Elliot explains. “It dIvIded Into spaces as theatrical sets will resonate with was super narrowly scoped, but looking at anyone who has had the pleasure of playing that chapter as a whole, we were able to let theSe SectIonS, the game and has seen the evident care it grow into something more complex. We but we thought Cardboard Computer has taken in crafting have an outline that we’ve been working Se It them. The game’s locations are compositions from since the beginning, but we leave a lot we’d relea drawn with space and time: they play of questions unanswered for ourselves about all In one go” brilliantly with transitions between foreground what it’s going to look like materially.” and background, employ clever visual tricks as a storytelling device, and transform in step The Bureau of Reclaimed There are plenty of titbits to with the game’s musical set-pieces. Spaces is a strange place discover if you take the time While it’s true that you can go back to the that is used to explore to explore KRZ’s map. You’ll game’s first trailer and detect traces of the bureaucracy and its KRZ has now established, there’s a find lots of vignettes that are tone that odd quirks. sense that it would never have been realised clearly intended to hark back had the game not grown into this clever use to text adventures of old. of space and perspective. That it was able to do so is a result of Cardboard Computer’s flexibility. The team landed on the idea of KRZ’s spaces as theatrical sets because they allowed KRZ to become what it would

30 | act iii Strange SPaceS

In most games, when a character points you in “the character IS loSt. he’S lookIng for the direction of the next location you need to visit, a place he doeSn’t know where It IS. we you’ll end up with a big flashing marker on your . In this game map. Not so in Kentucky Route Zero trIed a few dIfferent thIngS, mechanIcS all you’ll get are vague directions that are easy to for navIgatIng from Space to Space” forget or misinterpret. You float between places in a way that’s often surreal and disorientating. That’s “There’s the overall theme that you’re making ’s atmosphere as the perhaps as important to KRZ a delivery,” Kemenczy responds. “So, a lot of locations themselves: your confusion aboutwhen whereyou these places are intersections on the most basic you are, if you’re supposed to be there, level, on a highway or a road; you’re transitioning are there, even. “Are we inside or outside?”, as TV through spaces anyway. But there are themes, repair woman Shannon ponders in Act II. If that like the second act is about home and there is DetourS & Kentucky Route Zero gives you the feeling that the museum…” considers Kemenczy. “Yeah, the exPerimentS people being displaced,” Elliot chimes in. “And there wants you to be lost, you’d be right. Ky route “You’re supposed to be lost in this game,” was that old hymn we used in the original trailer A guide to Kentuc . Al stories and that’s in the game: This World Is Not My Home Zero’s supplement Elliot tells us. “The character is lost. He’s looking edition for a place he doesn’t know where it is. We tried “A thematic of that is ‘I’m just passing included in the tv a few different things, mechanics for navigating through’, and it’s a function of that feeling of from space to space,” he reveals. “One thing we being precarious. Of your life being a precarious tried was this first-person view where you’re proposition economically; that you don’t have the looking out the dash of the truck and you have agency to take ownership of the world. You can’t to watch for landmarks and road signs and turn put down roots so you’re being shuttled through off at just the right moment. Another thing we – Kentucky itself is, I’ve always felt, a place full of It’s typical of tried is when you leave one space and go to transitions,” Elliot continues. “It’s a border place in Kentucky Route Zero another, there’s a chance of a random encounter a lot of ways. Geographically, we pass from the that it contains a between the two, just to emulate the sense of farmlands of the Midwest into the Appalachia’s – game within a game, being lost. Ultimately, we really wanted to do this that passage happens through Kentucky. During limits And demonstrAtions: full of events and map,” Elliot says. “It was visually interesting and the Civil War, it was this contested border place. The first of KRZ’s side-stories (if that’s it was nice to let the player wonder a little bit. And then also this idea of going into caves and characters that are even the right phrase) sees you exploring This is kind of what we came up with to make passing through – a cave is a threshold between both internal and a retrospective exhibition of the works the player feel lost: we just ended up making the above ground and below ground. That’s why external to it. of Lula Chamberlain, who you first them follow these directions. caves are mystical interesting sites.” encounter in the Bureau of Reclaimed “Coming to visit my wife’s family in Kentucky, Spaces in the main game. I had some experiences where people would give us directions that were… pretty odd. ‘Take a left at this pond, there’s usually some cows around there, but they might not be out there at this time of year’ – these kind of impressionistic directions.” ’s Seasoned travellers of Kentucky Route Zero strange geographic and psychic landscape might have noticed that it’s filled with liminal spaces. You’re always in-between. Either at literal sites the entertAinment: of transition or visiting places transitioning from The one state into another: petrol stations, boats, Shifting into first-person, presents itself as a theatre abandoned mines. We wanted to know what it Entertainment is that seems to fascinate the team about these production. You are sat at a table in a border spaces. version of the Hard Times bar from Act III of the main game, free to observe what’s going on around you.

here And t here Along the echo: You’re presented with a phone. Take itKRZ off the hook and dial the number on the website and you will be taken through to an automated phone service run by ‘The Bureau of Secret Tourism’.

| 31 act iV

Searching for meaning “lookIng at the Kentucky now, or that moment seven years ago, they’re not You’ll find no clumsy exposition in unique. They are part of a pattern.” game, It’S Set In Route Zero’s writing. It gives space for you to Kentucky Route Zero also gives you plenty of amerIca and a develop intuitions about its characters before it space to find meaning yourself and to shape it lets snippets of backstory float to the surface, through the dialogue choices that you make. It lot of It IS about dredging emotional weight with them from often feels like choices are framed to put you amerIcan hIStory the murky pool of the past. Nevertheless, the in the position of a storyteller, rather than as a writing’s surreal style and frequent shifts of character making a decision: the game will offer In regardS to perspective can make it feel like it deliberately you the option “Conway stays put”, rather than eludes meaning; Like it’s being wilfully obscure. “Stay put”, for example, expressly situating you wealth InequalIty As the team have already suggested, however, outside of the character. and precarIty and there are themes to be picked up on. “We play with the grammar in a few spots like The theme of economic uncertainty is perhaps that,” Elliot explains. “The main constraint that’s at the exploItatIon is full of people exploited the most obvious. KRZ work there is that the script is meant to, in most of labour” and broken by an inhumane and faceless cases, read like a stage play. So those things economic system: dead miners who were paid in are meant to read like stage directions. That’s tokens that they had to slot into fans to keep air another bit of a call-back to American tragic circulating in the mine, families whose homes theatre – a lot of the famous works of American have been repossessed, a doctor whose genuine tragic theatre deal with these same issues ofand desire to help people has been twisted by debt economic precarity. Death Of A Salesman are two of them that we call Conway and Shannon aren’t to make him into a tool to push yet more debt The Iceman Cometh

about to re-enact a Titanic onto his patients. We wanted to know if those back to a lot. Sometimes there are these italicised strong economic themes represent an attempt passages that are mixed in there that are a little moment here. It’s not really to draw a connection between the post-financial bit more of a stream of consciousness to kind of that kind of game. crash world of today and the depression era that disrupt that a little bit. Those are styled after some Kentucky Route Zero heavily evokes. of Tennessee Williams’ play scripts.” “It was definitely happening right after the Thick with references, history and styles financial crash in 08/09, so that was something drawn from Cardboard Computer’s extensive specific we were responding to in that moment,” research, it can be hard to draw meaning from Elliot replies. “But also, looking at the game, it’s KRZ. As opaque as it may be though, you can find set in America and a lot of it is about American it if you look hard enough. history in regards to wealth inequality and precarity and the exploitation of labour. So, yeah, the depression era and the 40 years or so leading up to the depression where wealth inequality was accelerating,” he continues. “In Kentucky, we had the Coal Wars in that period, where mining companies were exploiting their workers and using violence to suppress unions. Another period that we look at a bit is the Seventies during the oil crisis. There are those specific moments that we try to connect, and we’re also careful to try and set the game in a non-time, to kind of conflate all these times, because it’s important to us to communicate that this moment right

32 | DrunkS, DebtorS & DrifterS Avellers introducing the rAgtAg group of tr thAt fAll into eAch other’s compAny in KrZ.

Johnny: Junebug’s collaborator and companion Johnny often seems distant conwAy: A delivery driver for from the events unfolding around him. Lysette’s Antiques trying to make He has a passion for sound and an his last delivery to 5 Dogwood Drive. evident affinity for animals. He has struggled with alcoholism throughout his life. Junebug: Junebug is a robot who abandoned the purpose for which she was created to become a musician The TV repair woman shAnnon: along with her companion Johnny. joins Conway early on, prompted by She has a wicked sense of humour. a mysterious message left for her by her cousin Weaver, a semi-mystical presence who may well have a part to eZrA: It’s no surprise that Ezra seems play in Act V. to be searching for belonging. His family were made homeless and after going off to explore one day, he came back to the dog: Conway’s tired old hound the bus shelter where they had been accompanies him from the beginning. sleeping to find them gone. It can be called Homer, Blue or remain nameless, depending on your choice in the game’s first scene.

act V the finaLe This is a game heavy with And just how close is this tragedy, coming is with tragedy, symbolism and references to Laced as Kentucky Route Zero to an end all these years after its beginning,

we wonder if the team intends for us to find to matching the original vision? other work. Don’t feel bad if any little rays of hope by the time we finish “I personally don’t really care about what we some of them fly over your the soon-to-be-released final episode. originally envisioned,” Kemenczy replies. “We head. We had that feeling “It’s a tragedy for sure,” Elliot replies. like to keep the outline that we have pretty plenty of times, too. “There are some hopeful moments in there open ended.” and a lot of it’s about human relationships, so “Yeah, it’s mostly for utility,” says Elliot. there’s some hope in that project, but yeah, “If we have some things planned in advance, it’s definitely a tragedy.” that’s almost a concession we have to make “I agree,” echoes Kemenczy, “but in terms so we can do things like foreshadowing and of story, I think we try and add a hopeful layer set some arcs going. But if we didn’t have to to it. In Act IV we talked about trying to make do that, then maybe we wouldn’t even have it clear that there are communities and people planned them!” making a home in these liminal spaces along Kemenczy does tell us, however, that “the the river, so even though that act had probably outline, from the beginning, had a specific one of the most tragic scenes, hopefully that’s end”. So as circuitous as the journey to get offset by having a look into the communities here might well have been, the destination

that exist there.” was always in sight, having “And tragedy is about human nobility too,” been envisaged from the start. We’ll Elliot remarks. “It’s not all miserable and be there with them soon enough. pessimistic.” IronmentS “we Started to look at the env that we were buIldIng more aS lIttle theatre StageS or Set pIeceS”

| 33 T HE 2 5 GAMING EXPERIENCES THAT SHAPED AND DEFINED AN INCREDIBLE YEAR

It has been one hell of a year, hasn’t it? Compiling a succinct list of what we consider to be the games of the year is never easy, but it felt particularly difficult this time around. But here we are all the same, with the 25 best experiences from the past 12 months; the games that we found to be the most entertaining and compelling, the ones that we truly believe will impact and influence the industry in the months and years to come. It’s always important to reflect; it invites the opportunity to revel in the good times and gain a new perspective on what lies ahead. Here, we present our 25 best games of the year, ordered with respect to how much we enjoyed them, but also how important we think they will be when we all look back at the kind of year 2017 has been for games.

34 | THE GAMES OF 2017

PERSONA 5 25 Suave, sophisticated and stylish as all hell, Persona 5 was met with critical and commercial success as it finally landed on Western shores in 2017. With a phenomenal original score and soundtrack, 5 a scintillating UI and graphical presentation, and a deep array of distractions to hold your attention, Atlus RESIDENT EVIL delivered a landmark J-RPG. VII: BIOHAZARD REDISCOVERED ITS SPARK GT SPORT 24 After so many delays we had begun to worry about BY GOING HOME the return of . Thankfully, GT Sport is an excellent Released: 24 January 2017 Developer: In-house Publisher: Capcom that, despite not showing a great deal of progression in its core proficiencies, n The best scares should leave a scar. A permanent mark In many respects, VII feels like a microcosm of everything is still a stand out racer that looks and that follows you, haunts you. It should serve to remind you Capcom has attempted to do with the franchise over the sounds absolutely incredible. of dangers that lurk in the night, that force you to fear the last two decades, distilling down the series’ core and fan- shadows of your soul and turn from flickering lights that dance favourite elements into one frightfully engaging package. The in the dark. The best scares should leave a scar, because game morphs around you as you move deeper into its web, anything less is but a cheap parlour trick; in this respect, exchanging fragility for fleeting moments of empowerment; Resident Evil VII cuts deep. It brands itself into your very bewilderment and confusion with colour-coded keycards, and being, playing on the fallacy of your basic instincts and the puzzle-solving, and it does it all within one perfectly designed predictability of your inherent fears. It does this to create an and brilliantly executed interwoven game space. Resident Evil atmosphere of unsettling, unwavering, terror; the kind that stirs VII plays with a tenuous balance, shifting between power and PROJECT CARS 2 you from your sleep, the kind that makes your skin crawl when fragility, action and stealth effortlessly, achieving its ambitions 23 you’re searching for the light, the kind that makes you believe almost flawlessly – never outstaying its welcome, relentlessly Project Cars 2 refined and that somebody – or something – is always there. Resident Evil pushing you forward whilst still giving you enough agency to streamlined the simulation racer. In doing so, Slightly Mad Studios VII’s scares leave a scar, and they aren’t necessarily physical, backtrack and breathe. has not only overtaken Turn 10 and although we suppose with PlayStation VR anything is possible Impressively still, this game is able to stand as proof that in the race for pole – truly this is the age of wonder. there is life in VR-driven experiences. So many of the titles position, but made Forza Motorsport feel Resident Evil VII is a technical masterpiece. A true return released on VR in the last 12 months have been glorified archaic and slow to adapt to the shifting to the roots of survival horror, cut from the same cloth as demos or smaller, bite-sized games; VII on the other hand is a tastes of players; to the evolution of the Resident Evil [1996] and the archetypal Sweet Home [1989]. That release that seems to thrive when you stuff yourself into the technology that drives these games isn’t to say, however, that VII’s ambitions are defined merely by headset. Can VR work for triple-A games? If you have played VII forward. It’s a real smooth drive. what has come before it; that it is desperately clinging to past you’ll know that the answer is yes. The game takes on a new successes in an effort find itself reborn in the eyes of weary dimension when played in virtual reality – you can practically fans. And that’s because Capcom has been able to leverage taste and smell the environments, only helping to enhance what made its earliest ventures into horror so effective and the thrills and scares that exist around every one of the family modernised them, evolving the entire experience to feel fresh mansion's corners. and – most integrally – dangerous. Resident Evil VII is exhilarating and terrifying in equal Can you recall the last time you felt physically threatened by measure. It’s a brave and bold move for Capcom, feeling a videogame? Perhaps it was within P.T.’s oppressive chamber quintessentially classic whilst still feeling fresh and NIOH of terror; maybe it was within the combatless constructs of adventurous in its ambitions. What can we say, it’s is a 22 Team Ninja’s latest action- Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Outlast. While these are all fine breathtaking return to form for a series that had long RPG proved to be an examples – games effective at manipulating your emotions – abandoned any hope of redemption. We can’t wait to see what enjoyable romp. The combat is fast and few leave their mark in quite the same way as Resident Evil VII. Capcom does with Resident Evil next. frantic, the difficulty curve designed in such a way that you can’t help but sit up straight and pay attention, while the use of Japanese folklore and aesthetics gave Nioh just enough of an identity to stand out from the crowd.

