Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i PLAY

“INSOMNIAC GAMES LEAPT AT THE CHANCE TO REVISIT AND IMPROVE AN OLD FAVOURITE AND NEVER LOOKED BACK.” This issue’s cover story started back in 2014 when, during some downtime on an Evolve studio trip, I took a taxi across Los Angeles to the city of Burbank. When people talk about ‘Hollywood magic’, they mean lavish sets, pampered stars and non-stop parties, but in a nondescript recording studio I met the talent and crew from the Ratchet & Clank movie, and between recording sessions we sat around a bare table in a dark room, ate salad from plastic tubs and swapped anecdotes. It was nothing like the ‘Hollywood’ image in my head, but seeing the normality behind the production wasn’t a comedown. Instead, it helped me understand that this is a…

HIGH FIVES FOR PS PLUS Has it really been five years? PS Plus has gone from intriguing experiment to essential part of Sony’s online offerings, and Sony has posted out a gift for those who’ve been there from the start: a commemorative, framed plaque with key stats, such as number of hours spent online. Guys, you shouldn’t have. ALL THE NOPE Enjoy/endure the bowel-voiding terror of the original Outlast? Then you’ve got until autumn to brace yourself for its sequel. You won’t be venturing back inside an asylum for this one – the first screen shows the great outdoors and a woman wielding a modified axe. Something tells us that’s not our weapon… DUDE, WHERE’S MY PAR? Incoming PS4 title Dangerous Golf has two big things going fore it. 1)…

“A COMPASS POINT IN THE THIGH TO ALL WHO OPPOSE MY CALL FOR A RIVAL SCHOOLS RETURN.” MATTHEW PELLETT EDITOR As all OPSM1 readers should know, thanks to our classic demo discs, PS1 fighter Rival Schools was a joy to play. I’ll extol the virtues of official fightsticks all day long when it comes to Street Fighter, but Rival Schools’ membership of the four-button fighting gang means it’s an ideal scrapper for those unwilling to shell out for extra hardware. And what a game! With different schools teaming up with and against each other to get to the bottom of a spate of kidnappings, its concept birthed a roster of stars and a story that I actually cared about. A new term is long overdue. “MOST FIGHTING GAMES RESEMBLE SOFT…

“THE DUALSHOCK 4 IS IMBUED WITH POWERS THAT ARE SO RARELY USED TO GREAT EFFECT.” WRITER BIO When Rhiannon Rees isn’t diving into pixelated worlds, she can typically be found diving into some kind of tater-based dish instead. Boil ’em, mash ’em, stick ’em in a stew. Look no further than the humble spud to know that immersion is important. When not totally submerged while boiling, it becomes a sad, undercooked affair. It’s the same for gamers (there’s a couch potato joke in there somewhere) – for a game to be truly memorable, we need to be fully immersed. But many titles fall short. Smart level design, gripping plots and addictive gameplay are all valuable ingredients, but somewhere in the recipe, five crucial things keep getting lost. I’m talking about…

“TEKKEN’S BEEN BUSTED WIDE OPEN. EVERYONE’S A CONTENDER.” Bandai’s legendary scrapper eats insanity for breakfast. It’s given us CEOs strapping relatives to rockets, a mighty-morphin’ squid-ninja and a man-bear proposing to a panda. It’s not afraid to go there . Many would deem the introduction of radical new mechanics into a successful, 20-year-old series to be madness. But Tekken 7? It pours pandemonium on its chaosflakes. Lustrous Unreal 4 Engine graphics land the first sucker-punch, with orange hit-sparks reflected in our boggling eyes, together with slow-mo KOs. And boy, do we need a slow moment – the damage is cranked up to the proverbial 11, making matches faster and flashier than ever. We barely have time to catch our breath before even inexperienced opponents are launching deadly…

1 An early prototype, in which the space beetle is much more hollow than its final incarnation. There’s a health indicator and it all looks very Tron. 2 This next version lacks the surreal colour palette, terrifying imagery and, perhaps more importantly, all those sumptuous curves in the track. 3 Taking place inside a hippie’s horrifying tie-dye T-shirt, this evolutionary stage is our first look at a more fluid course and graphical polish. 4 Another step closer to the final game, the claustrophobic tunnel and swirling course are now in place and the space beetle is looking extra polished.…

“IT’S THE MOST BRUTALLY REALISTIC REPRESENTATION OF RALLY DRIVING YET.” Like Grid Autosport before it, Dirt Rally represents a return to the purist beginnings of one of Codemasters’ most cherished series. The studio has stripped away the gaudy baubles and Americanised noise that has increasingly encroached on Dirt’s lineage, and ended up with something that feels more focused – and more evocative – than even Dirt 3. As such, gymkhana has been ejected and you won’t find anything resembling a monster truck in the vehicle lineup. What’s left is proper rally, rallycross and hill climbing (which, set as it is on Pikes Peak, represents the game’s only excursion to the US), handed over in what must be the most brutally realistic representation of rally driving yet created. Cars must be…

Dodgeball isn’t just for above-average Ben Stiller movies and sadistic PE teachers. Not anymore, at least. This charming take on the ball-to-balls sport offers plenty of imaginative twists on a simple formula. Teams are made up of two players, but – unlike actual dodgeball – the real fun happens after you get hit. Once out, you can create pesky hazards that affect the other teams and might even swing the game in your favour. While there’s single-player and co-op story modes included, we’re thinking this might just have the potential to become the new multiplayer champion during lunchtimes at OPM Towers.…

