Tabla de contenidos para June 2016 en Gamesmaster

Don’t you just love it when a great game sneaks up on you? That’s exactly what happened this month, with the phenomenally gorgeous-looking Dishonored 2. We knew it existed before now, but with an exclusive peek behind the curtains over at Arkane Studios comes a heady appreciation for what will be one of 2016’s biggest hits. The series is famous for building a world which really resonates, and the new location of Karnaca looks a worthy successor to Dunwall. The sun-kissed new environ is shaping up to be a prime digital destination for some essential videogame escapism. Omedetou, by the way, for picking up an issue packed with specially baked JRPG goodness. Alongside big hitters such as Mafia III and Nioh, we’ve taken an up close look at the next…

Reading through the reviews for Street Fighter V, I’m becoming more aware of an increasingly worrying trend in triple-A games: lack of content at launch. From what I’ve read, it has no arcade mode, no training/challenge mode and although gameplay-wise is extraordinary, doesn’t offer much replay value. I find it bizarre that a major 2016 release, costing roughly £45, has so little content. What’s worse is that publishers seem to be ok with selling these missing features later on (or even at launch!) as DLC. With software already expensive, these extra costs always come off to me as unfair. Don’t get me wrong though, some DLC expansions can be great, adding to the original story or improving character rosters. Some of my favourites include the seminal Minerva’s Den and Burial…

MANIAC OF THE MONTH! Been buying GM for a year now and it was all down to a lack of stock of my usual mag. Would never change back now, you guys rock! ScarsOfViolence, @ScarsOfViolence Sci-fi has some of the poorest representation. I miss games like Singularity. Thomas, @orginarymagoo Surely the final of The X Factor should be decided by a game of Mario Kart on the N64. Craig Chapman, @CWChap Trevor Phillips is in The Walking Dead and just as psychotic! Daniel Reid, Facebook The next GTA should have horses instead of cars and cowboys instead of gangsters… Paul Fox, @FoximusPrime81 RE6 is the best one. No joke – it’s just the most fun for me. Plus the best romance story of our time. Sanjay Pattani, @LeoZeo2 I’m liking…

Over the decades the gaming world has seen some truly bizarre controllers: stacking NES robot ROB, stunted Sega Bass Fishing rods, Samba De Amigo’s maracas, Activision’s doomed Tony Hawk Ride skateboard, Beatmania’s DJ decks, and Steel Battalion’s mech control panels and pedals just some of the more recognisable deviations away from our typical pads. Yet big businesses and small independent developers both are currently working on projects that make all of those seem as normal as the Dualshock 4s and Wii U GamePads we use every single day. Some are being made for mass market distribution, others are one-off projects that’ll never exist outside of events or museums, but the very best crazy control schemes in development had starring roles at this year’s Game Developers Conference – and GamesMaster was…

“THEY ALWAYS REPRESENT THE SAME THING: MORE WAYS TO SPEND MONEY” When FIFA 13 launched Ultimate Team, it made sense. The mode smartly taps into the world of sporting sticker books and sees you buy virtual cards representing football players with the goal of forming a dream squad. There’s a real world parallel there. You can even trade unwanted cards on EA’s marketplace like a global version of your school playground, without the scuffed knees and chicken pox. Then other games got in on the act. Today, virtual cards feature in games as diverse as Halo 5, UFC 2, Mass Effect 3, Rainbow Six Siege, Ratchet & Clank, Happy Wars, Rise Of The Tomb Raider, and Arslan: The Warriors Of Legend. They’re as good a contextual fit as collectable seashells…

THE NEW DAY Who do you guys play as in WWE 2K16, other than yourselves? Xavier Woods: Steven Regal! We only pick different versions of him, it’s unbeatable. Big E: I will rock with Cesaro. Oooooooooo, Cesaro-oooooooooo. That’s hot in ‘Yermany’. We’re hot in ‘Yermany’. He’s the man, so I mess with him. Kofi Kingston: Speaking of ‘Yermans’ and ‘Yerman’ suplexes, I would pick Brock Lesnar. Just like I did when I dominated the 2K Tournament and won the 2K Championship title. Who should be on the cover of WWE 2K17? Big E: Look no further! It’s a slam dunk. The three of us, clearly! Xavier Woods is owning gaming right now, and not just in WWE. Plus the fact that The New Day is everywhere, baby. We’ve been tag…

