40 ...... Sunday, September 29, 2019 1SM 1SM Sunday, September 29, 2019 ...... 41

DEATH Stranding is set to land come with a translucent yellow con- AGENT 47 is heading to the recent events in New York as you lon November 8. To celebrate troller as well as a matte white con- lMaldives in the latest and last head to the HQ of an organisation the launch, Sony has announced it sole that has some handprints DLC for Hitman 2 to enjoy sun, sea, known as Haven. The DLC will also is getting its very own limited edi- which contain map details in the sand, and sneaky stealth kills. feature a new campaign mission GAMES & MUSIC tion PS4 Pro bundle. That will shape of the world’s continents. The action follows on from the and over 75 new challenges.

HANDS-ON PREVIEW DROWN AND DIRTY HEADSET HIT BRING ON THE RAIN WHEN you think of gaming headsets, odds are the likes Drown Earphones and booming, from the rumble of muscle cars to the of Astro and Turtle Beach will come to mind first — but rusty churn of the chainsaw on your lancer. SILLY season is well and truly in full swing there is a new kid on the audio block looking to shake £149.99 And if you’re looking for technical reasons why this all just now. things up. with repeated use this should become easier. The rub- happens, head over to the Drown’s website where you It feels like there is a never-ending flood Drown are an Edinburgh-based firm who have their ber seals do come in a number of sizes, so you can can fill your boots on the hows, whys and whatnots, of new releases week after week at the eyes set on challenging the big boys in the audio swap them around to best suit you. complete with tons of technical jargon. It’s all about moment. gaming world with their innovately designed ear- But when in your ears, the unit is very lightweight. That acoustic waveguides, bone and cartilage conduction Because of this, so many titles are phones. They may not look like much but, boy, they is surprising given the overall size and you do soon and spatial awareness apparently. In short, these ear- going to fall through the cracks and are in pack a real punch. forget you have them on. phones are great at what they do on the audio front. danger of being overlooked. They have just ended a crowdfunding campaign for We’ve been playing with them for a good three weeks But the real question is whether the £149.99 tag is Hopoo Games’ 2 is one the new kit so they’re not in full production just now but now across a number of titles — Gears 5, Forza Horizon enough to fight off the other headsets in that price NEW such title (it also happens to be published we’ve been lucky enough to get our hands on a very 4 and the recent Call of Duty Modern range. But we will say this — if by Gearbox, who have also just released early build to put them though there paces. Warfare beta — and they never miss you’re looking for a set of ear- MUSIC they own AAA monster 3. It’s So, as we have a prototype unit, there are no mic fea- a beat, both online and offline. phones to use across systems that fair to say their have a bit on their plate at tures, and we couldn’t try out that side of things. As such They create a solid sound sphere packs some real audio punch and By Jim Gellatly the moment too). we’ll not be judging the overall look or finish of the unit with real depth to it which helps with quality then these are shaping up Risk of Rain 2 is a third-person rogue- — but what we COULD put to the test is an out-and-out finding out where the bad guys are very well at least on that side. PAGES. like shooter, with a dash of multiplayer as audio performance that does not disappoint. coming from, so you can get the Hopefully the final unit keeps up you can team up with three other mates. The first thing that hits you is the overall size of the ear these high standards. WHERE: Aberdeen. jump on them. In single-player WHO: Matt Fraser (vocals/guitar), It all started out in earlier access on pieces. It takes a bit of moving around to get it right but modes, the overall sound was rich STUART CULLEN the PC but has now landed on the con- Jack Lovie (guitar), Ali McKinlay (bass), Kyle Robertson-Smith (drums). soles as well. FOR FANS OF: The Killers, The 1975, And as go, it has a really Metronomy. addictive and fun loop once you properly JIM SAYS: North-east indie-pop- get going. sters PAGES. come of age with their You pick your character — which are glorious second single Bubble called survivors and have different Brain. classes with their own skill sets — then kill Risk of Rain 2 visual side of things evolving as each new November’s debut Get Out Of a tonne of things, get cash to buy new planet brings a new feel, vibe and style. My... was a cool taster of what was to gear, beat the to get to a teleporter , PS4, Switch and PC £24.99 Plus the graphics overall are really nice come, but the new track is a signifi- and then move on to a new area where first game. Visually, it is a totally different on the eye. They are packed with colour as cant progression. the game ups the difficulty and, of course, well as having a cell-shade vibe as well. The blend of drum machine and if you die, you will just have to start it all game to before (seeing as it is a 2D pixel game) but a lot of the core ideas have Risk of Rain 2 is an addictive real drums with an underlying synth- over again. where you are always trying to push that made the jump to the sequel. pop feel creates a great vibe. The But with each run things get mixed up. little bit further than before. track was mixed and mastered by You never know what items are coming As for the combat, it’s fast and fluid and It is packed with content, with more on Rob Murray, based in Austin, Texas. your way and that will