Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2018 i PLAY

“WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BIGGEST GAMES COMING TO PS4.” One of PS4’s sleeper hits, and a personal obsession, 2016’s Hitman was a perfect reboot for the classic series. So when Warner gave us the chance to get a little closer to Agent 47’s sequel following its E3 reveal, it was an offer we couldn’t refuse. On page 52 we speak to game director Jacob Mikkelsen and go hands-on with Hitman 2. The E3 fallout continues as we take a closer look at the biggest games coming to PS4. We talk to the team at Remedy about Control (p6), Pete Hines reveals how Fallout 76 will play (p16), and we go hands-on with Resident Evil 2 (p32) – trust us, this is like playing a brand-new game. As…

ELITE EXPO Spike Chunsoft made several big Western announcements at LA Anime Expo. Headlining is Steins;Gate Elite (out early 2019), a remake of the first visual novel. Also coming: Zanki Zero (a dungeon crawler from Danganronpa’s creators), and 428: Shibuya Scramble (an FMV visual novel), due out this summer. SUCK ON THIS We’re vampires for anime games, craving our next fix. Bandai Namco has announced Tokyo Ghoul:re Call To Exist for the West. An action game, it pits the vampiric ghouls against the investigators trying to wipe them out. Online modes allow you to team up with friends to fight co-operatively, or go head-to-head. TRAPPED IN THE GAME Idea Factory and Compile Heart are no strangers to putting out cute-looking JRPGs, but Death End re:Quest gives it a bit of…

“MATURE GAMES ARE GREAT, BUT DO THEY ALL HAVE TO MAINLY INVOLVE STABBING PEOPLE IN THE NECK?” The E3 announcements made me super-excited for the next few years of gaming. There are some incredible games coming up, and as I continue to dig through E3 showcases to milk that content, I find myself deeply immersed in the dairy farm of upcoming hits – though to be honest, it can kind of be a bummer, as the attached gaming slaughterhouse is ever-present. My point being, there are only so many times I can stab faceless goons in the neck before it all starts to just get to me a little bit. Don’t get me wrong, individually speaking I’m looking forward to all of those ultraviolent games, but just the sheer whirlpool…

1 After finding everyone in the station missing and some bad things going on via CCTV, taking a peek behind this KEEP OUT door is probably fine, right? 2 Ooft, talk about an office bender. Better not wake this guy up, he looks pretty exhausted. Weird there’s so much spilt ketchup, though. 3 Don’t worry, buddy! You’ve got this! You’re going to be fine! Look, just let me scoop up those intestines and put them in some Tupperware for you! 4 AHHHHH! NOPE! NOPE! NO! This is definitely a HR issue. Have you ever heard of personal space, buddy? (We don’t think he’s listening…)…

STRANGE BRIGADE Platformer in which you play as an innocent mummy who has to gather up his scattered treasure while avoiding four ne’er do wells intent on destroying him with flaming torches. A tarted-up 3D Pac-Man, you say? Surely not… FORMAT PS4 ETA 28 AUG OVERCOOKED! 2 It’s Master Chef meets battle royale in this too-hot-to-handle sequel. Will you be the last cook standing or will you chew off more than you can handle? Sharper than a Korin Gyutou kitchen knife, but more fun. FORMAT PS4 ETA 7 AUG YAKUZA KIWAMI 2 Beat-’em-up that goes heavy on the story mode. Your scowly-faced fighter must compete for the Botox Grail as only victory will give them the cure for their eternally-furrowed brow and stop them scaring toddlers. FORMAT PS4 ETA 28…

1 You can’t beat a good horse (though they’ll only get you so far as you’ll move from island to island on your mission). They’re fight-ready too. 2 Ships were a big deal in Ancient Greece. Lots of islands to go to, and mountains to avoid. Expect to ram the odd unsuspecting boat. 3 Ikaros takes on the same role as Senu from Origins. Your eye in the sky, this eagle will scout out locations and mark enemies for you. 4 What better way to take in the local scenery than with a bit of spicy romance? Pick the right dialogue, and you could meet that special someone.…

