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Welcome
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A closer look at all of the best games on the horizon

THROWING DOWN
I’D BEEN MEANING to go
back to Virtua Fighter 5: Final
Showdown for ages, and
the other day – inspired by a
colleague playing the original
for a Retro Gamer feature – I
finally did it. It’s still brilliant (my skills… not so
much) but my timing couldn’t have been worse.
Instead of sitting in the lab with my boy Jeffry,
I’ve got blows coming in from all directions as it
rains awesome new fighting games.
In the space of just a couple of weeks, we
got Injustice 2, Tekken 7 and a new version of
Guilty Gear Xrd, all crying out to me for attention
and free time – something I’m not going to
have much of with these bad boys around.
The problem for me is how to prioritise three
games so very different. Dabbling in them all
equally will mean I’ll be unlikely to get much
better at any of them, and it won’t be long before
I’m dragged away by the next big thing (other
games basically have until September, then I’m
Destiny 2’s bitch) so the clock is ticking.
Even logic hasn’t helped me resolve this
problem. I thought I’d cracked it after siding with
Injustice as my main game – I’m a sucker for
loot and I was pretty good at the first one – but
then I remembered my friend and main sparring
partner is the biggest Tekken fan on the planet,
so failure to put in the time there would just
see me getting battered when he inevitably
demanded that we fight like gentlemen.
I think I’m going to give Injustice slightly
preferential treatment in my gaming schedule as
it’s where I’m likely to find most success (never
been great at Tekken, and GG’s community is
way too good for me), but it’s nice to know that
I have a safety net of backup fighters for when
the random Superman scrubs online spamming
jump-back-eye-laser finally snap my patience.
I don’t imagine that moment is far off, either.

04 StAR WARS Enjoy the issue and I’ll see ya online…

BAttLeFRoNt II
LUKE ALBIGÉS
EDITOR
WWW
Get IN @LukemonMGJ
PSN: PorthMinster
touch! Facebook Twitter Play blog YouTube
facebook.com/playMagazineuK @playMag_uK play-mag.co.uk youtube.com/playMaguK
currently playing
Injustice 2

2 |
 play@imagine-publishing.co.uk

Contents
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The future of PlayStation gaming looks something like this… twitch/PlayUK

04
BACK TO THE
BATTLEFRONT
How the latest Star Wars FPS
24 26 32
THE BEST
SCI-FI GAMES
Gaming from beyond
the final frontier
CAR-TUNE
NETWORK
Project Cars 2 speeds
towards true realism
PUT YOUR HANDS
TOGETHER
Is Arkane’s Prey all we
hoped it would be?
is shaping up to be the best yet

FEATURES PREVIEWS REVIEWS PLUS

4 Star Wars Battlefront II 12 Uncharted: The Lost Legacy 32 Prey 56 Interview
24 Ten Of The Best: 14 Darksiders III 36 Little Nightmares 58 Extended Play: Destiny
Sci-Fi Games 16 Everybody’s Golf 38 Outlast 2 60 PS Plus Trophy Guide
26 Project Cars 2 18 Marvel Vs Capcom: Infinite 40 Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 62 Join The Play Community
52 Play Classics: Deus Ex 20 Sparc 42 Puyo Puyo Tetris 64 You Haven’t Played…
44 The Sexy Brutale 66 Playlist
46 Shiness: The
Lightning Kingdom
48 Statik
50 Everything | 3
 HOW DICE, MOTIVE AND CRITERION ARE COMING TOGETHER
TO BUILD THE ULTIMATE STAR WARS EXPERIENCE
Star Wars Battlefront II is the most
ambitious project that EA has ever
embarked on. It’s the biggest title in
developer DICE’s history, a chance
to for Criterion Games to take centre
stage again and a stunning statement
of intent for Motive Studios, making its
debut following its formation back in
2015. This year’s Star Wars Battlefront II
brings a grossly ambitious single-player
concept together with a wildly expanded
multiplayer offering to form – well,
there are no two ways about it – the
most important Star Wars videogame
ever created.
While 2015’s Star Wars Battlefront
may have been born out of a desire
to give Star Wars fans a chance to
live out their own personal battle
fantasies in a galaxy far, far way – cast
across some of the most recognisable
fantasy battlegrounds of all time – this
sequel’s ambitions are so much greater
than leveraging nostalgia for sales.
Battlefront II is looking to celebrate 40
years of Star Wars history by casting
its net across all three cinematic eras
of the universe, targeting fans young
and old whilst giving us the opportunity
to view the established canon through
a lens that we’ve never experienced
before – a new perspective on a hero’s
journey well travelled.
4 |
DICE is no longer content with
merely letting you relive a handful
of iconic Star Wars battles with your
friends, instead it’s going to make
history and carve out its own piece
of the sacred timeline. That makes
Battlefront II essential for any fans
looking to better understand what
happened to Luke Skywalker, the
Rebellion and what remained of the
Empire in the 30 years between Return
Of The Jedi and The Force Awakens.
Battlefront II is going to touch on the
original trilogy, the prequels, and the
recently launched sequels, in a way that
we never imagined. Like we said before,
Battlefront II is the most ambitious
project that EA has ever embarked
on. That’s a process that’s as daunting
as it is exciting for fans and studios
alike, as we discovered talking with the
development team.
“I came into Star Wars by watching
the original trilogy, that’s just how old
I am,” laughs Bernd Diemer, creative
director at DICE and a loyal member
of the German Star Wars fan club
since 1984 – he even has the tattered
membership card to prove it. Like
many, Diemer’s first contact with the
Star Wars universe was through the
trilogy that kickstarted with 1977’s A
New Hope but he – just like the rest of
 n Star Wars Battlefront
II will feature a full
single-player campaign,
will support 40-player
multiplayer battles,
24-player space battles
and offline split-screen
co-op. Sounds like we’re
off to a pretty good
start, then…
the folk at DICE, Criterion and Motive
– recognise that this isn’t necessarily
the case for many today. The Star Wars
franchise is so much bigger than the
original trilogy, and the studios would
have been foolish to overlook fans
that identify with other corners of the
universe. “The first time you see one
of these movies it holds a very special
place in your heart,” Diemer muses,
“and while old school Star Wars fans
like myself might talk for hours on end
over a beer about which movie is the
best – and I don’t think that question
could ever be settled, but that’s what we
do of course because we are nerds – for
a lot of people the prequels were the
original touch point with this universe.”
While the quality of the prequel
trilogy might remain a hotly debated
issue between Star Wars fans, those
films have – along with the wildly
popular Star Wars Rebels TV series –
undoubtedly inspired a generation to fall
in love with the universe, its characters
and their stories. Well, one character
and one story in particular. For Diemer,
any lingering doubts he may have
had about the decision to bring
the eras crashing together in
one game – a gargantuan
undertaking from
the studio in
terms of asset
creation and content generation – were
immediately exorcised as it showed
Battlefront II to the public for the first
time. “Honestly, during the reveal at
Star Wars Celebration, when we first
showed off our trailer, the first time that
Darth Maul showed up… just by the
reaction in the room I thought to myself,
‘I think we made a good call there’.”
The reaction he is talking about is
the moment thousands of fans erupted
into fits of hysteria – there’s something
about that second lightsaber shard
popping off that just gets the heart
racing. But it wasn’t the resurgence of
everybody’s favourite Sith apprentice
– back in one piece, we hasten to add,
as opposed to sporting those unsightly
spider legs – that got the crowd going
the loudest, for that would be awarded
to the moment Motive Studios revealed
the existence and the subsequent
intentions behind Battlefront II’s all-new
single-player campaign, an opportunity
for players to get a little more insight
into what occurred in the 30-year gap
between Return Of The Jedi and The
Force Awakens. An area that is, as
Diemer puts it, “an amazing canvas to
start imagining”.
Mark Thompson, game director
at Motive Studios – the subsidiary
formed under Jade Raymond in 2015
in an effort to help drive home EA and
LucasFilm’s commitment to bringing
new stories in the Star Wars universe
to life in virtual spaces – is a little
more pragmatic, although it proves
to be difficult for him to contain his
excitement. “It is a challenge, but it
was kind of a fun challenge! This hasn’t
really been done before – we are
exploring such a unique perspective.”
In many respects, Battlefront II is
making a bold move: it’s attempting to
tell a story from the perspective of the
Empire, starring an Imperial who isn’t
necessarily evil or contemptible, but one
that is struggling with loyalty and duty
| 5
 palpatine’s
revenge
How will Star Wars Battlefront II span the 30 years
between Return Of The Jedi and The Force Awakens?
Battlefront II’s story officially begins with
the destruction of the second Death Star,
with Iden Versio and her squad of spec-ops
Imperial officers deployed to Endor in an
attempt to halt the Rebel assault on the
shield generator. Where does the story go
from there? Using the knowledge we have
gleaned from Star Wars: Aftermath, Rebels
and Shattered Empire (official canonical
stories that both of Battlefront II’s writers cite
as inspiration) we are about to take a guess at
how this all connects. We are more than likely
to be wildly off base. But, you know, just in
case – potential spoilers start here:
You may notice the presence of
Emperor Palpatine’s voice in the trailer, a
curiosity given that he died on the Death
Star. That’s because he is dishing out orders
from the grave, putting Operation Cinder/
The Contingency into motion following his
demise. This plan is delivered to specific,
trusted, members of the Imperial forces by
‘the messenger’ – that’ll be the red droid, or,
‘Sentinel’ – you can see addressing Iden on
the bridge of a Imperial Star Destroyer. The
Sith Lord’s plan? To wipe all connection of
Palpatine with the Sith off of the face of the
galaxy and dismantle the last remnants of
the Empire – a plan that leads us straight to
The Force Awakens.
6 |
The first part of this plan involved the
Empire setting up satellites around many
planets, one of which is Naboo – Palpatine’s
home world where he once served as
governor – in the days following the Battle
Of Endor. The satellites then caused untold
chaos, creating hurricanes across the
planet, effectively flooding and destroying
all of Palpatine’s ancient Sith artifacts in
the Naboo capital of Theed – which, we
should add, has been confirmed as a map
in Battlefront II’s multiplayer. The next
stage of the plan not only ensures that
members of the Empire continue to believe
that Palpatine is still alive, in hiding, but it
too allows him to put a vengeance plan into
action. From here, high-ranking servants
of Palpatine are ordered to eliminate
non-essential personnel, troops, officers
and Admirals, erasing all traces of the
old Empire – which sounds like a job for a
highly trained spec-ops team to us –before
ordering the remaining few to flee to the
Outer Rim in an effort to start up, you
guessed it, The First Order. If Iden Versio
and her Inferno Squad team makes it all
the way through to The Force Awakens’
timeline, you better believe they will have
a hand in Luke Skywalker’s exile and the
formation of The First Order.
in the face of a crippling defeat. As the world crumbles around Iden
Versio, the fierce special forces agent we will come to inhabit through
Battlefront II, we will be given the opportunity to see the fall of the
Empire, the rise of the Alliance and, given that the game spans 30 years,
perhaps even the formation of The First Order. But it all begins with a
defeat in earnest, one you will no doubt be familiar with by now.
“When you see the Death Star II explode in [Return Of The Jedi]
it is framed as a victory,” considered Thompson, speaking at Star
Wars Celebration 2017, giving an insight into the ‘moment of magic
inspiration’ that pushed Motive to explore a part of the established
cannon that’s still largely cast in shadow. “You see everyone celebrating
and partying with the Ewoks on Endor, fireworks across Coruscant,
and it’s this big celebration for everyone. [But] what would it be like to
be a Stormtrooper on the ground, to look up to the sky and see the
Death Star II explode? For that to be a moment of loss, a moment of
defeat… when you take off the helmet in disbelief, look up at the sky
and immediately put that helmet back on with a new hardened resolve
about how you need to take that fight back to the Rebellion. That was
the starting moment for the story.”
Motive began work on Battlefront II back in the fall of 2015, when
The Force Awakens was still in cinemas and beginning a revival of
 ThaT’s whaT you have To do wiTh a game like This,
you have To geT The righT people on board and
work TogeTher To develop a greaT game.
BERND DIEMER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, DICE

sorts for the Star Wars franchise in the public consciousness. While
the original story idea may have arisen organically, sounding like a
pitch formed between friends over a drink, but it was the 30-year gap
that excited Thompson and writing duo Mitch Dyer (a former games
journalist) and Walt Williams (known for his work writing critically
acclaimed shooter Spec Ops: The Line) the most. “We were asking
questions as fans and as developers,” Thompson said. “You know, what
happened in those 30 years? And so, we thought lets try and tell one of
those stories that connects these two amazing trilogies together.”
The difficulty for Motive here is that it wants to create a hero that
can stand credibly alongside the likes of Luke Skywalker and Jyn Erso,
despite working for a side that has been typically cast as ‘evil’ within
Star Wars’ clear cut black and white morality paradigm. While work
was well underway on Battlefront II by the time Star Wars: Rogue One
launched in 2016, the film’s commitment to exploring a different side
of the Rebellion confirmed to Thompson and the team that it was on
the right track with its efforts on the single-player campaign. “The way
it talked about [the] Rebels as extremists for the first time was really
interesting,” Thompson tells us. “Rogue One explored the grey areas
of Star Wars morality, in terms of black and white, and we are kind of
doing the same thing but from the Empire’s perspective.”
He is quick to note that Motive isn’t trying to re-write history or
cannon. It isn’t attempting to convince anybody that the Empire was
good, that the destruction of Alderaan was justified or that the creation
of the Death Star was necessary, it’s simply trying to “explore a unique
perspective” by casting us in the boots of a character that grew up
believing in what the Empire was trying to achieve in the galaxy. “An
individual can have their own personal perspective, their own moral
compass, and can believe in the Empire or some of the things that the
Empire stands for but not necessarily believe that the Death Star was
great or that Alderaan had to happen.” n Multiplayer in Battlefront II will now
support classes, with DICE eager to
“So just that on its own is an interesting perspective, because introduce more structure and depth
usually the Empire is homogenised and dehumanised into ranks and into the game. The studio is hopeful
this will encourage players to band
ranks of Stormtroopers that we don’t know as people – we don’t know
together, working in union to take
how they think. We are intentionally led to believe that they all believe down powerful heroes and overcome
in the same thing and they all blindly and obediently follow every order difficult objectives.
that they are given,” says Thompson, adding, “having someone take off
the helmet, to find out who these troopers are as people, that becomes
interesting because we can talk about perspective and shades of grey
rather than just the black and the white of right and wrong.”
This will all be framed around Iden – voiced and captured by
True Blood and Sleepy Hollow actress Janina Gavankar – and the

| 7
group of elite, special forces Imperial soldiers under her command,
Inferno Squad. They are designed to be the heroes of the empire; the
commandos that would inspire legions of Stormtroopers into battle,
the elite pilots that would have children dreaming of one day joining
the Imperial academies. Inferno Squad are the true leaders of the front
lines, the ones left in charge as the Admirals were forced to deal with
Darth Vader indiscriminately thinning their ranks and the numerous
shadow plays from an Emperor attempting to play family councillor
between the at war Skywalkers.
For Steve Blank, creative director of LucasFilm Story Group, the
decision to create Inferno Squad was born out of the company’s desire
to bridge the gap between exciting gameplay and a compelling story.
“We are making a videogame first and foremost. We wanted to find the
right group of people that had the skill sets that would make sense in
this game,” he said, speaking at Celebration, giving us an insight into
what type of gameplay we should expect from the campaign. “We
knew we wanted to have aerial combat, we knew we wanted there to
be ground combat and we wanted this character to be proficient at both.
iT’s one Thing To play as luke in The mulTiplayer, buT geTTing To live
ouT a slice of his life in The campaign was one of Those challenges
ThaT we ThoughT would be worTh The Time and The efforT.
MARK THOMPSON, GAME DIRECTOR, MOTIVE
And then from a story perspective, who would be the most devout?
[To] sit there and watch something like the Death Star II explode and
go, ‘I’m going to double down on this commitment to the Empire, this
strengthens my belief in what we have and what the Empire stands for.’
All of that combined really led to this idea of special operatives. People
who have that type of training and have that type of belief and the skills
to really pull that off. The marriage of the two is where Inferno Squad
came from.”
While details on the moment-to-moment action of this campaign
are light, we do know that Motive is looking to let us live out this fantasy
of being an elite trooper in this world. As an empowering hero through
Iden, we will be given the opportunity to take part in ‘epic-scale battles’
across Battlefront’s classically open sandbox maps, but also be handed
the chance to venture through quieter spaces and dense cityscapes.
Iden’s droid – a customisable ID9 Seeker Droid, first seen in Star Wars
Rebels – will play a big part in gameplay, seemingly able to incapacitate
enemies stealthily and issue other Imperial gadgets. This will be
integral, we imagine, as we venture to planets and cities unseen, such a
Vardos, an entirely new planet in the Star Wars universe that represents
the utopian vision of the Imperial rule – this will be one such opportunity
to bring a more condensed style of play into the fold, conjuring
memories of 2005’s Star Wars: Republic Commando more so than the
chaotic mess of moving parts that defines the most recognisable of Star
Wars battles.
Taking a story through the gap between Jedi and Force Awakens is
one thing, but Motive piled more pressure onto itself. Iden isn’t the only
character you’ll play as through this campaign, instead, just as you can
in multiplayer, Battlefront II will also give you the opportunity to play as
an established hero. That, Thompson tells us, took real collaboration
between EA and LucasFilm. “I think we had as many opportunities as
we did boundaries,” he tells us. “The LucasFilm story group works in
publishing, in comics, in anything that can tell a story – even if that’s
like a semi-interactive toy being developed by Hasbro. Everything for
them has a story and so they can understand all of the different moving
pieces; what’s happening in the movies, what’s happening in Rebels,
what’s happening in everything that isn’t announced that they won’t tell
us about yet,” he laughs, noting that LucasFilm was willing to hear out
anything the group brought to the table, upfront about the difficulties
that Motive may encounter with charting a course through this
particular era. But one story decision was worth the debates, the time
and the effort: the opportunity to pin a chapter around Luke Skywalker
8 |
and give fans an insight into his movements following the fall of the
Death Star II.
“They were willing to have a discussion about everything that we
brought to the table, which was really, really cool,” Thompson says. “It’s
just that sometimes they would give us that look which is to say, ‘we
can go down this road, but it’s going to be a long road and it’s going to
involve lots of discussions’ and sometimes it was worth it! When we
decided that we wanted to have a chapter in the story playable as Luke
Skywalker, that was one of those moments. They were like, ‘look,
this is one of our biggest characters, his story ark is still active and it’s
going to be difficult to tell a slice of his life in-between the events of
movies that have existed for 30 years, and events of movies we don’t
know yet’.”
“It’s one thing to play Luke as a character in the multiplayer, but
then getting to live out a slice of his life in the campaign was one of
those challenges that we thought would be worth the time and the
effort. LucasFilm story group are always fully supportive, but they
let you know in advance just how difficult it is going to be,” continues
Thompson, adding, “This was one of those challenges that we thought
would be worth it.”
Whether it will have been worth the time and effort remains to be
seen, but the studio is certainly doing its best to deliver on one of the
biggest fan requests following the release of the original Battlefront.
This single-player campaign isn’t a stapled on addition to curb dissent,
but an opportunity to bring the videogames on a par with the comics,
novels and TV shows as an integral companion to the films – trusted
with expanding the lore and stories of some of the biggest characters in
the world, whilst still building new heroes and tales for fans to enjoy.
“LucasFilm challenged us to step beyond recreating,” says Diemer,
who is quick to note that, while he didn’t work on DICE’s Battlefront, he
was behind it every step of the way as a fan. “Look at Hoth, for example,
it’s a pixel perfect recreation. When you step onto that level, you really
feel like you are there and I think that is a tremendous achievement by
the studio. But how awesome would it be if we can start creating inside
of this awesome universe?
“This is especially true for the campaign, we felt as if there was a
lot of opportunity. If you look at how LucasFilm is trying to expand the
universe through comic books, novels and even movies like Rogue
One – which is based off of two lines in the crawl of New Hope. It’s very
interesting to see, because when you look at Star Wars it’s a very big
universe, but there are many, many spaces between each of the movies
– these are these interesting places for creating new stories. These are
the places that we can start filling [the universe] with our own ideas.”
If the single-player campaign represents a chance to inject fresh ideas
and new stories into the Star Wars universe, the expanded 40-player
multiplayer could be seen as slightly more restrictive avenue for
DICE, though it’s no less of a creative opportunity. At its heart, the
multiplayer component of Battlefront II is a chance for DICE to deliver
more of a good thing; to bring the spectacle, drama and cinematic flair
of Star Wars’ most famous battles to player’s hands across an array of
gorgeous locals. We mentioned the decision to bring all three eras of
the cinematic universe into this one package earlier and, ultimately, it
feels like a natural evolution the foundations the studio first established
back in 2015.
“It was a relatively easy decision,” Diemer explains to us, reflecting
on the decision to unite the universe together under this one Battlefront
banner. “One thing that we realised is that, when we listened to our fans
and also to our team, it was pretty clear that people wanted more.