The galaxy is pretty much done for. Or is it? You – a naked astronaut wielding little more than a jet pack and laser gun – are the final hope. Your tiny, bare hands need to plant life on the randomly generated worlds, while simultaneously taking out the multitude of aliens and foes who aren’t quite so keen on there being a colourful and thriving galaxy. Its mix of twin-stick shooting and synth-tastic music has already been enjoyed by PC gamers for a while, thanks to its successful Kickstarter campaign, but we reckon this arcade-y abstract shooter will fit right in with PS4’s eclectic indies.…

“WE PITCHED A RATCHET & CLANK MOVIE YEARS AGO. WE GOT LAUGHED OUT OF OFFICES.” OPM: How special was it to be given the opportunity to revisit one of the best-loved games in Insomniac history? Ted Price: It is something that we know not many developers get to do, so we definitely feel very fortunate. Being able to go back and look at the game, with the many years of experience now having elapsed since the first release, has allowed us to think hard about standout features throughout the series. And about how we could then bring those things back into the first game while retaining what made the original so special. OPM: What were the big things you wanted to add or improve this time out? TP: I’ll mention…

Here’s what Hideo Kojima’s new game definitely won’t be – a sequel to Boktai, Snatcher, Z.O.E., Policenauts or P.T. (if you’re under 25, you may need to Google most of those). Put bluntly, Konami retains the legal rights to those franchises. Sony will relish the kudos of tying gaming’s foremost auteur to a console-exclusive deal, but ‘spiritual sequels’ are also unlikely – there’s no financial sense in securing exclusivity to a niche title that will only be championed by a few thousand nostalgic gamers. “[Kojima’s new game] will be something completely new,” confirmed Sony in an online Q&A. So what is the new project? The clues lie in a logo, a Christmas card, hundreds of tweets and the world’s most popular sci-fi MMOFPS. In 2010, developer Bungie stepped away from…

GOLD AWARD Awarded to a game that’s brilliantly executed on every level, combining significant innovation, near-flawless gameplay, great graphics and lasting appeal. EDITOR’S AWARD Not at the very highest echelon, but this is a game that deserves recognition and special praise based on its ambition, innovation or other notable achievement. 10 INCREDIBLE The kind of phenomenal experience rarely seen in a console generation. 9 OUTSTANDING Unreservedly brilliant – this should be in every collection. 8 VERY GOOD A truly excellent game, marred by just a few minor issues. 7 GOOD A great concept unfulfilled or the familiar done well, but still well worth playing. 6 DECENT Fun in parts, flawed in others, but more right than wrong. 5 AVERAGE What you expect and little more, this is for devotees only.…

Sometimes, you’ve got to take more than one run at something, especially when the world has a habit of falling out from under your feet. Leaping from PS Vita to PS4 is Gravity Rush, Sony’s much-lauded platformer. The remastered port proves the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree – for better and worse – but it’s a chance to taste the sweet adrenaline all over again. And a bite of Gravity Rush Remastered is like nothing else. It’s dinner at a Michelin-starred fusion restaurant run by unicorns (stay with me): you’re not quite sure what you’ve put in your mouth, but you’re positive that everybody should be eating it. All of the time. Utterly unique and wonderfully tactile, launching gravity-manipulating heroine Kat through the air using a superpowered cat…

Hitting Level 99, landing a perfect combo, organising your inventory – all are satisfying achievements. Believe me, however, when I say they don’t quite compare with crafting a colossal assembly line out of nothing but virtual building blocks. A playpen puzzler with a space-age heart, Infiniminer’s spiritual successor goes back to the block genre’s square roots. Held captive by aliens, you must use your knowledge of the third dimension to create machines that can mass-produce space knick-knacks and, er, meat treats – you’re also obliged to eat your food pellets like a good human. Initially, as in Oddworld’s RuptureFarms, you feel you might be treading the darkly comic line between employee and new ‘n’ tasty snack, but that streak of black comedy soon dwindles into a rasher-thin backdrop for demanding…

“IT GLOWS WITH CHARM WHILE NEVER HIDING THE PAIN UNDERSCORING THE STORY.” This sorrowful beauty boasts the best opening I’ve suffered through in a long time. Within 15 minutes of hitting the button, I’ve gained a deeply personal understanding of why protagonist Henry has decided to decamp to the vastly beautiful Wyoming forest as a lookout for the summer – it quickly establishes what Campo Santo’s debut does so hauntingly well. While nowhere near as sedate as its moniker implies, Firewatch operates as an engaging walk and talk simulator. Your focus is on exploring the Wyoming countryside, nattering away with your boss Delilah on the other end of a walkie-talkie. Grip L2, choose your response and slowly watch a friendship unfurl, while dealing with the numerous incidents that crop up…

Choice is a luxury when you’re at war, which is why this 2D strategy game’s opening menu offers you only one option: survive. So when a bloke rocks up to my two survivors’ fortified squat, with a kid in tow, asking if they can look after him for “a few days,” the situation looks sketchy. Though that’s probably just the artsy graphics. Sure enough, little Misha’s parents never return. This War Of Mine cruelly exploits my good nature, offering me little choice but to feed another mouth. Just like the award-winning PC original, I’m picking through wreckage in harrowing locations to find food, medicine and materials. Again, adult characters’ traits, such as Good Cook and Skilled Scavenger help strategise my civilians’ survival. Only now, I’ve got to deal with kids,…

