DECEMBER 2018 THE ONE AND MAGAZINE

OXM INVESTIGATES GREATEST XBOX SPORTS GAMES Best sports sims from Fight Night to FIFA

SEE PAGE 46

QHANDS-ON WITH THE POST-APOCALYPTIC MMORPG Q Exclusive access! Q Gameplay secrets revealed!

XBOX EXCLUSIVE! FINAL SCORE! NEW DETAILS! 4 FIFA 19 VS PES 19 METRO EXODUS Is Playground’s racer the OXM’s verdict on this year’s Latest hands-on gameplay greatest game yet? best soccer sim with the FPS

INTRO

ISSUE 170 DECEMBER 2018 Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA No need to Tel 01225 442244 Email [email protected] Web www.gamesradar.com/oxm

EDITORIAL Editor Chris Burke burkey13a [email protected] Senior Art Editor Warren Brown wozbrown Deputy Editor Daniella Lucas CelShadedDreams

Production Editor Russell Lewin FloatedRelic264

Paul Taylor Taylor Paul Paulus McT Paulus Staff Writer Adam Bryant FirebreedpunkUnder Down Man Our Fallout over it

CONTRIBUTORS Writing Stephen Ashby, Kimberley Ballard, Steve Hogarty, Martin Kitts, Dave Meikleham, Alex Nelson, Alex Spencer, Paul Taylor, Justin Towell, Ben Wilson, Robert Zak Art Cliff Newman When Bethesda invited OXM to West Virginia to All copyrights and trademarks are recognised and respected play Fallout 76, we were not expecting to be doing ADVERTISING Tel: 01225 442244 Media packs are available on request it in an actual fallout shelter. The Greenbrier bunker Commercial Director Clare Dove, [email protected] Account Director Jeff Jones, [email protected] Account Manager Kevin Stoddart, [email protected] was the Cold War shelter built for members of INTERNATIONAL is available for licensing. Contact the International department to discuss partnership opportunities Congress in the event of nuclear war, and it’s eerily International Licensing Director Matt Ellis [email protected] cool. But what of the game? Is Fallout 76 another PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS & BACK ISSUES Web www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Chris Burke Email [email protected] great entry in the post-apocalyptic franchise? Tel 0344 848 2852 Editor International +44 (0) 344 848 2852 Online orders & enquiries www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk This month Chris headed Head of subscriptions Sharon Todd Does it work as an MMO? And where’s Dogmeat? off to West Virginia to CIRCULATION Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers play cover game Fallout We have all the answers from page 48 this month. Head of Production Mark Constance 76 in an actual Cold War Production Project Manager Clare Scott Elsewhere, we took a tour of Aardman Studios Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby nuclear fallout shelter. Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson Production Manager Nola Cokely Since then he’s been and found out more about their intriguing-looking MANAGEMENT doing all his work under Commercial Finance Director Dan Jotcham 11-11: Memories Retold, and we have fresh news Editorial Director Paul Newman his desk in case the Brand Director, Games Tony Mott Group Senior Art Editor Warren Brown Great War starts early… on Metro Exodus, Battlefield V, 5 PRINTED BY William Gibbons & Sons Ltd on behalf of Future and more. The big game releases have begun this DISTRIBUTED BY Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU www.marketforce.co.uk Tel: 0203 787 9001 month too, and we deliver our verdicts on Shadow We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable Of The Tomb Raider and Forza 4, 2 managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The manufacturing paper mill holds full FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification and accreditation and footie games PES 19 and FIFA 19. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER All contents © 2018 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/ services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is THE OXM TEAM fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.

If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors or licensees shall be liable for loss or damage. We assume all unsolicited material is for publication unless otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit, amend, adapt all submissions.

ISSN 2053689 Daniella Lucas Adam Bryant Warren Brown Russell Lewin Deputy editor Staff writer Senior art editor Production editor Dani was so impressed Adam visited Aardman Foxes have recently Russ went to Malta this by the voice control of to find out about 11-11: taken up residence in month, and returned a trolley in Supermarket Memories Retold. He was Woz’s garden, and he’s with odd chocolate-filled Shriek (see p16) that Early Man and wearing learned the hard way banana sweets for the is a public company Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne quoted on the London Stock Non-executive chairman Richard Huntingford since then she’s been completely the Wrong that they’re not as cute team, and a joke: “How Exchange Chief financial officer Penny Ladkin-Brand (symbol: FUTR) shouting at everyone to Trousers, but he did have in real life as Starfox, Tails do you make a Maltese www.futureplc.com Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244 make us work harder. a Grand Day Out. or the fox from Tunic. Cross? Steal his crisps.”

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 003 START contents

Everything you can look forward to over the next 100 or so pages ins ider 008 THE BIG STORY: 012 ON TV 014 016 THE BIG PICTURE: SUPERMARKET SHRIEK 018 HOT TOPIC: FINAL FANTASY 020 OPINIONS previews 026 METRO EXODUS 030 BATTLEFIELD V 026 032 ANTHEM 034 METAL WOLF CHAOS XD 035 STREETS OF RAGE 4 036 DEVIL MAY CRY 5 080 038 BIOMUTANT 039 DYING LIGHT: BAD BLOOD 040 TWIN MIRROR 042 2 045 OOBLETS 045 GWENT: THE WITCHER CARD GAME SUBSCRIBE NOW ON PAGE 046

004 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 045 045 045 THE ONE WE FOUND 045 THIS IS POOL features

048 FALLOUT 76 056 THE BIG INTERVIEW: AARDMAN STUDIOS 062 THE OXM SPORTING HALL OF FAME reviews 074 SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER 078 FIFA 19 048 080 FORZA HORIZON 4 083 NHL 19 084 THE TALOS PRINCIPLE 086 PES 19 088 V RALLY 089 DAYZ 090 092 PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS 094 BAD NORTH extra 102 098 NOW PLAYING: THE HUNTER: CALL OF THE WILD 100 2 101 SEA OF THIEVES 102 RETROSPECTIVE: DEADLY SHADOWS 106 WHY I LOVE… SUPERHOT’S REPLAYS 108 10 BEST DISEASES IN XBOX HISTORY 112 DIRECTORIES 114 DISC SLOT: 074 WILLIAM BARR

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? WHY NOT WRITE TO TEAM OX A OXM@O

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 005 INSIDER DECEMBER 2018 insider This month has been a bit of an odd one, full of sad goodbyes but also excitement for the future. First up is news of Telltale Games’ unfortunate closure on p8. Famous for The Walking Dead episodic series and others, it’s come as a huge shock to the games 008 industry, especially as the studio had some big projects on the horizon, such as a Stranger Things game. We have a full rundown of the situation and what it means for Telltale’s unfinished series. Elsewhere, Remedy’s excellent Alan Wake (p12) is being adapted for TV by Legion’s Peter Calloway. 012 Its episodic horror vibe is perfect for TV, so we’ve got high hopes. There’s also been another studio closure, this time Capcom’s office – the people behind (p14). It’s been a huge part of Xbox’s history, so we’re incredibly sad about it, but here’s hoping we won’t be able to kill these 014 particular zombies off completely. Last we look at the huge collection of Final Fantasy games coming to Xbox One’s library on p18. While recent entries have made it to Xbox, you’ll also get the chance to play the classic FFVII on the world’s best console. 018

006 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 007

TELLTALE INSIDER

END GAME A sad tale of our times Telltale Games’ releases are in doubt following the shock news that it is shedding most of its staffwithimmediateeffect

Over the past few years we’ve ultimately, that did not translate to witnessed a fair share of developer sales. With a heavy heart, we watch tragedies, with major studios closing our friends leave today to spread their doors and mass lay-offs putting our brand of storytelling across the hundreds of talented people out of games industry.” work. However, it seems like these This news came as a complete incidents are becoming more frequent surprise to many, including Telltale’s and brutal in their impact. staff who, earlier that same morning, One of the latest casualties of were happy to share new gifs of the the industry is Telltale Games, which game on their feed. on 21 September announced via a The studio has been developing statement on its official Twitter feed games since 2005 but it was the that it would “begin a majority studio release of their adaptation of Robert closure following a year marked by Kirkman’s The Walking Dead in 2012 insurmountable challenges”. This sent that won them critical acclaim and a a wave of shock that reverberated multitude of awards. This put Telltale throughout the gaming community on the map as pioneers of episodic and raised many questions, once narrative games. Strange again, about the state of the industry The company then acquired surprise and its ability, or lack thereof, to licences for huge franchises such protect the people that help make as Borderlands, Game Of Thrones, these games possible. and , to name a few. Clips of what is The statement went on to say, There were previous signs of worry believed to be “A majority of the company’s in November of last year when the footage of Telltale’s employees were dismissed earlier studio laid off 90 members of staff Stranger Things game turned up on Reddit this morning, with a small group of and reports started to surface of by an anonymous 25 employees staying on to fulfil the overworked staff. But from an outside poster. Peeking company’s obligation to its board perspective it was business as usual, behind the curtain of and partners.” It continued to include with several games very much in the development, these a statement directly from Telltale works including the final season of clips depict Games CEO Pete Hawley. “It’s been The Walking Dead and reportedly a characters from the an incredibly difficult year for Telltale Stranger Things game. Netflix TV series. It as we worked to set the company on hasn’t been (and a new course. Unfortunately, we ran probably won’t be) Tales told confirmed as official, out of time trying to get there. We Following the lay-offs several Telltale but it looks far too released some of our best content staff turned to Twitter to shed light on complete to be this year and received a tremendous the situation. Narrative designer Emily anything else. amount of positive feedback, but Grace Buck explained that “around

THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 009 INSIDER TELLTALE

250 people are jobless” and added “Telltale’s with finishing the last couple of ABOVE It’s sad that employees did not get any kind of Walking Dead episodes. Clem’s story may severance and that their healthcare never be fully would only last for one more week. statement Right behind you told, but the situation with She went on to state that some of the News of Telltale’s woes has brought Telltale staff staff had only started as little as a caused a forth an outpouring of support from is sadder. week before the decision to relieve the both the fans of the studio and studio of its staff. backlash on developers alike. Many of the Telltale , the voice actor staff are now using Twitter to look for Clementine in Telltale’s The Walking social media” for work and under #TelltaleJobs, a Dead also made a heartfelt statement campaign has sprung up to help those regarding the closure of the studio. The most surprising thing about affected. Companies both big and A second statement from this statement is that it makes no small have since reached out with a Telltale arrived four days after its mention of the 250 staff that were laid range of different positions that they initial one explaining that, “Multiple off, or how they are going to support have available, from top senior artists potential partners have stepped them. Instead it would appear to focus and designers all the way through to forward to express interest in helping on appealing to the fandom of the the administration and social media to see the The Final Season through game as opposed to the obligation teams. This has resulted in some of to completion. While we can’t make to its former staff. This caused the developers landing on their feet any promises today, we are actively something of a backlash on social but there will be a large amount of working towards a solution that media with many, including developers people still without work. will allow Episodes 3 and 4 to be from other studios, calling the The announcement has also had a completed and released in some company out asking for the staff to fall-on effect with the games under form. In the meantime, Episode 2 be paid the appropriate respect its publishing wing. Stranded Deep, an will release tomorrow across all and to receive some form of survival game from Beam platforms as planned.” severance before it moves forward Team Games, has now had its console

It’s never nice to hear of a The abruptness of this This is such a sad story but studio closure, especially situation is the saddest part. it’s becoming too common an OXM one that has such a rich Everything seemed fine on occurrence in the industry. history and unique style. We the outside so it was a real For a studio that’s actively SAYS wish all those talented staff surprise that it crumbled so creating superb content to affected by the closure the quickly with no protection suffer this kind of loss is very best of luck and hope for the staff. I hope their truly worrying. I hope that Chris they will be able to continue Daniella talent will be realised in Adam everyone affected lands on Burke to make great videogames. Lucas other studios. Bryant their feet.

010 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE A LEGACY TO REMEMBER A short history of the best games from Telltale

The Walking Dead The Wolf Minecraft: Story Mode Batman: The Telltale Series The first real big success story Based on the Fable comic book Another success for Telltale Clean up the streets as Batman for the studio. With completely series by . A that went on for two series. and his alter Bruce Wayne. new characters and an original prequel to the comics, you Based on the sandbox Although based on the story from a well-established follow protagonist Bigby Wolf videogame Minecraft, it’s the character of Batman this isn’t franchise, it pulled at the on a murder investigation in a first official story set in that connected to any previous heartstrings of everyone who neon-tinged noir detective universe. It continued their stories from the comics, TV or played it. This is the game that story. A sequel was in staple choice-and- films. Instead it establishes its set Telltale on course for a development but has since consequence format but with own unique narrative and successful future. been cancelled. a tone more suited to children. takes a few creative liberties.

release postponed. The developer has said that they are currently unsure RIGHT Netflix what will happen to the game and are seem eager to awaiting information as to the date of continue with its release. development of Minecraft: Story Fans raised concerns about the Mode for its future of previously announced games streaming like 2 and Stranger service. Things. The former, it can be safely assumed, has been cancelled, while a sliver of hope remains for Stranger Things. In a statement, Netflix clarified that the remaining staff will continue development on Minecraft: Story Mode and that they “are in the process of evaluating other options for bringing the Stranger Things universe to life in an interactive medium”.

Legal action It’s a shame that we are seeing A class action lawsuit has now been so many stories such as this one, filed against Telltale Games by one despite the future of Xbox and gaming of the ex members of staff, Vernie looking so healthy. The success of the Roberts Jr, on behalf of himself and videogames industry has come off the other ex-Telltale members. The lawsuit backs of talented individuals who work claims that Telltale Games violated the harder and longer as games become Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act increasingly complex, and surely more (WARN) which states that an employer needs to be done to protect their must give at least 60 days’ advance employment rights. Q written notice of termination. The hope, in part, is for those who have As of writing the final season of TWD been laid off to recover 60 days wages has been removed from the Xbox and benefits. Marketplace at the studio’s request.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT TELLTALE’S FATE? TELL US AT WWW..COM/OXMUK

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 011 INSIDER ALAN WAKE

TUNING IN Wakey wakey, rise and shine

Alan Wake makes its way to the small screen with its own TV series

Remedy of cast just yet, but the company will Entertainment’s begin circulating Calloway’s pitch to Sam Lake has studios this month. Boing always been said vocal about his Novel idea Remedy aspirations to Alan Wake was originally released on continue the the Xbox 360 in 2010. You play as the Last year Remedy story of Alan Wake, setting firmly titular character, a bestselling thriller made the difficult in people’s minds the idea that a author suffering from writer’s block. To decision to remove sequel to the critically acclaimed try and get the creative juices flowing Alan Wake from both the Xbox Marketplace supernatural thriller would one day Alan’s wife, Alice, plans a trip for the and retail stores. This emerge. But as the years went by the both of them to the sleepy town of was due to expiring studio worked on other games and music licences. It although a short Alan Wake spin-off would have cost the called American Nightmare surfaced, “It seems an company far too a full sequel never arrived. much time and money Eight years later and a shining Alan Wake TV to replace the said actually included live-action episodes torch light pierces the darkness as tracks so they chose after each of the five acts in the it was announced to Variety recently to put the game to game. It seems an Alan Wake TV series series wasn’t bed. It didn’t totally that Remedy would be joining forces wasn’t really a matter of if, but when. kill off the game as with film and television production really a matter of anyone who But this isn’t the first time a TV company Contradiction Films to previously purchased series has been developed for the develop a television series based on if but when” or downloaded it game. A six-part prequel miniseries the franchise. would be able to aired online, leading up to the release Not only that but writer and re-download it of Alan Wake, called Bright Falls. Each producer Peter Calloway, who has Bright Falls. Strange things begin to anytime they wish. live-action episode ran between five worked on TV series Cloak & Dagger happen and Alice is kidnapped. What and ten minutes and centred on a and Legion, has been signed on as started as an innocent trip turns into a reporter, Jake Fischer, who goes to the series showrunner and writer, rescue mission. The game has always Bright Falls to conduct an interview while Remedy’s very own Sam been described as a mix of different with a psychiatrist about his new book Lake will take the role of executive influences, including Stephen King ABOVE Why did a but gets caught up in bizarre events. producer. Combine this with the fact and Twin Peaks, so a TV series feels successful We’re seeing more TV series writer get that Contradiction Films has prior natural for the franchise. caught up in being made for existing videogames experience when it comes to adapting Remedy is no stranger to using live- this mess? franchises. There’s , The based on games for TV and it seems action within its games. ’s RIGHT Light was Witcher and now this. The history of we may be on to a winner. cutscenes were created using Sam vital for taking videogame adaptations is shaky at the Everything else is currently in the Lake’s likeness for the main character, out the Taken, best of times so we’ve got our fingers supernatural early stages so details are light on Alan Wake was structured like a beings living in crossed that everyone involved can the ground. There’s been no mention television show, and the darkness. pull this off. Q

EXCITED? HORRIFIED? LET THE WORLD KNOW AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/OXMUK

012 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE PLAY/EJECT INSIDER

PLAY/EJECT THE THINGS PUSHING OUR BUTTON (OR NOT)

Frenemies finally decided to enable cross-play in Fortnite, so now PlayStation 4 users can see what it’s like to play a real game of Fortnite.

Pandastic Everyone knows that if you include pandas in a game it automatically becomes a million times better. That’s why they’re coming to Minecraft soon.

Mexbox Phil Spencer announced the revival of annual Xbox event X0 and it will be held in Mexico City on 10 November.

Promises kept After promising it since what feels like forever Xbox One is at last getting full keyboard and mouse support.

Brillex? All-round noise- maker Skrillex has joined forces with singer Hikaru Utada to create the Kingdom Hearts 3 theme song. Yikes.

Pay to slay The backlash for including microtransactions in Devil May Cry 5 has almost been enough to raise demons up from the underworld.

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 013 INSIDER CAPCOM VANCOUVER

BARREL WATCH

GAMING’S FAVOURITE PROP RATED BY OUR RESIDENT COOPER

Final Fantasy VII The classic FF series is a treasure trove of barrel- shaped beauties. Here they’re the hero of the scene, used to save the DEAD & The undead damsel in distress below. GONE Final Fantasy IX finally laid to rest Look at this burly boy, just The dead may not rise again after imagine how many main Capcom studio closure characters you could hide inside its robust hull for plot purposes. While Capcom Vancouver is used to their studios in Japan, which does to coming back to life thanks to its make some sense as the company’s Final classic zombie-fighting series Dead biggest games are made there, Fantasy Rising, it looks like this time death including Devil May Cry 5 which will A busy port and will be permanent as the studio is also be out in early 2019. the smell of salt officially closing its doors for the on the air, this last time. While very sad, the closure Shuffling off is a barrel living doesn’t come as a complete surprise It does bring the future of the Dead a life of luxury in its natural as the studio also had a large round of Rising series into question though. environment. An absolutely layoffs of roughly 30% of staff earlier There had been rumours that the ABOVE The future beautiful specimen. of this year, following the release of studio had been working on a new and the Dead mobile game Puzzle Fighter, but at the game this year, but with all operations Rising series time also made sure to mention that ceasing it’s not clear if the project hasbeenput Final into doubt. they remained dedicated to the Dead has been killed off entirely or if it will Fantasy XII Rising series. rise again at another studio in Japan A far sturdier “As a result of reviewing titles in instead. It’ll be a shame if Frank never specimen here, development at Capcom Vancouver, returns as the series has always been perfect for Capcom has decided to cancel the a stalwart on Xbox consoles thanks harsh outposts development projects at this studio to its crazy combat and giant zombie in the middle of nowhere like this. and will concentrate development hordes. The Canadian location will There’s a keg for every scenario. of major titles in Japan,” a company remain open in early 2019 but only run rep said. The studio closure does not by a skeleton crew who will oversee reflect Capcom’s fortunes overall, the business of closing it all down. World Of however, as : World It’s sad to see such a well-loved Final Fantasy was one of the biggest games of series and studio be shuttered, but Celebrating all 2018, and the upcoming release of hopefully the developers’ talents will of the FF series, the Resident Evil 2 remake has be appreciated elsewhere. Q this little received a positive reception too. thing is the Rather, Capcom have closed the Check out our Devil May Cry 5 culmination of every barrel that Canadian studio to bring focus back coverage on p36. has come before it.

014 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE

016 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE SUPERMARKET SHRIEK INSIDER

OFF ITS Shout it out TROLLEY Screamifyouwantto go faster in Supermarket Shriek

It’s that the tagline we use to It all sounds wonderfully bonkers describe a game is meant so literally, and the perfect game to get a little but screaming really is how you silly with some friends as you try to propel yourself in this chaotic, co-op co-ordinate your shrieking to pilot escapade. You play as a goat and a your unsteady craft. The obstacles man in a shopping cart, using your seem mundane at first, with bicycles voice and a microphone to steer and piles on tins set up to knock you around supermarket shelves to avoid off course, but it’s the normalcy of disaster and death by baked beans. such an absurd little game that makes Each character controls a direction, it even funnier. You can use normal so, for example, if you’re the goat controls as well, but where’s the fun in you’ll need to scream to go left that? Be brave and learn to be loud. Q while your partner controls right. You’ll need to scream at the Supermarket Shriek should be out same time to travel forwards. later this year.

THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 017 INSIDER FINAL FANTASY

FANTASY ZONE Cloudy with no chance of Squalls on the horizon Final Fantasy’s back catalogue joins Xbox One

It’s been running able to play VII, IX, X, X-2, XII and World for more than 30 Of Final Fantasy Maxima – a cutesy years, spanning spin-off with toy-like versions of all 15 main titles and of the series’ heroes. Each one will be One dozens of spin- the latest HD re-releases, but with one more offs, cementing notable absence – VIII won’t be joining it as one of the the party as there’s no modern version Alongside the world’s best known videogame series. of it available to play. So any Squall or classics, Final Finally some of its most famous Seifer fans will have to continue their Fantasy XV Pocket entries are coming to Xbox. That’s moping for a while longer yet. Edition also joined the Xbox One roster. right, Final Fantasy VII and a bunch It’s a pint-sized of others will be playable on the version of FFXV with world’s most powerful console from a condensed, tighter early 2019. Fans of old-school RPGs “Fans of old- experience and cute will be rejoicing at the news, and for look. It’s also out right those of you who haven’t played any school RPGs now – perfect if you of the back catalogue, it’s a perfect want to try FFXV opportunity to explore what makes the will be re oicin without the time series beloved by so many. investment. In the past Final Fantasy was Unfortunately not every game will at the news” famous for only being available to make the jump, but soon you’ll be play on Sony consoles. The releases come at a time when the boundaries between consoles is softening with Fortnite crossplay leading the charge and the fact that this Japanese powerhouse series is coming to Xbox is encouraging. already works closely with , and now with more traditional PlayStation- based games coming to all consoles perhaps the barriers are weakening TOP VII brought and we’ll all experience a shared Final Fantasy to the West. gaming utopia in the near future. Here’s hoping Final Fantasy XIV, the LEFT Revive team series latest MMO, will be one of the memberswitha Phoenix Down. first games to make that jump. Q

RIGHT You can join Zidane’s You’ll be able to play these classic gang in IX. games from early 2019.

EXCITED? HORRIFIED? LET THE WORLD KNOW AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/OXMUK

018 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE HOT TOPIC INSIDER

HOT TOPIC WHICH FINAL FANTASY GAME IS YOUR FAVOURITE AND WHY?

“FFVII is the greatest RPG of all time, and my favourite game of all time. It was so far ahead of its time with an intricate story and meaningful decision- making. Plus it has one of the most legendary, and iconic villains in gaming history.” Kelley Thomas Fort

“FFX wasn’t the first in the series I played but it was the first that I was old enough to properly invest in. Must have played and completed 10+ times including three max stat runs.” Martin Molloy

“FFIX is my fave with true old-school fantasy elements. VII and VIII are timeless classics but feel like otherworld stories with their more modern cities.” Matthew Wilson

“FFVII It’s such a good story, with wonderful characters and a great combat system. The world is so enjoyable and lovely to explore. “ Reina Ritchie

“FFVII will always hold a special place in my heart. The story, characters, material system, and just all the secrets were amazing and still are.” Curtis Martin

Agree with the above? Have your own ideas? Tell us at facebook.com/oxmuk

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 019 INSIDER OPINION

Steve Hogarty is... The Fixer Steve wants to make tombs more realistic, and thus, less fun

Archaeologist is one exciting types of room in any game. It’s of those occupations no wonder scores of impressionable that is exactly one per young boys and girls are lured into the cent as interesting field of archaeology, when tombs in as films, television games are so misleadingly enthralling. and videogames make Real-world tombs are dark, boring, and it out to be. It’s not very rarely contain spinning blade traps. Indiana Jones swiping the Holy Grail from But find yourself in a Tomb Raider a yawning chasm as an ancient temple tomb and you know some real good stuff collapses around him. It’s Tony Robinson is about to go down. There’ll be flowing in a damp field in Yorkshire, looking at a water, just begging to be redirected dirty old piece of brick that might have along a narrow ravine to turn a water been used in a Roman toilet. It’s not Lara wheel, which opens the mouth of a Croft cartwheeling into an undiscovered giant stone face on the opposite wall to Egyptian tomb to shoot a dinosaur reveal a pile of machine gun ammunition. mummy and solve a puzzle. It’s metal There’ll be a riddle, the solution to which detecting in Clacton-on-Sea and filling a will involve placing three crystal skulls bin bag with rusted bottle caps that you on a weighing scale to dunk a nearby think might be coins, before decamping Pharaoh into a pit of spiders. to a Wetherspoon for a room temperature I have a three-year-old MacBook ale and a cry. that won’t start, but tombs will contain Though they’ll never openly admit “Tombs are the elaborate contraptions that still it, every archaeology graduate of the function after 3,000 years, built by last two decades has been cruelly most excitin ancient civilisations intent on foiling any tricked into the dead-end profession by adventurer incapable of solving the most videogames. Sure, they’ll try to convince types of room in rudimentary sliding tile puzzle. you otherwise. They’ll claim to have always had a genuine academic interest any ame” The solution in the traditions of the ruling Aghlabid We could make tombs as boring as dynasty of medieval Tunisia circa 800 the world’s problems, videogames are their real-world counterparts, but even BC, but deep down they really thought entirely to blame. the most pedantic of archaeologists they’d be swinging on vines and stealing shouldn’t be denied the wild escapism goblets from Nazis, driving a jeep up the The problem offered by Tomb Raider’s theme park side of a pyramid in a desperate race Besides rooms filled with hovering coins style crypts. Instead, players should be against time to retrieve a cursed totem, that play circus music as you run around severely warned that the tomb they’re or at the very least not being laughed at collecting them, tombs are the most about to explore does not reflect the in the street for wearing a fedora. tedious reality of having a BSc in Ancient Every day spent doing actual Languages from Sheffield University. archaeology is hell for disenchanted Like those pictures of mangled lungs archaeologists, whose lives now amount you get on packets of tobacco, in-game to little more than a series of crippling tombs should all contain richly detailed disappointments and unfulfilled dreams tapestries of real-world archaeologists of running away from boulders. Many of living in Bristol and writing a thesis them lose their minds and spiral into a nobody will ever read. An eerie caution to depressive fugue state, going around any would-be Lara Crofts who might be and around again on Mr Monkey’s Banana tempted by the profession, and one that Ride at Thorpe Park, trying to uncover might save many, many young lives. Q Mesopotamian artefacts between the polystyrene palm trees and the life-size Steve writes for City A.M, only animatronic gorilla.As with most of occasionally from a tomb.

