Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2023 i PLAY

We may not have had an E3 this year, but that doesn’t mean the summer hasn’t been a scorcher for games. In annual tradition, we’re here to count down the Hot 50 (p23) upcoming PlayStation games, and there’s lots to get excited about. (We had to leave plenty on the cutting room floor.) The list includes some new series entries we’ve been hyped about for years, now looming on the horizon. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (p68) is set to be the first-party PS5 exclusive. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (p64) looks like a glorious reimagining of one of our favourite PS1 worlds to get lost in, with heaps of fresh mystery and revamped party-based action combat. Armored Core 6 (p56) has FromSoftware putting that Dark Souls money where its iron-plated, mech-loving heart…

“Of the 23 Legends (at time of writing), only six are actually free.” Before I begin the rant proper, I need to make it clear that I love Apex Legends. I’ve played many battle royales, but this is one of only two (the other being Hyper Scape; RIP) that managed to keep my attention, to the point where I was even prepared to spend some money on it. I have little to show for my investment, though. It may seem unfair for me to single out Apex Legends for the free-to-play conversation. I’m holding Apex’s proverbial feet to the fire because it has an in-game economy that’s easy to understand, I’m extremely familiar with it… and some of the demands for money have a direct effect on the PvP experience.…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA 2023 / PUB SONY DEV ARROWHEAD GAME STUDIOS AB / PLAYERS 1-4 Once a co-operative, top-down twin-stick shooter, this indie favourite returns with backing from PlayStation. You’re still blasting away space critters, Starship-Troopers-style, but those bugs are now far gnarlier, and you’re staring them down from an over-the-shoulder perspective. The series’ tongue-in-cheek framing of militaristic propaganda returns, as does always-on friendly fire. Team synergy has never been so important! Besides boots-on-the-ground action, you can also call in air strikes. Just make sure you’re a way beyond the blast radius before you point and shoot. Your teammates would probably also appreciate a heads-up before you eagle-drop a 500kg bomb on them or litter the battlefield with anti-personnel mines, but hey! – you do you.…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA TBC 2023 / PUB 505 GAMES DEV ONE MORE LEVEL / PLAYERS 1 The first Ghostrunner, which saw you scaling a towering arcology, was unforgivingly difficult yet immensely satisfying to succeed at, and pumped full of that elusive one-more-go juice. The sequel is unlikely to be a pushover either, but it’s introducing many interesting elements that should expand on the original. Motorbike sections! A dialogue system! More of the world to explore outside of the prequel’s tower! Throw in more versatile boss encounters and a revamped upgrade system, and we have something to keep a close eye on.…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA SUMMER 2024 / PUB DREAMLIT INC DEV DREAMLIT INC / PLAYERS 1 Promised a bountiful paradise, the Shimu tribe return to their ancestral homeland only to find it seemingly devoid of life. The gods who still wander here don’t exactly welcome their return either, blaming humans for the sorry state of what remains. However, what once was lost may yet be restored. This open world building game presents a unique challenge, then. Yes, you need to construct a new home for the Shimu, but all you create must coexist with the native ecosystem. It’s up to you to breathe life back into the dead lands, planting alien plant life and nurturing it as it grows. The creatures are the headline act though, with plenty of weird…

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA TBC / PUB FINJI DEV THE GLORY SOCIETY / PLAYERS 1 They say cats have nine lives, but what about their ambitions? In this game, stray kitty Twigs is hoping to become a witch’s familiar. Unfortunately, the barn he called home burned down, leaving him with nothing but a log on the perimeter of an abandoned graveyard – but it’s not all bad. The supernatural squad that calls those stones home might be able to do Twigs a solid, though one good turn deserves another. Boasting the gorgeous storybook stylings of Night In The Woods, this promises a tale of community working together to make the most out of not very much. Putting down roots literally and metaphorically, you grow crops, run through fields, make…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA TBC / PUB DEVOLVER DIGITAL DEV NOMADA STUDIO / PLAYERS 1 From the creators of artsy-platformer Gris comes a beautifully animated adventure set in a world that’s slowly dying. It’s the story of a girl and her wolf, who grows up from a cub as the story progresses. Platforming here requires the co-operation of the two characters. Between every jump, there are puzzles and combat to keep swordswoman Alba and her furry friend on their toes. If that announcement trailer is anything to go by, we don’t doubt this tale of two friends searching for a new home is one that won’t leave a dry eye in the house.…