The second instalment of this side-scrolling world tour trilogy has taken its stealthy time, but is finally here. Last year’s trip to China, with Ezio’s hooded protégé Shao Jun, wasn’t without its flaws. It was, however, a largely satisfying love letter to the franchise, as it compressed everything from Eagle Vision to Sync points into 2.5D, while adding a dollop of Metal Gear-style sneaking. You’d expect more of the same here, but the adventure of Assassin (and graphic novel star) Arbaaz Mir in 19th century India falls significantly short of its intended soft haycart landing. There’s no denying it’s beautiful, with painterly Indian-influenced swirls, but it’s also suffering an identity crisis. In trying to break away from China’s mechanics, a host of new stealthy features are added – trickier enemy…

DESTINY: THE TAKEN KING Jen Simpkins is Super-oblivious when it comes to upgrades As an MMO and Borderlands fan, finally playing Destiny feels like I’ve kidnapped their genetically superior baby. Hand-cannon on hip, my face lit up by optimism, I bounce off to meet Zydron. He flattens me. Huh. Imagine my slack-jawed surprise when I dig around the menus and discover I’m fighting without any subclass upgrades. I’m quickly gobbling Orbs of Light like a hungry, hungry Hunter. A flaming super-revolver sure helps persuade the big man to hand over his noggin. Gate Lords say what? RAINBOW SIX SIEGE Ben Tyrer gets a lesson in doing, rather than thinking As a young ’un, my old man would always say, “Think before you do.” You’d think a tactically rich game such…

Ah, brakes. Truly the most non-essential part of driving. Top-down arcade combat racer BlazeRush does away with them entirely, focusing instead on drift-happy speed laps and an excellent variety of ludicrous power-ups (a bouncing buzzsaw can’t half sort out gridlock). Its limited single-player campaign, however, means you’ll head online in a nitro-powered jiffy. So it’s a shame that it’s deader than a doornail’s ailing grandmother. Yes, BlazeRush has been out for a while, but it’s clearly the servers destroying its online potential – attempting to connect to the couple of players I do find prompts only error messages. Outstripping your friends in a local co-op Death Match is worth the few quid, but Rocket League it ain’t. VERDICT A powered-up Circuit Breakers for PS4, but its online puts the brakes…

THE TERMINATOR PACK Two playable android Arnies enter the WWE 2K16 ring – both the original and Terminator 2 T-800. Wait, why haven’t they called this the “I’ll Be Pack” DLC? SUPER DUKE R ABS Aside from having the best name ever, this KTM 1290 for DriveClub Bikes is a super-speedy must-buy if you just don’t have the time to unlock it in-game. GUNS UP! BUNDLE Why hello there, PS Plus-exclusive freebie. Rare Card Packs, Attack XP Boosts and Rocket Launcher Rentals – time to cause chaos in PS4’s free-to-play diversion. RENOWN PACK VII PS1 The Warframe add-on includes the Silva & Aegis sword-and-shield combo melee weapon with an accompanying Obsidian skin. And 170 Platinum for you money-grubbers. EXPLOSIVE WEAPON PACK Shoot the gun. Settlement go boom. Make Just Cause…

INFO PUB ACTIVISION DEV ROBOMODO RELEASED 2015, PS4 GET IT NOW AMAZON, £15.99 WHAT? Scandalously wobbly update to a critically successful and much-loved series. It’s bland and technically bereft, while poor old Tony himself looks like a dehydrated lumberjack. It’s the 50p supermarket skateboard of games.…

PICK #1 SUPER MEAT BOY Jen Simpkins faces the music for extra helpings of meaty masochism Whenever the word “platformer” is mentioned, the words Super Meat Boy involuntarily explode from my body like a chestburster, so its PS4 release rekindled my love for weeping over buzzsaws and anti-gravity orbs. While the new soundtrack isn’t prime rib, twitch-platforming doesn’t get much tastier than pixel-perfect hops around its flawlessly designed levels. “IT’S A DREAM TO HANDLE – WHEN YOU’RE NOT CRYING OVER THE DIFFICULTY.” PICK #2 N++ Matthew Pellett sees Jen’s pick and raises the… steaks with a more brutal entry Super Meat Boy’s blend of platforming and story is, yes, well done, I concur. But for the pinnacle of PS4 platforming, I present the painful N++. It’s massive. It’s beautiful. It’s…

1 TEARAWAY Peerless crafty platforming from Media Molecule, this time using PS Vita’s raft of touchscreen/ touchpad controls to surprise and delight you in new ways for hours on end. Full of whimsy, charm and enough personality to put most games to shame, Tearaway’s papercraft world remains Vita’s most vibrant title. 2 PERSONA 4: GOLDEN This thoughtful and unique JRPG epic gives you another stab at high school – only this time with intrigue and superpowers instead of nerves, acne and an unpredictable vocal register. 3 RAYMAN LEGENDS Rather than losing its lustre on the move to PS Vita, Ray’s second slice of sumptuous side-scrolling is even better on handheld. Touchscreen gestures make this fine platformer all the sweeter. 4 VELOCITY 2X A ludicrously enjoyable puzzle/platformer hybrid that should come…

