42 ...... Sunday, September 9, 2018 1SM 1SM Sunday, September 9, 2018 ...... 43

ACTIVISION and Treyarch have finally Europe and the US — and some bright XBOX, Square Enix and eBay teamed up Raider with a Mayan-inspired shed some light on the new Battle Roy- cookies put them together. Nuketown to help US animal charity Best Friends 3D design and a custom controller. ale mode Blackout in : Black Island, Array and Train Station are all with a very special auction. The lot raised an incredible $8,300 Ops 4. Teaser images of parts of Black- there, hinting at past maps. Blackout The three tech firms auctioned off a (£6,419) for the charity, which prevents MUSIC GAMES out were sent to content creators across Beta goes live tomorrow on the PS4. one-of-a-kind Shadow of the Tomb animals in shelters being put down.

EXCLUSIVE by COLAN LAMONT

A FUNK rock band are Unmasking REBELLION’S Ben Fisher reckons this is wanted to try something that progressed adventure in ancient Egypt, there were a known for they multi-player funfests but wearing false faces to pro- just the start of the jolly adventure for the from what we learned from that project, good number of enemies that were the with Strange Brigade the team wanted THE Battlefield V beta is test against fake news. Strange Brigade’s band of spiffing but brand new, brighter and with an sort of thing that players would obvi- the single-player side to stand out just lin full swing and DICE Falkirk-based group Beldon Haigh special agents. atmosphere that would appeal to non- ously want to face – mummies, scarabs, as much. also released more details The studio design lead says his team horror fans. giant scorpions, and so on. David — who has been in the industry about the upcoming game. And The Mother of All Bands per- had a blast creating the classic Boy’s “The 1930s rip-roaring adven- “When we had the base set 15 years — said: “We’ve put a lot of work form while wearing incredibly lifelike The cinematic trailer details Own/Indiana Jones style co-op romp. ture soon came to life. The core worked out, and rounded it out into ensuring the game works and is fun a number of key features for masks of political figures. David, from Milngavie, near Glasgow, characters are all inspired by the with some memorable set- in both single-player and in multi-player And the prosthetics — bought last year — the new shooter as well as the Overcooked 2 explained: “Myself and the team have sort of archetypes you see in piece monsters and boss — and the really cool thing is it is 1-4 first details on the new battle cost a whopping £20,000. fake politics really fallen in love with the world of 1930s Saturday matinee movies fights, we had a nice range of players across the whole game, from Lead singer Beldon says: “We decided to Xbox One, PS4, Switch and PC £19.99 royale mode, Firestorm. Strange Brigade. We would love to see and pulp adventure novels. enemies for the player to face.” start to finish in the story campaign and Sixteen teams of four will create an album with five or six political THE first Overcooked game was a blast of culi- more adventures from our heroes.” “We wanted them all to be A big part of the game is the in the Horde and Score Attack modes.” songs on it. They are quite powerful and FALSE START nary fun and a perfect co-op game — easy to battle it out on what DICE are The game’s back story and world was cool, memorable characters, tale behind the action and David insisted it wasn’t all plain sailing calling Battlefield’s biggest one is about fake news and how it’s poi- . . . band pick up but hard to master with a partner. influenced by the Strange Brigade book with a tongue-in-cheek old-fash- Fisher feel that it grabs that but is delighted with the end product. soning our lives and creating a massive stand out Well, Ghost Town Games and Team 17 have ever map — which looks to be division in society. and comic — penned by Scot Gordon ioned atmosphere. timeframe perfectly. He added: “The biggest challenge was a HUGE sandbox with dozens with masks dished up a second portion with Overcooked 2, Rennie, who is also part of the Rebellion “We developed concepts for He said: “Each mission is finding a nice balance between shooting “Another theme is how society as a they bought building on the solid foundations of the first. of vehicles. The video also whole seems to lack compassion now. writing team. a wide range of characters like an episode of a serial and tomb-exploring and puzzle-solving. shed light on the single- last year It’s an over-the-top story where you have to But David says the initial idea came that fit that tone, and chose EXCLUSIVE movie that goes from “I think we’ve found a nice balance “I started writing songs about this stop the un-bread —yes, zombie loaves — pre- player War Stories which, like because it’s what I thought about during from one of their horror shooter the four that were the best fit cliffhanger to cliffhanger. between everything. Battlefield 1, will each have a venting you serving customers. multiplayers. for an adventure in the ruins of INTERVIEW The adventure takes the “The British Pathe-style voiceover the day and dreamed about at night.” Starting off nice and easy, you’ll soon find chapter as a standalone tale. The frontman says the band put in a lot He said: “A few years ago we released ancient Egypt.” Strange Brigade through many different really brings everything together with a Four stories will be avail- yourself having to fight conveyor belt systems a game called Zombie Army Trilogy, But it is not just the heroes David locations in North Africa, and their pulpy humour.” of consideration as to which band member and kitchens built on floating rafts that split up able at release with another, would wear which mask — choosing from where you fight against hordes of Nazi reckons fans will go crazy for — there adventures link together to tell their And I agree. Bravo, old chap! The Last Tiger, hinting that US President Donald Trump, North Korean every so often. Overall, the difficulty has been undead. The game had a very ‘80s direct are also the villains. He explained: story as they try to track down Seteki, the STUART CULLEN ramped up since the first game. you fight as Axis forces dictator Kim Jong-un and Russian Presi- to VHS’ horror atmosphere, and we “Starting from the idea of a classic 1930s ancient witch queen.” Rebellion are well instead of Alias. dent Vladimir Putin. You have more tasks from tenderising meat to He says: “I thought we’d have Putin on chopping veg, and even doing dishes, so plan- the drums because he’s laying down the ning your menu is key. But fear not, as you can beat, he clearly interfered in the US elec- team up with up to three pals, offline and online, tion and probably Brexit. He and Trump although this highlights how important communication is — bring your mic. 1. F1 2018 The game has a colourful art style, 2. Pro Evolution packed with charm, and a soundtrack Soccer 2019 to match. On the downside, 3. Grand Theft Auto V solo action loses some fun fac- 4. Crash Bandicoot tor, but if you’re after a blast N.Sane Trilogy with a pal, it’s perfect. 5. Yakuza HHHHH Kiwami 2 STUART CULLEN THE PlayStation 2 is offi- cially dead as Sony has YOU l THE new season of ration and its shady pulled the final plug on the can download system. It’s been some years lTekken 7 gets leader Kazuya Mishima. a fifth member of the under way this week Anna Willaims wants since the firm built the con- Strange Brigade for sole but now Sony have have a very close relationship so we put with fan favourites Lei answers after finding FREE right now — Winston Trump on bass. and Anna returning her fiancé dead and her stopped the aftercare service. “Then Kim Jung-un seems to thrust Bey, a gentleman explorer PlayStation Clinic stopped along with new cos- sister Nina fleeing the with a talent for poisons. But himself into the limelight and lead guitar- tumes, hairstyles and scene. accepting and fixing broken ists by nature are often exhibitionists. be quick — he’s only consoles on September 7 accessories. They’re available FREE for the first 30 “He knows how to grab headlines so he Lei Wulong enters the as part of the Season with any sent after that date seemed like a natural.” days of the game’s not being serviced. fight in a bid Pass 2. launch, £5.59 to Now valued at more than £30,000, the to meet his Version 2.0 So if your PS2 packs up in masks were created by sculptor Landon buy after- the future you can’t go to Meier, who is based in Denver, Colorado. idol Lucky also improves wards. Chloe, as well each charac- Sony to get it fixed. But Trump is worth more than the rest The PlayStation 2 still because of the detail that went into his as investigate ter’s move the G Corpo- set. stands as the world’s most infamous blond locks. Beldon says: “If you successful console, having look at Putin or Kim Jong-un’s hair, sold more than 150million there’s not as much work involved.” units worldwide. The masks even feel like real skin but their material makes them very heavy. He adds: “We need to give the guys part of our whole act, the way we do vid- to watch their videos and the group has breaks every so often. eos, the way we do live shows, and it millions of views on social media. NETFLIX “The way our set is constructed, there summed up what we wanted in our visual Last month, they performed at the