Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2017 i PLAY

“I’VE WAITED GENERATIONS FOR THIS GAME TO HAPPEN ON PLAYSTATION.” GAME OF THE MONTH Werewolves Within MOST WANTED REMASTER Vib-Ribbon Back in the ‘90s, I was platformer-mad. Crash Bandicoot, Spyro The Dragon, Ape Escape… you name it, I played it. I loved my PlayStation platformers, but – and I appreciate this might not go down too well with everyone – I was also rather jealous of my best friend. You see, he owned an N64 and had access to a treasure trove of genre greats I could only dream about on PS1, including a certain Banjo-Kazooie. Banjo was made by a brilliant UK studio called Rare. The developer responsible for the likes of Donkey Kong Country, GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark away from PlayStation is still going, but in 2015…

VISIONS OF THE FUTURE Not content with remastering the Bandicoot (p36), Skylanders dev Vicarious Visions has set its sights on a new horizon: Destiny. A Facebook post reveals it’s “partnering with Bungie to further expand the Award-Winning Destiny universe.” We can’t be the only ones hoping Ghost and co. also invade Skylanders… FLOODY BEAUTIFUL You won’t find a more faithful, sumptuously-rendered survival experience than roguelike indie The Flame In The Flood. Out imminently, our PSX hands-on charmed (you get a dog!) and challenged us equally. The PS4 ‘Complete Edition’ includes gameplay tweaks and commentary. Expect our review next issue. SONY PHONE HOME Hot on the heels of Nintendo, Sony Interactive Entertainment has revealed it’s bringing some of our fave PlayStation franchises to mobile. Both Hot Shots Golf and PSP puzzler…

“RESI VII IS GOING TO SCARE YOU INTO FORGETTING EVERYTHING ELSE.” MIRIAM MCDONALD OPERATIONS EDITOR If a mere kitchen in a VR demo can leave people shocked, the full version of Resident Evil VII: Biohazard will sear its way into our minds like nothing else. What we’ve played so far has been terrifying – after a while you forget about the V in VR. What’s more, we don’t yet know how REVII will tie into all the titles that preceded it; any familiarity will only heighten the anxiety as we anticipate horrors to come. After walking through dark corridors and fighting the Molded, just going to the loo in the night is going to cause flashbacks. And it’s the games that give us deep experiences that become Game Of The…

“AT CHRISTMAS WE’RE SURROUNDED BY MORE NINES THAN A NUMBERWANG CONTESTANT. WHY?” So long 2016. Now that the hectic rush of Christmas has faded, there’s finally time to catch up on the backlog of great games that were crammed, stuffing-like, into the tail end of last year. For the cash-strapped player, it’s a wonderful way to coast through pre-spring blues. But for the teams behind the critically acclaimed games that got trampled in the Black Friday crush (Titanfall 2, Dishonored 2 et al), it must be scant comfort to see your work as a January sales bargain. This is an industry that thrives on conflict, but it all seems so needlessly competitive. Every year, June and July are a desert for big releases, then suddenly we’re surrounded by more nines…

“ANY DOUBTS VANISH FASTER THAN RAFE’S INHERITANCE.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA TBC PUB SONY / DEV NAUGHTY DOG Seeing an Uncharted game without Nathan Drake at the helm is like witnessing a Call Of Duty game without guns. It shouldn’t feel right. After all, his rakish style is a big part of what makes the whole series work. Turns out it might not be essential to it, though, as after the reveal of this long-gestating expansion, any doubts we have over his absence disappear faster than Rafe Adler’s inheritance funds. For this Uncharted 4 DLC-turned-standaloneexpansion, Chloe Frazer takes over the hero role and is forming an unlikely partnership with Uncharted 4 villain Nadine Ross. It’s certainly a left-field coupling, though both the Australian treasure hunter and the South African mercenary…

1 The original Crash Bandicoot arrived on PS1 in style, with revolutionary 3D platforming and iconic boss fights. PlayStation just found its new mascot… 2 The seventh-best selling PlayStation game ever got a sequel (obvs). Cortex Strikes Back was less linear and even more varied than the first. 3 Threequel Warped really defined the series. The time-travel mechanic took us to beautiful places while the ability to learn moves transformed combat. 4 What we wouldn’t give for ace karting gem Crash Team Racing to be remastered next. Pinpoint controls, brilliant tracks, a proper campaign… c’mon Activision!…