n Heroes and vehicles will no
longer be controlled by pick-ups
on the maps themselves. Instead,
you’ll now earn resource points in
the game for playing the objective;
cash those points in on playing as
a hero or a trooper speciality class
for a duration of time in-game.
So we started thinking, ‘well, how can we deliver more Star Wars?’ One
way that we found to be very interesting is to bring more eras into the
game, because then we were able to span – for the first time in an HD
game – all movie eras. It [naturally] allows us to bring more stuff into
the game.”
That, of course, wasn’t the only aspect DICE was interested in
turning its attention to. As the LucasFilm group is no doubt aware by
now, Star Wars fans have a habit of criticising and analysing every little
detail, and they aren’t afraid of being vocal about the results – DICE
wasn’t spared the same fate with Battlefront. In spite of its popularity
– with EA reporting sales figures beyond the 14 million bracket –
Battlefront was derided at launch for its ‘casual’ play, dearth of content
and litany of performance issues that helped undermine the, frankly,
stunning presentation and powerful audio design. In fact, games™
had this to say of the game back at review, stating: “Prolonged play is
exhausting, with any and all searches for gameplay depth coming up
empty. You cannot deny the quality here, but it’s hard not to ask the
question that so many others have been asking since launch: is this it?”
Battlefront has one hell of a vocal community, something that isn’t lost
on Diemer and the team at DICE.
“Doesn’t it just?” Laughs Diemer as we bring up Battlefront’s vocal
fan base, in what has now become a useful exercise in managing fan
expectation and studio ambitions. “It’s good to have a lot of feedback.
n While Battlefront II will be
spanning all eras of the cinematic
universe, trooper and starfighter
types will be locked to their specific
universes. That is to say, don’t
expect to see First Order Troopers
storming Kamino or Super Battle
Droids tearing it up on Jakku.
all wings
report in
It’s the moment we’ve all been
waiting for, space battles are
coming back to Battlefront
“Criterion are the masters of space battles,” Bernd
Diemer, creative director at DICE, tells us, citing how
it needed the best in the business to make the space
combat feel right in Battlefront II. “We realised a game
of this scope and this ambition needs the proper support
and talent associated with it. Criterion brings decades of
experience on how to make fast things feel really good
and blow up spectacularly.”
You can cite content concerns, a legacy owed to Star
Wars: Battlefront II (the original 2005 release, that is) or
any other number of reasons for wanting galactic-scale
space combat to make its way to Battlefront II (the new
one, man this is confusing) but we know the real reason.
It’s because who here hasn’t dreamed of screaming,
“Lock S-Foils in attack position!” into a microphone only
to see an armada of X-Wings behind you follow suit and
spiral into combat against a flock of Tie-Fighters? And
now, thanks to the work of Criterion Games, we will
have that opportunity, as the studio – best known for
developing the Burnout games – brings 24-player space
battles to Battlefront II.
“In my head, when we are talking about Return Of
the Jedi, it’s these moments of epic capital ships and
starfighters battling it out, that’s going to be a significant
part of this game’s multiplayer,” said Matt Webster,
Battlefront II’s executive producer and general manager
at Criterion, speaking at Celebration. While the company
began small, developing Battlefront’s Speeder Bike
mission before taking on December’s Star Wars X-Wing
VR experience, it now in charge of ensuring that the same
love is given to the starfighters as the on-the-ground
troopers. “We extend across all of the eras, so you are
going to get to see prequel-era Vulture droids and First
Order Tie Fighters. And those ships are going to mirror
what we’re doing with the troopers, so those ships are
going to have different role types for the different ships
and we have hero ships as well… because that is all a
part of the hero’s journey too.”
| 9
 The firsT Thing we did when we
sTarTed working on The game was
Talk To our players, and mosT of
Them didn’T wanT To relive The
exacT same sTory ThaT They’ve
seen in The movies or on Tv
PAOLA JOUYAUX, PRODUCER, MOTIVE

Hero picks With Darth Maul, Luke Skywalker, Kylo Ren, Rey and Yoda already confirmed,
we take a look at some potential heroes to join them for Battlefront II

anakin mace young aayla ahsoka

skywalker
Star warS: battlEfront II (2005)
We’ve experienced playing
as an older Darth Vader and
we’ve seen what he was
able to do in this form both
in DICE’s Battlefront and,
more recently, in Rogue
One. However, with prequel
characters making an
appearance we wouldn’t
mind seeing a newly Sithed-
out Anakin Skywalker stride
into the fray.
windu
Star warS: battlEfront II (2005)
We would hazard to suggest
that adding Samuel L
Jackson to any videogame is
likely to improve it. We would
love, for instance, to hear him
offer expert commentary
on FIFA. However, if EA were
likely to put the actor in any
project it would be this one
where he would reprise his
role as the purple lightsaber
wielding, Jedi council badass.
obi wan
Star warS: battlEfront II (2005)
If we have to pick between
young and old Obi Wan
Kenobi we would be inclined
to pick Alec Guinness’
interpretation of the character,
but for gameplay reasons
we think Ewan McGregor’s
earlier incarnation of the Jedi
warrior would be a better fit.
Plus we get to re-enact the
classic Obi Wan versus Darth
Maul battle.
secura
Star warS: battlEfront II (2005)
A firm fan favourite based on
limited appearances in the
prequel movies and some
far greater fleshing out in the
Clone Wars series. Her fame
and popularity stems largely
from her advanced skills
with a lightsaber and her
mischievous streak. The fact
that she was voiced by the
great Jennifer Hale in Clone
Wars helps, too.
Tano
Star warS: galaxy of HEroES
The Padawan of Anakin
Skywalker during the Clone
Wars was one of the primary
protagonists of the animated
series whose tale may prove
to be influential for the path of
Rey in the new trilogy of films.
Regardless, her advanced
training in lightsaber duels
and unorthodox style would
serve her well in Battlefront if
she appeared.

10 |

poe
dameron
DISNEY INFINITY 3.0
Since space battles are
making a big leap forward
for Battlefront II – and we’re
confident hero pilots will be
joining the fight as a result – it
only makes sense that one
of the best we’ve ever seen in
the Star Wars universe would
join in. Poe Dameron is a
pretty incredible fighter and
will surely fare well in this
new arena.
finn
DISNEY INFINITY 3.0
Lovable Finn’s current state
in the Star Wars movie series
is unknown, but he took a bit
of a beating at the end of The
Force Awakens. Regardless
we expect a fully-fit Finn to
make an appearance in this
game, perhaps even sporting
his helmetless Stormtrooper
look. That might make for
some interesting identification
issues in the heat of battle.
These voices are basically the same nerds that we have inside of our
team as well. We have very strong opinions of what should be in the
game and what should not, so it’s actually very helpful to have a lot of
feedback to see what players actually want.”
Of course, the danger here is that studios can too often let creative
control slip out of its grasp – or feel as if they are pandering to a fan
base that thinks it knows what it wants. Thankfully, DICE seems to have
addressed the problem areas, working to restore balance to the Force
– nope – gameplay systems and depth in a way that makes sense: it’s
tapping into its legacy and proficiency in FPS system design through
years of Battlefield excellence, making it more accessible (see also:
streamlined) and bringing it to Star Wars’ iconic battlegrounds.
This process begins with what Diemer calls “deconstructing Star n Sadly, DICE wouldn’t be drawn on
Wars” or, to be more plain, the act of tearing apart the famous battles the return of everybody’s favourite
game mode from 2005’s Battlefront II,
into their disparate components, done in an effort to build an experience Galactic Empire. Believe us, we tried.
that allows for emergent, player-driven experiences that feel heroic and
cinematic. “What we identified is [something] that is very deep at the
heart of Star Wars: that everybody should get the chance to be a hero,”
considers Diemer. Only in Star Wars, he tells us, could “a lowly moisture
farmer become one of the most powerful characters in the universe…”
well, when you look at it like that, he isn’t wrong.
It’s a nice sentiment, but how do you make even a lowly trooper
feel like a hero when confronted by the likes of Kylo Ren, Obi-Wan
Kenobi or Count Dooku? DICE’s answer is team-play; in supporting
structured and clearly defined class combinations, Battlefront II not only
lets groups work as cohesive units, but the studio is able to answer
criticisms levied at depth and customisation in the same breath.
“We wanted the troopers to have a fair chance of standing up
against a hero and one of the good methods that we found was team
play. Having classes is such a good way for gamers to form teams
themselves naturally, and to form their own personal group that is
perfect for going up against certain heroes. That also meant that we
wanted to give a little bit more ways to personalise your own trooper, so
that it becomes a little bit more like its own character and not just like a
faceless shell that you slip into.”
By including a ‘diverse and powerful progression system’
Battlefront II shrugs off one of its predecessors biggest problems: there
will be more to play with here than an array of Seventies haircuts and
interchangeable blaster types. This applies to everything, from the basic
troopers, to the starfighters, to, yes, even the heroes – with new abilities
unlocked the longer you sink your teeth into the game.
This has also necessitated a change in the way heroes and
vehicles are handled. Pick-ups in the game have been removed,
replaced by a resource system that DICE believes will stop the culture
of token spawn camping and give each player the opportunity to feel
like a powerful hero in the world. “We wanted everybody to have a
chance of becoming a hero that is a little bit more universal, so we
decided to introduce a resource system where we can give you points
by doing things that are not only kills,” says Diemer, noting that they will
be awarded for everything from defending capture zones, subduing
heroes and claiming valuable areas – whether you’re in Battlefront or
Battlefield, playing the objective pays dividends. “You get to decide when
you are going to spend that currency on becoming a hero or entering
the battle in a star fighter, or an AT-ST Walker, or as a special,” he adds,
indicating that special trooper types will be available in game – such as
a Clone Trooper with a jump pack – designed to bridge the gap between
iconic heroes like Darth Vader and normal troopers, to give you a taste
of the power that could be yours with a little dedication and focus.
When you look at the entire package, Battlefront II looks like a
genuine attempt to answer fans, thank them for their patience, and
deliver the ultimate Star Wars experience in return. Between the wildly
ambitious campaign, the introduction of space-combat and a refined
multiplayer experience, Battlefront II looks like it’s going to be an
essential purchase for anybody that has ever dreamt of visiting a galaxy
far, far away.
| 11
 PREVIEW UNCHARTED: THE LOST LEGACY
ETA 22 AUGUST 2017 PUB SONY DEV NAUGHTY DOG
Uncharted: The
Lost Legacy
More of a good thing
Nathan Drake may have
hung up his holster for the
S4 last time, but that doesn’t
P mean there aren’t still
stories to tell in Naughty
Dog’s Uncharted series. The Lost Legacy
sees fan-favourite treasure hunter Chloe
Frazer heading out on an adventure across
India with Nadia Ross, the mercenary that
caused so many problems for Drake in
Uncharted 4.
As a standalone story, The Lost Legacy is an
opportunity for Naughty Dog to approach the
series from an all new perspective, increasing
12 |
PS4
the size of its environments, introducing new
gameplay mechanics and an array of new
characters for us to fall in love with. That means
that, while the core of the experience will be
classically ‘Uncharted’ you should expect a story
that will dare to run a little rougher round the
edges – grittier and grounded in (a relative sense
of) reality. This is an interesting experiment and
will largely give us an insight into what the future
holds for Uncharted. Can it survive without the
quips and irreverent humour Nathan Drake
brought to the table? We will find out come
22 August, when Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
launches for PS4.
A CONDENSED STORY
As a standalone title, Naughty Dog is
focused on ensuring The Lost Legacy
tells a condensed story, while still inding
a balance between the small character
moments and the grandiose set pieces
that the series has become known for.
The story is larger than The Last Of
Us’ DLC, Left Behind, and expected to
run for around ten hours, giving the
studio ample opportunity to explore its
characters and Indian setting.
 A WIDER SCOPE
Expect to see larger and more detailed
environments than we have typically
received in Uncharted games in the
past – the biggest comparison point
likely to be Uncharted 4’s impressive
Madagascar locale. Larger environments
will then combine with updated gameplay
opportunities, such as stealth becoming
more viable with the addition of weapons
such as a silent pistol and Chloe’s
proiciency in martial arts to make hand-
to-hand combat more enjoyable.

AS THICK AS THIEVES
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy will be the
irst game in the series to pull focus
away from Nathan Drake, with the
standalone DLC settling on two familiar
faces: Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross.
Experiencing how their relationship
emerges out of conlict and evolves into
something greater will be a big part of
The Lost Legacy as Naughty Dog looks
to tell a more contained, vibrant, and
ultimately human, adventure.

“EXPECT TO SEE LARGER AND MORE

DETAILED ENVIRONMENTS THAN
WE HAVE TYPICALLY RECEIVED IN
UNCHARTED GAMES IN THE PAST”
| 13
 PREVIEW DARKSIDERS III PS4

WHAT MAKES THIS GAME GREAT?

Most assumed the franchise sank with We inally get to see if the plans for a Fury looks and feels really different as a Even without Joe Madureira on-team,
THQ, so it’s great to see it come back. grand, connected narrative pay off. protagonist to both War and Death. the art style still pops wonderfully.

Whips are cool and more games should

feature them. As with Kratos’ blades, expect
the range to come in handy when trying to deal
with foes from a safe distance.

14 |
ETA 2018 PUB THQ NORDIC DEV GUNFIRE GAMES
Darksiders III
Rise from the ashes
We can hardly believe it,
S4 but Darksiders III is actually
P happening. After being
rumoured and teased for so
many years, THQ Nordic has finally revealed
its plans, bringing popular open-world action-
adventure game to PS4, PC and Xbox One in
2018. There will, of course, be fresh challenges
to conquer as Gunfire Games works to continue
the legacy set by now-defunct (and original
developer) Vigil Games, attempting to once
again find an energised balance between
exploration, hack-and-slash combat and
environmental puzzles. This all centres around
a new protagonist, Fury, an “unpredictable and
enigmatic” mage that is widely considered to
be the most powerful of the four horsemen of
the apocalypse. Darksiders III has a lot to live up
to, but if this early reveal has proved anything,
it’s that there’s a real passion and desire at this
studio to not only build a faithful sequel but
advance and build upon what has come before.
Gunire Games wants to create a world
that, in spite of the chaos that it has found itself
enveloped in, feels real. The idea was to create
a complex and connected open-world that is
both logical and functional, physically scaling
around you in an attempt to give this warped
vision of Earth a stronger sense of reality.
Everything from the placement of enemies to
the types of hidden collectibles you are likely to
ind scattered around the environments will be
contextualised, essentially making the entire
game feel as if it is one sprawling dungeon,
with each area inluenced by the presence of a
Deadly Sin.
Fans of the Darksiders series will no doubt
take comfort in the knowledge that this isn’t
a reboot or reimagining of the world Vigil
spent so much time and efort establishing.
The events of Darksiders III will run parallel
to the events of the two previous games,
pitting Fury in a battle against the physical
embodiment of the Seven Deadly Sins –
running rampant across Earth following
their escape from containment during
the apocalypse. This means you shouldn’t
expect to see much of War, imprisoned by
the Charred Council, while Death will be
of adventuring across distant lands in an
attempt to free his brother from captivity.
A new Darksiders game means a new
protagonist, and this time it’s Fury’s turn to
take to the spotlight – irst introduced in 2010’s
Darksiders as one of the Four Horsemen. She’s
an imposing character with iery, billowing red
hair and a magically enhanced whip. Darksiders
III is taking a reined approach to combat, with
less enemies appearing on screen – Fury
can’t take a beating like Death or War – and a
larger focus on intimate individual instances
of combat. Expect her to move faster than
War, her dodges particular and intricate, her
slashes precise and deadly. Expect all of this to
be enhanced as you push further through the
game, as the series’ focus on RPG elements
– such as weapon and skill upgrades – is
conirmed to be making a return.
While Gunire Games has a respectable
amount of ex-Vigil staf on its payroll, the
absence of Darksiders creator Joe “Mad”
Madureira is a little disappointing. But that isn’t
to say the legendary creative has had zero
involvement in the project. Joe Mad briely
returned to breathe fresh life into protagonist
Fury for the new release, expanding on his
original concept designs from 2010 and
assisting the new team in mapping out
her proportions, weapons and armour. Is
it disappointing to know that Mad won’t be
presiding over the entire experience? Sure.
But it’s excellent to know that he has had at
least some part to play in Darksiders’ highly
anticipated return to life.
As exciting as the return of Darksiders is, this
sequel won’t be arriving until 2018. This long
rumoured and highly anticipated sequel isn’t
something Gunire is willing to rush and that
means a long wait is in store for any franchise
fans. As it stands, the studio is pulling together
the framework of the game, implementing the
various environmental shits and ensuring that
its sprawling open world connects properly
with the refocused combat and enemy designs
(some new, some old favourites). There’s no
word on whether Darksiders III will make use
of PS4 Pro and Scorpio, but it seems like an
inevitability at this stage.
DARKSIDERS III is a thing, apparently. Not gonna
argue, though – the last two were great. You can
find out more at darksiders.com
| 15
 PREVIEW EVERYBODY’S GOLF
ETA 29 AUGUST 2017 PUB SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT
Everybody’s Golf
Fun for all the family
If we lean in any
particular direction when
S4 it comes to the question of
P sports simulation versus
sports arcade action, then
it’s likely you’ll find us on the arcade side
more often than not. Sims have their place
and their challenge, but sometimes it’s the
arcade experience that manages to capture
the true spirit of the sport or sometimes give
new life to a pastime that might otherwise be
a little dry.
Case in point is the Everybody’s Golf
series, one of our favourites when it comes
to fairway fun. It’s a golfing experience that’s
all about ease of access with its simple three
button press swing mechanic, unfazed by
experimentation by others with analogue
stick control over the years. It’s all about
mass appeal with its bright, rainbow-infused
designs, lush courses and masses of
customisation for its characters. Everybody’s
Golf is imbued with an innocence and vibrancy
that elevates and embellishes the golfing
experience. It’s just… well, fun.
16 |
PS4
DEV CLAP HANZ, SIE JAPAN STUDIO
With this PS4 version marking a fresh
start for the series as it reverts to a simple
Everybody’s Golf title (which will also mean
losing its Hot Shots Golf US name), Clap Hanz
is diversifying its gameplay experience beyond
the greens with a bunch of mini-games.
You’ll be able to race around in golf-karts, for
instance, as well as do a little fishing and go
treasure hunting, all in an open world.
The other key is that rather than unlocking
pre-existing characters and costumes in
the game you’ll be creating and updating a more in the simulation space, but as interest
personalised avatar for the first time in the in PGA Tour appears to be waning, we wonder
series, which you will then be able to take if a new generation of gamers might find
online to meet up with friends. In this respect this more appealing, much as we often have.
it’s actually reminding us a little of the PS3’s As with most things in gaming, this tends to
popular, but ill-fated social hub PlayStation be a cyclical trend and the long wait for an
Home, the key difference being that you’ll Everybody’s Golf sequel might mean it’s come
be experiencing this as a cartoon version of around just in time. It’s rare that we pay this
yourself (or whoever you want to appear to much attention to a golfing title, but Sony’s
be) and you’ll actually get to play some really looks like something special once again.
good games within the world.
Everybody’s Golf has always been a bit
EVERYBODY’S GOLF is a golf game for
of an outsider experience with its arcade everybody. That’s why it’s called Everybody’s Golf.
approach to a genre that has tended to thrive Find out more here: playstation.com
 sony’s latest entry in the
golfing series is as sunny and
colourful as ever. If golf courses were
guaranteed to always look as cool
and engaging as this, we might be
tempted to play the game in real life.