FORMAT PSVR2 / ETA 2023 / PUB SONY DEV FIRST CONTACT ENTERTAINMENT / PLAYERS 8 Do you want to play a VR shooter that crams you into the usual framework? Or do you want to play one that uses every trick in the PSVR2 playbook to immerse you in a tense game of cat-and-mouse, forcing you to crane your neck to pinpoint the sounds around you and use your digital body to get the upper hand? If you want the latter – and you do – then Firewall Ultra is the answer. Individual weapons have unique haptic feedback so they all feel different to handle. When you aim down sights, the headset can track your eye to adjust your aim. You can even use your hand to temporarily dim flashlight…

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA TBC / PUB SQUARE ENIX / DEV SQUARE ENIX PLAYERS 8 You might find it hard to imagine anyone getting aggressive when they’re dashing around in a glittering sea of pastel blue and pink foam, but hey, that’s what’s happening. No sooner have we plastered the arena before us with bubblegum-pink bubbles – neon-soaked high rises crowding around us, puncturing the inky sky like a gaudier wannabe Vegas – than the other team have redecorated the place in blue foam again. Sigh. You don’t have to have spent much – well, any – time with Nintendo’s Splatoon to see the comparison between that game and this, and while Foamstars’ glossy presentation and foam party aesthetic may hint at a more mature offering, what we’ve seen…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA TBC / PUB SUPERGIANT GAMES DEV SUPERGIANT GAMES / PLAYERS 1 Return to the underworld, this time as another less-well-known figure within Greek mythology. The first game followed Zagreus as he undertook the nigh-Sisyphean trial of escaping his dad’s underworld, while this followup sees his sister Melinoë taking the lead to slay Chronos, the Titan of time. Each of Zagreus’ failed escape attempts ended with him being resurrected within the confines of his father’s house, and Melinoë’s quest has a similarly roguelike runaround. This time, as the immortal princess of the underworld you’re lost in a world of Magick, infusing your weapons of Night with its terrible power, as well as still seeking the boons of new Olympian gods. Make no mistake, the witchy vibes are…

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA 12 OCT / PUB UBISOFT DEV UBISOFT BORDEAUX / PLAYERS 1 Six years after Assassin’s Creed became a fully-fledged historical RPG with Origins, the series is returning to its stealthy roots. While the latest instalment, Valhalla, wowed us with its incredible scale, there’s a lot to look forward to in Mirage’s promise of a more modernised take on the focussed design that made earlier entries so compelling. Set during the golden age of Baghdad, everything we’ve seen from this dense stealth sandbox seems very much in line with what we remember loving when the series was at its peak. Missions are once again much more open-ended, featuring long chains of objectives that culminate in complex assassination sequences with many different paths to completion. The story,…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA 20 OCT / PUB SONY / DEV INSOMNIAC GAMES / PLAYERS 1 Well, it looks like this sequel will give you everything you might possibly want. Classic Spidey Peter Parker? You got it! Modern Spidey Miles Morales? You got it! New villains? You got it! Your own spider-powers in real life, so you can fight crime and instantly web-sling your way out of awkward conversations? You g- well, you can’t have everything. Peter was present in Miles’ game, but only through phone calls, recorded messages, and the occasional hologram. In his role as Spider-mentor, he’d left training simulations and challenges across the city for Miles to hone his skills on. In this full-blown sequel, however, Peter has returned to New Yoik, and this time will be…

Overhearing someone playing the now-classic Final Fantasy XIII you could almost believe a tense Wimbledon championship final was on screen, but in fact the grunts and groans you’re hearing is the gleeful reaction party member Vanille has to, well, almost anything. Even though she is one of the main catalysts for the events of the game, and secretly the reason for most of the problems the team faces, like any self-centred teen she shoves it all to the back of her mind and allows a childlike sense of naïvety to propel her forwards, and honestly… me too. Nothing says ‘the youth of today’ like forgetting about all your problems and demanding people smell the flowers and live in the moment. Together with her ‘friend’ Fang, she forms an Australian sari-wearing…