DANGANRONPA V3: KILLING HARMONY All the anime in the world has been chained away by the Bear of Black and White. You quest through the levels, unlocking colours until you can kick his furry butt in one final boss battle set atop a rainbow. FORMAT PS4/PS VITA ETA TBC DREAMFALL CHAPTERS You play a woman able to flip between two times: a highly mechanised future world, and a medieval past. Solve puzzles in one time zone to unlock areas in the other, and progress. FORMAT PS4 ETA 24 MARCH GRAVITY RUSH 2 Anime brawler in which the name is really taken to heart: before each round, the 1v1 action is locked to one of the four edges of the screen. ‘Cause gravity’s crazy, natch. *finger snap* FORMAT PS4 ETA 20…

“THIS IS PLATINUM’S FIRST OPEN-WORLD GAME, AND ITS FIRST RPG TOO.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 10 MAR PUB SQUARE ENIX / DEV PLATINUMGAMES If you’ve ever played a PlatinumGames production, you’ll know that the Osaka studio designs its games around a single move: the beating heart of the game. Bayonetta’s Witch Time, Metal Gear Rising’s Blade Mode, Transformers Devastation’s Focus: all single moves, performed with simple inputs, that give a Platinum title its true identity. In Nier: Automata, as in so many of Platinum’s games, the magic moment is performed with a squeeze of R2. Again, as in many other PlatinumGames productions, it’s a generously invincible dodge, a guaranteed escape route from the toughest of situations. What makes Automata different is what happens next: depending on the button pressed you…

Despite bagging a top ten spot in our 2016 Game Of The Year list, Hitman isn’t quite done. Just before Christmas we were surprised by the festive feast of a Home Alone-inspired Paris makeover (the two targets being the hapless goons from said film), and on 31 January, the same day as the game’s disc release, Hitman will receive a third Bonus Episode. It’s called Landslide, and it sees Agent 47 returning to series high-point Sapienza to execute a corrupt politician. Just like the former two Bonus Episodes, the add-on will give its level a visual overhaul: this time around the sleepy Italian town is playing host to a concert in the piazza at sunset. Cue up all the ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ gags… So with the sun about to…

On top of the single-player story, Yooka-Laylee has a suite of multiplayer games which can be accessed from an arcade cabinet that belongs to an NPC called Rextro. He’s a dinosaur – and a deliberately low-poly dinosaur at that – which is entirely apropos for a series of lively quick-fix asides that have been designed as a conscious throwback to the era of couch-based competitive multiplayer games. To unlock new ones, you’ll need to find the Play Coins hidden within the main worlds (there’s one in the hub, too) and bring them to Rextro, though once you’ve paid your money, you’ll also be able to access them any time you want from the main menu. We’re only able to talk about two for now, but from the briefest of glimpses…

QUAILEY BEN TYRER STAFF WRITER FIGHTER: Andrew “Quailey” Qualton COUNTRY: Britain STAGE: The Great British Stadium (Basically Wembley) BIO: Won everything there is to win the world of football, including the FA Cup. Now he wants to win the Street Fighter trophy to prove he’s the ultimate sportsperson. V-SKILL: A football he rolls or kicks at other fighters. V-TRIGGER: A crowd pops up to cheer him on, giving him a huge boost to speed and strength. CRITICAL ART: A super-powered free kick that propels a heavy, old-school leather football into the face of his opponent so it dazes them, followed by a sliding tackle that knocks them over. LIKES: Winning. DISLIKES: Rugby, chants about “Who ate all the pies?” ONO SAYS… “I can’t believe this was designed by someone from…

INFO FORMAT PS VR ETA OUT NOW PUB BOSSA STUDIOS DEV BOSSA STUDIOS Surgeon Simulator is a riot of laughs that plays on the macabre, the silly, and sometimes the gross. But in VR, all that madness is held back by dodgy motion tracking and frustrating controls. The PS VR version of the game is basically Operation in virtual reality, where you must perform a range of invasive procedures with very little medical knowledge. The aim is to remove and replace some of your unfortunate patient’s vital organs without killing them using a range of appropriate – and not so appropriate – tools. You can use either the standard PS4 pad or a pair of PS Move controllers, but as the latter gives you a proper set of hands, they…

@itsJenSim Unlucky number 13. It’s our nightmare before Xmas: OPM’s deadline-tastic extra issue comes but once a year, and is written well before the reveal of January’s PS Plus lineup. Fortunately, 2016’s Instant Game Collection was packed with freebies worth revisiting, so clutch your four-leaf clovers and let’s honour the best of them. PS Plus has typically been a stellar showcase for the very best indie titles on PlayStation, and last year was no exception. Indeed, we all knew classics JOURNEY, GONE HOME and EVERYBODY’S GONE TO THE RAPTURE were must-plays – but free PS4 versions ensured everyone experienced these essentials. And brand-new titles charmed us too. Stylish bullet-hell boss fighter FURI stood out, as well as competitive Tetris treat TRICKY TOWERS – and both are worth diving back into…