really help shape never misses a beat. You take on every- the horizon plus the great gameplay loop. PAGES. frontman Matt said: “Rob your character’s build as there are over 70 thing from low-level cannon fodder to Add in the fact you can play it with your has previously worked with the likes different ones to find. beefy bosses who offer a real challenge, mates and you have a real sleeper hit on of Mark Ronson, Britney Spears and And depending on how fast you are on in both difficulty and overall scale. your hands. Sia, so it was amazing to have some- each planet will affect how hard the fight is And the stronger you become, the big- Don’t let this one pass you by. one with such a portfolio on board. to achieve your goals. This is a really inter- ger the fight you face as you jump from HHHH It’s definitely the poppiest and most- esting mechanic and a hangover from the planet to planet. And that also keeps the STUART CULLEN accessible song we’ve made.” Passing on the music to a new pair of ears has paid dividends, and the guys are delighted with the results. Matt explained: “We sat on the song for a while after recording all the parts at Jack’s home studio. The longest part of the process really Shift up the Gears was trying to find the right person to Walking back produce the piece. Gears 5 Gears 5 once again but it’s very It’s split into Ranked (your stan- “We found Rob online and we were FOR Xbox owners, much a support role. dard take on the game) and all taken aback by the names he had 2019 will be the year Xbox One and PC £14.99 The gameplay? At its core it’s the Arcade (mixes thing up for a more worked with. He transformed the lows Kait and her search for the same third-person cover shooter fast and intense hit of action). track completely. It was like some- of Gears. truth about herself and her past, built on brutal action that you’ll Beyond that, Horde returns one had chiselled the edges of the to beginning Or at least that’s how Micro- as well as there being a side story either love or hate. I love. (where you and four mates can track down, creating our most-pro- soft would like it to be about the squad trying to get the However, as you would expect, battle evermore challenging waves fessional and refined piece yet.” remembered as they are using Hammer of Dawn system (basically there are a host of tweaks to the of the Swarm forces in the hope to It’s still early days for the lads, but The Walking Dead: the latest instalment in the a big space laser) back online. winning formula. get to Wave 50) and there is also the signs are very promising. They all WHEN a studio goes under, This switch of focus to Kait With the biggest being it’s gone the new Escape mode (which it’s a horrible thing for the long-running series to spear- know each other from their school The Telltale Definitive Series means you’ll be playing as her for sort of open-world at times as throws you and two other days Aberdeen Grammar, but it was industry and the community. head their campaign. a good chunk of the game as JD you get huge areas to search players into the thick of it as And when Telltale Xbox One, PS4 and PC £39.99 a couple of years before the band It’s no secret that Gears of War takes a bit of a back seat, for bet- and carry out missions. you have to plant and deto- came together. announced it was closing its cept art and 3D models a plus a music player 4 was a bit of a misfire by the ter or worse. This really adds a feeling of nate a bomb in a Swarm hive doors, it really hit hard. series’ new developers The Coali- Matt told me: “We had been com- where you can play any of the tunes from Gears 5 does need time to scale and helps grow the and get out in one piece). ing up with song ideas for a little As the studio behind across the game. tion. Yes, it was a perfectly enjoy- develop bonds with the younger world and lore. All of this with limited fire- many much-loved adven- able game but in the grand scheme Then there are the new power and against the clock, while, but it all came together in In this Netflix binge-watching era, it’s the squad members when you’re not Jack’s studio last June. We didn’t tures, there was a fear perfect boxset for newcomers to pick up and theme of things it was a bit flat blasting the hordes. weapons, enemies and overall plus there is an easy-to-use among gamers about and, dare I say, a bit forgettable. general quality of life map editor where you can have a permanent drummer until get stuck into. For long-time fans the mileage This was an element missing Kyle joined in February.” what would happen to may be limited, but with the old games being So to say the pressure is on to from the fourth game — it was improvements across the board build your own hives and chall- the firm’s titles. deliver this time round is a fair very much firefight to firefight that help make the Gears 5 cam- enge the world to clear them. As with most young bands starting given the touch-up treatment, it’s certainly point. out, it’s a case of juggling studies Luckily for The Walk- worth revisiting. while bringing back older charac- paign polished and an enjoyable That’s all well and good but ing Dead series, Sky- For starters, “of War” has been ters didn’t really help. journey to take. online ran like a bag of spanners and work with band time. The core games are very much a coming- dropped from the name (as if the first few weeks. PAGES. seem to be coping bound stepped in to save it. of-age tale that follows Clementine, a young Yes, the old heroes have a role in The Gears of War franchise is Gears 5 is too cool for school or also a huge online title where However, to The Coalition’s despite bassist Ali being at uni in And now they have deliv- girl trying to stay