Tabla de contenidos para October 2016 en Gamesmaster

We’re coming up to big game season, as you might be able to tell by our cover story this month. Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare has inspired a million bouts of gamer banter since its initial sci-fiflavoured reveal, some of it excitable and some of it sceptical. We’re here, after time spent playing the game, to tell you that it’s shaping up to be the bravest, most surprising Call Of Duty since the series redefined the genre with Modern Warfare. Get yourself over to p50 to read our impressions for yourself. The other sizable shooter in our sights this month is Destiny: Rise Of Iron. It’s so close you could almost touch it. Well, we actually have on p22, going hands on with the new Strike and PvP modes. We’ve…

The joy of a demo is slowly being lost to a new generation of gamers. Years ago when I first started playing, demos of games were very common. If a developer wanted to create buzz it released a small free snippet that you could download or find attached to a magazine – even the original PS1 came with a selection of demos. This was a great way of getting me psyched for a game. In fact some I played over and over and over. MediEvil was one such where I couldn’t put this short section down. Now, it seems that if I want to try a game out I have to pre-order or pay for Early Access, and then it’s usually a beta, alpha, or even barely a work in…

These beautiful paintings by Marc Davies (@KoiNoYokan2381 on Twitter) show off some of our favourite games in a whole new light! @jayswriting’s tribute to Crash Bandicoot is… well, it’s horrifying, isn’t it? We’ll be having nightmares for weeks. No doubt caught up in Breath Of The Wild excitement, @1stLegend’s drawn this amazing portrait of Link! POLL POSITION Keeping democracy alive on our Facebook and Twitter feeds Who’s gaming’s coolest archaeological explorer? Which is the best Doom?…

“NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME, WE’RE TAKING SONIC BACK TO 2D” We’ve been waiting 20 years for a true follow-up to the classic 16-bit Sonic games. Last-gen’s Sonic 4 should have been exactly that but, fundamentally, it didn’t feellike the old games. Now, a new team has been formed to make an authentic 2D Sonic revival for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. “Sonic Mania is a hypothetical title asking: ‘what-if Sega kept making 2D platforming games on the Sega Saturn?’," explains the game’s producer Lola Shiraishi. Sega’s rival to the original PlayStation never had a first-party Sonic of its own due to the team focusing on Nights Into Dreams – could this retroactively fill the gap? “Sonic has gone through much iteration…

10 million The amount of species players discovered in No Man’s Sky in just the first day of release. That’s more than all the known species on Earth (around 8.7 million). 46% Of peak concurrent players on Steam, this is the percentage moreNo Man’s Sky has had compared to the next most popular 2016 release (XCOM 2). 25 Hours Reddit user DoktorFeelgood spent maxing out his multi-tool, exosuit, and ship inventory slots… without ever leaving the first planet.…

MOD NATION Creative players are already adding to No Man’s Sky using mods. The space adventure feels a little more fully-featured after you download resolution scaling, a toggleable HUD, good old ‘infinite item’ cheats, and the blessed ability to disable your exosuit’s audio warnings. If you’re on PC, it’ll get better by the day. GRAPHIC SCENES Nvidia is outfitting its new notebooks with impressively powerful graphics cards. Portable systems containing the Geforce GTX 1060, 1070, and 1080 are comparable to desktop machines, and given that these cards were released this year, the ability to take them on the go is, if you’ll excuse the pun, noteworthy. GORGEOUS JAWS Fancy a round of slapsies on Bunker? With GoldenEye: Source v5.0, a ten-years-in-the-making fan project that recreates N64’s classic shooter in Source,…

GJALLARHORN Oh yes. Gjally’s back, and although she’s been reined in a little (reload’s slower, and so’s round velocity), each pair of heat-seeking missiles still feels utterly devastating. The rate of fire’s gone up, as has the blast radius. It’s practically two free kills in PvP, and it is glorious. ANGEL’S ADVOCATE A snappy little scout rifle, holding ten rounds and stable as you like. Reload speed is hugely increased after each precision kill, and reloads grant bonus damage for a short time. Perfect for mid-impact, long-range pops, and it features the best description ever: “Just… Come on. Just don’t.” THE WAIL Wail, Wail, Wail. This hand cannon looked so much like a Fab lolly that we couldn’t help but grab it. Named and sanctified by Future War Cult’s leaders,…