Dashiell Wood CONTRIBUTING WRITER Given a one-way ticket to crime town, Dash has had to prove he’s the most devious [blorp!] in Rockay City. GAME OF THE MONTH Diablo IV HOT 50 HIGHLIGHT Marathon Jess Kinghorn GAMES EDITOR Fresh from Larian’s Forgotten Realms HQ (Belgium), she’s a bag-of-holding stuffed with Baldur’s Gate lore. GAME OF THE MONTH Final Fantasy XVI HOT 50 HIGHLIGHT Alan Wake 2 Miriam McDonald OPERATIONS EDITOR Hawaii calls to Mim, but even unlimited Yakuza coins won’t make Ichiban Kasuga appear on the beach. GAME OF THE MONTH Final Fantasy XVI HOT 50 HIGHLIGHT Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Milford Coppock MANAGING ART EDITOR Another Marvel cover? The MCU actually stands for the Milford Cover Universe. Comics Code Authority: unapproved. GAME OF THE MONTH C-Smash VRS HOT…

Get your pointing finger ready. Almost four years after the release of the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, which saw the first three entries in the long-running legal visual novel series land on PlayStation, Capcom is bringing the final mainline titles to current platforms. Unveiled as part of this year’s Capcom Showcase, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy combines entries 4 to 6 (Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit Of Justice) into one package. As the title suggests, they retain the investigative and courtroom gameplay while the focus shifts from original protagonist Phoenix Wright to his protégé Apollo Justice. The focus shifts from original protagonist Phoenix Wright to his protégé Apollo Justice. TAKE THAT! Just as the previous trilogy…

Nasuverse fans are being spoiled. While developer Type-Moon’s 2004 visual novel Fate/Stay Night was never officially released in English, many of its wildly varied spinoffs have been, to a clamouring reception from an eager fanbase. Fate/Samurai Remnant, which reimagines the Holy Grail War as a Dynasty Warriors-style hack-and-slash, will be the latest of these on 29 September. In Keian-era Japan, humans summon heroic spirits known as Servants in the hope of claiming the wish-granting Waxing Moon Vessel for themselves. Seven human/Servant pairings are facing off; you play as swordsman Miyamoto Iori and his Servant, known pseudonymously as Saber. You’ll both issue orders to Saber, and occasionally take full control of them to cut through waves of enemies with supercharged magical attacks. Master Iori is no slouch himself, being proficient in…

“A fairer experience for everyone shouldn’t be controversial.” Chances are, if you keep up with the online chatter surrounding popular first-person shooters, you’re already well-versed in the seemingly endless squabble about skill-based matchmaking. An algorithm that groups players of a similar skill level together for more balanced matches, a game delivering a fairer experience for everyone shouldn’t be a controversial topic. Yet this is easily the one feature that big content creators and angry forum users seem to complain about the most. To those outside the FPS bubble, it might seem like a strange thing to be upset about, especially when you consider that skill-based matchmaking (or ‘SBMM’ for us FPS-heads) is an excellent idea on paper. Getting home late from a long day at work, the last thing you…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA 2023 / PUB FOCUS ENTERTAINMENT DEV DON’T NOD / PLAYERS 1 Hunting spirits in this action RPG, Red and Antea work together to bring closure to the living. Flesh-and-blood Red mac Raith boasts an arsenal that’ll send all mortal threats into the afterlife, while his lost love Antea Duarte works from the other side of the veil. For the duo, it wasn’t always like this, and Antea is far from happy about her change in circumstance. A new IP from Life Is Strange’s original developer, you can expect an earnest exploration of this long-distance relationship. As the pair search for a way out of this so-close-yet-so-far predicament, you’ll encounter many other unfortunate souls, and how you deal with them alters your own tale.…