WHAT MAKES THIS GAME GREAT?

It’s Everybody’s Golf. We already know Mini-games could be a nice change of pace We’ll take personalised avatars over a cast of Simple controls make it quick and easy
it’s going to be great. and scenery, so long as they’re fun. mostly generic anime players any day. to play, but there’s subtle depth, too.

| 17
 PREVIEW MARVEL VS CAPCOM: INFINITE PS4

ETa 19 SEPTEMBER 2017 PUB CAPCOM DEV IN-HOUSE

Marvel Vs Capcom: Infinite

It’s Marvel, Baby! Fan favourite Strider Hiryu returns
alongside series newcomer and big bad Ultron,

Capcom takes on the who merges with Mega Man villain Sigma to
become – you guessed it – Ultron Sigma. United
comic giant once again. by a desire to rid the world of organic life, they’re
the antagonist of the new cinematic story mode.

The media world is a very

S4 different place to what it

P was last time a Marvel

Vs Capcom game was
released. Marvel is now owned by Disney
and is responsible for several of the biggest
movies of ALL TIME. If anything, the characters
involved in this game are exponentially more
well known to the masses than Ryu, Guile et all
and potentially could attract a significantly larger
audience to fighting games. It is clear from
only a short amount of time around the game
and those involved in its creation that they are
taking every precaution to not make the same
mistakes they made with the launch of Street
Fighter V. They’ve already confirmed it has a full
cinematic story mode, for example!
Jokes aside, Capcom clearly knows full well
that the Marvel license is going to attract a fair
few eyes, many of those who aren’t exactly
experts in the field of all things fighting, and to
help them get on board, it has streamlined some
of the systems that make up the backbone of
the combat. There are now four main attack
buttons, light and heavy punches and kicks,
with the left shoulder button used for tagging
a partner and right to use your Infinity Stone.
That’s it. For a genre that has always found
itself leaning towards the need for expensive But what about the hardcore? What about whilst the other, once a meter has filled up,
fightsticks, MvC:I is clearly designed with the those Marvel players who have been waiting allows you to perform an Infinity Storm, a
straight-out-of-the-box controller in mind. for this game? Well, the technical side of things big, momentum-shifting power that changes
It’s not just the button layout that has been now comes from the tag system. You no longer things in a major way while the meter depletes.
made more straightforward, as certain inputs have to tag in partners at specific times during The trick here is whether you use the Stones
have been unified across all of the characters. combos, but instead can tag them into the to emphasize character strengths or cover
For instance, a classic MvC combo is several battle at any point. It’s completely free for you for potential weaknesses. It is going to be
hits on the ground, a move that launches to choose when to switch them in or out, and interesting to see what exactly the remaining
your opponent into the air and then several can cause some really tricky situations. Getting Stones bring to the table, and how players are
hits while they’re up there – an aerial rave, as zoned out as Hulk? Chuck a fireball with your going to be able to use these to imprint their
they’re known. It’s a staple combo, but each partner then tag Hulk in to use it as a shield own style on the characters they choose.
character had their own way of doing it. Now, as he advances. Faking someone out with a What will make or break Marvel Vs Capcom:
every character shares one standardised neutral jump only to bring in your partner is Infinite is how these new systems flourish
combo - light punch, light kick, heavy kick and a devious, if gimmicky trick, that shows that outside of those initial few weeks and months.
then down and heavy punch will start an aerial this system is going to be used for some truly It may appear a little bit different at first, but
rave, no matter who you’ve chosen. Sure, there creative and nasty stuff as players become at its core, this new game is still very much
will be plenty of different ways to do this, but more familiar with the characters and systems. Marvel, baby.
this means that beginners will categorically Then there’s the Infinity Stones. The three in
have one they can go to when needed. It’s a the current build – Space, Time and Power – all MaRVEL VS CaPCOM: INFINITE is Capcom’s
great way to introduce new players to such an had two uses. One you can use whenever you latest gloriously daft crossover fighter. Find out
important mechanic. wanted, a bit like a V-Skill in Street Fighter V, more here: capcom.com

18 |
 “THE PARTNER SWITCH MECHANIC, ALTHOUGH
INTUITIVE AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND, IS
MUCH MORE OPEN THAN IT’S EVER BEEN”

WHAT MAKES THIS GAME GREAT?

It’s a new and streamlined take on the It’s looking better and better every time we Early reports suggest that X-Men characters Ininity Stone selection adds even more
frantic tag team action MvC is known for. get to see and play it. may make the cut, perhaps as DLC. options for creative team construction.

STONER ROCK

The different abilities granted to you by the Ininity Stones can greatly affect the
way you play each character. For example, the Time Stone gives you an invincible
teleport/dash, the Space Stone pulls your opponent towards you and the Power
Stone gave you a powerful attack that causes a wall bounce. All of this can be
used to slightly modify the approach you take in a battle with or against certain
characters. The Ininity Storm modes completely swing the bout’s momentum in
your favour while the meter depletes. Out of these, Space is the most interesting,
as it stuck a massive transparent box around your opponent, restricting their
movement to that area while you plan your next attack.

| 19
 PREVIEW SPARC PS4

ETA 2017 PUB CCP GAMES DEV IN-HOUSE

Sparc
It’s time to bring While Sparc does get hectic, you can be safe in the
knowledge that you can’t be hit from behind. So if you dodge a

the pain ball, it’ll simple rebound off of the wall behind you.

This is the game

S4 virtual reality has been

P desperately crying out

for. It’s the system seller
that doesn’t yet exist; a unique experience
that could work on the VR platform, and
yet still simple enough to grasp that even
the most casual of gamers could jump in
and immediately find the fun. At its core, it
is as intuitive as Wii Sports and as easy to
understand, but look a little deeper and you’ll
find a nuanced game that relies wholly on
reflex, skill and determination. Sparc is VR’s
first full-body sport and it’s an experience that
everyone, should they be willing and able,
needs to try for themselves when it launches
later in 2017.
This is CCP’s first game based outside
of the EVE Online universe – quite the feat
considering the company is celebrating its
20th anniversary. And to add to the festivities,
the company has taken the expertise and
learning that it has acquired through the
development of the EVE: Valkyrie and Gunjack
projects and applied it here, to a virtual
playground that effortlessly replicates the
intensity and chaos of Tron’s iconic Disc Wars.
Okay, so, somewhat unsurprisingly, CCP isn’t
keen on the Tron comparison, but we just call last ditch ducks and catches. It relies entirely
it like we see it. on your reflexes and coordination because SPECTATOR SPORT
To the company’s credit, Sparc is Tron’s – much like Tron's discs – the balls in Sparc
Disc Wars meets real-life dodgeball. It pits don’t fly merely in straight lines. They bounce,
two players against one another in a long, ping and ricochet off of the walls and ceilings
neon-lit corridor, each has a ball and the of the arena, pushing you to be constantly
objective is to strike your opponent to score, aware of the position of the two projectiles
either by hitting them with your own projectile whipping through the air towards you at
or deflecting theirs right back at them. You insane speeds.
can use your hands to catch or slap a ball It’s so impressive how effortless everything
back to its sender in real time, while a one- feels. Your movement within Sparc feels
charge shield attached to your arm can offer a like a natural extension of your body. The
moment of respite should you have a lapse in experience is raw, but it finds success in its
concentration. simplicity. It works because it is centred wholly
Sparc is able to work so successfully on natural momentum and body motions;
because of the accurate body tracking that the way in which you flick your wrist or whip CCP Games is hoping that Sparc can become the irst very real virtual sport.
Due to its inherent simplicity and easy-to-understand premise, that also makes
the VR headsets can now offer. It uses the your arm has a real and immediate impact it incredibly easy to watch as a spectator, bringing the same engagement and
room-scale technology of Vive and Oculus Rift on the way and speed that the ball moves. splendour to gaming that we irst witnessed in Tron so many years ago. The
– though it will later be coming to PSVR – A single button needs to be held to catch an way in which CCP is hoping it will catch audiences attention is by offering an
in-built spectator mode, letting players not only watch over a game in action –
to give you full control over your character. incoming projective, a move that not only in VR – but also interact with potential players while it’s happening, letting you
It means you can quite literally leap and offers a moment of respite but also recharges lay down a coin in an effort to later claim the space once a game concludes. It’s
weave out of the way of speedy incoming your shield – otherwise destroyed on impact an exciting time for Sparc, and we’re eager to see how it develops.
projectiles and drop to your knees to make – though we are told this deflection mechanic

20 |
WHAT MAKES THIS GAME GREAT?
It’s a VR experience that just about anyone Matches get super competitive, and It’s also surprisingly fun to watch, and not just It’ll be PSVR’s most active game yet.
can understand and play. psyche-outs are a great laugh. as a novelty but as an actual contest. Let’s hope the camera can keep up…

Sparc is simple and intuitive, that’s

how it so effortlessly finds success. While
will be switched off while playing on one of the the presentation is a little raw, it’s easy to
tougher difficulties. overlook such misgivings because the core
Ultimately, when you’re facing off against gameplay is so immediately entertaining

another player in this space – able to taunt

and tease the player into making mistakes
or laboured movements in real time – Sparc
just clicks. It’s exhausting and challenging,
breaking a sweat an inevitability rather than a
risk, but there’s a real magic to the underlying
elements. CCP is calling it a ‘V-Sport’ and we
can already see its potential. It takes mere
minutes to get you diving around, learning
new ways to spin a ball and tactics to time the
rebounds in such a way that your opponent
gets battered with both balls simultaneously.
Sparc is going to breathe new life into VR, an
experience that demonstrates the power and
potential of virtual reality in the most simple
and convincing fashion imaginable.

SPARC is the latest project from CCP and oddly,

there’s not a gigantic spaceship in sight. Find out
more here: ccpgames.com

| 21
 SHADOW OF WAR MIDDLE-EARTH LEVELS UP

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FEATURE ten of the best
BIOSHOCK
■ HAD SYSTEM SHOCK ever come out
on a PlayStation system, you’d be seeing that
here instead of Irrational’s underwater classic,
purely because it got there first. BioShock did a
lot different to its predecessors, however – the
concept of genetic modification is taken to the
next level thanks to the twisted Splicers, and
even its more far-flung ideas are humanised in
such a way as to be grimly believable.
FALLOUT 3
■ WHILE YOU’RE RUMMAGING through
battered old toolboxes hoping to find a few
spare bottle caps, you can almost forget that
the Fallout games are science fiction works.
It doesn’t take long for a stark reminder,
24 |
TEN OF THE BEST
sci-fi games
SOME OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD CLASSICS TO WRAP YOUR TENTACLES AROUND
though, be it a difficult conversation with a
heavily irradiated Ghoul, a desperate escape
from a charging Deathclaw or just checking
out the kick-ass power armour used by the
Brotherhood Of Steel.
MASS EFFECT
■ MANY WILL TELL you that the
original Mass Effect is the weakest in the
Shepard trilogy, but that’s not really fair.
As a game, it has plenty of problems,
sure. But as a way of establishing a fully
fleshed-out sci-fi universe for the games
that followed, BioWare’s space opera
was quite the achievement. It was able
to establish over the course of a single
game what has taken franchises like Star
Trek decades, or at least it came damn
close. An amazing feat either way.
DOOM
■ WHAT PART OF being a space marine posted on Mars during an
all-out attack from the forces of Hell itself isn’t sci-fi, exactly? The fusion of
futuristic technology with arcane elements was novel at the time and the
premise has barely been used since, whether that’s out of respect to the
classic FPS or just because of how damn hard it is to get right.
 RESIDENT EVIL
■ sleeper sci-fi elements
are always cool and while the first
Resi plays it pretty straight to begin
with (as it pretends to be a typical
haunted house horror game), you
soon come to realise that science – or
at least Capcom pseudo-science – is
behind everything. Since the reveals
of the lab and the virus in Resident
Evil, the games have seemed to grow
increasingly comfortable with their
sci-fi nature over the years. We’ve
seen railguns, mind control devices,
superhuman powers, magic schooling
leeches and loads of other wonderful
nonsense, all presumably cooked
up in labs that only open when you
insert three very specific crests into
the door. More please, Capcom.
DEAD SPACE
■ TAKING CUES FROM movies like Alien and Event
Horizon, Visceral’s game is one of many that explore the perils
of deep space exploration. Ancient alien relics are the real
big bad here, creating creatures known as the Necromorph
– disgusting beasties that come in all shapes and sizes, each
more horrible and spiky than the last. Thankfully, everyday
hero Isaac Clarke accidentally came prepared for just such an
eventuality. His laser cutter is apparently a mining tool, but you
wouldn’t know it from how effective it is at ripping bits off the
foul creatures that inhabit the USG Ishimura.
XCOM: ENEMY UNKNOWN
■ WHILE SOME GAMES just hand players powerful kit on
a plate, others make them work for it. A few, like the XCOM
series, make players really work for it, to the point where
if you want something cool, you’ll most likely have to pry it
from the cold, dead hands of the extraterrestrial beings that
invented it. This adds a brilliant risk/reward gameplay loop,
with benefits for taking down tough aliens early and even
greater ones if you manage to secure live specimens. That’s
easier said than done, mind, especially once the cheeky
critters start messing with your soldiers’ minds…
DESTINY
■ OH LOOK, PLAY has done a Top Ten feature
and it has Destiny in it! Come on, you could at
least act surprised. Truth be told, the best part of
Destiny’s sci-fi lore isn’t even in the game – the
main story itself jumps around a lot and doesn’t
make a lot of sense, but the Grimoire Cards that
unlock as you play actually flesh out its amazing
world more than anyone who hasn’t read them
would believe. It does have a story… it’s just
hidden away in the Grimoire for some reason.
PORTAL
■ EMPOWERING PLAYERS WITH crazy
technology is something developers love to
do, and few games do this more expertly than
Portal. You’re given a handheld device that can
literally tear holes in the fabric of space and time
and directed towards a tailor-made assault
course that puts your mastery of this toy to the
test, all the while being goaded by a particularly
mean AI overseer. Little more context is offered,
and even less is needed – it’s just freaking cool.
COLONY WARS
■ IF THERE’S ONE classic PlayStation
franchise we’d like to see return on PSVR, this
would be it. The space combat series was a
huge success back in the PSone era, with three
games in the space of four years but amazingly,
there hasn’t been another one since then. The
games sit in a wonderful place between the
overwhelming complexity of true space sims
and the simplicity of arcade space shooter, so it’s
no wondering the series still has plenty of fans.
| 25
26 |
 ANew Wave
Simulation? C A RS 2 A IM E V
D SIMUL AT ION WITH
S TO BLENER SEEN BEFORE
PROJECTIT Y TO AN EXTENT N
REA L

M any racing games claim to have mirrored reality,

but the eventual reflection is typically far from
accurate. From cars that feel as though they’re
floating above the track, to those that drive like they’re
glued to it, fantastical marketing slogans are rarely
delivered upon.
Project Cars 2, then, has set itself a particularly tough target
in its goal to be so realistic that “professional drivers can drive in
a way that matches what they’ve done in real life.” These are the
words of Ron Chong, COO at UK-based Slightly Mad Studios and a
man sporting a beard so sharp that it looks as though it’s going to
cut straight through his glasses at any moment. Clearly, he’s a man
with a razor-edged vision.
One of the ways Chong and his team are making sure they
stay true to their lofty realism goal is to bring in professional racing
drivers. This is par for the course for any racing game with serious
ambitions in today’s game development world, but Slightly Mad is
spreading its net a little further than most in its attempts to capture
those with top-class vehicular talents.
Mitchell deJong is an X Games gold medallist in the rallycross
discipline (more on that later) as well as being a serious presence
in the eSports motor racing field. He’s also just 19 years old, which
is sickening news for anyone born before the launch of the original
Gran Turismo and whose trophy cabinet is decorated only with
broken dreams and failed attempts.
“We wanted to have people on the team who really understand
n Visually, Project Cars what these cars are and how they need to be driven so that they
2 is a step up from its
predecessor, but it’s the can tell us whether we’re doing a good job or not,” Chong says in
improvements under the explanation of his team’s professional racer picks. “We told them
hood that set Slightly
that we wanted a perfect simulation, and that’s the angle they are
Mad’s sequel apart.
looking at the game from.
“The way things have worked previously is that dedicated sim
[eSports] drivers have tended to be faster in racing games than
actual professional drivers. That’s because they learn all the tricks
they need to perform in order to drive fast in a game setting.
“In Project Cars 2 we’ve managed to get parity between the
real and sim worlds because it’s so realistic and because of that
we think this is a very innovative moment. Our tyre model, for

| 27

n Cockpit cam remains the
most immersive way to play, the
claustrophobic interiors of high
performance cars adding an extra level
of presence and drama.
instance, has evolved to the point where a racing driver can come
into one of our cars, on one of our tracks, and they can be as fast,
or faster, than a highly decorated eSports champion.”
We’ve not had the opportunity to witness deJong put his
experience of both the real world and the simulation to the test in
Project Cars 2, but his presence alone is a keen indicator of how
serious Slightly Mad is in its quest to mirror reality. The studio
could have quite easily recruited a more recognisable name to
act as marketeer and ‘ambassador’, but instead they’ve gone
with the guy who knows two racing worlds, largely isolated from
one another, inside and out. This decision acts to both reassure
interested fans of the game’s goals and further ramp up the
expectation of those most dedicated and knowledgeable about the
racing world.

n Rallycross vehicles are difficult
enough to learn how to handle without
the added pressure of driving across
snow and ice.
F
ortunately, the original Project Cars (2015) provides a
solid foundation upon which to build. The game was
widely praised on release for its focus on helping players
improve their driving skills and providing a simulation
that was without the baggage of superfluous game modes or a
career structure that forced you to race town cars before you got to
the truly aspirational machines.
The visible features of the original aren’t, according to
Chong, the only benchmark from which Project Cars 2 can draw
strength and inspiration, however. Upon Project Cars’ release there
remained room under the hood for tinkering and tuning an engine
that the development team were initially unfamiliar with. n Project Cars 2 is a challenging
“Our physics engine and the technology that underlies Project game, one that asks you to take into
account and overcome a wide variety
Cars 1 is quite advanced and in some cases, such as with the tyre
of obstacles. Heavy rain is one of the
modelling, it’s so advanced that we had to learn how to use it more obvious hurdles to be bested.
properly,” Chong tells us.