Bungie CEO Pete Parsons reminds us that this is “an auspicious time” for the company, as we sit in the comfy theatre room decked out in Rise Of Iron banners. It’s the Halo and Destiny devs’ 25th birthday: no wonder there’s such a party atmosphere in the building. But as we wander, wide-eyed, about the incredible Seattle headquarters (which used to be a cinema), we realise that the crackle and spark of excitement we feel is just another day at Bungie. Development on Rise of Iron is reaching peak levels of ‘oh God, it’s nearly release day’ – but everybody’s smiling. A giant Captain statue greets us as employees wander by, clad in Hakke, New Monarchy, and Vanguard t-shirts. Retro arcade machines line the walls (we jump on for a…

Freedom RC:It’s a weird balance, allowing things that are not initially pre-planned until it becomes a game-breaker. If something’s too much of an exploit then we need to fix it. But usually… we’ll support it. The enemy RB:They’re not just waiting around for you to kill them. They have an agenda. And that’s what you’re trying to figure out. What’s going on on this space station? How do I survive, how do I get off it? Choice RC:Because the game is more open, you can, in a way, break it more. But in a good way, hopefully. And so there are more permutations, more ways that players can have a different experience. Risks RB:The more alien material you put into yourself, the more things start to change. Like the station’s…

“CORVO PERFORMING A BLINK-DODGING, SWORD-PARRYING WALTZ OF FREE-FLOWING DESTRUCTION” Format PS4, XO, PC Publisher Bethesda Developer Arkane Studios ETA 11 November Corvo is perched on a window-ledge, looking out onto the street below. The road is teeming with guards after the escapade he’s just pulled, and one in particular, directly across the cobbles, looks up and sees him. Dishonored 2 has an even greater focus on verticality, you see, and this time around the goons are somewhat more capable in the area of up-and-down search and pursuit. It doesn’t help that Corvo has a slumbering body over his shoulder, the unconscious form of the target he’s just knocked out and is now trying to escape with. But nothing about this hit has been inconspicuous. This one is going to be…

Format PC, PS4, XO Pub CI Games Dev CI Games ETA January 2017 This is one of those titles that sounds like three random words squished together. As it turns out, it’s not the tale of a phantom that’s great at shooting – it’s about a team of elite snipers who take on missions across the world. In this third entry in the series, you play world-class shooter-of-things-that-are-faraway, Jonathan North, as he attempts to prevent a new Cold War from happening. There’s only one way to deal with a problem like that, of course: shoot a bunch of baddies in the face. Though in a shocking twist, this entry now adds stealth takedowns and melee combat to the mix, too – expect a rebrand to Sniper Ghost Puncher within the…

Format XO, PC Pub Microsoft Dev The Coalition, Splash Damage ETA October We’ll never stop being disappointed that it’s not called ‘Gears Of 4’, but that doesn’t mean we’re not excited for this latest entry in the classic series. Thanks to an avalanche of illuminating new footage, we’ve got a rather better idea of what to expect now: vastly improved graphics, destructive windflares (which are like… lava tornadoes?), and the return of the gruff, intense voice acting and gruesome executions we know and love. It’s looking like just the ticket for Gears Of War fans, though we’re concerned it may be a bit too faithful to the old games……

Q When it comes to creating a new Call Of Duty, especially this one which takes a huge leap in terms of setting, are there still things that you wouldn’t dare touch in case you upset the fanbase? ATaylor Kurosaki: First and foremost, we know that we’re making a Call Of Duty game, right? You can’t just call it Call Of Duty and therefore it is. There are those incredible controls, there’s that feel. Call Of Duty is the standard bearer of this soldier fantasy, this military simulation. And so, wherever Call Of Duty goes, or whatever backdrop is used, it has to retain that. So that is still sort of a sacred cow. It has to feel gritty, it has to feel tactile, it has to feel military. As…

