Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2016 i Gamesmaster

No, that’s not a misprint – I really have swapped chairs this month, ready to keep things roaring along until a replacement is found for the irreplaceable Matt Sakuraoka-Gilman. My first decree as temporary Man In Charge? Pokémon everywhere. Flip to our Sun and Moon cover feature on p44 and bask in ten dazzling pages of hands-on impressions, developer interviews, and expert GM insight. For more monster-catching, check out RetroMaster for a direct dose of Red and Blue-flavoured nostalgia, too. Another classic series getting its due this issue is Tomb Raider. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, some of our favourite developers share their most memorable Lara Croft moments as we look at the past, present, and future of one of gaming’s most enduring stars. All that, plus our extensive hands-on…

I love reading your magazine. Upon finishing any current edition I always look forward to the next one! There’s one thing that has crossed my mind recently. After seeing the massive leap in quality from last-gen to current-gen, my question is: do we really need a next-gen? In my opinion, the answer is no. Games today are now so immersive that they are more or less interactive movies. Take Batman: Arkham Knight, for example. Weak story, but amazing acting, graphics, and gameplay. Grand Theft Auto V, great storytelling along with performances and looks. Infamous: Second Son was absolutely photographic quality. To me, any next-gen console will only be a slight extension of current ones at most. Daniel Climo, Facebook Thanks for reading Daniel, glad you enjoy GM! You raise an…

Can’t wait even two more days for the mag!!! Hylian Legends, @hylian_legends I can now ride gloriously into battle thanks to GamesMaster! Hollie Bennett, @HollieB Everybody’s Tennis now available to download. Is there a chance of Everybody’s Golf following suit? Hope so. Jamie Cockshott, @JamieCockshott Someone needs to remake Red Card. Chris Andrews, @Greave17 You asked on Facebook about what new features should be in Mass Effect: Andromeda, and I wrote “the ability to play as Kevin Sorbo”. I received not even one like. Why is that? Todd Yami Dox, Facebook Mr Motivator should have his own game. Colin McCloskey, Facebook Anxious to see NX. Nintendo hardware is always an event! Martin DIxon, @BunnySuicida MANIAC OF THE MONTH! Thanks guys for the free game giveaway, but I can’t even play…

40 How many times more copies FIFA 17 sold than Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 in its launch week. Ouch. 190 How much (in pounds) it’ll cost if you want a pair of the new Touch motion controllers for Oculus Rift. 56 The current number of PS VR games scheduled to be available by the end of 2016. Plenty to be getting on with! 45 million How many Tomb Raider games have been sold in total in the 20 years since Lara Croft first adventured her way into the hearts of gamers everywhere. Head to p22 for our anniversary celebration of the series!…

“THE PEOPLE INVOLVED ARE TAKING IT SERIOUSLY, WHICH IS A GOOD THING” Let’s face it. Videogame movies don’t have a great rep and there’s good reason for that. We’ve got two words for you: Uwe Boll. Ok, that’s a little unfair, but the German director’s adaptationsof games like Alone In The Dark and House Of The Dead definitely didn’t help matters. Mainstream Hollywood has been almost diabolically unsuccessful with gaming movies. This year’s Warcraft was fine but a decade too late, Angelina Jolie looked the part in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider but starred in a damp squib of an action movie, and the less said about Timothy Olyphant’s Hitman the better. Yet a change is coming. After years of failure – except an acceptable…

And so the great arcade cabinet giveaway comes to a glorious end. Your mini parlour should now be graced by Pac-Man and Galaxia (issue 309), Pong and Missile Command (issue 308), and Asteroids and Centipede (issue 307). Now it’s the turn of Dig-Dug, and a customisable blank cabinet . By now we’re sure you can put your miniature coin-op replicas together with your eyes closed, but for the benefit of newcomers and the memory deficient, our handy visual guide will help you cut, fold, and ultimately assemble your team like totally adorable, paper-based Avengers. And remember, you can always share pictures of your handiwork with us. In fact, we demand it – show us your cabinet making craft skills. Peace out from papercraft arcade corner! 1 Start by cutting out…

