Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2017 i PLAY

“I GOT TO SPEND A DAY AT ANFIELD PLAYING PES 2018.” This issue we welcome back an old friend. Assassin’s Creed, we’ve missed you. And what a return! Assassin’s Creed Origins (p56) looks to be the game Ubisoft has always threatened to make: an open-world, RPG-lite, tomb-raiding, stat-levelling, loot-hoarding masterpiece. To learn more we exclusively sat down with director Ashraf Ismail and to uncover details on the game’s factions, tombs, and combat. We also scooped an exclusive hands-on with Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (p68), playing all-new levels of the game to learn why BJ Blazkowicz’s return to PS4 could be 2017’s sleeper hit. On top of this, Ben played Knack 2 with Mr PlayStation, Mark Cerny (you can read what happened on page 6), I got to spend a…

THIMBLEWEED PARK NAILS RELEASE DATE Twin Peaks-parodying point-and-click adventure Thimbleweed Park will finally be hitting PlayStation 4 on 22 August. That’s some damn fine news considering our preview was full of praise for the old-school adventure from genre legend Ron Gilbert. NI (OH) NO KUNI II From good news about a release date to bad. The sequel to Level-5’s delightful JRPG is now being pushed back to 19 Jan 2018. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait too long after the new year. According to Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino, the move is due to more development time being needed for the title. ICE, ICE (PS4) BABY Sony and Activision are offering fans a limited-edition Glacier White PS4 Pro Destiny 2 bundle. It’s more than just a mouthful, mind. You’ll get a…

“MY LONGEST-PLAYED GAME WAS SKYRIM, AT 555 HOURS, BECAUSE I INSISTED ON PLATINUMING IT.“ “The next Uncharted game should focus on Sully and Sam. Would be an awesome new chapter for the series!” DANNYO MENTOS IS ONE STEP BEYOND THE LOST LEGACY ALREADY “COD World War 2 is the greatest game in the world.” IS THAT A PROPHECY, CHO WIN TUN? Pile of old stat Back on 23rd March l received a happy little email from PlayStation celebrating 10 years of the PlayStation Store. Within this email there were loads of stats from my gaming adventures since l joined PSN on 26th June 2007. l didn’t realise that PlayStation kept such stats. I’ve played hundreds of different games and l would love to be able to look through stats…

“DIFFICULTY SHOULD NEVER BE INSURMOUNTABLE TO THE POINT WHERE YOU STOP PLAYING.” With mildly depressing certainty, I can say I’ve been playing videogames for longer than some OPM readers have been alive. In my distant youth, games really were as difficult as you’ve heard. Back then, though, I had a ludicrous amount of free time – in addition to the game-playing skills that, as we all know, are genetic. Today, however, I have a lot of things I didn’t have back then: three young children who have probably inherited the mad skillz gene; a full-time job that drains my soul/gives me a sense of purpose in society; a mountain of bills that must be paid. I have a long list of things that take priority over repeatedly trying to defeat…

1 The Lost Legacy still has Uncharted’s head for heights, as this vertigo-inducing ridgetop stroll shows. Best watch your step, ladies. 2 Nor has the expansion lost any of the series’ appetite for spectacular views. No other game does virtual waterfalls quite as well as Uncharted. 3 Even though Nadine is more than capable of taking out multiple goons at once by herself, expect team-based takedowns to feature in fights. 4 The Lost Legacy retains Nate’s love for showy setpieces. The battle with the ATV is a dead ringer for the chase scene in U4’s No Escape level.…

“IT’S ALL CUT WITH THE UNFLINCHING HUMOUR THE SERIES IS KNOWN FOR.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 17 OCTOBER 2017 PUB UBISOFT / DEV UBISOFT Nothing is safe from South Park. Trey and Matt’s sardonic vessel has returned to videogames to lampoon the superhero movies that have cluttered up the cinema for the last decade. The Fractured But Whole picks up where The Stick Of Truth left off, but in a much more accessible way. Ubisoft has tightened up the UI and shaken up the gameplay – overworld movement handles better, and everything in the game is actioned via an in-game mobile phone system, which makes both battle menus and overworld menus easier to interact with. The Fractured But Whole keeps the core RPG elements of its predecessor, but adds more…

“SHOOT ‘TRUTH BULLETS’ TO ROOT OUT FALSEHOODS.” FORMAT PS4, PS VITA / ETA 29 SEP / PUB NIS AMERICA / DEV SPIKE CHUNSOFT This twisted visual novel series might now be on its third instalment, but Killing Harmony is the first developed for PS4 as well as Vita. Moving from handheld to the home console has given Spike Chunsoft extra power to play with, and the presentation has been seriously stepped up. Killing Harmony is just about recognisable as a Danganronpa game, but it’s a lot busier, a lot deeper, and a lot more active. As is usual in Danganronpa, you’re trying to discover the identity of the mastermind behind a killing game you’ve been trapped in. It’s the first title in the series to feature a female protagonist, and…

1 The ability to shield the ball means there’s time to plan your killer pass, but you need to get into position to ‘activate’ the new shield move to make it work. 2 The goal kick camera is now above the keeper, and with no guides you need to pass the ball with line-of-sight. This will take some getting used to. 3 As with the goal kicks, corners also use the line-of-sight approach. It feels less accurate and harder to judge power, but practice makes perfect.…

“WE WERE SURPRISED BY HOW COMPLEX A LOT OF OUR DIALOGUE OPTIONS WERE.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 13 FEB 2018 / PUB DEEP SILVER / DEV WARHORSE STUDIOS You’re special, most RPGs tell you. You matter. Well, not this one. It’s trying to be a far more realistic affair. You aren’t the Dragonborn, you aren’t a Witcher, you’re the son of a blacksmith, and you’re not going to be able to take on armies of enemies at once. Because you’ll die. Just like in real life. Intriguingly, Kingdom Come falls somewhere between simulation and a classic RPG: if you don’t eat enough, drink enough, or get enough sleep, things are going to end badly for you. This is an extension of RPG mechanics we’ve seen in other games, but taken…