“NOCTIS MAY BE A PRINCE WHO CAN TELEPORT, BUT HIS WORLD STILL FEELS RELATABLE” Format PS4, XO Publisher Square Enix Developer Square Enix ETA 30 September After almost ten years in the making, it’s finallyin the home stretch. Come the end of September, we’ll all be galloping around the countryside of Eos atop majestic Chocobos and taking down the Niflheim empire with magic and giant swords. After holding our breath for so long waiting for info, now we’re drowning in it, and we’ve even had plenty of hands-on time. Before we get stuck into the juicy new stuff, let’s recap. FFXV follows the story of Prince Noctis and his friends after he leaves his homeland Lucis on a journey to see his betrothed. While he’s gone,…

“EXPLODING SEALS, WEASELS PUSHING SNOWBALLS, AND GORILLAS WITH SHOULDER FUNGUS” Format PS4 Publisher Square Enix Developer Tokyo RPG Factory ETA Summer Hard-resetting a genre burdened by doe-eyed teenagers and UI-cluttered screens, this JRPG is both game and tribute, channelling the spirit of Chrono Trigger and early Final Fantasy. Starkness in our demo’s first area, the Floneian Territories, is arresting – refreshingly, there’s nothing on the screen besides our three-person party carving a course through pure white snow. The quaint wooden Purikka village is our destination, populated by NPCS like ‘irritated waitress’ and ‘plump young man’ spouting a concise line or two about our pilgrimage to sacrifice magical maiden Setsuna and drive away savage beasts. Mixing turn-based honour with real-time rule-breaking, meeting monsters locks you in a circular arena to thrash…

Format PS4, XO, Wii U, PC Pub Good Mood Creators Dev Good Mood Creators ETA Winter What a terrifying vision of the future – animals replaced by robots, glowing red bugs patrolling the land, and humans nowhere to be seen. Well, at least 2D platforming still exists. Using the special powers of a cybernetic frog, armadillo, wallaby, and more, we swing, roll, and hop through a neon-flecked landscape in our hands-on, bopping along to the catchy music as we switch between creatures. Unfortunately they all feel strangely erratic to control, poor fits for the precise demands of the levels.…

Format PS4 Pub GungHo Dev Grasshopper ETA Autumn This free-to-play brawler from bonkers auteur developer Suda51 is set in the year 2043, and portrays a bleak future where swords are back in fashion. Slicing and dicing your enemies with a katana is as ridiculously over the top and bloody as a Tarantino film, and looks just as irresistibly stylish. In an intriguing twist, you’ll get a malevolent second life whenever you die – after kicking the bucket, you’ll manifest as an opponent in somebody else’s game, using the same gear and playstyle as you did while alive in your own.…

Why relocate from Dunwall to an entirely new setting? You know, we have this Empire that we allude to constantly - our lore is much bigger than the game, always. So we wanted to go down to Serkonos, where Corvo is from. He’s ageing and he’s going home and he’s wondering how long he can protect his daughter and wondering how much his homeland has changed. How has Emily changed in the interlude since the first game? We had to think: well what would 15 more years of living in Dunwall Tower with the best educators do? She’s shaken by her mother’s death, of course, but closer to Corvo and being trained by him. He has this mentality of “hey, look, someday our enemies are going to come for you…

“The Church In The Darkness is set inside a religious cult in the 1970s. The Collective Justice Mission preaches a radical progressive agenda and feels persecuted in the US. So Isaac and Rebecca Walker move their congregation to the jungles of South America, and there they build Freedom Town. That’s where you come in. As Vic, an ex-law enforcement officer, you set out to infiltrate Freedom Town to find your nephew, Alex. The game features top-down action infiltration gameplay where you play however you want – avoid detection completely, incapacitate the guards non-lethally, or kill anyone who gets in your way. It’s highly replayable, with gameplay that changes every time, but also changing narrative – the motivations of the Walkers vary each game, so you don’t know if they want…