| 35 LAWBREAKERS 21 The arena shooter found itself in vogue this year, with LawBreakers doing its damnedest to breathe new life into the genre. With wonderfully tight mechanics and some truly incredible map design, Key Productions delivered one of the most 4 entertaining FPS games of the year – don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. WHAT REMAINS OF EDITH FINCH BECAME TRANSFORMATIVE FOR CALL OF DUTY: 20 WORLD WAR II After a decade of pushing THE INDUSTRY into the stars Call Of Duty has finally returned home. The World War II setting Released: 25 April 2017 Developer: Giant Sparrow Publisher: was exactly what the franchise needed, it’s an evocative and thrilling release n What Remains Of Edith Finch truly is special. It’s a testament loss or tragedy on the trajectory to adulthood. But herein lies showcasing incredible visual fidelity and to what this maturing industry is capable of, particularly as a its true power; What Remains Of Edith Finch is evocative, but not a strong refinement of what made the team of dedicated creatives work to deliver an experience that because it makes you confront death; because it asks series so beloved to begin with. would simply be impossible to execute in any other medium. It you to first embrace life. It connects you to each one of its is genuine and enlightening, heartfelt and reflective; it is further characters with a whisper before ripping them away again. proof that gaming can deliver an experience unlike any other. In some instances it can be because of fantastical, almost The thrust of the game is told through a series of vignettes; unbelievable circumstances, yet in others it can be heart- slices of life, small stories focused around a shifting cast of wrenching, close to home and difficult to comprehend. deceased characters – each of them baring the Finch family The game evokes such a honest reaction from the player name, each of them with a tall tale just waiting to be uncovered. – resonates so clearly – because it is beautifully written and Edith Finch returns to her long-abandoned homestead in wonderfully executed in a way that so few games are able to ABSOLVER 19 search of answers, the secrets locked away behind each achieve. The broad reach of the vignettes is presented in such Giving us the opportunity of the bedroom doors-turned-mausoleums. Explored a way that it’s difficult to see any player walking away from to create our own fighting through beautifully delivered, captivating narration and subtle What Remains Of Edith Finch without at least a pause for style, to battle against other brawlers interactions, What Remains Of Edith Finch is able to weave personal reflection. across the globe, proved to be a big hit. together a story that never wavers from its resolve – to leave It isn’t all that often that a videogame will cause genuine Absolver is a strange and challenging game, but it’s one that we’ve struggled you speechless and sorrowful by its closing moments. pause in its player, or prompt a moment of real, reflective to put down over the months. The Each vignette is a mini-game in itself, with each silence, but What Remains Of Edith Finch does well to establish freedom it affords us in its combat introducing you to its own intuitive and unique method of its story, characters and boundaries. It is built in such a way systems is a genuine revolution. control. Giant Sparrow employs somewhere in the region of 30 that it will always find a way to connect with the person different control schemes throughout Edith Finch, and it does behind the controller at a very base human level. And while so without once causing any form of pause or confusion – it’s this narrative experience might not be for everybody, those frictionless. That isn’t just impressive, it’s downright masterful. that are willing to cast out the aspersions of what is and More impressive still is how relatable so much of the isn’t to be considered a videogame will find something truly content is, particularly for any of you that have experienced progressive for the medium.

ASSASSIN’S 18 CREED ORIGINS This is a true achievement in open-world game design; beautiful in presentation, while an overhaul to the core game structure and combat systems ensures that this is the first must-play AC game since 2013’s Black Flag. After a decade of diminishing returns, Ubisoft Montreal proved there is still life in its flagship franchise.

36 | THE GAMES OF 2017

PYRE 17 SuperGiant Games is synonymous with quality, so it’s no surprise that action-RPS (role-playing sports game) Pyre is one of our favourites of the year. Delivering breathtaking visuals and incredibly 3 personable characters alongside an engaging, spiritual-subversion of WOLFENSTEIN II: THE basketball, this is sublime. NEW COLOSSUS IS A BLOODY AND BOLD SHOOTER DESTINY 2 16 After sinking so many THAT TAKES NO PRISONERS thousands of hours into Destiny a sequel would have to do a lot to truly impress. Thankfully, Bungie Released: 27 October 2017 Developer: MachineGames Publisher: Bethesda delivered one hell of a shooter in Destiny 2; the iteration and evolution of its core n There is only one thing you need to know going into industry. Almost every one of them is excellently paced and systems is obvious to see. Bungie Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus to properly get it: the only wonderfully designed; insane and ridiculous, a pure delight to unleashed another time vampire here. good fascist is a very dead fascist. The thing is, Wolfenstein II tear through. The writing is also surprisingly thoughtful and celebrates this by surrounding you with some of the very best sincere. Much like The New Order, The New Colossus manages weapon and mission design in the business. Do you see how to dedicate time to each of the cast, and you can’t help but feel these two elements might combine to create a lengthy single- for each of them as soon as it starts hitting the fan. player only, cinematic, story-driven campaign in which your It’s incredible that a game so vehemently focused on the goal is to find the most ridiculous weaponry that you can get eradication and total destruction of Nazis can find the time to your hands on and use it to eviscerate anybody even thinking of be quite reflective and thoughtful. MachineGames isn’t afraid of uttering the words “Sieg Heil?” having something to say. NEX MACHINA And when we say eviscerate, we mean it. The guns pack Wolfenstein II doesn’t give a shit if you agree with its 15 a mean punch here. Limbs are flying, bodies exploding, skin message or not. MachineGames has delivered a game that is The arcade shooter is in something of a rut, gets split and bones hacked apart. Wolfenstein II is a violent self-assured and confident; violent and unrelenting, a gorgeous although has once onslaught, and it takes great pleasure in revelling in that fact. and evocative shooter that captures the spirit of the earliest again proved that there is still life in it In fact, The New Colossus has an overwhelming quality about days of the FPS whilst still finding room for growth in its story yet. Nex Machina was an impressive, it that makes it almost impossible to ignore or turn away from. and characters. It’s as fun to kill Nazis today as it was in 1992 tantalising twin-stick shooter cast from It constantly commands you to revel in the ultra-violence, and back with the launch of Wolfenstein 3D, the only difference is a top-down perspective; dazzling with you just can’t help but oblige. that the guns we use to do the killing are a little bigger now, and its unwavering attention to detail in its MachineGames has, in Wolfenstein II, demonstrated that the graphical fidelity has evolved to the point where we can see level design, challenging wave-based it is perhaps the most proficient FPS mission designer in the the grin plastered all over B.J. Blazkowicz’s face. combat and unrivalled firing mechanics.

UNCHARTED: THE 14 LOST LEGACY Naughty Dog proved that Uncharted can survive – if not thrive – without starring Nathan Drake in standalone expansion The Lost Legacy. The chemistry between Nadine Ross and Chloe Frazer really made the game what it was. Plus it successfully built on the series’ established gameplay with more open-ended environments.

| 37 THIMBLEWEED PARK 13 Initially designed as a to Maniac Mansion, Thimbleweed Park succeeded not only as a faithful homage to point-and-click adventures of old, but because it understood what made the genre so special to begin with. Smart narrative and puzzle design, fun writing and lovely visuals ensure that this will be considered a true genre classic.

TORMENT: TIDES OF 12 NUMENERA 2 Few dreamt that InXile Entertainment would be capable of delivering a true successor to 1999’s Planescape: Torment, but here we are. It’s a thought-provoking adventure cast NIER: AUTOMATA RIPS out across a truly beautiful setting; Tides Of Numenera’s strength lies in its richly detailed writing and world design. UP THE PLAYBOOK AS YOKO TARO GOES ROGUE

Released: 23 February 2017 Developer: PlatinumGames Publisher: Bethesda

DISHONORED: DEATH OF n Director Yoko Taro has remained in relative obscurity, things like the UI or Pause screen can be manipulated beyond 11 THE OUTSIDER despite having worked at several large games companies in the player’s control – and it all makes sense within the game’s With a scope decidedly Nier: Automata smaller than that of Dishonored II, publishers. However is much more than the world. Additionally, we further see the narrative of the game Arkane constructed something special sum of the collaboration between this quirky director and come to the forefront in an incredibly interesting way. in this standalone expansion. The action game creators PlatinumGames. Combining the style Playing through Nier: Automata once will not get you the sharp level design, characterisation of PlatinumGames’ hallmark action with the creativity and full picture, boasting 26 endings, the game likes to play with of the world and writing – it’s perhaps sheer weirdness of Yoko Taro’s direction and story, what we’re your expectations, and makes itself fun and exciting even 40 stronger in these areas than either of left with is a game that feels like it only exists in the mind of a hours in. Each of these completed games will lead to a new its predecessors. forum-dweller’s dreams. game, which shares elements with your first playthrough, Combat is a standard PlatinumGames combat affair – but introduces new storyline threads or concepts that help meaning slick, smooth combo-based combat, with diverse you piece the full story together yourself. What we’re left weapon variation and upgrades system that allow for some with is some of the densest themes tackled in a mainstream brilliantly challenging combat scenarios. Where Nier: Automata videogame for quite some time. differentiates itself from so many other similar action games is Nier: Automata reaches into the depths of philosophy to not its open-world structure, but the fact that it likes to change make the player ask questions. Are we human? Do we truly genre pretty often. Sometimes it shifts and becomes a side- have free-will? It seems odd for a game to do things like that, YAKUZA 0 scrolling platformer, other times it switches to a bullet-hell but even after putting the controller down, the themes that the 10 While it can be pretty difficult shooter. These transitions in gameplay styles are slick, never game tackles stay with you. This genre-bending adventure is to get into the Yakuza series, frustrating and are all executed excellently, thanks to Platinum’s not one that you’re soon going to forget. Its biggest triumph this prequel is without question the backbone of great combat design and RPG elements. is to have you connect with characters that are not human, perfect place to start. Yakuza 0 is a The star of the show in Nier: Automata is it’s narrative and characters that we’re programmed to distrust or hate, and strange and wonderful videogame; world-design. With Platinum’s combat as its backbone, we see constantly subverting your expectations, to prepare for the innocent and so clearly self aware, it’s the full scope of the game come into its own through into its unexpected. With its dedication to creativity, Nier: Automata an action-adventure that delights in subverting expectation – particularly if own by subverting the usual use of gameplay systems. Little might just be unlike any other game you can buy off the shelf. you aren’t familiar with the series.

38 | THE GAMES OF 2017

PREY 9 The return of the immersive sim in recent years has been wonderful to see, and Prey feels like the next step towards its evolution. A sprawling world map design combined with excellent combat systems and a twisting narrative make this a legit must-play for any FPS fans looking something a little different.

HELLBLADE: 8 SENUA’S SACRIFICE Ninja Theory went out of its way to craft a unique and powerful experience in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. It captures the devastating effects of psychosis on the human mind within the action genre – it’s a powerful and important release for the industry.

