Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2020 i PLAY

As she leaps into the air, Ms. Marvel swings her oversized hand above her head before crashing it into the ground. Enemies flail and fly into the sky, machines spark and explode, and we sit back, smile, and enjoy the spectacle of Marvel’s newest hero doing her thing. Love. It. “EDITIONS AND CONTENT ONLY PS4 PLAYERS CAN GET.” The latest Marvel’s Avengers gameplay we’ve seen puts Ms. Marvel up front as she teams up with Hulk for a smashing time. The new hero can hold her own with the green giant as she features a similar arsenal of clobbering moves, but how similar will ultimately be up to you as each hero features a customisable moveset that you can upgrade and develop. There are also signs developer Crystal Dynamics is…

You, Edward, think the worst has already happened. You are wrong. As you’re caught between a gun and a bottle, a phone call interrupts your dark train of thought. An old flame asks you to meet her at a secluded motel but when you arrive she’s nowhere to be seen. All she’s left is a note that tells you to stay in the light. And now you’re alone with whatever is lurking in the shadows… In this horror game, venturing into the dark means death. Your only defence is bringing back the light, but this is rarely as easy as flicking a switch. What’s more, strange, glowing doorways offer a way into a similar, yet unreal world. Puzzles range from simple locks needing keys to complex ones requiring you to…

SAVE(ROOM) UP The Resident Evil 3 Collector’s Edition is coming to the UK exclusively via Game. Inside a STARS-item-box-style case, mimicking those in the game’s safe rooms, you’ll find a poster, an artbook, a soundtrack, and a Jill Valentine statue in the same scale as Resi 2’s Claire statue (so you can get the set). FALLING AGAIN Now past eight million total sales, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has been a success for EA. Striking while the iron is hot, Respawn has already started hiring for new roles on the Star Wars team, which means we should be getting more Star Wars action from the studio sooner rather than later. REMAIN VERGIL-ENT While it’s far from the first Devil May Cry V statue we’ve seen, Prime 1 Studio’s Ultimate Premium…

“My stomach’s in knots from the pressure of just trying to make sure that fans of the manga and the anime are gonna be happy.” My Hero One’s Justice 2 producer Aoba Miyazaki is giving it her all. Cyberpunk 2077 Is “Going to be f***ing good,” says Grimes as the singer reveals she’ll play a pop star in the game. “I have lived out my edgy JRPG character fantasies from when I was a kid.” Dylan Sprouse is living the dream voicing Yozora in Kingdom Hearts.…

“HURL THINGS INTO THE BACK OF THE TRUCK. OR THROUGH A WINDOW.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 28 APR / PUB TEAM17 / DEV SMG STUDIO, DEVM Nothing gets the work done quicker than a Furniture Arrangement and Relocation Technician fretting about their job security; your precious belongings are irreplaceable but unfortunately in this economy, the same can not be said for Smooth Moves Inc’s employees. All the same, you’ve got things you need moving and they’re only too happy to help. We just hope you have buildings and contents insurance… If you’re a fan of Overcooked and Catastronauts (and somehow still have friends after all that), you’re going to love this physics-based party game. While entirely playable solo, it loses something without a few extra helping hands to lovingly hurl…

“PERSONA 5 SCRAMBLE HAS DYNASTY-WARRIORS-STYLE COMBAT.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA TBC / PUB ATLUS / DEV P-STUDIO, OMEGA FORCE Six months after leaving Tokyo, Joker returns to spend the summer with the Phantom Thieves. They meet at Café Leblanc to plan a holiday. However, while the group enjoys a bit of well-deserved peace, the police begin investigating some dramatic changes of heart in a number of influential people. Of course the peace is short-lived. While Joker and Ryuji are in Shibuya to buy supplies for the group’s trip, they stumble on an event by popular entertainment personality Alice Hiragi. She lures the boys into her metaverse Palace, which is populated by crowds of Shadows. This is where Persona 5 Scramble’s new Dynasty-Warriors-style combat (known as ‘musou’ to fans) comes in.…