020 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE

INSIDER OPINION

Daniella Lucas is... The Traveller Daniexplorestheconstantlychangingworldof Dead Cells

How do you perfect balance of pretty and horribly consistently explore oppressive, which is what makes Dead an area when it Cells’ atmosphere so special. changes every single time you reach it? Hide and seek When every time While the pleasure of finding somewhere you enter the traps, new may be brief, as an untimely enemies and paths shift entirely? Is it death throws you back to the start, even possible to do so? That’s what I the journey back is filled with constant wanted to try after getting my hands on little secrets to uncover along the way. the achingly pretty pixelated prison that Thanks to the way the world randomly is Dead Cells. There’s also the added resets itself you never become bored challenge of actually having the skill to of your surroundings – there’s always a reach a certain area as you restart from new offshoot to explore that can lead the beginning every time you die. But to treasure or even a peek behind the investigating this captivating action- curtain of what led the island to fall into platformer for all of its hidden secrets is such disgusting disarray. Occasionally well worth the extra challenge. you’ll stumble across ‘lore rooms’ that Starting in the Prisoner’s Quarters give you a little insight into the story, is rather bleak. It may be pixelated but such as the desk of a corrupt prison the whole place feels damp and cold guard complete with bribes, signs thanks to to the choice of colour and “The world is a depicting unfair orders that have come the way the brickwork often has patches down from the King and paths of escape of mould hanging off of it. Everything is perfect balance of attempts made by other prisoners. dimly lit in shades of green, giving the Even the walls themselves are filled whole place a sickly pallor. The sense pretty and horribly with hidey-holes – keep your eyes open of confined dread makes it all the more and you may spot small runes that reveal rewarding when you escape it for the oppressive” hidden gems or perhaps a long-forgotten first time… into a forest full of hanging slice of cake if you’re lucky. You might corpses. Lovely. in fiery shades of red and orange. It’s also come across paths to a totally While the Promenade of the Dead may breathtakingly beautiful while also giving new area altogether. Bosses can leave stink of death it feels like a peaceful the impression that everything is burning runes that grant you powers to interact woodland compared to the dungeon that around you as you cut your way through with the world in new ways, opening up came before it. Sure, your path is often in an attempt to find the next exit. The branching paths and places to explore. covered in spikes and you’re frequently castle walls are dark and harsh like the While the game appears to be fairly dive-bombed by ferocious bat things, world you’re running through – it’s a linear on the surface, there’s actually but somehow that transition from awful a lot of space to forge your own path to slightly less awful feels like paradise. in unexpected ways. Yes, it’s a side- Perhaps it’s because the you’ve scroller with flat backgrounds but those undergone to get there make everything branching and ever-changing paths feel a little shinier – you bask in a brief grant you a huge range to explore. Add afterglow of victory before you inevitably all of the secret spots and sometimes it succumb to some pink bastard lobbing feels like a proper that things at you. That feeling increases as rivals larger, open-world affairs. There’s you reach every new location, no matter a lot to discover here for any fellow how many piles of fly-riddled corpses travelling enthusiasts, you just need to you encounter along the way. persevere to reach them. Q The Ramparts show off the game’s world design at its best – as the sun sets You can see more of Dani’s gaming in the background it drenches everything travels on Instagram: @daniellamlucas.

022 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE

PREVIEW

The games we want the most

024 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE PREVIEW

After watching so many cool trailers, sales of long coats have increased thanks to office input

There may still be a couple of months of 2018 left, but we’re pioneers of the future – this issue we’re firmly looking ahead to the next year and all of the gaming delights 2019 will be bringing us. First up OXM’S we’re waiting on the platform to board the Metro 026 MOST Exodus train on p26. Okay, it might be a little cold WANTED and smelly, but after a nuclear apocalypse you can’t Dani’s pick Devil May Cry V exactly be choosy and at least this way you’ll get I’ve got a soft spot for this series, so even though it’s not to see vast swathes of wintery wasteland on your following on from the under-appreciated journey. Our next stop is a far away planet full of DmC adaptation, I’m fully on board. mechs and plenty of trouble that’s home to Bioware’s Adam’s pick Resident Evil 2 Anthem (p32). We’ve got a closer look at some As a huge fan of 032 the original I’m unbelievably excited of the characters you’ll be meeting and some info for this remake. I’ve now played the demos as both Leon on those awesomely cool Javelin suits. We’ve also and Claire so I’m just itching to play the been perfecting our swagger when walking, as well whole thing.

Warren’s pick as the perfect angle to flip a trenchcoat back at for Anthem Destiny with flying mech suits may be maximum style points in readiness for Devil May selling Anthem a little short but I’ve been Cry V (p36). Now we just need to learn how to ride a dying to play this since first glimpsing it at last year’s . motorbike that’s also a pair of swords/chainsaws and 036 Suits me, sir! we’ll be as cool as Dante. Finally, we’ve got another stylish coat with Ada Wong’s appearance in Resident Evil 2 (p42), although she gets extra points for also wearing giant sunglasses at night during a zombie outbreak. Zero points for practicality though: how do you shoot the undead when you can’t see them? Maybe she’s so good she doesn’t need to. 042

READ THE LATEST PREVIEWS OF THE BIGGEST GAMES AT GAMESRADAR.COM/OXM

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 025 PREVIEW

The and Russia possess 90% of the world’s 15,000 live nuclear warheads

glimpse of the all-too-familiar nuclear Metro Exodus winter in Moscow, spent time trudging through the Volga river during spring Experience the beauty and and now we get a good look at the horror of the wasteland in an wasteland in autumn. Apart from having a completely all-new shade of apocalypse different visual palette than what Adam Bryant we’ve seen so far, the forest environment itself offers up a whole PUBLISHER DEEP SILVER DEVELOPER 4A GAMES bunch of new experiences, from the ETA 22 FEBRUARY 2019 way you play, to the people or enemies you meet and the things you discover. The game is predominantly about From the creaking of the trees and survival so you’ll be expected to the sound of the wind rustling through explore and scour the environment to their branches, to the birds chirping look for supplies and resources. But and singing songs on the air, or the as the forest is located far from any soft crunch of autumn leaves under urban settlements these resources your feet as you make your way are in short supply which means through a beautifully orange and you’ll need to be more mindful of amber-hued forest, you know that your actions and decisions. You’ll this is an altogether different Metro. not just be rewarded with items and MAIN Anew In Metro Exodus you play as Artyom. ammunition for being an inquisitive preview,anew Following on from the events of the player, however, you’ll also be season. Artyom explores an previous games, you, along with your rewarded with information that will autumn wife Anna and a team of Spartan flesh out the story and maybe even apocalypse. Rangers, head west in search of a influence the way you play and the BELOW The new home and a new future for your decisions you make. A prime example Children of the people outside the cold and harsh is found at a nearby camp where we Forest have learned to confines of the Moscow Metro system. survive on The game takes place over the span their own. of a full year and in a world seemingly “The forest recovering from the devastation of war Nuclear family you’ll get to experience it all during environment You’ll catch moments of their naivety the four seasons. We’ve already had a while overhearing conversations offersupawhole between members of the group. At one point there’s a quarrel between two of bunchofnew the members about how they interpret the teachings of their leader. The way experiences” they talk to one another and the trivial opinions that they have highlight just how childish they are in their nature. meet the Children of the Forest, a During another moment one of them territorial group that will do anything is seen writing on a blackboard in to protect their land from those who what looks like a classroom, whether trespass upon it. Originally they were through punishment or doing a little a group of children who were based late-night studying, and can be heard at a summer scout camp and thanks slowly repeating what he’s writing. to the war were left alone to fend for Regardless of why he’s doing this, to themselves, save for the guidance attack them would feel like attacking of their camp leader who they now an adolescent. This brings forth a revere. Having not grown up in the whole bunch of moral implications. usual manner they have honed their These aren’t necessarily bad people, skills as scouts and learnt how to live they’ve had to survive the only way and survive in the wilderness. they know and they certainly have a

026 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE LEFT As The Children of the Forest are somewhat naive, it’s easy to feel sorry for them.

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 027 ABOVE The further you get from the Moscow Metro system the more alive the world seems.

RIGHT Be careful, the locals aren’t fond of outsiders.

028 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE PREVIEW

Since 1956 there have been roughly 11 close calls that could have led to nuclear war

versions of all the creatures you would “Just be sure not to et expect to see in those areas. So as well as the wolves and bears, you’ll cau ht off uard by the find deer, birds and others. irradiated rizzly bear” Metro-craft We also got a chance to see more of the types of weapons you’ll have SUMMER sense of morals. This is evident when access to. The crossbow, called the OF ’36 we see the corpse of a man hung up Helsing, makes a return and is now Given that the game with his body mutilated and a sign possibly our favourite. It’s stealthy, takes place over a attached to him that reads ‘Rapist’. compact and it just feels great to year and that we’ll be Their methods might be questionable, shoot. But the of customisation experiencing all four but do these people deserve to die by at your disposal can dramatically seasons in order, we your hand as you invade their home? change the way it functions. Each were expecting be weapon will have five ‘hard-points’ see what strange They’ll even call you a bandit if you’re people and creatures caught or start tearing through the of customisation which relate to the summer would bring. camp. In their eyes you’re the bad guy barrel, scope, magazine, stock and Interestingly, the and they will do anything they can to gadgets to attach things like laser developers opted to rid themselves of a threat. sights. These can be combined in skip summer and go However you decided to approach different ways to make the weapon straight to autumn, the situations you come across, it’s function exactly the way you want. further into the story. ultimately your choice and you can You can do this anywhere in the world What delights does do whatever you deem fit. But by thanks to your trusty backpack which summer hold? We stores everything you’ve gathered. think they’re saving exploring and finding out more about this location and your surroundings you’ll be able to You’ll also be able to craft medi- season till last for a make informed choices. Do you let packs and filters for your gas mask. big surprise and to them be? Or do you push through However, if you wish to customise illustrate the extreme regardless? Apart from completing your armour or craft more ammo for contrast to the the main objective to progress your weapons you’ll need to make use nuclear winter the through the game you’re not forced of the many workbenches that you’ll series was known for. to do anything. There is player choice find within safehouses scattered at every turn, even down to how throughout the world. Additionally you approach the level. It’s entirely these workbenches will allow you to possible to go through the camp clean your weapon. As you progress without killing a single person if you through the game your weapons will really wanted. accumulate dirt and grime which will BELOW At night Things change even more during impede their efficiency. The last thing you’ll have the night. Metro features dynamic you want is to be in the middle of a more places to weather and a full day and night cycle. chaotic gunfight and for your weapon hide but more dangers to be Not only does this change the mood to jam up, so keeping everything well- aware of, too. and tone of any given area, you’ll maintained will be a priority. also experience different events and Each setting we’ve seen so far hazards depending on the time of has been unique and given us a day. We see Artyom stalking through completely different mood and the forest under a moonlit sky and atmosphere and we’re certain that the as you can imagine visibility during next location and season we see will this time is pretty terrible so night be no different. All of this feels like a vision goggles are a must. The air natural evolution of the franchise and is more still now and crows can be a huge step forward. Everything from heard squawking in the darkness. Your its narrative design, environments, senses are heightened and it puts enemies, gunplay and audio comes a different horror spin on the series together cohesively to immerse you than what we’re used to. It isn’t long in its world and brings out what we before the howling of wolves signals think will be the best Metro game yet. the arrival of a rabid pack that attacks Despite bringing in a wave of changes Artyom. Fending them off doesn’t fans of the previous games have little seem to be too much trouble, just be to worry about, and while retaining all sure not to get caught off guard by of the elements from the past that we the irradiated grizzly bear. As this is love it adds so much more. We just a new area and 4A Games is big on can’t wait to see what the summer realism you’ll start to see mutated has in store for us. Q

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 029 PREVIEW

The devs made improvements to the game following player feedback from the beta

of Rotterdam, as well as the more open fields and marshlands of France. Dutch courage A trailer unveiled at showcased the Devastation of Rotterdam, with a mix of cinematics and frenetic gameplay footage showing the explosive action all-but levelling the Dutch city, with aerial dog Battlefield V fights, tanks rolling over buildings and some brutal close-up hand-to-hand EA rolls the DICE and enters street fighting amidst the mayhem. the battle royale arena One of the things we’re most Chris Burke impressed by is the fluidity of movement. You can slide sideways PUBLISHER EA DEVELOPER DICE ETA 20 NOVEMBER into a room, or back-track on your back while still firing, smash and leap through windows and move rapidly Its release may have slipped until on the ground to stay out of sniper 20 November, but the signs are still fire. As a result your battles will feel incredibly promising that Battlefield more natural, and your interaction with V could be the year’s most biggest aspects of the varied and deformable and most ambitious multiplayer game. environments promise to immerse you Back in June, OXM got to see plenty of further in the action. DICE’s World War 2 shooter and its all- DICE also spoke further about out warfare multiplayer mode, single- a key aspect of their multiplayer WAR player story campaign and massive offering, ‘The Company’, and the STORIES four-day Grand Operations campaign deep customisation offered for While the game has inspired by historical battles. your four-player squads. So far so far blown our But the boldest move by DICE is four distinct ‘classes’ have been minds with what the inclusion of the ubiquitous battle announced, each with their own we’ve seen of the multiplayer royale mode. With Black Ops IIII joining unique load-outs, abilities, strengths experience, there are Fortnite and PUBG in pushing the last- and specific roles. The Recon role single-player stories man-standing game mode, Battlefield involves long-range weapons, stealth here too. Battlefield’s V has now announced its own squad- and reconnaissance; your Medic, as War Stories, debuting based BR, ‘Firestorm’. Sixteen teams the name suggests, heals squad in Battlefield I, focus of four-man squads battle it out for members; while the Support player’s on the individual tales survival in what the developers claim job is to build fortifications for the of people facing will be the largest Battlefield map squad to take cover behind. Finally, brutal conflict in war ever. At 64 players, it’s smaller than the Assault player has the more time. One story we’ve seen a little of the Royale modes of its rivals, while general job of shooting and blowing concerns a young a trailer teasing Firestorm shows a stuff up. Weapons and vehicles can be Norwegian resistance ring of fire closing in on the play area, modded and personalised, while daily fighter known as Nord suggesting it’s the equivalent of challenges will unlock new weapons, Lys, while another Fortnite’s storm shrinking the battle gear and vehicles. involves going ashore arena for the end-game. We’ve also been hearing about the into the desert heat DICE has also confirmed the game’s game’s post-launch content, called of North Africa. We’re more unusual World War 2 settings, Tides Of War, which will be completely excited to see more such as North Africa, where you’ll be free to all Battlefield players. The first when the game lands on 20 November. engaging in desert tank battles; the chunk of which, landing immediately fjords of Norway, involving airborne after launch, will be a ‘Fall Of ’ assault; and gritty close quarters chapter set in France in 1940, with combat among the canals and bridges events and new content promised daily and weekly. Future updates will include new combat roles, new “One of the thin s we’re weapons and new locations, including war-time Greece. most impressed by is the With many games looking to compete in the online battling stakes fluidity of movement” this year, it looks like DICE means war. Q

030 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE ABOVE Dogfights will be a key part of many of the battles in Battlefield V.

LEFT The fjords of Norway provide the backdrop for one of the game’s historic settings.

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 031 ABOVE Gameplay is focused on multiplayer raiding, doing missions to earn XP and build up your character with new gear.

RIGHT As a Freelancer, you will be exploring deep into the world to discover the secrets of its creation.

032 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE PREVIEW

A public pre-launch demo starts 1 February, via pre-order, or or EA Access membership

your Freelancers go out and tackle threats to this bastion of civilisation in a brutal world. It is where your role-playing will be done, where you make choices before going out on a co-op mission. Here you can mod Anthem and personalise your Javelin, talk with Combining jump-in multiplayer people to discover their stories and explore the world’s lore, and it’s where action with RPG storytelling BioWare’s penchant for storytelling mightjustcreateawhole and role-playing will be given full rein. new world… Story time Chris Burke There are a number of mission-giving agents from different factions, like the PUBLISHER EA DEVELOPER BIOWARE shadowy Corvus; Arcanists, interested ETA 22 FEBRUARY 2019 in the world’s lore; and Sentinels, Tarsis’ police force. Mission-types will be in keeping with the aims and We’ve already seen enough of priorities of the agents; for example BioWare’s latest to have us drooling Arcanists will have you exploring deep at the prospect of exploring a vast, into the dark corners of the world to beautiful alien world in flying mech- investigate the secrets of the planet’s suits with our friends. But hang on, past. Out on a mission, you’ll have a you’re thinking, this is BioWare, Cypher – essentially the ‘guys in the right? Where’s the romance? Where’s chair’, support characters who guide the deep storytelling? How the hell your missions, helping identify threats A DIFFERENT is all that going to work in an online and problems. You also have a ground CLASS multiplayer game? crew, each with unique abilities and The different Javelin Well, much of this was answered roles. And there are other rival human exosuits are Anthem’s by the game-makers at PAX West factions such as The Dominion who RPG classes. The recently, when a panel of developers seek to use the Anthem of Creation – Ranger is an everyman Javelin, revealed more, along with a cool new the thing used by the ‘Gods’ to create nicely balanced with gameplay trailer. And the answer it the planet – for evil. agility and firepower. seems, is in what BioWare is terming BioWare stress that the role-playing The Colossus is for ‘Our World, Your Story’. is optional for those who just want those who like playing “We really are focusing on meshing to get out and have a blast with in a tank role. The together two ways of amazing their mates. However, BioWare has Storm suit uses storytelling,” reveals producer Mike evidently focused a lot of attention elemental attacks, Gamble. “You can play with your on Fort Tarsis as a hub for its reactive kind of like a mage. friends, go out in the world, there storytelling, and has hinted that the So that just leaves your stealth class, are these cool world events – and kind of depth and reactivity you’ll find the Interceptor. It’s these are common between everyone in Fort Tarsis might be seen in future fast and lightly playing the game. That’s what we call and games. armoured but with ‘Our World’. But we still wanted to tell a So what about romance? It seems powerful blades for BioWare-quality story, we wanted you that when it comes to in-game assassin-type kills. to feel as though you understand the relationships, it’s more Downton Abbey characters, and have the opportunity than Love Island. to really engage with them. In a “There are a lot of ways that you multiplayer game, that’s tough, so can develop close bonds,” says that’s how ‘Your Story’ came about Gamble, “and we wanted to focus on and where Tarsis really grew from.” that. The reference that our writers Fort Tarsis is the game world’s hub, use is Downton Abbey; if you’re a bustling settlement from which familiar with that show, there’s not a lot of characters there, but every one has a unique, interesting story that “We are focusin on connects to other stories.” The game is taking shape beautifully meshin to ether two ways for its February release, and we’re more excited than ever to strap into of amazin storytellin ” our Javelins and get freelancing. Q

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 033 PREVIEW

The XD in the title doesn’t actually mean anything and is just a crying with laughter emoji

Metal Wolf Chaos XD Blast your way into saving a US in turmoil in a mech suit Adam Bryant PUBLISHER DEVELOPER FROMSOFTWARE ETA 2019

Freedom is dead in America and a game was only experienced by a Then in 2016 Devolver Digital sent nationwide crises is in full swing. select few. It has since gained a cult out a tweet to FromSoftware offering With full control of the military the following thanks to the success of to help localise the game. This sent Vice President of the United States FromSoftware as a developer. The a wave of people begging for it to has launched a coup d’etat against interest in games like Dark Souls happen, and well, the rest is history. the President, resulting in a civil inspired people to look back at the We recently had a chance to go war sweeping across the nation. In developer’s back catalogue and the hands-on with the game and it’s just response the President has taken word of mouth simply spread about as over the top as we imagined. The control of a flying mech and with an this ridiculous little gem. premise may seem less outrageous excessive amount of weaponry fights now than it did back in 2004 but to push back the rebels to reinstate it’s probably because of that that it America’s freedom. No, this isn’t a “The premise couldn’t be more perfectly timed. news flash, this is in fact the newest remaster coming to Xbox One. may seem less Freedom fighters Don’t feel bad if you’ve never even Apart from a slight graphical upgrade, BELOW The heard of the game. It was originally outra eous very little has needed to be changed President of the released in 2004 exclusively for the from the original: even the voice United States in Xbox and solely available in Japan, now than it did acting was originally in English. The a mech doesn’t seem so silly and given the console’s admittedly beginning of the first mission sets now, huh? low popularity in the country the back in 2004” the game’s tone perfectly, with the President smashing out of the White House’s facade in a mech suit shouting “Okay, let’s party”, only to then proceed in blowing up the tanks, helicopters and military troops waiting outside, to the sound of rock music and cheesy one-liners. That’s pretty much what you get the whole way through the game, but surprisingly, despite its age, it’s still a blast to play. Throughout you’ll have access to over a hundred different weapons, eight of which you can equip but only two can be fired at a time. You can switch over these weapons to mix up how you want to unleash chaos. You’ll be blasting, strafing, dashing and slamming everything in your path. Defeating enemies will produce money, which you can use to buy more weapons. It may be completely ridiculous, and over the top. But it’s been a long time since we’ve had a game quite like it and we love it. Q

034 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE PREVIEW

At the end of the first game you could choose to fight your co-op partner and join the crime syndicate

Streets Of Rage 4 With a flaming fist to the face, ’s iconic brawler is back Adam Bryant PUBLISHER DOTEMU/SEGA DEVELOPER LIZARDCUBE/ GUARD RUSH GAMES ETA 2019

Who would have thought that in 2018 interest in anything retro we’ve seen a trepidation but thankfully the game we’d be talking about a new Streets swathe of remakes and re-releases hit looks like it’s in good hands. Dotemu Of Rage game? Well, in a completely the shelves. Sega themselves recently and Lizardcube worked previously on surprising, but thoroughly welcome released the Sega Mega Drive Classics the successful remake of Wonder Boy: announcement, publishers Dotemu, and Shenmue 1 & 2, and feel The Dragon’s Trap, and Guard Rush along with developers Lizardcube now is the time to breathe new life Games developed Streets Of Fury,a and Guard Rush Games revealed, into Streets Of Rage. somewhat cheesy but solid homage with a beautifully animated trailer Announcing the return of a beloved to Streets Of Rage released as an Xbox reminiscent of the ’90s cartoons of old, series can always fill you with Live Indie Game. that a new sequel to the side-scrolling beat ’em up classic is on its way. Bare knuckle In an effort to make us all feel old, “We’re promised For this new entry we’re promised the previous game in the series was classic gameplay but with new released nearly 25 years ago, but classic ameplay mechanics and a brand new story. despite being a hugely successful Returning are series stalwarts Alex BELOW Hand-drawn franchise it disappeared into the ether. but with new Stone, now rocking the double denim visuals bring Several attempts have been made and a rather fetching beard, and Blaze the sleazy since to develop a sequel but none mechanics and a Fielding, still partial to the colour red, neighbourhood back to vibrant came to fruition. However, that now both of whom have aged extremely life. seems to have changed. Thanks to the brand new story” well. More characters have yet to be revealed, which means we’re still holding out for the return of Adam Hunter to round off the original trio. They clearly didn’t do a good enough job last time because the streets look just as angry as we left them, with the same old faces still causing mischief. You’d have thought these punks would have learned to be fearful of people who have no qualms about eating roast chicken from dustbins. Along with them appears to be a new antagonist who made friends with a large snake. All of what we’ve seen looks beautiful with its gorgeous hand-drawn visuals and pumping ‘90s score. This is the Streets Of Rage we remember and we’re super excited for its return. Although no release date or target platforms have been announced, given the developer’s previous history with Xbox we think it’s a safe bet that we’ll see an announcement for its release on Xbox One soon. Q

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 035 ABOVE Dante is back and he’s looking as awesome as ever.

RIGHT Your trusty Ebony and Ivory handguns will help you keep up the onslaught of attacks to reach that coveted SSS stylish rank.