THE INPATIENT FORMAT PS VR ETA TBC / PUB SONY DEV SUPERMASSIVE GAMES This psychological VR horror expands the Until Dawn universe by heading back to Blackwood Pines Sanatorium. The twist is that it’s set 60 years before its predecessor, with your (unsurprisingly) amnesiac protagonist having to piece together how he ended up there. What’s really spooky is the tech behind it, as you interact with the characters using voice controls. The branching narrative of Until Dawn returns, which means there’ll be multiple endings to clumsily guide yourself towards. This looks like it’ll recapture what makes PS4’s premier teen murder simulator so special. SHAKEDOWN: HAWAII FORMAT PS4, PS VITA ETA TBC / PUB VBLANK ENTERTAINMENT / DEV VBLANK ENTERTAINMENT This follow-up to the 2D GTA-esque Retro City Rampage promises to…

We have quite a few tombs in the game, and they range from being classical puzzles to navigation puzzles and navigation challenges,” explains creative director Ashraf Ismail, who tells us there are a plethora of styles of tombs to encounter and solve, and all of them are historically accurate. “A lot of them are actually built off of the actual true tombs that we’ve researched,” he adds. The development team used historians to help craft each tomb, to ensure authenticity even when designing around the needs of gameplay. Ismail explains the design team would consult the historians when wanting to push a gameplay puzzle, or a navigation challenge, in order to construct it in a way that would feel true to how the Ancient Egyptians built their tombs. “So we…

As the old saying goes, ‘the devil is in the details’. For a game built around epic space opera, grand vistas, and exotic new worlds to explore, what made Destiny memorable was the minutiae. It was the crest on a Guardian’s armour, the remnants of ancient machinery, and the tease of a new town just over the horizon. The sequel will be no different. Great care is being taken to build worlds that feel more alive than ever before, despite having been partially destroyed by the Red Legion, splinter faction of the Cabal. After playing the game we met up with Michael Zak, art director on Destiny 2, to discover the tiny, yet world-building, details he’s had a hand in designing. From the clothes the Guardians wear, which offer a…

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.…

“SOME DIALOGUE IS SO TERRIBLE IT’S PHYSICALLY PAINFUL TO ENDURE.” INFO FORMAT PS4 ALSO ON PS VITA ETA OUT NOW PUB DEEP SILVER DEV MEDIA.VISION You don’t need to be a fan of the Valkyria Chronicles series to understand and play this. Actually, it’s probably best if you’re not; the popular turn-based combat system and distinctive graphical styles (sumptuous watercolour-esque visuals for the first game, more cartoony presentation for the handheld sequels) have been ruthlessly tossed aside to further distance this spinoff from the main games. The results aren’t pretty, and I’m not just talking about the fact that the PS4 version is clearly a Vita game wearing an unconvincing moustache and slightly more expensive trousers. It’s far from an aesthetic disaster – there’s some very nice art design at…

FORMAT PS VR ETA OUT NOW PUB FORGE REPLY DEV FORGE REPLY While everyone else and their dogs are creating PS VR games in first-person, Italian dev Forge Reply has struck out on its own path with this third-person Ancient Greek adventure that wears its Ico influences proudly. It’s a choice that pays off. From the moment Theseus staggers onto the screen, from behind your left shoulder, a sense of unease permeates the game. As the Greek legend stumbles and staggers through Minos’ famous labyrinth, it’s apparent he’s vulnerable, a victim. The floating third-person camera makes you feel protective towards the titular character. You’re an observer as Theseus struggles to outfox the 30-foot Minotaur that stalks him, even though you have direct control over his actions. It’s a unique quirk…

“FEATURING EPIC BOSS BATTLES AND A MATURE PLOT, FFXII OOZES GRANDEUR.” INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB SQUARE ENIX DEV SQUARE ENIX Every game deserves a second chance, this more than most. Originally released in PS2’s twilight years, when PS3 was glimmering on the horizon, FFXII’s time to shine was sadly limited when it embarked on its maiden voyage over a decade ago. Now sailing onto PS4 in the form of an imaginative remaster with a revamped combat system, this old-school JRPG proves age is just a number. Opening with a royal wedding procession through the city of Rabanastre, FFXII showers you with drama from the outset. Featuring extravagant costumes, epic boss battles, and a mature plot, it has an air of grandeur many modern entries in the series…

INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB STARBREEZE STUDIOS DEV BEHAVIOUR INTERACTIVE You wait years for one asymmetrical multiplayer serial-killer-versus-terrified-teenagers game, and then two turn up at once. First we lived through Friday The 13th, which was pretty good (7/10, OPM #138), and now we have Behaviour Interactive’s attempt to slash its way to success. Regrettably, while it may have a creative cast on its side, it ultimately fails to stand up to Jason. Dead By Daylight pits four survivors against one of a creative array of very naughty killers.1 The survivors’ goal is to repair enough generators to escape while avoiding the killer’s attempts to sacrifice them to a supernatural entity. Hiding, running, working together, and even screwing over your teammates are totally valid strategies, as long as you…

INFO  FORMAT PS4 (PLAYLINK) ETA OUT NOW PUB SONY DEV WISH STUDIOS Team OPM hasn’t been the same since editor Ian and I played this PlayLink debut together. “Who would be the first to get lost in the woods?” the game asks. Everyone votes for who the person in the group they suspect can’t handle the outdoors. Ian votes for me. I vote for Ian. Our other teammates plump for me. As party games go, this one also works as an ego-busting simulator. Before you start demolishing your friends’ self-worth, you’ll need to make sure you have a smartphone or tablet to hand. That’s You! is PlayLink’s first game after all, and fortunately setting it up is a doddle. Download the That’s You! app, connect to the same Wi-Fi network…

