Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2022 i PLAY

The latest PS5 beta is rolling out now, so check your email for that invitation. This year alone PS5 has seen the addition of a party system, the ability to filter your library by genre, and numerous UI tweaks. The latest update continues the trend by giving us a peek at some of the highly requested features that’ll soon be making their way to your console. For starters, your game library screen is receiving an overhaul in the form of ‘gamelists’. They’re not quite the same as PS4’s home screen folders, but creating a gamelist enables you to group games or applications together at the top of the Your Collection screen. Given the recent arrival of the PlayStation Stars loyalty program, which awards points for every store purchase you make,…

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA NOV 2022 / PUB NACON / DEV KT RACING / PLAYERS MULTI Usually cleanliness is encouraged at PLAY Towers (looking at you, Nathan Drake’s grubby shirt). Except, of course, when it comes to rallying, when we only want to get as dirty as possible. Dropping the numbering, this latest WRC promises to be one for the ages, a transition point from one era to the next mirroring changes in the real sport. “ALL 13 RALLIES FROM THE 2022 SEASON ARE PRESENT.” Hybrid engines are the star of the show, greatly changing the game’s approach to racing. Not only do these affect the performance of the cars, they introduce new layers of strategy when it comes to putting together your team, or even how you manage…

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA 2023 / PUB GAMELOFT / DEV GAMELOFT / PLAYERS 1 Disaster has struck your favourite Disney and Pixar characters living in Dreamlight Valley! Their homes have been overrun by Night Thorns, forcing them to flee. The few residents who remain have lost their memories due to The Forgetting. It falls to you to help them out, and for our early hands-on we’re answering that call. There are plenty of characters to meet throughout the Harvest Moon-like valley, yet the experience feels quite personal. The more characters you help, the more you feel the connection between your avatar and these icons grow. The developers pride themselves on how you’re made to feel like you’re really living alongside Disney characters and helping them out, and you’re likely…

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA 2023 PUB CAPCOM / DEV CAPCOM / PLAYERS 1-10 The year is 2043, and futuristic exosuit technology is going head-to-head with an ancient threat. We all know about the dangers of climate change, but in this upcoming horde-based shooter the weather forecast is cloudy with a chance of dinosaurs. From what we’ve seen so far, Exoprimal is part Left 4 Dead, part Dino Crisis, and all fun. Taking part in a military exercise managed by Leviathan, a malevolent AI combat researcher, two teams don powerful mech armour and race to complete objectives while battling hordes of deadly dinos. It’s hard not to chuckle at the sight of hundreds of raptors spewing from portals in the sky like some kind of ferocious fluid, but these prehistoric…

INFO FORMAT PS5 (reviewed), PS4 PRICE £19.99 ETA Out now PUB Merge Games DEV Half Past Yellow PLAYERS 1 LENGTH 6-8 hrs (2 for escape only) ACCESSIBILITY Vibration on/off; speaker on/off; adaptive triggers on/off You’d expect a place called Frog Island to be full of frogs, right? And it is. Giant anthropomorphic frogs, who have developed (among other things) organised religion, a rudimentary military, functioning infrastructure, and capitalism. Yet they’re not surprised to see you – a shipwrecked human sea captain – and you’re not surprised to see them. We love this setup so, so much. While there’s not even a hint of tension between you and your awesomely accommodating amphibious acquaintances, your ability to communicate is somewhat limited. There’s no dialogue at all in this game. Instead, when you…

INFO FORMAT PS5, PS4 PRICE £15.99 ETA Out now PUB Iam8bit, Skybound Games DEV Coin Crew Games PLAYERS 1-2 (online or local) LENGTH 6 hrs ACCESSIBILITY Subtitles; colourblind mode; togglable strobing effects; adjustable look/cursor sensitivity; inverted look; aim assist On starting Escape Academy, you’re advised to keep some paper and a pencil handy, to keep track of clues. After you’re thrown into its puzzle-filled playpens, though, you might not want to do anything as time-consuming as taking notes. And there, in the spirit of any good escape room, you have your first conundrum – when is it more efficient to keep moving and searching, and when should you simply stop and think? Escape Academy places you as a new student in a school for ‘escapists,’ a secret institution that trains…