1 Playing as a Survivor? You get a choice of slightly annoying teenagers with different skillsets. Your team will really need to work together. 2 The Mastermind player controls cameras to watch the Survivors. Their tools include different zombie types, traps, and an ‘ultimate’. All have a cooldown. 3 Survivors must successfully solve puzzles to exit three areas of progressive difficulty as the Mastermind gleefully works their evil to stop them. 4 Ultimates include Mr X and G-Birkin tyrants, who the Mastermind controls directly so as to murderise the hapless teens in a more tactile kind of way.…

Twenty-three years on, our application to join AVALANCHE has finally been accepted. It’s the ecoterrorist group trying to save its planet’s energy from being sucked dry, and we’ve stepped into the ex-SOLDIER boots of Cloud, a superpowered swordsman who’s been enhanced by that very same energy and now turned against the organisation he worked for, Shinra, the corporation that rules the steampunk-inspired city of Midgar with an ironclad grip. Midgar is a marvel at a glance, but mired in its own issues. With a dense population, the upper class literally living above those who dwell in slums beneath the main city’s plates, Shinra has to keep everyone in line. Not that Cloud is worried about that. He’s just helping out AVALANCHE for the mercenary paycheque, or so he says. URBAN…

EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUES / TYPE BALANCE / EASE OF USE 5/5 / RANGE SPECIALITY MID Sol’s rival, Ky is a former commander of the Sacred Order Of Holy Knights, an elite force designed to combat Gears. Now he’s the captain of the International Police Force. He is extremely devout, which can cause him inner turmoil as he wrestles with his morals… and those he must fight. Wielding electricity, Ky can jump into the fray and use mid-reaching sword thrusts to stun his opponent. Stun Edge can frazzle enemies from a short distance, allowing him to close the gap and deliver more jolts with the sliding Stun Dipper or swing his sword in a wide arc above him with Vapor Thrust, hurling foes into the air as he adopts a messiah-like pose.…

SWIFT STRIKES / TYPE SPEED / EASE OF USE 3/5 / RANGE SPECIALITY SHORT/MID Following the path of the ninja Chipp claims to be from Japan, but he’s not, and can’t even speak the language well. He’s simple-minded and impatient (thanks to his speed), but kind-hearted, forming his own country from the desire to help out smaller communities who are overlooked by others. Using a mixture of quick slices with his ninja blades and fast-paced ninjutsu, Chipp is all about speed. His Genrou Zan allows him to teleport behind foes for extra strikes, and his Resshou, Rokusai, Senshuu combo deals quick damage. Enhancing his speed is the ability to slow down his opponent, and create shadow clones for devastating finishers.…

There’s already a whole world of daydreams, nightmares, fantasies, and imaginings just waiting to be explored in Dreams, Media Molecule’s part-game, part-game-maker. But all these creations from early access Dreamers aren’t the only reason to get excited about the full release version – available right now. Catching up with co-founder and technical director of Media Molecule Alex Evans, we ask the obvious questions about PS5. “I’m afraid that’s ‘no comment’ – I tried commenting earlier and I got slapped,” he jokes, and while Media Molecule is being coy over the long-term goals of the platform, in the short-term there will be new updates to develop and add tools into the game-maker. More definitively, we’re told that PS VR support is “significantly developed,” though a timeframe is yet to be set…

There are millions of books in the world, and that means millions of characters. Bookbound Brigade sees you take control of some of literature’s most famous personalities, including King Arthur, Dracula, and Queen Victoria. Your task is to journey through various interlinked literary landscapes in order to retrieve the precious, purloined Book Of Books1 and, ultimately, restore balance to the Literary World. Mechanically, Bookbound Brigade is a metroidvania with lots of puzzle-platforming and combat. Each member of your brigade has a unique ability,2 and you have to utilise the whole team’s talents in order to progress. You control all the characters simultaneously as one block, though you can vary their formation so they can reach high points, go through tunnels, and so on. Your brigade also fights as one, with…

