Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2017 i PLAY

“I’M CONVINCED RESIDENT EVIL VII WILL BE AS BIG A STEP FORWARD FOR THE FRANCHISE AS RESIDENT EVIL 4.” GAME OF THE MONTH The Last Guardian MOST WANTED FOR 2017 Resident Evil VII: Biohazard No, you’re not imagining it – this edition of OPM is indeed a lot weightier than usual. (Digital edition readers, help me out by just smiling and nodding.) The reason for this is simple: there was no way we could even begin to do PS4’s stupidly strong lineup for 2017 justice without cramming extra pages into the issue. We’ve known for a while that 2017 was shaping up to be something special, but only now are we fully understanding how great it’s likely to be. It all kicks off in January with Resident Evil VII, a…

CAMO CHAMELEON Out in January 2017, this green DualShock 4 will join its urban camo brother on shop shelves everywhere. This is, however, the updated version of the controller, which comes with the new touchpad light bar. Pretty, eh? Hang on, what do you mean you can’t see it? It’s right ther- oh. BLOCKS POPULI Is a minifig not entitled to the sweat on his brow? That’s the question artist Imagine Rigney attempted to answer in this 35,000+ Lego brick recreation of Rapture and Columbia to celebrate Bioshock: The Collection. Be sure to marvel at the full build over on 2K’s site at bit.ly/legorapture. CACK STARTER Canadian studio Red Barrels Kickstarted a campaign to fund Underscares: an adult nappy (in Basic and drink-pocket-toting Deluxe variants) that prevents players soiling themselves…

“DON’T YOU DIFFICULTY SHAME ME. I JUST DON’T WANT TO PLAY ON HARD ANY MORE.” BEN TYRER STAFF WRITER Playing on punishing difficulties to prove my gaming credentials isn’t big or clever. Wasting nights turning a violent shade of beetroot, spitting out swears like they’re punctuation marks, isn’t something that’s conducive to a healthy lifestyle. At the very least, I don’t think my neighbours appreciate a midnight commentary about the scripting in FIFA’s career mode. Even those higher-level trophies lose their allure as my thumbs and wrists throb with the repetitive pain of failure. Playing games on hard shouldn’t be a barrier to enjoying them, so I’m giving it up for my own sanity. “I’LL BE LATE TO THE PARTY, BUT IT’S TIME I KICKED SERIOUS ARSE IN OVERWATCH.” MATTHEW…

“CALL OF DUTY WILL STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE IF ESPORTS BECOMES ITS PRIMARY FOCUS.” To say that Activision’s favourite son is now a sport rather than a shooter is effectively a cliché. The series’ mix of rapid, tendon-testing skill and jaw-loosening spectacle makes for a very watchable combination. Plus, audiences are responding to it, with a combined 20 million views for this summer’s World Championship matches. Surely then, it’s a good idea to go all-in with it? Not necessarily. Unlike other popular eSports on PlayStation, COD is on an annual release schedule. This means the development team needs to weigh the demands of a community whose livelihood depends on knowing its systems inside out against those of an audience who want something new for their money. Infinite Warfare is a perfect…

Format PS4/PS VR ETA 24 Jan Pub Capcom Dev Capcom No matter how excruciating you may find Christmas dinner with the folks, be thankful you’re not spending the holiday season in the company of the Baker family. You’ll see why first-hand approximately 45 minutes into Resident Evil VII: Biohazard when, after being knocked out in an attic, new series protagonist Ethan Winters wakes up to discover he’s tied to a chair at the Bakers’ dining table at mealtime, surrounded by bickering family members and plates full of raw animal offal. This grim scene is our starting point for a two-day visit to Capcom’s development studio in Osaka, Japan. Our meal with the Bakers – comatose grandma on our left, skittish son Lucas next to her, menacing father Jack opposite us…

 Format PS4 ETA 3 March Pub Sony Dev Guerrilla Games “WE CAN ALMOST HEAR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH’S VOICE THROUGHOUT.” Fluid, powerful movements. Flashes of russet. A deadly glint in the eye. No, we’re not talking about huntress Aloy, we’re describing the world she inhabits. Guerrilla Games’ gorgeous post-post-apocalyptic adventure feels more dynamic than any other game we’ve played to date: a reactive organism shivering with life. Far below our position at the edge of a chasm, deer-like Grazer robots kick through the dust. Time to choose: should we zipline over to the other side, or scramble down to take a closer look? We can’t resist the valuable green canisters on their backs, so down it is – but the moment our feet touch earth, suspicion ripples through the herd. Their ears…

