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GAMING REVIEWS

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STELLAR BLADE

ACTION ADVENTURE MULTIPLAYER

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If you’re not sure what to expect from a studio known for mobile games that’s new to consoles, rest assured that Shift Up’s Stellar Blade is a truly spectacular PS5 debut. The studio has proudly declared that the likes of Nier: Automata, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice , and

blade skills to make progress, but in particular her way with parrying and dodging. This isn’t a button masher – if you do try that route, you’ll be playing out an Edge of Tomorrow -like scenario more times than Tom Cruise ever did. The assorted Naytiba that you’ll encounter are both revolting to look at and wonders of design, and their ways of defeating you vary so that you’ll need your wits about you to survive. Then there are the dozen or so boss fights that will really test your mettle. One wrong move, and… Stellar Blade is one of the most graphically lush, prettiest looking games that we’ve played on PS5 (if indeed “pretty” can be used to describe a decimated, post-apocalyptic Earth that's teeming with gross alien creatures). Meanwhile, the audio side of things delivers, particularly with music that veers from J-pop to heavy metal, hailing from revered Japanese composer Keiichi Okabe’s MONACA team. Shift Up have created something very special in Stellar Blade , giving us an experience that’s reassuringly familiar, but also excitingly new. AF

series such as Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, and God of War were their inspirations. What they've crafted shows signs of all of these, but with their own added flair and creativity. It’s a potent mix. An engaging sci-fi tale revolves around central character EVE, a 7th Airborne Division member who, after humanity has been booted from Earth by a grotesque alien species known as the Naytiba, returns from space exile with her squad to reclaim the planet. What follows is a mostly linear, action drenched Soulslike experience that sees EVE not only relying upon her Blood Edge

HARD, OR HARDER? There are just two modes of play in the default ‘Normal’, or ‘Story’. The former is punishing, the latter less punishing – but still able to own you with a slash or two. Stellar Blade is no picnic in either mode, but when you start nailing those dodges and parries, the feeling of accomplishment is huge.

TOPSPIN 2K25

SPORTS MULTIPLAYER

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Back in 2011, 2K wowed us with tennis sim Top Spin 4 . Since then, crickets. Finally, all these years later, they’ve returned to the franchise with TopSpin 2K25 . After a hot introduction, the next stop is the TopSpin Academy. They’ve recruited some serious tennis legend muscle

here, too, with John McEnroe teaching us the blunter points right through to the absolute finer ones. The game is billed as a simulation, and while those after

challenging learning curve. 2K know their stuff, meaning a genuinely entertaining

LOOKING THE PART Cosmetics and accessories abound, ranging from sunnies to shirts, right through to prosthetic appendages. Some are gained via progress, others by spending virtual currency, but they’re almost entirely just for show.

career. Craft your “MyPLAYER” right down to how often they grunt and what they grunt for, then let them loose on the circuit, earning XP and gradually rising up from the outskirts of tennisdom to – hopefully - somewhere Grand Slammy. If you’re not up for a career, there are dive in and out exhibition matches, which, like the 2K Tour and World Tour, can be played locally or online, complete with cross-play support. Real-world courts and players (a selection of 24, both old and new) abound, with the former looking – and sounding – marvellously realistic, while the latter can vary in their visual finesse. As is the case with most games of skill, the more that you put into TopSpin 2K25 , the more you’ll get out of it. If you’re a tennis fan and crave a top console experience, then you’re on a winner here. AF

an arcade-like experience can get it to a point by sticking it on easy and having a swing, those who invest time to learn those finer points in any of the total seven difficulties will be treated to a deep and often thrillingly entertaining affair. There are three flavours of serve, while thwacking the ball with any sense of aim involves more than just a button stab, with five shot choices, stick movements, and an accuracy meter that offers a

54 JUNE 2024

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