FISHING SIM WORLD FORMAT PS4 / ETA 2018 PUB DOVETAIL GAMES DEV DOVETAIL GAMES If the names Bass Cat Boats, Duckett, and Korda mean anything to you then Fishing Sim World is your dream game. This sprawling fishing sim (the clue’s in the name) aims to be the first and last choice in, erm, fishing sims. Featuring realistic physics and accurate fish AI [that’s a new one – ed], landing a catch is a tactical game of cat-and-mouse, or carp-and-maggots, if you will. Gear can be bought and upgraded, while locations include the majestic span of Lake Boulder and the less breathtaking Brummie Grand Union Canal. It looks good; we’ve taken the bait. TRIALS RISING FORMAT PS4 / ETA FEB 2019 PUB UBISOFT / DEV REDLYNX It was never meant…

After it was announced in 2012, Cyberpunk 2077 went quiet. It finally had a big blow-out of information back at E3 2018, in the form of a trailer and a chunky 50-minute gameplay demo. The game is CD Projekt Red’s next big release after The Witcher 3, and is based on the Cyberpunk 2020 pen-and-paper role-playing game. We sit down with Stanislaw Swiecicki, one of the writers, who also worked on The Witcher 3 and is a big fan of tabletop RPGs, to catch up with the project. OPM: So you’re one of the writers on Cyberpunk 2077. How big is the writing team? Stanislaw Swiecicki: It’s around eight to ten people. Ten at the moment, I think. So, it’s quite a team. OPM: Writing a game like this must…

INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB KONAMI DEV KONAMI, HEXADRIVE The multiplayer mode that allows for classic Bomberman matches1 between four players on PlayStation 4 is already reason enough to want Super Bomberman R in your library. However, it might be the only reason you’d want it in your library, and considering that, the price tag might put you off impulse-buying it. These are standard battle mode matches, as you’d expect from Bomberman, where four bombers2 try to blow each other up in grid mazes. There’s also a new interesting twist: Grand Prix mode, which adds a 3v3 team element. There is something in the game titled ‘story mode’ – a thinly veiled excuse to put you in some drab Bomberman mazes and make you accomplish goals like killing…

INFO FORMAT PS VITA ETA OUT NOW PUB AKSYS GAMES DEV OTOMATE Otomate has delivered another trippy otome1 visual novel in the Psychedelica series – each providing standalone stories where things might not be as they seem.2 This time, the story is focused around a small medieval-style town constantly plagued by heavy snow and fog (and murder), where nobody seems to be able to leave. It’s ruled by two houses, the hawks and the wolves, who are constantly in conflict with each other, in classic Romeo And Juliet style. The inhabitants blame the unrelenting years-long winter on the curse of a witch, a woman said to have red eyes. Unfortunately for you, you’re a woman (named Jed) whose eyes turn red when you’re under emotional stress. Naturally, this means your…

DARK SOULS REMASTERED Jess Kinghorn gets a rude awakening Having not been killed once by the Asylum Demon, I swan through the Undead Burg feeling a grossly incandescent sense of pride. Going from Yharnam to the safety found behind a shield, I push forward through traps and skeleton warriors without a single care in the world. Hoovering up humanity, I naïvely reverse my hollow state before fully understanding the concept… and am swiftly parted from my amassed Souls by a to-the-point invader. Pride always comes before a fall, especially in a FromSoftware game. HITMAN: SNIPER ASSASSIN Oscar Taylor-Kent masters his breathing Taking a deep breath, I softly squeeze the trigger in a centimetre, activating precision mode, then fire. A few milliseconds pass as I watch my target stand around, then…

1 £9.49 SYMPHONY OF THE MACHINE Atop a desert tower, you are tasked with fostering the right environmental conditions to get a little bulb to grow. To do this, you angle light beams so that they shine upon and activate various panels that in turn can create a range of weather conditions. Billing itself as a “meditative spatial puzzle game,” Symphony Of The Machine can certainly be a peaceful experience, allowing you to watch the rain or snow fall in PS VR. Unfortunately, it can be equally frustrating. If it’s not your helper robot getting in the way, it’s the general claustrophobia of the main puzzle area. The puzzles are relatively straightforward, but you can finish the main game in one sitting and all that’s left after that is a…