0-39 Awful Avoid it as you would a bullet with your name on. 40-59 Poor Major issues here that won’t be solved with a hug. 60-69 Decent A mixed bag filled with sweets and sharp stones. 70-79 Good Some flaws, but still a very enjoyable experience. 80-89 Excellent Buy it, love it, thank us when you’re done. 90-100 Outstanding A rare and essential piece of brilliance. The small print: We rate games in comparison to what else is available on the same system, in the same genre, and for the same format at the time of release. So this year’s FIFA might score less than a FIFA from three years ago, but still be a better game. Because time, and our expectations, move on. Hey, you’re smart, you get it……

“THE FRIENDS YOU MAKE IN ONE PLAYTHROUGH WILL BE YOUR SWORN ENEMIES IN ANOTHER” Format 3DS Publisher Nintendo Developer Intelligent Systems ETA Out now Players 1 The folk at Intelligent Systems had a problem on their hands after the launch of Fire Emblem Awakening back in 2013. While it was rightly lauded for its engrossing characters and impressive depth, it also caused some of the more hardcore fanbase a bit of grief. Those weaned on the tough-as-leather original franchise entries suddenly found themselves devoting as much time to woo-ing would be suitors and match-making their followers as commanding the battlefield. With Fates, the studio is taking a stab at keeping both camps happy. To this end Fates comes in three distinct flavours. There’s Birthright, a much easier, breezier affair that…

TOAD-ALLY AWESOME Well, no one said cosplay had to be human. In fact it seems to make it a lot easier to be a Venusaur or an Ivysaur if you are actually a toad in the first place... @Bombina0 on Twitter from Tokyo created the perfect costumes for this pair from paper. They totally… kick grass. UNREAL TOO US cosplayer Kilory gets to be the only human cosplayer on this list with her astonishing recreation of Final Fantasy’s Lightning. No, this isn’t Photoshop – although professional photography is clearly at work. And this is just the tip of the perfect pink haired iceberg. You can see more images here: http://bit.ly/gmkilory PIG-ACHU And there we have it, @MORPHEUS_A on Twitter effortlessly wins the eternal cosplay competition in our hearts with this…

“THE NEW MACHINE IS GEARED TOWARDS IMPROVED VISUALS AND PERFORMANCE” An extensive barrage of rumours suggest that Sony’s new half-step console, code-named ‘Neo’, will comfortably hit 4K resolution and allow for smoother framerates, with Sony mandating a 1080p minimum pixel count . For the tech heads out there: the Neo’s cores are overclocked from 1.6GHz to 2.1GHz (a 31 per cent improvement), and memory bandwidth rises by 24 per cent – equivalent to high-end PC graphics cards. Whereas processor manufacturers AMD re-jigged off-the-shelf parts for the PS4, it’s believed the manufacturer’s invented brand new tech for this box. Avoiding fan base segmentation is key. According to leaked documents, developers are prohibited from making Neo-only features and modes, and every PS4 game is required to include a base mode (for use…

MATT’S PICK Dishonored 2 Having heard all the hot goss on this over in our cover feature (head to p46 to read for yourself!) I am so ready for a trip to Karnaca. The first game managed to sneak along a fine line line between open stealth and linear progression, and I’m expecting equally adept world-building from the one-time architects of City 17 once more. PS4, XO, PC – Winter ROBIN’S PICK Hand Of Fate 2 While a little rough around the edges, the original Hand Of Fate was a fascinatingly unique combination of roguelike adventuring, deck-building, and Arkham-like combat, brought to life by a charmingly evil narrator. If this sequel can refine and expand on the first’s wealth of ideas, it’ll be something very special indeed – and I…