INFO FORMAT PS4 PRICE £34.99 ETA Out now PUB Marvelous DEV Marvelous PLAYERS 1 LENGTH 40+ hrs ACCESSIBILITY Adjustable message speed; photo mode control inversion; extended volume controls This farm-’em-up is the latest in long line of farming sims – once named Harvest Moon, the series became Story Of Seasons in 2014 – and it’s the relaxing, overwhelmingly adorable experience that you’d expect. As an original entry in the series, rather than a remake like Friends Of Mineral Town, it treads new ground and has lots of extra options and details that give you a fuller experience. Beyond growing crops, tending to animals, and looking for love in the colourful town, you’ve got expanded character customisation options to play with, plus masses of things to craft and ways to upgrade…

INFO FORMAT PS4 PRICE £32.99 ETA Out now PUB Capcom DEV Capcom PLAYERS 1-4 We remember when a single arcade game was so big, it could only fit in a huge cabinet. Nowadays you can cram 32 into one download. Talk about shrinkflation! While you can grab SonSon for free and then add other games as DLC, we’re reviewing the complete package, which is worth buying. It’s pleasing to see how heavily weighted the collection is on the side of beat-’em-ups. If you have a friend or family member who’s keen to play them with you (no online play, sadly), this is an essential purchase. With games including Street Fighter Alpha 1-3, Darkstalkers 1-3, and the wonderfully camp wrestling fighter Saturday Night Slam Masters, we’d argue that this is a…

T urn-based strategy JRPGs always used to be serious affairs, telling tales of warring armies and heroic sacrifices. At least, they were until Nippon Ichi Software turned its hand to the genre in the early 2000s, led by irreverence, absurd humour, and a knack for binding together bizarre ideas. From that heady concoction was born Disgaea, the clown prince of strategy RPGs. Nearly 20 years after its PS2 release, six mainline releases and numerous spin-offs down the road, there’s still nothing quite like the first Disgaea. Its magic comes from two factors: unapologetic silliness and almost bottomless depth. On picking up the game, you might assume you’re playing something light and undemanding thanks to its zany script and cartoon visuals. Hundreds of hours later, as your brain wrestles with the…

It’s in their DMA The beginning of the series: PS1, 1997-1999 GAMES RELEASED GRAND THEFT AUTO, GTA: LONDON 1969, GTA2 Back in 1997, when Rockstar North was still known as DMA Design, it released a PS1 game called Grand Theft Auto, and a gaming legend was born. This top-down crime-’em-up was spread across three locations: Liberty City; Vice City; and San Andreas. Yup, all three have been GTA canon from the beginning. You may not be surprised to learn that the series, and its reliance on crime and violence, caused controversy from the very beginning. There was much red-faced bluster about the first game in the House Of Lords (see p9), and many people wanted the game banned from sale (which never happened). 1999 saw the release of two new…

While you might have heard Red Dead Online has entered ‘maintenance mode’ (meaning it won’t be updated for the foreseeable future), GTA Online’s motors are humming, with the recent Criminal Enterprises update being one of the biggest overhauls yet, making the most of its new era on PS5 (though the update itself is on PS4 as well). From long-awaited quality-of-life updates to brand-new missions, here are the reasons why Criminal Enterprises makes now the perfect time to jump into GTA Online… None of your business Go private with your ventures to keep your friends close 01 Businesses are a huge part of GTA Online, each with its own missions and ways to earn money. Now you can register as VIP, CEO, or MC President in Invite Only, Crew, or…

Rather than banding together with others, you captain your own vessel. INSIDER HIGHLIGHTS 11 GAME OVER, MAN. GAME OVER! Aliens in VR: an express elevator to hell 12 CHASING LIGHT Midnight Suns comes out from the shade 14 FREE WHEELING Skate goes free-to-play Pirates are about to have a big moment. This year has seen the success of TV series Our Flag Means Death, and the long-running manga One Piece is staring down its final story arc. On top of all that, people are still yelling from the crow’s nest about how fantastic Black Sails was. As such, it’s no surprise to see Ubisoft riding that wave, with Skull And Bones coming to PS5 on 8 November. As hot as pirates are right now, the fires of this project’s story…

Garth DeAngelis, lead producer on Marvel’s Midnight Suns, tells us he’s a big fan of antiheroes and villains, with Magneto holding a special place in his affections. While the X-Men’s nemesis may not make an appearance in Firaxis’ upcoming tactical action RPG, DeAngelis nonetheless assures us, “We have a lot of great villains in this title.” That’s clear from the outset – an early fight includes a corrupted version of Venom. And Lilith is as formidable as any ‘omega-level threat’ supervillain the Avengers have faced. Except you won’t just be fighting the dark as your custom character, the Hunter, you’ll be able to embrace the darkness through dialogue choices. Which isn’t to say that you’ll suddenly turn on your allies. “Dark definitely means antihero, which are some of the best…