alive in the zombie-infested something) but it’s just the tip of ered the ultimate edition of the teams battle it out to take victory credit, Gears 5 has been getting Glasgow. The rest of the band are world. As she meets people across the the iceberg among the changes at all costs. This time around patches to sort these issues and it’s still in Aberdeen, where Matt is at long-running franchise with The 23-odd episodes, you have to make some that have happened since that much better now. Walking Dead: The Telltale Defini- it’s no different. university, Jack recently finished a hard decisions — as not everyone is going to lukewarm fourth game. Gears 5 doesn’t reinvent the sound engineering degree and Kyle tive Series. play nice in the world of the Walking Dead. Last time out, the tale focused wheel — if you have played a It takes every game in the ground- works in retail management. The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive on Marcus’s son JD and his squad Gears of War game you’ll soon Matt said: “It’s difficult to balance breaking series as well as throwing in Series is a huge package and a real undertak- as they battled the forces of the click with this outing. loads of extras, making it your one-stop these at times, but the key is to be on ing if you have never played one of the games swarm and found out there was But what it does do is play to its top of what we’re doing musically shop for all things Walking Dead. before. more to comrade Kait than she strengths in telling a tale with real So you get Seasons 1 to 4, along with the was letting on (it was a neat heart, as well as brutality in equal and to plan ahead.” And in a way, it’s a real showcase of what we I spent most of the 90s living in 400-day chapter and the Michonne mini-se- have lost with the closure of the Telltale twist that she has a link to measure, and has a multiplayer ries — all of which have had a bit of a touch-up the Queen of the Locust, that will keep you coming back for Aberdeen and still have a lot of affec- Games studio — the craft they brought to tell- tion for the city’s music scene. It’s with remastered visuals. ing gripping tales that last long in the mind as who were the big bad in more long after the credits roll. There is also developer commentary on the the original series). A return to form. great to know it’s still thriving. well as touch the heart at times. Having completed a short Scottish games as well as a documentary about the HHHHú This time the main HHHHú series, an art gallery where you can see con- campaign really fol- STUART CULLEN tour in the summer, the band return STUART CULLEN to Edinburgh on October 19 to play Henry’s Cellar Bar with Isle of Man indie rockers Voodoo Bandits. PAGES. are set to round off the IT’S the news all PS4 owners the helm once again. This time MICROSOFT will begin public on your smartphone on the bus THE CALL of Duty fans are in uproar tive director Taylor Kurosaki has BILLIE THIS week was Bat- feature the Court of Owls — year in style with a big headline show — the latest Modern Warfare responded to complaints, saying: lhave been waiting for as Sony’s around you’ll be playing as Ellie at The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen on ltesting of its Project xCloud while your mates are with you on MediEvil l Eilish has lman’s 80th birthday. a cabal comprised of Got- exclusive The Last of Us Part 2 though. The trailer that confirmed next month. their Xbox One and PC. And best trailer has revealed the Spec Ops “There are decisions that are above And Warner Bros Montreal ham City’s elite which has December 22. Matt said: “It will be remake is nearly revealed a track finally has a release date. the release also finally gave a sneak The new tech was first shown of all it looks like all you’ll need is a here but if you want a Survival Mode is a timed PS4 all of our pay grades.” from her album is — the studio behind Batman: long influenced the city from our most spectacular show yet.” about a year ago and allows compatible phone and a Bluetooth sneak peek you can exclusive until October 1, 2020. Kurosaki also insisted Infinity named after 3D Arkham Origins — has the shadows using money It is set to hit the console on peek of Joel, who is set to return too. More: www.facebook.com/ streaming of Xbox Xbox controller. The beta — download a demo now. That’s also around Ward was simply trying puzzler ilomilo. She dropped a huge and murder. 1) February 21 next year. The trailer also hinted PagesABD games to other which only runs on Android at It features the game’s the time when the next to create the best Call explained: “The idea of hint that a new The organisa- 2) Gears 5 The Last of Us Part at the gaming being even l Jim features PAGES. on his latest devices such as the moment — hits the UK, graveyard area. Demo instalment of the series of Duty game it could, the game is losing the Caped Crusader tion has its own 3) eFootball PES 2020 2 looks to pick up the more brutal than the first New Music podcast. Hear it at phones and tablets. US and South Korea. will only be available is queueing up to be and downplayed the person you love and game is on the assassins, who 4) NBA 2K20 action some five years instalment as the pair www.jimgellatly.com PIC: Matthew Lukowski In short, you can Sign up today to until Sunday, launched. significance of Survival finding them way. And it looks have targeted 5) Greedfall after the events of the have to fight to survive be playing Gears 5 receive an invite. October 6. Infinity Ward’s narra- Mode’s exclusivity. again.” like it’s going to Bruce Wayne. first game, with devel- in the post-apocalyptic oper Naughty Dog at world. Listen to Bubble Brain at thescottishsun.co.uk