INFO FORMAT PS4 PUB SONY DEV NAUGHTY DOG REVIEW ISSUE #123, 10/10 Battling never-ending waves of enemies in Horde-style modes can feel repetitive. Not in this Uncharted 4 multiplayer DLC, which pits you and up to two mates against 50 waves of gun-toting nasties. The genius bit? Combat’s constantly switched up. The onslaught’s divided into ten-wave chunks, and each has its own modifier. I rack up points defending a cramped container in a Siege wave (firing back-to-back with my buddy and calling out flankers on mic), take on grunts with only a pistol in another, then keep up with faster foes in the next. Clearing a wave earns you crates containing weapons to buy with earned currency. And every ten waves? A boss battle – including the flamin’ terrifying new…

FALLOUT MASH-UP PACK The ablockalypse is nigh with this new Minecraft resource pack. Inspired by Bethesda’s grim RPG series, it contains 44 new character skins, a mutated makeover of the overworld, fresh music and a Pip-Boy-ish HUD. Also, your pet wolf now looks like Dogmeat! SFV CHARACTER PASS 2017 Not got enough in-game coin? This unlocks Akuma and five all-new world warriors when they’re released during the game’s ‘second season’, plus default costume colours 3-10 and Premium Battle outfits with colours 3-10 unlocked for all six. Oh, and a PS4 theme, too. EVE: VALKYRIE – GATECRASH Ice asteroids mean the new Gateway map is a visual stunner, but it plays great too thanks to warp points that spit you out in different places. This third Valkyrie DLC also adds pilot…

At the start of writer/director John Michael McDonagh’s comedy War On Everyone a mime is mowed down by a muscle car straight out of Magnum PI. A muscle car driven by potty-mouthed cops who have a unique approach to crime-fighting: blackmail, intimidation and general bad behaviour. True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgård and Ant-Man scene-stealer Michael Peña star as literal partners in crime Terry and Bob. Having extorted their way through most of New Mexico’s felonious underworld, the carefree pair meet their match in Theo James’ ruthless Lord James Mangan, who has the reach and resources to bring Terry and Bob’s antisocial reign to an end. McDonagh directed one of the decade’s best films in Calvary, but fumbles the ball here. While Skarsgård and Peña have appealing chemistry, their banter and antics…

INFO PUB BETHESDA DEV BETHESDA RELEASED 2015 GET IT NOW AMAZON PRIME, £12.99 WHAT? The widely celebrated (if overly safe) follow-up to Fallout 3, Bethesda’s first PS4 trip to the Wasteland adds a Boston flavour to nuclear proceedings. Cue talky side-quests and blasting off mutants’ arms in slow-mo. WHO? Skyrim-shy Dave Meikleham attempts to give Bethesda’s brand of open-world exploration one more chance to impress. Can he pay attention long enough to stay the course? “THE BREADTH OF CONTENT AND LACK OF DIRECTION TERRIFIES ME.” Let me share a sinful little secret with y’all: I’ve never finished a Bethesda game. Hell, I don’t think I’ve ever come close. Fallout 3? Played it for ten hours, got lost in a cave, never went back. Skyrim? Played it for ten hours, got…

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…

Ben Tyrer STAFF WRITER So young is our Ben he asked us whether Richard Hammond was back on commentary for WipEout’s return. Ben is fired again. GAME OF THE MONTH I Expect You To Die MOST WANTED REMASTER MediEvil Jen Simpkins GAMES EDITOR Jen returned from the PlayStation Experience with ALL the exclusives for this issue. Also: ALL the lurgy for the team. Thanks. GAME OF THE MONTH Let It Die MOST WANTED REMASTER Cool Boarders Milford Coppock MANAGING ART EDITOR With ancient PS1 heroes making comebacks, Matt asked OPSM1 art guru Milf if he wanted to remaster himself. “4K off,” he said. GAME OF THE MONTH The Last Guardian MOST WANTED REMASTER RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDGE RACER! Miriam McDonald OPERATIONS EDITOR Feral cat rescuer Mim’s so used to wild beasts she’s a…

20,000 Final Fantasy XV fans voted in a “Who Is Best Boy?” poll. Noctis won. Pfft. 06 SFV Capcom Cup players using gamepads instead of fightsticks. 01/03 New UK release date for Horizon Zero Dawn, two days earlier than planned. $11.8m Ratchet & Clank’s box office takings – the budget was an estimated $20m. 50,000,000 PS4 smashes yet another sales target by shifting over 50 million consoles. 14 Hours it took a player to punch one of Let It Die’s toughest enemies to death. 100% US finalists in this year’s Capcom Cup: the first-ever all-American affair. £169.99 The hefty price tag on Nier: Automata’s ‘Black Box Edition’.…