The Yakuza series is undoubtedly unique, offering emotional crime stories that frequently go off the rails. Playing this collection you’ll both shed tears for dead friends and watch a masked panty thief swing from rooftops. It rounds out bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold Kazuma Kiryu’s epic saga on PS4, finishing off the set with remastered versions of Yakuza 3, 4, and 5. While not full remakes like the Kiwami games before them, plenty has still been done to raise these up the PS4 crime family’s ranks. Extra features have been added, cut content’s been restored,1 and they’ve been re-translated. The remastering of the ahead-of-their-time facial motion capture is still startling in places. For the most part you’re stomping around town as usual, getting involved in crunchy brawls where you deliver over-the-top justice by smashing…

Three minutes 50 seconds. No, that’s not the length of your average AO2 online contest – that’s the shortest time I’ve waited to find someone to play a ‘quick match’ against. Set up a custom match, in which you define the number of sets, venue, and so on, and that wait doubles, which is definitely more ‘out’ than ‘ace’. Once you do find someone to play against, the tennis is robust and punchy, much like in the single-player mode, but with no option for an online tournament – in a game named for the Australian Open! – there’s limited scope or depth. Developer Big Ant Studios did a fine job of patching and expanding AO1 (there were a lot of patches), and it again has a fair way to go…

We’ll probably wait years for another Star Wars film, but the galaxy has a bright future on the small screen if The Mandalorian is any indication. The first live-action Star Wars series, and flagship show of new streaming service Disney+, it’s good enough to make forking out for yet another subscription a no-brainer. Pedro Pascal plays the eponymous bounty hunter. ‘Mando’ is as skilled as they come, and in high demand. But when an Imperial client hires him to track down a mysterious bounty it sets him on a very different path. Set shortly after Return Of The Jedi, The Mandalorian isn’t just closer to the original trilogy than the recent sequels chronologically, it’s nearer tonally and visually as well. Episodes run anywhere from 50 minutes to a brisk 30,…

1 “YOU WILL YELP, YOU WILL SCREAM, YOU WILL SHOUT VERY LOUD AND VERY RUDE WORDS.” 2 “IT IS A FUN SHOT OF ARCADE SILLINESS, A PULPY CELEBRATION OF CULT HORROR AND THE ART OF THE WELL-TIMED HEAD SHOT.” 3 “FROM ITS FANTASTIC, PIXELLATED PLUMAGE TO ITS TALON-TAPPING, HEARTWARMING STORY WE CAN’T HELP BUT FEEL THIS IS A CLASSIC WAITING IN THE WINGS.” 4 “A GAME FIT TO SPEND A NUCLEAR WINTER WITH – THE BOSTON WASTELAND IS ABSOLUTELY SATURATED WITH THINGS TO DO.”…

Robotic worms spin and circle overhead, a giant mutated plant threatens to turn us into mulch, and a cutscene shows a large portrait of Russian writer Chekhov floating about the remnants of a forest community. Mundfish’s Atomic Heart looks surreal and very, very good. “THERE ARE STRONG HINTS OF VALVE’S ICONIC HALF-LIFE 2 IN HERE TOO.” Though the developer has been silent for some time after missing the game’s late 2019 release date, pre-orders for the title have now opened on the official website (mundfish.com). The PS4 bundles offer everything from early access to the game to exclusive ‘Founders’ items so everyone knows how much you love it. With pre-orders now live, rumours are circulating that Atomic Heart will release as early as April. Why are we so excited? Because…

PlatinumGames’ The Wonderful 101 is coming to PS4 for the first time in remastered form thanks to a Kickstarter campaign, which at the time of writing has raised more than £1,000,000. This is also the beloved studio’s first foray into the world of self-publishing, giving it greater control over what it makes. “THIS IS PLATINUM’S FIRST FORAY INTO SELF-PUBLISHING.” The developer is well-known for its fast-paced character action games like Nier: Automata, Bayonetta, and Vanquish. One of the big differences between those and The Wonderful 101 is that in the latter, instead of controlling one character, you play as many; and unlike the close-to-the-camera combat of the other titles, The Wonderful 101 is zoomed out. Visually, it combines ’60s-inspired retro-futuristic Americana with a dash of live-action Japanese superheroes to create…