WAR THUNDER Ian Dean shoots, scores, and quits Ergh, what’s that? A ruddy mouse cursor on my lovely PS4? Not a good start, War Thunder, not good at all. But I’m in need of some cheap thrills and this free-to-play shooter promises air, sea, and land conflict – the triple threat – so I’m in. Taking to the skies, the dogfighting leans heavily on the sim-side; I spend 10 minutes slowly tracking a dot on the horizon and occasionally pop a few rounds in its general direction. A puff of smoke, both planes crash into the sea thanks to poor controls, and it’s over. Uninstalled. I head back to PES 2017 – at least I tried something new. DRAGON QUEST HEROES II Miriam McDonald lends a helping hand I’m trying…

1 FREE THE CHAIN-SMOKERS PARIS.VR What we’re looking at here is essentially a music video for New York duo The Chainsmokers. Personally, I’m more of a Wet Flannel fan (just wait until the unending summer of 2024), but I guess this pair will do in a pinch. This experience has you gliding through different environments, from a neon highway to an underground traffic tunnel, all in time to music. In an impressive touch, turning your head to glance at certain parts of the world triggers a note, giving this a kind of dude-bro Rez vibe. Despite having a brain capacity that’s similar to a late-generation iPod, ‘Paris’ is a song that I just can’t remember, even though I was playing this about ten minutes ago. Still, for the few moments…

1 “THE PHYSICAL RANGE OF EXERCISES REQUIRED TO SHOOT ALL THESE MONKEYS IS EXHAUSTING, MIND.” 2 “IF YOU PLAN ON OPENING IT ALONE, THEN IT’S WORTH THINKING TWICE… IF YOU’VE ANY BACKUP ON CALL, THEN TUCK IN. VEGAS IS MEANT TO BE SHARED.” 3 “A GAME THAT HAS HAD ITS TIME: A MECHANIC THAT WAS GROUND-BREAKING ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN INTEREST TEN YEARS AGO NO LONGER POSSESSES THE SAME CLOUT.” 4 “NOT SINCE GTA V HAS AN OPEN WORLD BEEN SO MOREISH, EACH ACTIVITY DELIVERING FUN IN ALMOST EQUAL MEASURE.”…

PICK #1 PUYO PUYO TETRIS ‘Once you pop, you can’t stop’ doesn’t just apply to snacks, learns Miriam McDonald Online Puyo Puyo Tetris is alarmingly moreish. You get to choose which game you play, as does your opponent, and then it’s a race to see who fills the other’s screen first. Beware an opponent who doesn’t seem to be clearing many lines; that’s usually a prelude to them getting three Tetrises in a row, at which point all you can do is wince as your screen is flooded with bricks. PICK #2 PEGGLE 2 Popcap’s ode to joy manages to keep Ben Tyrer hooked years after release While it’s bending the rules to call this a puzzler, there’s enough skill in lining up high-scoring shots to make this pachinko-esque delight…

Ben Tyrer GAMES EDITOR Ben jumped at the chance to step up and become OPM’s new Games Ed. In fact, he got all wrapped up. GAME OF THE MONTH Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy FAVE EGYPTIAN GOD Set – God of chaos Louise Blain GUEST WRITER With a Jen-shaped hole in OPM Towers, Louise was on hand to play AC Origins. She turned heads, or was it the Pharaohmones? GAME OF THE MONTH Assassin’s Creed Origins FAVE EGYPTIAN GOD Seshat – Writing goddess Miriam McDonald OPERATIONS EDITOR After spending the month trading space junk in Elite, Mim launched her own get-rich-quick idea. It’s a pyramid scheme. GAME OF THE MONTH Elite: Dangerous FAVE EGYPTIAN GOD Bast – Cat goddess Milford Coppock MANAGING ART EDITOR Milf has been invited to star…

1888 PS4 games released between December 2013 and June 2017. 33,000,000 Rocket League players worldwide (across all platforms). 16.5 Activision Blizzard’s percentage of all the physical games sold in June. 24 Crash’s position in the UK franchise list (boxed sales from 1995 to 9/7/17). 1,000 Frontier Points you get with the Elite Dangerous: Legendary Edition (p88). 31,680 How many minutes to wait before Uncharted: The Lost Legacy releases. 01 The chart position of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy on release. 1,000,000 People attended the Sony-sponsored London Pride march in July.…

“ SCALE’ IS THE WORD – ALL OF ANCIENT CHINA IS EXPLORABLE. THAT’S BIG.” There are major changes coming to the Dynasty Warriors series. For a franchise that has refused to change dramatically over the course of 20 years, this is huge news. Indeed, ‘scale’ is the word buzzing around Dynasty Warriors 9 like Turban infantry circling a general, as Omega Force promises an open world game in which all of ancient China is explorable. That’s big. Between the colossal battles, the 1v1,000 fights the series is renowned for, you’ll be able to go off-piste and travel China on foot, horseback, or by boat. We’ve seen screens of tigers and pandas out in the wilderness, which suggests hunting side quests – though what heartless monster would want to stalk and…

ZERO PLUS Horizon Zero Dawn’s 1.30 patch is a biggie. Adding a New Game Plus mode, it’ll keep us hunting until The Frozen Wilds DLC launches. BOWLED OVER Tekken 7’s first DLC releases this month, and it’s a doozy. Ultimate Tekken Bowl sees the return of Tekken Tag Tournament’s lunch-hour-busting take on 10-pin bowling. STOLEN HEARTS Square Enix confirmed a new Toy Story world is heading to Kingdom Hearts III, and it sent us to infinity and beyond! We can’t wait to explore Andy’s room and meet Woody and the gang. FORGE AHEAD The new Nemesis Forge update for Shadow Of Mordor allows you to export your highest ranking orc rival and ally into the forthcoming Shadow Of War. SPIDEY NONSENSE US film website Variety mistakenly used screen grabs of…