036 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE PREVIEW

Devil May Cry started life as but was changed halfway through development

help of self-professed weapons expert Nico to replace it. Nico just so happens to be the granddaughter of Nell Goldstein, the woman responsible for designing Dante’s iconic guns Ebony and Ivory. With the skill of a gunsmith flowing through her blood Devil May she creates a range of weaponised prosthetic arms for Nero. Although we only managed to try out a couple Cry 5 of them there are at least eight of these ‘Devil Breaker’ arms available. As Sheddingtearsofjoyaswe standard they all have the Wire Snatch vanquish demons in style ability, which pulls smaller enemies Adam Bryant towards you and slings yourself at the larger ones, but each has its PUBLISHER CAPCOM DEVELOPER CAPCOM ETA 8 MARCH 2019 own unique function. For example, the Rawhide Devil Breaker cracks a metal whip at the enemy, ‘Ragtime’ We’ve been spoilt rotten with new slows down anything caught in its details on Capcom’s latest demon path and ‘Punch Line’ not only packs slaying hack and slash adventure a punch with each blow but you’ll be recently. First there was its E3 reveal, able to launch it into the air to ride it then we went hands-on with it at like a hover board and drive it into the Gamescom to play as Nero, and now enemy. Devil Breakers are extremely the serves up a powerful but by the same token very tasty slice of Dante in action and just fragile. If you get attacked while using DELUXE a whiff of our third playable character, one, or perform a charged attack, DELIGHTS simply known as ‘V’. Little is known they’ll break. Luckily they’re scattered Those who get the about this character at the moment all over the place so it’ll be easy to Devil May Cry 5 Deluxe apart from the fact that he’s a new find replacements. Edition will receive client of Dante’s demonic dispatching As well as developing your weaponry 100,000 red orbs, 12 music tracks from the business. The exciting latest trailer Nico runs your very own portable Devil previous games to also welcomed the return of fellow May Cry shop. At certain points you’ll use during battle, an demon hunters and Lady from be able to call Nico on the phone and alternative style rank previous entries. she’ll come racing to your assistance announcer and title Picking up several years after the in a mini-van to allow you to spend call voice, live-action events of Devil May Cry 4, the world any of the red orbs you’ve collected on cutscenes, a different is in crisis once more as a gigantic new skills and items. version of Dante’s bloodsucking demon tree takes root At the Tokyo Game Show we got Cavalier motorcycle in the middle of Red Grave City and weapon, and four our best look at Dante yet. Combat additional Devil wreaks havoc on an unsuspecting looks more frenetic and pumped full Breakers for Nero, population. With the city now of adrenalin than ever before. The one being a infested with demons it’s down to the graphical flourishes help but it’s all recreation of Mega expertise of Dante and the gang to thanks to his exciting new moves. Of Man’s Mega Buster. investigate and send these monsters course he still brandishes his trusty back to the underworld. pistols and sword Rebellion with style, but he now brings his motorcycle into Hell is for heroes the mix. Grabbing the bike’s handles Our hands-on time with Nero he splits it in two transforming it showcased some of the tricks he’s got into two massive swords. Each blow up his sleeve. After having his Devil with those spinning bladed wheels is Bringer arm torn off by an unknown devastating. We also got a brief look hooded individual, Nero enlists the at Dante’s Devil Trigger mode which sees him transformed into a super- powered demon to unleash hell on “Combat looks more the enemy, his skin dark and aflame with pointed wings. frenetic and pumped full of Everything about DMC5 screams style, bring on the cool coats and adrenalin than ever before” swappable fists. Q

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 037 PREVIEW

Experiment 101 head Stefan Ljungqvist took initial inspiration from Kung Fu and Asian mythology

Biomutant Wrapped up in more features than you can fire a Squip at Adam Bryant PUBLISHER THQ NORDIC DEVELOPER EXPERIMENT 101 ETA 2019

In this apocalyptic action RPG, the icons pop up above their heads to enemies, cutting them down to size, Tree of Life is dying. Its five roots trigger certain counters. You’re also while guns will shower them in bullets that sprawl across the land are being gifted with a range of special attacks in slow motion. destroyed by World Eaters and it’s up and abilities. Attacking enemies builds to you to either defeat these creatures up your Super Wushu metre – once Spice of life and save the planet or, as the full you can unleash a Super Wushu The game is full of deviations and your developers have teased, help them in move that changes depending on the experience will likely be different to order to destroy it. weapon you’ve equipped. For example, someone else’s. There are multiple You’ll do this as your own fully swords have you dashing between branching storylines, and creatures customisable raccoon critter. Although and enemies have randomly generated extensive, customisation is easy. A appearances. Even the locations tap of the Y button recodes your DNA “Your sword cuts differ, with varying hazards, such as for a random physical appearance and radiation, frost and heat. There’s a combination of base stats and the left enemies down Metroidvania element to the game, stick refines those stats. You can then too, with certain areas being out of change fur type, style and colour. while your un reach unless you possess the correct BELOW Monsters: Combat shares many similarities ability or equipment. best think twice with Devil May Cry and the Batman showers them Quests are dished out by NPCs, before attacking a gun-wielding Arkham series. While slicing and each of which have an alignment raccoon. shooting enemies through the air, with bullets” metre. If your ‘Karma’ value aligns with theirs they may offer you further opportunities. One mission has us fixing up a mech suit called a Mekton, which we take for a spin. The one we controlled had the ability to suck up little squirrel-type creatures called Squips that you can fire from a critter cannon and be used to distract enemies. The vehicles come in all shapes and sizes, have various weaponry and just like everything else in the game are fully customisable. There’s also a full day/night cycle on offer, with creatures that only come out at night, and a dynamic weather system that can affect the environment. For example, you may come across a body of water that you’re not able to cross, but if it happens to snow it’ll freeze over, allowing you to pass. Biomutant looks exciting so far, but with so much going on we hope the enjoyment doesn’t get buried underneath all of its features. Q

038 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE PREVIEW

Techland are very good at zombie FPSs. They developed back on the 360

Dying Light: Bad Blood Zombies, parkour and a thing called a battle royale mode… Chris Burke PUBLISHER TECHLAND DEVELOPER TECHLAND ETA 2018

Here’s that royale word again. undead, and then hunting down the the place, and your movement here Everyone and their undead aunt’s at other players to steal their samples will be key to evasion and survival, it, and so it’s the turn of first-person from them. Once you have enough as you avoid zombies and the other parkour zombie-hacker Dying Light samples, you become ‘Hunted’ – then players trying to steal your samples. to leap feet first into the genre with you need to get to the evac zone and To make the PvP combat feel more real Bad Blood. It’s an expansion for the be prepared to fight off all the other and brutal, the expansion brings some original Dying Light, and serves as a players so you can be airlifted out. new moves to the table, including nice stop-gap while we wait for the The real joy of Dying Light is in the parries and throws. There are weapons sequel to land some time next year. fluid free-running and sliding around such as swords, hammers, scythes Billed as a ‘Brutal Royale’, Bad Blood and the like to be found, plus a few TOP It’s not just other players is a smaller, more personal affair than grenades and throwable ranged you’ll have to its PvP cousins, with 12 players at a “It brin s some weapons, as well as things like shields. worry about, but time fighting it out with each other These are not your typical battle all the damned infected too… for a place on the chopper that’s new moves arenas, either. The densely packed going to airlift just one person out. and multi-layered urban environments BELOW The game hasbeenin The time that the helicopter leaves – to the table will mean you’ll need to be careful of early-access for and the evac location – will serve as who or what might be lurking around PC on , and the end-game point. includin parries that corner, or ready to jump on you when it launches it will be free Key to making it out alive is from above. to play. harvesting samples from the infected and throws” Blood bother During each match, collecting samples will enable you to level up your character. Each time you level-up you will heal fully and your maximum health will increase. You’ll also do more damage. So, just as scavenging for building is important in the likes of Fortnite, in Bad Blood collecting samples of infected blood is key. The biggest treasure troves of samples can be found in Zombie Hives. These will be pretty tough though; the more samples to be found in a hive, the more undead of all different varieties you’ll encounter, such as armed Goons, and tough, smashy Demolishers. And all the while someone, possibly a ‘friend’ of yours, will be waiting to stab you in the back with a big knife and steal your samples. It’s coming to Xbox One hopefully later this year, and we predict this is going to be a lot of fun, in a really quite vicious way. Q

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 039 ABOVE Look, it’s his Mind Palace so he can walk around topless if he wants.

RIGHT Your subconscious, The Double, may know things you don’t.

040 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE PREVIEW

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had Sherlock use the mind palace technique, although he called it his ‘Attic’

of huge rocks, train tracks and other objects floating above a body of water. All of the objects seem to be in some way connected to Sam’s past memories. As we make our way around paths form in front of us. Eventually we reach a suitable location to rebuild the room within his mind so we can use deductive reasoning to uncover Twin Mirror the events of the previous night. If you can’t solve the Inner space As you walk around the re-creation of investigation, you’ve only got the hotel room you can interact with yourself to blame Adam Bryant certain spaces and objects. Ethereal manifestations prompt you where to PUBLISHER BANDIA NAMCO DEVELOPER DONTNOD ETA 2019 investigate. Selecting these will give you an opportunity to build a picture of what happened. Did you walk into There’s been a huge amount the room and go straight to sleep, of interest in narrative-driven or did you enter the bathroom? Once investigation games as of late, you’ve made your choice you can then with each sharing a similar setup. test your hypothesis to see if you’re Developer Dontnod is certainly no correct. If you’re wrong, you can try stranger to these types of games and something else. is looking to go at it once again. Not all clues are available to you In this three-part episodic straight away. You’ll need to switch HOME psychological thriller you play as back and forth between the Mind SWEET investigative journalist Sam Higgs. Palace and the real world and interact HOME Following a break-up with his partner with different items to discover more During their first he learns of the death of his best scenarios. To make things complicated developer diary the friend and heads home to the town you have another personality, simply developers explain of Basswood, West Virginia to attend referred to as ‘The Double’, to contend that underneath all the mystery is a very his funeral. Things are bad enough with. This rather dapper subconscious personal story about for Sam but they suddenly take an version of you is constantly hanging returning home. unusual turn as he wakes up with a around offering ‘advice’. Whether this Samuel Hicks left the sore head in a hotel room, only to find is good or bad we’re not quite sure. As small town of his discarded shirt covered in blood in this all takes place within Sam’s mind Basswood behind to the bathroom. With no memory of the nobody else is aware of him. become a successful night before he goes on a mission to Everything you do has an impact investigative uncover the truth. on the story and will result in multiple journalist. However, To do this you’ll employ one of endings. You’re given dialogue the death of his best friend brings him back Sam’s special abilities called the Mind options which is a more obvious way to a place he thought Palace. This space exists only within to promote choice but interacting, or he could escape. Sam’s head and is a technique he’s even not interacting, with objects can Home, it seems, perfected to recall important details also have an impact. follows you wherever from his past or to deduce how certain When we solved the reconstruction you go. events unfolded. Those who have we were given the option to leave or seen television shows like Hannibal take the bloody shirt. We took it and and Sherlock will be familiar. went to put it in our duffle bag but We went hands-on to check out this we accidentally chose to leave the Mind Palace first hand. Sam closes his hotel. We feel this was a big mistake eyes and we enter this internal realm as the cleaner will soon arrive and will which manifests itself as a collection see the bloody sink, as well as other evidence we may have left behind. The developers confirmed that these “Everything you do has an sort of things will happen frequently and that the effect of our choices may impact and will result in not be immediately known, but will affect the game in the long term. So multiple endings” choose wisely. Q

THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 041 PREVIEW

The original Resident Evil 2 has sold almost five million copies worldwide

Turning around we stand face to giant eyeball with a mutating William Birkin. Brandishing a large pipe, he swings and destroys the platform we’re standing on. We fall to the level below Resident and prepare ourselves for a fight. Evil 2 Horror survives We immediately unload our bullets Surviving by the skin of our on Birkin, specifically aiming for the bulbous eye growing on his shoulder teeth in everyone’s most whenever possible. Admittedly we anticipated remake yet miss more shots than we’d like, and find ourselves running dangerously Adam Bryant low on ammunition. We run around the PUBLISHER CAPCOM DEVELOPER CAPCOM pathways in search of more supplies, ETA 22 JANUARY 2019 finding ammo, healing herbs and a grenade so we head back into battle. The barrage of firepower doesn’t seem The moment we finished our previous to be having the desired effect and hands-on session roaming the halls of Birkin still isn’t going down. the Racoon City Police Department as We can’t help but wonder if we’re rookie police officer Leon S Kennedy, doing something wrong. At this point we wondered when we’d get a chance we’ve used up all our healing items to play as Claire Redfield. Turns out we and are left with only three bullets in didn’t have to wait long. our revolver. We search one last time Claire arrives on the outskirts of to see if there’s anything we missed. SECRET Raccoon City in search of her missing Nothing. We turn to Birkin who’s still AGENT brother, ex Special Tactics and Rescue hot on our tail. With the prospect of In the latest trailer Service member Chris Redfield. going up against him with a knife shown at the Tokyo Instead she finds a destroyed city hope drains from our bodies. We Game Show Ada Wong infested with zombies. Along the way take a deep breath, aim and shoot makes a grand return in a brand-new, more she meets Leon, but they’re soon straight into the eyeball. He wails and realistic get-up. The separated following an accident. stumbles over the railing, falling into mysterious secret Agreeing to meet up at the police the darkness. Luck, it would seem, agent first appeared station, they head off in different was on our side. in the original game directions to look for survivors. This intense battle, which echoes and evolved into a Our demo starts a fair way through ones from the original Resident Evil, major character that Claire’s campaign in a more linear reinforces the idea that this will be a weaved through the affair than our time with Leon, so we true survival horror game. You’ll need narrative as the series follow the only path available to us. to search everywhere for ammunition developed. It’s great to see this enigma Already packing a knife, a revolver, and supplies to have any hope of once again. a submachine gun and a grenade making it out alive. launcher we find ourselves in an Following the battle with Birkin abandoned office. With that type we’re properly introduced to Sherry of weaponry we know to expect a and promise to help reunite her with confrontation. We pick up the supplies her mother. A little walk and talk later dotted around and take the elevator and we arrive in the police station down to a lower level. With flashlight car park and in the presence of the in hand we descend a flight of stairs despicable Chief Irons, who after and into an engine room of sorts. This beating and tying up Claire, kidnaps is where we meet Sherry, and as we Sherry. We’ve said it before and we’ll offer to lend a helping hand, she says say it again: these cutscenes are we’re in fact the ones who need help. phenomenal, and really raise the bar as high as it’s ever been for Resident Evil’s narrative chops. “We turn to Birkin take The original Resident Evil 2 went down in history as one of the best a deep breath and shoot survival horror games ever made so it’s only fitting that its remake strai ht into the eyeball” would honour that. Q

042 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE ABOVE Claire is very protective of her awesome leather jacket.

FAR LEFT There are two seperate campaigns, one with Leon and one with Claire.

LEFT Birkin is more horrific than ever. Yes, that eye twitches, a lot.

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 043

PREVIEW roundup

IT’SALLABOUTCARDSTHISMONTHAND,ER,THE TERRORS HIDING IN THE DEPTH BELOW. ENJOY! DANIELLA LUCAS

OOBLETS GWENT: THE WITCHER TALES OF VESPERIA CARD GAME DEFINITIVE EDITION

PUBLISHER PRODUCTIONS PUBLISHER CD PROJEKT PUBLISHER BANDAI NAMCO DEVELOPER BANDAI DEVELOPER GLUMBERLAND DUE 2019 DEVELOPER CD PROJEKT DUE 4 DECEMBER NAMCO DUE 11 JANUARY 2019

This cute creature dance-a-thon has The card game from The Witcher 3 is finally We were hoping this classic JRPG remaster revealed a little more of its future antics getting a full release by the end of the year, would be out this year, but it’s just slipped by introducing a card-based system to as well as a new look and a lot of tweaks into 2019. Luckily it’ll be coming with a its adorable dance battles. Each Ooblet courtesy of the Homecoming update. It’ll premium edition that includes a steel book, will have a ‘deck’ of moves that will be be getting a darker makeover to be more in a celebratory art book, soundtrack, pin randomly drawn for you to play from. Of keeping with The Witcher universe, and will badges, collectible cards and stickers. It’s course each card will have a silly name also add a single-player campaign for those a hefty package, which makes the extra and picture attached to it to keep with who aren’t keen on playing with others. wait worth it – especially as the artwork is the light-hearted feel of the game. Perfect for lone wolves like Geralt. incredibly difficult to find outside of Japan.

JUMP FORCE THE ONE WE FOUND THIS IS POOL

PUBLISHER BANDAI NAMCO PUBLISHER LOVERIDGE DESIGNS DEVELOPER PUBLISHER VOOFOO STUDIOS DEVELOPER SPIKE CHUNSOFT DUE 2019 LOVERIDGE DESIGNS DUE WINTER 2018 DEVELOPER VOOFOO STUDIOS DUE 2019

New characters have been announced for This indie survival horror is looking suitably While billiards and pool are fun hobbies, the this colourful anime fighter, including Yugi fear-inducing thanks to some twists on need for a huge room to fit a giant table in from Yu-gi-oh. He’ll fight alongside his classic tropes. It’s set in Whisperwood is massively prohibitive. Thankfully there’s famous cards Dark Magician, Dark Magician mental institution which is home to a an upcoming game to solve that problem – Girl and Silfer The Sky Dragon. Characters recently uncovered network of caves. It’ll all the fun of poking balls into holes while from Bleach have also been confirmed, be up to you to find out what’s going on only needing the space of an Xbox One including Ichigo, Rukia and suave bad guy while going up against violent ex-patients and a TV. This Is Pool promises the most Aizen. And the roster is likely to expand as you’re pushed into increasingly horrible realistic physics for the genre, making it an even further over the coming months. situations. Just an average work day then. incredibly faithful simulation of the sport.

FOR MORE PREVIEWS AND THE LATEST GAMES CHECK OUT GAMESRADAR.COM/OXM

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 045 The perfect gift from just £14.99* PLUS

Order hotline 0344 848 2852 Please quote xmas182 when ordering by phone Lines open Monday-Friday 8am-7pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm (GMT) SUBSCRIBE EVERYFROM SIX JUST MONTHS* £14.99

Reasons to subscribe Saving 23% against price Nevermissanissue Free delivery to your d

Upgrade to include digital for only £2.50 Get instant digital access Increase your saving to 54%

SEE THE FULL RANGE AND ORDER ONLINE AT www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/oxm/xmas182 quote xmas182ۭאדזאזגזגגב٨׎٩גגڷCall UK 0344 848 2852 or overseas

*Terms and conditions: Savings calculated against the full RRP (single issue price x frequency). You can write to us or call us to cancel your subscription within 14 days of purchase. Gift is only available for new UK subscribers. Gift is subject to availability. Please allow up to 60 days for the delivery of your gift. In the event of stocks being exhausted we reserve the right ƳƏɵגȸƺǔɖȇƳƏƫǼƺƏǔɎƺȸɎǝƺ׏ٮɎȒȸƺȵǼƏƬƺɯǣɎǝǣɎƺȅɀȒǔɀǣȅǣǼƏȸɮƏǼɖƺِçȒɖȸɀɖƫɀƬȸǣȵɎǣȒȇǣɀǔȒȸɎǝƺȅǣȇǣȅɖȅɎƺȸȅɀȵƺƬǣˡƺƳƏȇƳɯǣǼǼƺɴȵǣȸƺƏɎɎǝƺƺȇƳȒǔɎǝƺƬɖȸȸƺȇɎɎƺȸȅِ¨ƏɵȅƺȇɎǣɀȇȒȇ ȸǣƬƺɀƬȒȸȸƺƬɎƏɎȵȒǣȇɎ¨ِח׎׏אƬƏȇƬƺǼǼƏɎǣȒȇȵƺȸǣȒƳɖȇǼƺɀɀƺɴƬƺȵɎǣȒȇƏǼƬǣȸƬɖȅɀɎƏȇƬƺɀƏȵȵǼɵِçȒɖȸɀɎƏɎɖɎȒȸɵȸǣǕǝɎɀƏȸƺȇȒɎƏǔǔƺƬɎƺƳِǼǼǕǣǔɎɀɖƫɀƬȸǣȵɎǣȒȇɀɯǣǼǼɀɎƏȸɎɯǣɎǝɎǝƺˡȸɀɎǣɀɀɖƺǣȇhƏȇɖƏȸɵ ِז׎׏א׏ɀɎ(ƺƬƺȅƫƺȸבǔǔƺȸƺȇƳɀ ƫǣɎِǼɵٖȅƏǕɎƏȇƳƬِيȒǔȵȸǣȇɎƏȇƳɀɖƫǴƺƬɎɎȒƬǝƏȇǕƺِIɖǼǼƳƺɎƏǣǼɀȒǔɎǝƺ(ǣȸƺƬɎ(ƺƫǣɎǕɖƏȸƏȇɎƺƺƏȸƺƏɮƏǣǼƏƫǼƺȒȇȸƺȷɖƺɀɎِIȒȸǔɖǼǼɎƺȸȅƏȇƳƬȒȇƳǣɎǣȒȇɀȵǼƺƏɀƺɮǣɀǣɎ WELCOME TO THE

OXM TRAVELS TO WEST VIRGINIA TO GET HANDS-ON WITH THE POST-APOCALYPTIC MMORPG. IS BRINGING FALLOUT’S WORLD ONLINE AND INVITING YOUR FRIENDS ALONG A BLAST, OR IS IT A MUTATION TOO FAR? CHRIS BURKE

t’s like waiting for a bomb to post-apocalyptic world with – groan/cheer/delete as drop. A moment of lung-bursting appropriate – other gamers? anticipation. The familiar cog-edged With Fallout 76, Bethesda is taking the beloved blast door pulls out of its frame with post-apocalyptic survival RPG into the realms of a I a rush of air and dust-smoke, and persistent online multiplayer world. We have spent we finally emerge, blinking into the many, many hours in the Wastelands of the previous sunlight of a West Virginia morning. Xbox Fallout-ings, and we have some doubts that What can we expect to find on Reclamation Day, this ambitious new undertaking will do justice to our the day decreed by the dwellers of Vault 76 to be beloved Fallout world. After all, letting a bunch of safe enough, 25 years after atomic devastation, to randoms trample all over our previously very personal leave the fallout shelter and repopulate the world? Fallout experience, and grief us relentlessly like it And, more importantly, as fans of the Fallout series, was Sea Of Thieves, is filling us with more terror what can we expect, stepping for the first time into a than being stalked by a Deathclaw.

048 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE FALLOUT 76

THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 049 Nestling in the Allegheny Mountains decontamination showers, and a and other information sources found of West Virginia, The Greenbrier is a massive great blast door, that shuts ABOVE Power in the world, or by events that crop very exclusive spa resort built around behind us with a neck-hair raising Armor returns, up that you can choose to engage in, health-giving sulphur springs, and is boom. It’s apposite that we should and could make or not. Every human you meet, trade all the inspirational to the nuclear-age game be playing the game here for the difference to with or fight in the game will be a real lore of Fallout – even appearing as a first time; Fallout’s rich game history your survival. human player. It makes for a much location in 76. Below this luxury resort deviates after the Second World War, more freeform style of play than we’ve is an actual nuclear fallout bunker, so that its retro-futuristic, atomic- seen in Fallout before. completed in 1962 and intended to age stylings echo the height of the That lack oof NPCs also means that shelter members of Congress in the US’s nuclear paranoia, but take it to the staple Faallout enemies – Raider event of nuclear war. the alternative historical conclusion gangs – will not be found in 76’s The bunker was never used, even of a devastating nuclear conflict. Wasteland either. Bethesda want during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the experience of running into other but kept fully stocked for 30 years, Atomic bond human survivvors to feel special, that until its existence was exposed by Playing in a team of four, including they are real humans. When you and the Washington Post in 1992. It is a Bethesda Game Studio ‘sherpa’ your friends leave Vault 76, you really now a tourist attraction, filled with to guide us, we set off across the are the first humans back in the world. fascinating history that never was. huge map – four times bigger than Nuke kids on , so to speak. This was where the law-making Fallout 4’s. There are up to 24 players Althoughour o sherpa is advising arm of the US government would in each instance. We are the only us to follow a more sensible path to have attempted to operate post- humans in the world – there are no levelling up aand survival, we choose apocalypse; there’s a room for a human NPCs in the game this time. instead arouute more likely to lead to a televisual address to the nation; a Instead, missions will be acquired quickdeath in a higher-level area. We kind of senate room, dormitories, from holotapes, computers, letters want to visit our actual location, The

FALLOUT TIMELINE US government’s Nuka Cola invented Vault construction Fallout’s rich lore spans Mister Handy by John-Caleb begun in response years of alternate and first Bradberton. Nuka to limited nuclear marketed by World theme park exchange in a war future history, diverging General Atomics opens its doors six between Middle after WW2. Here are International. years later. East and Europe. some key moments… 2044 2054 2037

050 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE FALLOUT 76

Greenbrier (renamed The Whitespring), and set off in that direction via a few small skirmishes with feral ghouls and armed ghouls called The Scorched. All OXM has is an axe, the ubiquitous Fallout pipe-revolver and very, very little ammo. Bullets are scarce, weapons are scarce, Stimpaks even scarcer. Previous Fallouts practically threw weapons and ammo at you via Raider encounters, rendering their crafting mechanic for such things as little more than a pointless meta- game. Here, crafting is going to be hugely important. There are public workbenches out in the world, where you can also scrap the junk you’ve picked up. All that found-crap was more evidently useful in Fallout 4, but here it’s vital. But, your inventory is limited, so while you might be carrying that old desk fan around, quickly scrapping it for the springs and fixings will free up your carrying space. Atomic kittens As we traverse the still-radioactive wilderness, we decide we’d quite gets is ‘Jelly Fingers’, a disease that like a crack at mutating, like maybe makes us expend 50% more Action ABOVE These we could grow a tail or something, Points on our ranged VATS. Typical. spider things are because in Fallout 76 radiation can The VATS combat system returns, merely now cause mutations, with varying but again, due to the nature of Fallout irritating, effects and usefulness. This could 76 as a persistently online multiplayer other creatures are downright be a lot of fun, as the benefits of a game, this too had to be adapted. In deadly. particular mutation might suit your Fallouts 3 and 4, time stopped and play style; though they can be cured if slowed respectively to allow you to you’d prefer not to have a third arm, or expend Action Points on targeting a hand growing out of your forehead. with precision. Here, VATS has to work We begin drinking radioactive water in real time. You still build up AP, and and messing with petrified corpses use it to target enemies’ limbs, heads until our rads are dangerously high. etc, but you have to do it in real time. Mutations are random, and can VATS is great for those players whose occur each time you take a big hit of accuracy may not be so good, but it radiation. One of our team gets the will still take a fair bit of practice and marsupial mutation, which has him high level perks to do it well. able to jump kangaroo-like to greater As we level up, we get to see the heights. Sadly, all OXM’s character new Perk Cards in action. These are “Radiation can now cause mutations, with varying effects and usefulness”

Construction of Sino-American T-51b Power Armor ’s Vault relations worsen unveiled. Vault 76 108 begins in the when US refuses to opened in honour Capital. It is export oil to China, of US Tricentennial. followed by Vault on the verge of The Brotherhood of 106 in 2064, Vault Construction of Vault collapse due to Steel is founded by 87 in 2066. 76 begins. energy crisis. Cpt Roger Maxson.

2061 2065 2066 2076

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 051 still gained by levelling up, but you The Elder Scrolls Online, PVP is kept can swap out your active cards at any separate to the main PVE game by way time to alter your character build as of a war zone, so if you’re questing, you see fit, and you can share cards minding your own business, griefers with your party for specific tactical are not a problem. In Fallout 76, advantage. We also get to experience there is no such distinction, PVE and the new C.A.M.P.s feature, a portable PVP skip hand-in-hand across the mini-settlement builder, that you can Wasteland. Which of course means throw up quickly for the purposes of there’s a huge potential for griefers. crafting and defence. It won’t allow Especially for those players, like us, you to place it wherever you want, who want to explore Fallout’s richly business, you won’t need to fight such as outside the Vault entrance in detailed world and followw its deeper other players. However, if a griefer ABOVE Workshops order to spawn kill everyone coming narrative beats. Bethesda has a persists, he can eventually kill you are where you out. You can build bigger settlements, genius way of getting around this. with those small increments of will need to craft vital if you clear out an area, but then When you shoot anotheer player in damage – but he’ll become a wanted armour, weapons there’s a chance an Event will start Fallout 76, it will only doo a little bit murderer. The murder will give that and ammo. there, like a raid by Super Mutants. of damage to them, as player no cap or XP reward, but will put RIGHT C.A.M.P.s put it at the recent Quakkecon panel, a target on his back for other players (Construction Let me atom “like slapping someone in a bar”. to kill him and claim his bounty, out of and Assembly There’s so much to do here, and so It’s annoying and an invvitation to his own pocket. Mobile Platform) allow you to little time, that our group decides we fight, but only if that plaayer actively “You get nothing for becoming a put down a should level up fast, gather weapons, engages you in combat do you inflict wanted murderer,” explains Howard, settlement and start shooting other players – just full damage. You get a ccap rewardfor “except the social incentives people almost anywhere. to get a feel for the PVP element of the killing another player coonsensually, have online to be assholes. So what game, of course. PVP’s a big part of according to their level, andthe do we do with that? We turn the the game, but it’s also OXM’s biggest killed player will then bee able to seek assholes into interesting content.” worry for the title, that it might revenge, which doublessthe reward. It’s a fantastic bit descend into another battle royale. If you’re wandering thhrough of game design In Bethesda’s fantasy MMORPG, the Wasteland, mindingg your own that addresses

FALLOUT TIMELINE, CONT. The original Fallout Fallout Tactics Great War begins game begins. The takes place. A between China and Vault Dweller leaves Brotherhood of US. Two hours of Vault 13 to find a new Steel squad is sent nuclear bombing Vault 76 opens its water chip. First to free the village devastates the doors to the appearance of of Brahmin Wood Earth. Fallout 4’s Wasteland and Dogmeat. of raiders. prologue begins. Fallout 76 begins. 2161 2197 2077 2102

052 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE FALLOUT 76

RIGHT VATS “It’s justice, finally, for returns, but in real time.