Seven’s heaven I just read Luke Kemp’s article about how he thinks games are more relatable to the wealthy, how he couldn’t relate to Lara Croft because his bedroom was the size of her wardrobe. I’ve never compared myself to game characters or situations but now I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever played a game and felt like I could relate to it. It would be good to see a game tackle something like this and interesting to see their take on lower-class living and how they could create something entertaining out of it. And with regards to buying a new console, it took me two years and a Black Friday sale to get the PS4 and it may be a similar situation for the PS5. So…

VOTE NOW! Tell us the five games you can’t wait to play at opm@futurenet.com 1 The Last Of Us Part II Was it the free dynamic theme, or the news that the game was in the final stages of production (see p18)? Either way, this is back at the top of your list. FORMAT PS4 ETA 29 MAY 2 Ghost Of Tsushima We’re all still hungry for a bit of stealth-samurai action – last issue’s big feature couldn’t have hurt, either. FORMAT PS4 ETA TBC 3 Final Fantasy VII Remake We’re almost there – and you’re already very excited. Turn to p48 for an appetite-whetting teaser. FORMAT PS4 ETA 10 APR 4 Elder Scrolls 6 Oooh, here’s a new one. We’ve had no news on it specifically, but with…

“THE GREENERY OF ENOCH HAS BEEN REDUCED TO MUDDY TRENCHES.” FORMAT PS4, PS5 / ETA TBC PUB SQUARE ENIX / DEV PEOPLE CAN FLY If you’ve ever felt pangs of jealousy as the Xbox owner you know bragged about Gears Of War, this new shooter is sure to temper those feelings. Created by that series’ Polish co-developer, People Can Fly, this is about as close to the famed Xbox dudebro shooter as you could hope to get on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Earth is in flames. We’ve screwed that planet up. But have no fear: mankind’s last hope for survival have set their sights on Enoch, an Earth-like paradise ripe for settling. After landing and establishing base camp we explore and chat. Comically, we’re told “the internet will be…

1 The Phantom Thieves still have their guns – they’re great for varying your attacks, and absolutely essential when you’re facing flying enemies. 2 Surrounded? You can call a Persona for an attack over a small area, and they’re capable of pulverising most weak enemies on the spot. 3 Move to a spot high above the field of action and then drop down with the press of a button. Joker can perform highly effective whirl and jump attacks. 4 Showtime is back but different. Instead of two characters teaming up, when you fill the Showtime bar you can call a Persona to pull off another huge special.…

“AN ALL-NEW MODULAR SHIP SYSTEM OFFERS SPECIALISATIONS.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 2021 / PUB ROCKFISH GAMES / DEV ROCKFISH GAMES Rockfish’s first foray into infinity and beyond debuted in 2016, boasting a steep difficulty curve sprinkled with frequent death. But the studio’s second starbound adventure is ditching the roguelike elements in favour of something a wee bit more approachable. Surprisingly, this shift in gears was as fuelled by the series’ existing player base as it was the developer itself. By the studio’s own account, the dev had always wanted to fulfil fans’ requests for an open world Everspace. Rockfish only had the resources to go that route after the sequel’s successful Kickstarter campaign, and the aim this time is to create a “more hand-crafted, persistent” experience. Rockfish also explains that…

Keita Takahashi’s gaming work has a certain strangeness that’s extremely distinctive. It sees you rolling tiny objects into a ball to get bigger and bigger and then eventually create stars, and getting toilets and telephones to join hands to kaboom together in colourful explosions. His games are some of the silliest you’ll ever play, and some of the most introspective. So how does Takahashi do it? What better way to find out than to ask the man himself? He’s even given us some artistic interpretations to illustrate his game-making journey. OPM: All your games have unique premises. How do you come up with a new idea? “If I knew the way to come up with better ideas, I think I would become a billionaire.” Keita Takahashi: I think I can…