@VICTORVRAN Who is Geralt and what is a Witcher and why are there 3 of them!? There is only one Demon Hunter! @BIGKING123 The version of God Of War shown at E3 was on base PS4 so can’t imagine how it will look on Pro. @JASONH123456 I bought a Pro on the 26th of last month. I love it, the graphics are awesome. @ROBABOWMAN One of life’s great unanswered questions: did Hank Scorpio actually have milk in his pockets? @1BRADLEYRUSSELL My mission to plaster the world in cr*p puns continues. @HIGGIE_BABY Awesome cover this month guys! TROLL OF THE MONTH @SOLM67 Is editor Ian Dean related to Louis Walsh? [Harsh, man, harsh – Ed] @SCOTT180WARREN Do us fans a favour, see if Activision can do a remake of Tenchu Stealth…

“SONY’S FIRST-PARTY TITLES ARE SENDING OUT A MESSAGE: THEY WANT YOU TO FEEL A TEENSY BIT SAD. AND IT’S THE LAST OF US’ FAULT.” Videogames are a serious business for serious, grown-up people. That’s the message that rang out from this year’s E3 PlayStation press conference. (Sorry, ‘Media Showcase’). The time of snuggling up in the easygoing embrace of happy-go-lucky fare like Uncharted, Ratchet & Clank, and LittleBigPlanet is over. We’re now entering the age of sombre PS4 sadness. Best keep the hankies on standby. I’m jesting, of course… well, kind of. Sony’s LA presser was brimming to bursting point with spectacular upcoming titles, so this glumness filling the air has nothing to do with quality. Instead, it’s all about themes. The message Sony’s first-party titles seem to be sending…

1 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV Niko isn’t fussed about the American Dream when he arrives in Liberty City. No, he just wants revenge on the man who betrayed his unit back in the Balkan badass’ army days. Bellic catches up to his target in the mission, ‘That Special Someone’, where you can either cap or spare the pathetic Darko Brevic – your choice. 2 UNTIL DAWN Following the deaths of his sisters, unhinged teen Josh orchestrates an elaborate weekend of haunted house revenge on his chums. Said vengeance mainly revolves around him dressing up like a cross between Pennywise and Jason Voorhees… that, and faking his own grisly bisection. 3 METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE Hey, you can’t spell ‘revenge’ without ‘Revengeance’, right? While working as a cyborg security guard in…

“SPEEDRUN/SCORE ATTACK FUN WILL KEEP YOU COMING BACK FOR MORE.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA WINTER 2017 PUB SEGA / DEV SONIC TEAM Sonic games are apparently like buses – you wait ages for a good one, then two come along at once. Aside from overseeing Sonic Mania, Sonic Team has been hard at work making its new 3D Sonic title, Sonic Forces. This issue’s hands-on has us believing it could be the Sonic Generations follow-up we’ve been craving. The game is split into three game types, with Modern Sonic blazing through densely-detailed environments, Classic Sonic offering familiar side-on speedy action (and back in Green Hill as he is contractually bound to revisit forever), and a new character creation mode where you make your own rookie resistance fighter. It feels strange…

“NOW YOU CAN BREAK INDIVIDUAL BONES, AND THERE ARE HUNGER AND THIRST METERS.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 2018 / PUB KONAMI / DEV KONAMI As the first Metal Gear developed without Hideo Kojima, this was always going to be a tricky sell. But, to this oddity’s credit, it doesn’t trade on past glories. Instead, it focuses on an alternate universe that has zombies with crystals for heads roaming around, while you try to defend yourself from them. Snake, we’re not in Kansas any more. It’s been a while since we saw this, so a quick recap. You’re playing as a soldier from Mother Base who has been sucked through a wormhole and has to survive by scavenging for resources. While there will be a single-player campaign, our hands-on puts the…

DESTINY 2 Strong of shoulder pad and fiercely booted, the Fashion Police are here to put an end to crimes against style. This shooter sees you take down perps wearing socks with sandals, a fedora, or anything from the ’90s. FORMAT PS4 ETA 6 SEP DISHONORED: DEATH OF THE OUTSIDER Doctor! A nasty accident has left your patient with a chunk of glass embedded in her face. Can you remove it before she expires? A challenging puzzler. FORMAT PS4 ETA 15 SEP THE EVIL WITHIN 2 An open-world adventure in which you play a graveyard statue that’s brought to life and has to return to the quarry its marble came from so it can free other sculptures from the rock. Note: not The Rock. FORMAT PS4 ETA 13 OCT…

“PUSHES THE DEFINITION OF THE SANDBOX OUTWARDS.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 27 FEB 2018 PUB UBISOFT / DEV UBISOFT Far Cry has become known as an explosive, globe-trekking sandbox of a series, intent on giving players the freedom to cut loose in exotic climes. From surviving in the African plains to warring against a dictator dug in like a tick in the Himalayas, uncovering a mystery on a Pacific island to mastering animal husbandry in neolithic Europe, it has pushed the definition of sandbox outwards, merging the idea of immersive exploration with chaotic trigger-happy gunplay. You wouldn’t really associate either of those things with Montana. Yet that’s where Far Cry 5 calls home. In the gentle (fictional) foothills of Hope County, a religious cult calling itself Project Eden’s Gate has…

“THERE’S A FULLY FLEDGED FOOD CHAIN WHERE MONSTERS HUNT AND FIGHT.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA SPRING 2018 / PUB CAPCOM / DEV CAPCOM As Sir David Attenborough is 91, he probably doesn’t have much use for videogames. Still, we’re sure the beloved naturalist would adore Monster Hunter: World. Giant lizard things eating slightly smaller lizard things! Beasts regurgitating food to feed their babies! The goriest circle of life since poor Mufasa got crushed by that wildebeest stampede! This is videogame nature done right. Even though we’ve only been demoed a 25-minute walkthrough, we’re confident Monster Hunter: World is going to offer a good time. This is a series that has clearly looked at its historically poor Western sales, examined what needs updating, then overhauled its core mechanics to match the…