[Rallycrss features] psychotic vehicles that make

you forget everything you know about driving
n Rallycross asks you to master
and indulge a very different set of
skills to those required for traditional
circuit racing. Be prepared to forget
everything you know.
“Essentially, what we wanted to do is take the simulation
technology, and our new understanding in how to use it, to
come up with new experiences and have Project Cars 2 be a truly
worthwhile new purchase. Other games are not something we’re
looking at or comparing ourselves to, we’re looking at real life and
trying to match ourselves to that.
“We want to grow Project Cars and make the best sequel
possible. For us that’s not about adding new cars or tracks and
maybe the odd new feature, because that’s really just more of
the same and that’s not enough as far as we’re concerned. We
want to give our community of sim racers and car fans some
completely new experiences.”
Car handling, certainly, feels different than it did in 2015. Of
the most common criticisms levelled at the original game was
the questionable implementation of the control pad, the general
consensus being that Slightly Mad had prioritised racing wheel
owners over the much larger demographic of those without such
expensive peripherals.
Here, playing on a control pad is a much more sensitive
experience. The slightest nudge of the analogue stick one way
or the other results in the car gently sliding from one side of the
track to the other, allowing for much subtler movements when
it comes to overtaking and positioning your wheels for the next
corner. At first this greatly increased level of control is a shock,
and it’s almost impossible not to personally induce consistent
oversteer as you work to understand how far you need to push to
achieve your desired result.
This can be particularly difficult to adjust to when racing at
high speed and preparing yourself for a sharp corner at the end
of a long straight, the subtlety of input required being far greater
than that of Project Cars 2’s current crop of racing genre peers.
After a few races, however, your hand and eye start to adjust to
the change and it reveals itself as an entirely welcome one that
facilitates much better car management and a more intricate set
of potential actions.
“It’s been really important for us to get the programming of the
gamepad right and that’s an area that we’ve started from scratch
on,” elaborates Chong. “A lot of time has been spent on getting right
that relationship between moving an analogue stick and seeing and
feeling your car move on the track.
“One of our goals is to focus on realism and simulation, but
another goal is to make sure that that’s fun. If you’ve ever been in
a high performance car then you’ll know that it’s exciting and that
needs to be translated in what we’re building.”
The increased sensitivity does indeed add to the sense of ‘fun’
in that you feel more in control of these incredibly high-powered
vehicles, with the sensation being most overt in the new inclusion
of rallycross. Rallycross is a relative newcomer to the world of

28 |
 he increasing
strength of VR
PROVING THAT IMMERSION NEEDN’T
BE A SLAVE TO RESOLUTION
n Slightly Mad had been
working with Oculus for three
years prior to the release
of the first Project Cars, a
relationship that brought
about best-in-class level VR
support for the game on PC. As
such, expectation regarding
the quality of Project Cars
2’s VR offering is justifiably
high and nothing less than
the setting of a new bar for
performance will be enough
to satisfy a community hungry
for technological innovation.
Like its predecessor,
Project Cars 2 will again be
playable through both the
Oculus Rift and HTC Vive – with
PlayStation VR not confirmed
but supposedly being worked
on. Our experience thus far
has been limited to Oculus
Rift, which works beautifully
and represents an immediately
noticeable improvement in
the rendering department.
The result of the rendering
upgrade is a smoother, more
natural-looking experience
that comes into its own when
travelling at high speeds
and observing the trackside
hurtling past you.
Importantly, not a hint of
motion sickness threatened to
ruin the experience - although
motorsport, the form seeing adapted rally cars of incredibly high In the most extreme of corners the back end of your car is – if this might well have been
helped by the fact that Slightly
horse power race around short tracks combining tarmac and loose you’re driving ‘properly’ – pushed so far out that it enters the corner
Mad had us sitting in the
surfaces, jumps, alternate routes and incredibly sharp corners. before your bonnet, meaning you’re essentially driving backwards top of range CXC Motion Pro
Adding to the sense of danger is the fact that up to six cars through the bend. This requires a level of precision that, while it II cockpit. The Motion Pro II
take to the track at once, the inevitable outcome being collisions looks messy and disordered in comparison to circuit racing, is literally throws you about in
accordance with every bump
that can see cars overturned, shunted into the barriers or spun out every bit as technically challenging as speeding over tarmac.
your car encounters in the
and facing the wrong way. Races are short and sharp, the action “We have included a beginner rallycross car which is quite road, triggering your physical
usually lasting less than ten minutes. light and doesn’t have too much power,” reassures Chong when sensations to pair nicely with
Chong describes rallycross as “violent” and “crazy”, as well quizzed on just how challenging rallycross is for newcomers. “In those visual ones coming in
through the Rift.
as being a discipline in which you’re racing using “psychotic that you can drive more like you’re used to in a circuit racing car
Still, the technical
vehicles that make you forget everything you know about because it’s not powerful enough to perform crazy sideways dives quality of Project Cars 2 in
driving.” Much of the overzealous personality imbued within these into corners. VR is undeniable. It might not
cars comes from the fact that drifting sideways through corners “You can use that as a means to transition into rallycross and offer the same resolution as
a top of the range screen, but
is preferable in your quest for quick lap times than hugging the learn the tracks and the best lines through them. You’ll still need to
the way in which it absorbs
apex. Therefore, the increased sensitivity of the analogue sticks use the handbrake a little bit through corners, though, and that’s a you into the game more than
is a necessity. good way to understand how that tool can help you win a race.” makes up for it.

| 29

n You’ll be spending a lot of time with
your car sideways in rallycross, the
specialist cars designed to skid and
glide through corners as opposed to
hug the tarmac.
n Slightly Mad is aiming to strengthen
its presence in the eSports arena, and
providing a wide variety of cars and
tracks to satisfy both digital racers and
spectators is one way to do so.
30 |
We’re looking at real life and
trying to match ourselves to that
What you’ve really got to master is the relationship between
wheel position and throttle. There are times when you’re at full
throttle, your wheels are pointing straight and yet your still sliding
sideways through the corner. If you’ve only driven traditional
racing cars before then this is going to sound counterintuitive,
although those with experience in drift events (real or digital) will
feel more at home.
Once you feel comfortable tackling your favoured events,
whether that’s circuit racing, rallycross or both, then you may
want to consider taking advantage of Project Cars 2’s promised
set of competitive online features. The original game featured an
innovative matchmaking system that placed drivers in races that
complemented their own driving style and on-track behaviour,
and the same idea returns here with the promise of it working
even more precisely.
T
hat means if you consistently crash into drivers or drive
backwards around the track then you’ll be placed with
others of a similarly disruptive persuasion. Alternatively,
if you quit often due to not being in first position then you
will be coupled with others that give up easily. However, if you race
fair and stay until the end then you will be given a green light to join
in with the adults in the class.
Matchmaking is flanked by a range of improvements to online
championships and, specifically, features aimed squarely at the
eSports scene. Chong promises a brand new cheat detection
system to secure races and make sure everyone is playing to same
rules, while new licensing partners are being lined up for official
tournaments and events.
“There’s also a new broadcast mode,” Chong describes,
“which lets you send a feed out directly to Twitch or Facebook or
wherever you want. New tools that allow you to track and run your
own championship are coming, too – whereas in the past you’ve
had to use your own spreadsheets to mark down points and driver
positions over a season.”
Just as with the driving itself, the aim of Project Cars 2’s
competitive offerings seems to be very much centred around an
attempt to mimic the form and execution of real-life racing events.
iRacing is presently the undisputed king of the competitive racing
simulation arena, and to achieve anywhere that same level of
success Slightly Mad is going to have to convince some of that
audience to migrate and revise their allegiance. Mitchell deJong
himself, for instance, is part of the Coanda Simsport iRacing team.
A dedication to realism to the point in which a professional
driver can replicate real world skills is a good place for Project Cars
2 to try and strengthen its simulation reputation, but can Slightly
Mad really abandon a mainstream following for a solely hardcore
one? Is a reworked control pad input system enough to convince
those afraid of, or simply not interested in, a truly one-to-one
simulation that this is a game for them over the upcoming GT Sport
or the inevitable Forza Motorsport 7?
By focusing on perfect realism Slightly Mad is no doubt in
a wonderful position to create its most impressive racing game
yet and one that is capable of outdoing its more established
genre bedfellows as far as presenting a perfect simulation is
concerned. In doing so, however, it will struggle to attract the
kind of mainstream audience required to turn a profit in the age of
expensive game development.
As Chong says, though, Project Cars 2 looks to reality
for inspiration, not other games. If it can’t match reality, then
where does that leave the franchise in the eyes of its creators
and expectant fans? Here’s hoping Project Cars 2 lives up to its
promises. If it can, then it could well be a contender for the most
important racing game we’ve yet seen.
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REVIEW PREY PS4
Prey
Struggling to breathe
Is Arkane Studios having an
S4 identity crisis? It’s a question
that’s inherently difficult to
P answer, but one that seems
particularly relevant given
the ways in which Prey succeeds and fails. For
all that the game does well – particularly the
ways in which it strikes a balance between a
yearning for knowledge and a drive for survival
– Prey is never quite able to escape the long
shadow cast by System Shock. That isn’t merely
a symptom of thrusting a wrench in your hand
and setting an immersive sim in the stars, but a
problem directly brought about by Arkane and its
incessant attempts to become the torchbearer of
the Looking Glass legacy.
Prey isn’t some bizarre epiphany of that
fact, but more a casual confirmation of it. The
first indication that the framework popularised
by Irrational Games and Looking Glass, later
perfected by Ion Storm, can hinder creative
design just as easily as it can propagate it. Where
the Dishonored titles looked to the ideas and
themes underpinning Thief II: The Metal Age
and sought to build on and advance them – the
resulting experience a masterful stealth game
that simply couldn’t have existed two decades
ago – the elements that are formative to the
design of Prey feel exposed and raw. Prey may
have the fundamentals of the genre locked down,
but it doesn’t have the spark that made them
legend so many years ago. Perhaps it’s ironic,
for a game so inherently focused around the
question and exploration of identity, that Prey
sure seems to be lacking one to call its own.
Set in the year 2032, you take on the role
of Morgan Yu; a scientist that finds herself –
or himself, it’s up to you – trapped on board
the space station (turned secret research lab,
turned extraterrestrial murder zone) Talos I. With
the station now overrun by a highly intelligent
race of aliens, called the Typhon, you must
work to survive a disaster that you may well be
responsible for incubating, but have no direct
knowledge of unleashing.
You see, Talos I is the home of the Neuromod.
That’s a technology derived from the DNA of
the Typhon, giving humans the opportunity to
augment their bodies and minds with powerful
abilities. This can be as awesome as making you
strong enough to pry locked doors open with your
bare hands, or as truly ridiculous as letting you
transform yourself into a fully-functioning desk
lamp – both are skills with practical applications
in Prey, should you choose to invest in them.
32 |
Morgan, as chief architect of the Neuromod,
and lab rat for the initial testing, comes to
discover that removing a mod rolls the user’s
memory back to its pre-installation state. Prey
picks up with Talos I on the verge of collapse,
its crew either dead or MIA, and a protagonist
that has no recollection of what has transpired.
Prey quickly establishes a world in which you
must call everything you see into question.
Every person, artificial intelligence and piece
DETAILS
of data you discover seems to have its own PUBLISHER
agenda, and figuring out who (or what) you can Bethesda
trust as you fight for survival and clarity is a DEVELOPER
big part of Prey’s narrative drive. It means you Arkane Studios
must scrutinise even your own perception of PSN PRICE
events, calling into question your involvement £59.99
in the disaster, the echoes of your previous self PLAYERS
that seemingly haunt you in the world, and your 1
agency in the moment-to-moment action of
the game – a smart subversion of BioShock’s
‘Would You Kindly’ twist delivered at the outset
rather than the end. At least, that’s how it seems
on the surface. The further you delve into the
mysteries of Prey, the more it seems to lose its
grip on its own narrative ambitions, eventually
pouring everything into the whims of simplistic
environmental storytelling.
That wouldn’t be a huge problem in itself,
however Prey lacks the variety or focus to ever
Scanning
truly settle into a comfortable rhythm. With a
enemies lets you
disaster looming, your goal flitters between unlock details on
survival and gathering information, trawling their strengths and
weaknesses, not to
through bins and briefcases and pumping mention get deeper
shotgun rounds into shadowy monsters. It’s a access to certain
familiar blend, but one that can too often feel at Neuromod skill trees.
odds with itself. Prey never quite captures the
unease or tension of the horror experience it
presents itself as, nor does it find the energy
or tempo of the action game it clearly is. The
resulting experience is uneven, then. At times
impressive in its capacity to foster fear, pushing
you to utilise every (limited) resource available to
you in an effort to survive for just a second longer,
and at others excelling at pushing you into frantic
fights against hordes of unruly enemies, but
those moments of accelerated excitement seem
to be few and far between.
What’s left between all of this then is a
rather pedestrian set of main objectives and
side-quests set in one of the most magnificent
pieces of structural design we’ve ever seen in a
videogame. Talos I is a vast and interconnected
space that feels real, a place where people could Games like BioShock may have trained a generation into scouring bins
and cupboards for useless resources, but Prey subverts this excellently by giving
have lived, worked and, later, died. But even you the opportunity to recycle components and fabricate them into useful items,
that works against Prey eventually, with Arkane such as med-kits and ammunition.
 “Prey lacKs tHe Variety Or FOcUs tO eVer
trUly settle iNtO a cOMFOrtaBle rHytHM”
tecHNical
PrOBleMs
Across all platforms, Prey is a game beset
with technical issues. Console players can
expect horrifically long load times between
areas, exacerbated by the game’s design,
especially towards the end of the game as
it pushes you to move quickly from one
section to another. PS4 players should
also be wary of input latency, making
the game feel sluggish, while Prey on all
platforms suffers from bugs that can affect
progression and save data. It’s frustrating
to see the game launch in this state and
puts a cloud over the game, especially as
you can expect to spend anywhere from 15
to 40 hours on board of Talos I – there’s
nothing worse than a corrupt save file
sending you back a handful of hours.

| 33
REVIEW PREY PS4

The Neuromods can combine in some exciting ways, though Prey

never really delivers combat opportunities to take full advantage of them.

Arkane may have created a faithful immersive sim, and all of the elements
are certainly there for one, but it fails to come together as well as it perhaps should.
Prolonged sessions of enjoyment are often undercut by long stretches of boredom.

ZerO-G
One of the coolest elements of Prey is when
it steps outside of its natural boundaries and
invites you to enjoy the majesty of space. The
entire station is connected by air locks that,
once unlocked, act as a fast travel system of
sorts. It gives you the opportunity to enjoy
zero-G movement in space, looking out across
the world and the ruined space station – a
moment of respite away from the chaos inside.
The ruins of certain wings of the station can
be explored, giving you a chance to quietly
meditate and locate rare items and materials. It’s
a genuinely amazing space to occupy that Prey
never really takes full advantage of.

34 |
 focusing too heavily on the utilitarian nature of the
station. The lack of variety in the station’s locales
makes sense – it is, after all, an installation
that was designed to house scientists before it
became the site for alien genome splicing – but
the lack of variety in objectives or the stories they
lead to does not.
There’s only one thing you can truly trust in
Prey and that’s your curiosity. You’re encouraged
to pay close attention to everything that you see
and hear; every locked door, password-protected
computer and environmental barrier can be
overcome if you approach it in the right way, and
it may just be hiding the secrets you so desire.
That’s empowering and impressive, but quickly
diluted as you come to realise that the hundreds
of emails you are trawling through are fairly
forgettable. Employees embroiled in workplace
“sO MUcH OF Prey reVOlVes
arOUNd MOrGaN reBUildiNG Her
MeMOries aNd MaKiNG seNse OF
Her OWN MOrality”
dramas, trading gossip on former colleagues
and openly discussing the combinations to the
restricted lockbox or door inevitably located just
a few feet away from you. The mundanity of all
of this goes a long way to establish a sense of
place and realism, but it doesn’t bring much to the
game or narrative.
It’s a great shame, because so much of
Prey revolves around Morgan rebuilding
her memories and making sense of her own
morality. The way the game asks you to do
this, however, is through the emails and audio
logs you’ll find across Talos I’s abundance of
corpses. The rare characters you do meet are
often cardboard cut-outs, part-players in an
overarching narrative that feels stretched thin. It’s
through these encounters that the game asks you
to help shape your personalised ending; making
moral decisions after, at best, a bit of busywork
or, at worst, after a series of anticlimactic events.
Arkane does a good job of raising the profile and
importance of these characters, especially as
the game switches up a gear in the final act, but
they ultimately feel like disposable pieces of the
larger puzzle – a direct result of the game being
so open and reactive, everyone on the station can
be killed if you want to go psychopathic, or you
can go out of your way to save them, should you
feel so inclined.
Here’s the thing with Prey: all of this can
be ignored. It affords you a baffling amount of
freedom, giving you the opportunity to dive as
deep into the mystery as you want to. While
you could avoid much of the environmental
storytelling, it will ultimately restricting you from
getting to the heart of what makes Prey great.
The more weapon upgrade kits you discover,
the more Neuromods you install – granting you
a host of enhanced human and insane alien
abilities – and the more resources you obtain, the
more the game will bend to your will and begin to
shred its annoyances.
The Typhon are a powerful foe, able to take
more than a few rounds and send you hurtling
back to a respawn without much trouble. It’s here
where you’re really given the space to play, to
push the various systems to their limits and enjoy
one of Arkane’s stronger areas: combat, weapon
and enemy design. While the AI isn’t as varied
or intuitive as the equivalent in Dishonored, they
still come together to provide quite the threat.
The weapons feel powerful and wonderful to
wield, while the powers themselves offer an
ingenious array of gameplay possibilities. When
Prey steps into its element, it can be an exercise
in excellence – it’s just such a shame that it takes
so long to get there.
Depending on your history with videogames,
there are certain elements of Prey that might
not make sense, or seem like strange design
decisions. Ultimately, that’s because Prey
owes a lot to the likes of System Shock, Ultima
Underworld and Deus Ex. You can see the marks
of these games all over its basic framework,
referenced in everything – from system design to
plot, to dialogue and mechanics – and that works
as both a strength and a weakness. Immersive
sims were always designed to encourage
player freedom and expression, to let players
follow their whims and see where the resulting
experience will take them.
To an extent, Prey succeeds with this. The
space created is gorgeous; it has a consistent rule
set and objectives that can – largely – be tackled
in any order. Like any good immersive sim, it
doesn’t tell you to fight through nests of enemies,
nor does it point you towards the maintenance
hatches, the hidden walkways or the walls you
can ascend with your Gloo Gun in hand and a little
ingenuity. It lets you decide how you want to play
and it adapts to it. Where it falls down, however,
is that the ways in which it adapts aren’t always
that interesting, or communicated, such is the
problems with the narrative here.
Just as in the immersive sims that Arkane
is so dutifully paying homage to here with
Prey, this is a game that feels like it has been
designed to let the player fight back against the
delivery and find their own way through. Talos
I is a broad, but claustrophobically combined,
space that showcases a real, genuine sense
of creativity from the team. It captures the vibe
and greatness of System Shock’s own haunted
station, or perhaps even Deus Ex’s incredible
cyberpunk-infused cityscape. Talos I feels
lavish and haunted, the perfect location to let
players explore the mysteries of the mind with
a powerful shotgun in hand, but the pieces don’t
quite fit together in the way that Arkane clearly
intended. Everything Prey needed to succeed is
in there, somewhere, but it doesn’t gel. The game
is too undefined, too broad in its ambition and
application of its powers, spaces, and weapons,
that it fails to find and carve out its own identity.
Verdict
Less than the
sum of its parts 7/10
| 35
REVIEW LITTLE NIGHTMARES PS4

Being able to grab hold of the

environment and climb around the world makes
Six pretty agile. The only real obstacle she needs
to overcome with any regularity is her relative
height compared to the giants of this world.