1 “A CONCENTRATED FIRST HALF DELIVERS THE FINEST HORROR ROLLERCOASTER OF THE GENERATION.” 2 “SOMEHOW MAKES YOU EMOTIONALLY INVEST IN A GAME ABOUT SPACE NAZIS AND BRAINWASHED DOBERMANS.” 3 “YOU’RE BUYING IT TO PLAY A FIGHTING GAME WITH SERIOUS SPIRIT: TO SHARE A COUCH AND PLAY AGAINST FRIENDS AND RIVALS LATE INTO THE NIGHT, FACES AGLOW.” 4 “THE LEVELLING SYSTEM IS AN UNNECESSARILY CONVOLUTED BARRIER TO SQUEEZING THE MOST FUN OUT OF THIS AMBITIOUS, UNEVEN SEQUEL.”…

PICK #1 METRO REDUX The Russia World Cup went to Ian Dean’s head, so he’s re-entering the underground There’s no need for multiplayer or loot boxes when your FPS thrills come caked in taught narrative pacing. The Metro remasters really are a must for anyone hankering for story-driven, single-player shooting – games that manage to mix horror, survival, and stealth genres into one, often in the same moment-to-moment mayhem. Play them now; Metro Exodus isn’t far off. “DOOM IS BLISTERINGLY FAST WITH SOLID, IMPACTFUL GUNS AND PLENTY OF GORE.” PICK #2 DOOM The devilish Oscar Taylor-Kent knows how to have a hell of a good time The original Doom was the defining FPS for its time, and 2016’s Doom redefined the genre yet again. Rejecting anything that might slow the…

Oscar Taylor-Kent GAMES EDITOR Oscar’s played too much Hitman 2, and is looking at the team in an odd way. “PS Vita’s dangerous in the right hands,” he whispers. GAME OF THE MONTH Hitman 2 BEST SILENT ASSASSIN Agent 47 Jess Kinghorn STAFF WRITER Jess has been staring at her hot chocolate for an hour, saying “I’m moving it with my mind”. She needs to get Control of her habit. GAME OF THE MONTH Control BEST SILENT ASSASSIN Billie Lurk Miriam McDonald OPERATIONS EDITOR We could forgive Mim’s Jurassic World Evolution obsession, but firing tranquilising darts at Oscar was a step too far. GAME OF THE MONTH Jurassic World Evolution BEST SILENT ASSASSIN Her Velociraptors Milford Coppock MANAGING ART EDITOR After the World Cup, Milf’s been desperate to get hold…

10,000,000 A royale start for H1Z1, with this many players a month after the beta’s launch. 3rd Annual Warframe convention. Info on the Fortuna expansion was revealed. £659.99 The cost of the 1-in-1900 Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Alexis figure. 38 The age of the still very handsome Kazuma Kiryu in Yakuza Kiwami 2. 1582 The year Nobunaga Oda died. Try to do better in Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi. 01 Time Oscar will eat jalepeño chocolate, from our visit to play Darksiders III. $12.7million The amount Overwatch’s Pink Mercy charity skin raised. Every one an MVP. 50v50 Returned to Fortnite last month, finally giving Ian a 50% chance of winning.…

With a high camera angle, and plenty of people to talk to and objects to interact with, our first impression of Divinity: Original Sin 2 is that it harks back to RPGs of yesteryear. Stick with it, though, and you’ll realise there’s a very modern approach to this Definitive Edition, which brings the game to PS4. You can get past its isometric aspect with a fully rotatable camera that can zoom in to show the game’s true fidelity. “We personify an old hat, but it feels really good when you put it on,” Larian’s Kieron Kelly explains. “We’ve brought a lot of new modern-day thinking and innovations to it.” Enhancements to the UI, inventory, and journal make using a DualShock 4 feel like a breeze. It’s a truly console-optimised yet…