“In Project Highrise, you’re in charge of the construction and management of a modern skyscraper. You’ll have a lot to deal with and many hats to wear. As the architect, you’ve got to plan the building. Will it be a skinny, sleek tower piercing the sky? Perhaps a slowly rising series of setbacks that dominate the surrounding area? Once you’ve made those architectural decisions and get your construction crews in place, you’ll need tenants. They pay rent and that’s your primary source of income for further construction. So now it’s time to change hats and become a building manager. Will you fill the tower with offices? Perhaps make a residential tower? Do you have the mettle to do both? Once you’ve decided, you’ll find your tenants’ satisfaction is your new…

STARYU WALK Unsurprisingly, Los Angeles in California looks like one of the best places to don a baseball cap and get Pokémon hunting. According to reports there are more than double the sightings of mythical and rare Pokémon here than anywhere else in the USA. Time for a holiday to catch an Aerodactyl? CULTURE SHOCK Fancy a trip to Holland? Zuiderpark in The Hague is apparently one of the best places in the world to catch a certain electric mouse Pokémon. The area became so popular around the game’s launch that it adopted a new nickname: Pikachu Park. As a bonus, it’s also known for its live music, so you can have a perfect soundtrack for your Pokéhunting. SURF’S UP Waipahu in Hawaii actually has a real life Pokéstop that’s…

The USG Ishimura from Dead Space is the creepiest setting for a game ever. David Galbraith, @davygabs Call Of Duty needs at least a 3 year break! Annual sequels had their time. Now follow Assassin’s Creed’s example. Vaggelis Karpetis, @greek_hylian Any news on a Diablo 4 for consoles? Jamie, @jamiecockshott Fast Racing Neo on Wii U really reminded me of Star Wars Episode I: Racer in all the best ways. Brad Herdman, @bherdm I’m considering deleting Pokémon Go. There are too many things wrong with it and I’m not enjoying it anymore. It was a nice idea though. Gareth Reel, Facebook I want Mario’s superpowers. Imagine the money I could make in the NBA with his never ending stamina, jump height, strength, and lets not forget the ability to pop…

Which is your favourite Sonic game ever, and why? Sonic The Hedgehog 2 It’s over twice as long as the first game, and had multiplayer and insane boss battles. It is so good that no game will ever beat it! Daniel Climo, Facebook Sonic The Hedgehog CD It’ll always be my favourite for its time travelling mechanic and its awesome opening cartoon and theme. h4mm487, @hamma0307 Visit www.facebook.com/ officialgamesmaster and www.twitter.com/gamesmaster to take part in next issue’s burning questions.…

“IS BATTLEBORN MORE COMPLEX THAN OVERWATCH? ITS UI IS CERTAINLY MORE CLUTTERED” You wouldn’t order from a restaurant menu containing stacks of confusing sub-menus that take ages to switch between, each criss-crossed by lengthy yet cryptic descriptions of food, all while crap music plays in the background – so you shouldn’t put up with it elsewhere. Videogame menus exist for two reasons: to explain a game’s rules, and to help you perform tasks quickly. Developers must nail both to avoid frustrating players. The best interfaces avoid elaborate transitions, refrain from information overload, and use space economically. PC strategy game Rimworld is a recent ugly example I struggled with, regardless of emergent tales I hear of mentally unhinged space colonies and bear attacks, simply because there’s too much drawing your focus,…

ICE COLD Get your skates on and start off the sporting calendar with ice hockey sim NHL 17, out now. SHOCKING NEWS Bioshock: The Collection launches today, with all three games and their DLC. LIFE’S A BALL NBA 2K17 is out, featuring peak Stephen Curry, a player so good he’s basically the cheat mode. ROAD HOG Forza Horizon 3 speeds into the rearview mirror, then overtakes while saying “I’m here!”. DAS BOOT FIFA 17’s on shelves now, featuring a Premier League dream-simulating story mode. ADVENTURE TIME It’s the 20th birthday of classic point-and-click adventure series Broken Sword today! RAT PACK Loot-driven co-op rat-splatter Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide comes to PS4 and XO. AT LAST GM drops today! Grab a copy for news on Resi 7, Battlefield 1, and Pokémon…