36 |
 Little Nightmares
Going bump in the night
It doesn’t take long
playing Little Nightmares
S4 to realise that you’re in
P good hands. This game
manages to offer the
assurance that you’re in the presence of
master crafters; developers who know their
trade, know the story they want to tell and
DETAILS know how to deliver it. Little Nightmares sets
its goal, establishes its world within seconds
PUBLISHER and sets you loose, barely needing to mention
Bandai Namco
anything more to you to let you go.
DEVELOPER There’s no dialogue or HUD, no button
Tarsier Studios
prompts unless you get a little stuck and the
PSN PRICE game thinks you need to be reminded what
£15.99
the run button is. Everything is instinctual, but
PLAYERS then the game is also a simple one. With its
1
base mechanics similar to those of long-time
collaborator Media Molecule, Tarsier shouldn’t
need to give you much by way of tutorials to
navigate this puzzle-platformer. It should all
come rather naturally, and that will lead you
to admire its design as you solve its many
navigational puzzles.
And we have to say, this is an impressive
looking title. There’s a stop-motion feel to
the experience, helped by the grain effect
over the whole game, that helps to give Little
Nightmares a devilish sense of unreality and
yet simultaneously manages to ground the
experience. That is to say, it feels at once
real and unreal. The animation is smooth and
very strange. The Nomes that run around
sometimes feel like they have frames of
animation removed from their skittering,
making them even more peculiar to watch.
The denizens of the Maw, where the game is
set, are at once cumbersome and gruesome
and yet poetic and poised in their movement.
Tarsier plays within the conventions of classic
horror and thriller territory with great relish,
Many of the rooms you find yourself in as you attempt to escape the Maw will leave you with more questions than
answers. This room full of shoes, for instance, is about as creepy and unnerving as you could ever ask for.
building up some great tension and unleashing
it in some wonderful set-piece moments.
Little Nightmares carries a lot of DNA
from other experiences and titles within it,
something that speaks of a studio that has
been harbouring a desire to work on its own IP
for over a decade and has been learning from
every collaboration it has experienced in those
years. There’s clearly some LittleBigPlanet
in the platforming controls and some of
the floatiness of the jumping, although we
would say that Tarsier has tightened this up
considerably by comparison, and it’s also
not a game quite as heavily dependent on
platforming as LBP.
Aesthetically, this game shares some
similarities with titles that Tarsier attempted to
launch previously, showing a great affinity with
Grimm Brothers tales, the animation styles of
Gilliam and Burton, and a penchant for the dark
and gruesome. It feels as if this game is the
culmination of years of creative stockpiling now
finally being unleashed, so it’s actually quite
impressive that the game feels so contained
and taut. There’s no fat or self-indulgence in
the design here. No grandstanding. In this
respect and a few others, it is very reminiscent
of Playdead’s Inside.
So, why is it not quite on the same level
as Inside? Well, it comes down to gameplay
variety. Playdead’s puzzle-platformer felt
more varied in its approach, switching up the
pace, the sense of threat, and the types of
interactions you were experiencing regularly.
It gave the experience more depth as a result
while also managing to reveal curious new
elements of the world to you (mind control,
totalitarian world, etc.). In Little Nightmares,
most of the experience is derived from
climbing, jumping, pulling and turning things,
intermittently broken up by some stealth.
Don’t get us wrong, this game doesn’t lack for
engagement, but pulling a box under a door to
grab a handle doesn’t reveal anything about
the nature of the Maw.
And then there’s the comparative richness
of the world building and how it’s revealed.
While Little Nightmares sets up an amazing
scene and introduces a dark and mysterious
world that is in many respects the equal of
Playdead’s, it holds just a little too much back. It
doesn’t show quite as much in the background
of each scene to leave you with burning
questions in quite the same way. We left Inside
confused, exhilarated and full of questions. We
finished Little Nightmares satisfied and curious.
That’s not a massive difference, but it’s enough
to separate the two titles.
Little Nightmares is a small triumph,
then, with impressive design, engaging
if relatively narrow gameplay and some
wonderful world-building. Your character
Six proves to be far from the empty cipher
she might first appear to be. Your journey
of discovery as to her true nature is just as
interesting as the wider evaluation of this
gory, globulous and gluttonous collection
of misfit creatures and the strange building
they appear to be amassing in. It manages to
combine room-contained puzzle mechanics
with action platforming rather well and the
stealth element is both challenging and not too
frustrating (always a hard balance to strike).
And the puzzling itself, while not offering
masses of variety as suggested earlier, is
still a lot of fun. Navigating each area, finding
the elements you need and working out your
path to them is a lot of fun, not least as
you unpick the visual cues of the levels to
understand what the game expects of you.
Everything about this game just clicks nicely
into place, allowing it to communicate with you
wordlessly and still make perfect sense from
beginning to end. And overlaying everything
else is a soundtrack that adds some wonderful
depth to the whole experience, spinning out
from the fairytale and lullaby feel of the rest
of the game quite brilliantly. We’ve waited a
while to see Tarsier strike out on its own and
it’s gratifying to see it succeed with a game as
good as this.
VERDICT
Creepy, concise
and classy 8/10
| 37
REVIEW OUTLAST 2 PS4

38 |
 Outlast 2
A true survival horror
For every high budget,
S4 mainstream horror film,
with its larger-than-life
P villains and cheap jump
scares, there’s a lo-fi,
nasty indie flick that makes you feel
uncomfortable just thinking about it.
Classic US stuff like the original The Hills
DETAILS Have Eyes, Eighties video nasties and the
wave of French extreme horror films from
Publisher the early Noughties all share a similar
Warner Bros.
grittiness – where the gore is black, brown,
Interactive
deep crimson, not just blood red – and the
DeveloPer
Red Barrels horrific events that unfold aren’t designed to
scare a popcorn guzzling crowd. They’re there
PsN Price
£24.99 to shock; to leave an impression. Outlast 2 is
very much in the latter camp.
Players
1 After crashing in the Arizona desert and being
separated from his wife, Blake Langermann – a
documentary maker investigating the murder
of a young pregnant woman – finds himself in
Temple Gate a compound ran by Sullivan Knoth,
a religious-fanatic-turned-cult-leader who
has penned his own biblical verse, the book of
Knoth. He’s amassed a fair few followers – and
a fair few who oppose him – and they’re all out
to carve you to pieces. So, much like the original
game, you’ve got to do a whole lot of running
and hiding to keep yourself alive and escape
what can be an extremely grim fate.
The graphics are great, which only adds
to the horror. By using the night vision filter
and the fact that almost the entire game is
in pitch darkness to hide any rough edges, it
maintains a realistic look throughout.
There haven’t been many changes to
the Outlast formula. It’s still linear, avoiding
confrontation with the enemies is paramount
and using your video camera’s night vision
mode to light your way in the dark are still
the hallmarks of the series. There’s a nice
new narrative feature where you can watch
footage you have filmed to glean more back
story from a certain place or event. You
can have your glasses knocked off which
causes some panic-inducing moments of
disorientation and there’s now a microphone
on the camera which can be used to pick up A chase sequence through a cornfield
distant sounds, like a makeshift radar. provides an early highlight, with enemies
The increased scope of this sequel isn’t in only giving away their positions via their
torch beams, which if you see, usually means
the gameplay, it’s in the setting, atmosphere it is too late. Visually striking and super
and the situations it puts you in, and they’re tense, it’s Outlast at its best.
not for the feint of heart. Graphic naked
corpses litter almost every area and the
language you hear is as near the knuckle as ‘Please Enjoy’, it states at the start, after
you can get. It makes you feel uncomfortable, warning of 'intense violence, gore and graphic
and the only way you can deal with it is to get sexual content’. ‘Enjoy’ may not be the right
through it. There’s literally no fighting it. word when dealing with such subjects, but
Outlast 2 certainly isn’t going to win over there’s something here that gorehounds and
anyone who didn’t like the first game – horror fans will get a lot out of.
running away rather than fighting for survival
is an acquired taste – but for those after
another fix of hardcore horror, Red Barrels
VERDICT
has upped the fear factor exponentially while
refining its gameplay template.
another unpleasant yet
entertaining experience 8/10
| 39
REVIEW SNIPER: GHOST WARRIOR 3 PS4

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3

All ghillied up
This is a case of Icarus safehouse to go and deal with a target creates away the allure of a tropical island paradise

S4 flying too close to the sun.

You can’t escape the feeling
P that CI Games has lost its
footing while overreaching,
when really it should’ve concentrated on getting
the basics right and gone from there. There’s
a lot of ambition behind Sniper: Ghost Warrior
DETAILS 3, which can’t be faulted, but that ambition to
create an emergent open-world experience in
Publisher a game that could easily manage without that
CI Games
element means that the developer has had to
DeveloPer compromise when it comes to performance.
In-house
It’s a shame, really, as there’s quite a lot to
PsN Price like about Ghost Warrior 3 if you know where to
£49.99
look. Shooting mechanics, for one, are largely
Players satisfying, and unlocking and kitting yourself
1
out with new ordnance each time you leave a
a nice sense of progression while encouraging
you to experiment a little. Adjustable scope
range and elevation for sniper rifles, combined
with having to account for wind direction,
make long-range assassinations a little more
technical, although we think that this could be
more difficult.
All of this promise falls down, though, when
you’re halfway through infiltrating a grim hotel
or oppressed Georgian community and the
game crashes. It happens, sure, but rebooting
this game means the prospect of sitting through
– no joke – five minutes of loading screens. This
sort of wait is, frankly, unforgivable in 2017, even
for a mid-tier title like this one.
One influence that permeates Sniper: Ghost
Warrior 3 more than any other is Far Cry. Strip
or breezy mountain village, replace it with the
windswept, arid tundra of Georgia and you’ve
got a close approximation of this game, its
open-world areas littered with Points of Interest
to loot and paramilitary outposts to liberate of
their heavily-armed guardians. The problem
this highlights is that Ghost Warrior 3’s structure
and design feels largely akin to a franchise that
peaked last generation, rather than offering
anything strictly original or modern. The
storyline leaves quite a lot to be desired, too.
That’s just it really; this game feels a little bit
like it belongs on PS3, with it’s familiar formula,
terrible dialogue, dudebro characters, bafflingly
ugly cutscenes (despite in-game graphics being
fairly good) and cookie-cutter assets. It certainly
doesn’t make enough of the sniping mechanics
that could’ve been a real selling point here,
instead providing equal focus to Ghost and
Warrior mechanics that ultimately make Sniper:
Ghost Warrior 3 feel like a million other FPS
games that have come before it. There’s a pretty
good game hidden somewhere in here, but
you’ll have to look quite hard at times.

VERDICT
an ambitious, but
forgettable shooter 5/10
40 |
| 41
REVIEW PUYO PUYO TETRIS PS4

“A FULL-FEATURED VERSION OF EACH

OF ITS INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS, BUT IT
ALSO BLENDS THEM IN SATISFYING WAYS”
42 |
 Puyo Puyo Tetris
Blobzilla crashes the block party
Puzzle game crossovers
S4 aren’t common, and it’s
easy to think that this is
P because they just don’t
work. However, Puyo Puyo
Tetris quickly dispels any such notion – not only
does the game function as a full-featured version
of each of its individual components, it blends
details them in satisfying ways.
Crossover modes range from simple Puyo
PUBLISHER versus Tetris matches to the Fusion mode, in
sega
which you place pieces from both games onto the
DEVELOPER same board. Puyo blobs rise to the top like oil on
sonic team
water, which means that placing Tetris blocks can
PRICE start combos simply by rearranging what’s on top
£29.99
of them. It’s deeply complex and a struggle to play
PLAYERS unless you’ve mastered both games. The Swap
1-4 (2-4 online)
No matter which mode you’re playing, the fundamentals of the
game never change – a full horizontal line in Tetris will clear, and four or
more Puyos will pop and disappear when placed together. This knowledge
anchors you through more confusing modes.
mode, in which you alternate between each game
ever 30 seconds or so, is easier to comprehend –
the trick here is that your last move will continue
to completion after you swap boards, enabling you
to create lines and match Puyos simultaneously.
There’s something deeply deceptive about Puyo
Puyo Tetris. The exterior appearance is one of
saccharine sweetness; cute characters utter lines
like “Pipi-pi!” against primary coloured cartoon
backdrops. This is what you’ll encounter during
the single-player adventure mode, which helps
you get to grips with each game mode. But
the heart of Puyo Puyo Tetris is its multiplayer
modes, and the game’s facade melts away
once things get competitive. The Play office has
become a battleground, with well-timed attacks
and counterattacks inspiring some venomous
declarations of hatred. Online play uses solid
netcode, and is just as vicious as local multiplayer,
if not more so – you’ll be pummeled if your skills
aren’t up to scratch.
It takes a lot for a falling block puzzle game
to impress today, but Puyo Puyo Tetris succeeds
thanks to its comprehensive set of options and
satisfying skill-based game design.
verdict
8/10
A perfect
puzzle pairing
| 43
REVIEW THE SEXY BRUTALE PS4

44 |
 The Sexy Brutale
The Ultimate Clock Block
An ornate chapel, a
S4 luxurious casino, some
secluded, richly-decorated
P guest bedrooms. The Sexy
Brutale’s backdrop certainly
screams intrigue, calling to mind greater
works like The Mousetrap, the board game
Cluedo and IO Interactive’s Hitman series. And
details with those influences in mind, it’s inviting to
describe Cavalier Game Studios’ and Tequila
Publisher Works’ murder mystery in grander terms than
tequila Works
it deserves. Its time-rewind system, whereby
DeveloPer you restart the day over and over until you can
Game studios,
tequila Works successfully prevent the deaths of your friends,
all of whom are staying at the eponymous
PsN Price
£15.99 nightclub, at first seems novel. Their various
deaths, each more unusual and fiendish than
Players
1 the last, betray The Sexy Brutale’s dark sense
of humour. Beneath this veneer, however,
lies very little. The Sexy Brutale is a small
game, made by a small number of people, but
that’s not exoneration enough for its central
contradiction: where aesthetically it promises
substance and scheming, in practise it’s a
thin, one-note experience which does little to
stimulate your mind.
It’s a convincing idea. By manipulating
items and occurrences around your oblivious
pals, you save them from meeting what was
supposed to be their inevitable doom. If you’re
unable to rescue somebody in time, you hit a
single button and time warp back to the start of
the day, to observe their routine again and try to
work out what you need to prevent, or instigate,
in order to save their lives. Your first charge,
for example, is shot dead by a man with a rifle.
After rewinding the day a few times, you’re able
to find the rifle beforehand and exchange its
loaded cartridge for a blank, thus giving your
man, later down the line, a chance moment to
defend himself. Hitman’s influence on The Sexy The Sexy Brutale boasts a variety
of abstract, occasionally humorous death
Brutale perhaps doesn’t end at its lavish sets.
You operate as a kind of Agent-47-in-reverse,
sequences. Fail to intervene in time and
guests may end up pushed down a coal
setting up the elaborate circumstances that chute, hanging from a church bell or
will save someone’s life, before watching them devoured by a gigantic spider.
play out, resetting and adjusting your approach
accordingly. restarting a dull cutscene, and then simply
But where The Sexy Brutale falls short of trying to delineate at which point you need
such – or of any – lofty comparison is when to step in and hit a button. Each new guest
you realise there is only one method for saving involves simply going through the same
each guest. Rather than experiment with motions. And so The Sexy Brutale’s sumptuous
the environments, or machinate a scheme backgrounds and high concept feel like a
yourself, you are essentially collecting items disguise – pull away the mask, and you’re
and inserting them into other items in a underwhelmed to discover it was slight and
prescribed order. It becomes a dispassionate empty all along.
process, not dissimilar to old point-and-click
games. But Monkey Island was saved by its
jokes. The Sexy Brutale’s story and characters,
verdiCt
by unavoidable comparison, are simple and
undercooked. Rewinding the day feels like
a novel idea becomes
a bland experience 5/10
| 45
REVIEW SHINESS: THE LIGHTNING KINGDOM PS4

46 |
 Shiness: The
Lightning Kingdom
An impressive indie debut
It’s easy to write off
S4 Shiness: The Lightning
Kingdom. It’s too pretty, too
P cutesy. The score’s too quaint,
and the dialogue a touch too
cheesy. The characters more or less all fall into
loose caricatures that you’ve seen – and played
– before, but it’s an indie game… an indie game
DETAILS brought to life via Kickstarter, no less. What the
else were you expecting?
Publisher Beneath its endless china-blue sky,
Focus Interactive
however, lies a surprisingly robust action-RPG;
DeveloPer it's a game courageous enough to strip out the
Enigami
trappings of its peers – the endless grind, the
PsN Price recycled fetch quests, you know the stuff – and
£24.99
present a pared-down fighting game that’s as
Players beautiful to play as it is to look at. And we don’t
1
say that lightly: Shiness is stunning, with each
set-piece stuffed with bold, bright colour and a
delightful dollop of magical whimsy.
Buddies Chado and Poky crash-land on
Gendys, a lush island rich in lore and creatures
that, inexplicably, exist only to beat you up.
Progression is steady, but not slow, and comes
with all the trappings you’d expect, including
combo unlocks, magical power-ups, armour,
loot, plus new teammates and their expanding
skill sets. Puzzles are simplistic (although
there are one or two complete bastards just
to keep you on your toes), and you’ll need
a good 20-30 hours just to get through the
game's campaign – or more, if you enjoy
exploration and soaking up the side quests.
Yet despite this, Shiness rarely feels artificially
stretched out.
If you’re thinking all the care and attention
went into crafting Shiness’ gorgeous sun-
kissed vistas at the expense of the fighting,
though, you’re mistaken. The Naruto-esque
The arena-based combat makes
for deceptively tough battles that require
combat is tourniquet-tight, inviting the player everything you’ve got. Take time to master
your disciplines, stock up on Blue Apples,
to keep refreshing tactics thanks to cyclical and make sure your squaddies are ready to
buffs that require you to chop and change lend a hand from the sidelines.
your elemental attacks to match the arena
that you’re playing in. And, sure, you can
button-mash and hope for the best, like in most
games, but you will soon learn the value of you’ll encounter just walking around are far
mastering disciplines and memorising those from easy – and, eventually, pointless: grinding
combos. The further into the game you step, only pays off if you’re prepared to tackle
the tougher those battles will be… and they’re enemies that are as levelled-up as you are.
not all that easy to begin with. If you’ve been flirting with the idea of buying
Battles are fast, furious one-on-one affairs, an action-RPG but fear the time commitment,
although your squaddies can jump in and out Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom might just be
of combat at the touch of a button, and offer the compromise you’re looking for.
support from the sidelines by way of buffs
and health boosts that you can tailor to your
own preferences. Perfect pacing means you’ll
VERDICT
usually be able to tackle foes as you organically
encounter them, although even the battles
you won’t believe
it’s an indie game 8/10
| 47
REVIEW STATIK PS4

Statik
A restrained VR experience
You hang around for a move or interact with something else. You

S4 decade hoping to see

Tarsier release a new IP of
P its own and suddenly two
come along in the week.
And what’s more, they’re bother belters.
Having impressed us massively with Little
Nightmares, this VR puzzler is a complete
DETAILS 180 degree turn, but it’s no less impressive,
immersive, unsettling and engaging.
PUBLISHER The core premise of Statik is one of those
Tarsier Studios
great ‘how has no one thought of this before?’
DEVELOPER moments with your first person perspective
In-house
revealing that your hands, wrapped around
PSN PRICE the DualShock 4 as far as you’re aware, are
£15.99
actually trapped inside a box. Each button,
PLAYERS
stick and trigger on the PS4’s controller may
1
or may not trigger something on the box to
can’t see the connections. There’s no guide
to what they may do (although there may be
contextual clues). You just sit there with your
hands trapped having to work it out.
What this means in practice is a puzzle
experience that feels innately uncomfortable
and unnerving. Your standard, comfortable
seating position with controller in hand is
subverted into constraints from which you
cannot escape. You can’t stand up and you can’t
move your hands, no matter how many buttons
you press or how much you struggle. This is a
pretty genius idea and it’s supplemented by
some nicely ambiguous dialogue, moments
of complete silence that feel like they’re the
portent of impending doom and then suddenly
a rising swell of music that makes you feel
even worse.
This isn’t a jump scare horror experience, in
case that’s something likely to be of concern.
No monsters lurk in dark corners and the lab
technician running the tests, face blurred out,
isn’t going to leap at you with a scalpel. He will,
however, sit there quietly sipping from his mug,
jotting down notes about something or other.
Once again, it’s his lack of interaction that ends
up being rather effective.