Jen Simpkins STAFF WRITER Sad times. After a full weekend on Crypt Of The NecroDancer (p94), our Jen was diagnosed with… Saturday Fright Fever. GAME OF THE MONTH Crypt Of The NecroDancer FAVE R&C WEAPON RYNO Ben Tyrer STAFF WRITER As soon as Ben finished his Firewatch review (p90), he applied to be an office fire marshall. He’s seeking his flame and fortune. GAME OF THE MONTH Firewatch FAVE R&C WEAPON Groovitron Andy Westbrook PRODUCTION EDITOR Ninja Turtles megafan Andy says the new tie-in (p14) “took him back to the ‘80s.” We’re not keen on the shell suit he insists on wearing… GAME OF THE MONTH Firewatch FAVE R&C WEAPON Glove Of Doom Milford Coppock MANAGING ART EDITOR Milf tried The Witness but had to give up when he got…

£29.99 The misleadingly budget price found attached to the new Ratchet & Clank. 2.2GB The measly storage demands of Plants Vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2. 88 The number of titles officially confirmed for release on PS VR. 10,000 Bugs, roughly, that were fixed between The Division’s Alpha and Beta. 89% Amount of OPM Towers conversations that end up on The Witness this issue. 01/03 Get your brolly out – this is the day Heavy Rain Remastered hits PSN. 01 New Shenmue III screenshot revealed at the Magic Monaco conference. 6,484 People who watched the Mad Catz Street Fighter V Cup on Twitch.…

ART ATTACKS Surprise indie releases, how we love thee. Art-based P.T.-alike Layers Of Fear and co-op curio Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime hit PS4 in just a matter of days. FOUR THE WIN All 4 makes its way into PS4’s TV streaming options, meaning we can finally ditch the laptop to keep up with Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Come Dine With Me. YARNY ARMY Can’t wait for EA’s warm and fuzzy platformer Unravel? Head to its website: creator Martin Sahlin uploaded instructions on how to make Yarny IRL! THUNDER BLUNDER The Telegraph’s ‘interview’ with new Louis Vuitton ‘model’ Lightning is full of industrial strength cringe verging on sexism. Exhibit A: she claims a handbag changed her life. WILLY NO NATES Oh, this is a sad tale. One unfortunate lad thought he…

“I CAN’T THINK OF ANYTHING THAT WOULD BETTER RESTORE THE FAITH OF LAPSED FANS.” WRITER BIO A vaguely ludicrous Final Fantasy fanatic, Samuel Roberts has finished FFVII three times, most recently inside a bed and breakfast in Bath on PS Vita, and has also ploughed more than 500 hours into FFX and 300 into FFVIII. Final Fantasy VII Remake is a real thing. Finally. And optimism couldn’t be higher. After the XIII trilogy’s ups and downs on PS3, Square’s reignited a wider interest in the series by tapping into a recognisable world and set of characters that have seemingly been begging for a return since PS2 days. With that on its way, and the 2016 release of Final Fantasy XV also waiting in the wings (the release date is due…

1 Acrobatic Shaheen dominates down low, with a slide that recovers ridiculously quickly. Fun, accessible and slippery, we wave as attacks sail overhead. 2 We were sceptical, too, but Lucky Chloe defies expectation. Her technical dance transitions link fluid and playful, yet aggressive, moves. 3 Gigas couldn’t be more different. He uses a subtle fighting style that we like to call “SCUBA ROBOT SMASH!” He’s essentially a charge character. 4 Kazumi Mishima crowns the PS4 roster. Like catgirl Chloe, she’s a trickier pick, zoning from afar with tiger-assist attacks transferred from Fated Retribution.…

“NO BLASTING YOUR MATES – EVERYONE’S IN THIS FIGHT TOGETHER.” Cast your mind back to the original Homefront. The story was as linear as a train tunnel (a short tunnel, too), but multiplayer was a Call Of Duty-esque PvP affair that gained plenty of praise. Imagine our surprise, then, to learn that the sequel’s online mode is co-op only. No more blasting your mates – everyone’s in this fight together. Ditching everything but the concept of Korea invading the USA, The Revolution moves the action from San Fran and to Philadelphia. Your freedom fighters are now fully engaged in guerrilla warfare in the bombed-out husk of the ‘red zone’, where Korea’s occupying KPA soldiers still battle for control. KOREA BREAK Taking place after the campaign, Resistance…

We hope, after its multi-year hold-up for a Western release, that you’re enjoying finally swanning around Japan with Kazuma, in the beloved open-world RPG Yakuza 5. Make the most of it, because that delay suggests there could be a similar wait if this remake of the original PS2 classic is to ever make it to Europe. A Western version is currently only confirmed for North America in 2017, which will just not do, because it looks sensational. Character models are insanely detailed – to the point where you can see the pores on their skin – while the 1080p/60fps upgrade confirms it’ll give any open world a run for its money.…

We here at the OPM dojo like our fighter remakes to be as obscure as possible, and SNK Playmore is delivering with its ancient Neo Geo scrapper The Last Blade 2 for PS4 and PS Vita. Originally released in 1998, what separates this from SNK’s other legendary fighter – The King Of Fighters – is, yup, the bladed weapons you’ll yield. There’s also an intriguing gameplay system, in which you have to choose between power and speed, so we’re confident this will offer a classic old-school alternative to the big hitters set to dominate this year.…

“I DID A PILOT FOR A KINGDOM HEARTS SHOW AT DISNEY. SO DID FOUR OTHERS.” OPM: You’re no stranger to the world of videogames – can you tell us a bit about your past projects? Kevin Munroe: Sure. In the mid ’90s I came to California and started working at Shiny Entertainment, mostly doing character design and writing. Eventually, I went to Midway Games and worked on Freaky Flyers, and then after that, I started to pitch my own shows, trying to get into TV or film. [Shiny’s] Dave Perry was very big into multimedia, and that’s where I got the idea of trying to create full properties. I did a pilot for a Kingdom Hearts show at Disney, but so did four other people – it’s never going to…