Liq- have announced are little times they can take the masks look and the entertainment we wanted to uid Room for the Edinburgh Fringe. that Superman and off quickly and get a breather. It gets give people. Beldon says: “They have a massive Mission Impossible: pretty sweaty in there as well and they “It’s almost like buying a stage show — impact. It’s hard to describe, it’s a sort of Fallout star Henry Cavill need to get some water.” if I invested this amount into that then jaw-dropping moment when people see will play the lead role of He’s already been offered good money Geralt in the web- from collectors — but is adamant they will people would probably think that’s all them and it’s difficult to understand remain with the band no matter how right. The masks sound incredibly extrava- because they look so real. based subscription much people are prepared to cough up. gant but not really, it’s all about putting “It’s hard to take your eyes off them. service’s Witcher He says: “Some of these masks sell for on an incredible show.” “We are there to entertain people and I series. £40,000 each because collectors love his Beldon has been stunned by the world- think that, as part of being in a band, you stuff and they do look exactly like the wide reaction to the group, which formed put on a show and don’t take yourselves STRANGE BRIGADE is an action- Strange Brigade in a bind. Each character has their own amulet, real people so we did a deal to buy them. three years ago. too seriously — and that’s hard to do when packed co-op third-person shooter which create unique attacks. “The idea was these masks then become People all over the globe have tuned in wearing a Donald Trump mask.” Dead Cells Xbox One, PS4 and PC £39.99 Outside of the main story, there is a horde Xbox One, PS4, Switch and PC £19.99 that will have you hooked. moments. On the gameplay front, things are mode (where you’ll have to fight off wave after This adventure across the globe with split into two main focuses. wave of nasties) and also the score attack mode EVERY so often a game takes the best parts of Rebellion’s latest tale is a blast from the The first is simply shooting everything that (which does what it says on the tin). other titles and some original ideas to make moves — from mummies and zombies to huge Visually, the game looks great at times with a something just a little special — and that’s just first shoot to the last reload. nice level of detail, both in the world and on PELTS successive release our reach seems to have The studio is best known for the scorpions and swarms of scarabs. broadened, which is obviously very satisfying, and what Motion Twin have done with Dead Cells. The second is puzzles and, for the most part, the characters — although we did get a little WHERE: Glasgow. The game is a rogue-Metroidvania game at its series of games and its DNA also runs through slow-down when things really got going. NEW fans of the newer singles will go back and discover this game. the game strikes a good balance WHO: Graham McCarey (vocals/guitar), Natasha core where you play as… well, a ball of green between them. Most of the puzzles Soundtrack-wise, it all fits the tale while Radmehr (vocals), Stuart Brown (bass), Olly Stock- the older ones too.” goo which brings a dead body back to life in a The player takes on the role of one of four timeframe and the voice acting are solid RAINBOW Six Siege’s MUSIC Pelts hope to release their debut album early different adventurers working for a shad- are linked with finding bonus areas man (guitar/keys/vocals), Ralph Hector (keys/ prison cell and sets about escaping. and extra loot. and really add to the game — with the llatest update Operation vocals), Ben Brown (drums). By Jim Gellatly next year. Graham said: “It’s effectively been fully owy wing of the British Secret Service narrator stealing the show. Grim Sky has landed with Simple, but it’s more about the journey than which deals with the occult. More often than not, the puzzles FOR FANS OF: The National, Camera Obscura, written and arranged and is in the early stages of the destination, as you’re thrown into a fast- will need a healthy dose of team- On the downside, the biggest issue is some beefy improvements. recording.” The game takes place in the 1930s that this is a co-op game and is great with Two new operatives have Arcade Fire. Patrol. Their latest double A-side single Who Could paced world of combat and exploration. with the Brigade heading to Egypt after work to be completed as the hints are JIM SAYS: Pelts claim to have got together Love Me Now?