Q Tomb Raider as a videogame series has achieved long-running success. Why do you think it’s proved so eternally popular with players? A Tomb Raider is a perfect expression of the best parts of action/adventure gaming embodied in a unique main character. Lara Croft represents the promise of platforming, puzzle-solving, exploration, discovery, and combat. In short, Tomb Raider offers a variety of adventures that people love to have, with a character that people love to play. Q Where were you when you first played a Tomb Raider game, and which one was it? A I played the first Tomb Raider game in 1996, and my impression of games changed forever. I was already lucky enough to be working in games, and we played Tomb Raider at the office. I remember…

Slasher He’s got long, overgrown nails that must draw plenty of disgust from his mum. Not that he’ll be too bothered – his lack of personal hygiene means he’s able to easily tear shreds out of unsuspecting players. Bloat The obligatory morbidly obese zombie. What he lacks in physical prowess, he makes up for in the ability to spew bile at you like a teenager who’s learning the side effects of guzzling budget cider. Scrake Remember the chainsaw man from Resident Evil 4? Imagine he was wearing a metal muzzle and had his chainsaw attached to his arm. With eyes like his, you really don’t want to see his mouth. Fleshpound Not a high minded reference to The Merchant Of Venice, but an absolute demon who has enough pointy objects…

FormatXO, PC PubThe Behemoth DevThe Behemoth ETASummer 2017 When you think ‘turn-based strategy’ the first things that pop to mind probably aren’t hair trolls in flower bonnets or gun maniacs astride flying giraffes. But indie dev The Behemoth (of Castle Crashers fame) likes to do things in its own special way. The action takes place across hex-based battlefields and, as ever in a TBS, you use allies and cunning to vanquish foes. But while the core mechanics will be familiar to patrons of the genre, everything else about this tactical skirmish adventure appears to be completely nuts, like an out-of-control kid’s party. We can’t ever recall a giant bear’s paw (a giant space bear’s paw, no less) crushing parts of the map mid-battle in Advance Wars, for example. And we’re…

Format PS4, XO, PC Pub No Matter Dev No Matter ETA Dec 2017 It’s been a while since we first covered this impressive-looking survival adventure as part of IndieMaster, but the game continues to hold our attention. Not least because it gives more than just a passing nod to Shadow Of The Colossus – teasing glimpses of the hero going up against (and climbing up) several imposing giants as she journeys across a snow-covered wilderness make it impossible not to draw comparisons with the PS2 masterpiece. Other sources of inspiration include Deus Ex, Bloodborne, and DayZ, say the devs.…

“ULTRA BEASTS ARE MORE MYSTERIOUS THAN EVEN LEGENDARIES” Pokémon Sun and Moon introduce radical change to the series, with more additions and improvements than ever before. Chief among them is the time difference, which we will explain… 1 …now. Sun takes place at whatever the time is where you are, and Moon happens half a day later. So if, for instance, you intend to play after work in the evening, but still want to see daylight in the game, get Moon. 2 This affects Pokémon evolutions. In Sun, Rockruff evolves into Lycanroc’s Midday Form, a gorgeous blue-eyed wolf. In Moon, his Midnight Form is a feral-looking werewolf. Pokémon also change forms under other conditions. Feed Oricorio nectar from different flowers and she alters her dancing, adopting Baile, Pom-Pom, Pa’u, or…

JOB SIMULATOR It’s not like all we do every day is work – it’s about time that gaming was full of menial tasks. With a Move wand in each hand, you’ll be immersed in a world where tasks include building sandwiches, staffing a convenience store, and even making the perfect office coffee – each with its own chaotic twist. THUMPER Self-proclaimed by dev team Drool as being “completely overwhelming” in VR, this ‘rhythm violence’ game in which a metal beetle speeds ever onwards towards shrieking boss monsters is nothing short of an assault on the eyes and ears… er, in a good way. Check out our full review on p79. TETHERED Inspired by the visuals of Studio Ghibli movies, this open-world survival strategy game has been specifically built to be…