INZONE GAMING MONITORS SONY £999/TBC ELECTRONICS.SONY.COM Boasting a 27-inch 144Hz 4K display and enhanced contrast, Sony’s new InZone M9 monitor is perfect if you won’t settle for anything but the best. Even the M3, its cheaper (but no smaller) sibling, is notable for its blisteringly fast 240Hz refresh rate. Tailormade for use with PS5, both these swanky displays match the console’s sleek looks. WD_BLACK SN850 NVME SSD FOR PS5 WESTERN DIGITAL £289.99/£179.99 SHOP.WESTERNDIGITAL.COM If the prospect of finding a PS5-compatible SSD makes your head spin, the officially licensed SN850 is for you. A built-in heatsink makes installation hassle free, and splashing out on the 2TB model will future-proof your storage for years to come. INZONE H9, H7, AND H3 GAMING HEADSETS SONY £269/£189/£89 ELECTRONICS.SONY.COM Hearing is important too, so grab…

#17 A be-Guile-ing cover; we spoke to Capcom about Street Fighter 6. BLOCKBUSTED I’m looking towards the end of the year and all I want to know is where are the blockbusters? Kratos is capable of taking on all-comers, but this autumn he isn’t going to have any real competition. Goat Simulator 3? Give me a break! No, give me some more must-play games. If Sony wants to shift more PS5s it needs to give people more reasons to buy a console. Gary Cavendish Triple-A titles are thin on the ground towards the end of the year, but that’s because we’ve already been treated to Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring, Gran Turismo 7, Ghostwire Tokyo and many more. And we have great hopes for Skull And Bones (see p6) and…

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA SEP / PUB EA / DEV EA VANCOUVER / PLAYERS 1-22 (1-4 OFFLINE) EA’s 30th FIFA game was assured of historic status long before PLAY landed in Vancouver for a behind-closed-doors hands-on. This time next year the FIFA licence will be in the hands of a different developer, while the mega-publisher prepares to launch EA Sports FC. Happily, and perhaps surprisingly, the team has grander ambitions than merely paying homage to the past. The FIFA games’ connection to the World Cup goes back almost as far as the series itself, but never before have both men’s and women’s competitions featured. That changes this year, with both Qatar 2022 and Australia/ New Zealand 2023 fully integrated. Kits, balls, stadia, fireworks displays you’ll skip after the first…

FORMAT PS5, PS4 ETA 28 OCT PUB ACTIVISION DEV INFINITY WARD PLAYERS MULTI M uch has changed since we last saw Task Force 141. We witnessed the formation of this fledgling unit in the final moments of Modern Warfare’s post-credit scene; now the central characters of Modern Warfare II are scattered on deployments across the world. However, with the world under threat from an alliance of enemies more dangerous than anything we’ve seen before, this single-player campaign makes it clear that squadding up is the only way to survive. It’s a spiritual successor to 2009’s much-loved Modern Warfare 2; a cast of familiar faces and a few notable newcomers are gearing up for a fresh globetrotting adventure. “REBOOTING THE UNIVERSE GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY, BUT ALSO A REALLY INTERESTING CONUNDRUM…

INFO FORMAT PS5 (reviewed), PS4 PRICE £44.99 ETA Out now PUB Bandai Namco DEV Monkey Craft PLAYERS 1-2 LENGTH 12 hrs ACCESSIBILITY Easy difficulty (new) in both games Ah, the double-jump! It’s something we take for granted these days. But in earlier platformers it was more akin to a power-up or a skill to learn or earn. When you’re in the paws of the dream-travelling Klonoa, to double-jump you pick up enemies, then use them to boost yourself higher. The mechanic made Namco’s furry creation stand out, if his peculiar ears didn’t already. These 2.5D games – the first released on PS1 and the sequel on PS2 – might have felt antiquated at a time when games in general were moving towards full 3D, although Klonoa wasn’t alone in sticking…