 Your lugs deserve only the very best, which is why it’s great news that Sony’s Platinum Wireless Headset is now out. Coming in at a competitive price of £129.99, this pair of comfy cans works with all versions of PS4 as well as PS VR. More importantly, you can expect the highest level of aural quality thanks to 7.1 virtual surround sound that takes advantage of 3D audio technology. “3D AUDIO ENABLES YOU TO HEAR SOUNDS FROM EVERY ANGLE.” As VR players will know, 3D audio enables you to hear sounds from every angle, whether a noise comes from over your shoulder or under your feet. Certain non-VR games are taking advantage of it as well, including upcoming Freaker thriller Days Gone and smash-hit Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (via…

Which reveal at PSX 2016 was the pick of the bunch? 60% Of you know that The Last Of Us Part II clearly stole the show. 3% Have tears in their eyes from the reveal of WipEout Omega Collection. Or is that just from the speed of the craft? 18% Are smashing crates in joy at the first-ever look at Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. 4% Are thankful that Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life is heading to the West. 9% Leapt in the air for Chloe and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. 6% Want to see Iron Man and Mega Man scrap in Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite. NEXT MONTH With Horizon stomping ever-closer, what’s the greatest dinosaur game in PlayStation history?…

“TEN YEARS OF HARD WORK HAVE PAID OFF – FINAL FANTASY XV FEELS LIKE A TURNING POINT.” Ten years is a very long time to leave fans waiting for the next videogame in a much-loved series, and the pressure on the Final Fantasy XV team must have been immense. They can breathe a sigh of relief now – the game is out and it’s rather good. They stuck the landing. I admit, FFXV isn’t without its flaws. Its story isn’t the best told – or even the best in the series – and its camera is rubbish. In many places, it barely resembles what was shown in even relatively recent trailers, proof Square Enix should stop revealing stuff before it’s truly ready. Far more important than all that, however, is…

1 When Riley forces Ellie to wear a Halloween mask, the game takes a breather so you can explore the shop they’re in and play with all the interactive treats. 2 Riley challenges Ellie to see who can smash the most windows on two cars. It’s a subtle way of mixing character development and destruction. 3 Proving that Ellie would crush us at Street Fighter, Riley helps her ‘play’ a broken arcade machine by describing actions as Ellie pulls off moves. 4 Finding an old photobooth, you get a chance to grab a few snaps and pick Ellie’s and Riley’s poses. The best part? The snaps go to your Facebook account.…

“TECHNO AND PULSE THUNDERING, WE’RE SLIPPING INTO A ZEN STATE OF MIND.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA SUMMER / PUB SONY / DEV CLEVER BEANS/EPOS Whether you were a seasoned videogaming veteran or barely big enough to hold the grey gamepad, 1995 was a long time ago. PS1 was the gateway to a whole new future: how fitting that it launched us face-first into it via anti-gravity racing title WipEout. Faster and fresher than a Listerine whippet, speeding hoverships around booby-trapped tracks to a wicked synth soundtrack was the epitome of modern cool. And wouldn’t you know it? Twenty-one years and several follow-up games later, it still is. PlayStation to the core, WipEout’s blessed every single format since the brand’s launch with its truly timeless sci-fi style. It makes all kinds…

“UNLOCK VARIOUS SKILLS TO BECOME THE SCARIEST BOGEYMAN OF THEM ALL.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA SPRING / PUB GUN MEDIA / DEV GUN MEDIA/ILLFONIC You promised you wouldn’t do this but you’re under the bed. The open window was right there but you panicked and ran up the stairs. Over the sound of the crickets outside, you can hear his boots stomping in your direction. He’s in the room. Stay still. Oh dear, it looks like you’ll be staying still for a long time. Jason Voorhees has just slammed a machete through the bed, skewering you to the floor. Ouch. Welcome to enacting every terrible horror movie mistake you swore you’d never make. This asymmetric third-person multiplayer Kickstarter success is a slasher…

1 While the original Nier was, at heart, a human tale, in Automata you control androids on a mission to save the planet from invading alien robots. 2 In Japan, Nier was the tale of a brother and sister; in the west, a man and daughter. Automata’s about androids designed by FFXII legend Akihiko Yoshida. 3 Nier wasn’t for the mass market, so composer Keiichi Okabe had free rein with the music. Square Enix has higher expectations for Automata. 4 Nier’s combat was basic light-and-heavy stuff, spiced up with magic. Automata’s is lightning fast and deep, with your drone replacing a book of spells.…