LETITIA LEMON UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF’S END I live and breathe the franchise, and that game just brought it to an untimely, yet beautiful, close. It made me cry on five separate occasions. If a game can repeatedly make me get emotional for different reasons, then it’s worthy of Game Of The Year. LOUIS THELIER OXENFREE Great writing, dialogue, and a compelling narrative, with visuals and atmosphere different to anything else this year, all wrapped up in a gorgeous-sounding electronic soundtrack. JODIE SPRING UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF’S END What a way to end an already-phenomenal series.The plot was so down to earth and really made each and every character and their struggle more real. Stunning graphics with such intricate design, and the most satisfying of endings. RAIS MALIK OVERWATCH The…

MATTHEW PELLETT EDITOR THE WITNESS I’m having score regrets. Despite its divisive nature and it not being for everyone, I should have awarded this a big one-zero in my review. A year on its ideas still gives me chills – it’s a puzzle game without equal, and it literally makes you see the world differently. MILFORD COPPOCK MANAGING ART EDITOR UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF’S END Obvious, I know, but the gorgeous graphics, excellent storytelling, expansive levels, and a fun multiplayer really marked this out for me. Drake’s final outing is the real deal, and is a fitting end for PlayStation’s most iconic character to date. JEN SIMPKINS GAMES EDITOR OVERWATCH Nothing has monopolised my 2016 like Blizzard’s multiplayer shooter. With character-switching, play is always creative: heroes, maps and modes are…

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.…

“IT’S YOUTHFUL – AND FOR A NEW ADDITION TO AN OLD SERIES THAT’S A BRILLIANT QUALITY TO UPHOLD.” INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB SQUARE ENIX DEV SQUARE ENIX @Bravelyjen Hot from the ashes of Final Fantasy Versus XIII rises Final Fantasy XV, an innovative new breed of Japanese role-playing games. At least, that’s what my head is telling me. My heart? Well, it’s complicated . For newcomers, this will be love at first sight – it’s fast and furious and has that metaphorical new-car smell. For fans who crushed hard on the series during its PS1 years, it’s something of a bittersweet encounter. Forget Episode Duscae and that fluffier-thana-plushie-Cloud Platinum Demo. Final Fantasy XV is something else. It’s spirited, it’s plucky, it’s youthful –…

INFO FORMAT PS VR ETA OUT NOW PUB SONY DEV PHOSPHOR GAMES STUDIO PS VR is making it more difficult to remember how terrified we were by the original Silent Hill or Resident Evil. And that’s because when you’re standing alone in the VR dark with only a flickering torch and a single bullet in your gun, listening to creatures drag themselves in your direction, just for a moment you’ll believe that horrific reality. Where’s that bullet most worthwhile, eh? Mind your head. Brookhaven is an atmospheric jaunt into a mutated nightmare where, with a gun in one hand and an intuitive interchangeable torch and knife in the other,1 you’re stuck static in a number of seriously creepy locations and expected to survive. Originally developed for HTC Vive, but now…

INFO FORMAT PS VR ETA OUT NOW PUB XPEC ENTERTAINMENT INC. DEV XPEC ENTERTAINMENT INC. There’s something strangely compelling about becoming god in virtual reality. About having your hands meld worlds and command dinky creatures. The latest VR game to play on that secret inner lust for power – no, you’re a megalomaniac – is this sedate strategy sim. You’re given a tiny planet and a few lovable “Allies” to look after. They’re not quite as adorable as the Peeps from Tethered, but are basically chubby penguins desperate for affection. As you wield your pair of PS Move controllers,1 feeling mighty, you’ll be taught how to manipulate the world to keep the Allies happy and safe from the enemies that plague each planet. But unfortunately the sprite who acts as…

INFO FORMAT PS VR ETA OUT NOW PUB ARCHIACT DEV ARCHIACT When Sony sold me the VR dream, I totally bought in. Cockney bank robberies! 15-year-old refreshes of Tetsuya Mizuguchi Dreamcast classics! Pretending to be Richard Dreyfuss as Jaws’ cousin scoffs my diving cage! Weirdly, I don’t remember guiding penguins into a flying saucer being in the brochure. Waddle Home is a bizarre little thing. It’s a cheery cartoon puzzler where you shepherd flightless fish-eaters around icy assault courses,1 guiding them from an electrified cage into a UFO’s beam. Y’know, just like all those David Attenborough docs. Either you’re playing an eco-conscious alien, or the WWF has opened an intergalactic branch on Saturn. The mechanics are simple: penguins perpetually move forward, and they always turn right after bumping into obstacles.…

@bentyrer Already tired of all the presents Santa dropped off? Papa Sony’s monthly delivery of the good stuff meant that no matter how many pairs of socks your auntie gave you, you still had corporate espionage and fantasy worlds to ensure smiles all December long. Hot off the back of its award this issue, the nails-hard INVISIBLE, INC (PS4) was dished out to all. Made by the team behind Don’t Starve, this randomly generated strategy game forced us to be extra careful with our agents thanks to permadeath stresses. Too gloomy? The gorgeous art style cheered us up again. Less blood pressure-baiting was action-role-player STORIES: THE PATH OF DESTINIES (PS4), which had us taking control of Reynardo, a pirate fox who could make decisions over how his story developed thanks…