1

TACOMA how HORIZON ZERO 7 A twisting exploration of introspection and DAWN found the perspective, almost effortless in its ability to forge an emotional connection between us and a diverse cast of characters; as narrative and game solution to gluttonous design become truly intertwined, Tacoma stands as a pure experience that simply wouldn’t be possible in any open-world game design other entertainment medium. Released: 1 March 2017 Developer: Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment n Admit it, we were all feeling it; the open world design Horizon Zero Dawn works because it is aware of what it is template had, in its previous form, reached its inevitable and what it wants to achieve. It is expertly paced – near perfect conclusion. In the previous generation, the open world action- in this respect. Barely an hour can pass without it bringing adventure game was a testament to the rampant advancement your attention to something new – be it an environment, ability, of design techniques, developer ingenuity and the technology weapon, tribe or prehistoric machine to do battle against. It that exists behind the polygons. But of late it had begun to feel constantly strives to open itself up to you; the more of your time NIGHT IN THE WOODS laboured; as if the games were underpinned by a perpetual that you are willing to share with Horizon, the more it is willing 6 A beautiful, meditative desire to engage us in busy-work masquerading as exciting to share its wonders and mysteries. experience exploring the and innovative play, templated releases that sought to decimate This is unquestionably Guerrilla’s greatest achievement. fragility of the human condition – of all of your time to check off a laundry list of objectives – tired It is indeed a technical marvel, one of the most exquisitely what it means to slowly become an gameplay mechanics left to rot in our hands, supported by crafted and beautiful games on the PlayStation 4 – but we had alien in your own surroundings. Night In The Woods is infused with unease systems that had failed to evolve with the size of the worlds we expected that to be the case. Say what you will about , and discomfort, but is still relatable were left to inhabit. but the shooters sure knew how to leverage the power of a and observational in a way few games Horizon Zero Dawn And then arrived. Guerrilla Games system to produce the best in class performance and visuals. manage to be. The less you know of it made the unquestionably bold move of leaving the FPS behind Horizon goes a step further, delivering an open world that felt going in, the better. Play it. – a genre it had established its entire identity around – and exhilarating to explore; critical missions and side-quests that firmly pushed into the action-RPG space. Many believed it felt as if they justified their place in the story and world, and would never work, that the studio lacked the expertise to ever surprisingly deep combat and crafting systems that ensured innovate in such a congested genre. And yet, here we are, with the core-loop never grew stale. Horizon Zero Dawn leveraged Horizon proving that there is life in this type of behemoth-sized, spectacle to draw your attention, but it’s the game’s sublime time-consuming open-world space after all. design and attention to detail that makes it truly special.

| 39 REVIEW STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT II PS4 Star Wars Battlefront II Sequels are built on hope

This is almost everything run time. The addition of character classes, on screen and the reality of that ensures that that a good sequel is deeper customisation, and career progression they aren’t exactly fun to engage directly in. supposed be; much of is misguided at best, manipulative at its worst; Galactic Assault – Battlefront II's signature PS4 the loudest criticism was the concerns surrounding content addressed by 40-player multiplayer mode – fails to grasp a not only heard, but acted drawing from 40 years of Star Wars history, and hold of its core potential, on touring you across upon. EA addressed the lack of a single-player yet restrained by staggeringly poor decisions the galaxy, and by forcing some strange map campaign by putting Motive Studios on the made in regards to map rotation, game mode rotation concessions into play. The games take case, a brand-new studio created to oversee implementation, and a confusing upgrade too long, the thought of replaying a map from DETAILS production of the publisher’s Star Wars games. and levelling system. The Starship battles are, the rival side too much to bare for many players The furore surrounding the lack starship battles admittedly, a welcome addition and excellent – the drop rate between rounds is, frankly, a Publisher was solved by giving Criterion Games a far in their execution, but ultimately hampered by little out of control. It doesn’t help that issues EA larger part to play in production, while concerns many of the above problems. surrounding spawn point placement have made DeveloPer surrounding the lack of content, troubled Battlefront II has also failed to address the a return, particularly on some of the larger DICE, Motive, Criterion implementation of vehicles and heroes, and most critical feedback that was levied at the maps, a frustration that ultimately wears away general lack of enjoyable career progression 2015 release: the game itself simply isn’t fun the protective shielding of your nostalgia. PsN Price £54.99 was to be overhauled by DICE, all as it looked to play for extended periods of time. DICE Galactic Assault and the small Strike to get Star Wars Battlefront II on shelves and in has once again attempted to build a game experience (both focused on successfully Players 1-40 fighting shape ahead of the release of the next that captures the spirit and feel of the Star completing shifting mission parameters as a movie in the series, The Last Jedi. Wars universe – of its tantalising scenarios team rather than leaderboard K/D ascension) That all sounded great on paper. The reality of and thunderous battles – in a way that is are also quickly turned into living nightmares the situation is that Battlefront II is a bad sequel. accessible to all, as enticing to casual fans as players seem incapable of playing the The single-player campaign starts strongly of the franchise as it is hardcore Battlefield objective. The blame for this can’t be placed enough but quickly derails itself, seemingly too veterans. Unsurprisingly, those elements wholly on the developer but this is a familiar concerned with nostalgia baiting to properly simply do not play well together. complaint, and something of a running grasp hold of the unique opportunity it had Much like its predecessor, there’s joke: when it comes to Battlefield – a clear created for itself in the canon over its five-hour something magical about your first steps into conclusion to draw here is that DICE is still yet this experience. Battlefront II is a true technical to properly incentivise objective and squad- achievement – a testament to the talent and based play on console. dedication of so many working behind the Looking broadly at the package, it’s easy to scenes. It is an audio and visual delight, with DICE be impressed. Battlefront II looks beautiful, it delivering an unprecedented level of detail in its sounds amazing, and will likely appease the assets that bring everything to life; the sprawling casual Star Wars fan that’s always wanted to multiplayer battles, cast out across 17 maps, live out the fantasy of crashing a T-47 airspeeder many of which hold up to 40 players, immediately into the side of an AT-AT or 74-Z speeder bike capture the sense of scale and place of Star into trees as Ewoks look on. But the gunplay Wars’ most famous locations. And it’s true, there is too bland, the career and upgrade system is magic in those first steps out into Hoth once too aggressively confusing – shackled to a loot again, the crunch of ice-white snow underfoot box/progression system that seems to actively likely to summon a smile much in the same way balk at any of the lessons learned by the world’s The Empire Strikes Back achieves in its opening biggest multiplayer shooters and developers scenes time and time again. But that magic over the last decade – to ever really impress wanes with each subsequent step; Battlefront II for more than a fleeting moment. Battlefront II is is another showcase as to why it’s perhaps best if fan service and little else; much respect to the Star Wars’ battles are left to the actors, animators craft, the attention to detail and the wealth of and illustrators of this world. content, but sadly it just isn’t enough. It’s starting There are some clear improvements to feel as if Star Wars simply isn’t a franchise here, however the overall package feels like suitable for this type of sprawling, large-scale something crucial is missing. The controls multiplayer experience. It doesn’t have it in its are, largely, far more responsive in both third bones, and if DICE can’t find a way to make it and first-person perspectives. That is sadly work, we’re fearful nobody can. tempered by a surprising lack of weapon feedback and options for survivability; the VERDICT The starship battles do perhaps the best job of capturing weapons don’t feel good to wield, your options everything you’d want to see and feel from a Star Wars game. They are big on spectacle, but fast and fun to engage in. Somebody give Criterion the on the battlefield surprisingly limited. Star This isn’t the game you’re Star Wars: Rogue Leader franchise already. Wars always promoted big, blusterous battles looking for 6/10

40 | The look of these multiplayer maps is actually a little insane. DICE has gone to staggering lengths to capture the finer detail in each of its environments.

MOTIVE CAME CLOSE

The single-player campaign was almost exactly what it needed to be. While the general moment- to-moment play suffers from the same handling and feedback issues present in the multiplayer, it feels less pronounced here in the paced mission structures. Writers Walt Williams and Mitch Dyer clearly have a concise and clear command of the Star Wars universe, and the characters that inhabit it, but we can’t help but feel as if time would have been better spent in the company of Iden Versio and Inferno Squad, rather than shifting focus to various heroes whose stories have yet to be told within the 30-year gap between Return Of The Jedi and The Force Awakens. The heroes are not fun to control, their stories uninteresting (despite the characters being well written) and we’d have rather seen the entire game focused on Iden’s struggle with the Dark Side rather than her valuable screen time eaten up by nostalgia.

| 41 REVIEW HIDDEN AGENDA PS4

42 | Detective Becky Marney is already under scrutiny, but she’s determined to locate the Trapper Killer. How far will you push to close Hidden Agenda the case? Can you catch the Trapper Killer?

Hidden Agenda succeeds in Despite the fact that Hidden Agenda has demonstrating the delicacy supposedly been developed with multiplayer of real-life decisions and in mind, the Competitive Mode is poorly PS4 how they would affect a implemented. ‘Takedowns’ have been included criminal investigation. to avoid standoffs, but when playing with an Unfortunately, in doing so, Supermassive even party, we were forced to compromise Games has also highlighted some of the very often. The Hidden Agenda system downsides of developing a story-driven game frequently challenged us to play with specific details with multiple plot alterations. While Hidden intentions, encouraging us to make certain Agenda goes beyond the regular standard decisions if we wanted to score points against PUBLISHER of just a handful of multiple endings, its our opponents. This continuous disruption to sony interactive complicated structure doesn’t necessarily the story didn’t elevate the experience at all, entertainment europe entice us to continue replaying the game until and there was little challenge in deducing who DEVELOPER supermassive Games we achieve the preferred ending. We were had a Hidden Agenda in each round. initially impressed by the concept of our Utilising PlayLink via the Hidden Agenda PSN PRICE £15.99 actions influencing chunks of the story, but it App has enabled Supermassive Games to give for a crime-thriller movie night. It lacks any soon became apparent when parts of the plot us access to more information, which we can substantial cause of replayability after a couple PLAYERS 1-6 were missing. browse through at our leisure. Nonetheless, of runs, but still has an impressively malleable Across multiple playthroughs, many of the DualShock 4 is still greatly missed here. string of events that transcend other titles the conversations felt prematurely clipped, Executing QTEs can be unreliable in the app, in the genre. Our preferred way of working which resulted in the story feeling awkward. and finding all timed clues was made near- through Hidden Agenda’s complex story Twitchy character animations and out-of-place impossible thanks to the processing time was easily the Story Mode, as this left every narration further contributed to us feeling between locating a clue, and being able to decision in our hands and kept the tutorial disconnected. On occasion, game-changing drag the cursor to search for more. Playing disruptions to a minimum. Hidden Agenda is a dialogue choices were poorly labelled, which Hidden Agenda using a DualShock 4 would good idea let down by a few strange decisions. led us to opting for a decision we had tried to have eliminated the majority of the issues avoid. Considering that the only way to go back that we encountered with the controls, but and experience other versions of the story is by unfortunately no support has been included. veRdiCt sitting through another full playthrough, these With strong characters and a twisted A good alternative instances were very frustrating. plot, this game is a respectable substitute to a movie night. 5/10

| 43 REVIEW LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES 2 PS4

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 Does the series need rebuilding?

Following the Marvel to solve them can be confusing – we spent Cinematic Universe is all a frustrating few minutes trying to solve a well and good, but we problem more than once. PS4 prefer it when developers Reach the end and you’ll face off against are allowed to have a little a boss plucked from Marvel’s villain gallery fun with famous heroes and tell their – but these fights certainly won’t match up own stories. It’s something that the first to the epic battles you see on the cinema LEGO Marvel Super Heroes title did brilliantly screens. Usually they boil down to beating DETAILS in 2013, and the sequel goes even further. up grunts by mashing the attack button until Borrowing and tweaking a storyline from the boss becomes susceptible to damage, at Publisher Marvel’s summer event, the plot revolves which point you run over to them and… mash Warner Bros around Kang the Conquerer, who is using the attack button. It’s not surprising (this is DeveloPer Traveller’s Tales time-bending powers to bring together a LEGO game, after all) but it’s a shame that multiple time periods in a single Kingdom – only a few of these bosses have a unique PsN Price £39.99 Chronopolis – with him as its all-powerful tactic for being taken down. leader. This massive area makes up the The story takes you through 20 levels, Players 1-4 game’s hub world, and there’s a mass to see. but that’s only the start. Each of the levels One minute you’ll be swooping over pyramids has plenty of secrets to uncover in free play from ancient Egypt, the next you’ll be in Nueva mode and then there’s the main hub, which is York, the future version of Manhattan, then littered with objective markers. Save locals, the gameplay loop is perfect for kids. If you’re Wakanda, then Asgard, then the Old West. rescue the many LEGO Stan Lees around playing alongside a younger gamer, you’ll The variety is excellent, and there are small, Chronopolis, find new characters…there’s so probably have a blast. For more experienced neat touches all over the place. much to do that when we finished the main players, you may find yourself putting the pad The main story explores all of these areas, story our progress only showed around 35 down long before you get close to the 100 per and follows the classic LEGO template. per cent. cent mark. You’ll enter a level with a preset group of The question is whether you have the heroes, then partake in some light puzzling, patience for it all. Ultimately, these games are VERDICT platforming and fighting to achieve your designed with younger players in mind, and objective. As always, the puzzles are simple, for them, this is sure to thrill. It has a huge Fun, heroic stuff, especially but working out what you actually need to do hero roster, laugh-out-loud moments and for younger players 6/10

44 | | 45 REVIEW NEED FOR SPEED PAYBACK PS4

Police chases return, but only in certain events. They can be a fair bit of fun and while not too difficult, their formations and aggressiveness can get the better of you if you’re not careful.

IT’S ALL ABOUT ‘THE LOOK’

Since the days of Need for Speed: Underground, the franchise has been synonymous with ludicrous car modification. From spoilers to garish decals to underglow, the series embraced everything loud about street racing. Payback does that, but like everything, it requires a lot of effort. The visual editor is extensive, with almost Photoshop levels of precision, meaning you can really make a car your own. However, it’s so deep, it will take a while to make something you love. When you’re changing cars often and selling them for new ones, it often doesn’t feel worth the effort. Add that you have to unlock the ability to modify different parts of your car and things like tire smoke colour being locked behind Shipments, Payback’s visual customisation options feel like another chore.