FIVE ALIVE Fortnite Season 5 arrived and we’ve been sucked back in all over again. With some big changes to the map, and extra updates too, it feels fresher than ever! ANIME ASCENSION What’s better than anime? Anime games, of course! (Well, maybe, sometimes.) LA Anime Expo delivered a slew of exciting new Japanese and anime game announcements. Prayer status: answered. SHINY SHENMUE The Shenmue 1 & 2 remasters will hit PS4 in August. We’re excited, but a little bit nervous, to revisit these old timey nostalgic pillars. WAIT PROBLEM A few games scheduled for the second half of 2018 have been delayed to 2019. It’ll make the games, and the next year, even better, sure. But we want them now! IT DIDN’T COME HOME It was a great showing…

Open season Phil Iwaniuk’s article [OPM#150] does seem a little outdated in the wake of spectacular open world games such as GTA V, MGS V, The Witcher 3, and Assassin’s Creed Origins. I would likely have agreed ten years ago when the vast majority of open world games were genuinely mediocre but this generation of consoles has served us phenomenally well on the open world front and I for one want more! Give me my God Of War and Call Of Duty but please don’t take my open worlds away from me. Jonathan Bowden via email There’s definitely room for both open worlds and more linear titles in gaming. It’ll be interesting to see if trends shift in future.…

1 RESIDENT EVIL Albert Wesker doesn’t really ‘do’ death… at least not until Resi 5. The extra-evil face of Umbrella appears to bite the big one in the original Resident Evil, when the Tyrant skewers the STARS agent like a shades-sporting trout. In reality, Al had injected a special virus into his veins to resuscitate himself. The big faker. 2 SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS Wander is a selfish berk. Rather than mourn his dead love Mono like a normal person, the taciturn warrior takes her corpse to a forbidden land, makes a pact with a demon, then murders the hell out of 16 innocent giants to resurrect his girlfriend. Pity the resulting act transforms him into a horned baby. Don’t ask. 3 OKAMI When it comes to deity-like lupines, death…

“SURVIVORS EVEN COME TO HELP YOU IF YOU FIRE OFF A FLARE.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA MAR 2019 / PUB UBISOFT / DEV MASSIVE ENTERTAINMENT The problem with being part of a squad is acting like it. At one point early in our hands-on we get distracted shooting a lootbox dangling from a parachute stuck in a tree, and only realise we’re missing the start of the liberation mission’s capture point when it pops up that one of our teammates is going to need reviving. Oh dear, we need to learn how to play well with others. Thankfully nothing in The Division 2 feels too complex to pick up and play, so as soon as we run into the battle and behind cover we are indeed in the thick of…

“PAITITI… IS A PLACE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WENT LOOKING FOR.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 14 SEP / PUB SQUARE ENIX / DEV EIDOS MONTRÉAL Our demo begins with Lara moseying through Paititi, an isolated Mayan-inspired city that serves as one of the larger hub areas for the events of the game. Hunted by the Cult Of Kublai Khan and Trinity, Lara has hooked up with the city’s resistance to go incognito as she tries to stay one step ahead of her pursuers. As usual, Crofty’s going to find herself thrown into the midst of bizarre events tied into the mysteries of ancient civilisations. Beginning the game in Mexico, she quite quickly picks up a trail that leads her to Peru, and the legendary city of Paititi. As far-flung…

1994 THE BEGINNING Marcin Iwinski and Michał Kicinski set up CD Projekt to import games into Poland. By 1997, the company was fully localising games for the Polish market. 2002 INTO THE RED Development studio CD Projekt Red was founded to create games from scratch. Its first project? A game based on Andrzej Sapowski’s ‘Wiedzmin’ books – known in English as The Witcher. 2015 THE PINNACLE The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt releases to wide acclaim. It’s been comfortably wedged close to the top spot in our Hall Of Fame (p106) ever since. Can CD Projekt Red achieve the same standards with Cyberpunk 2077? What we’ve seen says it can.…

INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB PLUG IN DIGITAL DEV HOLLOW TREE GAMES Sometimes, it all gets a little much at OPM Towers and we just need to go for a walk. However, we find ourselves wanting to see something more vibrant than the limestone that lines the streets of Bath, as lovely as it is. And this is the answer. Beginning in a washed-out, muted desert, when you cross the threshold of an otherworldly archway your surroundings shift towards vibrancy. You soon find yourself wondering along a strange coastline populated by wide-eyed, simplified variants of creatures you know, both real and imagined. As you explore, flora sprouting from the earth at random as you draw close and fauna chirping contemplatively all around you, you’ll happen across stone structures.…

INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA AUG PUB PM STUDIOS DEV I-INFERNO More rhythm action games on PS4 are always welcome, and Musynx is an excellent addition to the console’s collection. With 90 different songs to play across a range of genres, including pop, trance, and even 8-bit-style chiptunes, there’s a lot to keep you busy. Each group of songs has its own spin on the game’s simple yet stylish user interface, which is pleasing to look at and adds to the atmosphere as you play, but isn’t so flashy it distracts from what you’re doing. Each song also has its own illustration in the menu – often a lovely anime image, all enormous eyes and improbably coloured hair – which helps add more character to the game.1 The action itself is…

Whether you were after a battle of wits or the clashing of fists, July’s PS Plus lineup had something for everyone hiding inside from the tyranny of the sun. But even with its fair share of imperilled scooby gangs and evil masterminds, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Sony fans. These summer nights bring violent delights in the form of Quantic Dreams. July’s headline game was murder mystery HEAVY RAIN. Between four protagonists, each of whom could exit the story in gruesome ways, we needed to uncover the identity of the sadistic Origami Killer and maybe even stop him before he struck again. Joining the fight on PS4 was ABSOLVER. Travelling through an open world, we searched for opponents who’d teach us new moves upon defeat, building our own…

INFO FORMAT PS4 PUB MILESTONE SRL DEV MILESTONE SRL REVIEW #151, 5/10 MotoGP fans seem more well-behaved than their F1 brethren, making MotoGP 18 a refreshingly polite online racer. If you set up your own lobby, you can make a full custom championship, but the three-lap public races are great if you prefer short bursts. Pre-race voting decides what class and track is up next. Spectator mode doesn’t look very TV-like because the target bike lags around too much. There’s also no lobby list to choose from, and the servers are pretty flaky, with frequent boots and error messages. There are, however, lots of players online, with remaining grid slots filled by AI riders. With eSports qualifiers starting around the time you read this, that should be true for a…

CRASH BANDICOOT N. SANE TRILOGY – FUTURE TENSE A brand-new level in the style of the original games! Inspired by the first game’s cut waterfall level, this challenging futuristic stage is part of Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. There’s a reason it’s called tense. THE SIMS 4 PARENTHOOD Giving you the power to mess up your virtual children in a way unique to you, this game pack introduces a range of new parenting mechanics. Your sims can now learn parenting specific skills that influence their children’s behaviour, personality, and relationships. CALL OF DUTY: WWII – THE UNITED FRONT: DLC PACK 3 On top of three new maps, this latest content pack brings a new War mode mission. Naturally, there’s a fresh Nazi Zombies experience too, sending four new heroes to three…

Love it or loathe it, Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One remains the most successful book about gaming and geek culture ever written. A literal easter egg hunt in a virtual world, it features countless cameos, from Mortal Kombat’s Goro to Mass Effect’s FemShep, making any live-action adaptation a logistical and licensing nightmare. Unless you’re Steven Spielberg, of course… Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) is a nobody who becomes a legend in the ‘Oasis’ when he finds an easter egg left behind by its fabled creator, James Halliday. Discover all three eggs and ownership of the lucrative virtual world is yours. But Wade isn’t the only one hunting Halliday’s treasure, the main threat being Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn), the nefarious CEO of a company who wants to exploit players for every penny.…

INFO PUB ATARI DEV QUANTIC DREAM RELEASED 2005, PS2 GET IT NOW PSN STORE, £10.99 WHAT? A paranormal thriller in which a series of seemingly random killings ravages New York City. Branded as an interactive film, and told from multiple points of view, you’ll need to QTE your way through to one of several endings. WHO? After Detroit: Become Human, Jess Kinghorn wasn’t sure she was ready for another of Quantum Dream’s arty dramas. “Do it,” said Ian. And he’s the boss, so she’s feeling the heat. “I FIGHT MORE THAN MY FAIR SHARE OF SUPER-SAIYAN-STYLE BATTLES OVER A MUTE MCGUFFIN CHILD.” Playing as both murderer and crime scene investigator at an apparent occult slaying, the strength of Fahrenheit’s opening was widely lauded at the time of its release. But…