Hideo most Kojima storied has , influential enjoyed one careers of the in the history of the medium. He damn near created the stealth genre, then repeatedly reinvented it as his espionage agent evolved from pixelated Michael Biehn lookalike to the grizzled David Hayter-voiced badass we all love. Though Metal Gear defines the director’s legacy so far, the following career timeline also highlights the oft-forgotten, utterly fascinating Koj titles that have absolutely nothing to do with Snake. METAL GEAR YEAR: 1987 FORMAT: MSX2 It’s the game that started a stealth dynasty, in the process birthing a hero who would grow into a PlayStation legend. In an age of 8-bit blasters, Kojima’s cautious cat-and-mouse sneaking was nothing short of revelatory. SNATCHER YEAR: 1988 (JPN) FORMAT: MSX2 While Metal Gear showcased Kojima’s…

“IT TOTALLY REJECTS THE IDEA THAT GAMES MUST BE DESIGNED FOR THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR.” Call me a cynic, but those of you reading this review who will then go on to adore The Witness will be in the minority. I dearly hope that’s not the case, but I deduce from my review experiments – which consist of starting a new game, handing the pad to somebody else on the team and then sitting back and observing them play for a couple of hours – that this brain-mangling experience is an acquired taste. The Witness is a panel-puzzle game, wrapped in an adventure game’s world. There are shades of PS1’s Myst, and there’s the barest hint of other exploration-centric games, such as Gone Home (p92) and Firewatch (p90), but its…

“IT LOOKS ASTOUNDING. THE BUMP TO 1080P REALLY LETS THE SMALL DETAILS SING.” Waiting for a train blows. Most of us are accustomed to delays on the morning commute, but sitting on a platform for 14 years is ridiculous. Yet that’s exactly how long it’s taken for this oft-forgotten Resi (and its awesome locomotive opener) to shuffle its way onto PlayStation after debuting on Nintendo’s Gamecube way back in ’02. And while the route this remastered survival horror takes can be bumpy, the destination is grimly gorgeous. A direct prequel to Resident Evil’s REmake, Zero focuses on the origins of Umbrella, as it doubles down on pre-rendered backdrops, tingling dread and convoluted conundrums. That shared DNA from the Spencer Mansion incident also flows through to co-lead Rebecca Chambers – the…

With Kylotonn taking up the WRC reins, Milestone has been freed-up to focus on this sim-leaning effort. Given the studio’s racing pedigree, and the much-publicised input from the titular driver himself (who advised Polyphony Digital during Gran Turismo 5’s development), the omens were good. But while it serves up plenty of content, Rally Evo feels oddly off the pace. The package is undoubtedly generous. There are 50 cars to muddy,1 more than 300km of real-world rally courses, plus ten main game modes. These include mainstays such as Rally, Rallycross and Hill Climbing on Pikes Peak, though there are less expected additions. Segment Battle, for instance, sees you compete to set the fastest time on the most segments, and Perfect Trajectory challenges require you to thread your snarling car through awkwardly…

Despite there being plenty to intrigue wearers of rose-tinted glasses, this update to PS2 online trailblazer Hardware is a looker that struggles to get beyond second gear. An online-only affair, you take armoured vehicles into one of four maps and proceed to blow chunks out of your, ahem, rivals. What’s immediately striking is just how pretty it all looks, giving what could have been a po-faced concept a playful style that draws you in. Taking control of either the tank – slow like a snail, powerful like a Hulk – or the comparatively zippy but puny Jeep-esque F.A.V, you jump into the usual multiplayer game mode suspects and aim to deal some damage.1 It’s an unfussy setup, meaning the throwback gameplay needs to be seriously addictive to hold your attention.…

Ever fancied guiding a horde of mead-loving Vikings through a whirlwind of battles and blizzards? What a coincidence, me too! And there’s no time like the present as Stoic’s acclaimed role-playing title has at last arrived on PS4, bringing with it a host of buff, bearded brutes and traditional turn-based tactics. Inspired by Viking legend, The Banner Saga tells the tale of a wintry fantasy world trapped in twilight, where humans and Varl – a race of horned giants – must team together to save their lands from destruction. Switching between heroes scattered far and wide, à la Game Of Thrones – from an elderly tax collector to a hunter named Rook – each point-and-click decision has myriad, often fatal, consequences. A steep lingual learning curve initially hinders progress, but…

The war on drugs has proven fertile ground for film-makers, but this muscular thriller about a black ops mission across the US/Mexico border is the best in years. Make sure the edge of your seat is well padded – you’ll be perched on it for most of the movie. A brutal opening sequence sets the tone as the FBI raids a corpse-filled house of horrors. Driven by a need to bring the men responsible to justice, FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) signs up for an off-the-books assignment under the command of a smarmy government official (Josh Brolin) and his enigmatic ‘advisor’ Alejandro (Benicio del Toro). Director Denis Villeneuve, who next takes on the controversial Blade Runner sequel, impressed with the moral quandaries of grim child abduction thriller Prisoners, but…