Perhaps the biggest departure from the standard FIFA model is the introduction of dialogue choices that directly impact your playing style in The Journey. At various points you’ll be given three possible responses in a conversation – one slightly hot headed, one rather cool, and one balanced. Whatever you say won’t actually alter the plot, but it will affect how you play on the pitch, and how your manager perceives your manner. Being ballsy might win you fans on social networks, but it may also mean it takes a little longer to win the gaffer’s trust and respect.…

If you want to spend more time in the world of Shadow Warrior, you might want to consider picking up the original companion novels that hit store shelves back in 1997. For Dead Eyes Only and You Only Die Twice (only the most subtle references for this series) were released at the height of Shadow Warrior’s popularity, and both pieces of paperback fiction are a kitschy mix of ’90s videogame iniquities and pulp novel hilarity. Getting hold of them may be tricky, however – they’re practically collector’s items these days……

MyCareer is a sports RPG, placing you squarely in the shoes of an up-and-coming player trying to make it in the NBA. You can choose any position and configure your height and weight, which dictates the kind of skills you’ll have. From there, you participate in a storyline centred around getting playing time, establishing strong relationships with teammates, and becoming (hopefully) a star. MyCareer demands a lot of time and effort, though – it’s reminiscent in many ways of old-school grinding in role-playing games of days gone by. Some will be put off, while others will delight in putting in the work.…

1 JOB SIMULATOR PS4 I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard playing a game. From chucking donuts at your boss to photocopying your brain, this VR title is the best kind of goofy chaos. Robin Valentine, Acting Editor 2 THUMPER PS4 Oof, there’s hard, and then there’s Thumper. I adore this rhythm-action game’s visual style and sound design, but I think I might be too cack-handed to actually play it… Robin Valentine, Acting Editor 3 POKÉMON X AND Y 3DS To prepare for Pokémon Sun & Moon, which are amazing, I’ve returned to look over the hordes of incredible creatures I’ve kept imprisoned since 2013. Who’s the real monster? Ben Griffin, Senior Staff Writer 4 FIFA 17 PC Is it just me playing this on PC? Console…

Another month and another deluge of DLC washes down the data pipes. To keep things on a watery theme, where better to start than Rocket League, which makes waves with a free update to introduce the AquaDome – an underwater arena which is pretty much a giant ostentatious goldfish bowl. If you hate free stuff, there are two new premium cars to throw your money at – Proteus and Triton. Just be careful not to flood the engine. Strategic fantasy battler Endless Legend also plunges into the wet stuff with its Tempest expansion. Naval warfare debuts as a new type of battle, while the Morgawr, a race of hostile amphibious folk, join the ranks of the game’s major factions. As well as storms, fog, and debris to contend with when…

SAMURAI WANT OK, so it’s not exactly cheap at just over £2000, but it is Darth Vader as a samurai. Inspired by ‘musha ningyo’, traditional Japanese warrior dolls, Lord Vader measures up to an imposing 10.6” and comes complete with intricate armour, helmet, and weaponry. This is the toy you’re looking for… BEAN THERE Because you definitely need to learn to use chopsticks again. The adorable Pikachu Hajimete Manner Bean game is meant to be used to teach children the art of chopsticks, but we just want it to pick up the adorable Pokémon one by one, over and over. I choose you! And you! And, of course, you. AMAZING ALTERNATIVE Like a real-life version of Super Mario Maker (but with more metal balls) this 3D Maze game can be…

1 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. 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…

“BEING FORCED TO STARE AT SOMETHING YOU FEAR IS A VICIOUS AND TERRIFYING PROSPECT” We’re entering an exciting time for horror. Not since the advent of home VHS, with its Driller Killers, Love Camp 7s, and Zombie Flesh Eaters, has there been such a significant step forward in the process of beaming blistering unpleasantness directly into our lives. But there’s a problem, and I know it sounds weird even saying this, but… I think VR horror is going to be too scary. Now, this isn’t me acting like a cabbagey moral guardian, monocle falling into my china teacup with practised outrage – plop! This is me speaking as a hugehorror fan. Every year I store dark materials like a Mephistophelian squirrel hoarding some evil kind of nut, before binging on…