2010 KANE & LYNCH 2: DOG DAYS Having joined IO as a level designer in 2007, Elverdam steps up to the role of lead level designer in the year before the release of the Kane & Lynch sequel, which ends up greatly improving upon the patchy original. 2012 HITMAN ABSOLUTION With work on Agent 47’s PS3 debut underway, Elverdam moves from his lead level designer position to become a gameplay director for the Hitman series’ most divisive entry. 2016 HITMAN In 2013, Elverdam is made the studio creative director for IO Interactive and is tasked with returning Agent 47 to his former glories. After a confusing change of pricing structure that raises eyebrows, Hitman finally arrives as a digital-first episodic series and is a big success.…

CASINO TOKEN Your reward for completing activities in the game’s fourth world, Capital Cashino – you need to swap ten of these for a Pagie. BUTTERFLY BOOSTER Adds another butterfly to your health. You’ll start with six, there’s an extra one on each world, plus one in the hub and an equippable tonic to boost life. PAGIE Your currency for unlocking and expanding the worlds. There are 25 Pagies in each world, with a few tucked away inside the hub, too. PLAY COIN Again, there’s just one of these squirrelled away within each world. Pass it to Rextro and he’ll unlock one multiplayer game for you. QUILLS These are accepted by Trowzer in exchange for new moves, and there are plenty of them – 200 in every world, to be…

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.…

INFO FORMAT PS VR ETA OUT NOW PUB PSYTEC GAMES LTD DEV PSYTEC GAMES LTD Oh, it’s crystal-clear what this VR dungeon crawler is trying to do: revive the classic 3D games like Dungeon Master in a virtual world, using exactly the same grid-based gameplay and puzzle solving. On paper, that sounds like a great idea. In reality? Crystal Rift is a VR game without a hint of sparkle – and it will make you feel bored (and probably rather nauseous) within minutes. You move using the DualShock 4, edging along a grid and turning with either the right analogue stick or the shoulder buttons. The jerky sensation will make your stomach start quivering within the first few levels, and the graphics don’t help either. Low fidelity and repetitive textures…

INFO FORMAT PS VR PUB UBISOFT DEV UBISOFT MONTREAL REVIEW ISSUE #131, 7/10 Simply put, if you’re going to invest in Eagle Flight, you’re doing so to go online. While the single-player game serves as a learning curve, it’s the multiplayer where the real depth, and the real fun, (f)lies. In Capture The Rabbit, you must retrieve a bunny carcass and take it back to your team’s base. Easy. The joy, however, comes from how frantic it all gets: foes fire sonic waves to stop you, or force you to find new paths through the sky over Paris. Outdoing the likes of Ace Combat and even Ubisoft’s own HAWX, this is the one of the most enjoyable dog-fighting experiences out there. Will it last longer than a few weeks? That’s…

MIDNIGHT UPDATE The Resident Evil: Beginning Hour demo is finally complete. Get it, see the two endings and then begin counting down the seconds until the full game is unleashed. BETHESDA PINBALL A trio of new Zen Pinball 2 tables brings Skyrim, Fallout and Doom BFGing and Dragon Shouting to the arcade realm. This Brotherhood Of Steel Balls is very impressive. T-BONE CONTENT BUNDLE The first Watch Dogs 2 DLC adds a T-Bone outfit, a modified, car-flipping school bus and the more difficult Mayhem mode for co-op missions. HOLIDAY HOARDERS Look, Christmas may be long gone but let us off; Hitman’s DLC gives Paris a festive makeover all for a good cause: IO is asking for donations to World Cancer Research Fund… THE FESTIVE SEASONING …And co-op classic Overcooked becomes…

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN 23 JAN Extra shooty remake of the classic 1960 western. Never quite magnificent, but not far off. SHERLOCK: SERIES 4 23 JAN Benedict Cumberbatch’s smarty pants PI returns to crack another trio of crimes and take down a bio-weapon expert (Toby Jones). MR ROBOT: SEASON 2 23 JAN Though less successful than its debut year, the hacker thriller series still boasts a great performance from Rami Malek. CREEPY 23 JAN Appropriately, this Japanese psychological horror about a retired police profiler investigating a missing persons case is… well, you can guess. THE CHILDHOOD OF A LEADER 30 JAN Bradley Corbet’s directorial debut imagines the home life of a child destined to become a fascist leader. PERSONA 3: MOVIE 1 30 JAN Persona 5 isn’t the only Atlus title…

“NEMESIS IS THE DEADLIEST VILLAIN IN THE HISTORY OF SURVIVAL HORROR.” INFO PUB CAPCOM DEV CAPCOM RELEASED 1999, PS1 GET IT NOW PS VITA STORE, £7.99 NEED TO KNOW 1 Resi 3 was once going to be set on a cruise liner. 2 Nemesis was inspired by the liquid metal T-1000. 3 It was made in tandem with Code Veronica. Just imagine you were being chased by the Terminator. Scary, huh? Now replace that Austrian Oak bodybuilder/governor/ Kindergarten Cop who’s currently scrambling your thoughts with an eight-foot-tall living bioweapon who makes Shaquille O’Neal look like Danny DeVito. Oh, and he’s got an RPG strapped to his shoulder to boot. Congratulations! You’ve conjured up an image of Resident Evil 3’s utterly terrifying titular star. And believe us, you won’t forget…