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA EARLY 2024 / PUB SEGA DEV RYU GA GOTOKU STUDIO / PLAYERS 1 Poor old Ichiban Kasuga – he’s woken up in some dives that’d leave anyone feeling less than number one. This sequel sees the hard-done-by gangster waking up naked and afraid once more, though this time it’s on the beach of an as-yet-unnamed foreign country (though almost certainly Hawaii). As beachgoers flee, Ichi is left only more confused. But this eighth Like A Dragon (formerly Yakuza) isn’t just an Ichiban beach episode. The other half of this picture lies with a second playable protagonist, Kiryu Kazuma. We suspect spin-off Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will go more into the particulars, but the series’ premier protagonist has had to…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA 24 AUG / PUB TEAM17 DEV THE GAME KITCHEN / PLAYERS 1 Don your favourite cone-shaped helmet, because you won’t want to miss this sinfully stylish sequel. Dumped into the unenviable position of a knight forced to venture through a world of enemy-infested Gothic structures, the striking art blends mediaeval fantasy with religious elements to deliver beautiful vistas and fearsome foes in equal measure. It’s not just a looker, either, as the intelligently designed exploration elevates its more conventional metroidvania mechanics by tying your ability to enter certain areas to your choice of starting weapon. Although things open up later, this makes for an interesting first few hours with plenty of room for replayability down the line. The grim world is complemented by challenging combat, and…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA 2023 / PUB DIE GUTE FABRIK DEV DIE GUTE FABRIK / PLAYERS 1 This one captured our attention with its gorgeous storybook-like art style. The Saltsea of the title is a flooded but sadly Kevin Costnerless world, which means many islands to visit. You and the rest of the crew are on the search for your missing captain, uncovering a wider conspiracy along the way, and recruiting new members for your crew as you sail the ocean, stopping off at islands en route (including one ruled by cats). With the promise of different playthroughs providing very different experiences, we’re ready to get on board.…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA TBC / PUB S-GAME DEV S-GAME / PLAYERS 1 There’s a miserable beauty to this game’s world, dark as it is while being impeccably detailed. This seems appropriate given that your character, Soul, has only 66 days left to live, which he largely fills by engaging in mesmerisingly rapid and intricate combat. Kung fu is a huge influence on the game; Kenji Tanigaki – stuntman, stunt co-ordinator, and fight co-ordinator on many kung fu movies – has even been brought in as action director. It’ll kick ass.…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA TBC / PUB PQUBE DEV LONG WAY HOME / PLAYERS 1 We’ve often wondered what would happen if you combined animated series Oban Star-Racers with feature film Red Line – and perhaps developer Long Way Home has the answer. Aster was determined to leave racing behind her, but her mother’s flagging health demands she get back behind the wheel. In a future when corporations reign over their own city-states, anyone outside their walls winds up running on fumes unless they can take the top spot in the yearly corp-sponsored death races. With a grand prize of citizenship that includes healthcare, Aster has to put it all on the line. Narrative-heavy with multiple endings, there’s also a wasteland to explore for side-missions and more. The races themselves…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA Q4 2023 / PUB HOYOVERSE DEV HOYOVERSE / PLAYERS 1 (AMBIENT ONLINE MULTIPLAYER FEATURES) Genshin goes turn-based in this sprawling free-to-play RPG. Featuring all the impeccably dressed characters you’d expect, though now with a science-fantasy sheen, gacha mechanics are what stand between you and assembling the adventuring party of your dreams. The story sees you making tracks on a special space train, the Astral Express, as you bounce around the galaxy collecting Stellarons. These mysterious, cosmic entities are basically souped-up bombs from beyond the stars – and one beats at the centre of your character’s being. That’s… probably fine, right?…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA 2023 / PUB DEVOLVER DIGITAL DEV ALL POSSIBLE FUTURES / PLAYERS 1 Nobody likes a sore loser, and the sorcerer Humgrump is the ouchiest of them all. Far from content to accept his fated defeat at the hands of hero Jot, he kicks him out of the very pages they’re both inked upon. Questing between two and three dimensions, it’s up to Jot to find his buds Violet, Thrash, and Pip so that they can finish the story together. But they’ll find far more than they bargained for when they venture beyond the page……

FORMAT PS5 / ETA TBC / PUB KONAMI DEV BLOOBER TEAM / PLAYERS 1 Twenty years of restless dreams later, we’re still seeing that town. This ground-up-remake reimagines the survival horror classic with a modern camera and an all-new voice cast. In case you’re not well versed in all things Silent Hill, you play as James Sunderland, who ventures to the titular town in search of his wife Mary. She’s written that she’s here, waiting for him, though James insists she passed away three years ago. Desperate to reunite despite the impossibility of it all, James sets out, and instead finds another woman, Maria, who could pass for his late wife’s twin. Something definitely isn’t right – for a start, fog blankets the town and monsters lurch through the gloom.…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA TBC / PUB KONAMI DEV KONAMI, VIRTUOUS / PLAYERS 1 At the time of the Cold War, Naked Snake (the spitting image of Solid Snake) undertakes a mission to rescue a scientist and stop the deployment of the Shagohod superweapon – all while butting heads with his former mentor, The Boss, who defected from the US for unclear reasons. As this is a prequel, Naked Snake’s tools for completing his mission are lower-tech than Solid’s, so he has to do everything from manually changing camouflage outfits to hunting wildlife for sustenance. Even so, don’t expect this remake of MGS3 (first released in 2004 to critical acclaim) to revolutionise the battlefield. Metal Gear Delta’s relationship with the original is one of on-site procurement, taking what’s already there…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA 7 DEC / PUB UBISOFT / DEV MASSIVE ENTERTAINMENT / PLAYERS 1-2 Sometimes it’s a little baffling to think that the Avatar movies are some of the most successful of all time. But for the people who love them enough to go to the cinema to see them over and over again, the appeal is the opportunity to immerse themselves in a world that’s been carefully thought out by its maker. And that, surely, is something that every lover of videogames can appreciate. (Even those of us who are firmly in the ‘but they’re just tall Smurfs’ camp.) And we’re far from having seen all of that world, creative director Magnus Jansén explains. Pandora is “nearly as big as Earth” – which is handy because it…