INFO FORMAT PS4 PUB EA DEV DICE REVIEW ISSUE #130, 9/10 World War I’s tin-can tanks and rusty reticules might not jive with the twitch-friendly combat espoused by other online shooters this month, but the retro tech suits Battlefield’s methodical pace. Indeed, by nullifying imbalances between infantry and vehicles, Battlefield 1’s primitive weaponry only serves to hasten the action. Once they’ve found their feet, soldiers are emboldened to press forward, knowing that sprints for cover can outwit sluggish snipers, and nimble footwork can outmanoeuvre ungainly tanks. The spectacle doesn’t suffer for the old-timey aesthetic, as anyone who’s seen a Zeppelin crash-land into a tank can attest. A compelling shooter where teamwork and patience routinely win out over brute force. VERDICT A clever and robust refinement of a series that offers…

VR UPDATE Trackmania Turbo’s loop-de-loops have skidded onto PS VR. With 40 exclusive tracks on offer if you already own the game, let’s hope you won’t need the sickbag. NXT ENHANCEMENT PACK WWE 2K17 is getting three NXT stars… Except Apollo Crews and Nia Jax aren’t in NXT any more. Shinsuke Nakamura, who still is, joins them. WINTER UPDATE We like RIGS’s idea of an end-of-year treat. In this update, you’ll be able to hop into the cockpit of new rig Apex and see how the latest arena, Zurich, plays. AFTERMATH Hankering after more Homefront: The Revolution? You’re in luck, you weirdo, as this epilogue tasks you with rescuing the leader of the resistance from the KPA. NEW WORLD ORDER/ GUARDIAN OF GOTHAM Episodes 3 and 4 of Batman: The…

Stop-motion animation is going the way of the dodo thanks to the onslaught of cheap CG ’toons, so God bless Laika – the studio behind claymation charmers Coraline, ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls – for keeping the flame alive. Laika’s latest, Kubo And The Two Strings, isn’t just its best film to date, it’s 2016’s most enchanting animation. Entrenched in Japanese folklore it’s the story of Kubo (Art Parkinson), a boy with magical abilities and a missing eye, who’s lived in hiding his entire life. The reason? If he ventures out after dark his vengeful grandfather, The Moon King, will take his other eye. After making a fateful mistake, Kubo embarks on a quest to find a legendary suit of armour, and picks up a pair of allies along the way…

INFO PUB SQUARE ENIX DEV CRYSTAL DYNAMICS RELEASED 2016, PS4 GET IT NOW GAME, £39.99 WHAT? The follow-up to 2013’s Tomb Raider sees a more confident Lara Croft following in her father’s footsteps to find a hidden city and, ultimately, the secret of immortality. Her quest takes her from Syria to Siberia – and home to Croft Manor. WHO? You might get nostalgic about gaming’s good old days but, from Atari to PS1, ops editor Miriam McDonald saw it first time round. And she’s no desire to see Tomb Raider again. “SHE’S TEDIOUS. IF THERE’S SOMETHING OBVIOUS, SHE’LL POINT IT OUT.” Some things were better in the past. Punk bands. Trains. Wagon Wheels (they were definitely larger). And as far as gaming goes, I put Lara Croft in that bracket…

1 REZ INFINITE Fifteen years after the original’s release, the psychedelic rhythm rail shooter has achieved its final form. In PS VR, creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s vision becomes reality, the glittering polygonal trance-world and pounding techno inspiring total synaesthesia within you. Its crowning achievement? New level Area X, powerful enough to bring players to tears. Deserving of its name, this is a truly timeless title. 2 THUMPER Make no mistake: the brave chrome beetle gave Rez a run for its money for our top spot. Hurtling down a violently kaleidoscopic track, pounding notes and scraping round corners is exquisitely tough – and the manic magic is enhanced and perfected in PS VR. 3 KEEP TALKING AND NOBODY EXPLODES Who knew bombs could bring people together? With one headsetted Defuser, and as…

Sister Simpkins GAMES EDITOR OPM’s baby was rushed to A&E for severe toothache. We’d joke about Jen finally losing milk teeth… but are afraid of hitting a nerve. GAME OF THE MONTH The Last Guardian MOST WANTED FOR 2017 Horizon Zero Dawn Brother Tyrer STAFF WRITER Ben flew to Texas this issue for an early look at the amazing Prey. “It was a religious experience!” he ‘punned’. Ben is now fired. GAME OF THE MONTH Watch Dogs 2 MOST WANTED FOR 2017 Spider-Man Momma McDonald OPERATIONS EDITOR Wordmistress Mim is keen for us to read a dictionary in 2017. Too bad we skipped ahead and (spoiler) discovered the zebra did it. GAME OF THE MONTH The Last Guardian MOST WANTED FOR 2017 Elite Dangerous: Horizons Poppa Coppock MANAGING ART EDITOR…