/Another Place shows a band not Having previously supported cult acts such as Expect to die a lot, but this gives you the often on the other side of the area and friends but when you play it on your tod been added to the ever- Teleman and The Hidden Cameras, Graham’s an incident at a dig site. the game doesn’t give you AI back-up, so growing roster and the through a shared desire to create “cheerful cham- afraid to experiment, but capable of creating some- opportunity for choices that unlock new areas. Cue tons of action with bags of you often only get three attempts to ber pop”. They admit something went wrong as the thing of beauty. pretty excited about their next live outing. Along Upgrades and new weapons help keep solve them before it becomes locked. you have to go it alone. That’s great if you Hereford Base map has with their label Iffy Folk, they are promoting the British wit and charm, and more are looking for collectables or just want to been reworked from the sound took a turn in the other direction. With two main vocalists there’s a lovely dynamic. things fresh, and the wide range of enemies than a splash of the supernatural, as As for the gunplay? Well, it’s fun and enjoy- Graham explained: “We initially started making Natasha takes the lead on Who Could Love Me debut Scottish appearance from Swedish-based will keep you sharp. able as you get an arsenal of firepower to explore the world — but it’s just not as fun. ground up. And a host of bal- you unearth more than you expect — Also, there are a number of boss fights in the ance changes, including quite bright sunny music. It didn’t come entirely Now?, a brooding melancholic anthem, while the electronic duo Us. They are fronted by former With a moody pixel art style, there’s and end up having to save the world choose from — such as sub-machineguns, shot- naturally, but we persisted and dual vocals on the rockier Another Geneva man Andrew Montgomery, originally from guns and snipers. game which, nine times out of ten, end up feel- Thatcher and Twitch, have a fitting retro vibe to this. from an ancient evil. ing like a bit of a grind as they are just big decided we had invented a new Place work a treat. East Kilbride. Dead Cells is a challenging title The tale is a fun romp where Each weapon has its pros and cons, so talking been tweaked. It also adds genre called ‘Gospel Shoegaze’. On Saturday Andrew will be playing a Geneva set to your team before a mission can help you bullet sponges, which is a shame. dynamic resolution scaling Neither song deserves second that tries to blend a lot of different charm and cheese stay just on the But these issues never really take away from “The music had other ideas billing, so a double A-side makes at O2 Academy Glasgow as part of the Star ideas together and, overall, it pulls right side of the line. pick the right set-up. on console to improve looks Shaped Festival. Friday night sees Us and Pelts On top of that you also get a magic amulet the fun of Strange Brigade when you are in the and performance. however and slowly but surely sense. Indeed, Steve Lamacq at them off. If you’re not a fan of Metroi- It’s all backed up by the games thick of it with your friends battling the forces became decidedly darker, but still BBC Radio 6 Music has elected to appear at Glasgow’s Glad Café. narrator who adds an extra layer of which gives you a special attack once you have The two new characters dvania games it may be a short-lived filled the meter. The attacks are OK, and of evil. It’s a blast and a must-play. — Maverick and Clash — with a wry sense of humour. That’s play both on his show. Graham told me: “I’ve been a big fan of Andrew’s adventure for you — but fans will Britishness to the game as well as HHHHH incredible voice ever since the very first time I more than a few laugh-out-loud while they never really hit as hard as you both pack a punch. Maver- the direction it has continued to It’s Pelt’s third double A-side love it from start to finish. would have hoped, they can save your bacon STUART CULLEN take, but we still surprise our- release, following a couple of heard a song by Geneva.” ick has a blowtorch which HHHHú can burn holes in walls while selves with some tonal tangents.” stand-alone digital singles. More: www.pelts.band STUART CULLEN What they have created is a Graham told me: “With each l Jim presents a weekly showcase of New Music Clash is the first shield based- sound that recalls classic Scottish on Amazing Radio Sundays 2-4pm. defender in the game. acts like The Delgados and Belle & You can listen to the band www.amazingradio.com Sebastian, as well as early Snow at: thescottishsun.co.uk www.jimgellatly.com READ THE GAMING COLUMN PLUS ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND PREVIEWS OVER AT CODECMOMENTS.COM