BELOW All humans griefers and actually makes you meet will be real players. Fight them, work for a dramatic event” together or trade with them. a lot of concerns we might have had which we learn more from the devs about playing online. It’s justice, once our playthrough has finished. finally, for griefers; but not just that, “Gear plays a big part,” reveals it actually makes for a dramatic event project lead Jeff Gardiner, “but we do in Fallout 76’s world, that is literally equalise the damage somewhat, and rewarding and adds to the grit of perk selection plays a part. So a higher Wasteland survival. level player will have many more perks So… like the bastards we are, we to choose from that they can bring to decide, upon hitting Level 5 after the battle, whether it’s PVE or PVP.” which you unlock PVP, to deliberately Pete Hines, Bethesda’s senior try and start something with our fellow VP of global marketing and man. We find another group’s BGS communications, pitches in. “You sherpa player in full Power Armor. He’s guys ran into a near-Level 60 BGS guy level 59, but that’s not going to stop and whipped his ass,” he laughs. “So us from trying to kill him. Especially the idea that if you’re level 60 you now we’ve finally found a shotgun. can just go around and lay waste to Surprisingly, we take him down easily noobs –this isn’t a power curve like enough, which answers some early a traditional MMO.” questions about relative levelling, of So what’s to stop all hell breaking

Fallout 2. The Fallout 3 begins Fallout New Vegas Enclave activates when the Lone begins when the Vault 13 computer, Wanderer leaves Courier is The Sole Survivorr tells inhabitants Vault 101 to search ambushed and left leaves Vault 111, it’s safe to leave, for their father, for dead. He/she exactly 210 years then kills or Vault doctor, joins the fight for after the Great War, kidnaps them. James. Hoover Dam. in search of his/her son. Fallout 4 begins. 2241 2277 2281 2287

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 053 loose, once everyone starts getting level and tendency to die easily, OXM’s concerned that Fallout’s rich stories hoold of the mini-nuke firing Fatman? team enter one of the game’s many could be buried deeper than a Vault- WWell, for starters you’re bound by your events, answering the call from a Mr Tec bunker. The distraction of other inventory – the Fatman is heavy, as Handy robot that needs a quick repair. folk running around the place is surely arre the shells, and you can’t hoard But this is the location of a Scorch at odds with the environmental story likke you could in Fallout 4. Beast. It’s only a gigantic, f**k-off that the game’s creators want to tell. “Remember it is a survival game,” dragon, isn’t it? Our weapons are no “You play this game 30 hours, saays Gardiner. “So we found early in match – absolutely whatsoever – for 300 hours; sometimes you’ll play in play-testing that people were like, its aerial attacks, and we run away. a group, sometimes you’ll focus on ‘This character’s going to go away in That those creatures are out there certain activities,” says development thhree hours, so I’m going to use all my prove that the wasteland of Fallout director Chris Mayer, “but sometimes StStimpaks and ammo,’ but when you’re 76 is just as dangerous as previously. you’ll play solo. And those are the playing ‘for real’, you’ll make very Because with four of you potentially times when you’ll have time to delve different decisions. Do I really want to on a team, the creatures have to be into the fiction and listen to the kill this guy with my one Fatman shell, up to four times nastier; if you thought holotapes and read all the monitors or do I want to save it for the Scorch the Deathclaw was the worst thing and really get into the story. But there Beast, because it took me hours to you could face, post-apocalypse, is more of a tension there, you can’t get it. You do make different decisions trust us, we’ve seen far worse. pause the game to read a terminal. when your characters are ‘real’.” However, amidst all this potential When you’re reading a terminal Still determined to ignore our low for mayhem, we’re still a little something could sneak up behind

3

4

1

2

76 IN A NUTSHELL

OOUPS 3PPP B Y con t o our ip Boy isyor t four p THE HHUUD rien and t swher PBBL OORKSHOPS 24 ny r U wi be mostly the gam sextens ve Pulic o s instan Howeve you f a u played mnus can be accsse , s eone d ’t need tay o r x welwll pro idi g ah dy e ro p, y u of and mes our it P bu lt in torch But ou ce d r nd and on ints a e e al thatalready, iig fs kt our dis a ong ideara rg ? ’Cos ts been in t r T be gr up any . y lus l of e t gams. afting n ee the statu f e ing you y r r er . n

054 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE FALLOUT 76

COUNTRY ROADS Why the US state of West Virginia is the perfect setting for Fallout 76

The Greenbrier bunker’s existence is just one of the reasons Bethesda chose to set Fallout 76 in West Virginia. Where New Vegas revelled in its deserty, Mad Max-style setting, for Fallout 76 the massive expanse of unspoiled and atmospheric backwater to be found out here makes for an enticing game setting, a misty, mountainous and foresty “Away from the main story, environment ripe for ABOVE West Virginia escaped exploration. But there is also a there are hundreds of hours direct wealth of secretive Cold War bombardment, so history round these parts – things are a enough to make any of quests and stuff to do” little more intact, if conspiracy theorist drool from irradiated. both sides of their mouths. The you and eat you. And it often does. quests and stuff to do. You can finish area is home to the United The more we’ve play-tested, the more the main quest path and still have States National Radio Quiet we’ve realised how viable that is, and 150-odd hours worth of stuff you’ve Zone, a 13,000 sq mile region it supports the idea of how dangerous never even seen or touched. where radio and phone and how lonely it is out there.” The devs were cagey about transmissions are restricted, Aside from a story that has you revealing too much concerning because this is from where they chasing stuff for the overseer, there’s online events and future content, but are scanning for alien life… so a race to find nuclear codes to launch according to Chris Mayer, “We’ve got we’d imagine that, as in the nukes at other areas of the map. “It’s a community team put together so previous Fallout games, there a cyclical event where you can nuke we’re going to be looking at ways to will be some alien stuff to be the servers, which creates high level keep the game fresh.” found. Additionally the local zones,” explains Jeff Gardiner. “If you Our time with the game ends on legends of the West Virginia go in there with hazmat suits and a bombshell – literally – when the wilds, such as Mothman, are Power Armor or a ton of Rad-X, you nuclear codes are found, and a going to crop up as mutated can survive in there, the creatures nuke is dropped near to Vault 76. We beasts in Fallout 76’s world too. become glowing, the flora changes know it’s coming, and head back to and that’s where the high level the Vault to watch it fall and send a crafting components come out of, mushroom cloud billowing skyward. that’s also where you get the recipes It’s actually breathtakingly beautiful, for the high level stuff that you want if you can forget for a moment to be to build, so we try to make that, off utterly terrified by the prospect of the bat, cyclical, including the higher nuclear annihilation. level zones where you have to work But our other fears have been together to defeat these creatures.” allayed by our time with Fallout 76, Bethesda says it is committed and we’re hugely excited to get to keeping players coming back involved in the game when it launches to Fallout 76 for years to come, next month. Our time in West Virginia with what it terms an “aggressive” barely scratched the surface of a schedule for adding content to the hugely ambitious and intriguing game, while it’s also quick to point title that will absolutely eat up our out that away from the main story, time like a mutant mole-rat chewing there are hundreds of hours’ worth of through scorched earth.

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 055

THE BIG INTERVIEW

Each frame of the game contains between 25,000 and 75,000 individual brush strokes Cracking Games at Aardman Studios

THIS MONTH WE VISIT THE WORLD-RENOWNED ANIMATION STUDIO AND CHAT TO THEM ABOUT THEIR LATEST VENTURE INTO THE WORLD OF VIDEOGAMES AND HOW THEY’RE DOING THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY ADAM BRYANT

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 057 THE BIG INTERVIEW

Genuine historical documents have been made available as collectibles within the game

You never feel like you’ve completed these appealed to me early on. It feels like the things, you want to go in and tidy things up whole of Europe is fragmenting and you know, and polish things to make them better. So it Brexit, yawn, yawn, that it feels like this is was quite frustrating for me [laughs]. a timely reminder of just how badly things can go wrong when people are looking after Where did the idea for the story come from? their own interests and forgetting about George: [At Games for Change] we were individuals and the human side of things. talking a lot about all the conflicts we’ve been in, and when they’re portrayed in the The game has a very beautiful and very media. WW1 is rarely portrayed, especially in unusual art style. How did that come about? videogames. And the stories are always black Bram: The piece that we did at the Imperial and white, good and evil. We really wanted a War Museum was what piqued Yoan [Fanise, story that wasn’t like that, a story about the creative director at Digixart]’s curiosity. shades of grey and that wasn’t about goodies When he came to us, and because I’ve ithin the ridiculously creative corridors of and baddies. You’ve got normal people on two worked on things where we’ve tried to mimic WAardman Studios, the team is feverishly sides of one horrible event that really they real media in the past, I was quite sceptical putting the finishing touches to their first have nothing to do with. about actually achieving that in real time in-house developed game for consoles, because the processes are quite intensive. 11-11: Memories Retold. In a collaboration This seems like a very important story to tell But it did seem like a really sympathetic way with French developers Digixart and partnered given current world events. of telling the story because you can imbue with Bandai Namco comes a title that looks Bram: That’s exactly one of the things that things with lots of emotion and you’re not unlike anything seen before. Known for beholden to reality. We had the initial idea creating stories with heart, Aardman set when we sat down and looked at oil on out to tell a personal tale from the start, so glass animation techniques where you although it’s set during the First World War, would essentially paint a frame onto glass the game focuses on the lives of two main and while it’s still wet paint the next frame characters. The war is simply the background over it. We started to analyse that and for it. Aardman was also eager to continue to think about all the sorts of quirks and its legacy of doing things a little differently idiosyncrasies of that technique, all the and decided to invent a unique art style smudging and smearing and stuff like that. from scratch in order to convey a particular And obviously the brush strokes. So we mood and feeling for the game. Art director came up with the art style quite early, but Bram Tthweam, senior producer George Rowe it was a question of how much control and interactive group creative director Dan are we able to give to the artists to make Efergan were on hand to talk us through it. the decisions that a computer cannot automatically make, such as the flow and ABOVE All of the Bram, you’ve never made a game before - how imagery carries direction of the brush strokes. did you get involved with the project? symbolism and Bram: Historically I’m more focused on meaning. It’s extremely impressive. Almost every shot traditional linear storytelling within the LEFT Bram looks like a piece of concept art. company. I work as director part of the time, Ttwheam was Dan: The mission was, if you hit pause at any instrumental in as post production for the rest, so I wasn’t coming up with moment it should look like a painting. And really familiar with developing games. Dan the art style. I think it pretty much works in that regard. wanted to mix things up and thought it would When we were doing the concept art, we had be great to get someone who’s not immersed to say, “This isn’t just the concept art, we in the gaming world and look at the art side of want it to look just like this.” things to see what happens. Was it a particular challenge? How has this differed from the work you’ve George: [laughs] Probably the biggest done previously with traditional animations? challenge, and not just technically. Of course Bram: The thing that’s taken me by surprise that was a massive challenge but also from most of all, particularly working largely in a game design and visual point of view. You post-production where I’m used to polishing want it to look like a painting, but then the things and making them better right up to the player needs to understand what they’re very last second, is I found it very difficult to supposed to be doing, which areas they’re take a step back whilst people have to deal supposed to be going to, or what object it is with the technical aspect of things. I just they’re supposed to be finding. But on top want to get back in there and get stuck in. of that we also have to convey emotion with

058 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE ABOVE RIGHT All of the puzzles are simple to solve. Tuning in this radio involves simply rotating the analogue stick.

THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 059 THE BIG INTERVIEW

Given the art style it must be difficult to “We’ve had to convey character emotions. What sort of things have you done to ensure that those hold on to our come across? Dan: We’ve had to consider our shots quite faith strongly carefully. We’ve had to be able to adjust the sensitivity of the brushstrokes as you get that it’s going closer to the characters. But one of the most important things we were able to do, as soon as Bandai Namco came on board, was to ‘up’ to all work” our level of actor. We knew how important the voice was going to be. everyone, so you’ll need to be able to read Bram: The voice talent does a lot of work for small emotional tells and things like that. us. Because you don’t actually see people talking close up within the game. That was Given Aardman’s history, was there a a decision made early on. The scope of the temptation to make the game using stop game is quite big so we couldn’t get involved motion animation? in a lot of bespoke lip sync. What we have Dan: For Aardman, definitely somewhere in done is be quite broad with the motion our future is a stop motion videogame, you capture, there’s a fair bit of gesticulation know, by using the principles and techniques to communicate things. But we focus our of stop motion as much as possible. But attention primarily on the little cutscenes or for this game, interestingly, not really. Bram scripted events within the game. pushed for some other art movements of the time, but it was always this kind of emotive What do you think it was that persuaded both softness that we wanted. What we did the voice actors to the roles? though, is try stop motion in the sense of George: [Elijah Wood] is obviously a gamer frames and brought the animation down to and worked on games with things like 12 frames per second. But we soon realised Transference, and understands how the that it would have needed to have been process of game development works. I think considered from the beginning. Trying to get he was interested because it’s a game motion capture and 12 frames per second is that’s a little different. You look at the script, a complexity we couldn’t overcome given the you look at the characters and see how it’s time. In traditional stop motion animation, portraying war and things like that. Hopefully each frame is carefully considered, so where that’s interesting for an actor as well. And things impact, where things move. They pick Sebastian Koch, the other actor, had never the most important frames. So us just cutting done a game before and I think was quite out half the frames from a motion capture sceptical when he was first approached. But session didn’t make it feel very good. We did again, having read the script and playing a some tests, but that’s as close as it got. German who isn’t the bad guy for a change and is one of the two protagonists, I think There is the potential with all things to set that’s what enticed him to the role. He out to do something very complex and realise brought so much to it coming from an old- that it doesn’t work. school theatre background. To him there’s so Dan: I’d like to say that we were always sure much stuff to do there, it’s just amazing. that it was going to work but the reality is, we weren’t. That sat on our shoulders Dan: But both of them are amazing. As an for quite a while. When we did the vertical example, before Sebastian wanted the script, slice I’d say about 5% was, “Oh my god, this he spent a good few days understanding the could be beautiful,” but the other 95% was, characters. Both of them came in and told particularly with the early shader tests, an the writers, “No, these characters wouldn’t absolute blurry, ugly mess. Not even starting do that,” because they both knew who those with some of the gaming issues we were characters were. coming across, but when you ask the player to pick something up and it’s interpreted as Good stories in games don’t rely on the script a single stroke of paint, how the hell are they alone, but require good narrative design. Are supposed to find it? And it hasn’t been a you able to give us some examples of what’s gradual increase of it getting better. It’s kind been done in that regard? of stayed mainly an ugly mess until about two Bram: We’ve tried to keep things not too months ago. So we’ve had to hold on to our challenging in terms of what you have to do faith quite strongly that it’s going to all work to achieve things. It’s more important that in the end. It’s the same with feature films or you’re moving on and you don’t get stuck series that we do here, but it doesn’t make it in loops where you might have a rage-quit any less terrifying. because you just can’t do something.

060 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINEMAGAZINE THE BIG INTERVIEW

A constant call connects Digixart and Aardman Studios so that both teams can stay in contact

LEFT The legacy of Aardman can be seen around every corner of the studio.

BELOW LEFT Concept art and storyboarding has been an itegral part of maintaining the tone and mood of the game.

BELOW RIGHT The shaders need constant attention. If a new iteration of it is made it can throw out a lot of work.

Dan: We talked about each puzzle being It seems like this is going to be quite a sad differently [laughs]. There seems to be so as easy as turning a page. The example tale. Would you say there’s also an element of much potential with different feels and looks is, you don’t go to a cinema and halfway hope within the game? in games that is as-yet untapped. through watching the film get told, “Sorry, George: I think so. There’s definitely the light you’re not good enough to watch the rest and dark of everything. We wanted the full What do you want people to feel when they of this.” You need puzzles, you need emotional gamut in there. And I think both of walk away from the game? challenges, but you want to feel the these characters are hopeful characters at Bram: That they feel like there is an emotional things that you’re doing. Really the biggest heart. They’re both on a mission, certainly one attachment and realise that their decisions gameplay mechanic is about choice. Helping of them specifically on a mission, of hope. throughout the game have meaning. But I two characters find their way through the also want them to see the fact that people narrative that you’re playing out. We didn’t Is there anything you’d do differently? are thrown into wars rather than choose want it to get in the way. Bram: I would probably do the art style these things and that it’s something that happens to people. War is almost like the third character in this story that’s going THE WRONG TROUSERS CHICKEN RUN 2000 EARLY MAN 2018 around destroying lives and uprooting 1993 In its first feature-length The latest feature film from MAGIC Aardman’s most famous film, which managed to Aardman and the directorial the world. duo, Wallace and Gromit, secure the talent of Mel return of Nick Park after MOMENTS star in this Bafta and Oscar Gibson, Aardman tells the a ten-year gap. A tribe of So you expect tears? winning stop motion short story of a group of chickens Stone Age cave dwellers Bram: That would be nice. Q film in which a sinister looking to escape the compete against Bronze penguin crook steals confines of their huts in Age users in a football Wallace’s latest invention, a order to avoid being turned match in order to save their 11-11: Memories Retold storms into action pair of ‘Techno Trousers’. into pies. home land. on 9 November.

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 061 OXM INVESTIGATES THE OXM SPORTING HALL OF FAME Charting the most influential – and best – sports sims from 17 years of Xbox gaming BEN WILSON

FIFA, Madden, NBA To that end, here OXM presents its : ask the casual first-ever Sporting Hall of Fame. Over gamer for his or her the next six pages are the best and/or all-time favourite most influential games involving bats Xbox sports game and balls from the last 17 years, with and the common one important rule: no matter how long answer is one of that trio, followed by a series has been going, it can only be a number between four and 19. There’s represented once. We left motor sports nothing wrong with that, per se. But for a different time, but every other putting such a focus on the sport was eligible, including a sports does a disservice to the many other sim no one saw coming – by a certain sports sims that have showcased world renowned publisher – without excellence in their respective fields which Niko Bellic would still be working since the console’s 2002 launch. taxi jobs in Hove Beach… MAIN The Journey isoneofFIFA 19’s best modes. EA have spent years honing the popular soccer series.

THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 063 OXM INVESTIGATES

ESPN NFL 2K5 PUBLISHER SEGA | DEVELOPER | FORMAT XBOX | RELEASE 2004

EA’s Madden series has held the exclusive NFL licence for 13 years and counting, so it’s easy to forget that it went helmet-to-helmet with an officially branded rival in the early NBA 2K19 2000s. Indeed, the love for ESPN’s Gridiron PUBLISHER 2K GAMES | DEVELOPER VISUAL CONCEPTS | FORMAT XBOX ONE | RELEASE 2018 series remains so strong that modders still update the PC version with new rosters on an Visual Concepts’ basketball sim has The option to use classic teams such annual basis. trounced rival NBA Live repeatedly, and as the ’92-’93 Bulls is also tremendous: Sadly, that isn’t possible on Xbox, but while some games listed here show their consider how FIFA might be further certain features have stood the test of time. age, this one is setting the blueprint improved by ‘80s Liverpool, or Arsenal’s The halftime show presented by Chris Berman for the genre’s future. For instance, the Invincibles, or Newcastle’s Entertainers. But remains best-in-class, playbook structures option to start a as an NBA crucially it gets the on-court action right are deep yet easily navigable, and modern expansion team is something Madden must too, via player archetypes and two different franchise modes would do well to implement implement, with rumours of a London- ways to shoot (face button or right stick). A nuances like team meetings. An unlicensed based NFL team being under discussion. sporting giant in every way. Xbox 360 follow-up, All-Pro Football 2K18, is worth a bargain-bin pick-up. PES 6 PUBLISHER | DEVELOPER KONAMI | FORMAT XBOX 360 | RELEASE 2007

No matter the advancements made by contemporary football games, there’ll always be a groundswell of support for PES 6 as the genre’s greatest. The culmination of four untouchable years, it felt uncannily like the real thing, with standout players such as Ronaldinho, Adriano and SKATE competing just like their flesh-and-muscle TOP SPIN PUBLISHER EA | DEVELOPER EA BLOCK BOX | counterparts. As for Master League: never PUBLISHER MICROSOFT GAME STUDIOS | FORMAT XBOX 360 | RELEASE 2007 before had a sports game built a sustained, DEVELOPER PAM DEVELOPMENT | FORMAT deep career mode around a fictional team. XBOX | RELEASE 2003 Tony Hawk’s virtual skateboarding The idea was to eventually upgrade your revolution pre-dated the original Xbox no-name starter squad. Yet the attachment The Top Spin series underwent various by two years – but when Skate once to Minanda, Castolo and all-conquering makeovers across its eight-year more rewrote the ollie, grind ’n’ grab centre-back Valeny soon ran so deep that history to the point of its 2011 – and rulebook in 2007, Microsoft’s machine every incoming transfer arrived under an final – guise being for the most part was front and centre. One major change inescapable black cloud of guilt. So so good. unrecognisable from the game that underpinned EA Black Box’s skating started it all. In retrospect revolution: moving the central control (Xbox 360, 2008) was the pick of the scheme from face buttons to analogue bunch, but it’s the original which makes sticks, via the ‘Flickit’ system. our list, in appreciation of it paving the Everything was contextual way. Microsoft Game Studios went down and physics-based, so your stick the authenticity route, with a serving movements required you to react in model that balanced pace and accuracy, real time, modifying tricks based on and range of shots that felt grounded in your character’s balance and the reality. Like cover star Pete Sampras, it environment around you. Top stuff. oozed excellence.

064 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE NCAA FOOTBALL 2014 PUBLISHER EA | DEVELOPER EA TIBURON | FORMAT XBOX 360 | RELEASE 2013

While it’s been fashionable to knock EA since forever, one series which constantly evaded such fan fury was its college gridiron franchise. Largely because it was consistently brilliant, and the perfect complement to Madden: you could play a season in NCAA and then export graduates to EA’s NFL game, forming the next year’s draft class. Sublime. Elements particular to the college game stood out. Play in a raucous away stadium and crowd noise caused receiver routes to become wiggly lines when viewed before the snap, while you’d lose many happy hours to recruiting new prospects in dynasty mode. Lawsuits over player likenesses soon saw EA and the NCAA part ways, and the loss of the series has been lamented ever sincece. ROCKSTAR TABLE TENNIS PUBLISHER ROCKSTAR GAMES | DEVELOPER ROCKSTAR | FORMAT XBOX 360 | RELEASE 2006

Yes, just in case you spent the mid-2000s in a cave/basement/ enchanted forest, Rockstar once made an Xbox 360 sports game. A vitally important one at that: Table Tennis started out as a tech demo for the Rockstar Advanced (RAGE), which would go on to power GTA IV, GTA V and Redemption. Only two modes were present – exhibition and tournament. Both are self-explanatory, and there’s not much longevity to it when revisited now, but ‘Focus’ remains a neat feature. Charge your shots and the focus meter increases; when full, your shots become more precise for a limited time. A bit like John Marston in Dead Eye, but with significantly fewer bloody body parts flying around.

FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 3 PUBLISHER EA | DEVELOPERELOPER EAA CHICHICAGO CAGO | FORMATFORMATA XBOX 360 | RELEASE 2007

When an in-progresss version of arrived at OXMO Towers in early 2006, journalists from eveery other gaming magazine in the company speentthe day queueing up for their go. No sports game in history had lookedso s great close up, with everyy black eye, crumpled forehhead and dislodged mouthguard replayed to infinity. The wider world reacted similarly upon release, with Fight Night’s stick-bbased mechanics just asp olished – and hard-hitting– as its visuals. ESPN Claassics bouts added depth to the visual sheen, annd EA would later try too recapture the magicc with a direct sequel, followed by various MMA gammes. None could match Round 3’s never-before-seen, in-your-grill wow f cto

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 065 OXM INVESTIGATES

FIFA 09 PUBLISHER EA | DEVELOPER EA CANADAS | FORMAT XBOX 360 | RELEASE 2008

There’s no widespread consensus on EA’s best football game, with standout entries including FIFA 11 (which enabled you to import teams made in a browser-based ‘Creation Centre’) and FIFA 14 (first entry on Xbox One). But it’s 09 which enters our Hall of Fame thanks to a name you’ve likely never heard before: David Rutter. Always vocal about his love of rival PES, Rutter took over the series and immediately set about eliminating gimmicks and focusing on sim-based gameplay. In doing so FIFA 09 lay the foundation for the franchise as it is today: equal to, and many would argue better than, – an unthinkable MVP BASEBALL 200 prospect for anyone who played football PUBLISHER EA | DEVELOPER EA CANADA | FORMAT XBOX | RELEASE 2005 games in the early 2000s.

Seldom do gamers have cause to Its best feature was ‘hitter’s eye’. In real sympathise with EA, but that was definitely life, batters watch a pitcher’s hand to judge the case when 2K signed an exclusive trajectory. MVP mimicked this by having deal with Major League Baseball – each pitch type flash a different colour upon instantaneously killing off EA’s pitch ’n’ release. Green meant off-speed, orange catch sim. Fans were gutted. MVP enabled a knuckleball, pink a sinker, and so on. It you to run a franchise as any MLB team and made for a clever fun/realism blend – as did their three minor-league affiliates, for up to the option to argue with umpires (and get 120 seasons. ejected!) at any time.

NHL 16 PUBLISHER EA | DEVELOPER EA CANADA | FORMAT XBOX ONE | RELEASE 2005

Unheralded in comparison to modern 16, for one key reason: audience feedback. heavyweights, EA’s ice hockey sim is the Fans were outraged at NHL 15 after the best it’s ever been. Outdoor rinks, myriad series launched on Xbox One missing key creation options, a colossal franchise features, and the fervent reaction caused mode: while Madden and FIFA may score EA Canada to jam in fresh content. An promotional hype, this frozen stick-swinger absorbing on-ice trainer, morale system matches the latter and is even better than and 6-on-6 online play collectively set a the former. new series watermark which is obsessively Much of that can be traced back to NHL maintained three years on.