48 |
 Some of the puzzles can
have three or four stages to them,
each section unlocking the next
interaction. Their inputs vary
from turning dials to aligning
shapes, matching audio and more.
There is of course a deeper mystery and
narrative to be revealed here as the puzzles
unfold and the purpose of them is introduced.
Even more interesting is that there are hidden
clues to meta puzzles that unlock further into
the game. We won’t say much more about that
as it’s a convoluted and curious journey to go
on, but rest assured there are Trophies at the
end of it all to act as reward, as if the journey
weren’t reward enough in and of itself.
The puzzles themselves are really pretty
good, every single one of them offering a new
challenge and some of the toughest being
those that use the least number of buttons
and prompts from the controller. It ramps
up brilliantly and is nicely paced, too. With
the game taking maybe two or three hours
depending on how long it takes you to solve
things, we’d say it’s a good length for a VR
game. All told, it might not have the intense
insanity of Keep Talking, but it’s up there with
some of the best implementation of PSVR
we’ve seen to date.
VERDICT
Smart, funny, tense
and unique 8/10
| 49
REVIEW EVERYTHING PS4

Everything
All creatures great and small
It was very easy for us to side of the game (that is ultimately supported
fall in love with Everything brilliantly by the gameplay once you master

S4 since it touches on so many it) as snippets of audio from the late British

P gaming styles that we’ve

found infinitely appealing in
recent years. But what sets it apart is how
unlike anything we’ve played before it really is.
On the surface, it’s a game about discovery
DETAILS for its own sake as you leap from creature to
creature to object, up and down in scale as if
Publisher you’re collecting the experience of inhabiting
Double Fine these objects. It seems rather aimless in a way,
DeveloPer not far removed from the initial release of No
David O’Reilly
Man’s Sky, but there’s more.
PsN Price Every animal and object in the game (and we
£11.99
hazard to suggest there may be thousands) is
Players animated in the most basic terms. Animation
1
may even strike you as too strong a term for the
way your sheep will roll, stiff as a board, head
over heals in whatever direction you point it. But
this oddly lifeless form of movement brings to
mind the endlessly charming Katamari series, so
no harm there.
What binds it all together and elevates
Everything considerably is the philosophical
50 |
philosopher Alan Watts. This element reminded
us a little of The Witness, but this has been far
more tightly bound into the experience.
Everything is a game about how connected the
universe is and how interdependent everything
from an atom to a galaxy is with every size and
scale of thing around it and within it. Exploring
its scale a depth alone will likely be intriguing
enough to keep you exploring, but once you begin
to find its hidden oddities, the philosophy and
mind-bending structure Everything reveals is on
another level. It’s all pretty stripped back and its
focus is laser sharp. If the animation and lack of
traditional structure is something likely to rub you
the wrong way, we wouldn’t judge you. But if you
have a head for it, we recommend checking this
strange experience out.
VERDICT
Willfully weird and
captivating 7/10
 Every type of item in the game can interact and
‘dance’ with others of its type, from cows to trees and from
atoms to planets. It’s a really strange thing to watch, but
also rather hypnotic as they form new shapes and patterns.

| 51
FEATURE PLAYSTATION CLASSICS #36: DEUS EX

FORMAT PLAYSTATION 2
DEUS EX
RELEASE DATE 2000
PLAY SCORE N/A
PUBLISHER EIDOS INTERACTIVE
METACRITIC SCORE N/A
DEVELOPER ION STORM

17 years on from its release the influence of this immersive sim is still felt today
throughout the industry, but what is it that made the original Deus Ex so potent?
Despite existing for over two decades, the
‘immersive sim’ is still difficult to define. But, for
many, it is the quintessential gaming experience; a genre
that houses but a handful of games, many of which are
widely considered to be among the best ever committed
to code. These games are complex constructions, wildly
ambitious eforts that eschew common design and
narrative practices to create experiences unlike any
other – as if it is yours, and yours alone, to command
and dismantle. Where Looking Glass Studios irst
breathed life into the genre with Ultimate Underworld –
and later reined it in Thief and System Shock – it is Ion
Storm’s Deus Ex that continues to stand as the brilliant
culmination of the concept.
In life, be it directly or otherwise, we are forced to
make choices and decisions that have a real (and oten
inconsequential) efect on our lives and the lives of those
around us every day. The same can’t be said about the
majority of the game worlds we escape into. Most ofer
but an illusion of choice and freedom – such is the folly
of using linear storytelling tools in a distinctly non-linear
entertainment environment. That is not true of Deus
Ex. Debuting in 2000, it presented freedom of choice
right from the of, designed to be an all-encompassing
experience within a deeply simulated environment; the
result was a world that felt real, every second you spend
exploring it another breath of life into its lungs.
What kind of game do you want to play? That’s the
question Deus Ex quietly asks every one of UNATCO’s
new recruits. It may thrust a gun into your hands early
on and force you into a irst-person perspective, but
there is no need to play Deus Ex as an FPS. Sure, it can
be a traditional shooter if that’s your style, but there’s
so much more to it than that – so long as you’re willing
to see how far the game’s systems will bend. Play it as
a stealth-action or an adventure game, rely on hacking
or your mastery of machines, it’s up to you. You can
combine all of these play styles (and more) together or
none of them at all, instead opting to build your spec
around a proiciency in swimming – sure, that won’t
help you much when the Men In Black come a-calling
but it sure does make for an interesting experience.

52 |
 SKILL POWER
three best specs and augs to
build the very best Jc denton

SWIMMING MICROFIBRAL MUSCLE LOCK PICKING

while it’s true that putting points into the
Swimming skill is considered to be a bit of a
joke, there’s also a freedom to being able to
explore the depths of levels without fear of
your lungs illing with water. an underrated skill
worth investing in.
at the beginning of Deus Ex, Jc denton is a
little weak. Start to build up your microibral
muscle and you’ll quickly ind yourself lobbing
items around the environment with no
trouble, creating new pathways and routes
out of everyday items you ind in the alley.
Deus Ex is known for its secrets, and that’s
why pouring skill points into lock Picking is
an absolute must. there’s nothing worse
than coming face to face with a locked door,
so ensuring your ability to get into unopened
areas is almost as important as hacking.

Deus Ex is the kind of game that spawns a decade of
anecdotal stories because, largely, no two playthroughs
would be the same. At the time, its depth and scope
were staggering; even today it ofers a level of freedom
that’s close to unrivalled. The intended efect of all of
this being that players could choose who they wanted
to be in Ion Storm’s shadowy, cyberpunk-infused world
and for the game to react accordingly. This is how Deus
Ex pushed past the likes of System Shock II and Thief
II. No longer were we simply interacting with a game
world, but inluencing it too. It’s one of the irst games of
its kind to feature dialogue and gameplay choices that
have direct and consequential efects on the narrative
– major characters could be killed, NPCs would react to
your actions accordingly and the allegiance with entire
factions would shit subtly over time. Or, you know, you
could just walk around the women’s bathroom and get
verbally torn to shreds in the oice by your boss. Like
we said, when it comes to Deus Ex, it’s up to you to
deine your own JC Denton.
JC Denton is one of Deus Ex’s greatest curiosities;
the game makes it clear that you taking on the role
“dEuS Ex iS thE
of an established, grounded character in its world,
but doesn’t actually establish who they are outside of
Key name and attire – a blank slate behind a familiar face.
Facts You are asked to exist in a world of dark skies and
darker conspiracies; you’ll come face to face with the
n It’s possible to
Illuminati, sinister government agencies and conlicted
complete Deus Ex
corporations all the while sporting a set of sunglasses
without ever once
drawing your gun
and wielding an array of otherworldly augmentations.
from its holster. No It’s ridiculous and yet there’s something that feels oddly
matter how hard believable about it.
you push against This, we are afraid, is the part where we harp on
the game’s design, about ‘immersion’. Many games claim to have it, but
players willing to few are able to follow through on the promise. Deus
engage with their Ex has it, and it’s all because of its beautiful mess of
imaginations will intertwining systems. Ion Storm built an elaborate,
ind that they are believable, and systemic game world that dutifully
rewarded for their keeps track of your actions and decisions; an array of
creativity and interconnected systems, from simulated physics to
ingenuity. surprisingly smart AI routines, ensure that Deus Ex
reacts in a way that feels real, rather than virtual. It
n The World Trade has a strong sense of embedded logic and carefully
Centre towers crated mechanics that ultimately empower the player
were excluded to feel as if they have a true sense of agency over the
from Deus Ex’s action that is unfolding. The map design is phenomenal,
New York skyline
due to technical
limitations, with the
ensuring nearly every method of approach to any given
objective felt viable, while sound and environmental

kind of gamE that studio justifying the

decision within its
cues helped build a narrative and web of intrigue
outside of conversational dialogue and heavy-set

SPawnS a dEcadE of narrative by laying

blame on a terrorist
conspiracy exposition.
Deus Ex was truly ahead of its time. Many have

anEcdotal StoriES, attack, a full 15

months before 9/11.
attempted to carry on its legacy, though few have been
able to successfully locate and replicate its magic. It’s

bEcauSE no two a shooter that never forces you to ire a bullet, a game
deined by choice on a linear pathway, and a sandbox

PlaythroughS that doesn’t just give you sand to play with but the tools
to build castles too. You’ll never play another game

would bE thE SamE” quite like Deus Ex; it’s a true testament to the power and
potential of interactive entertainment, even today.

| 53
FEATURE PLAYSTATION CLASSICS #36: DEUS EX
the decisioN
is yours Eight of the most impressive immersive sims
thieF: the darK proJect
n This first-person stealth adventure was groundbreaking in so many ways.
It was one of the first PC stealth games to use light and sound as central
game mechanics, with its first-person perspective opening up a whole new
avenue of intuitive design and approach to designers and players alike. While
it focused heavily on stealth, its sublime AI, level and mechanical design
make it a must-play for genre fans, even if only as a history lesson.
system shocK 2
n Created in partnership between Looking Glass Studios and Ken Levine’s
Irrational Games, System Shock 2 is unquestionably one of the best games of all
time. It elevated itself above the original by providing an unparalleled sense of
place, drowning the player in its terrifying, mystifying atmosphere. System Shock
2 does a great job of undermining you at every step of the way, a true subversion
of the immersive sim concept.
54 |
deus eX
n With its truly incredible array of tactical opportunities, continually evolving
narrative and incredible sense of place and purpose, Deus Ex quickly established
itself as the immersive sim to play. It leant entirely on player choice, built in such
a way that any decision you made could be supported so long as you had the
relevant skill and augmentations to support it. Deus Ex is a truly groundbreaking
title that is yet to be bested in many ways.
ultima uNderWorld
n Blue Sky’s first-person RPG may just be one of the most ambitious
games of all time; it’s astonishing, actually. Released in 1992, the dungeon
crawling RPG took place in a sprawling 3D open world in which quests
could be completed in any order, featured an array of varied combat options
and introduced survival mechanics into play some 20 years ahead of them
becoming vogue.
bioshocK
n BioShock is so heavily in the debt of the immersive sim that it couldn’t
not make the inal cut. While the game is oten remembered for its vibrant
underwater architecture and ingenious narrative twist, it’s its unparalleled
sense of place, environmental storytelling and huge variety of emergent
encounters that keep it close to the heart. Irrational Games was able to bring
the immersive sim to a mainstream audience.
vampire: the masQuerade –
bloodliNes
n Perhaps a contentious inclusion to the list, but Vampire: The
Masquerade – Bloodlines is something of a lawed gem. Released in 2004,
this fascinating immersive sim arrived with a gorgeous world; a hugely
diverse set of gameplay opportunities and an interesting take on tired
vampire mythos.
the elder scrolls iv: oblivioN
n While many will think of The Elder Scrolls franchise as straight-up RPGs,
Oblivion’s ‘go anywhere and do anything’ mantra ensured that players
were able to tackle the game in any way that they saw it. In abandoning
traditional character classes, Oblivion let you tailor-make your own personal
hero, taking on a wide variety of quests and exploration tasks across the
gorgeous landscape of Cyrodiil.
dishoNored
n Dishonored kickstarted a new wave of immersive sims in 2012;
landing just a year out from the divisive Deus Ex: Human Revolution,
Dishonoured drew from the level and stealth system design of Thief II
and melded it perfectly with the open-ended play that helped popularise
the original Deus Ex. It was a brilliant return to form for Deus Ex
designer, Harvey Smith.
| 55
 EXTENDED PLAY DLC MULTIPLAYER TROPHIES VIDEO
INTERVIEW
BACK TO
THE TRENCHES
Sledgehammer’s Michael Condrey on
going back in time with Call Of Duty: WWII
World War II only has a finite amount of stuff,
have you gone for classic moments or have you
tried to find the gaps in between?
We wanted to tell a story based on real events but
unique to us. Our squad is First Infantry, but it’s 12
men and their journey, so it’s very unique and we
have a story that interacts with the Bridge Troops
and connects into the liberation of Paris, that was
unique to telling the story we wanted to tell, and so
it was neither trying to tell a recap of somebody else
or trying to find the gap – it was really based on this
emotional narrative we wanted and there were a lot
of people involved. They say something like 600,000
came through Normandy at some point, right? So
there are plenty of stories from infantry to armour to
airborne and we had a lot to choose from.
We seen the beach landings in the game and
it captures that sense of it being such a meat
grinder. It wasn’t so much a heroic assault, as
56 |
PLUS
throwing everything at it and hoping something
gets through.
Right? It was an incredible experience and, as you
know, it was weather dependant – the shelling didn’t
go off the way it was supposed to, planes couldn’t
fly because of cloud cover so that conflict… man,
I can’t even imagine. In fact, I was reading a story
about a British soldier who landed – survived – and
he was hit three times before he made it to the
road on the other side of the hill. He got shot in the
shoulder, carried on, stepped on a landmine, and
then got shot in the jaw and he still survived and
made it up the twelve hours to get from the beach
to beyond the pillboxes, and he still doesn’t describe
himself as a hero. I just find that remarkable, that
heroism… there’s something about that generation
and their cause that’s so powerful. They say – “I’m
no hero but I served in the company of heroes.” I
love that sentiment, and it’s something that we tried
to capture.
When you hear a story like that, how do you say
'and now we’ve got to put that in a game...?’
It’s really, really challenging to honour that in a
personal way. The theme that we stuck to was that
this was about the greater good and representing
common men. And the vulnerability – these were
terrified kids going to war for the first time at 19
years old. Very different from some of the stories
that we’ve told in the past.
What were the key pillars or rules when you
came at this – like 'these are the things we’re
going to do, these are the sort of things that we
aren’t going to do?'
Well, maybe not that structured. Certainly we knew
that we were going to tell this tale, we were going
to tell these stories, that we wanted to really honour
the war. Fictionalising a fantastical story with a war
that had this much importance in human history
wasn’t going to work. So respect and honour was
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something that we said: 'Look, if we’re going to do
this, we’re going to tell the story of the men and
women who really put their lives on the line in a
human history moment of tyranny, and they could’ve
changed the outcome' and so it really started from
there. It was about the squad and the importance
of the squad and the common man – and women
– fighting for this cause that was way bigger than
themselves.
We knew that the tonality had to capture really
what happened. It was going to border on brutal and
violent in a way that had to really represent what
happened there at the time. We knew that the cause
was set amidst some tragedies and atrocities that
were really shaping the global effort and we weren’t
going to shy away from that either. Frankly there
was a lot happening in the Forties around the role
of women… and the segregation of races that were
real as well, and we didn’t want to shy away from
those things. We didn’t want to dishonour the fact
that those things happened – but we also wanted
to make sure that we were respectful and not
showcasing anything unnecessarily or
gratuitous in gameplay or narrative. So it was
always a fine balance.
You seem to be quite cautious about being
respectful and paying respects this time. Do
you think it’s harder in this climate to tackle
something that is so real, and had all these
atrocities?
I think that’s right. Nearly everybody we know had
somebody who was touched by this, right? Whether
it’s a grandfather, a great grandfather that served
in the war... we certainly have developers in the
studio who come from places like Poland and others
who can look back in history and talk about what it
meant to them and so yeah – the delicacy, the nature
of what really happened was an important thing to
hold onto.
Can we talk a little about the characters?
There’s a German family and two sisters, there’s
Crowley – a British officer – there’s an African-
American officer from another regiment. So across
the game, in all three modes – and particularly in
MP and Campaign, but really equally across all three
modes – we really wanted to capture that it was a
global cause, right? It was... the Allied force was
a global force, the German force – the Axis force
– was more than just the Nazis. It was Germans
as well as other nations involved, and so it was
important for us to not... this isn’t an American war,
this isn’t a story of an American squad – this is a
global cast, so yeah; you’ll see some really powerful
performances on both sides of the war. You’ll see
some powerful performances by the men and
women who sacrificed, families that were involved.
Want to find out more? You can read the full
interview at gamesradar.com

| 57
 PLUS EXTENDED PLAY DESTINY

EXTENDED PLAY

DESTINY
Looking for something to
fill the three long months
until Destiny 2 launches?
You could do a lot worse
than these games…

BORDERLANDS 2
■ THE ONLY LAUGHS you get out of Destiny
tend to be unintentional – Variks yelling the names
of Prison Of Elders bosses at the top of his voice,
for instance – so a loot-shooter with more of a
sense of humour might make for a nice change of
pace. While it lacks an equivalent for the full Raids,
Gearbox’s game does have standalone raid bosses
that will rip apart any Vault Hunters who aren’t
geared and prepared for the fight, so there’s plenty
to work towards as you hoover up loot with friends
for a few hundred hours. The other two games –
the original and The Pre-Sequel – are also worth
playing, but 2 is the best of the bunch by far.

58 |
 PLUS

DIABLO III:
REAPER OF SOULS
■ WHILE IT’S A pretty serious change of direction from an FPS,
maybe that’s a good thing – if you want all the shiny loot you can
eat (don’t eat your loot, silly) but have burned out on shooting stuff,
maybe you should switch to hitting stuff instead. Blizzard has been
exceptionally generous in terms of the amount of content here, and
numerous patches since launch have only added more dungeons, THE DIVISION
trials, gear and modes. Again, it’s awesome in co-op too, so assemble
■ YOU’LL NEED A little more patience for this since launch, with a bunch of optional DLC that spans
a group of like-minded loot seekers and dive into this near-bottomless
one than most of the other options on these pages, various diferent gameplay disciplines from a survival
action-RPG while you still have time.
as Ubisot’s attempt at a loot grind game starts mode to proper end-game raid-style activities. That’s
extremely slowly. With a little luck, though, you’ll be not to say the core game doesn’t have those, though
able to grab some decent gear early on and force – the standard Hard versions of some missions can
your way to the point where the skill trees start to be brutal if you’re gear isn’t up to the job, plus you’ll
open up, because it’s really quite good fun ater that. need a decent team to get through them too, so
The team has been active in supporting the game playing with randoms isn’t exactly ideal.

injusticE 2
■ NO, WE HAVEN’T gone completely crazy. There
are actually a fair few elements in NetherRealm’s new
ighter that seasoned Destiny veterans might enjoy,
especially those who love the thrill of PvP gameplay.
Loot drops add to each ighter’s core stats and can
even unlock new moves and abilities, plus you can join
Guilds and team up with friends to challenge other
groups both in active ighting and in hitting milestones
in communal PvE activities. So long as you’re not
allergic to ighting games, you should be able to get
your next loot ix right here, and it’s great fun.
Put tHE ORiGinAL
tO BED… FOREVER
■ OKAY, SO YOU’VE dropped Aksis, one-cycled
Atheon and Crota, and soloed Oryx blindfolded, illing
up your Age Of Triumph book in the process. But are
you really done with Destiny? If not, the clock is ticking
– the majority of the player base is likely to move
over to the sequel as soon as that hits, and it’s likely
a lot of players won’t even look at the original come
September. If there’s anything let on your Destiny
bucket list, get it ticked of. Go Sparrow racing; get your
last few Grimoire cards; do your irst Raid; inally inish
a quest for an Exotic you never got. Whatever your last
missions are, we wish you luck, Guardians.

| 59
 PLUS TROPHY GUIDE PLAYSTATION PLUS

TROPHY GUIDE

PS PLUS TROPHY GUIDE

ALIENATION
PLATFORM: PS4 DIFFICULTY: 2/5
TROPHIES: 33 1 4 12 16
■ another multiplayer-focused shooter hits
Plus and as you might expect, you’re going to want to bring
a few friends along if you’re gunning for the Platinum. The
reasons for this are twofold – for one thing, it can get pretty
tough on your own and for another, it can also get pretty
dull grinding out XP across multiple playthroughs alone.
Ideally, you’ll want to get as many of the regular Trophies as
possible out of the way before you attempt Hardcore mode,
as permadeath there means that going out of your way to get
a Trophy could lose you a lot of progress. You’ll need to get all
three classes to level 30, so it might be worth saving the Bio
Specialist for Hardcore mode as it’s the only class with a heal.

TALES FROM THE BORDERLANDS

PLATFORM: PS4 DIFFICULTY: 1/5
TROPHIES: 36 1 5 10 20
■ everyone loves a free Platinum, right? Well they don’t
come much freer than this! So long as you play through all of
episodes one through five, there’s no way to avoid getting the
Plat. Best of all, this is probably Telltale’s best game outside of
the original season of The Walking Dead, so the more people get
to play it, the better. While this kind of Trophy list might seem
lazy, it’s actually the right play for games like this – a few others
have had Trophies tied to doing things in certain ways, which
completely flies in the faces of the freedom of choice (well, the
illusion thereof) on which the games are built. We appreciate
not having to return to older chapters too, as playing any part of
these games in isolation always just feels a bit weird.