“IMAGINE A CUDDLY, ADORABLE VERSION OF THE T-1000 AND YOU’RE BASICALLY THERE.” Hello to fans of having a big grin plastered across your face – this is the game for you. From the first second of watching one of LocoRoco’s tiny heroes roll onto your PSP screen – the delightfully chirpy title music skipping through the speakers as you get stuck in – Sony’s PSP exclusive is focused on making you feel one thing, and one thing only: sheer joy. Back in 2006, owners of Sony’s first portable console were getting used to another feeling: déjà vu. Most handheld exclusives around then tended to be either rejigged PS2 games – such as Burnout Legends and Virtua Tennis World Tour – or reimaginings that struggled to compete with their bigger console…

“I END UP STUMBLING AROUND LIKE A SEPTIC TANK ON WHEELS.” Back in the early noughties, I read that by staying awake for two entire days you could survive on four hours of sleep a night for the rest of your life. Tony Hawk’s 2 was my beacon through 48 jittery hours of nosebones and double espressos. It’s a precious memory – one I’ve steadfastly tried to preserve by avoiding the recent, terrible Tony Hawk’s 5. Our journey begins badly. I remember that ‘cool duds’ are an essential part of skating, so I promptly update Tony’s clothes. In doing so, I accidentally edit his character, and Grandfather Ollie ends up with a disco head and lithe woman’s body. It takes me five frustrating minutes to reset it. That done, I’m…

“NEW MODE WORLD OF WARDENS WILL LET YOU PARADE YOUR PRISONS ONLINE.” Stock up on barbed wire, as the hit jail-building and management sim Prison Architect comes to PS4 this spring. Originally crowdfunded to steal the show on PC, the fine folks at Introversion Software are now sending their ‘toon delinquents to our console clinks. The first thing we’re doing is banning posters and rock hammers. Introversion’s partner-in-crime is Double Eleven – a dev team with credits including LittleBigPlanet, Limbo and Goat Simulator – which is now helping fortify the title for PS4. But we’ll be the ones locking things down: Prison Architect is all about planning, constructing and managing a high-security penitentiary. Building cells and facilities is your duty, as is hiring staff and enacting reforms. Before you pop…

After explorations of the super-detailed depths of Fallout 4, speculation has continued about what lies in the deep blue – could underwater DLC be on its way? Oopsie daisy – did GameStop accidentally reveal Mafia III’s 26 April release date? No Assassin’s in 2016? Well, an Egypt-based AC Empire could be due in 2017. According to an Amazon France listing, the Doom reboot may blast onto consoles in June. PS Store hints at delayed releases for Shadow Of The Beast and Alienation – now 2 and 23 March, respectively.…

@VICENTEPROD @Naughty_Dog postponing #Uncharted4 release to my birth date. You knew it, right guys?! @GUERRILLADAWG I feel bad for Dark Souls 3 and Uncharted 4. Releasing alongside Ratchet. They’re DOA. @NIGHTINTHEWOODS We’re in @OPM_UK and the story contains a pun so powerful the reader can’t look directly at it. @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN The year of 2016 is my 30th in this industry. I’ll make this year a fresh start to do my best. @SCHMOESJTE Fassbender might finally make videogame movies respectable with Assassin’s Creed. @UBERFACTS If Street Fighter’s Ken “Shoryukened” you in real life, you would fly 17 feet into the air! @SHANEISMC I’m convinced that most console FPS gamers emotionally stagnate around 15. @OLLYMOSS Now a lot of my friends are playing Firewatch, I am sort of a pathetic, anxious stress…

“IF PS PLUS IS TO SILENCE ITS DOUBTERS, SONY NEEDS TO HARNESS THE POTENTIAL OF EMULATION AND REALLY DIP INTO ITS BACK CATALOGUE.” WRITER BIO Editor Matthew Pellett got his first job at a garden centre, aged 14, to save up for a PS2. It paid less than £1.60 an hour, which felt bad at the time. In hindsight, however, and factoring in inflation, it remains comparable with the giddy lows of games writing. Grim Fandango Remastered? “Utter pap!” yelled nobody ever. Or so I thought. See, I love PS Plus’ Instant Game Collection. In fact, I need to reach for the caps here. I LOVE it. I don’t have an issue with any month in recent memory. But… not all of you agree. Throughout 2015, and even as recently…

1 BEYOND GOOD & EVIL Pey’j is almost certainly the world’s first half-pig, half-revolutionary leader. Which also makes him a target for the villainous DomZ, who manage to off him. Or do they? Before he gets sent to the great slaughterhouse in the sky, Jade manages to bring him back. As for the sequel, will Ubisoft ever save its bacon? 2 MANHUNT If ever there was a pig we wouldn’t want to meet down a dark alley, first pick would be Piggsy, a psychopath in a hog mask who’s more than a few curls short of a tail. That’s because Piggsy is a renowned snuff film star, whose weapons of choice are a chainsaw and shrieking disturbingly. Oh, and his diet is human body parts. 3 MINECRAFT STORY MODE Every…

“DOOM CHANNELS THE VISCERAL BRUTALITY OF THE FIRST TWO GAMES.” Given the Doom series’ fearsome reputation, the last game we expected to be comparing it with is LittleBigPlanet. But just 15 minutes after taking a seat at id Software’s HQ in Richardson, Texas, we’ve already built our first level. It’s basic, of course, and Sackboy’s only real use in it – assuming we could pick at his stitching – would be as a bodybag. But it’s immediately clear that with SnapMap, id’s new level editing tool, the studio has pulled off a user-generated content coup every bit as jaw-slackening as Media Molecule’s. But id goes further. Building levels in games is all very well, and we’ve certainly spent plenty of time doing so with the likes of LittleBigPlanet and Trials…