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. Worthy 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…

E3 was packed with some great announcements, but now we’ve had time to take it in, Limited Run Games’ own little conference stands out. As a company, Limited Run is dedicated to bringing smaller releases to the physical realm – a godsend for indie and PS Vita fans. Handheld titles announced include physical prints of Iconoclasts, Read Only Memories, VA-11 HALL-A, Spelunky, Exile’s End, Phantom Breaker Battle Grounds, Salt And Sanctuary, and more! The hype is unlimited!…

“WE RESORT TO SHIP-TO-SHIP COMBAT BECAUSE NOBODY WILL BE OUR HIGH-SEAS FRIEND.” Ubisoft’s piratical ship-blaster, Skull & Bones, was recently delayed into 2019 (at the earliest), but after going hands-on with it, we’re looking forward to the wave of polish this should bring. Already it’s capable of triggering a tsunami of emotions as you set sail, make alliances, plunder together, and inevitably see betrayal in the shape of two dozen cannonballs heading straight for your top deck. Developed by Ubisoft Singapore, with input from a handful of other Ubisoft studios, Skull & Bones sees you dropped into several situations, all incorporating online elements and 17th-century piratical activities – the aforementioned shooting at each other with cannons. AVAST YE Our time with the most recent version shows a game confident in…

“‘TOO MUCH’ IS SUBJECTIVE, AND THERE’S ALWAYS A WAY TO STRIKE A BALANCE.” My parents would always tell me to “stop playing those games, you’ll never get a job playing games.” As editor of this fine magazine I’d disagree. Playing something you love can be a good thing, and what actually constitutes ‘too much’ is also subjective. There’s more choice nowadays, so a balance is easier to reach – PES 2018 or a round of H1Z1 can be squeezed in between gym and socialising, with a feet-up extended session of God Of War reserved for the weekends. Too much of anything can be harmful but finding a balance is achievable if you’re prepared to vary the games you play. “THE FARM IS THE ONE PLACE I CAN GO TO ESCAPE…

@AUTUMNINVADING The double-page spread [OPM#151, pp72-3] we all want and need. Bless @OPM_UK @LLAMAFLUFF42 This month’s OPM is a veritable feast of E3 goodness. Love it. How did they pull this off in one month? @MRHEISENBIRD I would love to have that Deacon poster [OPM#150] as a phone wallpaper! @STEVE8KOFFICIAL You certainly know your stuff. I love Resi 2. [We do too! – ed] @SLOTHICUS_ Incredibly disappointed by your review of Detroit: Become Human. Genuinely the best game I’ve played all year. [The game has definitely divided opinions – ed] @THE_LIGHTNING I want powerstation magazine but I not seen those since 2010 @ETERNALFROST78 Another battle royal game how low can we sink COD… sad so sad. Be brave and stand out for a change instead of following a hyped concept.…

“HAVE WE SEEN THE FINAL CHAPTER FOR EPISODIC GAMES, OR WILL THEIR STORY CONTINUE?” When the new Hitman game was revealed at E3, developer Io Interactive made a big point of confirming that the previous game’s episodic format had been dropped. On a personal level, it was hard not to be disappointed – I’d loved the slow monthly drip-feed of new exotic locales to murder people in – but looking at games as a whole, it seems inevitable. Once upon a time, borrowing TV’s season structure seemed like being the next big thing for games. Depending on your exact definition, episodic games have been around since the 1970s. However, the format really took the spotlight in the past decade, first with Valve’s episodic mini-sequels for Half-Life 2, and then Telltale…

“SURVIVAL WILL REQUIRE US TO STAY CALM AND STAY SMART.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 25 JAN PUB CAPCOM / DEV CAPCOM Far from being a decaying corpse, Capcom’s revitalisation of the 20-year-old Resident Evil 2 is bursting with life. Remade to the extent it’s almost completely reimagined, positively glowing in the RE Engine that made Resident Evil VII such a treat, this version of Resident Evil 2 may as well be a completely new game. We kick off our hands-on demo as Leon Kennedy begins his first day at work, walking into the Raccoon City Police Station. The hub reception area is large, though suspiciously in disarray, with things strewn across the floor. Many doors promise splintering pathways, in a way that resembles the entrance hall of the Spencer Mansion…