ALIEN INVASION We hailed it as “an instant classic” and walloped it with a honking great 95% in our review of the PC version (issue 301), so PS4 and Xbox One gamers should be dancing in the streets now that strategy masterpiece XCOM 2 has landed on consoles. And by ‘dancing in the streets’ we obviously mean ‘sitting on the sofa and playing XCOM 2’. MAKIN’ BACON After a few frustrating years of ‘yes it is’ and ‘no it isn’t’, Beyond Good & Evil 2 has been officially confirmed as 100% ‘yes it is’. In a post on the BG&E Facebook page, publisher Ubisoft confirmed series creator Michel Ancel is working on the game with its Montpellier studio. No solid info on the talking pig yet, though… FAR EDEN PROJECT…

“TR’s Palace Midas. You had to rest three bars on Midas’ hand to turn them gold. Pity the poor sap (me) who climbed atop the open palm: Lara’s slow transformation into metal was harrowing.” Matthew Pellett, Editor, Official PlayStation Magazine “When Lara busts out her dual-wielded pistols to defeat the final boss in the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot – it’s the perfect nod to her distinctive combat style in the original games.” Iain Wilson, Guides Editor, GamesRadar+ “It was a happy day when I discovered knocking into Lara’s doddery old butler would make him fart in Tomb Raider II. That remains the pinnacle of the series. In my opinion.” Matt Cundy, Contributing Writer…

TOMB RAIDER Released 1996 Format PC, PS1, Saturn TOMB RAIDER II Released 1997 Format PC, PS1 TOMB RAIDER III: ADVENTURES OF LARA CROFT Released 1998 Format PC, PS1 TOMB RAIDER: THE LAST REVELATION Released 1999 Format PC, Dreamcast, PS1 TOMB RAIDER: CHRONICLES Released 2000 Format PC, Dreamcast, PS1 TOMB RAIDER: THE ANGEL OF DARKNESS Released 2003 Format PC, PS2 TOMB RAIDER: LEGEND Released 2006 Format PC, PS3, 360, PSP, DS, GameCube, Xbox, GBA, PS2 TOMB RAIDER: ANNIVERSARY Released 2007 Format PC, PS3, Wii, 360, PSP, PS2 TOMB RAIDER: UNDERWORLD Released 2008 Format 360, PS3, PS2, PC, Wii, DS TOMB RAIDER Released 2013 Format PC, PS4, XO, PS3, 360 RISE OF THE Tomb RaideR Released 2015 Format PC, PS4, XO…

Stained glass Trico is, for some reason, utterly terrified of these colourful plates of glass, each of which is in the shape of some kind of evil eye. He’ll point-blank refuse to walk past one until it has been smashed with a rock. Iridescent liquid Like a moth to a flame, Trico is drawn toward vials of this light blue glowing liquid. These can be used to lure him to interact with key objects in the world when it’s necessary for you to both progress. Hopping mad Tap the trigger button on the controller and your character will wave at Trico and hop between feet on the spot. It’s a useful way to get the creature’s attention, although he won’t always respond. Pawing at doors When not stubbornly refusing to…

Format PC Publisher Stunlock Studios Developer Stunlock Studios ETA Spring 2017 Two teams of fantasy heroes enter an arena, one team leaves. There are no respawns, cooldowns are short, and should the battle run too long then the arena will gradually constrict. Battlerite is a fast-paced arena combat game inspired by World of Warcraft PVP and MOBAs. Like a MOBA, Battlerite is viewed from an isometric perspective but, unlike a MOBA, you move with the keyboard and aim with the mouse, so more like a shooter in that regard. Each character starts with a broad set of powers, with upgrades unlocked on a round-by-round basis. Think leaps, stuns, weapon power-ups, knockbacks, and so on. Overwatch is one touchstone here, but so – rather surprisingly – is Street Fighter. It’s fun,…