POKÉMOVIE The Pokémon Company is reportedly auctioning off the rights for a live-action film of the monster-catching series, with Legendary Entertainment, Warner Bros, and Sony all bidding to be the ones to bring it to the silver screen. While Pikachu’s had many animated outings already, this would be the franchise’s first official foray into the ‘real’ world. TOL-KEEN A sequel to Monolith’s surprise hit Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor seems to have been confirmed by a stunt actress’ LinkedIn profile. Lauren Kim’s online resume listed her as working on Shadow Of Mordor 2 – though she claims it was a ‘database error’, we’d bet our last gold coin on an official announcement at E3. BACK ON TRACK Despite recently being closed down by Sony, Evolution Studios, the team behind Driveclub and…

Format PS4 , PC Publisher Bandai Namco Developer Bandai Namco ETA Spring 2017 The 16th entry in this long-running JRPG series explores themes of passion and logic by way of pirate ships, pandemics, and raven-haired heroines with claws for hands. Strangely, producer Yasuhiro Fukaya is drawing from experiences of Japan’s corporate world. “[People] have many problems, like in a social situation or organisation they belong to that doesn’t allow them to live their life as they like, so we wanted to convey the message that people can hold onto their beliefs even if their company doesn’t allow it, and they don’t need to give up their beliefs or their dreams.” Tales’ first ever solo female heroine, Velvet, endeavours to stop the Daemonblight, a deadly affliction spreading through the land –…

“The theme is not ‘sadness’ as much as ‘wistful melancholy and longing’, – which is the literal translation of the Japanese word Setsunai. So there are elements of sadness within it, but it also carries a nuance of momentary beauty and is coloured by other emotions as well. This is certainly not a game where you experience nothing but sadness, so I don’t feel that players will be depressed by it. “What I am proud of more than anything is how we were able to get together a team of people who all got into game development from the influence of JRPGs of the ’90s, and who still love RPG games today, and then put all those people’s passions and love for the genre into our game.”…

Katana Offering a captivating blend of lethality and speed, these tasty blades excel in versatility above all else. Adopt the ‘aggressive’ stance for extra stopping power – though it’ll drain your stamina bar. Spear Lots of versatility here – heavy attacks enable William to lunge at a single target, using the spear’s reach to keep his foe at a distance. A sweeping light attack, meanwhile, is handy for crowd control. Heavy weapons These are no piddling hatchets – they’re hefty battleaxes and brutal warhammers. But while they deal formidable damage, they demand a great deal of skill, as one missed swing will leave you wide open. Bow The humble bow and arrow may seem a little limp, but it’s a vital tool in William’s arsenal – weaker foes will die…

Format XO, PC Publisher Grip Digital Developer Teotl Studios ETA May They say you never know what you’ve got till it’s gone. When it comes to taking on Teotl’s forthcoming survival story, finding yourself marooned on a barren planet in the vastness of space can make even putting the bins out back here on Earth seem like paradise. ‘Solus’ means ‘solitary’, and it looks like this project is aptly named, with friendly company on this alien world hardly forthcoming. You’ll need to learn how to stay alive in inhospitable surroundings, finding food, water, and shelter – the irony is that your mission, so rudely aborted when your ship was fired upon by enemies unknown, was to save humanity by finding a new home. Now even your own continued existence is…

Format PS4 Pub Square Enix Dev Tri-Ace ETA 1 July This is essentially, the Japanese RPG genre’s stab at Mass Effect, with a story revolving around undeveloped civilisations being suddenly exposed to interplanetary affairs and a party of characters who don’t just follow you around bashing what you aim at, but who also stop to natter occasionally, and whose interactions with each other will mould the direction the story takes. We'll have to wait until summer to see if the stars have aligned, though.…

Fifteen years have passed since Emily inherited the throne, but now she’s lost it all. The events of her downfall remain a closely-guarded secret, but we know that despite being on the run, she’s determined to get back what was taken from her. The young former empress will face all manner of opposition and adversity in sunny Karnaca, to be sure, but she’ll also see how the downtrodden citizens of the Empire she ruled over actually live. As such, her journey could provide a vivid lesson in the failings of her own leadership. Mesmerize Emily has the power to summon an angular apparition out of thin air, drawing the rapt attention of nearby enemies. While they stand transfixed, you’re able to sneak past or get stab-happy as you please, making…