46 | Need For Speed Payback Grinding through the rat race

Sometimes a game should comments to themselves while driving. To really you will get a new story mission and then a new just work. There’s a gap in put the nail in the carburettor, it’s all performed set of gangs – rinse and repeat. To be able to the market for a game of its with the conviction of voice actors who seem to compete reliably, your car has to be a certain level PS4 kind, the developers have made be unsure if these lines are meant to be spoken by and to achieve that level, you need to upgrade your the right noise and in the end, actual human beings. cars with Speed Cards. Speed Cards are rewarded what’s been shown looks like fun. That was true The characters would be bearable if the driving when you win races or buy them from certain of Need For Speed Payback. It should have been a was good enough to distract you, but it largely isn’t. locations. If you can’t get your level high enough, great arcade racer, which are a rarity right now; it There certainly is a thrill in performing a good drift you either need to go back and do races you’ve DETAILS should have benefited from Ghost Games having around a corner at 140MPH, but that’s about as already won or get another form of lootbox called taken a year off; and with a focus on modern Fast good as it gets. Where it’s dragged down is in the ‘Shipments’ which you earn when you level up (or, Publisher And Furious-like frolics, it should be a delightful feeling of racing other cars. Instead of a test of speed of course, through microtransactions). These have EA jaunt of racing and revenge. Sadly, Payback is none against AI, it often feels like you’re racing against Part Tokens, and you can use three of them for the DeveloPer of these things. Instead, it’s a reminder that even a director who’s controlling the flow of the race. chance at a better Speed Card. It’s a convoluted Ghost Games though something looks like it should be a slam You can come to a complete stop, putting you at a mess based on two loot systems, relying on either PsN Price dunk, it can quickly turn into bitter disappointment. significant distance behind a pack of racers, only to grinding out races you’ve already won or possibly £49.99 Taking place in Fortune Valley (a fictional stand- find you’ve caught back up in a couple turns. On the easing the grind by buying a few Shipments with Players in for Las Vegas), the game initially puts you in the flipside, you can lead for long periods of time, only real money. 1 (4-8 online) shoes of Tyler, ‘the city’s best racer’. You’re also to find yourself being overtaken by someone after On top of that, as you get later in the game, the quickly thrust into the roles of the rest of his crew: having made no major mistake. There can be merit cars you’ve been using will not be able to level up Mac, a London expat, and Jess, a prickly getaway to this kind of design, but when the seams are as to the required levels. Thus you’ll need to sell them driver. When trying to steal a supercar, they’re obvious to see as they are in Payback, it feels like and buy new cars, which come at a level much betrayed by ‘The House’, a shadowy organisation cheap trickery. lower than you’ve already achieved, meaning you’ll that runs the city, and thus a tale of revenge is set. The structure of Payback might be its most have to grind those up to the required level again. It’s pretty nonsensical stuff brought down further infuriating problem. It begins with a story mission It’s a horrendous matryoshka doll of gates and by the fact the characters that fill the roles of this before tasking you with taking down three to four systems built to blockade the player. The play just revenge plot are insufferable. They exist in the racing crews. These gangs can specialise in street, isn’t anywhere near good enough to ask this level of uncanny valley that occurs when a corporate entity off-road, drift and drag racing. Tyler and Mac will repetition of those playing. tries to simulate ‘cool’. They feel fake and worse, have to race between four and six races to beat Now, that isn’t to say it’s a complete wash. Variety they’re impossible to escape with the cutscenes, a crew, while Jess will be off doing pickups and is Payback’s key strength. From downtown to long passages of dialogue in races and off-hand police getaways. Once you do the required events, mountain ranges to desserts, there is an appealing quality to the locales of the game. The racetracks built into the fabric of the environments mean that, outside of the confines of a race when all of its structures are stripped away, the moments of driving from one spot to the next at your leisure are when you can see the good in the title. That’s the tragedy of Need For Speed Payback. Somewhere in there lies a decent arcade racer but it’s buried in barriers that make it unpalatable. The main characters are up there with the most unnatural and irritating in games, and it speaks volumes that that’s one of the game’s lesser problems. Through the unappetising structure of the campaign, to the defeating loot and progression systems, it all mixes to make an unappealing cocktail. It’s a disaster. Coming off a lukewarm reception of the 2015 reboot and taking a year off to get it right, Payback is the kind of entry that makes you worry about an entire franchise. It’s hard to see where Ghost Games can go from here. VERDICT

Need For Speed Payback is at its best when you are let loose on the world and you use it to your own ends. For all of its an infuriating slog hurt foibles, the game really benefits from having racetracks built into its fibre. by its own structure 4/10

| 47 REVIEW HAND OF FATE 2 PS4 Hand Of Fate 2 The Game has changed Genre hybrids have only simply fleshing out locations and environments while some cards play by their own rules with become more prevalent as that are told rather than shown. As such, it’s effects that may escalate or diminish through games have matured as a a shame that his dialogue tends to repeat repeat use. Combat too is refined, still basic PS4 medium, but there’s always so frequently, especially apparent since the yet functional, with greater variety to weapons, the risk of developers structure of the game often makes replaying enemies and encounters, as well as companion spreading their efforts too thin. While a missions necessary. While the core mechanics characters each of whom again works well dash of RPG mechanics here or a branching operate very similarly to the original game, in different circumstances. They also play into narrative there may help to freshen up the new quest-based framework makes it the expanded chance mechanics, the shuffled DETAILS otherwise traditional experiences, there’s feel instantly fresh and constantly evolving. ‘success/failure’ cards of the original joined a delicate balance to strike to avoid ending Every mission is like a self-contained mini by three new (dice, roulette and PUBLISHER pendulum) with each of the four possible Defiant up with something muddy and/or needlessly RPG campaign, each with its own hazards, convoluted. On paper, then, something like hardships and even rule sets. Deck-building companions offering an edge in one of these DEVELOPER In-house Hand Of Fate should be almost doomed to plays a much greater role here too, with key crucial deciding factors. failure – it cherry-picks key elements from complications highlighted before a quest and Well-written, cleverly built and thoroughly PSN PRICE £54.99 not only videogaming but beyond into the cards related to those themes conveniently enjoyable, Hand Of Fate 2 is (the odd performance tabletop space, blending seemingly disparate flagged. You could scrape through most hiccup aside) a masterclass in sequel-making PLAYERS 1 ingredients into a unique and exotic dish. With missions with a simple deck, but tailoring that sees the promise of the ambitious original Arkham-style action combat, loot pools based your encounters and equipment to the task at finally realised – further diversifying content yet on pre-assembled card decks, visual novel- hand is usually the only way to meet optional delivering a more tightly-woven experience isn’t style exposition and development and more, objectives and in turn unlock even more something a lot of studios can pull off, so kudos such a muddled mix of mechanics has no right powerful cards for future use. to the team for doubling down on this superb to work… yet it does, brilliantly. Pretty much every other aspect has evolved concept so skilfully. The Dealer is the glue that holds everything similarly, each feeding into a deeper and more together here, reprising his role as compère varied overall experience. Putting tokens (which VERDICT and narrator to great effect. He's a fascinating unlock new cards when certain criteria are character, and wonderfully performed whether met) on equipment cards further encourages A hugely successful he’s mocking your habits and shortcomings or thoughtful customisation and experimentation, reshuffle 8/10 Each of the four companions brings with them abilities and traits that make them suited for certain types of encounters and trials, both in and out of combat. Completing their storylines unlocks upgraded versions, too.

48 | | 49 REVIEW SONIC FORCES PS4

50 | Sonic Forces is a looker at times, but levels soon become a blur of repetitive actions Sonic Forces The Farce Unleashed DETAILS Sonic Forces is a mess. to behind their blurry butt. Your character, Publisher Even without the unenviable ‘The Rookie’, will sometimes team up with Sega platforming competition Sonic, a single jump command sending both DeveloPer offered by the luscious of them into the air. These stages climax Sonic Team PS4 (In-house) playgrounds of Super Mario with a Double Boost, where completing Odyssey and the throwback pixels of Sonic one of the game’s inconsistent quick-time PsN Price £15.99 Mania, the latest adventure for Sega’s mascot events sends the two flying forward at near- Players and his endless array of furry associates unstoppable speed. It’s cool enough the first 1 would feel like a game torn between identities, time you see it, but like most instances of at a loss for a reason to exist. relative panache in Sonic Forces, feels tired Does Forces want to evoke the 2D originals by the second. of the 8- and 16-bit era, the 3D mixed bags Neither the 3D nor 2D approach really that followed or serve as a sequel to the works. There are times when control via one game that combined aesthetics without the chase camera feels like it’s stuck in the representing an unmitigated disaster, 2011’s mud. And player avatars are so tiny in the Sonic Generations? It fails on all three fronts. side-on sequences that they easily become It’s definitely a hand of friendship to the lost against a variety of busy backgrounds. Sonic fan art community, with its inclusion Colour can be problematic, too – good luck of a custom-created avatar. But Forces only if you’ve made yourself a red Rookie during casts the player as their unique hero half the one particular face-off against Forces’ time, frequently putting them in the shoes of original antagonist, the Eggman-affiliated the can’t-stop-talking modern Sonic or his Infinite. alternate-dimension (and mercifully mute) As a dress-up experience, Forces excels. retro counterpart. The completion of every level and mission As often as your mutant bird, bear or awards you with a plethora of threads to bunny is grapple-hooking around collapsing deck your avatar in. But as a game, it’s bridges and lunar bases, they’re left on the an unfocused, erratic, undeniably loud but sidelines, Forces’ baffling narrative only ultimately hollow franchise entry where an initially calls on them when all else fails. excess of energy has been mistaken for Naturally, it makes sense that a Sonic game excitement. Mania illustrated that there’s life would have you play as Sonic – but given that in the old hog yet – but Forces is a red- this game’s unique selling point is its design- sneakered spin-dash in the wrong direction. your-own-hero feature, it’s surprising that they spend so much time off screen. There are moments when worlds collide VERDICT – and not just in the sense that select levels less chili dog delight, more shift perspective from the side of your avatar dog’s dinner 4/10

| 51 FEATURE PLAYSTATION CLASSICS #42: ASSASSIN’S CREED

ASSASSIN’SPUBLISHER UBISOFT DEVELOPER UBISOFT MONTREAL CREED

Remembering the real origin story of one of gaming’s biggest franchises a decade on from its debut

THE BIGGEST FRANCHISES often have the securing the prince’s safe passage home to the humblest of beginnings. For Ubisoft, the road to throne. The core concept came from the mind of establishing a billion-dollar brand began in 2003. Sands Of Time creative director Patrice Désilets, Production had wrapped on Prince Of Persia: inspired by tales of Hassan-i-Sabbah, an Eleventh Sands Of Time and a team of aspiring developers, century missionary who was said to have founded the engineers and programmers were immediately Asasiyun – or as we know them today, the assassins. tasked with taking the beloved action-platformer to Ubisoft liked it, but was ultimately confused: why the next level, envisioning a sequel that was bold, had Désilets and a small team of 20 spent a year expressive and innovative. It didn’t go as planned in pre-production on a title that didn’t feature the and they may have accidentally killed the series Prince in a leading role? Instead of scrapping it entirely. But what arose from the ashes was far entirely, Ubisoft allowed the Sands Of Time veterans greater and more potent in the marketplace, with the to continue on the road it had started down and, power to entice audiences outside of videogames, its in November of 2007, we had our first taste of it: allure seeping out into everything from cinema and Assassin’s Creed landed and gave us an insight comics, to toys and anime. into the generation’s most exciting development, the Assassin’s Creed was born out of Prince Of Persia: advancement of the open-world sandbox. Assassin, a game framed around a young boy, a Across the game’s three-year development cycle, prince, with special powers being captured by a the team had swollen from 20 to 120; the Scimitar dangerous new threat to Jerusalem. You were to engine had been created from scratch (known now embody the role of a deadly assassin, hellbent on as Anvil, a variation of it continues to power the

52 | MARIONETTE STRINGS An ode to the Animus and how it justiied the world of creed

looking at it today, the animus seems like the perfect Macgufin; everything into english for desmond. game bugs and boring mission a device that lets Ubisoft take us to anywhere in the world, to any design? you are simply seeing streamlined fragments of altaïr’s period of known history. the science iction and real-world elements memories. Cumbersome movement options? that’s because may have become tempered in recent years, but back in 2007 it was desmond is merely controlling altaïr – each input on your controller integral to Assassin’s Creed. the machine let desmond experience corresponding to limbs rather than action directly, part of the unique the memories of his assassin ancestor altaïr, working to explain away Marionette input system. Assassin’s Creed worked so hard to justify many of the idiosyncrasies of the experience. repetitious dialogue its iction, in many ways it’s a shame that that has disappeared over and strange accents? a result of the animus attempting to translate the years.

AC games to this day), designed to house all of the freedom to choose, not only how we were going to components of this insanely ambitious open-world assassinate nine leading Templars, but in how we title. It might not look like much now, particularly KeY would approach them too – across a world that felt when played next to 2017’s stunning Assassin’s FACTs as if it were actually alive. Creed Origins, but back in 2007 we hadn’t seen n Assassin’s Creed Enemy AI would be able to detect where you were anything like it before – it was a true showcase to was originally and where you intended on going, the path-finding the power and potential of the PlayStation 3 and going to include was advanced enough that it could track you across consoles. a crossbow, but different planes of height and across sprawling A new engine and story were just the beginning. Ubisoft determined distances as you headed out of the city walls. Ubisoft At the heart of Assassin’s Creed was to be its that ranged combat would also push its stealth elements out from the sandbox world, an element of its construction made the game tightly scripted scenarios seen in Splinter Cell, that has truly stood the test of time. Set in the too easy, not to focusing on what it called ‘social stealth’ – or the Middle East during the Third Crusades, Ubisoft mention historically ability to blend in with your environment to dodge Montreal ushered in elements that were to be truly inaccurate. You can guards, divert attention and covertly track targets revolutionary for the time. This was to be a world even see it in the in the open-ended environments. Becoming lost as that you didn’t just pass through, but could inhabit game’s opening part of a crowd – gently pushing through the bustle entirely; a protagonist would take centre stage that trailer on the menu. of a busy street – highlighted a breadth and quality was intimately familiar with their surroundings, of animation that console players had rarely been able to freely traverse the environment with ease n Altaïr is one of treated to before this game. – storming through alleyways, scaling buildings the only members Assassin’s Creed was as perfect of a melding of art and bounding across rooftops with wild abandon. of the order to have and design as you could hope to see in 2007. It set a Assassin’s Creed may have ultimately suffered due a missing finger. standard that most every developer looking to build to repetitious mission structure and loose combat While Ubisoft has out open-world sandboxes in the decade to follow mechanics, but its world and the AI that inhabited never confirmed would study delicately; the construction of the city why this is the case, it impressed none the less. We were given the and the variety of systems at play every step of the it’s believed that way was truly astounding, when you think about it. the master assassin Ubisoft successfully constructed one of the cut his own off to biggest franchises in the videogame world in “assassin’s Creed accommodate a hidden blade of his Assassin’s Creed and its influence is still felt was as perfeCt of own design. across the industry. Its fiction may have become labyrinthine – bordering on parody – in the a Melding of art intervening years, and the size of its worlds swollen to the point that the studio struggles to properly and design as yoU optimise them. But at the heart of it all is this divisive 2007 gem. In spite of its flaws, there are flashes of CoUld hope to brilliance in its design, Assassin’s Creed advanced stealth systems and sandbox open world, and for see in 2007” that we will always be thankful.

| 53 FEATURE PLAYSTATION CLASSICS #42: ASSASSIN’S CREED

The GAMiFiCATioN oF hisTorY learning bad history froM good VideogaMes

AssAssiN’s Creed ii CAll oF duTY: blACK ops n Ubisot has always marketed Assassin’s Creed in the same way: that n Revisionist history is basically what Treyarch used to build the monstrous it was able to use ‘history as its playground’. To its credit, it certainly is success of the Black Ops series. But that’s all okay, because Call Of Duty’s a playground wherein actual history collides with inane mutterings of maddest instance of twisted history comes in the form of ‘Five’; zombies conspiracy theorists. According to Assassin’s Creed, just about everything are descending on Washington, and the only people that can stop them are good in this world is secretly a Templar organisation. NASA, for example John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Robert McNamara and Fidel Castro. So is actually a Templar front, designed so that Buzz Aldrin could retrieve an many millions likely played COD instead of doing their history homework, Apple of Eden from the surface of the Moon. so who knows what people believe!