The Grape Escape Creator: PebblyJacks You thought we were done with the terrible puns? You thought wrong. (Also, have you read this mag before?) Naturally this game’s puntastic title reeled us in, but it was the very silly story of one long road home that kept us playing. As a surprisingly leggy bunch of grapes, you decide to make a break from the confines of a well-stocked fruit bowl, leaping onto conveniently-placed tables and bookcases in your bid for fruity freedom. When we jumped out of a window conveniently left open and started to navigate the foggy street outside, our playthrough began to gather quite the crowd of folks from our sister publications. Perhaps it was the absurd central visual joke, perhaps it was the pleasing wobble of each individual…

WHAT YOU DO IN… GRANBLUE FANTASY: VERSUS STAT PACK 11 Skyfarers to fight as, plus one more who you can unlock in RPG mode. But that’s not all… 4 Characters to come in the first DLC season pass, starting with Chaos Bringer and Narmaya. 6 Hours – the time it took us to complete the chunky RPG mode (we got properly hooked). 4 Skills that fighters have available in battle, triggered with the press of a button. FRIENDS & ENEMIES Small but mighty, she’s the captain of the Holy Knights. This scythe-wielding Draph is in the Primal Beast-hunting Society. The catboy fighter, plus his bros Elsam and Tomoi, likes to just hang. HOW TO… LEVEL UP WITH WEAPONS 1 Collect draw tickets by clearing missions, then exchange them…

The 20th anniversary of the Sims has brought back the itch that this hospital management game advises we scratch. Our sister publications have been enjoying this spiritual successor to Theme Hospital on their respective platforms for a while but this port is for the specialists, presenting the base game plus all DLC in one easy treatment plan. As an enterprising hospital manager, you are presented with a hollow shell of a hospital. It’s up to you to hire staff, build facilities, and maybe help some patients. Each soon-to-be-fine-establishment presents challenges that stand between you and that elusive three-star reputation.1 You quickly find yourself in that classic management sim gameplay loop, and the revised user interface for PS4 presents little to snap you out of your happy place. That allows humour…

WHAT YOU DO IN… HUNT: SHOWDOWN STAT PACK 10 Ranks for you to get to grips with the basics before Crytek unleashes permadeath. 5 Minutes is all you’re given to find a way off the map once all bounties have been extracted. 1 Round in your shotgun before a lengthy reload. And you never know who the noise will attract. 12 Players sneaking around each other per map. Some will be solo; others will have teamed up. MULTIPL AYER Few games are better played with strangers, but a lack of trust between hunters only contributes to the sense that you’re doing dirty work. That’s especially true if you’re in a three-person party, since there are only two bounties per boss. HOW TO… GO UNDETECTED 1 You can muffle…

Chances are that ‘soul-crushing existence simulator’ wouldn’t be particularly high on your list of dream games. Yet here we are. As an anonymous work drone, your days start when you drag yourself out of bed and switch off your alarm, then brush your teeth – with optional tie and hair tidying before setting off to work.1 There’s more to Mosaic than that, naturally. These elements are intentionally drab and slow-paced, as part of the game’s drive to act as commentary on 21st-century life. At its most subtle, there are flashes of brilliance. If you try to turn to face a neighbour in the lift, they’ll turn away from you; and by giving your character a mobile phone, there is – as in real life – always the temptation to fiddle…