THE NEARLY MEN TEN GAMES THAT JUST MISSED OUT ON A HALL OF FAME SPOT

AMPED TONY HAWK’S AMERICAN TIGER WOODS NFL HEAD PUBLISHER MICROSOFT WASTELAND PGA TOUR 07 PUBLISHER 2K SPORTS COACH 09 GAME STUDIOS PUBLISHER ACTIVISION PUBLISHER/DEVELOPER EA DEVELOPER VISUAL PUBLISHER EA DEVELOPER INDIE BUILT DEVELOPER NEVERSOFT REDWOOD SHORES CONCEPTS DEVELOPER EA TIBURON FORMAT XBOX FORMAT XBOX FORMAT XBOX 360 FORMAT XBOX 360 FORMAT XBOX 360 RELEASE 2001 RELEASE 2005 RELEASE 2006 RELEASE 2006 RELEASE 2008

066 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE WWE RAW 2 PUBLISHER THQ | DEVELOPER ANCHOR INC | FORMAT XBOX | RELEASE 2003

Surpassed in recent times by 2K’s current series, Raw 2 nonetheless justifies a Hall of Fame spot as the last exclusive-to-Xbox WWE game. There was a time when each console would get its own specific grap sim, and this stood out for innovative elements which have been lost in time – such as LINKS 2004 walking using the D-pad but seamlessly MADDEN NFL 05 PUBLISHER MICROSOFT GAME STUDIOS | breaking into a run via the left stick. PUBLISHER EA | DEVELOPER EA TIBURON | DEVELOPER INDIE BUILT | FORMAT XBOX | Also curious upon reflection is the ability FORMAT XBOX | RELEASE 2004 RELEASE 2003 to complete for heavyweight men’s titles, such as the WWE Championship, with female A few months before delivering the The original Xbox brought about a series characters – a nod to Stephanie McMahon exceptional MVP Baseball, EA set the of games under the ‘XSN Sports’ banner, and Chyna’s inter-gender matches of the tone for the coming months with its though it’s best not to dwell on NBA time. From a roster standpoint, it remains the greatest Gridiron offering. Masses of fun Inside Drive 2004 or NHL Rivals 2004. only WWE game to feature Nidia, Jamie Noble, on the turf, Madden 05 is still revered Time has been kinder to the golf sim and Chris Nowinski. for a franchise mode that in some areas from the same stable. Already a home remains unsurpassed. computer favourite, Links’ transition to This comprehensive mode sang with console delivered simultaneous online personality. The surprisingly listenable play, where you could compete with and non-repetitive Tony Bruno radio show friends without having to watch them. superbly mimicked ESPN-style post- Three difficulty settings kept game phone-ins, while every individual options simple, and it had a focus on player had to be managed based on believability. That was highly regarded specific desires: money, team role, on- by the serious fan, which only made for field success, and so on. It would take extra sadness when dev Indie Built was years for Madden to recapture its mojo sold by Microsoft before being closed. on Xbox 360.

ROCKET LEAGUE PUBLISHER PSYONIX | DEVELOPER PSYONIX | FORMAT XBOX ONE | RELEASE 2016

So exactly what is the best football game Saturday and you’ll be lucky to get to bed by available on Xbox One? You’ll find many sunrise. On Monday. who laugh at the notion of it being FIFA Still going strong two years after it or Pro Evolution Soccer. Instead, Rocket debuted, it’s expanding all the time in terms League’s car-based, jet-boosted end-to- of both modes, such as basketball and end goal-scoring has turned it from cult hit hockey, and new vehicles like the DeLorean to household name, with online contests and Jurassic World jeep. Now an official every bit as swearily contested as those eSport, Rocket League had clocked up 40 traditional soccer sims. Play it after 10pm million players by the outset of 2018.

FIFA WORLD CUP 2010: UFC SSX DON BRADMAN CRICKET 17 THE GOLF CLUB 2019 SOUTH AFRICA UNDISPUTED 3 PUBLISHER EA PUBLISHER TRU BLU PUBLISHER/ DEVELOPER PUBLISHER EA PUBLISHER THQ DEVELOPER EA CANADA ENTERTAINMENT HB STUDIOS DEVELOPER EA CANADA DEVELOPER YUKE’S FORMAT XBOX 360 DEVELOPER BIG ANT STUDIOS FORMAT XBOX ONE FORMAT XBOX 360 FORMAT XBOX 360 RELEASE 2012 FORMAT XBOX ONE RELEASE 2018 RELEASE 2010 RELEASE 2012 RELEASE 2016

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 067 Presented by

VOTE FOR XBOX GAME OF THE YEAR AT THE 36TH

Have your say! Best Storytelling? Most Wanted? Ultimate Game of the Year? Let us know what you’ve loved from this great year of games and get a free e-bookazine of your choice worth up to £12.99!

VOTE NOW www.goldenjoysticks.com COMPETITION WIN!

Tally h chaps! We’ve got three Strange Brigade Collector’s Editions to give away, plus badge iron-on patches and postcards!

You can’t go exploring cursed of the first big bit of Strange Brigade mummies’ tombs without one of DLC. Not only does the Brigade have these! The Department of Antiquities some new members joining their has given OXM three Strange Brigade adventures in the form of Tessie Collector’s Editions to give away! Each Caldwell and Hachiro Shimuzu, but one includes an Exclusive Steelbook The Isle of the Dead is the first with the game disc, a 64-page mission in a new three-part campaign hardback Art Book, bonus digital called The Thrice Damned! Explore a content in the form of a Secret Service spooky Mediterranean island with a Weapons pack and a model airship! fortified pirate settlement. As always Yes, somewhat awesomely, you can you can play solo or in 2-4 player co- build your own Strange Brigade blimp, op, fighting legions of evil skeletons with this 30cm long cardboard model (when are they not evil?)… so put airship kit! down those cups of tea and get back This month also sees the release on the blimp, Strange Brigade! Q

To enter, simply answer the following question: TERMS & CONDITIONS WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN WITCH QUEEN THAT’S The competition closes on 16/11/2018. By taking part, you agree to be BEEN CAUSING ALL THE PROBLEMS FOR THE STRANGE BRIGADE? bound by the competition rules: futureplc.com/competition-rules. Entries must be received by midnight on 16/11/2018 (UK time). Open to UK residents A SETEKI B SUDOKU C SENOKOT aged 18 years and over. The prize is non-transferable and non-refundable. There is no cash alternative. Enter at http://bit.ly/OXMstrangebrigadecomp

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 069

REVIEW

Your gaming month sorted with our definitive reviews

072 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE REVIEW

Even the sheep in Forza Horizon 4 change their coats depending on the season. Sleek in spring, fluffy in winter

Do you hear it? There, in the distance... a stampede of games heading this way. It’s that time of year, the annual mega migration of blockbusters and hidden

How we gaming delights has started and the first few big score: Can’t make sense of hitters are running through for the start of the winter 074 our out-of-ten rating system? Then see season. First up is Lara’s final outing of the rebooted below for your at-a-glance guide. trilogy with Shadow Of The Tomb Raider over on 10 A gaming masterpiece 9 An essential slice of p74. She’s changed a lot since her nervous start, brilliance 8 Give it a whirl and becoming far more confident in her abilities, but can you won’t regret it 7 Some minor flaws the game itself match her changes? Read on to find but still good 6 Solid, but not out. Elsewhere we’ve pulled up our socks for this setting any loins aflame 5 Average. Not year’s latest football game instalments starting with 078 good, but not terrible either FIFA 19 (p78). We get a new entry every year, and 4 Honks just a bit 3 Look away, lest with loads of tweaks and new bells and whistles this ye be tainted 2 Angry-makingly bad looks to be an improvement on last year, though is it 1 Just... no... ß Titles with this enough of a leap to justify shelling out for? We’ve also symbol are on Game Preview, so while they aren’t finished, you been taking a spin behind the wheel of the absolutely can still find out if they’re worth playing. huge Forza Horizon 4 on p80. The British map is massive and features four dynamic seasons, so all 080 of the Brits out there have even more reasons to talk about the weather. All it needs now is tea-making facilities and it’d be our favourite game ever. Finally, EDITOR’S CHOICE we check out Life Is Strange 2 (p90) to see if it’s Irrespective of score, the Editor’s Choice a worthy follow-up to the amazing story of the first award is given to games with the season. This time we’ll be following new characters quality, ambition or uniqueness to stand out from the crowd. on their adventures. 090

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST OXM REVIEWS AT WWW.GAMESRADAR.COM/OXM

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 073 074 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE REVIEW

Including the game’s promotional budget, Eidos Montreal estimates Shadow cost an eye-watering $135m

PUBLISHER / DEVELOPER EIDOS MONTRÉAL / RELEASE DATE OUT NOW / COST £49.99/$59.99 Shadow Of The Tomb Raider

THIRDTIMEISN’TTHECHARMFORTHISJUMBLEDJUNGLETHREEQUELDAVE MEIKLEHAM

Rebooted Lara she’s a little fatigued. Sticking rather the plot only gets more muddled, and needs a break. Croft LEFT Lara’s too closely to what’s come before, Croft’s motivations grow increasingly bust back onto the returning this threequel prequel (is that a hazy. It doesn’t help that Camilla scene in 2013, then Challenge Tombs thing now?) fails to significantly build Luddington’s uninterested VO sounds continue to be proceeded to scrape the most on 2015’s Rise Of The Tomb Raider. like it was recorded shortly after she’d her shins 14,000 brain-battering, Alarmingly, it all too often can’t even been injected with horse tranquilisers. times while exploring the spooky yet satisfying match its frigidly fun predecessor. In gameplay terms, the location partsofthe island of Yamatai. It was a successful series. Still on the trail of the evil (and change from frosty tundras to humid reinvention, grounding the asskicking poorly realised) Trinity faction, the forests doesn’t switch things up that ABOVE While archeologist and making the ‘90s swimming is increasingly obsessed Croft triggers much. Instead of bears, Lara stabs biggest gaming icon relevant again. mostly a series of cataclysms when she jaguars. Rather than walking through Two years later, she donned her enjoyable, the unwittingly unleashes the power of an knee-high clumps of snow, regular insta-fail most bullet-proof parka and headed piranha stealth ancient dagger. Now admittedly, a lot mud baths are on the menu. And once for Siberia, in a sequel that improved sections need of innocent folk die because of Croft’s where there were dudes in heavy upon the original’s quasi-sandbox to go in all of impulsive actions, but at least these jackets to shoot, now guys in tank the bins. structure. Now though, at the end of ill-conceived blade shenanigans throw tops are begging to be blasted… her origin trilogy, gaming’s First Lady up an ace early set-piece involving a Mechanically, Shadow Of The Tomb looks tired and short on ideas. flash flood destroying a town. Raider is the strongest of the trilogy, In fairness, the poor woman has but considering its predecessors were clocked up some serious air miles in Plot to bits hobbled by cross-gen development, the last five years. Lara’s battered Even when these tightly you’d expect that. With no 360 port passport takes another beating in choreographed, undoubtedly thrilling holding Lara back, Eidos Montreal Shadow Of The Tomb Raider, with set-pieces kick in, they fail to hide the delivers a game that’s very polished, her latest McGuffin-chasing quest fact rebooted Raider still can’t tell a albeit one with an art style that may whisking her away to the sweltering decent story. As Lara goes on to make prove polarising. Crystal Dynamics jungles of Peru. It’s understandable allies in an ancient Peruvian tribe, is no longer at the high diving helm,

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 075 and the switch in studio may have was removed from the game late in scraping QTEs, while also removing prompted the change in aesthetics. development. It’s certainly not an ugly the white patterns on rock faces that While Shadow looks similar to 2015’s title, but in terms of art direction, it’s guide you on the default difficulty. Rise Of The Tomb Raider in several not as assured as Rise. short It’s a welcome addition, providing respects, there’s a plasticy quality at When it comes to gracefully cut hardcore raiders with the chance to play with the visuals that just looks overcoming platforming pitfalls, Lara make the series’ platforming more WHAT IS IT? odd. Character models, including is more accomplished than ever. Croft challenging and tactile than ever. A jungle-based final Lara, look a little flat, with overly has never been in such spry form, chapter to Lara’s shiny skin that gives the impression and with the addition of new rope rebooted, Puzzle quest they’ve been coated in vaseline. The rappeling sections, there’s now an tomb-tinkering To Shadow’s credit, this is an environments, which span sweeping added verticality to the explorer’s trilogy. adventure that’s much more focused canyons dominated by waterfalls to clambering. Interestingly, you can also on puzzles and platforming than WHAT’S IT LIKE? claustrophobic cave networks, also choose to make her normal jumps the previous two games. The main Croft’s last game… look somewhat fake. Ironically, even and cliff-hanging scrambles more just replace all the questline is now dotted with sweeping though the game targets a darker challenging. General traversal can Siberian snow with brain-scratchers that arguably tone than its predecessors, Shadow’s be upped to a hard difficulty in the humid jungles. honour the legacy of Lara’s 32-bit visual style feels bizarrely cartoony options menu, and doing so shortens quests more than either of Crystal WHO’S IT FOR? at times; like a layer of textures the window on the series’ nail- Dynamics’ recent gun-happy titles. People who really love Lara that don’t mind Whether you’re manipulating the her lack of evolution. spinning gears of a three-storey structure to reach a colossal eagle statue, or reenacting the Crucifixion by manipulating light shafts to shine on statues of Jesus making that fateful walk, it’s pleasing to see the game forego gunplay as often as it does. Not that the guns aren’t still satisfying to fire. When it comes to Lara’s killing skills, she’s never been a more merciless murderer. Crofty may still rock the stiff upper-lip accent, but LEFT Never be when it comes time to go weapons- afraid to use free, she’s a cross between Rambo Survival and the Predator… without the dodgy Instinct – it’s your best way to dreads. The game’s array of bows, stay alive. pistols, shotguns and rifles still pack a

076 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE REVIEW

Though it’s her worst VO performance, Camilla Luddington impressively provided Lara’s motion capture

LEFT Because of confusing story beats, Lara changes into increasingly absurd outfits. Bring back the iconic tank top.

BELOW There’s an excellent photo mode that lets youpulloffall sorts of inappropriate facial expressions.

meaty wallop, and gunplay is intuitive TECH IT “Set-pieces that rafts, dead corpses to distract the and pleasingly fluid throughout. AWAY nearby piranha hordes with, and a Thanks to new additions to the Judged as a purely deli hted in 2015 clever pulley puzzle. series’ established stealth formula, technical showcase, In its best moments, Shadow Of Lara handles more like everyone’s Shadow Of The Tomb ust don’t have The Tomb Raider still has a lot to favourite Rastafarian ET assassin than Raider is undeniably offer. Few third-person action games ever. Using her jungle surroundings impressive. While the do shooting better than Croft, while base Xbox One the same impact as a sneaky blanket, Croft can wrap version doesn’t quite its headline puzzles still have the herself up in grass-covered walls and hit 1080p, it does three years on” power to stimulate your noggin. The disappear from enemy sightlines. She deliver a mostly trouble is, Lara is dealing in ever- also smears herself in mud, making locked 30fps diminishing in returns, and set-pieces her harder to spot. experience. If you’re sees Croft paddle her feet furiously to and shootouts that delighted in 2015 Throw in new stealth takedowns – lucky enough to own pick up speed. just don’t have the same impact three including a move that lets you string an Xbox One X, Watch your back when you’re years on. bad guys upside down like a lo-fi Microsoft’s breaking out Croft’s best backstroke, Is Lara’s latest ultimately a good Batman – and Lara can compete with supercharged console though. Many of this jungle’s waters game? Mostly. Unfortunately, Croft’s offers both a high Big Boss in the sneaking stakes. The performance and high are filled with Moray eels and swarms awful story and brand of knee- fact that enemies now stop looking for resolution mode. The of piranhas. While the former can scraping, goon-shooting action feel you if you break line of sight for long former usually hits at be dispatched during a swift QTE tired. That Shadow’s set-pieces also enough also ensures stealth is a more least 50fps in sequence, the toothy fish swines will fail to emulate Rise’s best moments is valid tactic than ever. Previously if you non-combat scenes kill you more or less instantly should a real problem. Lara’s jungle may have triggered an alert in Rise or the 2013 at 1080p, while the you swim too close. Sections with fun and games, but this polished yet reboot, every enemy would pursue you latter comes close to piranhas essentially act as insta-fail disappointing sequel is ultimately a relentlessly until either you or they producing a full-fat 4K stealth sequences, so it shouldn’t shadow of the icon’s glory era. Q were all dead. image, with a largely come as a monocle-dropping shocker locked 30fps. This never-craftier Croft also that they’re super annoying. likes to get her feet wet at every available opportunity. While Rise Tomb treasures had the odd underwater section, Away from the homicidal fishies,

Shadow is bursting with H2O hijinx. Shadow, like its predecessors, is Lara’s underwater controls have been at its best when it throws Lara into OXM VERDICT revamped, making the adventurer the increasingly complex Challenge Solid yet most accomplished swimmer she’s Tombs. While not as fresh as they underwhelming, been since Tomb Raider Underworld. once were, these sweeping puzzle Shadow fails to She can now dive and ascend with set-pieces still satisfy. Of the nine on send Lara out on 6 ease, while a squeeze of either trigger show, our favourite involves several ahigh.

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 077 PUBLISHER PUBLISHER EA / DEVELOPER EA CANADA / RELEASE DATE OUT NOW / COST £49.99/$59.99 FIFA 19

THE BEAUTIFUL GAME GOES MORE THAN SKIN DEEP BEN WILSON

If you’re a long- Team, it manifests itself via new impressive shift of this generation, standing FIFA fan, performance-related player items. as EA Canada focuses on retaining some good news: And it’s included as a standalone what worked last year, and refining EA’s latest football competition, or part of the reworked short what didn’t. So aside from an optional effort packs in all the Kick Off experience. Tidy. cut timed-shooting mechanic (tap licenses you love. By Kick Off, we don’t mean a shoot for a second time at the exact If you’re a long-standing FIFA critic, throwback to Dino Dini top-down WHAT IS IT? moment your player releases the ball even better news: EA’s latest football banana shots, but the basic premise EA’s all-conquering for extra accuracy) the basics feel the yet often-criticised effort packs in all the licenses you of exhibition matches. Whether on or same. But pace has been toned down, football game, now love to hate. Whichever your side of offline, this experience is transformed with added physicality bolstered, and heading is the digi-footy fence, the big deal this not only by the ability to play CL Champions League the one fundamental to be entirely year is the addition of the Champions fixtures – in addition to cup finals from trimmings. reconfigured, with players truly League – and it will only reinforce the globe over – but also reconfigure hanging in the air and getting power WHAT’S IT LIKE? those opinions, in the minds of both rules and other parameters to your behind the ball. For the most part diehards and cry-hards. liking. Most riotous of all is switching excellent, especially Cynics will still pick holes, and it’s FIFA’s colossal new tie-in brings off fouls and offsides, turning the if you’re a certainly true that in a game featuring fresh commentators in the exuberant game into a hilarious playground-style real-kits-and-faces more than 700 teams, variation Derek Rae and raw-but-likeable cheatfest, and making sofa-based obsessive. isn’t always evident – particularly Lee Dixon, and all the appropriate play versus a mate the best it’s if you drop down to League Two for WHO’S IT FOR? presentation aspects such as official been since rival Pro Evo’s mid-2000s Colchester vs Carlisle. At that level Those able to judge overlays, balls and music. Yet it’s heyday. Other amusing options include FIFA and PES on their FIFA turns seasoned-yet-limited pros the manner of its integration which ‘Survival’, where a team loses a player actual merits, rather into hungover Sunday leaguers. But in is more substantial. Alongside sister each time it scores. than long-term the top divisions specific philosophies competitions the Europa League and preconceptions. have been implemented, so Arsenal, Super Cup, it slots into career mode Excellent Kompany Barca and Manchester City actually with all the correct qualification rules, None of which would matter if the feel like their real-life counterparts. and the live draw for each round on-field football didn’t pass muster. And AI teams are more savvy to match appearing as a news event. In Ultimate Thankfully, FIFA puts in its most situations, for instance going direct

078 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE REVIEW

FIFA 19’s most improved Ultimate Team player is Santiago Caseres of Villarreal, whose overall leaps from 53 to 70

LEFT Players react contextually to the ball when just off the deck, with jumping back heels and overhead-kick clearances. “Thankfull FAR LEFT Accurate faces FIFA puts in its are a huge deal in the most impressive community. RIGHT One small, important change shift of this is the ball being slightly eneration” bigger. This really feels like grown-up football now. in the last 15 minutes, even if it goes END OF against the club’s default ethos. THE ROAD (Arsenal again being a prime example.) FIFA 19 brings to a While those new Kick Off options are close the three-year fantastic, Ultimate Team is where all of tale of , a FIFA’s on- and off-pitch strengths pull fictional prospect introduced in FIFA 17. together into one big fantasy football being two ahead late in the game. A neither ticks all those boxes without This year’s story melting pot. As ever you’re tasked with mode, The Journey: more frustrating example comes in an a few shortcomings. The same is building a dream team by collecting Champions, adds offline FUT season, with our 82-rated true of EA’s expensively assembled, virtual cards, and while most will Hunter’s sister Kim Premier League squad facing the lavishly decked out comeback kid. It chase Messi or Ronaldo from the and pal Danny somewhat lesser LA Galaxy. Dominant can’t proclaim itself the best sports outset, we’re having just as much fun Williams as playable and 1-0 up on 75 minutes, Mata, game on Xbox One, but can celebrate overseeing a Chinese Super League characters, and Jesus and Stones become incapable a spot in the top four. Which seems (new this year) team fronted by Odion centres upon a of passing water, while Galaxy morph somehow fitting, given what it takes Ighalo and Demba Ba. Offline Squad certain humungous into 1970 Brazil, ping-pong passing to qualify for the Champions League club license. Clocking Battles and online Division Rivals to a 3-1 win. Ibra scores a hat-trick. in real life. Q in at around 15 hours offer tidy rewards for weekly it lags here and there Sports psychology failing us, or performances, and the expedited – training sessions the engine arbitrarily changing the pack-opening system – RT to send feel like padding – but outcome? You decide. everything to your club – reduces the narrative beats FIFA 19 isn’t perfect. But that’s downtime between matches for the come full circle neatly, true of all this generation’s best pick-up-and-play casual. and unconventional sports games. In an era where fan elements, such as a expectations include lifelike graphics, OXM VERDICT Mata of contention kickabout in a hotel faultless presentation, on-field A comprehensive corridor, delight. Momentum – aka ‘scripting’, which realism, off-field depth and evergreen off-field package Mocked initially, it that also delivers EA ardently denies exists – is still an will be much missed playability, it’s tough to see where issue. On Legendary difficulty in Squad next year. the next 10/10 sim is coming from. on its perfectly 9 Battles we regularly lose despite NHL and NBA 2K have come close, but manicured turf.

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 079 PUBLISHER MICROSOFT STUDIOS / DEVELOPER / RELEASE DATE OUT NOW / COST £49.99/$59.99 INCLUDED WITH GAME PASS Forza Horizon 4 EDITOR’S CHOICE LITTLE BRITAIN, BIG FUN PAUL TAYLOR

Ladies and springtime lakes into icy skidpans same winter map as your other friend gentlemen, we have during winter, or throwing worrying in Sydney, single-player races can be only good news: puddles on patches of ground during locked to a season, so it’s just the Forza Horizon 4 may rainy autumn that were previously short social meets that are affected by the be the most perfect clear under the glorious summer sun. cut rotation of this digital Earth. Xbox One game yet. Horizon 4 is a social game, Racing blueprints return from It is the gamer’s game, boasting lush encouraging play with other people, WHAT IS IT? Horizon 3, but now allow you to fiddle graphics and encapsulating the social whether in traditional competitive play, An open-world racing with the actual course layout along game set in Britain nature of gaming, to the point where or – in a nod to MMORPGs – working with the car class, time of day and that ladles on reward Forza Horizon could be your console’s towards a common goal in hourly after reward. more. Horizon Stories step in for the new mascot title. Sorry, Chief. events so you can score exclusive standalone, single-event blueprints Forza Horizon 4 is polished and rewards. Rack up ‘influence’ – XP by found in Horizon 3, providing more generous in spirit, adding new another name – by watching other WHAT’S IT LIKE? context to what you’re doing and features while reworking familiar ones people’s streams on , and by Your birthday party, why. They also throw you the keys to but set in a supercar, from every previous instalment. It’s broadcasting your own. Or, you can go with a lucky dip prize hypercars, drift racers and more, to a spectacle of how beautifully your totally solo if you want and still have a every 30 minutes. offer a tantalising taste of what’s next. console can push pixels, shaming game that eclipses everything else on every other open-world racer with its your console for sheer value. Racing on graphical prowess while showing Four hours in and you’re into the WHO’S IT FOR? Playground truly wants you to stay Racers, drifters, off the depth and breadth of its game proper, where the changing connected and engaged with the anyone who simply systems. This is so very 2018. seasons permeate the bulk of your wants to drive in world. Every hourr, a Forzathon Live The opening ten-minute salvo is experience. Every week, on a Friday or the countryside. event invites all players on the map an hors d’oeuvres taste plate of what Saturday depending on where you live, to one location to take part in a you will be doing over countless hours the game shifts into a new season. It’s collective goal. Fellow racers are in Playground Games’ take on Great a clever and bold idea, forcing you to ghosts (thus cutting out disruptive, Britain. You’re introduced to the four adapt to the altered landscape as you destructive trolling) and, depending on seasons, which do more than shift roam the map in freeplay. While your the number of people who show up, the colour palette, by turning crisp, mate in San Francisco is playing the take a little under ten minutes to wrap

080 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE REVIEW

Playground captured footage of extreme snowfall during Beast from the East, the mega storm that hit the UK this year

LEFT You might recognise that viaduct as the ‘Harry Potter bridge’. “The shiftin FAR LEFT Both the 30fps and seasons turn 60fps modes have merits for One X owners. We’d have crisp sprin time it locked to 60fps.

RIGHT Horizon’s lakes into icy playful arcade simulation model winter skidpans” is the pinnacle of current-gen racing games. up before you’re given a reward. The goals here are small and simple – jump a certain distance over a massive cliff, bank drift points on a stretch of road as a group – and chaotic. Progression in Forza Horizon 4 harks back to the original Horizon on Horizon 4 offers One X owners a Forza Horizon 4 is an ode to racing Xbox 360, as your success in a type rather superb option of offering a games that successfully infuses the of event – drift zones, speed traps, TOP TIP fluid 60fps at the cost of dynamic social DNA of MMOs into its racer, while danger signs, etc – opens up more of Want to fast-travel resolution, and some very mild texture never skimping on the handling model that event. This ought to help stem across the map for pop-in creeps in. At 30fps on One X that makes their games so damned any feelings of being overwhelmed by free? You can collect you’re treated to native 4K on your tactile. Anyone worried about series the steady rash of icons that spread all 50 fast travel big, new screen, and Playground’s fatigue should embrace this, and the across the map in Horizon 3 that was boards and do that, soft motion blurring does a fine job fact that it’s available on Game Pass but if you want to pop drowning in untapped events. of filling in the gaps. No matter how for peanuts is a triumph. Do we have back to the festival Q ‘Influence’ is the new XP, earned site before nabbing all you play, Horizon 4 is as dramatic as to spell it out for you? Get this now. by competing in events, buying the boards it’ll cost you want to make it. Jump in a rally cars, taking photos, streaming on you in-game credits. monster, leave your viewpoint on the Mixer and having people watch your We found a way to do bonnet or in the cockpit and you’ll streams. Playground has iterated on it for free from the off. feel the pressure of weaving a rally its reward structure over the last few Instead of choosing car through a forest while the trunks games, and knows how to tap into the festival site on cast deadly shadows against the the collectathon with its systems. the map, simply woodland, or pilot a hypercar down a OXM VERDICT Wheelspins are back and amped up pause the game, tab freeway as the barrier flicks past while This gorgeous, across to ‘cars’, and event-packed racer with the chance to score cars, cash select ‘go to festival’. the needle on your speedo threatens and clothing for your , while Hey presto! You’re to snap off. Or you could spend your earns its place as every car has a skill tree that buffs its back at base, credits time tootling around the map in a a must-have for 10 capacity to earn rewards. still in your pocket. convertible admiring the landscape. your Xbox.

