STACK #201 Jul 2021

GAMING FEATURE

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The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

wonderfully Rocky Horror vibe host, simply known as The Curator. This one’s set in the final stages of the Iraq conflict in 2003, where a raid on a suspected underground chemical weapons facility eventually leads to sinkholes opening up and thrusting our protagonists into the ruins of a buried Sumerian temple that’s inhabited by something savage and evil. The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is set to release on PS5, Xbox and PS4 in late October. Meanwhile, look out for other promising Bandai Namco titles Tales of Arise , Digimon Survive and Elden Ring (see boxout).

Life Is Strange: True Colors 10/9/21 Tales of Arise 10/9/21 The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes 22/10/21 Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy 26/10/21 Elden Ring 21/1/22

FEATURE

Square Enix went big with their E3 Presents showcase, with news of a massive new Marvel game (see boxout), more Final Fantasy and, well, more! A new Marvel game doesn’t mean that Marvel’s Avengers has been forgotten, with a huge new expansion reveal SQUARE ENIX & BANDAI NAMCO

manipulate emotions to uncover her town’s dark secrets. Finally, a big ending, with a collision of Team Ninja, Koei Tecmo and Square Enix that’s resulted in all the chaos of Final Fantasy Origin: Stranger of Paradise . Did we mention that it’s chaotic? Due in 2022, it’s described as “A bold new vision for Final Fantasy,” and the trailer unleashed, of course, lots of chaos! While Bandai Namco have several exciting titles in the pipeline, they took to E3 with a deep dive into the upcoming third instalment in The Dark Pictures Anthology , House of Ashes . We’ve had a ghost ship and a desolate town, now it’s time for something new, which sees the return of the

Elden Ring

– Black Panther: War for Wakanda . Free for owners of the main game, it’s set to drop this August. When we see the name PlatinumGames we always get excited, and a look at their next fantasy opus, Babylon’s Fall , didn’t disappoint. Up to four players will join a band of warriors on an odyssey to overcome the titanic Tower of Babylon. September is looking bright for fans of the Life Is Strange series, with the release of the brand-new Life Is Strange: True Colors . It’ll see protagonist Alex embracing her ability to

TWO WORLDS COLLIDE

The much-anticipated George R.R. Martin collaboration from FromSoftware, Elden Ring , was one of the brightest stars of this year’s E3. It’s truly an inspired partnership, with players set to journey through the Lands Between, a new fantasy world concocted by Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki and Martin, the best-selling author of fantasy book series A Song of Ice and Fire – which, of course, became TV’s Game of Thrones . The fantasy action RPG is set to deliver expansive landscapes and complex dungeons to explore, with a vast array of weapons, magical abilities and skills to be unearthed as you set out to unravel the mysteries of the Elden Ring’s power and become the Elden Lord. Being billed as FromSoftware’s largest game to date, we’ll be able to traverse the land via foot or on horseback, either solo or with other players online. Elden Ring is certainly looking and sounding pretty incredible, and it’s set to arrive on PS5, Xbox, PS4 and PC in January, 2022.

MARVEL’S GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY SET TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE… PROBABLY! Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy are returning in an all-new game from Square Enix. We’ll play as Peter Quill/Star-Lord in a completely original, self-contained story – there’ll be no DLC or expansions, the comic book-influenced tale will come complete at launch. It’s a classically-styled third-person shooter, but adding to the action is an ongoing narrative that your decisions will have an effect upon – for example, sell Rocket, or sell Groot?! We’re really loving that Quill’s Walkman is a weapon – and rapt that there’ll be a whole bunch of classic 1980s tunes to rock out to as we play.

“A distinct mix of sci-fi, family drama, and rock n’ roll attitude with an edgy aesthetic is the foundation for our Guardians franchise," said Jay Ong of Marvel Games. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Eidos-Montréal. The team’s laser-focused vision for our beloved band of misfits shines in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy . We’re excited for our fans to play it this October.”

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

18 JULY 2021

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