Format PC Pub Messhof Dev Messhof ETA Summer 2017 The side-scrolling sword-swisher has a sequel and it’s got a new look. The stylish old-school pixel vibe is gone and a SNESera aesthetic takes its place. The radical change in art direction has divided fans into one of two camps: The ‘I don’t like it’ camp and the ‘I really don’t like it’ camp. We’re thinking of starting a third camp – the ‘We don’t like how it looks but loved the original so are willing to give the follow-up a chance’ camp. As well as the makeover, the sequel brings bows, local and online multiplayer, ten maps, and a single-player mode to the party.…

THE TANK Frontline flak absorber BEWEAR Stands at a whopping 6ft 11in. Its fluffy ability handily halves damage from any physical attacks, but there’s one drawback – it’s ultra flammable and fire attacks deal double damage! MINIOR This shell-encased ’mon floats around a stratosphere filled with debris, so there’s little wonder it’s sturdy enough to survive a whack or two. Minior’s squishy exposed form is more vulnerable, though. MUDSDALE Quite literally the workhorse of the team, weathering blows with its thick hide and strong back. A transportation mule, it has among the highest stamina of any Pokémon on Alola. THE SPEEDSTER Strikes first and puts foes on the back foot SALANDIT Its corrosion ability allows Salandit to poison types that don’t normally succumb to the technique, such as steel and…

SOPHOCLES Both a Trial Captain and Festival Plaza owner, shy Sophocles specializes in electric Pokémon. He likes inventing machines and, apparently, scowling. PROFESSOR KUKUI This guy is actually your cousin. He has a hands-on approach to Pokémon research – he wilfully suffers attacks to learn their effects firsthand. HAU Hala’s grandson and your main rival in Sun and Moon, smiley Hau shows up at points to test your skills against his alternate starter Pokémon. HALA The Kahuna of Melemele Island, and organises festivals in honour of the island guardian, Tapu Koko. MYSTERIOUS LILLIE She works closely with Professor Kukui. We don’t see her battle, but for some reason she always seems to be in a hurry… KIAWE A Trial Captain, fiery Kiawe and his Alola Marowak study traditional dances. In…

“After one hundred years in stasis, the girl and protagonist En arrives at her destination: a Palace of the old civilization aeons gone. Out here she hopes to bring back a life that should not have been lost… In Echo everything has a consequence: the Palace studies everything you do, everything you are, to use it against you. It creates Echoes, exact copies of you, that do the things you do. So the way you play informs and shapes your enemy. If you run, soon the Echoes get faster. If you sneak, they get stealthier. If you shoot, they will start to shoot back. The game constantly reacts to your every choice and input. The Palace reboots every few minutes, resulting in a blackout. This is when the Echoes get…

The ruthless Cassandra heads up the Haitian mob, and styles herself as a mysterious voodoo queen. Vito Scaletta is a made man and returning protagonist of Mafia II, but he’s been betrayed by the local mafia. Thomas Burke is the hard-drinking head of the Irish mob, and a marvelous mechanic to boot.…

Different building types can give different buffs, and discovering new types can also boost your town score. Here are a few useful construction tips that will help your town flourish in the game’s early stages and keep it safer from marauding monsters. 1 Adding six beds to a room makes it an inn, which gives villagers an HP boost – handy when they help you fight. 2 For a huge points boost, add a bed (stolen from the abandoned castle), a chair, and some ‘fancy’ lighting. 3 Cafés can stop your hunger meter dropping. You’ll find a blueprint for one in Hammerhood Heights. 4 Building a wall around your city might not give you any points, but it makes it far, far easier to defend. 5 The sickroom lets you…