SIVA NODES Now that looks infected. Popping these spiky pustules is an absolute must for progressing through the new Strike. Fortunately, though they look angry, they’re not hostile. A few close-range hand cannon blasts is just what the doctor ordered. SPLICER VANDALS This newly-horrible lot are plagued by a Berserk ability that triggers once they’re low on health. To avoid any unnecessary pain to both our patients and us, we recommend 50ccs of precision kills fed directly into the gob from range. Say “ahhhhh”. KOVIK’S MONSTER Whatever this poor beast has, it’s incurable (probably a headache, from the looks of that bear-trap in its skull). It’s immune to every gun under the sun: liaising with his daddykins is the only viable way to begin treatment. KOVIK, SPLICER PRIEST This guy’s…

GM: Do you still play in the office a lot? ST:Oh, we play in the office all the time. We played at home last weekend with each other. CB: I play it all the time. ST:I still have things to do. I’m not at max Light level yet. Are you, Chris? CB:No, I’m not at max level yet! ST: There’s nothing more satisfying than going in, because you’re seeing the iteration of everything you’ve made. I wish we could track our hours that we play here! GM: What parts of the game do you still love jumping into? CB: I play Crucible myself. What I actually enjoy most is just putting on headphones and soloing in Control or something like that. I find that very relaxing. Not all the time!…

“WHERE ONCE ALL CHARACTERS PLAYED THE SAME, NOW QUAKE’S CHAMPIONS EACH BRING A UNIQUE CLASS ABILITY TO THE FIGHT” Format PC Publisher Bethesda Developer Id Software ETA Summer 2018 Sometimes all it takes is the smallest detail to prove that a game is going in the right direction. One look at Batman: Arkham Asylum’s cape physics, and a couple of stoic lines from Kevin Conroy, and we could see the game was in safe hands. A quick flash of that curling tail animation, starkly illuminated by flickering strobe, and Alien: Isolation suddenly felt like a safe bet. And so it is with Quake Champions, the first completely new entry in Id Software’s (rightly) legendary series in 11 years, and the first one entirely dedicated to Quake’s still unbeaten arena FPS…

Format XO, PC Publisher Compulsion Games Developer Compulsion Games ETA Spring 2017 Compulsion Games certainly knows its dystopias. The most direct reference point here is probably Brave New World, and both works depict a pill-popping society that promotes hallucinogenics as the path to happiness. Orwell’s 1984 is a touchstone too, and you spend the game’s opening minutes working as a state censor eagerly redacting whole pages from humdrum newsprint. That cushy job falls through the minute you stop taking your ‘Joy’ pills. Suddenly, the colourful world takes on a greyish hue and dreadful memories threaten to overwhelm you. It doesn’t take long for your co-workers to notice – you’re branded a ‘Downer’, chased from the building, and left to fend for yourself in a rural wasteland. And it’s here that…

Format PC Pub Nexon Dev Boss Key ETA Winter The first game from Cliff Blezinski’s new studio Boss Key (you’ll remember Mr B as the mind behind Gears Of War), has now entered its final alpha test phase. It’s a competitive first-person shooter with a slick old school streak, a complete lack of respect for the laws of gravity, and a selection of super-powered classes to choose from. These include the newly-revealed Titan, which, though slow, can put out huge area-of-effect damage, and wields a rocket launcher as its main weapon. Looks like we’ll be breaking more than just laws.…

Poindexter The nerd, played by Seth Green, of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Robot Chicken, and Family Guy fame. “When we were looking at the nerd character we were looking at everything from Revenge Of The Nerds to Sixteen Candles.” Andre The rapper, played by Saturday Night Live’s Jay Pharoah. “In that decade you had acts like Run DMC on one spectrum and then on the other side you had NWA, and so we wanted to take little bits and pieces of all this.” AJ The jock, voiced by Suicide Squad and Disaster Movie’s Ike Barinholtz. “When we designed the characters I’m kind of sitting there envisioning what they sound like and how they’re going to behave, then when the actors come in and portray those roles, they add this essence…