PLANTS VS ZOMBIES GARDEN WARFARE 2 An evil purple gas has given sweetcorn rage issues and risen tache-twirling pirates from the dead. All must be destroyed in this nutty FPS. Sunflowers are still happy though, so it’s not all bad. FORMAT PS4 ETA 25 FEB RATCHET & CLANK Star Wars takes a leftfield turn with this surreal spin-off. Play as either big-eared Luke, with radical new lightsaber, or a leggy R2D2. Controversially, Batman, Crazy Frog and Megatron all feature as blue ghosts. FORMAT PS4 ETA 20 APR MIRROR’S EDGE CATALYST Get your slide on as a lithe-limbed, well-coiffed giant in this world of ice rinks and shimmering towers. Mission one: find your skates and discover a cure for that unfortunate skin disease. FORMAT PS4 ETA 26 MAY…

1 Time may coldly march on, but the humble Molotov is as useful in 2029 as it was in 1939. What, you can hear screams? Time to think of your happy place. 2 Sometimes, your arm just can’t propel a grenade as far as you need it to go. That’s why we have remote detonation – for the lazy insurgent. 3 The hacking grenade is essential, as it’ll make enemy tanks fire on each other for a few seconds. Just don’t be around when it wears off. 4 The children of Philly are clearly in tears, as all their remote-controlled cars have been pinched by the Resistance. RC car plus bomb equals fun times.…

The surprises man behind and moments Metal Gear of has sheer a history lunacy. of From packing making his titles you check with shocks the back , of your game’s box for a radio frequency (back in the ‘90s this was a huge stumbling block for many confused gamers – we didn’t have Twitter to turn to, after all), to forcing you to soak up honest-to-goodness sunshine to defeat vampires, to, of course, that bit of pad-swapping trickery to fool a deadly mind-reader who’s spying on our gaming habits, here are Hideo Kojima’s most madly memorable moments. Death to the fourth wall! 01 THE MOMENT: METAL GEAR’S VIRTUAL TV NETWORK THE GAME: METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS Now this is just weird. Kojima collaborated with Alexei Tylevich…

As the late, great David Bowie once pondered: “Is there life on Mars?” Well, I hope you’re not too attached to learning the answer that eluded the Thin White Duke, because in this utterly nails, frustratingly random space adventure, your chances of reaching the Red Planet are slim. Tharsis is best described as a turn-based crisis-management sim. It’s your job to get the shuttle Iktomi to Mars over the course of ten turns with the help of six plucky astronauts – often fewer, if a cluster of pesky micrometeoroids wipes a couple out. Said turns take the form of dice-rolls, from which you accrue points that must then be spent fixing failures across the ship.1 And oh, can so many crippling little catastrophes hit. Explosion in the pantry? Best hope…

“THE JOKES TURN OUT TO BE MORE SETH MACFARLANE THAN CHRIS MORRIS.” Power. It takes a certain kind of maniacal being to lust for it as much as BunnyLord, the homicidal mayoral candidate/rabbit at the centre of Roll7’s latest. Unlike most politicians, when he says he’ll tackle crime, he means it literally: by sending out his armies of weirdos to smash, shoot and bludgeon their way to supremacy. As you’d expect from the OlliOlli developer, this 2D side-scrolling rampage-a-thon has simple mechanics that ooze both depth and challenge. Choose a campaigner-come-vigilante and dart around levels by holding to slide, or tapping it to get into cover. Then, when it comes to taking on the legions of diabolical bullet magnets, unleash a barrage of lead by squeezing R2. If you slide…

“PERFORMANCE-WISE, IT’S SMOOTHER THAN SEXUAL HEALING-ERA MARVIN GAYE.” The rain lashes down outside. It’s 1:15am, 7 June, 1995. Returning from a yearlong tour of Europe, Kaitlin Greenbriar finds a note on the door from her sister, Sam. It’s hastily written and ends with the worrying, “Don’t be worried. I love you.” From here, Kaitlin takes her first steps into her parents’ new home on Arbor Hill and begins the process of unpacking the secrets that have run through her family. Well, actually, you’ll be doing that, inquisitive reader. The Fullbright Company’s divisive debut finally makes its way onto consoles two-and-a-half years after the PC original, but remains an absolute must-play. Set within the large house inherited by the Greenbriars, it’s a fascinatingly tense walking simulator, which has you investigating why…

Meaningful relationships are hard work. They require patience and commitment. And this rhythm-action, dungeon-crawling monster mash-up proves it’s not true love until you’re banging your head against the walls… to a hot 8-bit beat. Good ghouls, the soundtrack is genius, and integral to NecroDancer.1 You hop through levels by pounding the D-pad in time to tasty throbs and riffs, an on-screen indicator helping you to multiply loot and light up the dancefloor. Undead enemies hilariously shimmy their hips and shoulders to the beat, too, meaning you must run the groovy gauntlet in a precise pattern to breach skeletons’ shields or avoid dragons’ flame attacks. If that wasn’t enough to mill your teeth into a fine dust, beating mini-bosses means a new level unlocks, where the music changes and the beats…

War! What is it good for? The January edition of the Instant Game Collection, apparently. Last month, PS Plus pitted powered-up tanks, RPGs, puzzlers and platformers against each other to battle it out for our entertainment. Games, games – please. There’s no need to fight; we’ve always got room in our libraries for freebies. Vehicular combat multiplayer game HARDWARE: RIVALS rolled onto PS4, armed to the cel-shaded teeth with tanks and jeeps. The sequel to the PS2 classic is certainly colourful, but ultimately average (our review’s on p94). Proving kitty hats trump combat is spicy Mexican masterpiece GRIM FANDANGO REMASTERED, this month’s clear victor. Skeletal afterlife travel agent Manny puzzles his way through a zany adventure on PS4, and continuing the epic battle to, er, pay off his debts is…