Format PS4, PC Developer Drool ETA Summer Web http://bit.ly/gmthumper How do you like your rhythm games? Loud? Energetic? Watching you with the disappointed eyes of your fellow bandmates? No? How about violent ? That’s how ex-Harmonix devs Marc Flury and Brian Gibson have labelled this unique experience in sound and neon visuals that stars a space beetle speeding furiously towards a giant head from the future. Read on and it’ll all start making sense, we promise. “For a long time, we had a hard time describing Thumper. Then we found that ‘rhythm violence’ works as an effective and succinct description,” explains Flury. “Thumper is a rhythm game, but it’s unique in that we keep the gameplay simple so we can ratchet the speed and intensity way up.…

FIRE EMBLEM (2004) While it was the first to come west, this was actually the seventh game in the series in Japan. The popularity of characters such as Marth and Roy in Smash Bros Melee convinced Nintendo we might like the series over here. FIRE EMBLEM: THE SACRED STONES (2005) The one where Intelligent Systems might not have innovated to a great degree, but doubled down on telling a supremely affecting story with painstakingly fleshed-out characters. FIRE EMBLEM: RADIANT DAWN (2008) This Wii number was perhaps the straw that broke the camel’s back, heavily criticsed for its overly punishing level of difficulty, which saw the team return to the drawing board for the next entry. FIRE EMBLEM AWAKENING (2013) The game that brought the series to the masses, retaining that…

Bug Shoot their eggs as soon as you see them to prevent them spawning. After they die these scuttlers leave a pool of lava that’s easy to tread in, so always leave a second or two before advancing. Combustor This putrid bag of volatile chemicals surgically grafted to a host explodes when you’re near. Treat it as a blessing rather than curse by using it to blow up its mates. Ghost Among the trickiest enemies, Ghosts warp in and smack you with stalk-like limbs before cowardly teleporting away. Since this means close-range fighting, it’s perfect for point-blank shotgun spreads.…

1 DARK SOULS III PS4 On my second playthrough now and still loving every minute. Really enjoying digging into multiplayer, which feels so much faster and smoother than in previous Souls games. Matt Sakuraoka-Gilman, Editor 2 DISHONORED: DEFINITIVE EDITION PS4 I leapt back in determined to finally achieve a full ‘no kills’ run. Murder spree kicked off about halfway through the first mission. Snap. Matt Sakuraoka-Gilman, Editor 3 FALLOUT 4 PC The new Automotron DLC gives me everything I ever wanted in a game: the ability to create a killer spider-legged robot with drills for arms and the head of a teddy bear. Ben Griffin, Senior Staff Writer 4 THE DIVISION PC This month I dived into the Falcon Lost update. It’s fun, but considering the work that’s gone into…

“STAY COMPLETELY UNDETECTED AND TRIGGER ONE SCARLET PIXEL-SPURTING KILL AFTER ANOTHER” Developer Acquire Publisher Activision Released 1998 Format PS1 Get it Ebay, Amazon Shunning contact with others, they lurk in shadow. Their lives are dedicated to a sinister trade best plied without witnesses; few have ever seen them abroad in daylight. And back in 1998 they gave Tenchu really good scores. Ha ha, yes! It was a funny joke about videogame journalists all along! Hang on… The origins Now, everyone reading this knows Konami and Kojima, daddies of Metal Gear. Many will have heard of Looking Glass Studios for their work on Thief. Which is why it seems unjust that so few will be familiar with Acquire Corp, the third big player in that great awakening of stealth gameplay. It…

Awesome Boss! Ninja Combat Format Neo Geo, Arcade Developer Alpha Denshi Released 1991 While this scrolling scrapper wasn’t really a radiant star of the Neo Geo’s launch line-up, it did boast some inventively mental bosses culminating in Genyousai – a fire-spewing, screen-filling precursor to the likes of Apocalypse and Onslaught, with huge fists that you could quite graphically sever. It was fine though! They grew back! Until you tore his head off too. Classic Moment! Devil May Cry 3 Format PC, PS2 Developer Capcom Released 2005 Getting DMC back on track meant increasing the instances of senseless, guffawing cool, hence Dante borrowing a motorbike and screeching up the side of a tower. But, mused Capcom, could this scene somehow be even more ridiculous/excellent? Certainly, if Dante proceeded to dismount in…