INFO FORMAT PS5 (reviewed), PS4 PRICE £11.99 ETA Out now PUB Molegato DEV Top Hat Studios PLAYERS 1-2 LENGTH 8-10 hrs ACCESSIBILITY Auto-aim 3 D platformers hold a special place in the hearts of many a PlayStation fan. For lots of us, bouncing around the blocky worlds of Crash, Croc, and Gex were some of our earliest and most treasured gaming moments. Attempting to recreate the magic and simplicity of those bygone days is Frogun, a bright and bubbly, low-poly platformer about a young girl and her amphibian amigo, who also happens to act as a grappling hook. The frogun is a zany invention cooked up by Renata’s parents, who’ve gone off to explore some ancient ruins and left the young girl to fend for herself. When, days later, they…

INFO FORMAT PS5 (reviewed), PS4 PRICE Free-to-play, with microtransactions and Founder’s Pack options (£32.99-£79.99) ETA Out now (early access) PUB Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment DEV Player First Games PLAYERS 1-4 LENGTH N/A ACCESSIBILITY Remappable controls; customisable HUD; many toggles and adjustments for specific move inputs Emerging from a cloud of smoke, Batman joins the fray, socking Superman in the teeth before hurling a batarang at… Garnet from Steven Universe? “This one’s for Shaggy,” he mutters, Kevin Conroy providing lines for the iconic character, while the Scooby-Doo hero powers up in the background, seemingly embracing the ‘ultra instinct’ Shaggy internet meme. The brave and the bold indeed – this is a punch-up for the ages. The brawls hosted by moustachioed plumbers aside, the platform/fighter crossover has always been a genre that’s…

INFO PUB FOX INTERACTIVE DEV Argonaut Software RELEASED ON PS1 RELEASE 1997 IF YOU LIKE THIS, TRY THIS… Croc’s inspirations are obvious, and you can still play many of them today. For more recent mascot platforming action, we’d recommend A Hat In Time, and Yooka-Laylee And The Impossible Lair. Sonic, Tomb Raider, Mario… Croc? One of these things ain’t like the others – despite the obvious cues it takes from the other three. The Nintendo connection is no accident either; this platformer began life as a prototype centring a totally different green reptile, namely Mario’s pal Yoshi. Nintendo ultimately didn’t go for it, leading developer Argonaut Software to retool the project into the underrated third-person 3D platformer we’re celebrating here. ‘Underrated’ really is the word as reader @TruHopeFaith shares on…

While transitioning to a new console generation it’s not uncommon for publishers to continue supporting the previous one with a much larger established userbase. But while we’ve become used to being able to play pretty much the same game but with a few improvements on a newer system with PS5 and PS4, it used to be a different story. Before now, hardware leaps represented huge, fundamental shifts in how games were made, whether that was in the online elements, the move from standard definition to high definition, or simply the power of the technology. That sometimes meant games released for the previous generation were missing features or were essentially different games, sometimes even made by different developers. Join us as we look at some of the most notable cross-gen games…

FORMAT PS4 / PUB SONY / DEV GUERRILLA GAMES / RELEASED 2017 Thunderjaws are among the biggest, meanest robots in Horizon Zero Dawn – bipedal mechadinos with crushing mandibles and spines bristling with firepower. And no Thunderjaw is as tough as Redmaw, which has left a string of would-be hunters mangled in its wake. Now it falls to Aloy to bring this giant machine to its knees. Before you can pursue Redmaw, you have to get embroiled in local politics. First you must demonstrate your hunting prowess to become a junior member of the Hunters’ Lodge, under the wing of ‘Hawk’ Talanah. Then you can help Talanah claim the prize of beating Redmaw, so she can become lodge leader ahead of her unpleasant rival, Ahsis. Although he tricks Talanah to…

Q What lifestyle options should I choose in the character creator? A When you start, the first thing you’re presented with is the character creator, where you can choose lifestyle options like how many hours a day you spend sleeping or partying. These alter your stats and to an extent your appearance, but the effect is minimal. Instead, focus on the appearance section of the character creator – you’re going to spend a lot of time looking at your avatar, and once your overall look is locked in it can be expensive to make further changes. You’ll also be able to try the GTA Online Career Builder, which will help you get a head start in terms of cash. Q Can you simply skip the GTA Online tutorial? A Yes,…

After June’s State Of Play showcase, in which we were treated to tantaslising news about a handful of upcoming PSVR2 games, Sony has finally given more information on the specs and features we can expect from the headset itself, and about the quartet of cameras built into it in particular. The most significant revelation is that the headset’s array of funky front-facing cameras isn’t just for show (although in our opinion those four lenses dotted around the front of the device still look cool). A new See-through mode lets you display your real-world surroundings on-screen at the tap of a button, and although the video feed is limited to black and white this still seems like a blessing for those of us who find themselves losing track of their controllers…