“AT THIS POINT KINGDOM HEARTS III’S COMBAT HAS BECOME SO REFINED, IT’S BASICALLY A HACK-AND-SLASH NOW.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 25 JAN PUB SQUARE ENIX / DEV SQUARE ENIX This third instalment in the long-running JRPG series sees Sora, Goofy, and Donald Duck (name a more iconic trio, we’ll wait) trekking off to more beloved Disney worlds, in order to restore balance to a universe under threat. The reason these Disney worlds are out of whack? Organisation XIII is up to its old tricks again, all part of a JRPG anime nonsense story that would take a special pull-out supplement to even begin to explain. But rest assured, it all gets very emotional. Even if you’re not clued in on the story, the game will get you up to speed,…

“THIS TIME, WITHOUT A SHIELD, THINGS GET MUCH MORE OFFENSIVE.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 5 OCT PUB UBISOFT / DEV UBISOFT QUÉBEC We have to go back. Back to the beginning. Wait, even further back than that. That’s the premise Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the latest in the long line of Assassin’s Creed games that follows on from, and is sort of the prequel to, last year’s Assassin’s Creed Origins – being set in 431BCE as opposed to around 50BCE. You’ll find yourself in control of either Alexios or Kassandra as you sail your way between Greek islands during the Peloponnesian War, a big punch-up between the Spartans and Delian League (led by Athenians). As you’d expect from the series, there’s secretly more to the war than the history books would…

1 Mia Karnstein provides long-range support and is protective of her younger brother Nicola (yes, Nicola). She’ll use her vampiric Gifts to defend him. 2 Louis lacks a last name at present but he’s a balanced combat partner, providing both support and offence. His family drama revolves around his sister. 3 Yakumo Shinonome is rumoured to have been a mercenary, and he certainly brings the pain. He has a habit of getting his retaliation in first, though. 4 The Queen, Cruz, presents herself as an antagonist with a special interest in you. The victim of experimentation, your pals warn you not to drink her blood.…

HISTORY OF VIOLENCE #1 HITMAN 2: SILENT ASSASSIN (2002) Agent 47 comes out of retirement to rescue a friend, visiting the likes of Russia, Japan, and Malaysia to do so. The series’ console debut added stealthy elements such as a suspicion meter, non-lethal tools like anaesthetic, and picking locked doors. Greatest Hit: Targeting a Russian general, 47 can snipe him through a window. As the room’s filled with generals, you must deduce your target based on intel. HISTORY OF VIOLENCE #2 HITMAN: CONTRACTS (2004) Structured as Agent 47 remembering past assassinations, Contracts jumped between pretty varied maps. The designs of these were more folded-in than ever, with plenty of different ways to eliminate your targets, using an expanded arsenal as you battled much more advanced enemy AI. Greatest Hit: Beldingford…

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 PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB EA DEV COLDWOOD INTERACTIVE Plucking at our heart strings much like its predecessor did, this follow-up to the diminutive puzzle platformer that charmed our socks off back in 2015 is a welcome return. What’s different this time is that Yarny is bound by the threads of fate to another1 little woolly being and gameplay now has a co-operative aspect. Rooftops and playgrounds, forests and rivers set the scene beautifully for the physics-based puzzles you’ll need to knit a path through. Even when the physics feel a bit funky, they never lead to outright frustration. Hints are mapped to L1 and there’s no penalty for taking a peek to get yourself moving again. Rather than showing a lack of confidence in its own design,…

INFO FORMAT PS4 ETA OUT NOW PUB HEADUP GAMES DEV 13AM GAMES This is a platformer, but not as you know it. In part, this is because there can be up to nine players on screen at once, running and jumping between the paltforms, knocking-one-another-to-instant-death. The main hook, though, is that your most dangerous enemy at any given moment is the colour blue. Or green. Or red… Runbow uses colour in several interesting ways, but at its heart is one theoretically simple mechanic. Every few seconds, the primary background colour will change, a moment’s notice given by the next shade peeking in at the edge of the screen. The current colour in effect paints certain objects out of existence. So, for example, while the screen’s red, any red platforms and…

