STACK #200 Jun 2021

GAMING FEATURE

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WHAT’S COMING IN JULY?

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SKYWARD SWORD HD It’s time to be spirited away to the earliest story from the Legend of Zelda’s timeline, with an HD update of the classic Wii adventure Skyward Sword . Help our hero Link save destiny-confronting childhood friend Zelda, taking in incredible visuals all the way. Use the Switch’s motion controls to swing, slash and stab with your sword – goodness help any foe that dares challenge the might of Link’s blade! 16/7/21 ACTION ADVENTURE MULTIPLAYER?

F1 2021 Experience the roar of those big machines once again in this year’s model of the officially licensed Formula One game. All 20 drivers and all 10 teams of the 2021 championship feature, alongside a thrilling new story mode entitled Braking Point , which will challenge players to rise to the top echelons of the sport. The career mode will now be playable in co-op, with other local and online multiplayer options to boot. 16/7/21 RACING MULTIPLAYER?

MONSTER HUNTER STORIES 2: WINGS OF RUIN Hot on the heels of the brilliant, more action-oriented Monster Hunter Rise comes the second instalment in the series’ turn-based adventures. An epic story awaits, where as a descendant of a legendary Rider, you set out to bond with friendly Monsties, and fight alongside them while trying to discover the source of strange happenings, and the truth behind ancient legends. Then there’s the whole Rathalos egg thing… 9/7/21 RPG MULTIPLAYER?

CRIS TALES A Colombian love letter to classic JRPG series such as Final Fantasy and Persona, Cris Tales brings a time-jumping mechanic to its strategic turn-based RPG play. Bulging with delightful hand-drawn characters, we’re promised the ability to experience the past, present and future simultaneously, bringing a need to be careful what choices are made as you try to thwart the Empress’s plot to destroy the world. 20/7/21 RPG MULTIPLAYER?

1 What was the first game that you remember playing? That must have been something on the NES console, as it was the first one that I got my hands on. It was certainly something like Contra, Super Mario Bros. or maybe Space Invaders ? It’s hard to tell after so many years, but I definitely have fond memories about these times. 2 What was the last game that you finished? That would be Ghost of Tsushima . I tend to not lean to any specific genre, but I certainly have a weak spot for a good RPG. Plus, I’m a big fan of Japanese history and pop culture, so this couldn’t be more perfect for me. 3 What’s your favourite video game of all time? This is w-a-a-a-a-y too hard to answer! But I think ones from the ’90s, one of the Final Fantasy series back then (don’t ask me to point which one, they’re all amazing). At these times, access to gaming information was really limited – we had a magazine once a month, but that was about it. So, completing a game, or finding secrets in it, really felt like something big. I think these games were the first ones to truly push me on the gaming path. Now there are a lot of better games out there, technically and design-wise, but I think that’s what keeps these games in a special place in my heart. 4 What do you think is the most underrated video game of all time? This might be controversial, but Metal Gear: Survive ! Being a big fan of the Metal Gear franchise AND survival games, I like how – having really solid groundwork from MGS:V mechanics – they twisted it, adding survival mechanics that didn’t feel like chores, but increased that survival feeling. I simply had a great time with it! It’s a shame that the case with Konami and Kojima put a shadow on it, especially that I can bet everyone on the team tried their hardest to deliver an amazing experience. 5 What’s the game that you most wish you’d worked on? Easily any Final Fantasy . Or maybe one of legendary stealth titles like Metal Gear, Splinter Cell or Dishonored .

Lead level designer on Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 at CI Games DANIEL SŁAWIŃSKI

34 JUNE 2021

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