Offline Rebellion’s horde shooter is a lonesome but fun experience. Its crackling gunplay and relentlessly retro zombie arenas always raise a smile, even if getting to those moments can feel like tramping down well-trodden roads. Online everything changes for the better. It helps that Zombie Army 4’s four-player co-op matches connect without a hitch. The speedy matchup will have you shooting holes in the undead in under a minute. Once you’re in, the game runs like clockwork. There’s no buffering, slowdown, or dropout, ensuring every match runs smoothly. “IT’S RARE FOR A HORDE MATCH TO END WITHOUT THE SATISFYING ZIP-PANG OF A LEVEL-UP NOISE.” What you actually do isn’t any different online or off, but as we all know, everything is better with friends. While you can play the entire…

This one’s BYOF – Bring Your Own Friend – but when you do go exploring with a pal, the online works wonderfully well. The entire game can be played in co-op, and without the pair of you having to be tied at the hip. As long as you’re in the same large area, you’re free to splinter off and explore, sharing resources and upgrades as you go. The only downside is that as the game’s content is so specifically about finding new collectibles and hidden areas, if you’re not exploring side by side you might find yourself feeling like you missed out on things. Still, there are few other co-op games that offer such a robust and complete adventure that can feel like a unique one with your friend. It…

MORTAL KOMBAT 11 – SPAWN What violent and edgy superhero would be a better fit for an edgy and violent fighter? Keith David returns from the TV series to voice Todd McFarlane’s breakout comic book character as he brings his own twist on hellish fatalities to the game. DEAD CELLS – BAD SEED The fast-paced roguelite gets a burst of new life. This DLC adds two areas to the early game – The Dilapidated Arboretum and The Morass Of The Banished – to give you more options for runs, plus there’s a fresh boss in the form of the fearsome Mama Tick. Talk about itchy. THE SIMS 4 – TINY LIVING STUFF PACK Owning a home is an expensive impossibility these days. Even renting anywhere with any real space is…

THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER FORMAT DISNEY+ PRICE £49.99 A YEAR The first MCU series to hit Disney+ this autumn catches up with Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes post-Endgame, as Sam embraces the mantle of Captain America and they reckon with the return of Civil War’s Baron Zemo. WANDAVISION FORMAT DISNEY+ PRICE £49.99 A YEAR Also set for a 2020 release, WandaVision sees Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olson) and Paul Bettany’s Vision living in domestic bliss, inspired by classic American sitcoms. Only Vision died in Avengers: Infinity War, and Wanda has the power to alter reality around her… LOKI FORMAT DISNEY+ PRICE £49.99 A YEAR The final MCU Disney+ series currently in production (though there are more being written) is a Loki-centric spin-off. After taking off with…

“THE DEVELOPER WANTS TO MAKE MARTHA IS DEAD ONE OF THE YEAR’S MOST REALISTIC GAMES.” We’ve sweated over the specs for months. Now, finally, some developers are ready to talk and tease how PlayStation 5 will change the way we play games. This issue we sit down with Martha Is Dead developer LKA’s studio head, Luca Dalcò, to discuss how the power of Sony’s next-gen hardware is being harnessed to make horror truly terrifying. “PS5’s specifications are incredibly exciting – particularly for us is the additional graphical power and inclusion of ray-tracing architecture,” says Dalcò as we dig into how PS5 will offer higher visual fidelity. “Our studio has come a long way over four years and Martha Is Dead will strive for photorealism.” The developer has always placed believability…

“WE DON’T THINK DIFFICULT EQUALS GOOD. IT STILL HAS TO BE FAIR.” Team Ninja defines the Nioh games as ‘masocore’ – its own coinage. As we sit down to play we’re warned that our demo, starting at a point midway through the game, might be a little tough. It is. (And you can find out just how tough for yourself as the game hits shelves right after this issue.) But we’re ready for this; the calluses on our hands have been forming ever since we played the dev’s Ninja Gaiden games on PS3 and PS Vita. While the Sengoku-era samurai series clearly owes FromSoftware a debt for its Dark Souls-inspired action, Nioh is also the next stepping stone in the koi pond from Team Ninja’s prickly-as-kunai ninja games. “When we…