54 | sid Meier’s CiviliZATioN The oreGoN TrAil n Civilization has always operated under its own historical methodology. n We won’t lie, pretty much everything that we know about the historic The fact that you are able to start out in a relatively chill 4000BC and ramble from Independence, Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon from the progress your civilisation through to 2050, ruling over everything from early 1800s we learned from MECC’s iconic videogame. While The Oregon the smallest technological advances to sweeping milestones that Trail itself was meticulously researched and rooted in reality, we’re still change the face of your society. It’s all nonsense, of course, as the game not 100 per cent sold on the idea that almost every single journey across progression systems quickly overlap with historical timings, giving a the trail would result in a mess of broken bones, diseases and multiple warped (albeit fun) top-down view of history through the ages. deaths by dysentery.

sTATe oF eMerGeNCY World oF TANKs n VIS Entertainments’ beloved State Of Emergency drew a lot of criticism n World Of Tanks is actually pretty historically accurate; the tanks are upon its release due to its striking similarities to the 1999 riots in Seattle. all meticulously re-created, giving players an incredible insight into the It was denounced by Washington, particularly when it was discovered that nightmarish hell that these vehicles must have been like to operate back the game’s fictional antagonist establishment was the American Trade during World War II. Plus it taught us, and we never learned this at school, Organization, a close parallel to the very real World Trade Organization at that all a giant tank needs to do to avoid detection from an enemy is hide the heart of the protest. It was manic, frenzied and super violent; probably in large bushes. How our generals never figured that magnificent tactic not the way people should remember the famed riots. out we will never understand.

The siMs roMe ToTAl WAr n The Sims is directly responsible for setting false expectations in the n Rome: Total War is largely accurate to history, but you shouldn’t take hearts of millennials across the globe. As one of the most popular series everything you learn from this revolutionary RTS into class. There are small of all time, The Sims quickly taught us that it would indeed be possible for inaccuracies – Creative Assembly managed to conflate the differences us to hold down a steady job, own a large house in a bustling metropolis, between the Greek and Macedonian-style phalanxes (pfft, amateurs) – while and still find the time to foster healthy relationships and social lives. the speed of communication and execution of manoeuvres on the battlefield Looking back on it now, The Sims just seems like cruel revisionist history, is oversold. War was messy in Roman times, which is only accurately giving millennials false hope in these trying times. portrayed here if you’re super bad at the game.

| 55 PLUS EXTENDED PLAY DLC MULTIPLAYER TROPHIES VIDEO

INTERVIEW IN CONVERSATION WITH YOSUKE MATSUDA ’s president discusses the state of the industry and the return of the 16-bit RPG

HOW DID THE TOKYO RPG FACTORY like direction. So I just said, ‘yeah that’s fine, give it a try!’ something that we are looking into separately outside COME TOGETHER? But I told them we couldn’t just re-create the games from of RPG Factory. I think it’ll be the mainline Square Enix I discussed [the idea] with a number of people within the past; it has to be made as a modern game for now. studios that focus on that one. the company and outside of the company too, the idea We’ve been saying that from the start, it was important of creating new games in a classic style, the classic RPG that we went in that direction. I personally don’t think the HOW DOES TOKYO RPG FACTORY style. Once we put the word out, a number of people idea of a turn-based game is old-fashioned or outdated at FIT INTO THE WIDER SQUARE ENIX raised their hands and said that they wanted to be all, I just think it’s one style of game that you can have. It’s BUSINESS? involved in that kind of project – people within Square like in music, you can have many different styles of music The way I look at it, I really want to have a lot of Enix and people from other companies as well. It was a but any of them can be made modern. separate studios each with their own character, their case of gathering those people together: that was really own personality and specialisation. Rather than looking the starting point of the Tokyo RPG Factory. WAS THE IDEA TO ALWAYS CREATE at Square Enix as one big structure, and how RPG NEW IP, OR WERE YOU EVER Factory fits into that, I want to have lots of different THE STUDIO’S DEBUT, I AM TEMPTED TO BRING CLASSIC studios; RPG Factory is obviously one of those, but SETSUNA, AND NOW LOST FRANCHISES BACK UNDER THE we also have , Eidos Montreal, Eidos SPHEAR, ARE BOTH HEAVILY TOKYO RPG FACTORY BANNER? London… I want them all to have their own specific INSPIRED BY CHRONO TRIGGER; What I really wanted Tokyo RPG Factory to do was to character and make different things in their own ways. WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THAT TITLE start to create new games, using a unique style and We have this large portfolio with lots of different games THAT RESONATED WITH YOU AND what [the team] is really good at doing is to make new in there, and different teams will be good at different scales THE TEAM? IP – we firmly decided that at the start. But obviously the of development – some of them big and some of them I didn’t personally make that decision myself [laughter]. idea of some of the older RPGs that we used to create, better at smaller development. It’s good to have those big I know they all discussed it among themselves and they back in the Super Nintendo days, the idea of bringing productions, those big budget games, but it’s good to give decided that they wanted to go in that Chrono Trigger- them back to a modern audience in some way is also a chance to those developers who are maybe better at

56 | GET IN TOUCH TO TALK PLAYSTATION, JOIN THE PLAY NETWORK… PLAY Future Publishing Richmond House WWW 33 Richmond Hill Bournemouth Dorset www.play-mag.co.uk josh.west@ facebook/ youtube.com/ @PlayMag_UK twitch/PlayUK BH2 6EZ futurenet.com PlayMagazineUK PlayMagUK

smaller scale projects – to have that richness and variation have to learn everything again from scratch. In that sense, overall line-up of titles each year and what we are in our portfolio, I think that’s a big strength for a game having [a] smoother gradation and change has made our going to be able to put into that. The titles that are being company. business and development much easier, because there is developed by the Western studios are going to be a less to acclimatise to with longer generation cycles. major part of the year, but that’s not because we are WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THE aiming specifically for those regions. Look at games like RESPONSE TO I AM SETSUNA? WE OFTEN PITCH THE EAST Nier: Automata [which was released earlier in 2017], a This is a genre that everybody has their own opinion on; VERSUS WEST, IS THAT NOW Japanese developed game that sold globally, so we really everybody has a little thing that they want to say on it, and AN OUTDATED WAY OF VIEWING don’t try to focus on those as individual regions – we look we had a lot of people that really supported the idea and THE INDUSTRY? at it as a global line-up for a global audience. people that were very critical too, we got all of it. It’ll be I think fans generally might like to see it in those directions the same for Lost Sphear; you have to take all opinions but I don’t see it like that. Certainly nowadays, the speed at WITH THE RELEASE OF LOST on board, look at them, and work to make a new game which information flows is just so fast, it really isn’t what SPHEAR IMMINENT, WHAT ARE and improve yourself on the next one. I think that’s how it was like in the past where you have a game developed YOUR ASPIRATIONS FOR ITS you evolve games and keep making them better, by in Japan, then half a year later it would finally get localised RELEASE AND IMPACT? getting feedback from both sides. and finally come out elsewhere in the world. That’s one of What I’d like to see is as many people as possible try Lost the reasons that it doesn’t make sense to think about it in Sphear and just experience it. It’s a completely different HOW HAS THE RELEASE OF THE that regional sense anymore. kind of game experience to what you get with the regular, PS4 PRO IMPACTED CURRENT AND mainstream triple-A titles, it’s a different thing – a great FUTURE PLANS? SO, YOU HAVE A MORE GLOBAL experience in its own right. I hope it gets more people In the past we’ve had that massive, very stark changeover OUTLOOK ON THINGS? interested in that genre of games, especially the younger for a completely new hardware generation and a We don’t really think about it as working on specific generation, [so they] realise that there is another style of completely new development environment – where you regional markets, we generally think about it as the game that they can enjoy.

| 57 PLUS EXTENDED PLAY FriENDLY co-oP gAmEs

EXTENDED PLAY co-oP gAmEs Do you want to team up and play with your friends but aren’t interested in hunting monsters? Here are a few alternatives worth trying…

DESTINY 2

■OH, DESTINY 2. What else is there to say about Bungie’s striking sci-fi shooter that you haven’t heard a million times before? The studio has been hard at work improving and streamlining its systems since launch, ensuring that Destiny 2 is continually getting better at inviting players into its very best content. Guided Games and Clans have ensured that the illustrious Raid content is no longer held at arms length, while the revitalised Crucible and Strike content ensures that there’s no better FPS for co-op play available on the PS4. If you’re looking for a game to play with your friends, don’t look any further than Destiny 2.

58 | PLUS

OVERCOOKED ■ WHILE THERE ARE plenty of really great indie games available on the PS4, few offer as consistent laughs and conflict points as Overcooked. It’s a game that puts you and your friends in charge of a kitchen, with each player in command of a station – think Hell’s Kitchen, only it isn’t Gordon Ramsay screaming at you to work harder but the persons sat to your left and right instead. Overcooked finds a perfect TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION balance between cooperative and competitive gaming, and it’s a title ■ THE DIVISION HAS seen signiicant revisions already released premium DLC that greatly expanded that you’ll struggle to put down once you get into the flow of it. If you and overhauls in the last 12 months and the game the scope of play – which has ensured that this game can’t stand the heat, stay in the kitchen and find some better friends. is all the better because of it. It’s now one of the is now an absolute must play, focused on team play most reliable and entertaining co-op experiences and cooperation, although the option for turning on available on the PS4, letting you and your friends your friends in the dreaded neutral zones is always romp through a New York City caught in a perpetual an option too. The Division is a whole lot of fun, a cycle of disaster. The Division recently received an purpose built co-op game that never ceases to ofer excellent free expansion – playing nicely with the up a fun and broad gaming experience.

Diablo iii ■ DIABLO WOULD NEVER work on console. That’s what they all said,. Well, who’s laughing now? It’s us, by the way, because Diablo III is amazing; Blizzard has done such an exceptional job with the conversion and optimisation that PS4 is now essentially the best RoCKET lEaGUE place to play. It’s one of those co-op games that just keeps on giving. The more of yourself that you sacriice ■ IS THIS A traditional co-op game? Most would and dedication. Hunting for success in the brutal yourselves to the altar of the click, the more loot thou say no, but then how do you explain the fact that arenas of Rocket League is a legitimate thrill, made shall receive. Take a chance on Diablo, you might just Rocket League has become a regular, shared activity even better if you have two or three friends by your be surprised by the amount of time you dedicate to it, between so many millions of friends all around the side. Get yourself in a party, get those microphones especially if you can get a solid group together. world? There’s skill and technique to the play, and on, and spend a few hours crawling up the rankings – picking apart other teams as a group of takes patience seriously, you won’t regret it.

| 59 PLUS Trophy Guide playSTaTion pluS – december 2017

TROPHY GUIDE pS pluS Trophy Guide

DARKSIDERS II: DEATHINITIVE EDITION PLATFORM: PS4 DIFFICULTY: 2/5 TROPHIES: 50 1 2 6 41 ■ OBTAINING A COVETED Platinum Trophy in Darksiders II isn’t necessarily all that difficult, but it is time consuming. If you want this Platinum you're going to need to get involved with a New Game+ run, although there are a handful of ways to speed up your progress. Make sure you unlock the GnoMad, Abracadabra, and The Secondary Adventure Trophies before you start off on your second playthrough, that way you’ll be able to skip a lot of the side quests and story content saving valuable time in the process. Darksiders II is a whole lot fun but it’s also pretty dense – the game is packed with content to complete and things to see, so expect your commitment to getting this Platinum to eat up a few of your weekends.

KUNG FU PANDA: SHOWDOWN OF LEGENDARY LEGENDS

PLATFORM: PS4 DIFFICULTY: 4/5 TROPHIES: 25 1 5 17 2 ■ KUNG. FU. PANDA. Look, we aren't ones to punch a gift horse in the mouth but sometimes PlayStation Plus just doesn’t quite deliver, but that doesn’t mean you can’t earn a few cheeky Trophies out of it any ways. While Showdown Of The Legendary Legends isn’t a particularly good game there are a few easy unlocks to be found. The vast majority can be achieved through regular play, but you'll find that many of the Silver and Golds are tied to online play. This isn’t a game known for its bustling online community (shocker) and so reaching up through the various ranks is going to be a challenge. Honestly, earning a Platinum on this title is probably going to be more hassle than it’s worth.