VIEWPOINT “IT'S STILL 1995 AS FAR AS SONIC MANIA IS CONCERNED, AND THE RESULTS ARE BEAUTIFUL. BARRING A CATACLYSMIC WEREHOG INJECTION, EXPECT THE BEST SONIC GAME EVER.” FORMAT PS4 ETA 15 AUG PUB SEGA DEV HEADCANNON/PAGODAWEST GAMES We only review finished games, so in Viewpoint, we go hands-on with near-final code of a game that has just missed our review deadline. Long-term hedgehog fan Justin’s been hands-on twice with Sonic Mania, and this is his definitive pre-release verdict. I’ve been playing Sonic games since 1991, and firmly believe Sonic Mania is close to being the best of all of them. Seriously, it would take an error of monumental proportions to screw it up now. And Sega seems to believe that, too, since the game has enjoyed a few extra months…

Get set for the release of Assassin’s Creed Origins with our 148-page Assassin’s Creed Origins: Ultimate Series Guidebook. We explore every previous game in the series leading up to the release of Origins. And we’re giving it away! Simply use the URL below, enter your name, email address, and country, and we’ll email you a link to download your ebook. Completely free – what are you waiting for? bit.ly/assassins-creed-book…

America. Land of the enslaved and home of super-soldier BJ Blazkowicz. Last time we saw him he was ready to embrace the sweet release of death after finally defeating General Deathshead. Now he’s back on home soil, but it’s not quite how he remembers it… If you briefly glance at the bustling streets of Roswell – where OPM’s demo of this thrilling sequel is taking place – you might mistake it for a typical slice of ’60s Americana. There are blue skies, a family friendly diner and a ticker tape parade. Except the parade is commemorating V-Day, when the Nazis finally won the war and captured America. As Blazkowicz wanders through the streets in a firefighter’s disguise, we witness just how thoroughly America has been perverted. Nazi…

“THIS IS THE WAY YOUR MIND’S EYE REMEMBERS PS1 CRASH: A SMOOTH AND GORGEOUS GAME.” INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB ACTIVISION DEV VICARIOUS VISIONS Think of the great PlayStation reunion of 2017 as a summer festival. While the likes of Parappa The Rapper and WipEout are great to see on the bill, there is only one headliner everyone is here for. Naughty Dog’s famous furry creation launches himself onto the stage and, let’s be honest, how can the years have been this kind? Well, Crash has the sorcerers at Vicarious Visions to thank for that. Considering they built this almost entirely from the ground up, they’ve done an utterly astonishing job of giving the trilogy a makeover that drags it up to 2017 standards…

INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB SQUARE ENIX DEV SAND SQUARE STUDIO Are we all just cogs in a machine? Not in this platform-puzzler we’re not, in here you’re a human-robot hybrid in a machine, and an unpleasant one at that. Running, jumping, and furiously pedalling exercise bikes, in Black The Fall your task is to escape the distinctly 1984 world that has turned you into a compliant industrial slave. Every new scene is a monochrome delight, with an oppressive tone and environmental storytelling that’ll suck you into the world by creating an uneasy dread, the fear that you’ll return to mindless slavery1 if you’re caught. The problem is, if someone spots you, you’re dead. Very dead. Luckily death is a part of the learning process, though at times…

INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB CODEMASTERS DEV CODEMASTERS, JUST ADD WATER Taking your tiny police car for a spin around a kitchen table race track littered with obstacles from Cheerios to spilled ketchup was once the height of multiplayer gaming. Dragged screaming into the modern day at a budget price, Codemasters’ attempt to tickle the nostalgia bone while bringing controller-smashing defeats is a mixed bag, and not of the penny sweets we all loved as kids. As you’d expect, Micro Machines’ main draw is the multiplayer, and of course all players should be in the same room. Whether you’re enjoying a standard race, an elimination, or just taking on the battle royal-esque, er, Battle mode, the entertainment value is massively improved by the hilarity of shafting your friends.…

INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB TEAM 17 DEV MOTHERSHIP ENTERTAINMENT The future sure seems exciting. After tiring of inventions like hoverboards and self-lacing shoes, humanity sets its sights on forming civilisations light years from the comfort of Earth. As Governor, you’re charged with overseeing Aven Prime, humanity’s first colony outside the Solar System. No pressure, right? You’re involved in virtually every aspect of the colony’s functioning. This includes building generators for power, habitats for the population, farms for food, air purifiers and police drones for safety, and immigration centres to expand the population. Keeping your settlers happy and healthy is your primary goal, and necessary if you want to win referendums and stay in command.1 Sometimes maintaining a functional colony requires tough actions, like enforcing food rations when…

Now that the horror of finding out your friends all think you couldn’t handle a jaunt in the great outdoors is over, let’s take a look at what else hit PS Plus in July. Whether it was luring a group of teens to their death in Until Dawn or hurling punches in Darkstalkers Resurrection, it was a good one for all things terrifying. Half old-school horror, half Choose Your Own Adventure, UNTIL DAWN had us gripped once again as we planned the demise of the ‘teenagers’ central to the plot. With some fantastic performances and some enjoyably gruesome deaths the only thing we couldn’t work out is why this wasn’t saved for October. We had a great time with Telltale’s Tales From The Borderlands in May, so another offering from…