PRINT 6 MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION £26.50 • It costs less than buying it in the shops! • There’ll be free stuff every issue! • Plus get two Fallout POP! Vinyl figures! DIGITAL 6 MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION £14.00 • The cheapest way to get your GM! • Every issue is packed with trailers and videos! • Download instantly on the day of release! PRINT & DIGITAL 6 MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION £33.50 • The best value GM package! • Every print issue delivered to you! • Free gifts with every magazine! • A digital copy for iOS or Android! • New trailers and videos each month! • Get two Fallout POP! Vinyl figures!…

“MY PRODUCTIVITY WOULD SHOOT UP IF I COULD FIRE A SWARM OF BEES OUT OF MY ARM AT WILL” You can practically feel the briny shores of Karnaka lapping at your ankles, over on the pages of this month’s super-feature. But while a trip to Dishonored 2’s sunny setting might make for a nice enough break from our daily GM dootiez (did I tell you to stop checking my spelling, Robin? -Ed), we couldn’t help but set out on another of our patented banter sessions… Robin:I’d love a trip to Mass Effect’s Citadel. Every luxury you could want nestled in a huge, gleaming utopia – and a great view too. A couple of weeks wandering about, chatting with aliens, eating at the galaxy’s best restaurants, drinking weird booze… As long…

Back to the future Younger generations will probably think VR is a new phenomena, but they weren’t around for the Virtual Boy. I still have mine, boxed and in mint working condition. You see, virtual reality is a product of the ’80s, but the technology just wasn’t there to realise its potential. Now VR has truly become, well… a reality. Whether its Vive, Rift, or PSVR, this year we’ll see whether it becomes a new gaming standard, or the next Kinect or PS Move dust collector. It’s difficult to describe how special it is. As an early adopter of the Oculus (I got a DK2) I’ve been sold for some time, but how do you convince others? I started with my wife, plugging her into Elite: Dangerous. While she wasn’t…

1 THE LEGEND OF ZELDA Format Wii U ETA Winter This long-awaited latest entry refuses to budge from the top spot, enjoying its second week at number one. 2 NO MAN’S SKY Format PS4, PC ETA 24 June We’re so close to blast off time we can practically smell the rocket fuel. Watch out universe, here we come! 3 MASS EFFECT: ANDROMEDA Format PS4, XO, PC ETA Spring 2017 The Bioware behemoth is back for more tricky moral dilemmas, space magic, and, dare we say it, alien romance… 4 POKÉMON SUN AND MOON Format 3DS ETA Winter Looks like you trainers can’t wait to catch ’em all all over again in this latest duo of monster-nabbing sequels. 5 FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE Format PS4 ETA Winter 2017 While there’s plenty…

“THE NEW LEGEND OF ZELDA GAME WILL LAUNCH CONCURRENTLY ON BOTH WII U AND NX” 1 One of the more concrete rumours about the NX, as reported in the Japan Times, is that it will use Sharp’s Free Form Display technology, allowing for flexible or curved gamepad screens. 2 The NX might well support a subscription service, if a GFK survey leaked last month is to be believed (it’s Germany’s largest market research institute). Monthly games, PS Plus-style? 3 Will NX be the world’s first download-only console? On 10 Feb, 2015, Nintendo filed a patent for a machine with no optical disc drive, so it’s either that or it’s going back to N64-style cartridges. 4 Low-tier tech restricted the Wii U. Promisingly, a Wall Street Journal article claims Nintendo has…