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 THE LAST GUARDIAN After a decade in development, Ueda’s PS4 debut is both a technical marvel and emotionally devastating. Trico’s mannerisms make it feel like a real creature – one we truly care about – while escaping The Nest is a captivating test. Some things are worth waiting for. 3 METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN While retaining that distinct storytelling…

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…

“DON’T APPROACH ARK EXPECTING THE FINISHED ALLOSAUR ARTICLE. IT’S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS.” What a fine day for a prehistoric stroll. Wait, what’s that bundling towards us..? Oh, we’ve been stomped to death by a wild female Doedicurus. Swell. Fret not, this new respawn point looks pretty saf… Dang. We really should have spotted that level 70 Thorny Dragon sooner. Welcome to Ark: Survival Evolved, the online sandbox where both dinos and Smaug’s second cousin want to eat your face. Studio Wildcard’s T. Rex-riding adventure hit Steam Early Access in June 2015. Since then, over five million PC players have hopped onto its servers, and its success prompted the team to bring Ark to PS4 last December. Hold onto your butts… and every other craftable supply you can get…

Hang on – Terry Crews spotted on Blizzard’s campus in California?! Looks like he might well be voicing rumoured gauntlet-wielding new Overwatch hero Doomfist. NeoGaf is already abuzz with whispers about MvC: Infinite X-Men and Fantastic Four DLC. Street Fighter V’s Season Two DLC could add Story Mode’s Ed and Helen. An FFXV art book contains details about the upcoming DLC – expect recurring villain Gilgamesh… Norman Reedus’ foetus-juggling Death Stranding character is listed as ‘Adam’ on IMDB. Very symbolic, Koj.…

ZERO HOUR Long-awaited Japanese mafia prequel Yakuza 0 has finally arrived on PS4. Look out for our big review next issue. RESO-TONS OF FUN PS Plus favourite Resogun is getting a lick of upgrade paint with a patch for PS4 Pro, and Housemarque has confirmed both 4K and HDR support. Our eyes might not cope… BEAR WITH US Tekken 7 has just gained two classic characters: Kuma and Panda. We think their inclusion is a bear necessity for the brawler. [Ben, you’re fired – Ed.] NOT QUITE FINAL News that Final Fantasy XV is getting a patch that’ll add scenes to flesh out the story is a massive red-soled boot in the teeth for those of us who’ve already finished. WALKING DREADFUL Telltale’s The Walking Dead S3 is skipping PS3.…

@TRUEBLUEGILLARD Just saw the trailer for The Last Of Us 2. WOW just WOW. @NINAKI_LIMPI This time Naughty Dog didn’t copy Ellen Page’s face. Just the guitar scene from Beyond! @DAZFINK If there’s one dev I trust to not screw up a sequel that doesn’t need to happen, it’s Naughty Dog. @SPAGHETTIDUDE1 Amnesia really started the transition from third-person survival horror to first-person. @ALANJUK Who knew that it was journalists graffitiing toilets these days? @CRINOLINEROBOT @Pelloki is blasting OPM with the PaRappa OST. GamesMaster and SFX are collateral damage. @BIGSMOKERBUDDAH That hallway simulator [PT]? You’re kidding right? That was a mistake like Vampire Rain… @STEPHENPARRY80 I’d like an Airwolf game. @WAKINGONIART Horror games have reached a new level of intensity. VR might be my mental limit. @TOMMY4S1210 Anyone think Final…

“AS SOMEONE WHO’S BLOWN OBSCENE MONEY ON PC PARTS, SONY’S ENTRY PRICE FOR 4K GAMING IS A DAMN STEAL.” Be in no doubt: I’m an obsessive buffoon who pays way too much attention to pixel density. Want to know how far down the rabbit hole of 4K fanaticism I’m prepared to go? I can remember exactly what I was doing when PS4 Pro was announced. Like, ‘to the minute’ exactly. Safe to say, I’m a big fan of Sony’s beefed-up PlayStation. Skip back to 7 September last year, and you’d find little Meiks sipping the world’s weakest Bloody Mary in a Parisian bar (near Notre-Dame, to be exact); finger desperately jabbing at a phone trying to resuscitate a faltering YouTube stream of the Pro’s PlayStation Meeting. That’s right, I was…