60 |
 PLUS

LASER DISCO
DEFENDERS
PLATFORM: PS4/VITA DIFFICULTY: 3/5
TROPHIES: 12 0 1 4 7
■ twin-stick shooters tend to be prime targets for
inclusion on Plus. Indeed, PS4’s first ever Plus title was one of
the best in its class, Resogun, and some other great shooters
have followed in its wake. While Laser Disco Defenders isn’t
quite up to the same standard, it’s still pretty good fun, even
if its bullet hell slant and fairly challenging Trophy list mean
it probably won’t be for everyone. First port of call should be
to finish Story mode with all four characters, in the process
grabbing the majority of the visible Trophies – only two for
progress through Endless mode will remain, so put some time
in there as you’ll need to get as far as cave 22 without dying.
Then it’s onto the hidden Trophies, and there are some tricky
ones in there. Notable among these is ‘Stayin’ Alive’, for which
you’ll need to clear eight full caves without taking a hit, but
by the time you’ve cleared four Story mode runs, you should
have the skills to pull this off, if you haven’t already. ‘Murder On
The Dancefloor’ and ‘Get Lucky’ are the token grind Trophies
that few games seem to be without – the former requires you
to kill just shy of 2,000 enemies and the latter, as the name
suggest, requires a little luck to get 20 hearts to appear in one
session so you can grab them all. Oh, and try out all the outfit
combos as well, to unlock ‘Diverse Styles’.

BLOOD KNIGHTS
PLATFORM: PS3 DIFFICULTY: 1/5
TROPHIES: 12 0 1 3 8
■ if you’re still kicking it PS3-style, this is actually a pretty good choice
for this month’s selection – it’s a relatively unknown game and it’s actually kinda
fun. You can easily smash out all the Trophies in an evening too, so long as you
know what you’re doing. You can either do two full playthroughs to get the Human
and Vampire story Trophies (which are mutually exclusive on one run), or make
a save near the end of Chapter 3, back it up via USB and just do your second run
from there, as that’s where the important decisions start. The rest are pretty self-
explanatory, so check the list out before you start your run.

PORT ROYALE 3
PLATFORM: PS3 DIFFICULTY: 3/5
TROPHIES: 48 1 2 13 33
■ anyone who has ever shot for a Platinum in a game like this will know how
much of a slog it can be, and Port Royale is no exception – it’s a pretty slow game at
the best of times, so the Plat will be quite the commitment in terms of time. Start
out going down the Trader path, as it’s the best way to make safe money. Slowly
grow your empire and explore your surroundings and in due course, you’ll likely do
everything needed for this discipline if you play enough. Then, it’s just a case of doing
the same for the Privateer and Pirate paths – while these carry a little more risk, you
should be more experienced with the game by the time you attempt them.

| 61
 PLUS JOIN THE PLAY COMMUNITY

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62 | www.imagineshop.co.uk

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sEND us Your BEsT scrEENs
So Injustice 2 looks
way better than we were
expecting, especially on a
Pro. Good thing the Share
button does screens as well
as video for our combos…
Build your own world in Polybius moves so fast
Birthdays and attract dinosaurs, that snapping screens is pretty
then send us pictures of them much the only way to read that
because dinosaurs are cool. Ta. text. Good thing it’s all nonsense.
| 63
 PLUS
WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY
Despite being sent out to die amid all of the holiday heavy hitters
last year, this oddly entertaining journey through FF’s rich and
varied past is a ride fans would be daft not to take…
■ AS YOU’LL CLEARLY see from the sidebar on this
page – if not purely from the screenshots themselves –
World Of Final Fantasy isn’t a game for everyone. It’s a true
oddity, a game that looks and feels like it’s trying to offer
kids a gateway into Square Enix’s biggest RPG series, but
that does so by relying on recurring characters, places,
monsters and themes from games that are up to 30 years
old. The fan service is undeniably strong here, even if
younger players would miss out on this aspect – there’s
love for the franchise present in more or less every aspect
of WOFF, from shrunken versions of popular heroes
playing most of the game’s starring roles to subtle text
references that only the most hardcore FF fans will get.
64 |
YOU HAVEN’T PLAYED… WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY?
you haven’t
played… ?
barrIEr aTTaCK
Three things you’ll have to get
over to fully enjoy the game
lann and reynn
a disney Channel brother-and-sister
combo wouldn’t be our irst choice
protagonists for a FF fan service game…
The arT sTyle
Some people can’t seem to see past
the super-deformed cutesy look of the
game. that’s unfortunate, but we get it.
Combat is surprisingly creative, allowing the two main
characters to form stacks of captured enemies to send into
battle. Stack composition is key as stability plays a big part
in battle – heavy hits will rock your towers until eventually
they collapse, effectively stunning all involved units and
harshly cutting their stats compared to the stacked
‘unit’. there’s a nice flow to battles as you look to topple
opponents while fighting with enough restraint to not put
your own stacks at risk, all the while trying to figure out Tama Is The-annOyInG
what the conditions are to trigger a capture chance on any Cuddly sidekick tama can’t inish a
given enemy. It’s Funko Pokémon singing the greatest hits sentence without a rogue ‘the’ or two.
of the Final Fantasy series, basically, and it’s every bit as this one really wound us up at times.
bizarre as that sounds, not to mention surprisingly good.
 QUALITY. INNOVATION. RESPECT
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 PLUS

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT A GAME SCORED THEN THESE PAGES ARE FOR YOU

LET’S DREAM…
PS4
GAME ISSUE SCORE GAME ISSUE SCORE
FIFA 17 275 8 Oxenfree 271 6

THE E3 WISHLIST Final Fantasy Type-0

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
Final Fantasy XV
255
243
277
8
9
9
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2
Persona 5
275
280
6
9
PES 2015 250 9
GAME ISSUE SCORE Firewatch 267 6 PES 2016 262 9
Abzu 273 7
Furi 272 8 PES 2017 275 8
Alekhine’s Gun 270 3
Game Of Thrones: Iron From Ice 253 8 Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 248 7
Alien: Isolation 249 9
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions 252 9 Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 268 8
Alienation 270 8
Ghost Recon: Wildlands 280 5 Prison Architect 273 8
Amplitude 266 8
God Eater 2: Rage Burst 275 6
LUKE ALBIGÉS
Project Cars 258 6
Arslan: The Warriors Of Legend 268 5
God Of War III Remastered 260 8 Rainbow Six Siege 265 8
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China 257 7
SOULCALIBUR VI Grand Theft Auto V 251 10 Ratchet & Clank 269 8
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India 266 7
Now that Tekken Gravity Rush 2 279 8 République 268 7
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag 237 8
8 7 is out of the way, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate 264 4
Grim Fandango Remastered
Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator-
254
272
8
9
Resident Evil HD 253 8
Namco is free to Resident Evil 7 279 9
Assassin’s Creed: Unity 251 6
Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-* 253 9 Resident Evil Revelations 2 256 7
announce the next instalment Axiom Verge 256 9
Guitar Hero Live 264 8 Resogun 238 9
of its weapon-based ighter. Batman: Arkham Knight 258 9
Hardware: Rivals 266 5 Resogun Heroes 247 9
Sack off the guest ighters and Batman: The Telltale Series – Episode One 274 4
Headlander 273 6 Robinson: The Journey 277 6
just bring everyone back – I Battleborn 271 6 Hitman 268 9 Rock Band 4 263 7
would be all over this. Battlefield 1 276 7 Hohokum 248 8 Rocket League 260 8
Battlefield 4 238 8 Homefront: The Revolution 271 6 Rogue Legacy 248 9
Battlefield Hardline 256 7 Horizon: Zero Dawn 279 9 Rory McIlroy PGA Tour 260 5
BioShock: The Collection 275 7 Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number 255 9 Salt And Sanctuary 269 8
Blazblue Central Fiction 277 8 I Am Setsuna 273 8
Blazblue Chronophantasma Extend 264 9 Sébastien Loeb Rally Evo 267 5
inFamous: First Light 249 5
Bloodborne 256 9 Shantae: Half-Genie Hero 279 8
inFamous: Second Son 242 8
Bloodborne: The Old Hunters 265 9 Sheltered 270 9
Invisible, Inc. 270 9
Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter 272 6
Bound 274 7 Just Cause 3 265 7
ANDY SALTER Bound By Flame 245 6 JStars Victory VS+ 260 6
Shovel Knight
Skylanders Imaginators
258
276
9
7
Broforce 268 6
SKYRIM 2 Killing Floor 2 277 6
Skylanders Superchargers 263 7
Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare 251 8 Killzone Shadow Fall 238 8
To the surprise of Skylanders Swap Force 238 7
Call Of Duty: Black Ops III 264 8 Killzone Shadow Fall: Intercept 246 8
10 literally nobody, Call Of Duty: Ghosts 238 7 King Of Fighters XIV 274 7
Skylanders Trap Team 250 7
Andy’s dream E3 Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare 276 5 Sniper Elite 4 280 8
King’s Quest: A Knight To Remember 261 8
reveal would be the next Elder Child Of Light 244 7 Knack 238 6
SOMA 262 8
Scrolls game. It still feels a CounterSpy 248 5 Lara Croft And The Temple Of Osiris 252 5
Star Ocean: Integrity And Faithlessness 273 6
little early to be seeing that, DariusBurst: Chronicle Saviours 266 8 Star Wars Battlefront 265 6
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham 252 6
though, but there’s always Dark Souls III 269 9 Steep 278 6
Lego Dimensions 263 7
Day Of The Tentacle Remastered 269 8 Street Fighter V 267 9
next year… Lego Marvel’s Avengers 267 6
Daylight 245 2 Strider 242 6
Lego Marvel Super Heroes 238 8
Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition 242 7 Styx: Shards Of Darkness 280 6
Lego Jurassic World 258 7
Dead Or Alive 5: Last Round 254 7 Super Time Force Ultra 262 9
Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens 273 6
Destiny 249 9 Switch Galaxy Ultra 253 8
Lego The Hobbit 244 6
Destiny: House Of Wolves 258 8 Tales From The Borderlands: Zer0 Sum 252 7
Lego Worlds 280 6
Destiny: Rise Of Iron 275 8 Tales Of Berseria 279 7
Let It Die 278 7
Destiny: The Dark Below 252 7 9 Tearaway Unfolded 262 7
LittleBigPlanet 3 251
Destiny: The Taken King 262 9 Teslagrad 253 7
Lords Of The Fallen 251 7
STEVE HOLMES Deus Ex: Mankind Divided 274 6 Lumo 271 7
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 245 2
Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition 258 8 The Banner Saga 2 272 8
DARKER SOULS Madden ’16 262 8
The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth 251 9
Diablo III: Reaper Of Souls 248 9 Madden ’17 274 9
Dark Souls may have The Crew 252 5
Dirt Rally 269 9 Mad Max 262 4
9 apparently reached Dishonored 2 277 9 Mafia 3 276 8 The Evil Within 250 8
the end of the line, but Disney Infinity 2.0 249 8 Mass Effect: Andromeda 281 5 The Last Guardian 278 6
Steve is still keen to see what Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition 264 8 Mercenary Kings 244 8 The Last Of Us Remastered 247 10
FromSoftware does next. So Don’t Starve 240 8 Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes 242 8 The Order: 1886 254 8
long as it’s stupidly hard and Doom 271 8 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain 261 9 The Tomorrow Children 275 4
horribly bleak, we’re sure he’ll Dragon Age: Inquisition 251 8 Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor 250 8 The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter 260 8
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 255 5 The Walking Dead Season 3 E1&2 278 5
be happy with it. Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst 272 6
Dragon Quest Builders 276 8 Mortal Kombat X 257 9 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 257 10
Dragon Quest Heroes 263 8 Moto Racer 4 277 4 The Witness 267 10
Drawn To Death 281 6 Murdered: Soul Suspect 246 4 Thief 241 7
Driveclub 250 8 N++ 261 8 This War Of Mine: The Little Ones 267 7
Dying Light 254 9 Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 267 8 Tiny Brains 240 6
Dynasty Warriors 8 XLCE 243 8 NBA 2K15 250 8 Titan Souls 257 7
EA Sports UFC 246 7 NBA 2K17 275 8 Titanfall 2 276 7
EA Sports UFC 2 269 8 Need For Speed 264 5 Tom Clancy’s The Division 268 9
DREW SLEEP Enter The Gungeon 269 8 Need For Speed Rivals 238 8 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 263 3
Ether One 258 8 NHL 15 249 6 Torment: Tides Of Numenera 280 8
BLOODBORNE 2
Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture 261 8 Nier Automata 280 8 Toukiden 2 281 8
Like Steve, Drew has Evolve 254 6 TrackMania Turbo 269 8
Nioh 279 8
9 his sights set irmly on F1 2015 260 8 No Man’s Sky 274 8 Transformers: Devastation 263 8
From, and is hoping Fallout 4 264 9 Not A Hero 267 6 Transformers: Rise Of The Dark Spark 247 3
for another original title similar Far Cry 4 251 8 Nuclear Throne 266 8 Transistor 245 9
to Bloodborne. Combining Far Cry Primal 268 8 Octodad: Dadliest Catch 244 6 Trials Fusion 244 8
Souls-esque mechanics with Fez 243 10 Outlast 241 7 Ultra Street Fighter IV 258 8
Armored Core would be a FIFA 15 249 8 Overcooked 273 9 Umbrella Corps 272 3
dream come true for Drew. FIFA 16 262 9 Overwatch 271 8 Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End 270 10

66 |
 PLUS

THIS MONTH’S Toukiden 2

Drawn To Death
8
6

NEW ENTRIES Yooka-Laylee

Mass Effect: Andromeda
6
5
The newest games, freshly
squeezed among all your
old favourites

GAME ISSUE SCORE GAME ISSUE SCORE GAME ISSUE SCORE

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection 263 8 Bionic Commando 179 8 Dead Rising 2: Off The Record 211 6 TEN YEARS AGO
BEST REVIEWS (153)
Unravel 267 7 Bionic Commando Rearmed 169 8 Dead Space 172 9
Until Dawn 261 8 Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 203 6 Dead Space 2 201 9
Valiant Hearts 247 6 BioShock 172 9 Dead Space 3 228 7
Virginia 275 8 BioShock 2 189 8 Dead Space: Extraction 203 8
War Thunder 239 8 BioShock Infinite 230 9 Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut 231 8
Warhammer 40K: Deathwatch 280 7 BlackSite 163 4 Deadpool 233 6
Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut 264 8 Bladestorm: The Hundred Years’ War 160 5 Demon’s Souls 193 9
Watch Dogs 245 8 BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger 190 8 Destroy All Humans!: Path Of The Furon 178 2
Watch Dogs 2 278 7 BlazBlue: Continuum Shift 198 9 Deus Ex: Human Revolution 209 9 1
Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate 249 6 Blazing Angels 151 5 Devil May Cry 4 163 9 Tomb Raider: Anniversary (85%)
Wolfenstein: The New Order 245 8 BloodRayne: Betrayal 211 6 Devil May Cry HD Collection 217 8
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood 258 8 Blur 193 8 Diablo III 235 9
World Of Final Fantasy 276 7 Borderlands 185 8 DiRT 3 206 8
WWE 2K15 252 4 Borderlands 2 223 9 DiRT Showdown 219 7
WWE 2K16 264 5 Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel 250 6 Disgaea 3: Absence Of Justice 175 8
XCOM 2 275 9 The Bourne Conspiracy 168 7 Dishonored 224 9 2
Yakuza 0 279 9 Braid 188 9 Disney Infinity 235 8
The Red Star (79%)
Yooka-Laylee 281 6 Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons 233 8 DJ Hero 186 9

PS3
Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway 171 7 DJ Hero 2 198 8
Brütal Legend 185 7 Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock 220 3
Bulletstorm 203 8 DmC Devil May Cry 227 9
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified 235 5 Dragon Age: Origins 186 8
Burnout Crash 211 7 Dragon Age II 203 6
007 Legends 225 4 Burnout Paradise 162 8 Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 186 4 3
2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil 244 6 Buzz! Quiz World 185 7 Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit 168 6 Splinter Cell: Double Agent (79%)
3D Dot Game Heroes 192 8 Call Of Duty 3 151 5 Dragon’s Crown 235 8
50 Cent: Blood On The Sand 177 7 Call Of Duty: World At War 173 6 Dragon’s Dogma 218 8
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon 211 7 Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 160 9 Driver: San Francisco 209 7
The Adventures Of Tintin 212 5 Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 186 9 Duke Nukem Forever 207 3
Afro Samurai 177 6 Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 212 8 Dungeon Siege III 206 8
After Burner Climax 193 9 Call Of Duty: Black Ops 199 9 Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3 208 5 4
Agarest: Generations Of War 187 7 Call Of Duty: Black Ops II 226 8 Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires 230 4
Valkyrie Proile: Lenneth (78%)
Agarest: Generations Of War 2 223 4 Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood 181 8 Dynasty Warriors 8 234 7
Air Conflicts: Secret Wars 208 5 Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger 232 8 EA Sports Active 2 200 8
Alice: Madness Returns 207 6 Call Of Juarez: The Cartel 208 3 EA Sports MMA 198 8
Alien Breed: Impact 196 8 Captain America: Super Soldier 208 7 Eat Lead 178 3
Alien Breed 2: Assault 201 8 Castle Crashers 200 9 echochrome 169 8
Alien Breed 3: Descent 204 6 Castlevania: Harmony Of Despair 212 7 echochrome II 202 8
Aliens: Colonial Marines 230 4 Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow 197 9 EDF: Insect Armageddon 208 6 5
Aliens Vs Predator 189 7 Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow 2 241 8 Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion 152 9 Heatseeker (75%)
Alone In The Dark 173 7 Cars 2 208 6 Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 212 9
Alpha Protocol 193 8 The Cave 230 7 Elefunk 170 4
Amy 215 1 Catherine 215 6 El Shaddai: Ascension Of The Metatron 208 7
Ape Escape 208 5 Chronicles Of Riddick: Assault On Dark Athena 178 8 Enchanted Arms 152 6
Aquapazza: Aquaplus Dream Match 239 7 Civilization Revolution 168 9 Enslaved: Odyssey To The West 197 8
Aqua Panic 193 6 Clash Of The Titans 193 6 Epic Mickey 2: The Power Of Two 226 5 6
Arcana Heart 3 207 7 Clive Barker’s Jericho 159 6 Eternal Sonata 176 8
Brian Lara Cricket 2007 (70%)
Armored Core 4 153 6 The Club 163 8 Everybody’s Golf: World Tour 165 9
Armored Core V 217 6 Colin McRae: DiRT 158 9 EyePet 185 8
Army Of Two 164 8 Colin McRae: DiRT 2 184 8 F1 2012 223 7
Army Of Two: The 40th Day 188 6 Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 178 6 Fairy Fencer F 250 4
Army Of Two: The Devil’s Cartel 231 4 Commander’s Challenge 185 6 Fallout 3 173 10
Assassin’s Creed 161 5 Command & Conquer 175 4 Fallout: New Vegas 198 8
Assassin’s Creed II 186 9 Conan 160 7 Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer 155 3 7
Assassin’s Creed III 225 7 Condemned 2 165 7 Far Cry 2 172 7 COD: Roads To Victory (69%)
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood 199 9 Costume Quest 199 7 Far Cry 3 226 8
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations 212 7 Counter Strike: Global Offensive 223 9 Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon 231 8
Assassin’s Creed: Rogue 251 7 Crash Time 4: The Syndicate 218 3 Fat Princess 183 6
Asura’s Wrath 216 7 Crysis 2 204 7 FEAR 151 8
Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist Of Dust 230 6 Crysis 3 230 6 FEAR 2: Project Origin 176 8
Back To The Future: It’s About Time 204 7 Damnation 181 3 FEAR 3 208 6 8
Batman: Arkham Asylum 183 8 Damage Inc: Pacific Squadron WWII 223 3 FIFA 13 223 8 Armored Core 4 (67%)
Batman: Arkham City 211 9 Dante’s Inferno 189 8 FIFA 14 236 9
Batman: Arkham Origins 237 8 The Darkness 154 9 The Fight 199 4
Battle Fantasia 176 7 The Darkness II 215 7 Fight Night Champion 203 8
Battlefield 1943 182 9 Dark Sector 165 6 Fight Night Round 4 181 8
Battlefield: Bad Company 168 8 Dark Souls 211 9 Final Fantasy XIII 190 8
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 190 9 Dark Souls II 242 9 Final Fantasy XIII-2 214 8
Battlefield 3 212 8 Darkstalkers Resurrection 230 8 Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns 240 8
9
Battleship 219 4 Dark Void 188 8 Fist Of The North Star: Ken’s Rage 198 5 Puzzle Quest (66%)
Bayonetta* 187 9 Darksiders 188 8 Fist Of The North Star: Ken’s Rage 2 230 5
The Beatles: Rock Band 184 9 Darksiders II 221 8 Flight Control HD 198 8
Beat Hazard Ultra 213 7 DC Universe Online 202 8 Folklore 158 6
Beat Sketcher 201 8 Dead Or Alive 5 223 7 Front Mission Evolved 198 5
Beyond Good & Evil HD 207 8 Dead Island 210 7 Fuel 180 4
Beyond: Two Souls 236 7 Dead Island: Riptide 231 6 Full Auto 2: Battlelines 151 6 10
Binary Domain 216 7 Dead Rising 2 197 8 Fuse 232 7 Burnout Dominator (65%)
*denotes import review

| 67
 PLUS

PLAY’S BEST GAME

Genji: Days Of The Blade
ISSUE SCORE
151 3
GAME
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
ISSUE SCORE
167 7
GAME
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
ISSUE SCORE
184 8