12 Months for fans of Lego Dimensions to find Portal’s Ratman hiding away. £149.99 As well as improving headshots, the Razer Raiju pad will lighten your purse. 14/7 The date the world’s biggest fighting tournament, EVO, starts in Las Vegas. 50 Extra days to wait for the delayed Persona 5 – see p72 for more. 60007 The ID number of the official Lego City Undercover High Speed Chase set set. 471 The number of mods Fallout 4 boasted after just one week on PlayStation 4. 16GB Capacity of the dummy finger USB stick in Resi VII’s UK Collector’s Edition.…

Which PS4 game is on course to become the Game Of 2017? 30% Just know that nothing can top Red Dead Redemption 2. 25% Say Guerrilla Games has something special with PS4 exclusive Horizon Zero Dawn. 10% Are willing to sacrifice their gaming pile to the new God Of War, provided Kratos shows up in 2017… 20% Can’t look beyond last issue’s cover game: Mass Effect Andromeda. 5% A hopeful few are praying The Last Of Us 2 is almost done and comes out in 2017. (It won’t.) 10% Think the scares of Days Gone will dominate the next year. NEXT MONTH The third epic PlayStation Experience is over, but what was the clear highlight from the fan-focused event?…

“IT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT REVIEW SCORES HAVE A SHELF LIFE IN THIS GENERATION.” Things were so simple back on PS1 and PS2. A game would be released, we’d get to play it and see how good/bad/utterly, eggbox-in-awashing-machine-broken it was, we’d put a score on a review, and that was that. Now we live in a world of patches and evolving online experiences, however, and things are very different. The scores we put on games when it’s time to review them? We think long and hard about them, but it’s important to flag up that sometimes those digits deserve to move up or down within a few days or weeks of a game’s release as a result of certain hot-fixes. The question is, how do we handle this issue? Well,…

Format PS4 ETA TBC Pub Sony Dev Insomniac Superheroes can only be as good as the villains they overcome. So it’s no wonder our Spidey senses start tingling when we spot who Spider-Man is fighting in the latest footage. Peter Parker might have skipped PSX, but a recent PS4 Pro showing’s full of treats. As the webslinger backflips onto a black SUV, we see a suited-up gangster in a chrome Oni demon mask fire at him. Comic fans will recognise him as an Inner Demon, henchman of Mr Negative. These are relatively new villains to the Spider-Man universe – debuting as recently as 2007 – but there’s plenty of rich material to draw from. For instance, the Inner Demons have the Wolverine-esque ability to regenerate, healing nearly every type of…

PERSONA 5 Don’t take this personally Format PS4/PS3 ETA 4 Apr Pub Deep Silver Dev Atlus/P Studio Bad news first: Persona 5 has slipped from its Valentine’s Day release date to April. But now for the good news: there will be both English and Japanese audio in our game as a result. The JRPG is packed with side-activities such as fishing and, er, playing games on consoles (take that, fourth wall!). We’ll bring you much more on it in the new year. NIDHOGG 2 All hail the victory worm’s return Format PS4 ETA TBC Pub Messhof Dev Messhof The PS4 fencing couchplay classic is getting a sequel, and it looks very different from the original. Out goes 8-bit minimalism, in comes Play Doh (D’oh? – Ed) Homer Simpson. The odd…

JAYDEN DOULTREE UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF’S END It was a brilliant game. The very real emotions of the characters were mirrored by those of the player, and there were lots of awe-inspiring moments. Excited to hear that I’ll soon be able to play it with a friend with the new Survival mode. JON CHAMBERLAIN DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS I love Dragon Quest but was apprehensive as I didn’t like Minecraft. Turns out Builders is pretty much a remake of the first game with an advanced crafting system.There’s so much to do too, I never got bored and I didn’t think it was short. So underrated. NOAH WILLIAMSON UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF’S END It’s the pinnacle of interactive storytelling, with relatable characters, a gripping plotline, innovative gameplay that builds on the near-perfect…

“IT’S LOVECRAFTIAN GENIUS: YOUR IMAGINATION DOES THE WORK, SPINNING UP DREAD.” INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB FRICTIONAL GAMES DEV FRICTIONAL GAMES @itsJenSim Horror games are, generally speaking, a lot of fun. In that sense, I’m not sure I can reasonably call PC original Amnesia: The Dark Descent a horror game. “Fun” is not a word I’ve ever associated with the first-person survival-horror masterpiece. Now that it’s finally arrived on PS4 inside the triple-game package of Amnesia: Collection, my reaction to it is still extreme. My hands tremble. I sweat. I feel sick. I wonder why I’m playing it at all. Put simply, it’s a shockingly vivid simulation of true fear. Its effectiveness can’t really be attributed to the decently spooky premise. You play Daniel, waking up in…