5 Minutes it took streamer Darbian to speed-run the Nintendo classic Super Mario Bros – achieving a new world record in the process. 20 Minutes for Twitch user Kungkobra to complete Fallout: New Vegas, saving time by, among other things, changing from English to the faster Italian. 10,000 Australian dollars offered as the prize in Bandai Namco’s competition to find the fastest speedrun of Dark Souls. Unfortunately only open to Australia and New Zealand, it challenged players to post their full runs on Twitch – head to http://bit.ly/gmspeed to find out the winning time.…

WATCH OUT The team multiplayer FPS gets a shot in the arm with Overwatch, on sale now. WHAT’S ON Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter is a long title and it’s out now. PLAY TIME Go hands-on with EA’s latest games at EA Play in London and Los Angeles today. SLIME TO CELEBRATE Raise a potion today for the 30th birthday of classic RPG series Dragon Quest. TRIPLE-E GAMES It’s the hottest date of the gaming year – watch out for all the info from E3. BANK ON IT Only one thing to do with a Spring Bank Holiday – catch up on your games backlog. CITY FLY Parkour down to the shops and grab yourself a copy of Mirror’s Edge Catalyst. HELL YES Get ready for an explosion of gaming…

Lincoln Seeking revenge after his own gang was betrayed, he’s bringing street smarts and military training to the fight. But Lincoln also has three lieutenants who manage his growing empire. Tip: Divide it fairly or suffer. Vito The protagonist of Mafia II, Vito Scaletta failed to secure an easy retirement, and has since fallen out with the mob and set up his own rebel Italian gang. A bit dejected, but he knows the business. Burke The hot-headed leader of the Irish gangs – nope, no stereotypes here. In our demo, we screwed Burke out of a slice of the business, and he went ballistic, making verybig threats. Cassandra The Haitian boss, Cassandra seems cooler and more collected. Handing territory to her will earn you cool gadgets like explosive lures, so…

Format PS4, PC, PS Vita Publisher Bandai Namco Developer Bandai Namco ETA 30 August What might a god taste of, we wonder? Probably Nutella, or a double bacon cheeseburger. In the post-apocalyptic world of this co-op combat RPG, based on the popular Japanese franchise, they taste like victory. Dubbed for western ears after a PS4 release in Japan last year, Resurrection lets three-player teams nom on deities. After creating a fresh member of an elite force tasked with saving what remains of humanity, you’re given access to powerful transforming weapons called God Arcs. Holding triangle splits the weapon into a black pair of giant mandibles to bite and snap at foes, and connecting with a chomp swallows any loot the god – or Aragami as they’re also called – is…

Format PS4, PS Vita Pub NIS America Dev Monochrome ETA 17 June Former Vanillaware developer Tomohiko Deguchi is at the helm of this JRPG, introducing a medieval fantasy world where four nations compete for power. The player takes the lead of a small group of mercenaries, and negotiates with the different leaders for war contracts. While the story and character dialogue quickly tire in our hands-on, the turn-based combat shines, with its focus on timing your attacks and spells, and careful positioning of your soldiers into tactical formations. It’s clear already that there’s a lot of depth on offer – enough that it actually feels overwhelming at first. And with stunning 2D artwork bringing the intricate combat to life, Grand Kingdom certainly stands out in an admittedly crowded genre. GM…

Format PS4 Pub Bandai Namco Dev Aquira ETA Autumn Although itself a JRPG, Sword Art Online is set within a virtual reality MMO that users log into with a headset called Nervegear. Hollow Realization aims to ape that experience by giving you up to eight party members – four human, four AI – who follow, fight, and chat. You can use the novel’s hero Kirito or make your own, choosing weapons and fighting styles. Combat is tricky to get into, but the story feels authentic, thanks to development help from Reki Kawahara, author of the original manga.…

It was hinted at in the first game, but now it’s confirmed - Corvo Attano is Emily Kaldwin’s father. And ever since his child inherited the throne, Corvo has dedicated his life to training her and keeping her safe. Karnaca is actually Corvo’s homeland – after the death of his lumber worker father, he grew up on its grimy streets – so Dishonored 2 represents something of a homecoming for the ageing character. Whether the region remains as he remembers it, however, is another matter… Devouring Swarm A supernatural swarm of rats is always handy in a pinch, whether you’re looking to dispose of a body or turn the tide of a battle. Now, you’ll be able to upgrade the power so that you summon more rats or even additional…