Format XO, PC Developer Mr Whale’s Game Service ETA Spring 2017 Web http://bit.ly/gmfargame There just aren’t enough gaming road trips – jumping into your vehicle of choice and heading into the sunset with only the radio for company… The beautiful Far wants to take us on a journey, but not one with sand and long scarves. Instead we need to take the wheel of a hulking machine and traverse a barren wasteland. “I wanted to take a different approach to the idea and use of vehicles in games,” explains designer Don Schmocker. “Far is not so much about speed, but about the journey. You are not the vehicle, but you need to work with it and care for it. This almost automatically creates an emotional attachment to your vessel and…

The hacking minigame presents you with a network of nodes that can be captured and reinforced to plot a path to the green victory node. Once that’s captured, you’ve won, and the door or safe you’re trying to break into will open. However, once your intrusion is discovered, red nodes will start capturing points to reach your blue origin node. If that happens the hack fails and there’s a chance you’ve just set of an alarm and alerted every enemy in the building. Tough hacks are quick games of cat-and-mouse in which you make snap decisions about which nodes to fortify, and which nodes to sacrifice.…

Format PC Pub EuroVideo Medien Dev Weappy Studio ETA Out now Players 1 Perhaps the title’s an anagram, because we can’t help but wonder: Is This The Police? From the off, protagonist Jack Boyd doesn’t behave like a police chief should, making deals with the mafia, burying paperwork for financial gain, and jeopardising public safety for an extra bit of cash. Managing a fleet of coppers might ostensibly be the aim of the game, but the real objective is to build up a pension fund from bribes and bounties. The mafia will slip you a few thousand bucks for leaving them be, or you can hire out your officers as private security, then pocket the cash. These scenarios aim to provide a moral quandary, but you’ve got little freedom: disobey…

Fallout Format PC Developer Interplay Entertainment Released 1997 The Master may not feature in Fallout 2, 3, or 4, but as the creator of the Super Mutant species, he casts a long shadow over the series. And, true to Fallout form, this big boss showdown can be tackled in a variety of ways. Masochists might want to battle him head-on, while especially charismatic sorts can actually talk him out of his genocidal ways. Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker Format Mega Drive, Master System Developer Sega Released 1991 The opening level to this digital tribute to the king of pop is truly disorienting stuff. A synthesized version of Smooth Criminal begins to play on a loop, you have a magical hat you can throw at enemies, and occasionally your player character (MJ himself)…

Format Mobile Publisher The Pokémon Company Developer Niantic ETA Out now 1 Eeevee evolution Eevee’s are so gosh darn cute – but it’s hard not to be frustrated by the randomness of their evolution into Flareon, Vaporeon, or Jolteon. Turns out having a little knowledge of the original Pokémon TV show can help you out here. In the anime, one episode revolved around the Eevee Brothers, each of whom had a different Eevee-lution, and the secret to getting the type you want is in their names. Sparky had a Jolteon, Rainer a Vaporeon, and Pyro a Flareon. All you need to do is rename your Eevee to the corresponding Eevee Brother and you’ll get that evolution. Just make sure the name saves, then quit out of the app fully…

Q1 Which of these was the most critically acclaimed Final Fantasy game? A –Final Fantasy VII B –Final Fantasy VIII C –Final Fantasy IX D –Final Fantasy X Q2 Which of these is the best-selling racing series of all time? A – Gran Turismo B–Mario Kart C– Need For Speed Q3 Pokémon might have the highest number of recruitable characters in a JRPG, but which game had the most ‘consenting’ party members? Q4 Can you put these games’ worlds in order of size, from biggest to smallest? A –Elite: Dangerous B –World Of Warcraft (pre-Burning Crusade) C –No Man’s Sky D –Minecraft Q5 What land-based videogame has the highest vertical range? Q6 Which was the first FPS to feature a sniper rifle? On The…