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 081 SIGN UP TO THE

NEWSLETTER TODAY!

OUT EVERY FRIDAY

KEEP UP-TO-DATE WITH OXM!

Read all about the latest Win cool prizes in regular Get hints, tips Xbox games and updates competitions & game secrets SIGN UP NOW! www.bit.ly/oxm_news REVIEW

Cover star PK Subban says all his Predators team-mates play Fortnite – and mock him for being awful at it

PUBLISHER EA / DEVELOPER EA CANADA / RELEASE DATE OUT NOW / COST £49.99/$59.97 NHL 19

FROZEN STICK-SWINGER BEGS YOU NOT TO LET IT GO BEN WILSON

It’s 25 years since the release of what LEFT If you many consider the fancy a break definitive EA ice from playing the game and want a hockey sim: NHL ’94 fight – you can! on the Sega Mega Drive. And as anniversary presents go, this more modern game on a more modern console beats any silver tableware or signet ring. It maintains the pick-up-and-play values from years ago, then delivers depth via a fine array of off-rink distractions. Big hits and spectacular goals are priorities in any puck-smacking effort. NHL 19 serves up both in abundance, and if your sole ambition is to wham opponents into the boards before slapping home one-timers you’re well catered-for. There’s even an NHL ’94 “The odd head- win. In Threes, two teams of you-can- control-scheme option. But nuances guess-how-many compete at arcade for more senior pros abound too, short scratchin call speed, with offsides and icing turned with as much pleasure in putting cut off. And EASHL is the most serious, away a slapshot from the blue line aside this is hooking you up to pals in an online as patiently passing upfield, deking WHAT IS IT? club. If those options aren’t sufficient round the last defenceman and driving The official game of oyous to play” to keep you hooked, 1. you’re mad but low past the goalie. the National Hockey 2. customisable loadouts, attire and Much of that was true of previous League, made and equipment surely must be. editions, however, so what exactly published by EA since game, really shoot from distance With so many modes you’re has changed on the rink? Well, those way back in 1991. rather than retain possession? prompted to pin three to the home goaltenders – already more-than- WHAT’S IT LIKE? The odd head-scratching opponent menu, yet are constantly tempted to serviceable – have improved again, Terrific. While FIFA call aside, this is a joyous game to dip into those hidden away. Ultimate demonstrating sharper reactions and and Madden score play. And although as a rule visuals Team, while not quite on the same a host of new animations. Even on most of EA Sports’ should never trump gameplay, it’s also level as FIFA’s, still provides a fun Pro difficulty we’ve had them shut us marketing budget, absolutely gorgeous, with outdoor means of building a dream past-and- out of one-sided games: frustrating, NHL holds its own rinks repeatedly tempting you into present roster. Franchise serves up all but realistic too. Those big hits are against both just-one-more-match. Yes, you can the tricky on- and off-rink decisions even bigger thanks to some woolly stablemates. now go back to basics and compete of a management career. Playoff mode collisions from past editions mostly WHO’S IT FOR? on a frozen pond overlooked by a similar experience, fast-tracked to being eliminated. And opponent AI is Fans of all evergreen forests and snow-coated the business end of a single season. upgraded again, if still not perfect. persuasions. mountains. These new environments And so on. Given space we could write Would a team leading 4-3, seven host the new World of CHEL, a another eight pages on NHL 19’s good seconds from the end of a playoff created-character mode added to bits. Instead, here’s a TL;DR summary: supplement the traditional, reality- it’s comprehensive, and authentic, aping Be A Pro experience. and completely pucking brilliant. Q Road to CHEL World of CHEL incorporates four ways to play, cleverly mixing online and offline activities. Pro-Am drops you into short, riotous face-offs versus current stars and hockey legends. OXM VERDICT These are all offline; the other trio are Xbox’s underrated net-based. Ones throws three players sports sim delivers against each other on a half-rink, again – digitised facing a lone AI-controlled goalie. It’s hockey has never 9 chaotic but so, so satisfying when you been better.

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 083 REVIEW

Talos was a Greek myth – a giant, bronze automaton meant to protect Europa from invaders

PUBLISHER DEVOLVER DIGITAL / DEVELOPER / RELEASE DATE OUT NOW / COST £39.99/$39.99 The Talos Principle

TESTINGYOURMENTALFACULTIESINMOREWAYSTHANYOUTHOUGHTDANIELLA LUCAS

At first glance this is a nifty puzzle game RIGHT The world where you play as a is beautiful for robot, but thanks to a ruined testing facility. All of some godly voices this prettiness and peculiar hidden feels a bit stories in terminals you’ll soon start wasted on robots. questioning everything you think you know. The Talos Principle has far more going on than first appears. It’s been out on other consoles and PC for a while now, but it’s finally come to Xbox One with the DLC thrown in for free as an added bonus. You’re an AI navigating a virtual space after humanity has died out due to a disease who is being tested to see if you’re ready to join the real world and continue humanity’s lost legacy. Between solving puzzles “It’s a stran e tested make for a solid backdrop, involving lasers, locked gates and but when things start to go deeper aggressive droids you’ll be faced with short but somehow it all feels a bit superficial – like a philosophical questioning making you cut philosophy student trying too hard to aware of your role in this bizarre world relaxin impress you in a bar. to the point where you’re unsure of WHAT IS IT? Thankfully it doesn’t distract from how much free will you actually have. A philosophical experience” the puzzling too much – you could puzzling game where quite happily ignore it all in your Nietzsche appeal you play as an AI quest to find Tetris-like blocks to This testing program takes the form robot. droids through them to avoid them or unlock even more brain teasers. The of some beautiful abandoned Greek WHAT’S IT LIKE? tricking turrets into attacking them to last section does get rather tedious island full of crumbling ruins, but Pretty and thoughtful avoid their ire. though, forcing you to engage more expands out to snowy fields and though sometimes Occasionally we did find ourselves with the story and a lot of those picturesque deserts. It’s an odd tries to hard. frustrated at not being able to solve bits will be lost on you if you haven’t setting for sci-fi testing contraptions something, but vanishing to try spent many hours poking around the WHO’S IT FOR? and computer terminals but it something else is often the answer – computers beforehand. Fans of puzzle games works. The puzzles themselves are and stroking beards other puzzles might give you a gentle It’s a strange but somehow difficult enough to be challenging, thoughtfully. poke on how to solve something you relaxing experience and makes for but thankfully not obtuse enough to were struggling with before. You’re a nice palette cleanser before the feel unfair. Elements gradually layer open to tackle things in any order onslaught of action games in the on top of each other so the difficulty you wish so it’s in your best interests run-up to Christmas. If you’re looking ramps up over time. You start with to explore what else is out there. for something to stretch your brain some simple laser positioning to open Especially the mysterious tower at the muscles a bit then this will certainly fit gates, but soon you’ll be guiding centre of this world, and the computer the bill, even if does make you raise a terminals dotted around containing few sceptical eyebrows over some of snippets of lore that hint at how the its philosophical offerings. Q world crumbled. The story does get a bit much at times: full of existential questions about your freedom of choice and role in this world, it can feel a bit preachy – like it’s trying too hard. It feels like a slightly odd companion to all of the OXM VERDICT excellent puzzling – it’s two different Challenging kinds of mental taxation butting heads puzzling with a with each other as each vies for your beautiful backdrop. attention. The delving into a lost Certainly worth a 7 civilisation and core concepts of being quiet peruse.

084 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE

REVIEW

PES, aka Winning Eleven in Japan, made its first appearance on Xbox as in 2004

PUBLISHER KONAMI / DEVELOPER KONAMI / RELEASE DATE OUT NOW / COST £49.99/$59.99 Pro Evolution Soccer 19

THIS YEAR’S LICENCE-LIGHT PES IS STILL CHASING THE TITLE CHRIS BURKE

Konami’s annual flight. It’s quite hard to back up with realistic frustration that will have you soccer fixture and any certainty Konami’s claims that the screaming at the TV, “Who was that to, its derby-style rivalry top players’ avatars play exactly like you numpty?!” It’s hard to say whether with FIFA divides them, but having the likes of Coutinho short these are random mis-kicks for extra players into two or Messi on your team does boost your cut realism, or our own incompetence, camps: football fans, performance, with those players much but certainly the care paid to the and fans of football games. If you’re more likely to display greater control WHAT IS IT? behaviour of the players and the ball more the former, then PES is playing of the ball, pull off mazy runs or fire Total football, refined, leads to some unpredictability, as in its second-team from the outset in a home a wonder goal. tweaked and polished the real sport. for 2019. game it can’t possibly hope to win. It’s not just with the big names that The lack of licensing is an issue, these differences are felt though; all WHAT’S IT LIKE? Pass master and die-hard PES fans can’t really players have a real presence on the Eleven grown men run New animations – including players argue that the game’s superior ball, a studied physicality and pace, around a park gesturing where they’d like the football gameplay experience isn’t just so that each match feels different, chasing a ball, ball – add to the natural feel. PES’s jumpers for a little bit spoiled by having to play there are no ‘default’ players doing famous passing finesse has been goalposts, etc. as East Dorsetshire versus PM Black predictably ‘default’ things. Big improved again, while the scope White in the Whatsitsname Cup. But, defenders are solid enough to hold off WHO’S IT FOR? of on-the-ball actions, utilising just to tie a knot in the trunk of that more nimble forwards; smaller, quicker Football fans for both sticks for shimmies, turns and particular elephant in the room, let’s players like Raheem Sterling can skip whom finessed and feints, gives you the potential to put agree that FIFA wins that one hands- round slower central midfielders. intuitive gameplay is together some quite brilliant displays more important than down this year, what with PES losing AI is much improved, and players any one club. of showboating. There are almost the Champions League, and move on. can mostly be relied upon to deliver endless combinations of pass, lob Pro Evolution Soccer has always the pass you want – or sometimes and shot types possible within its been the superior football game, and the pass you need, while you’re intuitive control scheme, but it’s the the subtle changes to the gameplay hitting and hoping. This isn’t always off-the-ball movement and the team mechanics and physics keep it top- the case though, and there’s a behaviour that sets PES apart, and

086 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE “Subtle chan es to the ameplay mechanics and RIGHT As the match wears on physics keep it fatigue will start to take its toll visibly top-fli ht” on players.

LEFT A select few players have been rendered using full body and face-scanning technology, with pretty accurate results.

BELOW Celtic is one of the fully licensed teams.

matches have the tactical nuances LIVERPOOL to see the Scottish Premiership not particularly clear, and demands a and occasionally cautious pace LEGENDS represented, as well as a handful of level of commitment at odds with the of a real game. You won’t often be In MyClub mode you other European leagues you won’t jump-in enjoyability of playing a PES knocking in eight goals a match – can sign footballing care that much about, as mostly you’ll match. There’s a try-hard ton of other your positioning and mastery of the legends to your want the absentee Premiership and stuff, but still it’s where PES trails midfield, the need to keep the ball and teams. These include Championship, or even the at least 2-1. FIFA’s whole package, David Beckham, work it to gain tactical ground, are well and La Liga. If you’re not a fan of its presentation and comprehensive Ronaldinho, Ruud represented by PES’s deeper systems Gullit, Romario, Figo one of the few fully licensed teams, suite of options, modes, licences and and player AI. and Johan Cruyff. If you can work out who your team is competitions is just better. Lighting and shadows are stunning, you’re a Liverpool fan, by vague geographical hints, but There’s no doubt that in terms of giving the game a high level of though, you even then, it’s denting OXM’s score gameplay, PES19 has a considerable TV-match realism, while physics absolutely need here that on PS4 and PC you can edge over its rival, though, and should are improved and there’s a palpable PES19.Ontopofa use community created mods to the still be considered the connoisseur’s weight and substance to the ball – it fully licensed teams, badges and kits – but not on choice of footie game. Q reacts realistically to the varying Liverpool team and Xbox One. touches it receives from different Anfield stadium, there’s a whole parts of a player’s body, goalkeepers’ Mersey-ferry full of Match maker fingertips, woodwork etc. Player ’Pool legends Away from the matches themselves, likenesses are the best yet, with including Kevin there’s a clutter of options and modes body and facial scanning quite jaw- Keegan, Ian Rush, that, depending on your proclivity droppingly accurate (check out Harry Michael Owen, Stevie for football management sims, you’ll OXM VERDICT Kane’s hooked schnozzer in 4K!) – but Gerrard, Kenny either love or just get frustrated by. Still the best again, it’s only a select number of Dalglish, Steve Those who want the grind of having footballing teams given this treatment. McManaman and to scout and sign players, deal with gameplay out There are more league licences Robbie Fowler. contracts and other stuff will be there, shame about 8 being added even now, and it’s nice served by the MyClub mode, but it’s the licences.

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 087 REVIEW

V-Rally was marketed under the brand in America, to boost sales

PUBLISHER BIGBEN INTERACTIVE / DEVELOPER KYLOTONN / RELEASE DATE OUT NOW / COST £49.99/$69.99 V-Rally 4

ANUNSURPRISINGMISFIREAFTER16YEARSONBRICKSJUSTIN TOWELL

V-Rally has finally had the tarpaulin RIGHT We wish removed after more environments than a decade and a looked more detailed and half in storage. The vibrant. prospect is rather exciting because, at its peak, the series was magnificent. Known for its technologically astonishing plumes of dust, shining metal and riotously fun track designer, V-Rally 2 remains a racing classic. V-Rally 4? Not so much. This new sequel does a lot of things decently, and the foundation is certainly there for a great game. For starters, real-world circuits are nowhere to be seen, allowing for some of the most imaginative track design we’ve seen in many years. You’ll soon be zooming through canyons, around “It’s hard to et Environments lack texture variety banked curves, over massive jumps and detail, and the game only runs at and even at one point smashing short excited when 30fps, even on Xbox One X, which all through a glass window several cut adds up to a game that looks at least storeys above the ground. Someone’s there’s rarely a a generation older than it is. had a lot of fun making these tracks. WHATISIT? Then there’s the sound. The ‘plank What a shame, then, that the game A rally racer with less fair challen e” to the face’ sound that plays every leaves its potential unfulfilled. focus on realism and time you brush another car is bad, The car-handling is frequently more on jumps and but the most inexcusable part of the spongy and unpredictable. There’s close competition. But then you take part in a production is the menu music. The more grip than the surface suggests, WHAT’S IT LIKE? breathless, six-minute hillclimb race ‘Weight of the World’ rap that plays which is great for making tricky It’s very similar to where the AI is represented by times every time you return from a race is corners, but also means that drifting Gravel, only with only, and you somehow win it by 59 dreadful. After the tenth time, you’ll be slows you down far too much, even shorter tracks and seconds. It’s hard to get excited when hunting in the options menu for any with TCS switched off. Turn for too long less speed. there’s rarely a fair challenge. kind of chance to disable it – a hunt and your engine will bog down into low WHO’S IT FOR? that thankfully yields an ‘instrumental revs resulting in a constant struggle Anyone who misses Stuck in the mud music’ option, which is similar to to keep your momentum up. the racing games of The career mode is otherwise nicely the feeling you get when you finally This couples with AI racers that the early 2000s. structured, and allows you to hire and remove an annoying splinter. seem to have no such problems, and fire mechanics, engineers and even While it’s mostly an adequate game, simply can’t be beaten if you move your agent, paying everyone’s salaries nothing about V-Rally 4 feels best- the difficulty slider even slightly north via a weekly payday. Since your in-class, and therefore is impossible of the default 50 per cent. Fernando agent usually specialises in certain to recommend over the competition. Alonso, we feel your pain. race types, you can manipulate the It’s as generic as they come but, situation so that you concentrate on most disappointingly, nothing like the playing whatever you enjoy the most, V-Rally you remember. Pity. Q which is a great idea and works well. The varied race types on offer range from buggy races and surprisingly basic rallying, through ‘Extreme- khana’ technical driving, to those white-knuckle hillclimb events and close-competitive V-Rally Cross races. OXM VERDICT There is damage modelling but the Basic rally racing only real spectacle comes from the with some strong impressive draw distances, OTT lens track design, but flares and slick weather effects; the there’s little else 6 crashes are naff. worthy of note.

088 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE REVIEW

This Xbox One edition was first announced at the 2015 E3 show

PUBLISHER BOHEMIA INTERACTIVE / DEVELOPER BOHEMIA INTERACTIVE / RELEASE DATE OUT NOW / COST £32/$39.99 DayZ

JUST ANOTHER BUG HUNT? MARTIN KITTS

Before the current craze for battle LEFT Found some royale, post- zombies! Time to apocalypse survival flail away with was the PC mode a shovel. du jour, and DayZ is BELOW An orange uniquely significant as the begetter bag got stuck in of both genres. It was originally a our character’s hand, causing him free-to-play mod for niche military to die of sim Arma 2, and later PUBG began as a stupidity. mod of that mod, in the form of DayZ: Battle Royale. DayZ was responsible for propelling Arma 2 to the top of the sales charts for weeks on end, and its success meant that a standalone version, unencumbered by its host game, was inevitable. It launched in early access form almost five years ago, but its creator-in-chief departed “Rou her than you will definitely encounter bugs shortly afterwards, and while it has such as getting trapped in a wall or sold millions of copies it remains short anythin that’s finding that the item you’re holding is notoriously unfinished. cut permanently stuck to your fingers, in So it’s no surprise to find that been in Game which case all you can do is wait for the long-delayed console version is WHAT IS IT? death. You might get disconnected also very much a work in progress, Hardcore survival with Preview before” and find yourself banned for ‘server available now in Game Preview. zombies and humans hopping’ when you restart, forcing In some ways it’s an impressive to deal with. you to file a support ticket with the technical achievement – 60 players supported by enthusiasts. Standalone developer to unlock your character. WHAT’S IT LIKE? at a time, around 90 square miles DayZ is a soulless, bug-riddled mess. No doubt some of this stuff is A very long way from of terrain, and running pretty being finished. It begins with you spawning on a list of things to fix, but much smoothly, for the most part, on base somewhere in the vast map, of it goes beyond mere bugs – it is Xbox One hardware. WHO’S IT FOR? scavenging for supplies to stave off fundamentally not a lot of fun. DayZ Playing it, though, it’s clear that the At this stage (and death from thirst, which occurs after as it stands is rougher than anything finishing line for DayZ’s interminable price) we can’t about half an hour without water. that’s been in Game Preview before, recommend it to development cycle is nowhere to be anyone. In theory you’ll be evading zombie and even the most optimistic fans will seen. All of the cool stuff you might hordes, forming alliances, plotting be fully aware that it has been like have heard of – the unstructured, raids, getting double-crossed, this for many years on PC. What was player-driven experience that makes embarking on searches for medicine, once a gleaming vision of the future it almost as much a sociological protecting the weak, preying on the now stands as a crumbling folly, left experiment as it is a game – should weak, or whatever you want to do. It’s choking in the dust of the games it be considered the sole domain of the like being a character in The Walking inspired. Perhaps you should come original PC mod, which is still actively Dead. In theory. back in a year or two, because it deserves better than to be stared at in Empty feeling such a state of undress. Q In reality you’ll be entering countless copies of the same few buildings, devoid of life and loot. Rooms will be empty save for the odd non- interactive cupboard, and most of the internal doors will be barred. If you’re lucky you’ll find a tin of beans on the OXM VERDICT floor, and maybe a lonely zombie out Something that in the street, but in all likelihood the stretches the place will be completely barren. boundaries of the You’ll seldom see any other players, Game Preview ß even in a fully populated server, but program.

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 089 PUBLISHER SQUARE-ENIX / DEVELOPER / RELEASE DATE OUT NOW / COST £32.79/$39.99 LifeIsStrange2–Ep1:Roads

DONTNODDOESITAGAINWITHROADTRIPSANDHEARTACHEADAM BRYANT

Expectations were home escalates when a police officer situation where he needs to grow high going into the arrives. In the chaos and confusion a up fast in order to survive. The first episode of Life gun shot rings out and tragedy strikes. juxtaposition of condoms lying next to Is Strange 2 thanks An explosion of mysterious telekinetic short an action figure on his bedside table to the success of the power residing within Daniel is cut symbolise the fact that before this first game. But it’s released, killing the police officer. journey he wasn’t quite ready to leave clear from this slice that Dontnod has After coming to, Sean witnesses the WHAT IS IT? his childhood behind. improved greatly on its award-winning aftermath of this event and with no First part in the latest The game plays in much the same supernatural episodic formula to once again craft a gripping other option in sight, picks up his way as the previous titles. You explore adventure series and heartfelt story. semi-conscious brother, grabs his from Dontnod and interact with the environment and It’s set in the suburbs of Seattle backpack and goes on the run. The Entertainment NPCs in order to find out more about three years after the events of the emotional punch of this event stays the world, the people and to progress first game. We’re introduced to with you throughout. WHAT’S IT LIKE? the story. The biggest difference is 16-year-old Sean Diaz, a fairly typical Built around the same that you always have Daniel by your formula as the teenager interested in little more than Park life previous games but side, which brings the game to life. romantic relationships, having a few We rejoin the brothers two days later, with added realism. Although Roads swims along the drinks, and just enjoying a good time trekking through the Mt Reiner forest narrative stream of familial bonds and with his best friend. Sean is joined by to find a place to camp. Daniel has WHO’S IT FOR? responsibility, it does so brushing his nine-year-old brother, Daniel, and no recollection of the events that Fans of the previous against the socio-political themes games or anyone possibly the best father in the world, occurred back home, which puts Sean within the US today. This could have looking to experience Esteban. The relationship between in the difficult position of having to a gripping narrative. easily been handled badly and feel the three is built up in a matter of hide the truth from his brother. The forced and appear to only make a moments but in such a way that you responsibility has now fallen to Sean political statement, but instead it instantly feel emotionally attached. to protect and raise Daniel by himself helps paint a believable picture of It’s all the more heart-wrenching and to learn how to both be a good LIS2’s political climate and grounds then when their lives are turned brother and role model. the game in reality in a way the first upside down and changed forever. Through Sean we experience a one didn’t. On more than one occasion A confrontation outside the Diaz teenage boy forced into an impossible the two brothers experience prejudice

090 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE REVIEW

You can turn off the licensed music in the options to make streaming or uploading easier

LEFT Improvements in graphics and animation help a great deal to convey more emotion. “The fine voice FAR LEFT Although these actin makes moments of calm are optional it would be a shame every word to miss them.

RIGHT You’ll spoken feel have to work as a team to authentic” survive the night.

due to their Mexican heritage. One SMOKE AND instance of this, which plays a large MIRRORS role within this episode, borders on Finishing the first the side of cliché and is almost dealt episode of Life Is with in a heavy-handed manner, but Strange 2 reveals overall, these themes are tackled with more about the ending of its demo, grace and respect. been improved, too, allowing for more Roads is a beautifully ambitious The Awesome Dontnod is great at allowing you Adventures Of Captain emotion to be conveyed. beginning to a story of family, to delve deeper, to discover more Spirit, where the LIS2 revolves around choice. What brotherhood, and coming to terms about the characters and what they’re protagonist, Chris, you decide and how you act is hugely with loss in a world that’s doing its feeling or thinking. And just like the after running away important and will not only have an hardest to drag you down. Dontnod previous games, there are several from his abusive impact on the narrative course of the has done a spectacular job of treating moments where you’re given the alcoholic father, falls game but also in how Daniel develops the subjects it approaches with opportunity to pause and take stock from a tree. Moments as a person. This, combined with the respect and now that we’re fully of everything that’s happening around before he hits the fact that you can’t reverse time and invested we can’t wait to see how ground he appears to you. During these moments, it’s alter your choices like you could in the story unfolds Q float in mid-air and difficult not to gawp at how gorgeous lands safely. At first it the first game, adds a huge amount the game looks when every shot is seems that he of weight to each choice you make. perfectly framed and wonderfully lit. unlocked a dormant To highlight the importance of choice, supernatural ability Sean himself makes it clear that he Super strange but it’s clear that it feels responsible for everything that’s Dontnod’s narrative chops have was in fact Daniel Diaz happened and that if he made one improved dramatically and offer up who saved him from decision differently everything would OXM VERDICT some masterful storytelling. The script the fall. We may meet be different. Although we don’t quite Instantly arresting Chris in episode two. is fantastic, with no cheesy dialogue, see all of the effects of the choices and emotional. An and the fine voice acting makes every you make in this episode, you feel almost flawless word spoken feel authentic. The instrumental in sewing the narrative start to the series. 9 character and facial animations have seeds for future instalments. Recommended.

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 091 REVIEW

War Mode and Custom Match modes didn’t go live with version 1.0 – they’re coming in later updates. Boo!

PUBLISHER MICROSOFT STUDIOS / DEVELOPER PUBG CORPORATION / RELEASE DATE OUT NOW / COST £24.99/$29.99 PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

HIDINGINATOILETFOR20MINUTESHASNEVERBEENSOTENSESTEPHEN ASHBY

A lot has changed The downside is that, in some since the launch of Off the Sanhok situations, the number of players in PlayerUnknown’s The biggest change for v1.0 is that close proximity can cause some frame Battlegrounds. addition of a new map – Sanhok. For short rate issues and the odd instance of It’s gone from the a start, it’s just 4x4km, compared to cut lag. We didn’t experience this too biggest game in PUBG’s previous two maps, Erangel often on any of the maps, but for the world to… well, not the biggest and Miramar, which are both 8x8km. WHATISIT? serious players, it might spoil the game in the world. Fortnite has hit the But the player count remains the A battle royale otherwise heart-pumping experience. mainstream so hard, the mainstream same. So there’ll still be 99 other shooter where 100 However, for the most part PUBG players drop onto an is missing a few teeth and isn’t really bloodthirsty battlers parachuting island, and only one Corp have done a great job of cutting sure what day it is. Every franchise onto the map around you, and that survives. down on the number of technical under the sun seems to be adding a means you are far more likely to meet issues for the 1.0 release. We didn’t battle royale mode to the next title. someone early in the match. WHAT’S IT LIKE? get dropped from a single game, not And all the while, PUBG has been The good news is that it’s a Getting a shot of once did the game quit back to the adrenaline straight to getting tweaked and improved. weapons party, and everyone is dashboard (a common complaint your heart and then So how does it shape up nine invited. The drop rate seems to have being asked to play from early Game Preview versions), months down the line? Well, it’s had been turned up a few notches on hide and seek. With and generally everything runs much copious updates, added two new Sanhok, and as a result you’re far guns. more smoothly. Loading is also faster, maps and a bunch of new weapons. It more likely to find a powerful assault and we rarely waited more than ten WHO’S IT FOR? even has microtransactions now – but or sniper rifle early on. That means seconds to find a match. People who think we’ll get to that in a minute. The result matches on Sanhok are faster-paced, Fortnite isn’t serious However, pop-in is still an issue at is a game that looks fairly similar to more deadly, and constantly thrilling. enough, fans of times – especially during the initial the title that launched with much If you’re the kind of player who drops realistic shooters, drop – and some of the textures are fanfare in 2017. But the gameplay, straight into the Military base on and people who love frankly embarrassing on the original controls and stability have been given Erangel (or Tilted Towers in Fortnite), running. Xbox One. There’s clearly still work to a major upgrade. you’re bound to love it. be done; certain rocks wouldn’t look

080 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE “If you love tense tactical FAR LEFT When it comes down to shooters with the final few players, holding bursts of action your nerve is vital. Force them to make the you’ll love it” first move!