INFO FORMAT PS4 PUB SONY DEV SONY XDEV EUROPE/ CLEVER BEANS/EPOS GAME STUDIOS REVIEW 138, 8/10 Let’s start with the good news. Racing online against real people is as much fun as it should be. Tense matches that can turn on the right weapon deployed at the right time are a joy to share with competitors who aren’t AI. There’s a strong selection of modes, from standard single races to the destructive Eliminator. But while it’s hard not to get a kick out of the racing, getting into a match proves frustrating. Eschewing streamlined matchmaking for a lobby system feels archaic on a console in 2017, with the lack of a quick match option a bizarre omission. And, unfortunately, the lobbies are already quiet. You won’t be spoilt for choice…

DIABLO III: RISE OF THE NECROMANCER The Necromancer class from Diablo 2 is ours to play with in the main campaign, with new Necromancer-themed events and loot for all of your party. While there’s no new campaign, fans of the series will love the attention to detail. NIOH: DEFIANT HONOR New weapon Tonfa, armour, magic items, and enemies are on offer in the second Nioh DLC – Defiant Honor. Fight alongside Sanada Yukimura – Japan’s greatest warrior – in Osaka Castle and the stronghold of Sanada Maru as William goes in pursuit of Maria. CALL OF DUTY: INFINITE WARFARE – ABSOLUTION Just when you thought it was safe to return to Infinite Warfare, we get a Zombies map, Attack Of The Radioactive Thing!, set in a ’50s-creature-feature-inspired coastal town. There…

Back in the 1980s, a British TV detective took the world by storm. Bruce Mindhorn was a former MI5 operative who could literally see the truth thanks to a robotic eye-patch. Naturally he used his unique ability to solve crimes on the Isle Of Man. Mindhorn is, alas, the invention of Simon Barrett (The Mighty Boosh) and Simon Farnaby (Horrible Histories), but he could easily sit alongside Bergerac and fellow TV PIs. Picking up 30 years after Mindhorn’s heyday, actor Richard Thorncroft (Barrett) has fallen on hard times, but catches a ‘lucky’ break when a killer on the loose demands to speak to Thorncroft’s fictional alter-ego. Sensing the PR opportunity of a lifetime, Thorncroft straps on an eyepatch and travels to Man, where his ego clashes with police procedure, and…

INFO PUB UBISOFT DEV MASSIVE ENTERTAINMENT RELEASED 2016 GET IT NOW AMAZON, £11.99 WHAT? A slick sandbox third-person shooter set in near-future NYC after a smallpox outbreak, with smart RPG elements. Only FIFA 17, COD: Infinite Warfare, and Battlefield 1 outsold it in 2016. WHO? Former OPM editor Ben Wilson likes his PlayStation shooters loud, brash and dumb, and so has never been near Splinter Cell or Rainbow Six. For which he makes no apologies. “ THE LACK OF DEEPER POLITICAL INTRIGUE IS WHAT KEEPS ME PLAYING.” Confession: I’ve never played a Tom Clancy game – and that’s a very deliberate decision. Tactics are for FIFA, strategies for Sim City. My dream blaster is Bulletstorm: in, out, shake some shells about, do the shooty-shooty and then turn around, celebrating testikills.…

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. 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. KEEP TALKING AND NOBODY EXPLODES Who knew bombs could bring people together? With one headsetted Defuser, and as many Experts as…

“WE HAVE DESIGNED AREAS WITH SOMETHING LIKE 6,000 RODENTS. WE’D LIKE TO GO FURTHER.” Rats. We’re going to see a lot of the furry little terrors in A Plague Tale: Innocence. While we’ll be playing as the Inquisition-dodging children Amicia and Hugo, it’s the rodent army that could run away with this Middle Ages-set adventure. The recent teaser trailer featured 3,000 rats, but lead game designer, Kevin Choteau wants to go bigger. “We have also designed areas with something like 6,000 rodents. We’d like to go further, up to 10,000 as the story critically evolves,” he says. RAT-A-TWOEY Inspired by Hansel and Gretel, the game will use the ‘rat swarm’ as both a danger and an aid to the children. For instance, rats have an aversion to fire and light:…

“GIVE ME AN ISLAND IN THE SUN, AND THROW IN SOME PUZZLES.” Hey team, are you sitting comfortably? Let me recall my holiday… Golden sandy beaches, cool lakes, bronzed-leafed trees, and ancient castles for a spot of culture, all within walking distance. The Witness’ idyllic isle is the perfect getaway spot. Okay, so there’s the odd frozen man to spoil some snaps, and I had to eat my weight in superfoods – blueberries are brainberries – to solve those puzzles, but I’ve got lots to show for it. Snaps of me solving a maze in the woods, a maze in the ruins, a maze by the sea… Mim, Milf? Where are you going? Ben, I’ve got pics of me solving mazes over here. Readers, maze photos? Anyone? “THE TIBETAN VILLAGE…

“THE CURRENT GENERATION NEEDS MORE TRIPLE AAA GAMES THAT BREAK BOUNDARIES.” There’s no denying the awesomeness of AAA titles. With their high production values, they’re unparalleled in scope. However, the rising cost involved in creating them dissuades publishers from taking risks on more unique projects. This has resulted in an over-reliance on secure, established franchises, surefire formulas, and nostalgia-inducing remasters. That’s not to say that AAAs have entirely lost the ability to delight. Recently we’ve been gifted with magical journeys like The Last Guardian and Horizon Zero Dawn, but games like these are increasingly becoming the exception rather than the rule. The problem’s not insoluble, though. With Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Ninja Theory is fusing the creative freedom of indies with the feel of a full-blown AAA title. Chances are, if…

“NAUGHTY DOG ISN’T MESSING WITH THE SERIES’ 10/10 FORMULA.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 22 AUG PUB SONY / DEV NAUGHTY DOG Nadine Ross is a brutal badass. Nate and Sam learned not to make the merc cranky the hard way in Uncharted 4… pity they never gave a heads-up to the schmucks at the start of The Lost Legacy’s latest in-game demo. No sooner does Chloe suggest she “take left” if her uneasy ally “takes right” than the South African soldier clinically dispatches two guards, breaking one’s neck and kicking the other off a cliff. Ms Ross sure ain’t Sully. This ambitious Uncharted expansion may do a more sociopathic line in AI sidekicks than Nathan Drake’s adventures, but elsewhere it looks very much like business as usual. Of course, when…