60 | PLUS

that’S you! PLATFORM: PS4 DIFFICULTY: 1/5 TROPHIES: 28 1 6 9 12 ■ DO YOU HAVE a smartphone? Of course you do, it’s 2018. Whip it out, get connected to the wi-fi and start downloading the That’s You app! In fact, make sure all of your friends do the same. Because not only does this game offer co-op fun for all the family (at least that’s what the blurb assures us) it’s also a Trophy farm. You’ll be able to unlock the vast majority of these quickly through “YOU’LL BE ABLE TO UNLOCK THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE QUICKLY THROUGH REGULAR PLAY”

regular play, made easier should you have buddies that are willing to help you out. Oh, by the way, a recent patch lets you edit the length of a standard game, which means pushing through 30 games for the Veteran Gold Trophy should be a breeze – and hey, you might even learn something. That Platinum will be yours in no time at all! untiL dawn: ruSh oF BLood PLATFORM: PS4 DIFFICULTY: 4/5 TROPHIES: 40 1 2 16 21

■ SUPERMASSIVE’S PSVR DEBUT is still available to PlayStation Plus subscribers. So we are going to tell you now the same thing we told you last month, getting the Platinum is a lot more difficult that it sounds. While the vast majority will pop during open play – rewarding you for hitting sweet multi-kills and high-scores – the final Trophy needs you to complete the entire game on Psychotic mode. Oh, you think that’s easy do you? The Psychotic game mode deletes your damned save data every time you die; actually unlocking The Nightmare Ends is no joke, so best of luck to you! Believe us, you’re going to need it.

ForMa.8

PLATFORM: PS4/Vita DIFFICULTY: 2/5 TROPHIES: 30 1 6 8 15 ■ FORMA.8 IS A pretty fun Metroidvania-style game in which you must probe an alien planet to find the answers to a great many of life’s questions. More importantly, it’s also pretty chill when it comes to handing out the ol’ Trophies for general play; taking between seven and ten hours to unlock the lot, you’ll find that this cross-buy game (meaning it’s going to work across your PS4 and PS Vita) is a relatively entertaining experience that should keep you entertained until the monthly PlayStation Plus refresh. Better served on the handheld than on console, forma.8 is your best chance at quickly inflating your Trophy list this month.

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MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ DEATH STRANDING

Has CapCom aCHieved the impossible and THe firsT greaT ighting game of 2018 is are you sTill trying to igure out that Death inally delivered a Monster Hunter game that all here and you just know that you’ll be after some Stranding trailer? We have gone super deep into can enjoy? Stay tuned for the inal verdict! hot tips. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. the insane theories so you don’t have to.

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COMMUNITY■ PS4’S Community feature is a great way of finding PLAYSTATION 4 like-minded players that share your interests. That’s why HoW To JoiN DIRECTORY we’ve set up our own Play Community where you can Search for Play_Mag_UK Press X to open the Every PS4 owner needs to know what games are worth owning. join our game sessions, share your best screenshots, in the Friends menu, play Community, Our PS4 directory is the ideal win free games and other prizes, and connect with select our proile, then then press X again tool for building your library. other PlayStation fans. Come and join our ever-growing navigate down to to join it. Welcome to ‘Communities’. the family! community of readers today! 1 2 sEND us Your BEsT scrEENs

THE INDIE 100 Every must-play indie game on PlayStation is right here – if you love indies, this will help you ill any gaps in your collection.

There’s nothing quite like building your dream home in The Sims, only to watch the little digital idiots who live there burn it down. Learn to cook!

DOWNLOAD PLAY BACK ISSUES Missed an issue of play? Fear not! They are all available to download GT Sport’s photo We promise we won’t for tablets and smartphones from mode allows for some seriously steal your original Sonic Forces greatdigitalmags.com impressive snaps – give your characters. We’ll just laugh at you pedals a rest and show off yours. for buying Sonic Forces instead.

| 63 PLUS YOU HAVEN’T PLAYED… ALIENATION?

you haven’t played… ? ALIENATION If you’re looking for a co-op experience that isn’t afraid to take no prisoners, you’ll want to get yourself locked into this excellent twin- stick shooter from Housemarque

locK AND loAD Quick tips for staying alive at the end of the world

keep calm It’s easy to lose your cool when facing a horde of marauding alien creatures. Keep yourself (and your aim) steady.

co-op Couch co-op was added after release and it’s a very real delight. Rally your friends, you’re going to need ’em!

■ WHAT IS IT about butchering alien life forms that we the concept of cooperative carnage. You suit up, lock in, find so damned enjoyable? Bring your friends, pack some and blast down into an area with up to three friends by spare ammunition, and do your best to see off an invasion your side (and we mean that both literally and figuratively, of Earth against an array of creatures just waiting to have as the game now supports both couch and online co-op) their blood splattered all across everything. and tactically push through a litany of tight corridors and This is Alienation, another twin-stick shooter from sprawling chambers, shooting quite literally everything in developer Housemarque. That’s the studio behind the likes sight as you do. Housemarque has once again delivered a of and Nex Machina. Look, what we’re trying to compulsive twin-stick shooter with near-perfect precision; convey to you here is that this is a game with some serious the mechanics and controls are tight and responsive, and NeVeR STop SHooTING talent behind it – Housemarque knows how to make one you'll find little frustration in the game’s pace or grind Seriously, just never stop. this game is hell of an arcade shooter, and you'll struggle to find a co-op towards new content. Alienation has only improved since its going to throw enemies at you fast; you experience on PS4 quite as entertaining as this one. What’s 2016 release; it’s now something of a permanent fixture in should never let that trigger inger rest. super fun about Alienation is that it has been built around our weekly office co-op sessions. Get involved already!

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GAME ISSUE SCORE GAME ISSUE SCORE LET’S PLAY… Everybody’s Golf 287 7 Matterfall 285 6 Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture 261 8 Mercenary Kings 244 8 OFFICE FAVOURITES Everything 282 7 Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes 242 8 PS4 Evolve 254 6 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain 261 9 GAME ISSUE SCORE F1 2015 260 8 Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor 250 8 Absolver 286 7 Fallout 4 264 9 Middle-earth: Shadow Of War 287 7 Abzu 273 7 Far Cry 4 251 8 Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst 272 6 Agents Of Mayhem 286 4 Far Cry Primal 268 8 Mortal Kombat X 257 9 Alekhine’s Gun 270 3 Farpoint 283 8 Moto Racer 4 277 4 Alien: Isolation 249 9 Fez 243 10 Murdered: Soul Suspect 246 4 ASSASSIN’S CREED: Alienation 270 8 FIFA 15 249 8 N++ 261 8 Amplitude 266 8 ORIGINS FIFA 16 262 9 NBA 2K15 250 8 Arizona Sunshine 285 5 We said we would never go FIFA 17 275 8 NBA 2K17 275 8 Arslan: The Warriors Of Legend 268 5 back (who has the time to Final Fantasy Type-0 255 8 Need For Speed 264 5 Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China 257 7 Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn 243 9 Need For Speed Payback 289 4 gather a billion collectibles Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India 266 7 Final Fantasy XV 277 9 Need For Speed Rivals 238 8 anyway?) but here we are, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag 237 8 Firewatch 267 6 NHL 15 249 6 tearing through Ancient Egypt Assassin’s Creed Syndicate 264 4 Furi 272 8 Nidhogg 2 286 7 without a care in the world. If Assassin’s Creed: 251 6 Game Of Thrones: Iron From Ice 253 8 Nier Automata 280 8 you’re done with Horizon, you Axiom Verge 256 9 3: Dimensions 252 9 Nioh 279 8 need to get all over this. Batman: Arkham Knight 258 9 Get Even 284 7 No Man’s Sky 274 8 Batman: The Telltale Series – Episode One 274 4 Ghost Recon: Wildlands 280 5 Not A Hero 267 6 Battle Chasers: Nightwar 287 5 Gnog 283 7 Nuclear Throne 266 8 Battleborn 271 6 God Eater 2: Rage Burst 275 6 Observer 287 7 Battlefield 1 276 7 God Of War III Remastered 260 8 Octodad: Dadliest Catch 244 6 Battlefield 4 238 8 251 10 Outlast 241 7 Battlefield Hardline 256 7 2 279 8 Outlast 2 282 8 BioShock: The Collection 275 7 Remastered 254 8 Overcooked 273 9 Black The Fall 284 5 Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator- 272 9 Overwatch 271 8 OKAMI HD Blazblue Central Fiction 277 8 Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 283 9 Oxenfree 271 6 Okami Blazblue Chronophantasma Extend 264 9 Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-* 253 9 A decade on and is Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 275 6 256 9 Guitar Hero Live 264 8 still one of the best and most Persona 5 280 9 Bloodborne: The Old Hunters 265 9 Hardware: Rivals 266 5 striking adventures we have PES 2015 250 9 Bound 274 7 Hand Of Fate 2 289 8 ever been on. Clover Studio’s PES 2016 262 9 Bound By Flame 245 6 Headlander 273 6 masterpiece is as bloody PES 2017 275 8 Broforce 268 6 Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice 285 8 wonderful as ever; if you Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 248 7 Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare 251 8 Hidden Agenda 289 5 missed it the irst time around Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 268 8 Call Of Duty: Black Ops III 264 8 Hitman 268 9 Prey 282 7 do yourself a favour and give Call Of Duty: Ghosts 238 7 Hohokum 248 8 Prison Architect 273 8 this cult classic a go. Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare 276 5 Homefront: The Revolution 271 6 Project Cars 258 6 Child Of Light 244 7 Horizon: Zero Dawn 279 9 Project Cars 2 287 9 CounterSpy 248 5 Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number 255 9 Puyo Puyo Tetris 282 8 Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy 284 8 I Am Setsuna 273 8 Pyre 285 8 DariusBurst: Chronicle Saviours 266 8 inFamous: First Light 249 5 Rainbow Six Siege 265 8 Dark Souls III 269 9 inFamous: Second Son 242 8 Ratchet & Clank 269 8 Day Of The Tentacle Remastered 269 8 Injustice 2 283 8 République 268 7 Daylight 245 2 Invisible, Inc. 270 9 Resident Evil HD 253 8 : Apocalypse Edition 242 7 Just Cause 3 265 7 Resident Evil 7 279 9 HIDDEN AGENDA Dead Or Alive 5: Last Round 254 7 JStars Victory VS+ 260 6 Resident Evil Revelations 2 256 7 Destiny 249 9 Killing Floor 2 277 6 Okay, so Supermassive’s Resogun 238 9 Destiny: House Of Wolves 258 8 Killzone Shadow Fall 238 8 experimental PlayLink game Resogun Heroes 247 9 Destiny: Rise Of Iron 275 8 Killzone Shadow Fall: Intercept 246 8 may not have reviewed all that Rime 284 6 Destiny: The Dark Below 252 7 King Of Fighters XIV 274 7 well, but if you get the right Robinson: The Journey 277 6 Destiny: The Taken King 262 9 King’s Quest: A Knight To Remember 261 8 group together it can be a lot Rock Band 4 263 7 Destiny 2 286 8 Knack 238 6 Rocket League 260 8 of fun in spite of its problems. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided 274 6 Knack 2 286 5 Rogue Legacy 248 9 Charge those phones, gather Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition 258 8 Lara Croft And The Temple Of Osiris 252 5 your friends and go hunt a Diablo III: Reaper Of Souls 248 9 Lawbreakers 286 7 Rory McIlroy PGA Tour 260 5 serial killer already. Dirt 4 284 9 Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham 252 6 Salt And Sanctuary 269 8 269 9 Lego Dimensions 263 7 Sébastien Loeb Rally Evo 267 5 Dishonored 2 277 9 Lego Marvel’s Avengers 267 6 Serial Cleaner 286 8 Disney Infinity 2.0 249 8 Lego Marvel Super Heroes 238 8 Shantae: Half-Genie Hero 279 8 Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition 264 8 Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 289 7 Sheltered 270 9 Don’t Starve 240 8 Lego Jurassic World 258 7 Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter 272 6 Doom 271 8 Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens 273 6 Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom 282 8 Dragon Age: Inquisition 251 8 Lego The Hobbit 244 6 Shovel Knight 258 9 Dragon Ball Xenoverse 255 5 Lego Worlds 280 6 Skylanders Imaginators 276 7 THE ELDER SCROLLS Dragon Quest Builders 276 8 Let It Die 278 7 Skylanders Swap Force 238 7 V: SKYRIM VR Dragon Quest Heroes 263 8 Little Nightmares 282 8 Skylanders Trap Team 250 7 Dragon Quest Heroes 2 283 6 LittleBigPlanet 3 251 9 Sniper Elite 4 280 8 What’s better than playing Drawn To Death 281 6 Lords Of The Fallen 251 7 Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 282 5 Skyrim we hear you cry? Well, Driveclub 250 8 Lumo 271 7 SOMA 262 8 like, how about if you were Dying Light 254 9 Madden ’16 262 8 Songbringer 287 7 inside of Skyrim. Yeah, it’s as Dynasty Warriors 8 XLCE 243 8 Madden ’17 274 9 Mad Max 262 4 amazing as it sounds. If you EA Sports UFC 246 7 Mad Max 262 4 Sonic Forces 289 7 own a PSVR unit this is an EA Sports UFC 2 269 8 Mafia 3 276 8 Star Ocean: Integrity And Faithlessness 273 6 absolute must own. Enter The Gungeon 269 8 Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite 287 6 Star Wars Battlefront 265 6 Ether One 258 8 Mass Effect: Andromeda 281 5 Star Wars Battlefront II 289 6

66 | PLUS Hand Of Fate 2 8 THIS MONTH’S Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 7 Star Wars: Battlefront 2 6 NEW ENTRIES Hidden Agenda 5 The newest games, freshly Need For Speed: Payback 4 squeezed among all your Sonic Forces 4 old favourites

