PLAY Xmas 2020

“PLAYSTATION 5 IS PROVING NEW TECHNOLOGY CAN OFFER NEW EXPERIENCES.” Christmas came early for Team OPM as we’ve been playing on PlayStation 5 since October. What have I learned in these past weeks? That this coming generation is less about a leap in graphics and more about a change to the experience of playing games. The fast-loading SSD ensures you’re kept immersed in your game, the DualSense enables you feel the actions on screen, and 3D audio puts you literally in the heart of a game’s world. PS5 is proving new technology can offer new experiences. As well as taking a deep dive into PS5 ahead of release on 19 November (p50), we’re also taking a new, closer look at some of best games at launch (starting on p74), and…

Oscar Taylor-Kent GAMES EDITOR No-one likes a smart-Oscar, but after pulling apart his PS5 he can confirm this is not a PS Vita 2 in disguise. GAME OF THE MONTH Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales BEST PS5 FEATURE The super-fast SSD Jess Kinghorn STAFF WRITER Having finished Bugsnax on PS5 Jess has begun questioning her reality. “WillI I turn into an egg bap if I have one too many?” GAME OF THE MONTH Bugsnax BEST PS5 FEATURE The impressive 3D audio Miriam McDonald OPERATIONS EDITOR Mim’s world is a wonderful place of ’90s goth metal and endless curry. It’s a shame a 180-page OPM special had to ruin it. GAME OF THE MONTH Bugsnax BEST PS5 FEATURE Bugsnax Milford Coppock MANAGING ART EDITOR 180 pages later Milf mops his brow, turns…

Editorial Editor Ian Dean @IanDean4 ian.dean@futurenet.com 01225 442244 Managing Art Editor Milford Coppock @milfcoppock Operations Editor Miriam McDonald @crinolinerobot Games Editor Oscar Taylor-Kent @MrOscarTK Staff Writer Jessica Kinghorn @KoeniginKatze Editorial Director, Games Magazines Tony Mott MD, Games, Photo, Design & Video Matthew Pierce Content Director, Games Daniel Dawkins Group Art Director Warren Brown Contributors Louise Blain, Matthew Bolton, Kieran Galaska, Malindy Hetfeld, Luke Kemp, Catherine Kirkpatrick, Aaron Potter, John Strike, Justin Towell, Alvin Weetman, Alan Wen, Ben Wilson, Joseph Yaden Advertising Media packs are available on request Commercial Director Clare Dove clare.dove@futurenet.com Account Director Kevin Stoddart kevin.stoddart@futurenet.com 01225 442244 Circulation Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers Production Head of Production Mark Constance Senior Production Manager Clare Scott Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson Production Manager Vivienne Calvert Management…

“GT7 PROMISES THE RETURN OF CLASSIC TRACKS, CARS, AND GAME MODES.” PlayStation 5 will be out in the wilds as you read this, but the launch is just the start of the next gen. Looking ahead to 2021, with some major games coming to PS5 in its first year, we asked OPM’s readers to vote for their most-wanted games arriving next year. Here are the top five games you want to play on PlayStation 5 in 2021… 1. GOD OF WAR RAGNAROK Scooping 44% of your votes, it seems everyone wants to play Sony Santa Monica’s teased sequel. We could be venturing back to Midgard next winter – what better Christmas present could Sony give us? Having finished the last game on a cliffhanger with Thor knocking on Kratos’ door…

”Sony has made a lot of great choices for the players,” says Benoit Jacquier, technical director, KT Engine, at Kylotonn, the studio behind WRC 9 and the ambitious next-gen racer Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown. “PLAYSTATION 5 PROMISES MORE THAN A VISUAL UPGRADE.” Speaking broadly and exclusively, Jacquier tells us he believes Sony’s next generation will go beyond simply delivering incredible graphics. “Of course,” he says, “upcoming games already look stunning, […] more details, better lighting, and in my opinion we will have many more years to come full of improvements and amazement.” Yet PS5 promises far more than a visual upgrade. “I think this is not the one thing that defines this new generation,” he explains, “but rather the democratisation and accessibility of many features such as massive online…

”We are very excited about the future and very, very excited for this generation and what it means for this project,” says game director Dinga Bakaba as he shares why PS5 and Deathloop are a perfect fit. “It only takes a few seconds to go from the menu to the map, from the beginning of the day to the end of the day […] As a player you stay engaged and focussed.” “[DUALSENSE] FELT LIKE SOMETHING WE WANTED TO HAVE FUN WITH.” This matters as Deathloop presents a living, breathing world to manipulate. Taking out the crime lords of the game’s island is hero Colt’s way home, but to do this you need to puzzle them into position, upsetting their schedules and toying with the world’s AI cast to get…