INFO FORMAT PS VR ETA OUT NOW PUB OASIS GAMES DEV TIANSHE MEDIA Scary games and VR go hand-in-hand, and there’s usually nothing scarier than a creepy doll. Weeping Doll seems to have forgotten this: it’s less Child’s Play, more Rosie & Jim. Playing as an unnamed young woman1 you have to explore a brightly-lit mansion and solve a handful of basic puzzles while at the same time discovering the house’s dark secret. The problem is, almost everything about Weeping Doll underwhelms. The voice work is so wooden I wouldn’t be surprised if the credits listed a rocking chair as the lead actress. The house, while reasonably well detailed, is full of objects you can’t actually interact with, draining the reality from VR. Worst of all, while the smattering of…

INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB DAEDALIC ENTERTAINMENT DEV DAEDALIC ENTERTAINMENT Telltale Games may be credited with reviving the point-and-click adventure genre, but German studio Daedalic has been churning out high quality efforts for nearly a decade now. Silence is its latest – and it’s an absolute doozy. It’s actually a sequel to one of Daedalic’s early adventures, The Whispered World, in which a young lad in a coma dreams of being in a fantasy world called Silentia, which he must escape from to wake up.1 This follow-up opens with the boy and his sister hiding in a bomb shelter, but before long a blitz takes place and they find themselves in Silentia again. Which doesn’t bode well. Silence is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. By combining 3D backgrounds with hand-painted textures…

“YOU’LL UNCOVER A GAME-CHANGING POWER THAT IMPACTS ON EVERY STRATEGIC DECISION.” INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB BETHESDA DEV ARKANE STUDIOS @SporadicDaler Dishonoured 2 doesn’t mess about, and neither will we. Its delights are many, so at the risk of this review ending up with a High Chaos rating, let’s cut to the feature that makes this stealth-action epic stand out: Emily Kaldwin’s Domino power. Like all of Dishonored 2’s powers, it’s up to you whether you decide to unlock Domino. Given that Runes – which grant you access to said powers – are rarer than hen’s teeth and almost as painful to extract, hidden as they are in the murkiest, most dangerous corners of the various stages, you might decide to invest your hard-earned in something less…

INFO FORMAT PS VR ETA OUT NOW PUB 2K DEV CAT DADDY GAMES Can we have a moment of silence, please? I’d like to pay my respects to what remains of my poor shoulders. After playing a few rounds of Climbing Wall in this gaudily entertaining assortment of funfair mini-games,1 I don’t think I’ll ever be able to lift my arms over my head again. Bust out those PS Move controllers, folks: we’re about to get physical. Carnival Games first appeared on the Wii. Now that the franchise is making its VR debut, it has every intention of dislodging all your joints. Ring toss; a take on Skree Ball; Wild West shooting galleries; darts; a game where you catch funnel cake for some reason – they’re all exhausting. Annoyingly, they’re…

INFO FORMAT PS4 PUB EA DEV RESPAWN REVIEW ISSUE #130, 9/10 Titanfall 2 taxes forebrain tactics as much as hindbrain twitch reflex. It’s fast and fluid, rewarding mastering space and trigger-pulling alike. Returning deathmatch-with-AI-fodder mode Attrition is a fave, but so is Bounty Hunt, which smushes teams together over shared bot-controlled targets. Amped Hardpoint holds up, despite lacking the spectacle of BF1’s Conquest, because being able to score double with an entrenched capture point means you can’t leave any in enemy hands. Last Titan Standing highlights the new fragility of Titans, but fosters pack hunting. It’s a solid mix, as are the various Pilot abilities, Boosts and Titans… at least, following the Tone nerf. And we’ve yet to be on a team where everyone has the same loadout. VERDICT Blisteringly…

RAINBOW SIX: SIEGE – RED CROW Japan’s the setting in this latest content drop for the shooter, which adds a new map in the form of Skyscraper. There are also two new Operators, Hibana and Echo, storming into battle. The highlight? Echo’s new RC drone. THE DIVISION – SURVIVAL Tom Clancy’s liberate-’em-up isn’t the easiest of games, and it’s not going to soften up on you. The introduction of survival mechanics in this second expansion will force the masochists getting it to collect water, food and other supplies in order to stay alive. THUMPER – PLAY+ Get ready to really test your thumping abilities, for no extra money. Taxing new mode Play+ gives the space beetle a lick of gold paint, a speed boost as you move up the score…

THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR 26 DEC Horror threequel about a presidential nominee who’s targeted for assassination on the one night of the year where murder is legal. POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING 26 DEC Spoof music video maestros The Lonely Island are behind this mockumentary about a former boyband front man. MECHANIC: RESURRECTION 26 DEC The Stath returns as Agent 47 wannabe Arthur Bishop, who has to kill three targets with Silent Assassin rankings or his lover gets it. BROTHERHOOD 26 DEC The third and final chapter in Noel Clarke’s ‘hood trilogy sees former bad boy Sam Peel adjusting to life as a father, until his past sins catch up with him. BAD MOMS 26 DEC Crude comedy about a trio of under-appreciated mothers who ditch their responsibilities, putting them…

INFO PUB EA DEV VALVE PRODUCTIONS RELEASED 2011, PS3 GET IT NOW AMAZON, £39.99 NEED TO KNOW 1 Initially, the game wasn’t going to have portals. 2 Indie band The National made a song for Portal 2. 3 A National Lampoon writer helped pen the script. How the hell do you follow what, at the time, was the best darn puzzle game ever made? That’s the dilemma Valve faced when it decided to make a sequel to Portal. Chell’s dimension-distorting debut adventure wasn’t just wonderfully scripted and effortlessly inventive, it was perfectly formed. You heard: perfect. Over to you, Gabe and co… Does the much grander Portal 2 topple its illustrious predecessor? Not quite. Realistically, it never could. Yet while this splendidly clever follow-up can’t match the magnificent structural purity…

1 UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF’S END Nathan Drake’s swansong is a daring evolution. It combines series-defining set-pieces, quietly devastating storytelling beats and sprawling levels that make you feel like a real-life explorer. This franchise finale retains its signature charm, with the wisecracks flowing as fast as the bullets, while the new characters each justify their inclusion. With an astonishing attention to detail, it’s Naughty Dog’s best yet. 2 METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN 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, it’s an instant classic. 3 GRAND THEFT AUTO V Laughing in the face of other cross-gen ports, GTA V on PS4 is more…

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…

So there we go, another interesting year in the bag. 2016 may have been a particularly bad year for celebrity deaths but it was a great one for PlayStation gamers. Unless they were celebrities, that is. There was so much going on in the past 12 months it was hard to take everything in, so we’ve decided to recap the entire lot. This way, the next time someone asks you what happened on PS4 in May 2016, you’ll be well prepared. January WITNESS THE FITNESS The year gets off to a flying start with the release of The Witness, Jonathan Blow’s fantastic puzzler. Hungover brains still recovering from New Year festivities throb in unison. TANKS VERY MUCH After huge success on other formats, World Of Tanks finally makes its way…

The Metro book series’ official site has teased a third game, coming out in 2017. Rumours about a single-player campaign heading to Overwatch continue to grow. Blizzard seeking FPS experience for an ‘unannounced project’ isn’t helping to quell the talk. In Watch Dogs 2, Ubisoft has teased a game codenamed Pioneer… …and an NPC saying “Osiris” has prompted new Assassin’s Creed and Prince Of Persia whispers. EA has registered a European trademark for Need For Speed Arena. The next instalment in the racer series?…

PSX-TRA SPECIAL PlayStation Experience put on another amazing show this year, and OPM was there in California to get the scoop. Missed the big reveals? Read all about ’em over on p6. KEEPS ON GIF’ING Sony’s latest gift to PS4 players? An update to the Sharefactory app letting us create and share animated GIFs of up to ten seconds of gameplay. Nice. HIP PIP HOORAY Fallout 4 mods finally arrive on PS4, with hundreds already available to help customise your Wasteland fun. OFFICE BLOCKS Comedy actor Steve Carell is rumoured to be playing, er, Steve, in a 2019 Minecraft movie. Jeez – enough of the blocks, already! NOCT LIKE THIS After waiting a decade to get their hands on Final Fantasy XV, it was a hairy pre-release week for fans…

@DISKORDARE I turn the page to see the great @SimonMiller316 look back at me and call me a baby! Brilliant! @SEANMOBSBY OPM #130 might be my favourite yet! Loving the Mass Effect article and the Xmas guide! @__LANDSTALKER__ Overwatch? Overrated more like. I don’t understand the fascination with FPS MP. @GINGELIGHTNING Vetting spacey Mass Effect Andromeda names for Sarah, so she can join Eluna Shepard. @OUTSIDERGAMES A little jealous we didn’t come up with some of the @OPM_UK Wailing Heights puns first… @SNAKEFANGIRL Always happy to buy remasters. Most games out today I have no interest in. @JOTUNTHRASH666 Not been a great year for gaming then… cos Uncharted 4 is s**** @DESSYXXXRASCAL Definitely missing a backwards compatibility feature on PlayStation!!! @THEDANISHBARD Am I the only one thinking that David Boreanaz…