GAMES Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2

Ghost Recon Future Soldier
157
219
8
6
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
Lego Pirates Of The Caribbean
187
206
7
7
Ninja Gaiden 3
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge
217
231
6
8

IF YOU LOVE… GI Joe

The Godfather
The Godfather II
183
151
178
2
3
4
Lego Rock Band
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
187
160
204
8
7
8
Noby Noby Boy
No More Heroes: Heroes’ Paradise
Nucleus
177
206
155
8
8
8
God Of War III 190 9 Lego The Lord Of The Rings 227 7 Okami HD 225 9
God Of War: Ascension 230 9 Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust 180 2 One Piece: Pirate Warriors 224 6
God Of War Collection* 188 9 Limbo 209 9 Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising 185 7
God Of War Collection: Volume II 210 7 LittleBigPlanet 172 9 Operation Flashpoint: Red River 205 7
Gotham City Imposters 216 7 LittleBigPlanet 2 201 10 The Orange Box 161 9
Gran Turismo 5 200 8 LittleBigPlanet: Karting 225 8 Outland 207 7
Gran Turismo 6 239 8 Lollipop Chainsaw 221 7 OutRun Online Arcade 180 8
MULTIPLE ENDINGS Grand Theft Auto IV 166 9 Overlord II 181 6
London 2012 221 4
PLAY: NIER: AUTOMATA Pac-Man Championship Edition DX 201 9
Grand Theft Auto V 236 10 The Lord Of The Rings: Aragorn’s Quest 199 6
Just like the original game,
Greed Corp 191 7 The Lord Of The Rings: Conquest 175 5 Pain 183 6
you’re not going to the full
Grid 2 232 7 The Lord Of The Rings: War In The North 213 4 Payday: The Heist 213 8
picture of Automata’s story
Grid Autosport 246 6 Lost Planet 2 192 8 Payday 2 235 8
after just one playthrough.
GTI Club+ 174 7 Lost Planet 3 236 5 Peggle 189 9
Subsequent runs add details
GTA: Episodes From Liberty City 191 9 Lost Planet: Extreme Condition 163 6 Persona 4 Arena Ultimax 250 9
and lesh out elements, so
Guardians Of Middle-earth 227 7 Madagascar 3 224 3 PES 2012 210 7
best free up some time…
Guitar Hero III 160 9 Madden NFL 12 209 8 PixelJunk Eden 169 6
Guitar Hero 5 184 8 Madden NFL 13 223 8 PixelJunk Shooter 187 9
Guitar Hero Greatest Hits 182 7 Madden NFL Arcade 188 5 PixelJunk Shooter 2 204 9
Guitar Hero Metallica 179 8 Mafia II 196 8 PixelJunk SideScroller 213 7
Guitar Hero: Van Halen 189 6 Magic: Duels Of The Planeswalkers 202 8 PixelJunk Racers 160 7
Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock 197 7 Marvel Vs Capcom 2 182 9 PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale 225 8
Guitar Hero World Tour 173 9 Marvel Vs Capcom 3 202 8 PlayStation Move Heroes 204 5
Gundemonium Collection 197 8 Marvel Ultimate Alliance 151 6 Poker Night 2 232 5
LEARNING TO FIGHT Gunstar Heroes 181 8 Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 185 6 Portal 2 205 10
PLAY: GUILTY GEAR Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince 182 6 Max Payne 3 219 7 Prince Of Persia 174 8
XRD REV 2 Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix 155 3 Mass Effect 2 201 10 Prince Of Persia: Classic 173 6
Fighting games tend to have Haze 167 6 Mass Effect 3 216 9 Prince Of Persia: The Forgotten Sands 193 6
pretty steep learning curves, Heavenly Sword 157 7 Medal Of Honor 198 8 Prince Of Persia Trilogy 200 8
but the best ones are those Heavy Rain 189 9 Medal Of Honor Airborne 161 8 Prison Break: The Conspiracy 191 4
that are willing to educate Heavy Weapon 187 7 Medal Of Honor: Warfighter 225 7 Prototype 181 7
new players. Arc’s tutorial Heroes Over Europe 184 4 Mega Man 9 172 7 Prototype 2 219 7
suite in its latest revision is Hitman: Absolution 225 9 Mega Man 10 192 8 Puddle 216 7
excellent, so check it out. Hitman HD Trilogy 230 7 Mercenaries 2: World In Flames 171 7 The Punisher: No Mercy 182 4
Homefront 203 6 Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance 228 9 Puppeteer 236 7
The House Of The Dead 4 218 8 Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is another Pure 171 8
The House Of The Dead: Overkill 212 7 world-class entry in gaming’s most Quantum Of Solace 175 5
fundamentally playable genre. Quantum Theory 197
Hunted: The Demon’s Forge 207 5 2
Hustle Kings 190 8 Metal Gear Solid 4 167 9 Race Driver: GRID 167 8
Hyperdimension Neptunia 202 2 Metal Gear Solid HD Collection 214 9 Rag Doll Kung-Fu: Fists Of Plastic 179 8
I Am Alive 217 6 Metro: Last Light 231 6 Rage 211 6
Ico & Shadow Of The Colossus HD 210 9 Michael Jackson: The Experience 205 5 Rainbow Six Vegas 155 9
AMAZING SHOOTERS
The Incredible Hulk 168 5 Microbot 202 5 Rainbow Six Vegas 2 164 8
PLAY: GRADIUS V
inFamous 180 8 Midnight Club: Los Angeles 173 8 Rango 203 5
Great arcade-style shooters
inFamous 2 207 8 Mindjack 202 3 Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time 186 8
seem to have gone out of
Inferno Pool 181 8 Minecraft 240 9 Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One 211 6
fashion since twin-stick variants
Injustice: Gods Among Us 231 8 Mini Ninjas 184 8 Ratchet & Clank: Q-Force 227 5
became all the rage. As such,
Inversion 220 4 Mirror’s Edge 173 7 Ratchet & Clank: Tools Of Destruction 160 7
you’ll be hard pressed to find
Iron Man 166 5 MLB: The Show 14 245 9 Ratchet & Clank Trilogy HD 221 9
one better than this PS2 classic.
Iron Man 2 193 5 ModNation Racers 192 8 Rayman Legends 235 8
The Jak And Daxter Trilogy 216 8 Monkey Island 2: Special Edition 195 9 Rayman Origins 212 8
Jak And Daxter: The Lost Frontier 187 5 Mortal Kombat 205 8 Red Dead Redemption 193 9
James Bond 007: Blood Stone 199 6 Mortal Kombat Vs DC Universe 173 6 Red Faction: Armageddon 207 6
James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game 187 6 MotoGP 13 233 7 Red Faction: Guerrilla 180 8
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle 244 8 Motorhead 173 6 Remember Me 232 6
Journey 216 9 MotorStorm 151 9 Renegade Ops 211 7
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights 159 7 MotorStorm: Apocalypse 203 7 Resident Evil Chronicles HD Collection 221 8
RUINING DEITIES Jurassic Park: The Game 194 6 MotorStorm: Pacific Rift 172 9 Resident Evil Code Veronica X 211 7
PLAY: GOD OF WAR III Just Cause 2 190 8 Mud: FIM Motocross Championship 217 5 Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City 217 3
Kratos’ rampage across the Kane & Lynch: Dead Men 160 7 MX Vs ATV Alive 206 4 Resident Evil: Revelations HD 232 7
irst three games is legendary, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days 196 7 MX Vs ATV Reflex 189 6 Resident Evil 4 HD 210 9
but the inal part of the trilogy Katamari Forever 184 8 Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 174 6 Resident Evil 5 177 8
just goes nuts. Anyone who Kick-Ass The Game 194 6 Naruto Shippuden: UNS Generations 217 5 Resident Evil 6 223 8
even might be part of Greek Killer Is Dead 235 7 Naruto Shippuden: UNS 3 230 8 Resistance: Fall Of Man 151 8
mythology is dead by the time Killzone 2 176 9 Naughty Bear 195 6 Resistance 2 173 9
the credits roll. Brutal. Killzone 3 202 8 NBA 2K12 211 8 Resistance 3 210 9
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX 236 8 NBA 2K13 224 8 Resonance Of Fate 191 8
Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMIX 252 9 NBA Jam 200 6 Retro City Rampage 228 7
Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning 215 7 NBA Street: Homecourt 151 6 Ridge Racer 7 151 7
The King Of Fighters XII 182 7 Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 199 9 Ridge Racer Unbounded 217 6
The King Of Fighters XIII 213 8 Need For Speed: Most Wanted 225 9 Riff: Everyday Shooter 162 8
Kung Fu Panda 2 207 2 Need For Speed ProStreet 161 8 Rise Of The Argonauts 176 5
LA Noire 206 9 Need For Speed Shift 184 8 Risen 2: Dark Waters 222 5
MULTIPLAYER PERFECTION Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light 198 9 Need For Speed: The Run 213 6 Risen 3: Titan Lords 248 2

PLAY: TOWERFALL: The Last Guy 171 9 Need For Speed Undercover 173 7 Risk: Factions 202 8
ASCENSION Last Rebellion 191 4 NeverDead 215 3 Rock Band Blitz 223 8
Pretty much every one of our Legend Of Spyro: Dawn Of The Dragon 174 5 Nier 192 6 Rock Band 169 9
multiplayer gaming nights ends Legendary 173 6 Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch 227 8 Rock Band 2 179 9
with a few (hundred) rounds of Lego Batman 173 6 NHL 12 210 7 Rock Band 3 199 9
Towerfall. Between the precision Lego Batman 2 221 8 NHL 13 223 7 Rocksmith 223 7
shots and clutch comebacks, Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 194 7 NiGHTS Into Dreams... 224 7 Rogue Warrior 188 1
there’s never a dull moment. Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 213 6 Ninja Gaiden Sigma 154 8 Rugby World Cup 2011 209 4

68 |
 PLUS

WHAT WE’RE
GAME ISSUE SCORE GAME ISSUE SCORE GAME ISSUE SCORE
Rune Factory Oceans 220 5 Super Street Fighter IV 191 9 WWE 13 225 5

PLAYING…
RUSE 197 8 Syndicate 216 7 XCOM: Enemy Unknown 224 9
The Saboteur 187 6 Tales Of Graces f 222 7 Thinking, planning, failing and dying is back in
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel 180 7 Tales Of Monkey Island 196 9 fashion: XCOM is a phenomenal reimagining of a
classic title and an instant classic in its own right.
Sacred 3 247 6 Tales Of Xillia 234 7 Watch out! Games!
Saints Row 2 172 7 Tales Of Xillia 2 249 7 X-Men Destiny 211 3
Saints Row: The Third 211 8 Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Online 161 8 X-Men Origins: Wolverine 179 7
Saints Row IV: Gat Out Of Hell 253 6 Tekken 6 184 9 Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z 242 3
SBK Generations 220 5 Tekken Tag Tournament 2 223 9 Yakuza: Dead Souls 216 6
Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse 194 9 Test Drive Ferrari Racing Legends 221 6 Yakuza 3 191 8
SBK Generations 220 5 Tetris 202 8 Yakuza 4 203 8
The Secret Of Monkey Island SE 195 9 Test Drive Unlimited 2 203 6 Yakuza 5* 264 9
Section 8: Prejudice 209 8 The Amazing Spider-Man 221 6 Zen Pinball 2 224 9
what
Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection 177 8 The Last Of Us 233 10 Zone Of The Enders HD Collection 226 8 (have they been playing?)

injustice 2

VITA
Sega Rally 158 9 The Testament Of Sherlock Holmes 224 5
Sega Rally Online Arcade 208 7 The Walking Dead 231 9
Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes 198 7 The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct 231 2 why (was it chosen?)
Shadows Of The Damned 207 8 Thor: God Of Thunder 206 3 I’m still trying to
Shank
Shatter
197
183
8
9
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14
Time Crisis 4
231
166
6
7
find a character I
Shellshock 2: Blood Trails 177 3 Time Crisis: Razing Storm 199 5
A-Men 217 7 can make work
Army Corps Of Hell 217 6
Shift 2: Unleashed 204 6 TimeShift 162 7
Silent Hill: Downpour 217 8 Tokyo Jungle 223 8
Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation 225 7 luke albigés
Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice Of Arland 221 3
Silent Hill HD Collection 217 7 Tom Clancy’s EndWar 173 8 AS I SAID at the start of
Everybody’s Golf 215 8
Silent Hill: Homecoming 174 6 Tom Clancy’s HAWX 177 7
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend 216 8 this issue, juggling my
The Simpsons Game 160 8 Tom Clancy’s HAWX 2 196 7
Broken Age 257 5 time between the selection
The Sims 3 199 8 Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist 235 7
Call Of Duty: Black Ops Declassified 227 2 of great new fighters we have
The Sims 3: Pets 212 7 Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Trilogy HD 210 7
SingStar 159 8 Tomb Raider 229 9
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc 242 8 right now hasn’t been easy.
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair 249 9 even now that i’ve made the
Singularity 195 8 Tomb Raider Trilogy 204 8
Dead Nation 201 8 conscious decision to focus
Siren Blood Curse 170 6 Tomb Raider: Underworld 173 8
Destiny Of Spirits 244 7
Skate 159 8 Tony Hawk’s Project 8 151 8 primarily on netherrealm’s
Dokuro 230 7
Skate 2 175 8 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD 223 7 new game for now, i now face
Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable 230 8
Skate 3 192 8 Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground 160 7 a new problem. you see, i
Escape Plan 216 8
Skullgirls 218 8 Tony Hawk: Ride 188 5 mained Grundy in the first
FIFA Football 216 8
Sleeping Dogs 222 8 Top Gun: Hard Lock 218 4 game, but he’s sadly missing
flOw 151 9
The Sly Collection 200 8 Top Spin 3 168 7
Flower 176 8 in Injustice 2, so i’ve got to
Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time 230 6 Top Spin 4 203 6
Gravity Crash 187 8 find someone new to pick
Sniper Elite V2 218 5 Toy Story 3 195 8
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 206 4
Gravity Rush 219 9 up and learn. swamp Thing
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon 208 6
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 230 5 Transformers: Fall Of Cybertron 223 7
Hotline Miami 233 9 feels a little Grundy-esque but
SOCOM: Special Forces 205 6 Transformers: War For Cybertron 194 8 Hustle Kings 216 8 seems to lack a lot of the tools
Joe Danger 194 9 i liked, while Green arrow’s
Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 199 8 Trash Panic 181 7
Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 225 4 Trine 184 8 Killzone: Mercenary 236 9 new moveset makes him
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing 190 7 Tron Evolution 200 1 LittleBigPlanet 223 9 feel more like kung Jin, who i
Little Deviants 215 6
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed 227 9 Tumble 198 7 played in MKX. While i usually
Sonic Generations 212 7 Turning Point: Fall Of Liberty 165 4 Lumines Electric Symphony 216 8
play grapplers, i kinda want
Sonic The Hedgehog 151 5 Turok 163 4 Metal Gear Solid HD Collection 221 7
to make a go of it with one of
Sonic Unleashed 175 4 Twisted Metal 216 6 ModNation Racers: Road Trip 215 5
Mortal Kombat 219 8
the odder characters here, so
Sorcery 219 7 UFC Undisputed 2009 180 9
MotorStorm RC 217 8 scarecrow’s crazy range and
SoulCalibur IV 169 9 UFC Undisputed 2010 193 8
UFC Undisputed 3 215 8 Muramasa Rebirth 234 8 cool toxin mechanic mean
SoulCalibur V 214 8
South Park: The Stick of Truth 242 8 Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 212 8 New Little King’s Story 224 7 he’ll be the next one i take into
Spec Ops: The Line 220 7 Ultra Street Fighter IV 246 9 Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus 217 7 the lab. Fingers crossed he
Spider-Man 3 155 3 Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune 161 8 Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus 230 6 clicks – i want to get online!
Spider-Man: Edge Of Time 212 3 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves 185 10 Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD 214 8
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions 197 6 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception 212 9 Orgarhythm 230 5
Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows 173 5 Unearthed: Trail Of Ibn Battuta: Episode 1 233 1 PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale 225 8
Spin Jam 174 3 The Unfinished Swan 225 7 Persona 4 Golden 228 9
Splatterhouse 200 5 Unreal Tournament III 162 8 PixelJunk Monsters 163 9
Splinter Cell Double Agent 153 7 Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom 151 5 Puddle 222 8
Split/Second: Velocity 192 9 Valkyria Chronicles 173 8 Rayman Origins 216 8
Reality Fighters 215 5
Sports Champions 196 8 Vanquish 197 9 what
Sports Champions 2 225 6 Viking: Battle For Asgard 165 7 Resistance: Burning Skies 219 5 (have they been playing?)
Ridge Racer 216 4
persona 5
SSX 216 4 Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown 220 9
Stacking 203 8 Virtua Tennis 3 150 9 Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken 212 8
Starhawk 219 8 Virtua Tennis 4 205 7 Silent Hill: Book Of Memories 225 3 why (was it chosen?)
Star Ocean: The Last Hope International 190 6 The Walking Dead: All That Remains 240 8 Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry God 240 7 I’ve come too far
Soul Sacrifice 232 9
Star Trek 231 5 The Walking Dead: 400 Days 234 8
Sound Shapes 223 8
to give up now
Star Trek: D-A-C 189 5 Wanted: Weapons Of Fate 179 6
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 171 6 Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 210 5 Superbeat Xonic 265 7 drew sleep
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II 199 6 Warhawk 157 8 Superfrog HD 234 4
Star Wars: Pinball 230 7 Warriors: Legends Of Troy 202 1 Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz 224 7 MORGANA KEEPS
Start The Party! 196 7 Warriors Orochi 3 217 5 Sumioni: Demon Arts 230 4 TELLING me to go to
Stormrise 178 5 Watchmen: The End Is Nigh 183 5 Super Stardust Delta 216 8 bed early, which i can only
Stranglehold 159 6 Way Of The Samurai 3 190 2 Tearaway 239 8 assume is a joke on atlus’
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition 209 9 Wet 184 4 Terraria 232 8
part as they know that’s not
Street Fighter IV 176 9 Wheelman 178 7 Touch My Katamari 216 8
physically possible with this
Street Fighter X Tekken 217 8 Where The Wild Things Are 188 5 Toukiden: The Age Of Demons 241 8
game. it’s just one of those
Strength Of The Sword 3 234 8 White Knight Chronicles 190 5 Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 216 8
Super Puzzle Fighter II HD Turbo Remix 168 7 White Knight Chronicles II 207 4 Uncharted: Fight For Fortune 227 8
games where you pick up
Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition 207 9 WipEout HD 172 8 Uncharted: Golden Abyss 215 8 the controller, start playing
Stuntman: Ignition 157 8 Wolfenstein 183 7 Unit 13 216 6 and the next thing you know,
Super Stardust HD 155 7 Worms 2: Armageddon 198 8 Velocity Ultra 233 8 it’s a week later and you
Superstars V8: Next Challenge 190 5 Worms Ultimate Mayhem 217 8 Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition 215 8 should probably have done
Superstars V8 Racing 181 6 WRC 3 FIA World Rally Championship 225 7 Virtue’s Last Reward 227 8 something by now. you know,
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix 176 7 WWE All Stars 204 8 WipEout 2048 215 9 like go to work. or eat. oops.
*denotes import review
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