01 THE LAST OF US FACTIONS Recognise this image? You should, as it’s all we’ve seen of this multiplayer spinoff. Building off the original TLOU’s fan-favourite mode, it aims to tell an original story. Bloomberg has reported devs have been moved off the project, while Naughty Dog says it needs “more time”. 02 LITTLE DEVIL INSIDE One of the earliest PS5 games that we became attached to, its striking diorama-like style and big monsters looked the part. Yet what the game actually was never seemed to materialise beyond very slight demos. Once set for Winter 2022, where the devil is this one? 03 THE WOLF AMONG US 2 The striking teaser for this revival in 2019 (and subsequent 2022 trailer) felt like a statement of intent from the resurrected Telltale…

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA 2023 / PUB SECRET MODE DEV SUMO LEAMINGTON / PLAYERS 60 The comparisons are plentiful. The power-up items. The Day-Glo tracks and speed ramps and mayhem at the starting line. But free-to-play racer Stampede: Battle Royale is more than just a Mario Kart clone. Blending the playability of an arcade racer with the frenzied fun of a battle royale, Stampede captures the wobbly, free-for-all joy of Fall Guys – but on four wheels. With a commitment to player feedback – the team says the racer “is designed to grow and evolve around its community” – players can expect regular seasons, limited-time events, and plenty of cosmetic awards. We haven’t had as much time with it as we’d like, but what we have seen has been…

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA WINTER 2023 / PUB CYGAMES DEV CYGAMES, PLATINUMGAMES / PLAYERS 1-4 Granblue Fantasy has been slowly but surely gaining traction in the West, and this epic ARPG will surely give its popularity a boost. Originally announced under a slightly different title back in 2016, it’s finally about to leave the development oven. PlatinumGames’ involvement ended in 2019, but the studio’s influence can be seen in the fast and fluid combat, another reason to get excited about a game that just might be as good to play as it is to look at.…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA 13 OCT / PUB CI GAMES DEV HEXWORKS / PLAYERS 1-2 (PLUS PVP) Yes, there’s already a game with this name, but this one is an all-new, rebooted adventure. It’s still a soulslike (now with very impressive graphics), but it boasts a world over five times larger than that of the first game. Fighting your way through two parallel worlds, you’re able to make your character your own in terms of appearance, class, and upgrades. Whatever your build, be sure to make it good, as there are some huge bosses……

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA TBC / PUB BANDAI NAMCO / DEV ILCA INC / PLAYERS 1 Unless you’re a dedicated manga-head, you might not be familiar with Sand Land, so let’s get you all caught up. Written and drawn by Akira ‘Dragon Ball’ Toriyama, this 2000 manga series imagines a water-starved wasteland, in a future so far-flung that at one point the characters discover the ultimate pre-apocalyptic artefact: a PlayStation 6. (Seriously.) The manga’s lead character – and the one you’ll be playing as in this action-RPG adaptation – is Beelzebub, a diminutive demon with a heart of gold. Oh, yeah, did we forget to mention? This Mad Max-style dystopia also has demons in it. And dinosaurs, but we’ll get to those in a minute. As you’d hope, the…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA TBC PUB BUNGIE / DEV BUNGIE / PLAYERS MULTI Loosely based upon a much-loved trilogy of ’90s first-person shooters, this return is very much a reimagining. Rather than being a straight FPS it’s now a PvP extraction shooter, and Bungie is definitely abandoning the atmosphere of all that came before, though the story’s still set in the Tau Ceti system, where you’re running and gunning as a cybernetic mercenary while a timer clicks down at your back. It’s up for debate what will snuff you out first – dwindling oxygen or another marksman’s shot. Make every step count.…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA TBC / PUB SONY / DEV KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS PLAYERS 1 (AMBIENT ONLINE MULTIPLAYER FEATURES) We’re back, BB. And so are returning stars Norman Reedus as on-the-run-protagonist Sam and Lea Seydoux as Fragile. There will be some new faces among the big-name cast too. Though we don’t know much about the role either will play, actors Elle Fanning (known for Maleficent and Catherine The Great) and Shioli Kutsuna (of Deadpool 2 and Murder Mystery fame most recently) will be welcomed into the fold. Also re-entering the fray is Troy Baker, though whether he’s back as the villainous Higgs quite as we knew him is, let us say, unclear. This time around his role appears to be associated with a cultish band of antagonists rocking red armour. He…