1 BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT Strap yourself in for some hot bat-on-bat action. Arkham Knight doesn’t just star a bat-shaped vigilante, it also features one Dr Kirk Langstrom: aka Man-Bat. The zoologist creates a formula to cure his deafness, but the potion transforms him into a homicidal monster instead. Bummer. 2 PETER JACKSON’S KING KONG You can keep your dinos and 25-foot-tall silverbacks; we’re here for Skull Island’s bats. Kong’s homeland doesn’t exactly do small – most of its creepy crawlies are human-sized – so it’s no surprise these toothy dastards are basically hairy pterosaurs. They’re still less off-putting than Jack Black, mind. 3 YOOKA-LAYLEE Playtonic’s upcoming adventure is bringing sexy 3D platforming bat, baby! Laylee is a wisecracking fruit bat who rocks the same sort of sarcastic attitude as a…

“IT’S AS IF OUR BLOOD TURNS TO WUMPA FRUIT BUBBLY IN OUR BODY.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 2017 / PUB ACTIVISION / DEV VICARIOUS VISIONS We remember it like it was only yesterday. Flip to the back of the Prima Strategy Guide for the iconic bandicoot’s kart racing spin-off Crash Team Racing, and you’d find an amusing nugget of info about Crash’s nemesis Dr. Neo Cortex. That giant black ‘N’ tattooed on his head? It stands for ‘nerd’. To our mind, developer Vicarious Visions has branded the N. Sane Trilogy title with a much kinder ‘N’ – for ‘nostalgia’. We know it’s soppy, but as our tangerine hero shakes himself awake – 20 years on from this first title’s original release – on the shores of a fully remastered N.…

“WARHORSE’S DEDICATION TO AUTHENTICITY HELPS IT STAND OUT.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 2017 / PUB DEEP SILVER / DEV WARHORSE STUDIOS Talk about a long time coming. First announced in some form or another back in 2012, the big questions surrounding Kingdom Come were if it would ever see the light of day and, if so, what shape it would be in. A recent-but-brief showcase by new publisher Deep Silver answers that former question with a thumbs up, but the answer to the second question is, unfortunately, less clear-cut. There’s little doubt that Warhorse Studios is an ambitious developer. Setting out to make an RPG based on the very real battle for Bohemia back in 1403, all the traditional role-playing staples are present. The most important of these, of course,…

“HIS BULLETS PENETRATE FLOORBOARDS AND FLESH ALIKE.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 7 MAR / PUB UBISOFT / DEV UBISOFT PARIS Sometimes, the Ghosts will stalk their target for hours, interrogating informants, gathering intel and making meticulous plans before striking from the shadows. Sometimes, the Ghosts will make use of advanced technology to support their mission, scouting enemy camps from a distance with their military drones. And sometimes, the Ghosts will all pile into a lorry and crash into an enemy compound before shooting the stuffing out of every cartel crony in their sights. Whether you’re a calculating strategist or a cackling firebug, the sprawling open world of Wildlands promises an abundance of outlets for your preferred playstyle, allowing you to approach each mission using whatever blend of attentive espionage, coordinated…

WAY OF THE PASSIVE FIST FORMAT PS4 / ETA TBC PUB HOUSEHOLD GAMES DEV HOUSEHOLD GAMES Button mashing won’t save you in this 16-bit beat-’em-up. Putting you in the shoes of the Wanderer, you journey across an unforgiving planet where exerting too much energy is a death sentence. That’s why our hero can’t punch or kick enemies like in other arcade brawlers. Instead, his defensive fighting style relies on dodging, parrying and deflecting attacks. Doing this charges up his augmented arm, a powerful weapon that will obliterate enemies or bits of scenery with one hit. This inverse of the typical brawler template has us actively anticipating its launch. DRAGON QUEST HEROES II FORMAT PS4 / ETA 28 APR / PUB SQUARE ENIX DEV OMEGA FORCE Marrying the style of Dragon…

“A UNIVERSE WHERE HUMANITY’S BASER INSTINCTS RULE SUPREME, AND THE LIVING ENVY THE DEAD.” But I know, when I die, my soul is damned.” Hoo boy, Ellie. Talk about a glum tune. She may have starred in one of gaming’s great endings, but Naughty Dog won’t let its potty-mouthed teen (or her new acoustic guitar) walk into that apocalyptic sunset. Despite containing the most complete, cathartic finale in recent memory, the story of The Last Of Us is far from over. The big takeaway from Part II’s mournful debut trailer, aside from all the machete murder and moody ballads? The most celebrated studio in the world is making a direct follow-up to the game you voted the greatest in PlayStation history in OPM #100. See, things are beginning to look…