“OVERWATCH’S LATEST PUBLICITY STUNT WAS A TOTAL HACK JOB – THE FANS HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO FEEL SOBERED BY SOMBRA.” WRITER BIO Jen Simpkins thought she wasn’t that into Overwatch. Then she found herself up at 2am on Reddit trawling Sombra Alternate Reality Game theories, trying to learn Morse code and developing an inherent mistrust of the colour purple. She isn’t usually this angry. Seven months. What takes that amount of time? For starters, seven issues of OPM. Most of a baby. A one-way trip to Mars, for goodness’ sake. But for Overwatch players everywhere, the time-frame means something else. From the first tease to the final reveal, it took Blizzard seven months to unveil new hacker hero Sombra – and for fans, it was torture. Here’s the problem. Back…

1 MORTAL KOMBAT Hat’s all, folks. When Kung Lao decides to dish out the pain with his Razor-Rimmed Hat, the results are pretty damn final. The (admittedly terrible) pacifist’s range of decapitating Fatalities aren’t this headpiece’s only party trick, though: he can also pull a rabbit from its deadly innards. Murderously magic stuff. 2 WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY There’s only so much cute the human eyeball can withstand, and the chibi-style Mirages of WOFF could well blind you with their sheer adorableness. That these huggable monsters also double up as a kind of hat when Lann and Reynn stack them in battle is even more horrendously heart-melting. 3 BLOODBORNE There’s no greater symbol of fine social standing than the top hat. To wear one is to know civility and order…

“YOUR ALIEN UPGRADES ALLOW YOU TO MANIPULATE THE ENVIRONMENT.” Format PS4 ETA 2017 Pub Bethesda Dev Arkane Studios Think this revived IP is just Dishonored in space? We’re visiting the developer behind both, Arkane, to see what makes Prey so special. And the main difference from Dishonored is instantly clear: whereas stealth is a key component for Corvo and Emily, here you have fewer reasons to hide in the shadows. Instead, a mix of hard RPG elements and alien powers gives you the tools to the tackle the Typhon – the inky clouds that haunt and hunt in the starring space station – however you see fit. It quickly becomes apparent that there’s immense scope for experimenting with the environment on station Talos 1. One of the main tools for…

Format PS4 ETA TBC Pub Sony Dev Santa Monica Studios Was the debut E3 footage of God Of War’s return hiding dozens of secrets? It certainly seems like it… and internet sleuths have been digging deep into what’s been shown to try and uncover hidden references many missed. While most fans were busy cooing at the new over-the-shoulder camera and marveling at Kratos’ more intimate combat moves, Reddit users dredged up images of shadowy figures hiding in forests (the favourite theory? It’s Loki), and the slithery scales of an enormous, snow-white snake (surely the Midgar Serpent Jörmungandr?). One thing is sure: the shift from Greek to Norse mythology will do nothing to reduce the sheer volume of monsters available to bloodily turn into literal history. SWISS ARMY AXE But going…

Format PS4/PS VR ETA TBC Pub Sony Dev Polyphony Digital “EACH SCRAP ON THE WAY TO THE PODIUM IS A TEETH-GRITTING TREAT.” Think of the title ‘Gran Turismo’, and several keywords zoom to mind. ‘Cars’, for one – definitely cars. Creator Kazunori Yamauchi’s obsessed with ’em, and has dedicated his career to crafting a console-defining racing series. ‘PlayStation’ is another: since 1997, GT has been setting the benchmark for Sony racers, even becoming the highest-selling franchise bearing the revered brand of and And the last keyword? ‘Genuine’. As we eagerly rev up our demo of Gran Turismo Sport, the series’ seventh core instalment, we’re reminded of this by everything we see and hear. The jet-black BMW M4 Coupé we’ve selected – out of a possible 137 cars spread across four…

Format PS4 ETA Autumn Pub Rockstar Dev Rockstar Yee-haw! Not only do we get a brand-new Red Dead inside the next 12 months, but PlayStation gamers will also be able to fill their hands with some special goodies. Yep, PS4 owners will be able to “earn select online content” before anyone else as part of pardner- ship between Rockstar and Sony. While there’s no hint at what sort of content this refers to, or how long the period of exclusivity will last, it’s intriguing that you’ll have to ‘earn’ it. That implies it could be rewards at the end of online missions, or perhaps it’s certain vanity items for accomplishing tasks such as hunting down specific types of animals online. While we wait for confirmation of what it’ll be, our…

RAPHAEL COLANTONIO CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND PRESIDENT, ARKANE STUDIOS I really liked Inside. I think the full thing was extremely well executed.They managed to make a game without words, which – to me – is a mind-blowing achievement… It’s just a compelling experience and the art is amazing. TAYLOR KUROSAKI NARRATIVE DIRECTOR, INFINITY WARD Inside. As a designer and a fan of good level design, it’s a masterclass.And near the end of the game there is a great surprise. It’s a reminder to all designers that you need to properly introduce mechanics, then confound them and reintroduce them later. ARNE MEYER DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, NAUGHTY DOG I haven’t played much this year, but I did spend a lot of time with The Witness. I really enjoyed that. It’s funny, what I’m…