“THIS IS A TERROR RIDE WITH ONLY ONE MISSION – TO SCARE THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF YOU” Format PS4 Publisher Sony Developer Supermassive Games ETA Out now Players 1 Virtual reality is simultaneously the best and worst thing to happen to horror gaming. On the one hand, it means you can pop on a headset and completely immerse yourself in terrifying worlds handcrafted by developers; but on the other, why on Earth would you want to do that? Spinning-off from last year’s PS4 exclusive original, this gory helping of Until Dawn changes tactics from a choose your own scare-venture to an on-rails ghost train with pistols. Don’t let that change of genre put you off though – Rush of Blood is a truly horrifying jaunt…

1 THE LAST OF US REMASTERED 2 JOURNEY 3 UNCHARTED 4 4 TOWERFALL ASCENSION 5 BLOODBORNE 1 HALO 5: GUARDIANS 2 KALIMBA 3 FORZA HORIZON 2 4 QUANTUM BREAK 5 ORI & THE BLIND FOREST 1 MARIO KART 8 2 SUPER MARIO MAKER 3 SPLATOON 4 BAYONETTA 2 5 SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD 1 XCOM 2 2 HER STORY 3 STARBOUND 4 GUILD WARS 2 5 DOTA 2 1 FIRE EMBLEM FATES 2 POKÉMON X AND Y 3 ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW LEAF 4 MONSTER HUNTER GENERATIONS 5 LUIGI’S MANSION 2: DARK MOON 1 TEARAWAY 2 PERSONA 4 GOLDEN 3 VELOCITY 2X 4 ZERO ESCAPE: VIRTUE’S LAST REWARD 5 GRAVITY RUSH 1 80 DAYS 2 FTL: FASTER THAN LIGHT 3 SORCERY 3 4 HEARTHSTONE: HEROES OF WARCRAFT 5 PAPERS PLEASE…

Teleport side Just the other day I was sitting back with a Nintendo 3DS in my left hand and an Xbox 360 controller in my right, trying to play two games at once, when it suddenly dawned on me that every single thing I have dreamt of in terms of gaming has come true. I’ll explain. It all started back with the Atari 2600 when I would dream of less chunky graphics and sound that didn’t sound like a spectrum of differently pitched farts – then I was rewarded with the Amiga, which accomplished all that and more. But then I wished for, say, photorealistic graphics and full stereo, even CD-quality sound, and I got that before too long. And then I realised I may not be pushing it far…

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD Format NX, WII U ETA Spring 2017 Turns out the answer is swords. Tunics and shields are also polling well. WATCH DOGS 2 Format PS4, XO, PC ETA 15 November Sorry computers, people still like you, but just not quite as much as swords. Try harder next time. SOUTH PARK: THE FRACTURED BUT WHOLE Format PS4, XO, PC ETA Spring 2017 DC and Marvel are quaking in their boots anticipating this super-roasting. POKÉMON SUN AND MOON Format 3DS ETA 23 November Can you tell we’re excited for this latest catch-’em-up? Head to p44 for our massive hands-on! SPIDER-MAN Format PS4 ETA Winter 2017 Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can! Can he make a good game? Let’s hope this one isn’t lame!…

“WHAT YOU’RE ACTUALLY DOING IS PUNISHING NEWCOMERS BEFORE THEY GET TO KNOW YOUR PRODUCT” Remember when Sony announced that the PS VR headset would cost £350? In comparison to the Oculus Rift’s £549 price tag and the HTC Vive’s £802, it is the cheapest of the bunch – but you may well need to spend a bit more. In order to work, the PS VR needs a PlayStation Camera. It’s what Sony decided to use to track the player’s movement. It’s a pretty necessary piece of kit – but does it come packaged in the box? No. Anyone who wants to actually use their gear will have to fork out an additional £40 for a camera, otherwise they’ve just bought a very expensive blindfold. Sony has mentioned during interviews that…