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA 2023 / PUB YSBRYD GAMES DEV PANSTASZ / PLAYERS 1 Borrowing the pixel-bound stylings of the text-based games of yesteryear, this roguelite horror RPG promises terror one bit at a time. Drawing heavily from eldritch horror and the dark imaginings of manga artist Junji Ito, World Of Horror’s set in Shiokawa, Japan, a cursed place where the Old Gods are a threat. As it’s an RPG, there are turn-based fights, though as it is also a roguelite, death is not always the end. Picking from multiple protagonists, no two runthroughs are ever quite alike thanks to a stacked deck of event cards. Among this horrifying royal flush are more than ten mysteries to muse upon, each one warping into fresh dread depending on who you’re…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA 6 SEP / PUB LARIAN STUDIOS / DEV LARIAN STUDIOS PLAYERS 1-2 Larian’s latest empowers you to be exactly who you want to be as you quest towards the titular city – though most Dungeons & Dragons fans have their go-to’s. As we covered in PLAY #28’s cover feature, it’s tiefling bards for us, and game director Swen Vincke doesn’t need to think long when we ask him who he’d play: “Dragonborn wizard!” Showing us what lies beyond early access on PC, each of Swen’s custom protagonists is of a scaly persuasion. “In this presentation, I was supposed to show the shadow monk – as you could see, I was shit! And it’s just because the only thing I know how to play is the wizard,”…

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA 25 AUG / PUB BANDAI NAMCO DEV FROMSOFTWARE / PLAYERS MULTI What would you do if you’d just launched one of gaming’s most important series, almost singlehandedly redefining how games are designed and played for perhaps an entire generation? For Elden Ring developer FromSoftware, it seems, the answer is easy: it simply heads back to the start. A full decade after FromSoft last put us through our mega-mecha paces, Armored Core is back. While it may have been tempting to continue to innovate on its industry-defining blueprint and continue to deliver the ‘soulslike’ experiences we’ve come to expect from the studio, instead FromSoft has elected to circle back to its roots, revisiting its oldest original IP, second only to the studio’s debut series, King’s Field.…

FORMAT PS5 / ETA EARLY 2024 / PUB SQUARE ENIX / DEV SQUARE ENIX / PLAYERS 1 Square Enix set itself an apparently impossible task: to remake one of its biggest series’ best-loved entries. But instead of approaching the task with a wearying faithfulness, with the Remake series the developer is doing something different. Just how different it will be in the end remains to be seen, but Rebirth shows it’s intent on keeping us guessing even as it retells a story many of us know well. The series trades not only on the appeal of seeing beloved characters from the ’97 release looking miles better than even their Advent Children appearances, but also in how it deconstructs and remixes key events as it retells them. To put it another,…

The Ghost Recon series offered OTS from Advanced Warfighter (2006) onwards. Some games, like the Max Payne series, opted out of OTS camera use. Fans petitioned Hideo Kojima to include it in MGS3, but he wanted to wait for better tech. SAY ‘AAAH’ Close enough to smell When you hear about the origins of the over-the-shoulder camera, 2005’s Resident Evil 4 is mentioned most often. It wasn’t the first game to use OTS, but it is the most popular example of permanent, non-optional over-the-shoulder aiming. It has such an impact in Resi 4 because it’s integral to the game’s atmosphere – coming this close to the undead was exciting. THE RESIDENT EVIL REMAKES USE OTS IN THE SAME WAY RESI 4 DID, WITH SPECTACULAR, CREEPY RESULTS. Dead Space (2008) deliberately…