Numbers aren’t the only thing vanishing from EA’s long-awaited Skate revival: its price tag is disappearing too. Now titled simply Skate instead of Skate 4, this free-to-play followup isn’t a conventional sequel or reboot, but rather a model that the developer insists will represent the “authentic evolution of the Skate franchise”. Supported as a live service with frequent content updates and plenty of seasonal events, we expect to be landing ollies, making kickflips, and breaking bones for years to come. Everything we’ve seen of the ‘pre-pre-pre-alpha’ footage that dominated the latest raft of trailers suggests development is still in its very, very, very, early stages. Even so, series fans can rest easy knowing that the game is in the capable hands of developer Full Circle, a new EA studio helmed…

Have your favourite magnifying glass and deerstalker hat at the ready, because your detective work is the only thing standing between the futuristic metropolis of Mato and a full-scale demon invasion. So much for a relaxing city break… Taking control of two protagonists, moody detective Doe and bandaged exorcist Gram, it’s your job to collect clues and investigate the otherworldly portals plaguing the town. Built upon the ruins of a destroyed Eastern city, Mato looks like being the perfect setting for a good old-fashioned mystery. It’s delightfully bleak and filled with secrets, and venturing through its ruined streets and shabby shops is a must on your quest to uncover the truth. We were impressed by developer Arrowiz’s last detective venture, the stylish murder mystery Hermitage: Strange Case Files, so this…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA 20 SEP / PUB MODUS GAMES DEV REPLY GAME STUDIOS / PLAYERS 1 Siblings should have each others’ backs no matter what. Briar and Lute, however, take this a bit more literally than most, one literally poking out of the other. They’ve become a chimera, fused together, meaning Briar gets enhanced strength and Lute has been turned into a ghost. It’s a recipe for some rip-roaring stylish action. The sisters might technically be two people, but going hands-on it’s clear they operate as one. That is, after all, why the chimera was created by the order they serve – they’re the only beings that can fight back against wraiths. Which, for us, means using Briar’s oversized sword and other equally large weapons to whack them into…

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA TBC / PUB ANNAPURNA INTERACTIVE / DEV OUTERLOOP GAMES / PLAYERS 1 When you’ve got nowhere else, where can you possibly go? Home, for most of us. And in the wake of a messy breakup, that’s where Jala heads, to confront the ghosts of relationships past – except here the spectres of years ago are less metaphorical and more solid, hurt humans she needs to face up to. “YOU CAN CHOOSE TO FLIRT BACK OR SHUT SERGIO DOWN.” The feelings this story evokes are grounded and recognisable, from the ache of a commitment that just won’t manifest to the crushing weight of family expectations. The presentation, on the other hand, is delightfully out of this world. Almost immediately, Jala is confronted by her ex-grade-school-boyfriend Sergio,…

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA 2023 / PUB OPEN LAB GAMES DEV OPEN LAB GAMES / PLAYERS 1 Getting your roller derby team to the top takes more than just good tactics on the skating track. You have to foster team spirit even outside matches – you have to put as much thought into keeping these roomies happy at home as demons on their wheels. The full-contact roller derby matches have you blending together real-time controls and coming up with strategies as you watch chibi versions of the characters, keeping their stats and abilities in mind. Each championship promises a unique, replayable challenge, and deckbuilding mechanics mean you’ll hone randomness into a finely orchestrated set of moves to keep your team’s wheels turning. WHERE THE HEART IS But you also…

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA 20 APR / PUB NACON DEV HEKATE / PLAYERS 1 Torn between duelling realities, you play as a German soldier processing the horror of the Great War. While at home in Berlin, he finds himself endlessly drawn back to the trenches, but these recollections have taken on a monstrous life of their own. In this atmospheric first-person horror, you have to stealthily contend with uncanny entities and strange puzzles alike, while the shifting world reacts to your decisions. Can you find your way through history’s darkest shadows?…

INFO FORMAT PS4 PRICE £24.99 ETA Out now PUB Handy Games DEV Herobeat Studios PLAYERS 1 LENGTH 4 hrs ACCESSIBILITY Colourblind mode; camera shake options; vibration options; adjustable brightness; expanded volume options Like watching a film about a dog and knowing it will have a sad ending, you go into a game with environmental themes, such as Endling, knowing it’s likely to be harrowing. Where Endling exceeds the mark is that in addition to telling a beautiful yet bleak story, it’s a very solidly made survival game, with some rather effective human-shaped jumpscares. You’ll really feel the tension. Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to play through Watership Down or The Animals Of Farthing Wood? It turns out being in direct control of the safety of your…