1 You can make your own custom Sonic hero, and flesh it out with cool moves. Here’s one rocket-jumping over Green Hill to collect rings. 2 This one has an energy beam attack. You might be having flashbacks to PS2’s titular hero Shadow The Hedgehog, but there’s more to this than grit. 3 The flamethrower in action. You’re not able to aim it above your head, which is a shame, but clearing your path as you run feels terrific.…

“WE MANAGE TO T-BONE THEIR SHIP WITH OUR BATTERING RAM.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 2018 / PUB UBISOFT / DEV UBISOFT Considering how much fun it was to sail the seas in the Jackdaw in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, it’s no surprise that Ubisoft is heading back to the ocean. But this isn’t a follow up to our past cover star’s series. Instead, Skull & Bones is an intriguing seafaring fighter that casts you as the captain of your very own warship, hunting for the one thing salty dogs crave the most: treasure. We’re sampling multiplayer mode Loot Hunt, a 5v5 skirmish where teams battle to capture and escape with as much booty as possible. You can plunder it from AI merchant ships who are daft enough to be…

“IF LAST YEAR’S GAME WAS ABOUT PACE, PES 2018 IS SHOWBOATING.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 14 SEP PUB KONAMI / DEV KONAMI One game that’s guaranteed to make you cry is Pro Evolution Soccer. If you judge a game on its ability to leverage passion from players, the PES series is in a league of its own. If a key myClub player gets injured it can ruin carefully planned tactics. Our play of PES 2018 tells us to expect more tears… This year’s game is far slower than PES 2017, and passing more precise. The days of spamming balls forward to speedy wingers could be over, replaced by methodical midfield build-up. Helping this is the new Real Touch+ dribble control. In our hands-on, the improved animation and control sensitivity saw…

Nick Rye Your eye in the sky – a cropduster pilot who’s seen his fair share of violence and has no objections to dropping bombs from on high. Grace Armstrong A sniper who prefers to keep her distance, clock enemies from afar, and help suppress threats without getting directly engaged. Boomer This well-trained dog will retrieve guns for you, silently take out targets, and be an all-round good boy when you’re in stealth mode. Your friend Far Cry 5 can be played entirely in co-op, so if you’ve got a friend you want to liberate Hope County with, you’ll be able to do it between you.…

“THE DESTRUCTIVE PAYOFF YOU GET WHEN YOU CHAIN A REGULAR COMBO INTO A SUPER IS WELL WORTH THE EFFORT.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA EARLY 2018 PUB BANDAI NAMCO / DEV ARC SYSTEM WORKS Goku’s story is massive . Almost 150 games related to Dragon Ball have been released, but none has got us as excited as Dragon Ball FighterZ. Developed by Arc System Works (the minds behind the BlazBlue and Guilty Gear series), FighterZ has the potential to be the best Dragon Ball game to ever come to PlayStation. We’re serious. The visuals alone are impressive enough to make you stop in your tracks – Arc System Works is using the same modified Unreal 3 engine it used in Guilty Gear Xrd to bring this game to…

“IT’S GONE FULL ACTION-RPG, WITH QUESTS, ABILITIES, LOOT, AND LEVELLING.” “WE KEEP CROCODILES AT BAY WITH BAYEK’S BOW THAT FIRES FIVE ARROWS AT ONCE.” Unlike the infamous dusty mummies who no doubt spring to mind when you imagine it, Ancient Egypt is truly alive. With no outstretched arms and undead shuffling required, 49BC is positively buzzing with life. Crocodiles lurk dangerously in the leafy shade of the riverbanks, hippopotami wallow in the deeper water, and boats of every shape and size criss-cross the Nile with their cargoes. Men and women work in the long grass of the surprisingly lush Faiyum region, and gazelle scatter as new hero Bayek’s horse clatters into a small town. Man with a hood? Beautifully realised historical time period? So far, so Assassin’s Creed, but that’s…

OPM: Origins finally gives us a skill tree that really matters. How important was it to deliver a genuine amount of choice for players? Ashraf Ismail: Where the ability graph came from initially, it was really an intention early on when we decided to go much more RPG. One of the main reasons was really the way we looked at the way people consumed Assassin’s Creed. What we saw was there were two very distinct play styles; one was a warrior style, and one was a stealth style. We wanted to cherish both – one is not better than the other – so we decided: ‘Okay, why not allow players to play the game as they prefer, as they wish?’ At the same time, we were adding the bow so…

INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB PRIDEFUL SLOTH DEV PRIDEFUL SLOTH Being shipwrecked in real life isn’t a pleasant experience. You’re far away from home, in an unfamiliar environment, and have no clue what to do next. Games, however, should be more enjoyable. Yonder kicks off with this seafaring disaster, so every bone in my body expects a tutorial level introducing the island. It doesn’t. Uh-oh. That doesn’t bode well. So. I’m in a cave. It’s as decent a place as any to start an open-world adventure game, I think as I totter through its tunnels, enjoying the clink of my rucksack and the pleasingly smooth, Pixar-ish cave walls. A blue light draws me close, and I’m expecting to discover a guide figure, or a book explaining the world.…

INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB THUNDER LOTUS DEV THUNDER LOTUS Play as Eshe, a tiny sword-wielding wanderer navigating gorgeous hand-drawn caverns filled with plunging waterfalls, secret shrines, and long-abandoned research facilities. She’s got upgradeable combat moves, acrobatic traversal abilities, and a cool cape that swirls and swishes – what’s to be scared of? Well, infinity for one thing, because parts of these caves rearrange upon your death. Yep, we’re in rogue-lite territory. Instead of inviting exploration, though, it inhibits it. Rooms reorganise around an unchanging critical path,1 so any plucky spelunking is tinged with the dread of backtracking. On many occasions we travel dozens of screens down looking for viable routes, hit a dead end, and have to begin an arduous wall-jump ascent back up. Randomly spawning enemies…