GAME ISSUE SCORE GAME ISSUE SCORE GAME ISSUE SCORE Statik 282 8 Aliens Vs Predator 189 7 Costume Quest 199 7 TEN YEARS AGO Star Trek: Bridge Crew 284 8 Alpha Protocol 193 8 Counter Strike: Global Offensive 223 9 Street Fighter V 267 9 Amy 215 1 Crysis 2 204 7 BEST REVIEWS (160) Styx: Shards Of Darkness 280 6 Arcana Heart 3 207 7 Crysis 3 230 6 Super Time Force Ultra 262 9 Armored Core V 217 6 Damage Inc: Pacific Squadron WWII 223 3 Switch Galaxy Ultra 253 8 Army Of Two 164 8 Dante’s Inferno 189 8 Syberia 3 283 2 Army Of Two: The 40th Day 188 6 The Darkness 154 9 Tales From The Borderlands: Zer0 Sum 252 7 Army Of Two: The Devil’s Cartel 231 4 The Darkness II 215 7 Tales Of Berseria 279 7 Assassin’s Creed 161 5 Dark Sector 165 6 Tearaway Unfolded 262 7 Assassin’s Creed II 186 9 Dark Souls 211 9 1 Tekken 7 284 8 Assassin’s Creed III 225 7 Dark Souls II 242 9 Silent Hill Origins (87%) Teslagrad 253 7 Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood 199 9 Darkstalkers Resurrection 230 8 The Banner Saga 2 272 8 Assassin’s Creed: Revelations 212 7 Dark Void 188 8 The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth 251 9 Assassin’s Creed: Rogue 251 7 Darksiders 188 8 The Crew 252 5 Asura’s Wrath 216 7 Darksiders II 221 8 2 286 7 Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist Of Dust 230 6 DC Universe Online 202 8 The Evil Within 250 8 Batman: Arkham Asylum 183 8 Dead Or Alive 5 223 7 2 278 6 Batman: Arkham City 211 9 Dead Island 210 7 Socom: Tactical Strike (85%) The Last Of Us Remastered 247 10 Batman: Arkham Origins 237 8 Dead Island: Riptide 231 6 The Order: 1886 254 8 Battle Fantasia 176 7 Dead Rising 2 197 8 The Surge 283 7 Battlefield 1943 182 9 Dead Space 172 9 The Tomorrow Children 275 4 Battlefield: Bad Company 168 8 Dead Space 2 201 9 The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter 260 8 Battlefield: Bad Company 2 190 9 Dead Space 3 228 7 The Walking Dead Season 3 E1&2 278 5 Battlefield 3 212 8 Dead Space: Extraction 203 8 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 257 10 Battleship 219 4 Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut 231 8 3 The Witness 267 10 Bayonetta* 187 9 Deadpool 233 6 The Simpsons Games (82%) Thief 241 7 The Beatles: Rock Band 184 9 Demon’s Souls 193 9 Thimbleweed Park 285 7 Beat Hazard Ultra 213 7 Destroy All Humans!: Path Of The Furon 178 2 This War Of Mine: The Little Ones 267 7 Beat Sketcher 201 8 Deus Ex: Human Revolution 209 9 Tiny Brains 240 6 Beyond Good & Evil HD 207 8 Devil May Cry 4 163 9 Titan Souls 257 7 Beyond: Two Souls 236 7 Devil May Cry HD Collection 217 8 Titanfall 2 276 7 Binary Domain 216 7 206 8 4 Tokyo 42 284 7 Bionic Commando 179 8 DiRT Showdown 219 7 Lego Star Wars: TCS (76%) Tom Clancy’s The Division 268 9 Bionic Commando Rearmed 169 8 Disgaea 3: Absence Of Justice 175 8 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 263 3 Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 203 6 Dishonored 224 9 Torment: Tides Of Numenera 280 8 BioShock 172 9 Disney Infinity 235 8 Toukiden 2 281 8 BioShock 2 189 8 DJ Hero 186 9 TrackMania Turbo 269 8 BioShock Infinite 230 9 DJ Hero 2 198 8 Transformers: Devastation 263 8 BlackSite 163 4 Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock 220 3 Transformers: Rise Of The Dark Spark 247 3 Bladestorm: The Hundred Years’ War 160 5 DmC Devil May Cry 227 9 5 Transistor 245 9 BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger 190 8 Dragon Age: Origins 186 8 PES 2008 (75%) Trials Fusion 244 8 BlazBlue: Continuum Shift 198 9 Dragon Age II 203 6 Ultra Street Fighter IV 258 8 Blur 193 8 Dragon’s Crown 235 8 Umbrella Corps 272 3 Borderlands 185 8 Dragon’s Dogma 218 8 Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End 270 10 Borderlands 2 223 9 Driver: San Francisco 209 7 Uncharted: The Lost Legacy 285 9 Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel 250 6 Duke Nukem Forever 207 3 Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection 263 8 The Bourne Conspiracy 168 7 Dungeon Siege III 206 8 6 Unravel 267 7 Braid 188 9 Dynasty Warriors 8 234 7 PixelJunk Racers (74%) Until Dawn 261 8 Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons 233 8 EA Sports MMA 198 8 Valiant Hearts 247 6 Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway 171 7 Eat Lead 178 3 Virginia 275 8 Brütal Legend 185 7 echochrome 169 8 War Thunder 239 8 Bulletstorm 203 8 EDF: Insect Armageddon 208 6 Warhammer 40K: Deathwatch 280 7 The Bureau: XCOM Declassified 235 5 Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion 152 9 Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut 264 8 Burnout Paradise 162 8 Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 212 9 Watch Dogs 245 8 Call Of Duty 3 151 5 Elefunk 170 4 7 Watch Dogs 2 278 7 Call Of Duty: World At War 173 6 El Shaddai: Ascension Of The Metatron 208 7 Kane And Lynch (73%) What Remains Of Edith Finch 283 9 Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 160 9 Enslaved: Odyssey To The West 197 8 Windjammers 287 6 Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 186 9 Epic Mickey 2: The Power Of Two 226 5 Wolfenstein: The New Order 245 8 Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 212 8 Eternal Sonata 176 8 Wolfenstein: The Old Blood 258 8 Call Of Duty: Black Ops 199 9 Everybody’s Golf: World Tour 165 9 Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap 283 7 Call Of Duty: Black Ops II 226 8 Fallout 3 173 10 World Of Final Fantasy 276 7 Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood 181 8 Fallout: New Vegas 198 8 8 WWE 2K15 252 4 Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger 232 8 Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer 155 3 Conan (71%) WWE 2K16 264 5 Call Of Juarez: The Cartel 208 3 Far Cry 2 172 7 XCOM 2 275 9 Captain America: Super Soldier 208 7 Far Cry 3 226 8 Yakuza 0 279 9 Castle Crashers 200 9 Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon 231 8 Yooka-Laylee 281 6 Castlevania: Harmony Of Despair 212 7 FEAR 151 8 Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow 197 9 FEAR 2: Project Origin 176 8 Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow 2 241 8 FEAR 3 208 6 9 Catherine 215 6 Fight Night Champion 203 8 Bladestorm: THYW (58%) Chronicles Of Riddick: Assault On Dark Athena 178 8 Fight Night Round 4 181 8 PS3 Civilization Revolution 168 9 Final Fantasy XIII 190 8 3D Dot Game Heroes 192 8 Clive Barker’s Jericho 159 6 Final Fantasy XIII-2 214 8 50 Cent: Blood On The Sand 177 7 The Club 163 8 Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns 240 8 Ace Combat: Assault Horizon 211 7 Colin McRae: DiRT 158 9 Fist Of The North Star: Ken’s Rage 198 5 The Adventures Of Tintin 212 5 Colin McRae: DiRT 2 184 8 Folklore 158 6 Alice: Madness Returns 207 6 Conan 160 7 Front Mission Evolved 198 5 10 Aliens: Colonial Marines 230 4 Condemned 2 165 7 Fuse 232 7 Dead Head Fred (27%) *denotes import review

| 67 PLUS

GAME ISSUE SCORE GAME ISSUE SCORE GAME ISSUE SCORE PLAY’S BEST Genji: Days Of The Blade 151 3 Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures 167 7 Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 184 8 Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 157 8 Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues 187 7 Ninja Gaiden 3 217 6 GAMES Ghost Recon Future Soldier 219 6 Lego Pirates Of The Caribbean 206 7 Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge 231 8 GI Joe 183 2 Lego Rock Band 187 8 Noby Noby Boy 177 8 IF YOU LOVE… The Godfather 151 3 Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga 160 7 No More Heroes: Heroes’ Paradise 206 8 The Godfather II 178 4 Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars 204 8 Nucleus 155 8 God Of War III 190 9 Lego The Lord Of The Rings 227 7 Okami HD 225 9 God Of War: Ascension 230 9 Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust 180 2 One Piece: Pirate Warriors 224 6 God Of War Collection* 188 9 Limbo 209 9 : Dragon Rising 185 7 God Of War Collection: Volume II 210 7 LittleBigPlanet 172 9 Operation Flashpoint: Red River 205 7 Gotham City Imposters 216 7 LittleBigPlanet 2 201 10 The Orange Box 161 9 Gran Turismo 5 200 8 LittleBigPlanet: Karting 225 8 Outland 207 7 Gran Turismo 6 239 8 Lollipop Chainsaw 221 7 OutRun Online Arcade 180 8 MAKING YOUR OWN FUN Grand Theft Auto IV 166 9 London 2012 221 4 Overlord II 181 6 PLAY: LITTLEBIGPLANET 3 Grand Theft Auto V 236 10 Pac-Man Championship Edition DX 201 9 While it wasn’t developed by The Lord Of The Rings: Aragorn’s Quest 199 6 Media Molecule, there’s still Greed Corp 191 7 The Lord Of The Rings: Conquest 175 5 Pain 183 6 some serious good times to 2 232 7 The Lord Of The Rings: War In The North 213 4 Payday: The Heist 213 8 be had with LittleBigPlanet 246 6 Lost Planet 2 192 8 Payday 2 235 8 3. The ‘Play, Share, Create’ GTI Club+ 174 7 Lost Planet 3 236 5 Peggle 189 9 mantra is as relevant today as GTA: Episodes From Liberty City 191 9 Lost Planet: Extreme Condition 163 6 Persona 4 Arena Ultimax 250 9 it’s ever been. Guardians Of Middle-earth 227 7 Madagascar 3 224 3 PES 2012 210 7 Guitar Hero III 160 9 Madden NFL 12 209 8 PixelJunk Eden 169 6 Guitar Hero 5 184 8 Madden NFL 13 223 8 PixelJunk Shooter 187 9 Guitar Hero Greatest Hits 182 7 Madden NFL Arcade 188 5 PixelJunk Shooter 2 204 9 Guitar Hero Metallica 179 8 Mafia II 196 8 PixelJunk SideScroller 213 7 Guitar Hero: Van Halen 189 6 Magic: Duels Of The Planeswalkers 202 8 PixelJunk Racers 160 7 Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock 197 7 Marvel Vs Capcom 2 182 9 PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale 225 8 Guitar Hero World Tour 173 9 Marvel Vs Capcom 3 202 8 PlayStation Move Heroes 204 5 Gundemonium Collection 197 8 Marvel Ultimate Alliance 151 6 Poker Night 2 232 5 BEATING YOUR FRIENDS Gunstar Heroes 181 8 Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 185 6 Portal 2 205 10 PLAY: INJUSTICE 2 Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince 182 6 Max Payne 3 219 7 Prince Of Persia 174 8 This killer ighting game from Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix 155 3 Mass Effect 2 201 10 Prince Of Persia: Classic 173 6 Mortal Kombat developer Haze 167 6 Mass Effect 3 216 9 Prince Of Persia: The Forgotten Sands 193 6 NetherRealm continues to Heavenly Sword 157 7 Medal Of Honor 198 8 Prince Of Persia Trilogy 200 8 get better and better thanks Heavy Rain 189 9 Medal Of Honor Airborne 161 8 Prison Break: The Conspiracy 191 4 to some truly awesome DLC Heavy Weapon 187 7 Medal Of Honor: Warfighter 225 7 Prototype 181 7 character additions and Heroes Over Europe 184 4 Mega Man 9 172 7 Prototype 2 219 7 near-constant tweaks made Hitman: Absolution 225 9 Mega Man 10 192 8 Puddle 216 7 to the game balance. Hitman HD Trilogy 230 7 Mercenaries 2: World In Flames 171 7 The Punisher: No Mercy 182 4 Homefront 203 6 Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance 228 9 Puppeteer 236 7 The House Of The Dead 4 218 8 Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is another Pure 171 8 The House Of The Dead: Overkill 212 7 world-class entry in gaming’s most Quantum Of Solace 175 5 fundamentally playable genre. Hunted: The Demon’s Forge 207 5 Quantum Theory 197 2 Hustle Kings 190 8 Metal Gear Solid 4 167 9 Race Driver: GRID 167 8 Hyperdimension Neptunia 202 2 Metal Gear Solid HD Collection 214 9 Rag Doll Kung-Fu: Fists Of Plastic 179 8 I Am Alive 217 6 Metro: Last Light 231 6 Rage 211 6 Ico & Shadow Of The Colossus HD 210 9 Michael Jackson: The Experience 205 5 Rainbow Six Vegas 155 9 BEING SUPER SNEAKY The Incredible Hulk 168 5 Rainbow Six Vegas 2 164 8 PLAY: HITMAN Microbot 202 5 inFamous 180 Looking for an excellent stealth 8 Midnight Club: Los Angeles 173 8 Rango 203 5 game? Look no further than IO 207 8 Mindjack 202 3 Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time 186 8 Interactive’s excellent Hitman Inferno Pool 181 8 Minecraft 240 9 Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One 211 6 revival. The studio is back on its Injustice: Gods Among Us 231 8 Mini Ninjas 184 8 Ratchet & Clank: Q-Force 227 5 feet and it’s got some truly great Inversion 220 4 Mirror’s Edge 173 7 Ratchet & Clank: Tools Of Destruction 160 7 content on the way. Get on it. Iron Man 166 5 MLB: The Show 14 245 9 Ratchet & Clank Trilogy HD 221 9 Iron Man 2 193 5 ModNation Racers 192 8 Legends 235 8 The Trilogy 216 8 Monkey Island 2: Special Edition 195 9 Rayman Origins 212 8 Jak And Daxter: The Lost Frontier 187 5 Mortal Kombat 205 8 Red Dead Redemption 193 9 James Bond 007: Blood Stone 199 6 Mortal Kombat Vs DC Universe 173 6 Red Faction: Armageddon 207 6 James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game 187 6 MotoGP 13 233 7 Red Faction: Guerrilla 180 8 JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle 244 8 Motorhead 173 6 Remember Me 232 6 Journey 216 9 MotorStorm 151 9 Renegade Ops 211 7 Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights 159 7 MotorStorm: Apocalypse 203 7 Resident Evil Chronicles HD Collection 221 8 CRUSHING ROBOSAURS Jurassic Park: The Game 194 6 MotorStorm: Pacific Rift 172 9 Resident Evil Code Veronica X 211 7 PLAY: HORIZON: Just Cause 2 190 8 Mud: FIM Motocross Championship 217 5 Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City 217 3 ZERO DAWN Kane & Lynch: Dead Men 160 7 MX Vs ATV Alive 206 4 Resident Evil: Revelations HD 232 7 Everybody loves dinosaurs. Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days 196 7 MX Vs ATV Reflex 189 6 Resident Evil 4 HD 210 9 That’s a universal truths. As it Katamari Forever 184 8 Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 174 6 Resident Evil 5 177 8 should happen it’s also pretty Kick-Ass The Game 194 6 Naruto Shippuden: UNS Generations 217 5 Resident Evil 6 223 8 fun to blast them to bits, and Killer Is Dead 235 7 Naruto Shippuden: UNS 3 230 8 Resistance: Fall Of Man 151 8 that’s part of what makes H:ZD Killzone 2 176 9 Naughty Bear 195 6 Resistance 2 173 9 still so damned enjoyable. Killzone 3 202 8 NBA 2K12 211 8 Resistance 3 210 9 Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX 236 8 NBA 2K13 224 8 Resonance Of Fate 191 8 Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMIX 252 9 NBA Jam 200 6 Retro City Rampage 228 7 Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning 215 7 NBA Street: Homecourt 151 6 Ridge Racer 7 151 7 The King Of Fighters XII 182 7 Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 199 9 Ridge Racer Unbounded 217 6 The King Of Fighters XIII 213 8 Need For Speed: Most Wanted 225 9 Riff: Everyday Shooter 162 8 Kung Fu Panda 2 207 2 Need For Speed ProStreet 161 8 Rise Of The Argonauts 176 5 LA Noire 206 9 Need For Speed Shift 184 8 Risen 2: Dark Waters 222 5 MULTIPLAYER SILLINESS Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light 198 9 Need For Speed: The Run 213 6 Risen 3: Titan Lords 248 2 PLAY: OVERCOOKED The Last Guy 171 9 Need For Speed Undercover 173 7 Risk: Factions 202 8 If you can get three friends with Last Rebellion 191 4 NeverDead 215 3 Rock Band Blitz 223 8 three controllers together you’re Legend Of : Dawn Of The Dragon 174 5 Nier 192 6 Rock Band 169 9 in for one hell of a good time with Legendary 173 6 Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch 227 8 Rock Band 2 179 9 Overcooked. This split-screen Lego Batman 173 6 NHL 12 210 7 Rock Band 3 199 9 multiplayer game has proven Lego Batman 2 221 8 NHL 13 223 7 Rocksmith 223 7 to be one of the most ridiculous Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 194 7 NiGHTS Into Dreams... 224 7 Rogue Warrior 188 1 party games on the PS4. Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 213 6 Ninja Gaiden Sigma 154 8 Rugby World Cup 2011 209 4