ROBIN’S PICK For Honor That meaty-looking melee combat has got me more excited than I’ve been for a multiplayer game in years. Slicing down crowds of hapless mooks before heading into tense one-on-one duels with other players seems like the perfect blend of power fantasy and precise competition. And that samurai vs knights vs vikings set up is like if Deadliest Warrior was actually cool… PS4, XO, PC – 14 February 2017 BEN’S PICK Little Nightmares I want to be scared, but not too scared (looking at you, Resident Evil 7). This grim and grubby undersea journey from LittleBigPlanet contributors Tarsier Studios looks right up my alley, and has you climbing teetering furniture and panic-hiding under tables from fat chefs. It’s nailed the haunting imagery – at one point you…

IT’S BLIZZNESS TIME BlizzCon 2016 kicks off. This year’s event takes place during Blizzard’s 25th anniversary. Party! FIX-IT FENIX Ten years ago today the original Gears of War curb-stomped its way into our hearts. RELEASE THE BEASTS This day will go down in history as the day Pokémon Sun and Moon was released. FOR THE (PRO) PLAYERS Is your PlayStation 4 not quite pro enough? Never fear – PS4 Pro goes on sale today. ON THE ROAD It’s been a long time coming (ten years!) but Final Fantasy XV has arrived. Finally. CORVO-A-GO-GO Celebrate Dishonored 2’s release by not being seen by anyone for the entire day. TICK-TOCK-WOOF We hacked the cyber (i.e. checked the internet) and found out Watch Dogs 2 lands today. AWARD-WINNING Issue 311 of GamesMaster is…

Lara’s latest adventure sees her clash with a secretive conspiracy in efforts to reach the legendary city of Kitezh and uncover its secrets of immortality. When Rise Of The Tomb Raider arrived on Xbox One in November 2015, we called it a game that “courts sandbox sensibilities in a chilling, utterly captivating world” and said it “rediscovers what made PS1 Lara so special, and in the process digs up the soul of a gaming great”. If you’ve got a PS4, you can finally see what all the fuss is about with this month’s Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration, which features all DLC released so far (including story expansion Baba Yaga, zombie-blasting mode Cold Darkness Awakened, and a plethora of outfits, weapons, and skins), plus all new features…

“It’s a hard call, but I’ll go with the T. rex in TR II! It wasn’t even on the main path: instead of zip-lining toward the end of the level, you could go down a canyon at the end of which there was a huge pitch-black cave, from which the T. rex would come out. That fight was pretty hard… and all this for a secret! But the completionist in me had to have it!” Antoine Routon, Lead Programmer, Lara Croft GO, Square Enix Montréal “It’s the moment at the end of TRII where Lara’s finished her insane adventure, is all beat up and dirty and is going to take a shower. She starts to undress, but stops, looks straight at the player, draws her shotgun, and asks: “Don’t you…

Format PC Pub Landfall Games Dev Landfall Games ETA Summer 2017 Two armies of humanoids. One side red. One side blue. Give them some weapons and let them go at each other. That’s pretty much the idea behind TABS, although it’s the comical, primed-for-YouTube body physics of the combatants which promises to make this a dangerously compelling diversion. Indeed, the guff on Saturday night TV can’t really compete when the alternative is watching a bunch of weaponised mannequins flail about in a glorious orgy of semi-brainless AI.…

Format PC Pub Flaming Fowl Studios Dev Flaming Fowl Studios ETA Nov 2017 It’s been less than a year since Microsoft turned off the lights at Lionhead, but Flaming Fowl Studios, a new studio founded by ex-staffers of the Fable developer, has been busy making progress on its own Albion-based offering. Fable Fortune is a collectible card game idea originally intended for Fable 2. Obviously it never came to fruition as a Lionhead project, but now it’s on its way to PC as a free-to-play CCG. It’s dressed head-to-toe in Fable finery, so there should be plenty to keep fans of the series shuffling their decks.…

WIMPOD Wimpod eats anything, even garbage, and uses it to spit a poisonous liquid when threatened, which is always. GUMSHOOS We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: Gumshoos looks like Donald Trump. Also mongooses are bloody vicious. PYUKUMUKU If stepped on, Pyukumuku expels its guts. It’s also so stubborn that it will stay in one spot until it starves. People earn livings throwing it back into the sea. SANDYGAST Imbued with the spirits of fainted Pokémon, Sandygast uses its shovel to possess children and make them bring over more sand. What?…