ABOVE Sanhok is small enough that you can see almost all of it from the plane. Things get frantic fast.

LEFT Finding a vehicle isn’t essential, but can give you a major advantage.

out of place in Halo 1 on the original SQUAD The controls have been tweaked and isn’t even needed to unlock Xbox. Xbox One X is much improved, GOALS constantly over the last nine months cosmetics. So… yeah. We aren’t sure if but you still couldn’t say that PUBG is The action becomes – there are still some odd choices, there’s much point in the Event Pass a pretty game. even more tactical if but for the most part, regular FPS existing, but it’s there. Then again, it’s not meant to be you drop into a players will be able to pick up the Ultimately, whether you like PUBG pretty. It’s about tense moments, squad-based game. basics fast. Looting weapons, ammo will depend on what kind of player you Playing with randoms fighting for position, deliberate and items is (still) fiddly, and you’ll are. If you love tense, tactical shooters isn’t recommended movements and challenging shooting as mics and often find yourself grabbing stuff you with bursts of frantic action, you’ll love with realistically clunky weapons. communication are didn’t want or accidentally swapping it. If you prefer COD’s cinematic action, It’s about the gameplay – and that’s pretty much essential. your main gun for a crossbow. But we you’ll probably be turned off. But better than ever. But jump in with pals can’t think of an alternative weapons you’ll be missing out on some serious and the whole game system – it’s at the core of PUBG’s adrenalin kicks as you get down to the Running man feels fresh. Sharing balancing, and everyone is in the last few players and hear footsteps Outside of the fast-and-frantic weapons and same boat. It’s just a case of practice behind you… Q Sanhok, Miramar and Erangel offer resources, searching makes perfect. a slower-paced experience. You’re for vehicles with The other big addition to version 1.0 enough seats for likely to be doing a lot of running or everyone, and is the Event Pass. This Fortnite Battle driving to get across the map and coordinating flanking Pass-style one-off purchase gives you into the circle, and if you don’t have manoeuvres means challenges to complete throughout a car, prepare to spend 80 per cent you play the whole the season with cosmetic rewards of your time sprinting with your head game very differently, for the ones you complete. You also OXM VERDICT on a swivel. Does that sound fun? and it makes earn a different kind of in-game cash Still struggles with To be honest, even as we write it, it shootouts between simply by playing, which can be used technical doesn’t. But, somehow, it is. There’s squads all the to buy cosmetic crates. The Event problems, but the more epic. something about PUBG that keeps us Pass is entirely optional, offers no gameplay is tight, 8 coming back. advantage over any other player, tense and tactical.

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 081 REVIEW

The game went through several iterations during development – at one point it included post-delivering cats!

PUBLISHER RAW FURY / DEVELOPER PLAUSIBLE CONCEPT / RELEASE DATE OUT NOW / COST £11.99/$14.99 Bad North

THEVIKINGSARECOMING!LOOKBUSY!MARTIN KITTS

Stats, resources, micro-management, RIGHT Assaulted long-term planning: on three fronts. just a few of the Luckily these ones are weak. staples that this Just wait until inventive indie the big guys realtime strategy genre-busting game show up… simply has no time for. Bad North is RTS on a tiny scale. With a maximum of four units to control and an island playing area that can be traversed in a few seconds, the aim is to repel Vikings that sail slowly towards the shore. There are only three classes to consider. Archers are best placed where they can launch a hail of arrows from distance, pikemen form a strong but static defence, and infantry are basic all-rounders. That’s all there is to it. “Takes a genre bunch of hopeless extras who would Each round lasts a couple of get smashed within seconds. minutes, and when the last of the short known for its Death is permanent in Bad North, invaders has been killed, every cut and because losing one or two of unpillaged house contributes coins complexity and your first-choice units late in the that are then used for upgrading your WHAT IS IT? game carries such a heavy penalty warriors between battles. Then it’s A realtime strategy strips it down” – it’s basically game over – the on to the next pocket-size island in a game with arcade temptation to pull the plug when randomly generated archipelago. sensibilities. things go wrong is overwhelming. in seconds, and there’s very little you You can accept the loss, watch your WHAT’S IT LIKE? can do to turn the tide if one of your reserves get steamrollered in the next Battle ships A hugely simplified It’s wonderfully simple to play. Time homage to Bungie’s units is overwhelmed. round, and restart the entire game slows down when selecting a unit, classic Myth games. Some of the islands you visit from scratch, or just quit and reload. allowing you to place it exactly where conceal bonus items that award You’ll be back on the map screen required, before returning to full WHO’S IT FOR? permanent buffs to your troops, while and better prepared to have another speed as your troops execute their Anyone who insists others have untrained units who go, assuming you don’t get crushed that RTS games are orders. There’s not much you can do boring to play. will be added to your roster. You can beneath your own sense of shame. other than move them into position or rotate them into the main squad as ‘Save scumming’ aside, Bad activate a special ability, but tactics you see fit, and we’d advise training North is immensely likeable. It takes and prioritisation are required as the them up as soon as possible if you a genre known for its complexity Vikings edge ever closer and you intend to use them in battle, as coins and, in stripping it down to the bare prepare the best type of welcoming are scarce and upgrades expensive. bones, makes it accessible and party to counter the different foes on The difficulty curve could do with intuitive. Long-term appeal may be each incoming ship. Fights are over some major tweaking. It’s a pushover questionable, given that each island is to begin with, but by the time you’ve much the same as the others, but it’s amassed enough units to allow you to an immediate hit of fun while it lasts. Q dispatch additional squads to other islands, the enemies have become too tough for low-level units to handle. Coins can only be shared among those who actually took part in a fight, and babysitting rookie units in a late- stage battle is worse than not having OXM VERDICT them there at all. There’s no way to Brilliant fun until revisit easier islands for training, so the difficulty level we always wound up with a few very reaches Valhalla strong war heroes – the only ones who and you risk losing 7 stood any chance of winning – and a the entire game.

094 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE NEXT MONTH

PLUS AWESOME GIFTS INCLUDING XBOX THUMBGRIPS AND 2018 CALENDAR! TURN TO PAGE 46 TO SUBSCRIBE NOW

WE GET HANDS-ON WITH RICO AS HE CAUSES MORE EXTREME CARNAGE IN HIS LATEST OPEN-WORLD ACTION-ADVENTURE ON SALE 16 NOVEMBER TURN TO PAGE 46 TO SUBSCRIBE NOW

*Contents subject to change. Please don’t get angry if they do.

Secure your copy now at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 095 Get more from your Xbox

096 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE extra

What keeps you up at night? The loud neighbours? Your snoring room-mate? Maybe that embarrassing thing you did 12 years ago that’s decided to replay itself in your mind for no reason? Bizarrely for our writer it’s a surprise addiction to The Hunter: Call 098 Of The Wild (p98). He can’t rest until he catches his furry quarry, consequences of the next morning be damned. Next we’re keeping to the dark of night with a look back at the sneaky Thief: Deadly Shadows on p102, from the original Xbox era. A stealthy caper that did its best with limited tech and deserved far more love for its atmospheric 102 oddities than it got. Sure, it might have had some dodgy physics but its excellent world-building influence can be seen in the likes of . Elsewhere we’re waxing lyrical over Superhot’s replays (p106) and its ability to make things look gorgeous from every angle in this slow-mo shooter. Finally we hope you’re feeling well and are getting 106 plenty of vitamin C as we’ve had the pleasant task

PLAY NOW of investigating the worst diseases in Xbox history ON XBOX ONE BACKWARDS on p108. From zombie bites to curiously aggressive COMPATIBLE coughs, we’ve got plenty of reasons for you to Keep an eye out for this badge over the fastidiously wash your hands every five minutes to next few pages: it indicates when a game of old can be stop any of these gaming symptoms from spreading. booted up in shiny Xbox One-o-vision. If you’ve got a rash it’s too late though, sorry. 108

CHECK OUT OUR VAST LIBRARY OF XBOX FEATURES AT WWW.GAMESRADAR.COM/OXM

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 097 098 THEOFFICIALXBOX MAGAZINE NOW PLAYING them, hooked forweeksnow. Pass library, andI’vebeenweirdly away atthebottomofXboxGames taxing simuponfindingitsquirreled gotsucked intothis on Xbox.Irecently experience quiteunlikeanythingelse the blasted thing. Instead, I’m merely the blastedthing.Instead, I’mmerely hunting part? I’mnoteventechnically almost afullhour, daft andthereally pursuit. Theentirehunttakesme That bringsmebacktomybobcat Snap ofhonour penalties, orperhaps, made itlookthishard. graze anotherday. Elmer Fuddnever off yourshot,scamper, andliveto merest inchandtheanimalwillbrush Miss yourprey’s vitalsbyeventhe 300 yardradiuswillboltforsafety. shrubbery andeverybeastwithina whiff ofyourscent.Runthroughthat as soonthebeastcatchesa your targetandit’s crittercurtains hunter’s heartbeat. your furryquarrycanberuinedina teeniest bit,anhour-longpursuitof any ofitsultrastrictruleseventhe noquarter,you absolutely ifyoubreak willitgive unflinching beast.Notonly taxing,utterly hunting simisadeeply Suffice tosay, ExpansiveWorlds’ baggedthedamnedthing. haven’t from myexhaustedeyeballs,Istill suck everylastdropofmoisture tired Icanfeelmycontactlenses have everobliteratedmysleepcycle. Wild Welcome to inconsequential notionofsleep. is waaaaaymoreimportantthanthe I decidethathuntingavirtualbobcat slump intoasemi-drunkenslumber, full ofcider, andratherthangently bleary-eyed scene:it’s 3am,I’m And yet, in spite of these harsh And yet,inspiteoftheseharsh stumbledownwindof Accidentally Forty minuteslater, andnowso , by far the most curious game to , byfarthemostcuriousgameto The Hunter The Hunter: Call Of The The Hunter:CallOf is a fascinating isafascinating the horrendously the horrendously lament it.Picture I bothrueand but Icantellyou into thissituation, sure howIgot I’m notentirely 4am in at kitties andsnapping virtual mysanity Splintering PUBLISHER because of of AVALANCHE STUDIOS AVALANCHE The Hunter: Call Of The Wild Wild The Of Call Hunter: The 200m away in some bushes. 200m awayinsomebushes. an extrastealthywildcat roaming to illuminateyourownfeet, letalone lucky a piddlinglittleflashlightthat’s light yourway, yourhunteris limitedto a thing.Withnonearbyelectricityto Germany, exactly streetlightsaren’t northern Asia,SouthAfricaand reserves, spanningNorthAmerica, game isspreadoverfourruralnature roamatnight.Consideringthe mainly particular missionisthatbobcats daunting, justyouwait. soundparticularly If thatdoesn’t the predatorwithin-gamecamera. when inrange,snapaclearpictureof personal withoutbeingdetected,then trying togetupextracloseand extra The really evil aspect of this evilaspectofthis The really

/ DEVELOPER EXPANSIVE WORLDS

/ FORMAT

DAVE MEIKLEHAM XBOX ONE Billy Bob(cat) Thornton. Bob(cat)Thornton. Billy hairy targettoyou.You’re minenow, – aselectionoflurescan bringyour more impatienthunter–ie:yourstruly trotsby.until yourpreyfinally Forthe have towaitupwardsof15minutes amount ofpatience–often,you’ll animals, thoughthisrequiresafair snipe set upgroundblindstosneakily covering yourback.Instead,youcan having arelentlessLiamNeeson include don’t And no,saidskillssadly deer, elk,moose,bear, andwolves. and toolstodealwithitsvarietyof give youaveryparticularsetofskills hunts areunyielding,thegamedoes though. Whilethesystemsthatgovern workinyourfavour,can actually Call OfTheWild

/ RELEASEDATE ’s fastidiousnature OCTOBER 2017 It’s only around 4am that my cat- snapping quest finally bears feline “I’ve been more en rossed in trailin ABOVE Though it fruit. For some reason, I’d completely can be draining a black-tailed deer than I have for and demanding at forgotten I had a bobcat lure in my times, Call Of backpack; a gadget that may well The Wild doesn’t have saved me a half-hour of fruitless every COD campai n combined” half give good stalking if I’d remembered the friggin’ sunset. thing. Lures are essentially callers, Gingerly approaching my target, I sleep that won’t be haunted by FAR LEFT On and each one mimics either the physically catch myself holding my nightmares of an escaped bobcat. especially rare occasions, mating call or warning grunt/ breath in real life, which sounds For many, the above experience creatures, like roar/bellow of its associated mad, until you contextualise would probably scar them so profoundly this reindeer, animal. In the case of my actions. Once again, they’d immediately uninstall the game glitch out, WHAT IS IT? giving you free the bobcat caller, the it’s 4am, I’m half sozzled the next morning. Not me, though. rein to arrow resulting sound is A hardcore hunting on alcoholic apples, Instead, I continue to play The Hunter ’em in the head. sim that makes you somewhere between pay attention to wind and rather than retreat just as feverishly as before my snap- a xylophone being direction, animal sight- to the Land of Nod, I happy adventure. Once you buy into battered by an unruly lines, your character’s decide taking a polaroid its philosophy, you’re hooked. I’ve toddler, and the most heart rate, and the age of a digital tabby is the genuinely been more engrossed in of bear droppings. distressed kitty you ever sensible course of action. trailing a black-tailed deer’s hoofprints did hear. In that context, holding my through the dense undergrowth of the Unappealing as the din is to breath because I somehow think Layton Lake District for 25 minutes my delicate ears, a few sharp blasts it’ll make my virtual avatar quieter straight than I have for every COD of this ungodly screech brings the as they sneak towards a twitchy cat campaign combined since Modern bobcat a runnin’ in almost no time… makes total sense… Warfare 2. Go figure. well, around six minutes. Trust me, How long will my infatuation with that’s a veritable heartbeat in The Cat’s a wrap Call Of The Wild last? Probably right up Hunter. Sadly, as I’m hunkered in a Regardless of my wrong-headed until the point bush, I don’t have a clear sight of the respiratory techniques, my cautious II finally gallops over the horizon this predator, and so am forced to crawl movement pays off. The cat suddenly October. All I know right now though, ever so gently towards the eagle- strolls into a clearing, the shrubbery is that at time of writing, The Hunter eyed critter. Despite finishing Alien around me dissipates at just the right has had its claws in me for over five Isolation on its toughest difficulty, time, and for the briefest of moments, weeks. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have and vanquishing Dark Souls III’s Lord a Kodak kitty moment presents itself. lures to rattle, animals’ sprays to Of Cinder with a sliver of health and no One click later, and the photo is mine. douse myself in, and a camouflaged estus flasks, I’ve never known tension Cue a few hundred dollars of virtual blind to erect. Those bobcats don’t quite like snapping this stupid cat. currency, a wad of XP, and a blissful stand a chance. Q

PLAYED ANYTHING GOOD RECENTLY? COME SHARE IT AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/OXMUK

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 099 100 THEOFFICIALXBOX MAGAZINE NOW PLAYING from theirencampment. settlement –andfloodthe enemy Jacinto –humanity’s lastmajor Squad hatchadaringplantosink surrounds oftheLocustHive,Delta death ofDom’s wifeafreshmemory. either, deepintothethirdactwith cravings amongthechaos. back andindulgetheirvirtualbread offering playersachancetostep relentless momentum, punctures thegame’s Easter Eggperfectly innards, butthissurreal your Lancer’d-out being slatheredwith next sliceoffarmhouse yes justtoavoidMarcus’ pressured intoanswering in suchawayyou’d feel breakfast queryisdelivered asks, “Whowantstoast?!” her sobbinghusband. euthanisedby moaning huskquickly of theLocusthordeandreducedtoa long-lost wife,nowintheclutches caught myattention. moments, andoneinparticularre- struck byitsrarebutmorenuanced anniversary playthrough,Iwas instalment foracelebratory10th with suchawarmresponse. chiselled bro-mountains–wasmet diverse charactersinplaceofthe the series–introducingmoregender- no wonder an alienating,noxiousmasculinity. It’s gaveit heroes (absoluteunits),always the gruff,muscle-boundtriangular revolutionary cover-basedmechanics, shooter design,impressiveactionand hindsight andprogress. Among the slithering body-horror Among theslitheringbody-horror It couldnotcomeatabettertime Granted, theotherwisegenteel It isthesurrealmomentgame nottherevealofDom’sNo, it’s But loadingupEpic’s second Despite itstight,third-person Gears 4 ’s slightrebootof of 10 years of of 10years through thelens exacerbated only image problem,one hadan always original trilogy Gears OfWar PUBLISHER Of Gears in toast for tobreak aquiet spot Marcus andthegangfind ’s ’s MICROSOFT Locust. Now with bonus Locust. Nowwithbonus The second instalment The secondinstalment taking the fight to the taking thefightto in Epic Games’ sci-fi in EpicGames’sci-fi franchise sees you franchise seesyou city-eating worms. WHAT ISIT?

/ DEVELOPER Locust-slaying grind. moment isover, andyou’rebacktothe kind ofroastedgrub. humour to a doggedly barbaricgame. humour toadoggedly audiences, buttheEaster Eggbrings appealstoall extent itsuddenly exaggerated visceraltonetothe Okay, skewthegame’s soitdoesn’t Toast ofLandown two thick-cut wed es of loaf intoit” esofloaf thick-cuttwo wed lowers reveals and toaster aLocust pedestal away acentral “Shootin reveals aLocusttoaster, andpressing with pillarsarrangedinahalf-circle. soon findyourselfinanopenarea approach. Astheteamsplits,you with extra With that, the whole offbeat With that,thewholeoffbeat Shooting away a central pedestal Shooting awayacentralpedestal keeping in strategy madcap a It’s ’s weirdest secret secret weirdest ’s it was originally meant for another meantforanother it wasoriginally Gears OfWar X lowers two thick-cut wedges of X lowerstwothick-cutwedgesof that sounds suspiciously like like that soundssuspiciously EPIC GAMES loaf intoit.Aredglow, apuff ’em crispy!” in dialogue ’em crispy!”indialogue of grey smoke, and the of greysmoke,andthe discussing how they “like discussing howthey“like freshly grilled dough is grilleddoughis freshly ready toconsume. whole bizarre scenario, even banter over the even banteroverthe Marcus and Dom Marcus andDom ’s over-the-top

/ FORMAT XBOX 360 ALEX NELSON

/ RELEASEDATE toaster devices”.Perhaps “make gunsfeellikeguns,notweird should createshootergamesthat once profferedtheadvicethatpeople ‘wrarrgh!’ justgetsold,quick.” Walking musclebagsshouting a singletoneforthewholegame. justhave once toldme,“You can’t foot offthepedaloccasionally. coulddowithtakingits It definitely juncture. of itsmerits–it’sjustasilly allowedtodosoontheback arguably –thoughitis takes itselftooseriously nod tothatmantra? most curiousmomentisacheeky As gameplay designer Lee Perry As gameplaydesignerLeePerry Or perhaps,inagamethatoften Gears NOVEMBER 2008 rgnlbs lf Bleszinski Cliff boss original ’ Gears2 Q ’s ’s More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm at news Xbox More NOW PLAYING in the future. in thefuture. row boattoavoidourskinmeltingoff added with extrabananasandanewly of them wanting to come over for a of themwantingtocome overfora the distance,thoughthere’s no hint first chestweseeanother shipin While wesailovertohuntforour Hot stuff the smart thing and prep ourselves the smartthingandprepourselves my sloopandjoinsomeothers.We do learn mylesson,Ijumpshipfrom boiled alivetwicebeforeI of theDamned.Afterbeing the captainofFerry well acquaintedwith be gettingincredibly here isamistake–you’ll starters, playingsolo Shores added inthe volcanic areathat’s been Devil’s Roar–thebrandnew and disbeliefasIventuretowardsThe replacedwithwide-eyedhorror quickly me whyIlovedthisgameoriginally. bouncingaround mereminds playfully beinginmysailsandthewaves fully never beenaway. Thejoyofthewind attending tocannonsandleakslikeI’d zippingaroundmytinyship diligently faring confidence–beforeIknowitI’m surprising howfastIfindmysea- and getusedtoeverythingagain.It’s dip mytoesintothesebrightwaters for afewsimpletreasuremaprunsto compared towhereI’msteering.Iopt to navigatewhereIamonthemap into therhythmofpoppingdown thechickenscanjudgeme. only embarrass myselfinacrewsetting– to asingle-playersloopsoIdon’t since Ilastplayedsodecidetostick the ForsakenShores.It’s beenawhile of awholenewareaintheshape aftertheaddition shanties, especially my sealegsandbreakoutsome However, thatpleasantrelaxationis It takesafewattemptstogetback expansion. For expansion.For Forsaken Forsaken time to rediscover time torediscover felt liketheright a buccaneer, soit fun takeonbeing set sailwithits months sinceRare It’s beenoversix whether the new additions hold water water hold newadditions the whether We get back on board with We with backonboard get PUBLISHER MICROSOFT cheery pirate simulator cheery piratesimulator by being boiled alive... by beingboiledalive... that introduces death that introducesdeath A fiery expansion to a A fieryexpansiontoa can get your own can getyourown WHAT ISIT? but at least you but atleastyou row boat!

/ DEVELOPER Everyone panics. Everyone panics. low.health barsdropdangerously burns everyoneonboard, making boat. Thesheerheatfromtheimpact to terrorasoneoftherockshits as welowerthesails,butaweturns we marvelatthegorgeouslightshow heated rocksandlavaatus.Atfirst as anearbyislandstartsspewing back toourshipallhellbreaksloose of thesame,butassoonweget a gloriously ridiculous sight – three ridiculoussight–three a gloriously intoourtinyraftmakingfor ourselves cram destination weallawkwardly holes inyourhull.Whenwereachour own questsratherthanblowing content new now everyoneisfocusedontheir much so with – fight “The oy of the wind fully bein in in bein fully wind oy ofthe “The hsaeoiinally” ame ori this why me Iloved my reminds sails extra expansion is disappointingly more more expansion isdisappointingly burly sailors stuffed in at one sailorsstuffedinat one burly so well I worry that maybe this wellIworrythatmaybethis so RARE end while one poor soul does end whileonepoorsouldoes to contend with. It’s going to contendwith.It’s going all oftheworkatother. and only a few skeletons afewskeletons and only

/ with minimal squabbling with minimalsquabbling we are goingsmoothly: right spot pretty quickly right spotprettyquickly manage tolocatethe FORMAT Surprisingly things things Surprisingly XBOX ONE Sea Of Thieves Sea Of

/ RELEASEDATE DANIELLA LUCAS DANIELLA that makes thecamaraderieinchaos more: it’s to tryagain.Ifindmyselfhookedonce or fuss,justasolidcrewdetermined we respawntheship.Noragequitting expected.” Thelaughingcontinuesas goas my headset,“Well, thatdidn’t treasure gone. alone atsea,theshipandour it’s us Ifallintodarkness.Whenawake fix twoholes,butasanotherrockhits fast enoughthough,wemanageto bailfromtheedge.I’mnot frantically crew succumbstraightawaywhileI it fortoolong.Two unfortunate heated andburnsallwhostepinto MARCH 2018 Eventually I just hear cackling in Ijusthearcackling in Eventually super also is in gushing water The to see THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE THE OFFICIALXBOX MAGAZINE Sea OfThieves sogreat. 101 Q 102 THEOFFICIALXBOX MAGAZINE RETROSPECTIVE THIEF DEADLY SHADOWS extra

The console debut of Thief was compromised, but it cast a surprisingly long shadow ROBERT ZAK

PUBLISHER EIDOS INTERACTIVE / DEVELOPER / FORMAT XBOX 360

The original Xbox to stick to the shadows and use your was a bit of a actual senses of sight and sound to utopian project, gauge nearby activity. The only UI aid driven by the was the ingenious light gem – a small grand vision of icon that changed gradually between transcending light and dark depending on your the PC-console visibility. To date, it remains one of divide. It courted games with complex gaming’s greatest stealth elements, systems, autonomous AI and a focus simply nudging your understanding of on player choice. your place in the game world rather Leading this new wave were than giving you some preternatural Morrowind in 2002, Ion Storm’s Deus insight into the AI’s consciousness via Ex: Invisible War in 2003 and Thief: icons above everyone’s heads. Deadly Shadows in 2004. While All the above applied to Morrowind made it over from PC Deadly Shadows as much as its largely intact, Ion Storm designed its predecessors. Even the combat was games around the capabilities of the typically threadbare, as you and your Xbox, despite the team having little enemies half-heartedly poked at each development experience on consoles. other with no feedback aside from your rapidly depleting health bar. It’s Flawed Gems almost as if entering combat took you Both Invisible War and Deadly beyond the boundaries of the game’s Shadows suffered as a result of this design, pushing you to drop a flash ABOVE That feeling console-centric approach, bomb immediately to flee from when you’ll do anything to avoid with small areas and long the crap encounter. PRISON talking to someone load times being the Which was all you don’t like. price for cutting-edge BREAK quintessential Thief engines. But it would The first time you get stuff, and should’ve be wrong to dismiss killed in the city area, you unlock a sort-of assuaged fears that these games like a pair secret level, where Ion Storm (made up of of off-brand T-shirts you need to break out plenty of Thief alumni that do disservice to the of the city prison. from Looking Glass real thing. Deadly Shadows, Studios) wasn’t staying in particular, is a fascinating true to the series’ spirit. game - compromised but seminal in The main structural change was ways not appreciated at the time. that Deadly Shadows was set in a city For the uninitiated, Thief is one of hub, segmented into districts that the great lo-fi stealth series, a first- you could freely run around. It was person sneaker casting you as , clearly intended as a kind of systems a master thief with an eye for all playground, where you could earn things shiny. All the games take place favour with factions, goad them into in The City, a paraffin-lit Victorian fighting each other, and eavesdrop sprawl of narrow streets, feuding conversations to get impromptu factions (most notably the zealous opportunities for side-quests and Hammerites, nature-worshipping strange substories. It worked to an Pagans and scholarly Keepers) and extent; watching civilians screaming assorted occult weirdness. As Garrett, as they got tangled up in street you creep through mansions and scuffles was the kind of comedy only churches to steal artefacts, nabbing games could conjure, but Ion Storm’s whatever you can on the way and overestimation of Xbox technology trying not to get caught. Among your meant that the city was fragmented gadgets, you have water arrows to put into several small zones separated out lights, rope arrows and a blackjack by fog gates and lengthy to knock out unaware enemies. loading screens. Thief eschewed fancy indicators Deadly Shadows and X-ray vision, forcing you instead introduced a wealth of