Manifold Garden is made up of mind-bending puzzle spaces. The idea for them came to William Chyr, the game’s creator, as he played loosely with concepts, toying with physics and space in his engine. “There were certain moments that I wanted the player to experience,” he says, [such as] “discovering a new way to apply the rules of gravity, discovering world wrapping for the first time, coming into a new space and witnessing infinity. Those are magical moments.” Once he focused on how to introduce mechanics to build up to those moments, he felt what he was working on transform from a tech demo to a full game. Even then, finding that focus took experimentation. At first Chyr concentrated on mechanics, but soon “exploring the architecture became the focal point,”…

The PS VR party had already started by the time I arrived, once it got relatively cheap in the dying throes of the decade. I’d been fascinated by it ever since I donned the plastic cowl to play Arkham VR at Gamescom 2016 (I still use the T-shirt I was given as pyjamas), so unwrapping it years later felt like the start of a momentous virtual pilgrimage. It was my Achilles heel, Psychonauts, that eventually unravelled my fiscal sensibilities. After nearly losing the plot waiting for the pennies to turn into pounds, I picked up a PS VR on Black Friday in 2018 and investigated every vertex of the Rhombus Of Ruin, never looking back. At the time, I simply would not shut up about the system when talking to…

1 The Devastator is Outriders’ tank class. Being able to shield yourself in stone comes in handy, but even better is the ability to teleport into enemies. 2 A commando-like class, the Pyromancer offers a projectile attack that streams lava at enemies, and you can ignite one foe from a distance – very useful. 3 The Trickster class is handy for single-player. Its energy sword attack refills your health meter, while being able to pause time is perfect for crowd control. 4 Best played in three-person co-op, Outriders’ three classes offer a decent mix of tactical options. A good team will have one of each class from the start.…

“THE BLEND OF BLASTING AND RTS ELEMENTS FEELS UNIQUE.” FORMAT PS4 / ETA 2020 PUB PRIVATE DIVISION / DEV V1 INTERACTIVE Considering this online sci-fi shooter was created by a former Bungie bigwig – Marcus Lehto – it’s no great shock that Disintegration rocks a certain Destiny 2 vibe. Spend a couple of rounds on the Low Town map in the quasi-bomb mode Retrieval, and the Guardian-aping parallels quickly become clear. This is a hectic blaster with not only serious Cayde-6 envy, but (happily) some real invention. Sure, Disintegration’s bipedal bots may resemble Destiny’s perennial wisecracker. Yet peel away the familiar sci-fi aesthetic, and the inventiveness of V1 Interactive’s part-FPS, part-squad-shooter is clear. After spending a few hours with the closed beta, there are signs of scrappy optimism for Disintegration.…

OPERENCIA: THE STOLEN SUN FORMAT PS4 / ETA MAR PUB ZEN STUDIOS DEV ZEN STUDIOS This first-person RPG borrows heavily from classic games in its genre, plus Central European folktales, and mixes in a dash of history for good measure. You journey through a land submerged in eternal night on a quest to rescue the abducted Sun King, Napkirály. You encounter real-life historical figures given a legendary makeover, alongside fantastical beasts. Exploring dungeons via a familiar-feeling tile-based movement system, and vanquishing monsters in turn-based fights, it all feels decidedly nostalgic. How’s that for a bedtime story? DELIVER US THE MOON FORMAT PS4 / ETA TBC / PUB WIRED PRODUCTIONS DEV KEOKEN INTERACTIVE In a post-apocalyptic future, humans looked ever upwards as climate and energy crises affected Earth. They discovered a…

Ever since Playdead’s Limbo first crept onto the scene in 2010, many a 2D platformer has sought to capture a similarly bleak ambience and oppressive tone. Yes, games in which you guide a lowly figure through a bitterly harsh world have become their own subgenre, with 7th Sector being the latest to arrive on PS4. And while it might depend quite a bit on some of the formula’s familiar staples, its unique approach to puzzle-solving makes this a dark descent worth taking. 7th Sector begins, rather unexpectedly, with you controlling a simple spark. Following an eerily unsettling pan out from a distorted television, you guide the sentient electrical current from wire to wire, using r to boost and q to jump between cables.1 From here you come across all manner…