INFO FORMAT PS5 (reviewed), PS4 PRICE £19.99 ETA Out now PUB Digerati DEV Greylock Studio PLAYERS 1 LENGTH 3-4 hrs (campaign) ACCESSIBILITY Customisable HUD, crosshair, FOV, look sensitivity and controls; motion blur, reduced flash, and screen shake on/off; customisable enemy outlines on/off We love diving through windows in slow motion, scoring three headshots before hitting the floor, and sliding across the room to take out another two armed men. But enough about what we do at the weekend. Following in the footsteps (across the wall) of Mirror’s Edge and Ghostrunner, this is an FPS that slathers its violence with parkour-flavoured style – yet very much in its own way. Severed Steel pulls off the trick of cutting the FPS experience down to the bones without feeling in any way shallow…

INFO FORMAT PS5, (reviewed) PS4, PRICE £19.99 ETA Out now PUB Headup Games DEV Sluggerfly PLAYERS 1 LENGTH 6 hrs ACCESSIBILITY Speech bubble text (not size adjustable); colour blind modes Have you ever played a platforming game and thought ‘What this needs is a lot of juvenile humour and some fart jokes’? Then good news: Hell Pie is here for you. If you’ve never thought that, there’s a chance the platforming might appeal to you nonetheless, but it’s a slim chance, and you’ll have to play with the audio off and your eyes closed. The premise is simple enough: you’re a demon working in hell when your boss, Satan, calls you up to complain that his pie isn’t ready. Your job has nothing to do with pies, but we’ve all…

INFO FORMAT PS5 PRICE £24.99 ETA Out now PUB Playism DEV FYQD Studio PLAYERS 1 LENGTH 2 hrs ACCESSIBILITY Basic difficulty options Given its name, you might assume FYQD Studio is a sizable company made up of of veteran developers who’ve set out to make a big-budget shooter that can rival Call Of Duty. Yet the developer of Bright Memory: Infinite is actually a lone developer from China who spent years making the game by learning and using Unreal Engine without having to write code. That’s jaw-dropping. At least, it is at first glance. This often visually spectacular but fairly superficial, short campaign has all the hallmarks of a young developer’s attempt to hit the big time. They’ve evidently looked not only at FPSs but at every other popular genre…

INFO FORMAT PS5 (reviewed), PS4 PRICE £24.99 ETA Out now PUB Illfonic DEV Illfonic OFFLINE REVIEW N/A PLAYERS 1-4 CROSSPLAY PC, Xbox CROSS-GEN Yes After spending almost exactly one year in early access, this gaming cake comes across as half-baked. We might even prefer the early access version, simply because the promise of improvements to come made us more forgiving of the rough edges. Diving into the final version on PS5, we nearly hit our proverbial heads, as the experience is shallower than we had hoped. The fundamental shooting controls are great and there’s good variety in the weapons. First impressions are not good, and not just because of the eye-strainingly tiny UI text on loot. The whole experience is painfully ‘How do you do, fellow kids?’, from the acquired…

This began life as an arcade game1 before swiftly moving to the original PlayStation, and the action is addictive enough to have us coming back for just one more go over two decades later on PS5. The setup for this bright puzzle game is refreshingly straightforward: the city has been overtaken by colourful blocks – are you a bad enough dude to get to the bottom of it? Part of PlayStation Plus’ Classics Catalogue, which is available exclusively to Premium tier subscribers, Mr. Driller’s central challenge is no-frills but still mesmerising. You drill down (and left and right) through the blocks, which are constantly stacking up. In addition to you destroying blocks, if four come together through falling as a result of your drilling, they’re destroyed. Your descent goes through…

Something about Grand Theft Auto digs into your brain. Whether it’s the gleeful moments of parody that send up American crime classics, the freedom to go on a rampage across an open world urban sandbox, or little cinematic touches that remind you Rockstar’s characters go beyond surface level, it’s almost impossible to forget. It’s impressive in part because every GTA is huge. Even if you go back to the very first game in the series on PS1, you’ll find a sweeping, expansive ambition that remains incredibly moreish, your path through a city very much your own. And yet, so much sticks with you. To celebrate it, we’ve cracked the window on every game in the series in order to rummage through all those shiny memories, and stashed the best of…