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 103 extra

new gadgets, but struggled to find a purpose for them. Causing enemies to slip in oil then setting it alight was good for a giggle, but sort of purposeless when flash bombs or gas bombs did the same job quicker. Slim shady Climbing gloves let you Spider-Man your way up walls, in theory opening you onto the glorious verticality of the city. The problem was that most rooftops were inaccessible, and no building – not even the clock tower – seemed to be taller than two or three stumpy storeys. When you compare the concept art depicting vertiginous cityscapes and great urban sprawls to the cosy reality, you can almost hear Ion Storm’s groans of frustration in the moody ambient soundscape. Such attempts at versatile movement and experimenting with gadgetry were fine-tuned in 2012’s Dishonored (whose developer, Arkane Studios, took on many of Ion Storm’s staff after it folded in 2005). But back one point, leaning into a statue would effective when interacting with the in 2004 it felt stifled and compressed - ABOVE Let’s just cause its head to roll off and smash city’s denizens, who would often like Alice in the White Rabbit’s house. bat this guy to the ground. It was an interesting, appear as faceless silhouettes backlit Deadly Shadows dripped with quietly over the sometimes absurd experiment in by lonely street lamps. Accompanied head, shall we? nefarious atmosphere, and shadows converging the novelty of physics with by the hypnotic hum of composer Eric so thick you could almost feel their Thief’s traditional stealth mechanics, Brosius’ soundtrack, Deadly Shadows darkness sliding between your fingers, making you ever aware of Garrett’s felt shady, evoking a sense that every but the physics of 2 physicality in the world. person in those nightshade streets gave it a dash of crime-caper silliness. It was a great-looking game in its was harbouring illicit secrets. With almost all environmental objects time, largely thanks to a real-time This rendering tech wasn’t just now subject to the laws of dubious, lighting renderer made in-house a mood setter, but one of the few early-era physics tech, you had to at Ion Storm (the first of its kind, new systems in Deadly Shadows to be wary of things as trivial as kicking preceding by a few months). really complement Thief’s mechanics. chair legs as you slinked past, or The high contrasts meant that light It created new challenges and gently putting down objects lest they and shadow would cast a crisp suspenseful moments. As guards give you away with a clunk. At least at chiaroscuro effect, particularly patrolled corridors with torches, the shadows of pillars and alcoves would move accordingly, skewing “City denizens would often appear as faceless and rotating relative to the guard’s position. Or if you were in a pitch-dark silhouettes backlit by street lamps evokin a room, opening a door could send a column of dreaded light spilling in to sense that they were harbourin illicit secrets” reveal your position. In one of the game’s better missions, set in the grand Overlook Mansion, a lightning storm outside intermittently bathes a rotunda library in washed-out purple light - your light CHASING gem beaming to let you know that yes, you are visible just for a second. SHADOWS Deadly Shadows was an apogee of integrating dynamic light and shadow into the gameplay, and it makes you BRIGHT IDEA MAGIC HOUR CREATURE FEATURE wonder why so few games since then Low-violence stealth SPLINTER CELL: DISHONORED 2 STYX: SHARDS OF games are as elusive as a have attempted something similar. CHAOS THEORY The spiritual successor DARKNESS Going beyond the technicalities, master thief, but this trio is With its focus on light, to Thief focuses on magic The meta-humour is an a great take on the cloak- shadow and sound, abilities and stabby acquired taste, but the Thief: Deadly Shadows was a tome and-dagger-and-silenced- Splinter Cell is like Thief assassinations rather multi-layered levels make of world-building through small pistol experience. set in the modern day. than sticking to shadow. it worthy of your time. interactions. Yes, the main story was unveiled through Garrett’s

104 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE monologues and some unnervingly the standard mission structure, laying low-budget cutscenes, but you on the immersion so thick that you’re came to contextualise the world and practically drowning in it. its people through exploration and The Cradle is a burned-out building nosiness. There was no karmic system that served as a mental asylum and judging your actions; instead it was orphanage. It’s a malevolent place the incidental things you read, saw that literally echoes with tortured and overheard that acted as your memories – the cry of a long-dead moral compass. child, or the cackle of one of nine violent inmates, each of whom has a Phantom Thief dark and compelling backstory that In the Overlook Mansion level, you’re would make them fit right in with infiltrating a widow’s house to acquire the residents of Arkham Asylum. You a magic artefact. You know that her creep through tentatively, scouring husband was a shady sort, so you documents and investigating objects, blithely start robbing it because using all your faculties to piece y’know, no honour among scummers. together what went on here. You need As you stalk her halls, bludgeoning the to evade the twitching husks of the scullery maids and swiping the silver inmates, reanimated by the building, cutlery, you may run into the widow exploring their cells and unravelling herself, sitting alone in a dark room at their backstories while they spasm the top of a spiral staircase, staring along the corridors. It was a milestone out to the tempestuous sea and in videogame horror, deftly telling you muttering inane nothings. She’s not a grim story while immersing you in the a well lady, and those silver forks in consequences of that story. your pocket suddenly feel like they’re Thief: Deadly Shadows was stabbing into your thieving thigh. with such tangible consequences, inconsistent, its spasmodic physics After meeting her, you can deliver TOP The game’s but it allowed you to stumble upon and redundant mechanics juxtaposing her some wine, granting her respite set in a city information that made you think its incredible atmosphere and world- from her mental stupor, and quietly inspired by the before you thieved. building. For every Cradle or Overlook cobbled streets establishing a bond with her. When of old London. The only tarnish on this system was Mansion, there would be a bland you discover that her dead husband that each mission forced you to steal run through a zombie ghost ship or left her an inheritance, do you simply at least 40 per cent of all loot on the oddly linear underground cavern. take the artefact you came for or rob level; a contrived way of stretching We can wonder what could’ve been, the whole lot? Do the right thing, and the game at the expense of player but instead we should celebrate it later on you’ll get a letter from the agency. The only level that didn’t hold as a vital step towards games like widow, expressing gratitude for your you to your 40 per cent theft duty Dishonored and Resident Evil 7. Those help. Succumb to your instincts and was “” - a level so fragmented flashes of creative and you may get an unwelcome visitor. dedicated to its atmosphere and non- technical brilliance made Deadly The game didn’t always follow through linear storytelling that it casts aside Shadows an unsung pioneer. Q

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 105 extra WHY I LOVE... SUPERHOT’S REPLAYS

How posing and playing with time in Superhot makes your dreams of becoming an action hero come true ALEX SPENCER PUBLISHER SUPERHOT TEAM / DEVELOPER SUPERHOT TEAM / FORMAT XBOX ONE / RELEASE DATE MAY 2016

RIGHT With its striking red, white and black art, Superhot is one of the most distinctive FPSs.

106 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE The dream of shooting games is that you get to be the action star in your own private John Woo movie. John McClane in your own Die Hard. Arnold Schwarzenegger in basically anything he’s in. But not all of us are good enough with a thumbstick to make these fantasies a reality. A confession: I’m talking about myself here. The actual pointing and shooting part of FPS games has never been one of my strengths, so I fall consistently short of my cinematic ambitions. Luckily, Superhot offers a solution. It’s a shooter where time only obstacles, and the tools being used moves when you do – meaning you “You’re a bullet-spewing to knock them down. That’s especially can stand still, with an enemy frozen important when the game gets harder in your sights, and consider your next Road Runner with the and starts throwing more and more move. You can gradually line up your obstacles in your path. next shot, as bullets crawl towards reactions of Peter Parker Because the player lives in a state you like they’ve been fired into honey. of constant bullet time, Superhot is It’s like being able to see the catching a lunch tray” able to stack the odds against you Matrix. With a little practice, you can tremendously. You’re constantly string together a perfect sequence share online, Superhot goes unusually outnumbered and frequently of headshots, dancing between the quiet. The looping shouts of “SUPER! outgunned – but , seriously, what bullets and not even looking back to HOT! SUPER! HOT!”, the screeching kind of action hero would you be if check your opponents have fallen. sounds of a dial-up modem being that wasn’t the case? But from the inside, when you’re just tortured, it all fades away, leaving Besides, when it comes to the nudging the thumbstick to advance just a subtle buzz of white noise. It replays, there’s something else in time a couple of frames per second, it feels like the game is sitting back and your favour: they only show after the doesn’t feel all that impressive. admiring the chaos with you. successful completion of a mission. The genius of Superhot is that, each By that time, if you’re anything like me, time you complete a mission, it offers Red, dead you’ve likely fumbled through a dozen up a replay. The last few minutes of Even in the quiet though, you move times, and learned where and when highspeed ultraviolence, compressed so blindingly fast – a bullet-spraying each new enemy enters the level. into perhaps 15 seconds of real-time. Road Runner with the reactions of So you end up with an impossibly And laid out like that, with all the long Peter Parker catching a lunch tray – fast supercut, erasing all the mistakes pauses edited out, those feats that it can be hard to keep track of you made on earlier attempts. It’s look Herculean. Nay, positively what’s going on. a nice little reward for succeeding, John Wickean. Superhot offsets this by and much more personalised and I watch myself, using a remarkably simple meaningful than any unlockable unarmed, facing down WHAT IS IT? visual language. Enemies McGuffin. But vitally, it also changes one of the red polygonal A unique and stylish are red. Anything the way you play the game – or at mannequins that serve first-person shooter that can be used as least, the way I do. where controlling time as Superhot’s baddies. is just as important as a weapon is black. Watching replays introduces a I wrench the pistol out pulling the trigger. Everything else is plain secondary objective: don’t just pass of his hand, snatch it white, like the developers the level, but do it in style. Sure, you from the air as it tumbles forgot to apply textures to could hold onto this pistol and go for towards me, and turn it their level wireframes. the easy shots, but wouldn’t it be on him. His head explodes into This not only creates a distinctive cooler to throw it aside and make a crystalline shards, as I turn and empty aesthetic, it makes the action much dash for that katana, so you can slice the remaining rounds into two more easier to read. It’d be impossible to ABOVE Freezing baddies in half? Of course it would. baddies. In the replay, all of this takes follow a realistic action game moving time gives you a There’s a simple test I use in these just over one second. at the same clip, but your eyes can window to kill situations, with the enemies frozen in enemies in When you edit the replays, grabbing quickly scan between the only two strange and front of me: I just ask myself, “WWKD?” the finest fragments of action to things that matter: the person-shaped stylish ways. What Would Keanu Do? Q

WHAT GAMES DO YOU LOVE? SEND YOUR LUSTY THOUGHTS TO [email protected]

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 107 TEN BEST DISEASES IN XBOX HISTORY

Been feeling under the weather lately? Maybe your skin is feeling a little… itchy… tasty? Time to check off your symptoms against our list of videogame viruses and prepare accordingly DANIELLA LUCAS

108 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE extra

VAMPIRISM SKYRIM Becoming a bloodsucker isn’t usually seen as a virus, but in the Elder Scrolls series it behaves like one, especially in Skyrim. Like most real infections there’s an incubation period of a few days before the disease fully develops, giving you a chance to fight it off before it becomes more serious. It starts with a simple bite, but if you don’t find a cure within three days your symptoms progress to needing to feed on other humans once a day to keep the harsher effects, such as people wanting to attack you on sight, in check. There are some perks though, such as spells no one else can access and resistance to poisons, but it also makes it almost impossible to move around during the day. You’ll look cool though.

MALAISE DEAD CELLS We’ve been talking about this brilliant little action- platformer a lot lately, but it holds a sinister secret – a disease that runs rampant in the background at first and later comes directly for your progress. You might not notice it at first as Dead Cell’s story is only told in hidden snippets, but it’s hard to ignore the overabundance of corpses on your travels. How did they get there? The malaise – a mysterious disease that slowly kills you over time and rulers tried and failed to contain. As you progress you’ll potentially contract it yourself, eventually becoming so diseased from every touch of an infected that you’ll just keel over where you stand.

ZOMBIEISM DEAD RISING What if wasps were made even worse? If being stingy bastards wasn’t enough, this survival horror series goes one step further and has them as propagators of a zombie virus that causes the populace to devour each other. Splendid. It’s a classic example of an undead virus, complete with all of the tropes – mindless shuffling, huge hordes of infected, and a strong desire to chomp on others to spread the disease further. There’s something universally horrible about the idea of losing your mind completely and transforming into another creature entirely, it’s a nightmare scenario that seems strangely plausible. Make sure you always stay stocked up on canned goods just in case.

STARSCOURGE FINAL FANTASY XV A strange one this, as not only does it infect people, but also the world around them. It’s existed for millennia on Eos as a strain of malaria that’s not well understood, but reaches plague proportions during the events of FFXV, resulting in the shortening of day length and increase in aggressive daemons. It’s also nicknamed the ‘vanishing disease’ as eventually your body breaks down into a smoke-like miasma which then transitions into a daemon form. As the plague spreads and more miasma is created it absorbs the sun’s light, plunging the planet into an eternal night. While science doesn’t have a cure, the royal Lucius family does, although it takes Noctis sacrificing his own life to do it and restore light to the world.

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 109 extra

GENOPHAGE MASS EFFECT While this virus doesn’t have any painful symptoms that make you feel sick, it’s devastating for the Krogan species of the Mass Effect universe. It was designed as a biological weapon to control the Krogans and works by making it difficult for females to carry any pregnancies to term, causing the species to slowly die out. Any female who can bring children to term is viciously fought over and seen as a prize of war. Knowing that their species is doomed most Krogans have become morose, which makes them even more dangerous than usual. Some would argue it’s justice as the Krogans were able to reproduce at such an alarming rate that they could drain planets of all of their resources, but it’s still a very cruel disease.

BLACKLIGHT PROTOTYPE A particularly evil virus, as it invades your cells and recodes your DNA entirely, usually resulting in death as it often mutates your internal organs into being unusable so you’ll meet your end in agony. Some may survive and be left with the kind of changes that grant you super-human capabilities, and variants were formed to create super soldiers. However, the disease spreads easily via physical contact and the majority of people aren’t lucky enough to live through the mutation process. A life of genetic superiority for some, agonising death for everyone else. Why do mad scientists always think it’s worth the risk? Thankfully it’s incapable of travelling across water so can be contained if you follow proper quarantine procedures.

RUSTLUNG GEARS OF WAR Just because things might start mild, that doesn’t mean they won’t develop into something devastating. Initially confined to miners working with Imulsion vapor on Sera, it presents as a nasty cough that produces rust-coloured phlegm and eventually progresses to chest pain, insomnia, paranoia and extreme aggression. It’s also considered one of the earliest stages of Lambency – a disease that leads to mutation and death. What started out as an occupational hazard soon puts the whole planet at risk, including the enemy Locust. They also have a habit of exploding themselves to spread the infection further. Now, will someone please pass us the cough medicine? Our throat is feeling a little tickly.

DOLLAR FLU THE DIVISION With an innocuous start that’s very much like the common cold, the dollar flu is terrifying because of how plausible it seems. While it starts out like the beginning of flu, with fevers and aches etc, it’s actually a strain of smallpox that’s particularly dangerous because it’s infectious even when you’re not showing symptoms for it. Yet it has no cure, resulting in a population-unbalancing mortality rate. The death rate is so bad it leads to an apocalypse- like scenario and complete collapse of society. Those who survive are left to fight over the scraps of food and water that remain, leading to violence. Even if you’re lucky enough to be immune there’s still a high risk of dying at someone else’s hands as you fight over the last bag of rice on a supermarket shelf.

110 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE extra

T-VIRUS RESIDENT EVIL The most famous contagion in gaming history takes the number two spot with its classic take on a zombie-like disease. It’s not just one strain, there are several variations of it and, despite Umbrella collapsing from the scandal of thousands of needless deaths, other companies are determined to weaponise it. Sounds smart. Once you’re exposed it takes several days for the virus to reach its final stages and during that period you get to be painfully aware of how your own mind is deteriorating while your skin rots and your bodily functions shut down. Technically you’re not even dead, your body is very much alive, you just don’t have the capacity for thought any more.

THE FLOOD HALO The nastiest disease on this wretched list – not only does it overtake you and horribly mutate you, it also wants nothing more than to infect and consume all life in the known universe. It’s the most relentlessly aggressive pathogen in gaming existence, developing its own shared mind amongst its victims in order to further propagate itself. A single spore finding its way to your planet will be enough to wipe out all life entirely. And the best part? It’s so corrupted that it’s doing all of this purely for revenge for something that happened over 100,000 years ago. At first it just mutates you into an indistinguishable beast designed to either fight or help spread spores further, but as more creatures are infected a shared communication and mind starts to develop. Eventually this sentience can organise itself into purposeful armies that rival other species’ combined might. Thankfully we’ve got Master Chief to cure what ails us.

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 111 112 THEOFFICIALXBOX MAGAZINE DIRECTORIES 05 FOR MORE FILM AND TV REVIEWS, TV FILM VISIT AND FOR MORE GAMESRADAR.COM games 01 04 03 02 THE NEW COLOSSUS NEW THE WILD HUNT places we’veseenontheconsole. drive acrossisoneofthemoststunning and varied,theopenworldplaygroundyou One owner, istheracingexcellent notonly A must-haveexperienceforeveryXbox DEFINING MOMENT PUBLISHER change forthefirsttime. PUBLISHER It changedourlives. DEFINING MOMENT entertaining gameworldsever. unmissable. Oneofthemostauthentic, made analreadyoutstandingRPG Brutal and beautiful in equal measures, Brutal andbeautifulinequalmeasures, PUBLISHER 4 HORIZON FORZA WOLFENSTEIN II:WOLFENSTEIN DEFINING MOMENT PUBLISHER III SOULS DARK V GTA V AUTO THEFT GRAND Stone Of Hearts III: WITCHER THE to expressyourself. that givesyouunparalleledopportunities and you’rerewardedwithacombatsystem Get overtheinitialdifficultyhump was yettocome. across acampfireandrealisingtheworst DEFINING MOMENT PUBLISHER originally built for Xbox 360. builtforXbox360. originally hardto believeitwas spectacle it’s whole bunchofridiculousweapons. complete withrobots,theKKKanda Nazi-controlled Americainthe1960s, Forget realismanddiveintoa enormous, fire-spewingrobo-Nazi. many memorablemoments. perfect finaletoagamethatbroughtso DEFINING MOMENT for the ultimate Xbox Oneexperience Xbox theultimate for f youneed –everything andtelevision films Games, G is so rich in size, scope and issorichinsize,scopeand

MICROSOFT STUDIOS BANDAI NAMCO ROCKSTAR GAMES BANDAI NAMCO BETHESDA and Seeingtheseasons Geraltinabathtub. Gratefully stumbling Gratefully

Thelastheistisa Taking down an

extra Blood And Wine And Blood THE TEN BEST XBOX ONE GAMES

have have

09 08 06 10 07 days andcryingtearsofunbridledjoy. goddamn bossyou’vebeenfightingfor DEFINING MOMENT PUBLISHER stunningly beautiful,it’s amust-play.stunningly all therightboxes.Huge,sprawling,and period yet,thisEgyptianadventureticks Taking theseriestoearliesttime weirdly futuristicobjectsinsidearuin… weirdly Victory Royale,anddoingadance. DEFINING MOMENT games. Now else isrushingtogetaBRmodeintotheir Royale isnowonSeason5,andeveryone DEFINING MOMENT PUBLISHER design anddifficulty. You willdie. boss-focused shooterisamasterpieceof side-scrolling platformersofold,this stunninglovepoemto A graphically and surprises for the best game since and surprisesforthebestgamesince your waybetweenthewalls. shifting clockworkmansionandfinding in asumptuousartstyle. of videogameworld-buildingwrappedup superb actiongameandalandmarkwork This supernaturalstealth-’em-upisa GOW 2 GOW Gears 4 WAR OF GEARS DEFINING MOMENT PUBLISHER DISHONORED 2 FORTNITE ORIGINS ASSASSIN’S CREED CUPHEAD everyone andtheirgrans. The gameofthemoment,playedby, um, PUBLISHER A soft reboot that respects what made A softrebootthatrespectswhatmade PUBLISHER storm duringthepeaksofAct4. and newcomersalike. DEFINING MOMENT great, then introduces new threats great,thenintroducesnewthreats . An essential entry for Gear-heads . AnessentialentryforGear-heads

UBISOFT STUDIO MDHR ARKANE STUDIOS EPIC GAMES MICROSOFT STUDIOS that’s

Fighting Swarm in the FightingSwarminthe

Discoveringsome

Gettingyourfirst Finally beating the beatingthe Finally Exploring Karnaca’s thezeitgeist. Fortnite

’s Battle THEBESTFILMSANDTVTHISMONTH OXM TEAM films tv CHOICE

THE BEST GAMES WE’RE PLAYING AND BATTLE OF THE SEXES DOCTOR WHO SERIES 11 WHY WE LOVE THEM FOR FANS OF Little Miss Sunshine FOR FANS OF Firefly, Futurama Emma Stone steps into the shoes of tennis She’s finally here: Jodie Whittaker is on our Chris’ player Billie Jean King, who took on world screens as the first female Time Lord. That choice champion Bobby Riggs. It’s a breezy, fun feels like reason enough to celebrate, FORZA HORIZON 4 film, but one that feels essential in the era except the diverse cast of friends (not I know we’re all over it of MeToo, following a young woman’s plight companions!) and the series’ down-to- this issue, with our for recognition in a male-dominated sport. earth, kooky vibe also have us hooked. 10/10 review, but it really is a fantastic game. Great handling, beautiful locations, ace INSIDIOUS: THE CHILLING ADVENTURES cars, and a lot of fun to dip in and LAST KEY OF SABRINA out of whenever you feel like taking FOR FANS OF The Conjuring FOR FANS OF Buffy The Vampire Slayer your favourite ride out for a spin. This latest in James Wan’s horror verse Sabrina undergoes a dark, moody makeover takes us back in time between the events in this series from the creator of Riverdale. of Insidious and Insidious 3. It wraps up the As Sabrina’s 16th birthday approaches, she story of the Lambert family, while homing in has a choice to make: does she choose a on the story’s true hero, Elise Rainer. mortal life or embrace her dark gifts?

THE POST DAREDEVIL S3 FOR FANS OF All The President’s Men FOR FANS OF Jessica Jones Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks team up for As the last episode of 2017’s Defenders Dani’s this steely biopic about two journalists in faded to black, we watched nuns tend to a choice 1971 who attempt to publish the Pentagon bruised and bloody Matt Murdock. The third SEAOFTHIEVES Papers, detailing the US government’s season of Daredevil sees him return. After a period on dry involvement in Vietnam. What film could Tighter and meaner than past outings, will land I’ve found my sea feel more relevant in the time of Trump? this be the season that sees him rise or fall? legs once more thanks to the Forsaken Shores update, though I’m also dying a lot HOLD THE DARK THE HAUNTING more thanks to the bastard volcano. FOR FANS OF The Revenant OF HILL HOUSE There aren’t enough bananas in the The cult director of Green Room returns FOR FANS OF The Woman In Black world to fix my hurts. with this stark, atmospheric thriller. When Shirley Jackson’s classic mystery becomes three children from an Alaskan village are a spooky ten-part series. Expect jump killed by wolves, an expert is brought in to scares and blood-curdling horror, but also find the pack. But what he discovers an exploration of grief, trauma and the among the trees is something far darker. things that tear families apart.

BLACK PANTHER THE PURGE FOR FANS OF Captain America: Civil War FOR FANS OF The Strangers The release of Black Panther felt essential If you’ve seen any of the Purge films, you Adam’s for two reasons: it’s the first superhero film know what to expect from this new Amazon choice featuring a predominantly African- series: in a near-future America, all crime DESTINY 2: American cast, and it’s simply the best MCU becomes legal for 24 hours once a year. The FORSAKEN film to date. It’s slick, it’s stylish, thrilling show is an origin story, looking at the first *sniff* I bid a tearful and fierce, with a humble, likeable hero. Purge night and what set it in motion. farewell to Cayde-6 this month with the release of the latest expansion for Destiny 2. I was DOWNSIZING THE ROMANOFFS more than happy to avenge him and FOR FANS OF Pleasantville FOR FANS OF Mad Men, The Crown take out those horrid Barons too but Director Alexander Payne has made many The creators of Mad Men return to the small I still feel sad. *sniff* cool, quirky movies. Downsizing is his most screen with their lavish, globetrotting divisive film yet, following an everyday anthology series. Each episode focuses on couple who undergo a groundbreaking different characters. Their connection? procedure to shrink themselves and join an Each main one thinks they’re a descendant elite miniature community. of Russian royal family the Romanoffs.

FOR MORE FILM AND TV REVIEWS, VISIT GAMESRADAR.COM

More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 113 OXM OUT the disc slot They make the games we love, but what do they play forfun?Weaskdeveloperstopicktheir faves from Xbox history. This month: William Barr

Having played the N64 original at an inappropriately young age, Conker Live And Reloaded [1] was [2] one of my favourite games on the OG Xbox. Like a young Kate Moss, Conker was both vulgar and beautiful, with some amazingly rendered full body fur. Another game from my ‘yoof’ tarted up for a new generation, Jet Set William Barr Radio HD [2] is a game I still play to this day. The Game designer and animator, Billy Goat HD version is stunning, improving the framerate, [3] Entertainment controls and of course resolution (see HD in the The team previously worked on Her title). Like Lisa Simpson, Cher and the Queen this Majesty’s Spiffing –a game simply does not age. It also has the greatest Brexit inspired action game before moving soundtrack ever. Sticking with the 360 era I don’t onto their latest think a game delivered as gripping a story as project – a game about screaming [3], you really felt your actions had to steer a shopping consequences. Bioware did a great job making trolley. you feel like the fate of the universe rested on your [4] shoulders, all the while allowing players to fulfil their weird, kinky, interspecies fantasies (such as [1] being able to romance an Australian). And if we’re talking about shoulders we have to mention [4]. Besides being a perfectly enjoyable, camp entry in the Resi franchise, this was a game I felt asked some really profound questions. Questions like do you even lift, bruh? [5] On the topic of tone, a game flawless in that regard is of course Doom 2016 [5]. Because after a long day’s work nothing cleanses the soul quite like ripping a Mancubus’ eye out, shoving it down its throat and watching it explode. Bliss.

LOVE THIS ISSUE? THE NEXT ONE WILL BE READY FOR YOU ON 16 NOVEMBER

114 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE

900000 999