“THERE ARE AT LEAST A DOZEN WAYS TO DIE AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.” INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB FRONTIER DEVELOPMENTS DEV FRONTIER DEVELOPMENTS The Milky Way’s 400 billion star systems are open for business. Set a course to Sol and gaze upon Saturn’s rings, touch down on a planet and spin your rover’s wheels, or fly directly into the sun. Before doing any of that, though, you’ll need to do a flight check. Is your landing gear up? Is your cargo scoop retracted? Have you diverted power to the engines? Do you have a system permit? Oh, you’ve exploded. Authentic space flight is ridiculously complex. This reboot of 1984 classic Elite is about trading goods at spaceports, mining raw elements from asteroids, upgrading into bigger and better vessels,…

INFO FORMAT PS VR ETA OUT NOW PUB VERTIGO GAMES DEV VERTIGO GAMES/JAYWALKERS INTERACTIVE There’s no part of ‘shooting zombies in VR’ that doesn’t sound like fun, and this game nails the dream (nightmare?) beautifully. The execution is simple, but at the same time fun, scary, and exhilarating, as you crisis-manage encroaching undead hordes through the medium of ohgodjustkeepshooting. Zombies approach from any direction, so expect plenty of six-checking as you try to survive – you might think you’ve got it all under control but there’s nothing more terrifying than noticing, amid all the chaos, that one of the moans is a bit too close and… behind you. Sound design is excellent in that respect, and this is one of the few games where listening is an invaluable skill. The…

INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB TELLTALE GAMES, MOJANG DEV TELLTALE GAMES, MOJANG For a developer that made its name forging story-led games out of franchises such as Game Of Thrones and The Walking Dead, Telltale adapting Minecraft seems like a case of forcing a square peg – or cubic block – into the proverbial round hole. How does a game about building and exploration, with a huge following of younger players, fit into the death ‘n’ decisions subgenre Telltale has constructed for itself? The answer, it turns out, is with a surprising amount of charm. The blocky visual style helps hide some of the cracks in Telltale’s ageing engine, and the story lends internal consistency to the world of Minecraft. Characters congratulate each other on lucky loot drops,…

INFO FORMAT PS4 PUB GAZILLION ENTERTAINMENT DEV SECRET IDENTITY STUDIOS REVIEW N/A Free-to-play games can be daunting, particularly if you prefer playing solo to social. Which is why Marvel Heroes Omega feels fresh. Owing more than a cowled nod to Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, this is an action-RPG that can be played at your own pace, solo or with friends. There’s a healthy story mode to play through, which mixes dungeon crawling for loot with open-world environments where you’ll mingle with other players. Crucially, you can play the way you like. Want to keep things simple (and free)? Then play solo with one hero. Want to indulge and own all 38 comic characters, mix powers, and develop new weapons? Then you’ll need to start splashing the cash. Paying is more fun,…

CAPITãO LORETO SET Another DLC pack for Rainbow Six Siege that essentially offers new gear and little else. Want an Esperanza weapon skin for the M249 LMG? Sign up, soldier. FIGHTER PACK 2 - SUB-ZERO Sub-Zero follows Red Hood in coming to Injustice 2, and is a fun DC interpretation of the Mortal Kombat legend. Roll on Starfire… PACK 1: 10 TENANT HOUSES With house prices soaring you may not be able to afford a real house*, but with Constructor’s DLC you can get 10 for free. *Bit of politics STEEP EXTREME PACK Three new sports – Rocket Wings, Base Jumping, and Speed Riding – are wrapped in a new story and challenges. The name may be Steep, but the price isn’t. DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2 – DB SUPER PACK…

THE HANDMAIDEN 7 AUG A devious Korean count employs a meek handmaiden to scam a Japanese heiress in this erotic thriller from Park Chan Wook. SOCIETY 7 AUG A word of warning: Brian Yuzna’s cult classic Beverly Hills satire features a flesh orgy that, once seen, can’t be unseen. That said, it has to be seen. FREE FIRE 7 AUG Brit writer/director Ben Wheatley assembled an all-star cast for this ’70s-set action comedy that’s, essentially, a 90-minute shootout. THE TRANS-FIGURATION 14 AUG Boy meets girl. Boy thinks he’s a vampire? So far, so Twilight, but Michael O’Shea’s horror has smarts to back up its scares. THE SENSE OF AN ENDING 14 AUG Jim Broadbent excels as a businessman who delves into his past when the mother of an ex leaves…

INFO PUB DEVOLVER DIGITAL DEV DENNATON GAMES RELEASED 2013 GET IT NOW £7.99, PLAYSTATION STORE NEED TO KNOW 1 The game began as a shooter called Super Carnage. 2 The synth-heavy soundtrack was available to buy. 3 Ryan Gosling film Drive was a major inspiration. “ THIS IS WHAT STARDEW VALLEY WOULD LOOK LIKE AS A SNUFF MOVIE. ” Gunning down, knifing, and battering mobsters you have no personal truck with is Hotline Miami’s central, bloody hook. Yet despite scoring a full house in indignant headline bingo – casual slaughter, blood, the gamification of human suffering – Hotline Miami escaped the shouty tabloid wrath that enveloped the likes of Grand Theft Auto and Manhunt. We’d like to think that’s because this is a game that refuses to sugar-coat the killing,…

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. 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. METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN While retaining that distinct storytelling and sense of…

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. 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. 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. VELOCITY 2X A ludicrously enjoyable puzzle/platformer hybrid that should come with a health warning.…