As an online-only game, Hardware: Rivals needs to be as smooth as possible. My time, however, is blighted by matchmaking issues that sour the experience. Team modes have a habit of starting out mismatched, with one side boasting an extra player. If you end up on the weaker team, you can expect a drubbing no matter your skill level. Team sizes do even out during the course of rounds, but it would have been preferable to have AI cars that filter in and out as active players come in, à la Rocket League. Besides, it’s too easy to quickly tyre (nailed it) of what’s on offer, the gameplay being unable to make up for the current lack of maps and modes. It’s not bad for a quick blast, but it…

CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS III – AWAKENING Finding old Blops maps a yawn-fest? Nab four new ones. Gauntlet’s got three lanes of differing environments; Rise, your standard warehouses; Splash, an abandoned water park; and Skyjacked, a heli-carrier setting. LEGO MARVEL’S AVENGERS: CIVIL WAR AND ANT-MAN PACKS It arrived too late for review, but Lego’s new outing grows bigger with two PlayStationexclusive DLC bundles. Cap’s pack includes nine characters from Civil War, while Ant-Man’s features a level and a playable Ant-Thony. BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE: GETAWAY DLC The new expansion pack is pure, heist-stakes action. It’s four maps strong, and bolstered by new mode Capture the Bag (because flags are so 2015). It’ll also tweak weapons and vehicles – after all, there’s nothing like an armoured limousine for scarpering in style.…

BIRDEMIC: SHOCK AND TERROR 15 FEB Naff horror about a town attacked by homicidal birds. Hitchcock it ain’t. A classic case of so bad it’s good. THE PROGRAM 15 FEB Biographical drama about cycling cheat Lance Armstrong (an uncanny Ben Foster) and the Irish journo who exposed him to the world. HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 15 FEB Adam Sandler’s Drac puts his grandson through vampire training and deals with his cantankerous dad in this animated sequel. NINA FOREVER 22 FEB Top zom-com about a couple tormented by the reanimated corpse of a deceased ex whenever they have sex. Exactly as weird as it sounds. BROOKLYN 29 FEB Saoirse Ronan is hotly tipped for Oscar glory thanks to this Nick Hornbyscripted drama about an Irish immigrant building a new life across the…

DOCTOR PLAYSTATION Our console medic fixes your tech woes with actual science THE PROBLEM The lightbar’s exacerbating your hangover and your battery keeps dying mid-game. Put simply, your freeloader pad could be working much harder than it currently is. STEP 1 ADJUST YOUR LIGHTBAR’S BRIGHTNESS After several slaps on the wrist from the Medical Board, the Doc knows with 40% certainty that shooting lasers into eyes is a no-no. So why on Earth is the DualShock 4’s standard lightbar setting on ‘EVISCERATE RETINAS’? Don your welding helmet, we’re going in. Due to its upcoming PS VR tracking functionality, the lightbar can’t be turned off. But it can be beaten into a subdued state. Whizz along to Settings, select “Devices,” then “Controllers,” then “Brightness of DualShock 4 Light Bar.” Your options…

1 “WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY, BUT – JUST LIKE THE SINCLAIR C5 OR JORDAN’S EUROVISION ENTRY – IT WILL BE FOR ALL OF THE WRONG REASONS.” 2 “IT’S A DICKENSIAN COMIC BOOK THAT’S STEAMING WITH FART JOKES AND SILENT MOVIE CARICATURES.” 3 “PS3’S ARMS DEALER CLEARLY HAS A WAREHOUSE FULL OF DECOMMISSIONED LASER QUEST VESTS AND CAN’T DOLE THEM OUT FAST ENOUGH.” 4 “TASKS YOU WITH SMASHING THE L AND R BUTTONS IN PUBLIC AS IF YOU’RE TRYING TO SUBDUE A PARTICULARLY ANGRY CRAB.”…

1 METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN Konami might try and scrub Hideo Kojima’s name from the ultimate in tactical espionage action, but it’ll never remove his fingerprints. While retaining that distinct storytelling and sense of wonder that defines an MGS title, MGS V offers a level of freedom and creativity unheard of in any sandbox. Grand, majestic and bittersweet, this is an instant classic. 2 GRAND THEFT AUTO V Laughing in the face of other cross-gen ports, GTA V on PS4 is more than just a mere HD remaster. Upped to a glorious 1080p, it weaves everything that made the PS3 original great, with new music, more dynamic weather and a game-changing FPS mode. 2 BLOODBORNE With the finest third-person melee combat in gaming, drool-worthy art design and…

1 THE LAST OF US PS3’s premier developer proves a misbehaving pooch can learn new tricks in this extraordinary adventure. In true Naughty Dog fashion, the Californian studio subverts everything from zombie and post-apocalyptic tropes to the gameplay beats of its own back catalogue. Effortlessly blending stealth, horror and action with a script destined to break your heart, TLOU is interactive storytelling at its finest. 2 GRAND THEFT AUTO V The largest entry in the series is also one of the most ambitious games ever, but its fusion of thrilling missions, entertaining characters and scathing satire looks effortless. There can be no better way to bring a generation to a close than this. 3 UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES The game that sparked a million mancrushes, with a perfectly pitched script,…