ELIZABETH If a prima ballerina and a medieval knight ran into each other at warp speed, the resulting mash-up would probably look a lot like Elizabeth. The ferocious-looking French Savate fighter’s armour protects her against other world warriors’ attacks. “We were thinking she’d be an old arts dealer with money to spend,” game director Takayuki Nakayama reveals. “But you know what? In the Street Fighter world, there are way too many rich people!” SOCCER FIGHTER Now that’s a winning smile. We should hope so, too: he was set to be a professional Brazilian footballer character… who puts the hurt on brawling opponents in his spare time. Is his flaming ball projectile even legal? Surprisingly, it wasn’t that particular niggle that prevented him making it into the game: he was far…

WHAT YOU DO IN… STARDEW VALLEY 30% Clearing land, planting seeds and feeling proud. 20% Cursing the cursor. The poorly-integrated interface is so distracting. 11% Reworking your farm layout to fit in unlocked sprinklers. 5% Purchasing ever-more-fanciful hats from a milliner mouse. 22% Stalking your fave NPC. Why won’t you stop and just let me love you?! 12% Heading to the mines in search of Monster Loot. SECOND OPINION FAIR-WEATHER FARMHAND Once I get over the shock of seeing a cursor on-screen, I really fall for Stardew Valley. In recent years I’ve avoided anything even remotely like Harvest Moon or Animal Crossing because I know I don’t have the time to commit to the genre, yet iffy controls aside this is an absolutely fantastic substitute that won’t swallow hours. Matthew…

INFO FORMAT PS VR ETA OUT NOW PUB PENNY BLACK STUDIOS DEV PENNY BLACK STUDIOS Flying around on the back of a giant piñata eagle is something you’ve always wanted to do? Your oddly specific (and specifically odd) dreams have finally come true with this VR offering from British trio Penny Black Studios. Riding atop your fabric-feathered friend, your goal is to fly through a series of coloured rings and collect the materialising power orbs. Do this enough times and it’s onto the next stage, where you repeat the process with more rings and more orbs. If that sounds a little simplistic and repetitive, that’s because it is. Thankfully your attention is held via an interesting narrative about an author who’s juggling his struggles with both writer’s block and a…

WATCH DOGS 2 Ben Tyrer finds new pals easy to come by With the seamless multiplayer in Ubisoft’s vivid San Francisco finally working, new people drift into my world at a pleasing rate. For the most part they disappear without making an impact, but one occasion sees a new chum wander up close. I get Marcus to perform a jig with the emote wheel and soon both our avatars are dancing away. I want to savour the moment so I whack up the camera app to take a selfie and my new BFF proves great minds think alike by doing the same. This single moment makes up for years of strangers screaming swears at me. TITANFALL 2 Jen Simpkins goes in for assault and battery What a campaign. Feeling inspired…

DOCTOR PLAYSTATION Our console medic fixes your tech woes with actual science THE PROBLEM So, you have to leave the house to pick up that test subject you found on Craigslist. But how can you check the vitals of your precious console while out? There’s an app for that… STEP 1 DOWNLOAD THE TRIO AND GET MESSAGING Hmmm. Pupils appear dilated. Excessive sniffling. Has the shakes. No doubt about it – you’re an addict. And while I can’t cure you of your dependence on all things PlayStation, I can help you streamline your habit via a variety of PlayStation apps. (Surely it’s in the Hippocratic Oath somewhere.) Free on both the App Store and Google Play, Sony’s suite of mobile applications is a godsend. Or Docsend, if you prefer. Which…

1 “THE OVERBEARING CARTOON LICENSE DOES ITS BEST TO GOBBLE UP ALL THE FUN.” 2 “[IT] ISN’T THE ROTTING CORPSE OF THIS SERIES – IT’S THE PUTRID GAS THAT ESCAPED WHEN ACTIVISION DECIDED TO POKE SAID CORPSE WITH A STICK.” 3 “THERE’S A CERTAIN BASTARD WHO’S SO HARD TO FIGHT, I DROP THE DIFFICULTY TO CASUAL AFTER 30 MINUTES.” 4 “ALLOWS YOU TO TIE SOME POOR UNSUSPECTING CHICKEN FARMER TO A FIGHTER JET AND FLY OFF INTO THE CLOUDS WITH THEM IN TOW.”…

PICK #1 DIGIMON STORY CYBER SLEUTH Massive child Ben Tyrer loves the bizarre nostalgia of this madcap story There are many reasons why this ode to insanity is memorable, but the quest where you fight a Digimon which is controlling an air-conditioning unit is probably the standout. While I won’t pretend the mechanics are original, the bonkers storylines make this a must-play. You’ll have no idea what’s going on and love every second of it. PICK #2 I AM SETSUNA JRPG superfan Matthew Pellett doesn’t want to let go of the good old days When it comes to JRPGs, the more menus the better. Forget all this real-time battle nonsense (the Wait combat mode in Final Fantasy XV was clearly designed with me in mind), I want turn-based or ATB…