Q What are your character’s motivations and what are they ultimately trying to achieve? AShigeru Ohmori: The main aim of the characters is going around the different islands, becoming stronger, and ultimately trying to become the champion of Alola region. With regards to Team Skull, they’re causing trouble on all the different islands, and they are very much out to steal Pokémon. As for the Aether Foundation, they take Pokémon that are rare – endangered if you like – and look after them. But other than that, the people of Alola are not really sure exactly what the Aether Foundation is up to. What we want players to do is explore the game, go through the story and enjoy finding these people and seeing what each of them are all…

Format PS4, PC Developer AEIOWU ETA Spring 2017 Web http://bit.ly/gmtumbleseed If most of your experience with seeds stems (sorry) from experiments with a Venus flytrap starter kit that some bright spark decided to buy you as something differentat Christmas, you’ll be used to the disappointment of killing something before it can even take its first breath of carbon dioxide. In a way you’ve already reached a state of true permadeath with vegetation. Well, at least you’ll be able to hit restart in the rather delightful looking and hyper-colourful self-professed ‘rolly roguelike’, Tumbleseed. Taking to a mountainside as a mere seedling, you’ll have to scale its heady heights in a quest to rid it of an infection that means monsters have taken over and are ruining your…

There are eight radio stations to choose from when tearing round Australia, with a mix of synthpop, electronica, rap, rock, house, and metal, and featuring artists such as Years & Years, The 1975, Chvrches, Blink-182, Beastie Boys, Lykke Li, and Beethoven. As you complete races and gain clout in the Horizon festival, you’re able to sign them all. Playground Games shows a keen understanding of music’s power to shape and elevate experiences and moments, from a night-time drift around a city as a soft electronica beat pulses, to a mad jungle charge accompanied by Run-DMC’s It’s Tricky. Tracks always seems to fit the time and place, giving a much greater sense of both, and the occasional radio static is a nice touch as well.…

Cards are everywhere these days, and Gears 4 is no exception, offering booster packs for in-game currency or cold, hard cash. Fortunately, the game’s competitive Versus mode features nothing more than cosmetic customisation cards. Horde 3.0, however, lets each player equip a number of class-specific buff cards at the start of each game. An Engineer that’s especially keen on sentry turrets might plump for a card that reduces their cost or increases their durability. Unwrap a duplicate, and you can either scrap it for currency or level-up the card’s effect. In its current form, the system strikes an excellent balance between offering long-term meaning for your Horde binges and allaying pay-to-win worries.…

1 Pokémon Silver and Gold (Game Boy Color – 2001) Game Freak’s second generation of games introduced the steamy concept of breeding to the Pokémon world, allowing your favourite animal companions to knock boots if left alone at the Pokémon Day Care. Other new features included held items for your Poké-pals, and a new day and night cycle which would influence the varmints most likely to be lurking in the long grass. 2 Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire (GBA – 2003) The move to Game Boy Advance prompted an impressive graphical upgrade for the series, and Game Freak’s artists took full advantage by designing 135 brand new Pokémon for its third generation (bringing the total to 386). Feature-wise, Ruby and Sapphire saw the introduction of abilities and double battles, as well…

On The Record! While we obviously have massive brains full of gaming know-how here on GM, we’ve built this quiz with the help of the fine folk over at Guinness World Records. The Guinness World Records 2017 Gamer’s Edition is out now, and you can pick up a copy at your local bookshop or online for loads more gaming factoids. Q1 With a score of 99%, what’s the most critically acclaimed game on Metacritic? Q2 The first dedicated videogame merchandise store opened in 1998, but for which game? Q3 What record number of viewers watched EVO 2015’s Ultra Street Fighter IV final? Q4 Which videogame was the first to use motion capture? Q5 Name three of nine unorthodox controllers player ‘bearzly’ used to complete Dark Souls. Q6 Who is currently…