INFO FORMAT PS4 PUB CAPCOM DEV CAPCOM REVIEW #151, 9/10 While the main collection features 12 classics, online we only get four, but they are the best of each series: Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Street Fighter Alpha 3, and Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. Play is streamlined to three modes: Arcade, Casual, and Ranked. Arcade is the most fun; it emulates the feeling of playing the coin-op, with randos interrupting your fight and the words “New Challenger” bouncing invitingly up on screen. Casual and Ranked are as expected, the latter offering global rankings and tougher opponents. While connection is fast – you only need to wait a few seconds to be matched – there is some stutter, but in the majority the framerate holds…

FROM THE ASHES Build a new village from… well, what do you think? in this first bit of Kingdom Come: Deliverance DLC. As bailiff, you’re in charge of keeping order during the construction. CERULEAN VALE Think you’ve mastered Aven Colony? Think again. This new biome is the harshest environment yet, but will give your colony the greatest rewards for success. HEAVEN-ON-HIGH Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood’s latest patch adds many new odds and ends, most notably a brand-new deep dungeon that expands the Hildibrand story questline. ANT-MAN AND THE WASP LEVEL PACK These (at times) pint-sized heroes join Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2. Thwart Egghead’s evil plan taking root in a derelict research facility. PRIVATE EYE Step into the gummy shoes of KONA VR’s detective Carl Faubert, investigating the surreal surroundings…

TERMINAL 6 AUG Margot Robbie stars as a femme fatale on a mission of vengeance in this stylish but ultimately hollow crime thriller. Simon Pegg and Mike Myers also feature. RAMPAGE 6 AUG Loosely based on the ’80s arcade game, only Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson can stop a trio of giant beasts on a collision course with Chicago. L’AMANT DOUBLE 6 AUG François Ozon directs this entertaining psychosexual thriller about a woman who falls for a therapist harbouring a dark secret. ISLE OF DOGS 6 AUG Stop-motion animation set in a future Japan where canines are banished to a trash-filled island. A boy embarks on an odyssey to find his lost dog. DEATH WISH 6 AUG Needless and nasty remake of the 1974 revenge thriller from Eli Roth. Bruce Willis…

INFO PUB SONY DEV TERMINAL REALITY PRODUCTIONS RELEASED 2009, PS3 GET IT NOW AMAZON, £37.94 NEED TO KNOW 1 Aykroyd and Ramis both helped edit the script. 2 Terminal Reality was sadly liquidated in 2013. 3 Sigourney Weaver passed on being in the game. For many years, it looked like everyone’s favourite ghoul-pummelling parapsychologists were gone for good. Thanks to Ghostbusters II stinking out cinemas way back in 1989, the franchise stayed dormant for years. While Ray Parker Jr’s iconic tune was never far from public consciousness, it nevertheless looked like Stay Puft’s slayers had been well and truly busted. Step forth Terminal Reality. The now-defunct Texan studio had one goal in mind when it came to resuscitating the legendary franchise: make Ghostbusters 3… just in videogame form. The team…

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 GOD OF WAR A departure in some ways but a resounding return in others, Kratos is back with a son and a ruddy big axe. Taking the legend from Greek to Norse mythology, this entry brings a lot to the table while improving on what was core to the earlier series’ identity. 3 THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT GAME OF THE YEAR…

The stinking spectre of pay-to-win always circles new free-to-play shooters, and Warface hasn’t been without its share of accusers. But that was the PC edition; on PlayStation 4 it’s a fresh start. “On console we have adjusted the monetisation to make everything available just by playing the game, so you can acquire items without paying for anything,” confirms Alexander Shimov, project manager at Allods Team, Moscow Development Studio. “But, of course, you can buy boosters and weapons, but you can also get everything without paying.” If you do want to pay, you’ll be picking up skins and guns, boosters for experience points, and currency, as well as lootboxes, “but again, you can get all this by playing,” stresses Shimov. “It can all be acquired transparently.” Shimov explains how every mode…