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD Format NX, Wii U ETA Spring 2017 We need our own ocarina to travel into the future to when this is released… MAFIA III Format PS4, XO, PC ETA7 October A criminal overlord trying to keep his three squabbling underbosses happy? Sounds like Team GM, hurr hurr. WATCH DOGS 2 Format PS4, XO, PC ETA 15 November Hold on, did you actually vote for this, or did Ubisoft hack all your computers? We can’t trust anything anymore… THE LAST GUARDIAN Format PS4 ETA 28 October Don’t just adopt random giant animals you find. Team GM got a 10 foot tall dog this month and it’s a bloody nightmare. BATTLEFIELD 1 Format PS4, XO, PC ETA21 October Zeppelins! Horses! Biplanes! This ain’t your…

MATT’S PICK Final Fantasy XV It’s so close. I remember first seeing this game announced, back when it was called Final Fantasy Versus XIII and was intended to form a part of the ill-fated Fabula Nova Crystallis umbrella (that of Lightning, Snow, and the rest of the XIII cast). That was back in 2006. A decade ago. It’s safe to say I’m positively buzzing to get my hands on it. PS4, XO – 29 November ROBIN’S PICK The Fall Part 2: Unbound I absolutely adored the first instalment for its bold, interesting premise and palpably unnerving atmosphere (read my impassioned defence of it over on p96!) but after two years of silence I’d lost hope this promised second part was still being made. A very pleasant surprise to see it…

“PREY IS NOW AN ARKANE GAME THROUGH AND THROUGH, SO THE MEANS YOU’LL HAVE TO FIGHT BACK ARE MANY AND VARIED” Format PS4, XO, PC Publisher Bethesda Developer Arkane Studios ETA Autumn 2017 Whatever you’re expecting of this once-sequel-now-reboot at this stage in its lengthy development, you’re very probably wrong. There’s none of the original game’s portal-jockeying FPS on show here – at least none in our behind-closed-doors eyes-on demo. Neither is there the scantest hint of the bounty-hunting, Blade Runner parkour seen at E3 a couple of years ago. Hunting of a kind, there certainly is, though the tables have turned. This time, the game’s title refers not to your alien foes, but to your very unfortunate self. But fear not. For Prey is now an Arkane game through…

Mine now As if trip mines weren’t nasty enough, Sniper Elite 4 adds the Teller and the S-mine. The latter starts off plunged into the ground but when activated, it pops up and fires shrapnel in multiple directions. Trap battle The trap cam lets you watch as your carefully set explosives go off – and you don’t even need to be nearby. Leave a trap across the map and regardless of when it gets set off, you’ll always see the end result. Go ballistics You can switch between ultra-authentic ballistics, and a less realistic but easier setting. Breathe out when Fairburne is aiming down his scope and focus time will show a red dot where the bullet will land. Off script The AI across the map is constantly reacting to…

Format PS4 Publisher Sony Developer Insomniac Games ETA Winter 2017 They say that with great power comes great responsibility, and the licence to develop a game based on one of the most beloved characters in comicbook history sure sounds like great power to us. Fortunately, it looks like the wisecracking Peter Parker has found something of a kindred spirit in the form of the fun-loving folk at Ratchet & Clank developer Insomniac Games. The game’s impressive reveal trailer – premiered at E3 earlier this year – showcased the webbed wonder slinging his way across the New York City skyline and thumping thugs with arachnoid grace. Insomniac has now confirmed that this video was captured entirely in-engine, suggesting that the final game should be a close visual match to this immaculately…

Format PS4, PS Vita Pub Square Enix Dev Square Enix ETA October If you love Final Fantasy, you love little chibi versions of things, and you really, really want to see a baby Cactuar, then this new spin-off is just the game for you. You play twins Lann and Reyne as they attempt to regain their lost memories, meeting familiar main series characters like Cloud, Lightning, and Tidus along the way. You can also befriend, ride, and evolve Mirages, creatures that range from the adorable to the absolutely terrifying. Even the scary ones are kind of cute, though.…