68 | PLUS

GAME ISSUE SCORE GAME ISSUE SCORE GAME ISSUE SCORE Rune Factory Oceans 220 5 Super Street Fighter IV 191 9 WWE 13 225 5 WHAT WE’RE RUSE 197 8 Syndicate 216 7 XCOM: Enemy Unknown 224 9 The Saboteur 187 6 Tales Of Graces f 222 7 Thinking, planning, failing and dying is back in Sacred 2: Fallen Angel 180 7 Tales Of Monkey Island 196 9 fashion: XCOM is a phenomenal reimagining of a PLAYING… classic title and an instant classic in its own right. Sacred 3 247 6 Tales Of Xillia 234 7 Watch out! Games! Saints Row 2 172 7 Tales Of Xillia 2 249 7 X-Men Destiny 211 3 Saints Row: The Third 211 8 Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Online 161 8 X-Men Origins: Wolverine 179 7 Saints Row IV: Gat Out Of Hell 253 6 Tekken 6 184 9 Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z 242 3 SBK Generations 220 5 Tekken Tag Tournament 2 223 9 Yakuza: Dead Souls 216 6 Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse 194 9 Test Drive Ferrari Racing Legends 221 6 Yakuza 3 191 8 SBK Generations 220 5 Tetris 202 8 Yakuza 4 203 8 The Secret Of Monkey Island SE 195 9 Test Drive Unlimited 2 203 6 Yakuza 5* 264 9 Section 8: Prejudice 209 8 The Amazing Spider-Man 221 6 Zen Pinball 2 224 9 WhaT Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection 177 8 The Last Of Us 233 10 Zone Of The Enders HD Collection 226 8 (have they been playing?) Sega Rally 158 9 The Testament Of Sherlock Holmes 224 5 Sega Rally Online Arcade 208 7 The Walking Dead 231 9 rocket league Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes 198 7 The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct 231 2 Why (was it chosen?) Shadows Of The Damned 207 8 Thor: God Of Thunder 206 3 Because I’ve got Shank 197 8 PGA Tour 14 231 6 VITA a very serious Shatter 183 9 Time Crisis 4 166 7 A-Men 217 7 problem Shellshock 2: Blood Trails 177 3 Time Crisis: Razing Storm 199 5 Army Corps Of Hell 217 6 Shift 2: Unleashed 204 6 TimeShift 162 7 Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation 225 7 JOsh WesT Silent Hill: Downpour 217 8 Tokyo Jungle 223 8 Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice Of Arland 221 3 Silent Hill HD Collection 217 7 Tom Clancy’s EndWar 173 8 Everybody’s Golf 215 8 THE SEASONS MAY Silent Hill: Homecoming 174 6 Tom Clancy’s HAWX 177 7 BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend 216 8 CHANGE, but my love The Simpsons Game 160 8 Tom Clancy’s HAWX 2 196 7 Broken Age 257 5 for Rocket League never The Sims 3 199 8 Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist 235 7 Call Of Duty: Black Ops Declassified 227 2 seems to. You know that The Sims 3: Pets 212 7 Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Trilogy HD 210 7 Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc 242 8 SingStar 159 8 Tomb Raider 229 9 there’s something truly Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair 249 9 Singularity 195 8 Tomb Raider Trilogy 204 8 special about a game when Dead Nation 201 8 Siren Blood Curse 170 6 Tomb Raider: Underworld 173 8 you begin deleting a litany Destiny Of Spirits 244 7 Skate 159 8 Tony Hawk’s Project 8 151 8 of new releases off of your Dokuro 230 7 Skate 2 175 8 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD 223 7 console just to ensure that it Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable 230 8 Skate 3 192 8 Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground 160 7 has enough space to update Escape Plan 216 8 Skullgirls 218 8 Tony Hawk: Ride 188 5 without any complication FIFA Football 216 8 Sleeping Dogs 222 8 Top Gun: Hard Lock 218 4 flOw 151 9 or delay. But that’s Rocket The Sly Collection 200 8 Top Spin 3 168 7 Flower 176 8 League all over, a brilliant : Thieves In Time 230 6 Top Spin 4 203 6 Gravity Crash 187 8 game that never seems to Sniper Elite V2 218 5 Toy Story 3 195 8 Gravity Rush 219 9 lose its edge. With hundreds Sniper: Ghost Warrior 206 4 Transformers: Dark Of The Moon 208 6 Hotline Miami 233 9 Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 230 5 Transformers: Fall Of Cybertron 223 7 (if not thousands) of games SOCOM: Special Forces 205 6 Transformers: War For Cybertron 194 8 Hustle Kings 216 8 played, it still finds a way to Joe Danger 194 9 Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 199 8 Trash Panic 181 7 dominate every spare evening Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 225 4 Trine 184 8 Killzone: Mercenary 236 9 and weekend; whether you’re Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing 190 7 Tron Evolution 200 1 LittleBigPlanet 223 9 a seasoned pro or a newbie Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed 227 9 Tumble 198 7 Little Deviants 215 6 chasing his first misplaced ball Sonic Generations 212 7 Turning Point: Fall Of Liberty 165 4 Lumines Electric Symphony 216 8 into the box, Rocket League Metal Gear Solid HD Collection 221 7 Sonic The Hedgehog 151 5 Turok 163 4 is a pure delight. It’s been ModNation Racers: Road Trip 215 5 Sonic Unleashed 175 4 216 6 years since it first launched 9 Mortal Kombat 219 8 Sorcery 219 7 UFC Undisputed 2009 180 on the PSN but it has proven SoulCalibur IV 169 9 UFC Undisputed 2010 193 8 MotorStorm RC 217 8 to be a very real classic of the SoulCalibur V 214 8 UFC Undisputed 3 215 8 Muramasa Rebirth 234 8 South Park: The Stick of Truth 242 8 Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 212 8 New Little King’s Story 224 7 generation – a game that can Spec Ops: The Line 220 7 Ultra Street Fighter IV 246 9 Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus 217 7 stand the test of time and Spider-Man 3 155 3 Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune 161 8 Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus 230 6 never lose its allure. Spider-Man: Edge Of Time 212 3 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves 185 10 Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD 214 8 Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions 197 6 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception 212 9 Orgarhythm 230 5 Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows 173 5 Unearthed: Trail Of Ibn Battuta: Episode 1 233 1 PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale 225 8 Spin Jam 174 3 The Unfinished Swan 225 7 Persona 4 Golden 228 9 Splatterhouse 200 5 Unreal Tournament III 162 8 PixelJunk Monsters 163 9 Splinter Cell Double Agent 153 7 Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom 151 5 Puddle 222 8 Split/Second: Velocity 192 9 Valkyria Chronicles 173 8 Rayman Origins 216 8 Reality Fighters 215 5 Sports Champions 196 8 Vanquish 197 9 WhaT Sports Champions 2 225 6 Viking: Battle For Asgard 165 7 Resistance: Burning Skies 219 5 (have they been playing?) SSX 216 4 5: Final Showdown 220 9 Ridge Racer 216 4 Stacking 203 8 Virtua Tennis 3 150 9 Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken 212 8 persona 5 Starhawk 219 8 Virtua Tennis 4 205 7 Silent Hill: Book Of Memories 225 3 Why (was it chosen?) Star Ocean: The Last Hope International 190 6 The Walking Dead: All That Remains 240 8 Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry God 240 7 I’ve actually Star Trek 231 5 The Walking Dead: 400 Days 234 8 Soul Sacrifice 232 9 finished it Star Trek: D-A-C 189 5 Wanted: Weapons Of Fate 179 6 Sound Shapes 223 8 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 171 6 Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 210 5 Superbeat Xonic 265 7 dreW sleep Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II 199 6 Warhawk 157 8 HD 234 4 Star Wars: Pinball 230 7 Warriors: Legends Of Troy 202 1 Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz 224 7 THAT’S IT, I’M DONE. Start The Party! 196 7 Warriors Orochi 3 217 5 Sumioni: Demon Arts 230 4 It almost lost me for a Stormrise 178 5 Watchmen: The End Is Nigh 183 5 Delta 216 8 bit during the Okumura foods Stranglehold 159 6 Way Of The Samurai 3 190 2 Tearaway 239 8 arc, but I think Persona 5’s Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition 209 9 Wet 184 4 Terraria 232 8 Best RPG award at the TGAs Street Fighter IV 176 9 Wheelman 178 7 Touch My Katamari 216 8 was well deserved. That said, Street Fighter X Tekken 217 8 Where The Wild Things Are 188 5 Toukiden: The Age Of Demons 241 8 finishing a Persona game is Strength Of The Sword 3 234 8 190 5 Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 216 8 always bittersweet. I kinda Super Puzzle Fighter II HD Turbo Remix 168 7 White Knight Chronicles II 207 4 Uncharted: Fight For Fortune 227 8 Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition 207 9 WipEout HD 172 8 Uncharted: Golden Abyss 215 8 just sit there in the dark as Stuntman: Ignition 157 8 Wolfenstein 183 7 Unit 13 216 6 the credits roll and come to Super Stardust HD 155 7 2: Armageddon 198 8 Velocity Ultra 233 8 terms with the fact that these Superstars V8: Next Challenge 190 5 217 8 Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition 215 8 characters that I’ve spent 100- Superstars V8 Racing 181 6 WRC 3 FIA 225 7 Virtue’s Last Reward 227 8 plus hours with are no longer Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix 176 7 WWE All Stars 204 8 WipEout 2048 215 9 my friends. I’m all alone. Sob. *denotes import review | 69 NEXT MONTH Future Publishing Limited Richmond House, 33 Richmond Hill, Bournemouth,Dorset, BH2 6EZ Editorial Deputy Editor Josh West [email protected] 01202 586370 Art Editor Andy Salter Group Editor in Chief Tony Mott Senior Art Editor Warren Brown Cover images Monster Hunter: World © 2017 CAPCOM CO., LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Advertising Media packs are available on request Commercial Director Clare Dove [email protected] Account Director Kevin Stoddart [email protected] Subscriptions & Back Issues Web www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Email [email protected] Tel 0344 848 2852 International +44 (0) 344 848 2852 Head of subscriptions Sharon Todd Circulation Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers Production Head of Production US & UK Mark Constance Production Project Manager Clare Scott Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson Production Controller Fran Twentyman Management Managing Director Aaron Asadi Editorial Director Paul Newman Art & Design Director Ross Andrews Head of Art & Design Rodney Dive Commercial Finance Director Dan Jotcham

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