This year was a big one for PlayStation. Not only did we true blue players bag ourselves two new toys – superpowered console PS4 Pro and the actual future in the form of PlayStation VR – but we were showered with standout titles. Uncharted 4, Dishonored 2, Doom, Overwatch, The Witness and Inside were just a few of 2016’s best. But was that enough for PlayStation fans? You bet your right thumbstick it wasn’t. And the year just kept on giving. Not content with brilliant games, 2016 also gave us the gift of some hilarious, frustrating and downright bizarre moments that we’ll never forget. Mainly because we’ve immortalised them and their relevant games in this here quiz. So put down your DualShock, forget you’ve ever heard…

INFO FORMAT PS VR ETA OUT NOW PUB UBISOFT DEV UBISOFT Sometimes a game can sell itself perfectly thanks to its title, and that’s exactly what Ubisoft has ensured with this soaring sim. Prancing about your living room pretending you’re an eagle – it’s one of those experiences that would’ve made very little sense before virtual reality came along. (You’d have understood the idea, of course, but it would have seemed a daft concept for a game.) But while this won’t be the best VR game you play, it’s not without charm. Set in a version of Paris where humans have scarpered and animals now reign supreme, the single-player mode asks you to fly through rings, take on time challenges and try to protect feathered friends. Things are kept simple…

INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB CURVE DIGITAL DEV PEWTER GAMES Every now and then you get a game that makes you feel like a teacher trying to defend a troublemaker in the staff room. “He’s a good kid, honest,” you tell your colleagues, just before you look out of the window and see them wiping mud in another kid’s face. This is how The Little Acre makes me feel: I really want to slap a healthy ‘8’ on it, but ultimately it lets me down and makes that impossible. This point-and-click adventure game tells the story of Aidan, a chap whose scientist dad goes missing in a secret dimension called Clonfira. It’s up to Aidan to find his old man, but unbeknown to him his own daughter has…

INFO FORMAT PS VR ETA OUT NOW PUB PSYTEC GAMES LTD DEV PSYTEC GAMES LTD You might be using grapple ropes rather than slinging webs, but as you fasten onto a tree and hurtle forward, the wind whistling past your ears, Windlands offers an exhilarating sensation that might just make you imagine you’re Spider-Man. Unfortunately, for me it’s more like Spider-Man with a raging hangover. Having safely negotiated most of the PS VR launch titles with only the occasional wobbly moment, I scoff at the intro screen warning that recommends five-minute play sessions for those who haven’t yet found their VR legs. Within 15 minutes, I come perilously close to seeing breakfast again. Ostensibly you’re tasked with collecting crystals and tablets across a series of floating archipelagos, but these goals…

FIFA 17 Receiving a lesson in counter-attacking turns Ben Tyrer into a moody Mourinho 19 shots on goal. Ten of them on target. You might expect that I’m ready to add another victory to the season’s tally. Sadly, I’m losing 3-2 to my opponent. He’s benefitting from some terrible goalkeeping and woeful shooting from my front three. But there’s a chance of redemption in the final minute. My striker hares down on the keeper, prepares to shoot and curls it… onto the post. Full time. I’m fuming with disbelief – arguing pointlessly with the screen – blaming everyone but myself. I’d make a great United manager. RIGS: MECHANIZED COMBAT LEAGUE An online scrap mechs Matthew Pellett sick I try. I really do. I want to love RIGS. I know it’s…

DOCTOR PLAYSTATION Our console medic fixes your game woes with actual science THE PROBLEM Skyrim on PS4 is bringing back the memories – but too many. You’ve done it all before and remember it too clearly. You want something fresh, but are too scared to mod unaided… STEP 1 BROWSE THE MOD LIST AND DOWNLOAD THE ONES YOU WANT Like a patient back for corrective surgery after a botched first operation at the hands of the Doc, Skyrim: Special Edition might look different but its underlying lumps and bumps are largely the same as before. But snap on those latex gloves and we can soon fix that with some hasty medical procedures. Unlike real life, you won’t need to venture down a dark back alley to view the black-market organs…

1 “A GAME OF CONSTANT EXCESS… AND NOT THE GOOD, DECADENT ROMAN ORGY KIND, EITHER.” 2 “GEE WHIZ, YOU WANT ME TO COLLECT NINE DIFFERENT HERBS? THAT’S A REASONABLE REQUEST OF A DUDE CAPABLE OF KILLING 14 GOBLINS IN 13 SECONDS.” 3 “WILL MAKE YOU FEEL GUILTY FOR EVERY CHOMP WRAPPER YOU THREW JUST SHY OF THE BIN.” 4 “UNLESS, OF COURSE, YOU DON’T LIKE EXPLODING BABIES. IN WHICH CASE, MAY WE DIRECT YOU BACK TOWARDS THE STRAITJACKET.”…