#1 I EXPECT YOU TO DIE This tricksy puzzler pops you into the most dangerous of Bond-style life-or-death situations and asks you to escape. Given the amount of ways to end your days in the deadly car demo alone – ah, a ticking time bomb, of course – this Oculus experience’s title is maybe too accurate. #2 100 FOOT ROBOT GOLF If those four words weren’t enough, perhaps the promise of destroying entire cities in the name of a hole in one will be. Yes, this PSVR title does exactly what it says on the tin, has a full campaign mode, and even takes you to the moon to try out golfing without gravity. #3 WORLD WAR TOONS Can you make a cartoony Call Of Duty? That’s what this bloodless…

When you’re wandering around your hometown at night, a timer will periodically tick down on your watch’s display, prompting a phenomenon called Terror Time, where you’ll be hunted by a giant red ogre, or oni. You’ll only attract its attention by alerting one of its minions, so careful exploration is key, and it’s well worth your while to have a wander to locate red chests, which hold some of the rarest items in the game. You’ll have to sprint to the exit if you’re spotted, as the oni will demolish your entire team – and your loot – in seconds.…

1 Everyone loves an underdog, and series veterans will know that the most unassuming character can become indispensable with time. Mozu is just such, going from timid Villager to Master At Arms, a stronger form of the Samurai class. 2 The best thing about Hoshido posh ‘un Subaki is that he thinks he’s perfect. And he’s almost right, given that he’s an especially strong unit for any party to have. But team him up with humble Mozu for some fun diversions to bring him back down to earth. 3 Square-jawed Arthur is a good guy surrounded on all sides by evil types, so naturally makes for some great comic relief as you hack your way through Nohr’s Conquest campaign. Suffers from chronic bad luck, too, which is fun when he…

Fallout 4 DLC is releasing quicker than Preston Garvey can say “another settlement needs our help”. Now you can return to the wasteland to sail over irradiated waters in its biggest expansion yet, Far Harbor. You’re tasked with the job of finding a missing young woman on an isolated island, but nothing is as simple as it seems, as you’re sucked into the growing conflict between the Synths and Children Of The Atom. With a larger landmass than any previous Bethesda add-on, as well as new creatures, dungeons, and faction quests, it’ll give you plenty more to do if you’ve already conquered post-apocalyptic Boston. If that doesn’t float your boat, then you can grab the mic and start singing along to newly-added hit tunes in Rock Band 4, such as…

1 Tenchu 2: Birth Of The Stealth Assassins (PS1 – 2000) Rather than immediately line up a new big bad for our seasoned tag team throat-slitters, Acquire chose the path of the prequel. No drastic changes, but the new moves, a level editor, and a third playable Azuma slasher in Tatsumaru, ticked all the right boxes for anyone already on board the Tenchu love train. 2 Tenchu: Wrath Of Heaven (PS2 – 2003) First ninja-hop to a new generation and, for many, the high point of the series. New dev K2 took the helm for the next few years, but peaked early with the advances here: multiplayer modes, interwoven narratives, and unlockable special moves. Plus a new character, the pragmatic killer doctor with a sneeze for a name, Tesshu. Later…

1 DARK SOULS III PS4 / PC / XO The first game might be closer to fans’ hearts, but this is Souls – and gaming – at its current-gen finest. 2 THE LAST OF US PS4 / PS3 Naughty Dog brings all of its strengths to the fore, fusing engaging gameplay with stunning storytelling. 3 THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT PS4 / XO / PC An epic proposition that truly lives up to its promise. Engaging, mature, and unbelievably vast. 4 GRAND THEFT AUTO V PS4 / XO / PC / PS3 / 360 The most comprehensive sandbox going, full of wonderful distractions and typical Rockstar humour. 5 MARIO KART 8 Wii U Reinvention is what Ninty does best, and nowhere is that more apparent than in this joyous karter…