WHAT YOU DO IN… DARKSIDERS GENESIS STAT PACK 16 Stages for your pair to smite their way through, not including bonus levels. 2 Characters to play, either by switching by yourself, or (ideally) with a pal in co-op. 16 Hours – how long it took us to hit credits, including going for bonus stuff along the way. 3 The maximum level of a creature core. You’d better get collecting those souls. FRIENDS & ENEMIES Even this early in the timeline this merchant is around to fleece you. This powerful demon helps you in order to achieve his own ends. This angel (here fighting in Eden) plays a larger role later in the timeline. THE FIRST FIVE HOURS… 1 We’re dropped into the middle of a siege of Samael’s fortress,…

For the most part in this extended DLC, you replay Kingdom Hearts III’s endgame. In battles you now have the option of playing as Sora or one of the other Keyblade wielders, each of them with new specials and linked attacks. While battles stay the same, it’s exciting to finally take control of old favourites such as Roxas and, at long last, even Kairi.1 Some cutscenes have been extended, while others stay identical to the main game. You also get a chance to explore an enhanced version of Scala Ad Caelum, home to the Guardians of old, but the slightly longer visit amounts to another empty, linear level. The best part of Re:Mind is the large group battle between the Guardians and the Heartless, complete with fresh character interactions and…

After surviving the cold of Moscow and the heat of the Caspian desert, with Sam’s Story Metro Exodus now explores the only remaining environmental theme: water. To escape Russia and get back to America, Sam (a former US marine stranded after the bombs fell) must overcome the tsunami-ravaged ruins of Vladivostok. As DLC goes, there’s a lot to do in this submerged city. Taking around eight hours to complete, it’s comparable in size to the game’s Caspian map, and plays like a condensed version of the main campaign – choices made during Sam’s quest will affect how characters feel towards him, and ultimately Sam’s ending. Will he eventually return home? And at what cost? “CRAMMED INTO WATERY VLADIVOSTOK ARE ALL THE JOYS METRO’S BLENDED GAMEPLAY OFFERS.” Crammed into watery Vladivostok…

1 UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF’S END Nathan Drake’s swan song 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 RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 There are a lot of open world games, but none that make you feel like you’re a part of a world in quite the same way as Arthur Morgan’s wild west adventure. Tremendously physical, an epic story, and some of the most satisfying headshots you’ll ever find. 3 GOD OF WAR A departure in some ways but…

1 TETRIS EFFECT Tetris, yeah? It might be a great game, but it’s easy to understand why you’d brush this off as just more Tetris at a glance. Yet Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s trippy, transcendent take on the block-based puzzler is nothing short of a masterpiece. Sure, you can play it without PS VR, but in the virtual space it really becomes next level, transforming one of the tightest puzzle games ever made into an emotional ride. 2 THE PERSISTENCE This first-person horror roguelike offers perfectly sized chunks of survival bursts. It’s everything you’d expect from a full PS4 release, but in PS VR it’s filled with clever ideas, unique weapons, genuine jump scares, and fab looks – plus great couchplay. 3 REZ INFINITE Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s vision becomes reality in PS VR.…

FORMAT PS4 / PUB SONY / DEV BLUEPOINT GAMES / RELEASED 2018 / SCORE 9/10 How could it have ended any other way? There’s an uncomfortable melancholy to everything that happens in Shadow Of The Colossus, and with every Colossus we kill a little voice inside says ‘You really shouldn’t have done that.’ Who’s the real monster now as you put an end to bearded giant Barba and inch closer to the game’s end credits and mysterious Mono’s cure and awakening? When every Colossus is dead and buried and Wander returns to the temple to see Mono come back to life, the vile acts he’s performed overtake him. He becomes an actual monster, a physical manifestation of the brutality of his actions over the previous eight hours and the deaths…