Format PC Pub Big Robot Dev Big Robot ETA Summer 2017 The folks behind Sir, You Are Being Hunted are back, and this time it’s with an utterly beautiful exploration-adventure game where you remotely control a robot on the surface of a planet covered in ancient ruins. It looks lovely, mysterious, and peaceful, at first – but you’ll soon find yourself in conflict with the planet’s more hostile inhabitants, who don’t seem especially keen on visitors to their home. Get busted up in one of these scraps? No problem – you can transfer your mind into a fresh robot body. Maybe a bigger, stronger one……

RIDICULOUS FISHING Fishing never really appealed? Something about all the guts and scales put you off? Well, let this mobile app transport you from your drifting lilo to an 8-bit rowing boat for some absurdly addictive fishing and then, err, shooting action. Sea-riously, it’s the reel deal and no need for actual Dory-murdering action. PRUNE Lopping off tree limbs just shouldn’t be this relaxing. If you’re looking for a zen experience to play while you sizzle on that lounger like a BBQ skewer, look no further than this. Gorgeous visuals and soothing sounds accompany your quest to let trees grow gracefully into the light. OLLIOLLI 2: WELCOME TO OLLIWOOD You want to do some summer sport, but not move. It’s understandable – you’re on holiday, not at the gym. Never…

“WORLDS OF ENDLESS BLUE OCEANS; HONEYCOMB CAVE SYSTEMS; VAST RIDGES OF FEATHERED RED CORAL” Format PS4 (reviewed), PC Publisher Hello Games Developer Hello Games ETA Out now Players 1 There are 18 quintillion planets in this procedurally-generated space adventure, and if someone discovered a new one every hour from birth until death they would only find 718,320 of them. It’s big is what we’re saying, bigger than you’d ever think the dozen devs at Hello Games could possibly pull off – but more important is how it plays. You start on a random planet amidst ship wreckage, with the aim to gather resources and repair your vessel so you can blast off and begin exploring, trading, and fighting across the void. The ultimate goal? Reach the centre of a star-stuffed…

1 RIMWORLD PC A genius sandbox of storytelling. Fave moment so far: living through a tough winter by having my one surviving colonist eat his fallen friends. He then died. Horribly. Matt Sakuraoka-Gilman, Editor 2 RAINBOW SIX SIEGE PS4 The Skull Rain DLC’s got me back in, with its new favela map. I forgot how moreish the destruction in this game is and I’m now smashing planks every evening. And in the game. Matt Sakuraoka-Gilman, Editor 3 BROKEN AGE ACT 2 PC Act 1 was my favourite game of 2014, so don’t ask me why it’s taken me this long to play its second chapter. The warm visuals, the dad jokes – it’s a near-perfect point-and-click. Ben Griffin, Senior Staff Writer 3 POKéMON GO MOBILE A great micro-distraction, one I…

Three new hellscapes await Doom players looking to make a return to its online arenas this month, in Unto The Evil. Cataclysm is a military base adjoined to a satanic chamber, while Offering provides a more gothic vibe with its crumbling fortress. Completing the trio is Ritual, a seemingly abandoned laboratory filled with nightmarish experiments gone wrong. Along with the new maps, and a bunch of customisation options, comes a new demon type, giving you the chance to zip around the battlefield as the Harvester draining life from enemies with its infernal beam shots to charge up a devastating ‘detonation attack’. If that’s all a bit too intense then perhaps adorable cat costumes are more your speed? Nintendo is serving up some free, and incredibly cute, costumes in Monster Hunter…

1 Zarch (PC – 1987) It may look basic now, but Zarch’s solid 3D visuals were revolutionary in an era when wireframe still ruled. Braben reportedly wrote the game in a mere three months for the launch of the Acorn Archimedes, at which point the patchwork landscapes and fully 3D player-controlled lander craft served as a technical showcase for the machine. 2 Frontier: Elite II (PC, Amiga, Atari ST – 1993) Elite fans had to wait an agonising nine years for a follow-up to the genre-defining original, but Braben’s sequel added realistic Newtonian physics to that beloved core of space-trading gameplay, completely transforming the experience of player navigation and exploration. The game was another technical marvel as well, featuring curved surfaces (a first for the industry) and enabling players to…

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