STACK #206 Dec 2021

REVIEWS GAMING

OUT NOW at

FORZA HORIZON 5

RACING MULTIPLAYER

OUT NOW

Having already made what’s arguably the greatest game for car lovers ever in Forza Horizon 4 , how do you follow it up? Cry “Bigger! Harder! Faster! More!” and unleash Forza Horizon 5 ! You fang about the Mexican countryside at the sort of speed that would see your license permanently revoked in any form of real world, taking in wondrous graphics all the way.

Developer Playground’s explanation for choosing Mexico makes sense; it offered scope for everything from extremes of weather to extremes of scenery, and by far the biggest Forza Horizon map yet. There’s that old saying “variety is the spice of life”, and Forza Horizon 5 certainly brings the spiciness. One place where Forza Horizon 5 really lifts its game is in tackling its various tasks. Once again there’s an almost overwhelming array of challenges, the majority of which are unlocked fairly quickly via ‘Adventure’ modes, which open up via in-game ‘Accolades’. Basically, whether you collect stuff, take on racing challenges or just organically uncover

MOVING FORD A WRC Hoonigan RS Escort Cosworth – the “Cossie V2” - is unlocked early on, and we highly recommend it for all of your fanging about workhorse needs. It’s a hoot to handle, great on or off the roads, and perfect for driving “as the crow flies” from event to event or collectible to collectible.

things from exploring, you’ll accrue Accolade points, eventually unlocking six festival sites. These new tasks are joined by fun story adventures, plus

the classic impromptu racing that we know and love. If you get bored in your first 100 hours then you’re not doing it right – there’s just so much content! This, naturally, includes cars and plenty of ’em - 526, with a lot more promised. We’ve only touched upon what to expect, but there’s heaps more to enjoy, from streamlined menu systems to magnificent accessibility options, vastly improved engine sounds to a bunch of multiplayer options and beyond. We could go on but we won’t - we want to get back to playing! Forza Horizon 5 delivers on everything that a car nut could want in an open world racer. AF

MARVEL’S GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

ACTION ADVENTURE MULTIPLAYER

OUT NOW

This is Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy , but in slightly different ways than you might expect… There’s a rich story, an incredible soundtrack, laughs aplenty, snappy dialogue, and fast, frenetic combat. You can really see the heavy dose of the MCU character personalities here, but as you learn over the lengthy story, their origins and

experiences are different, making them stand out in unique ways. Guardians of the Galaxy rewards intrepid detectives by providing a fascinating multiverse to dive into. This is an action-adventure with a strong focus on story. You take control and fight as Star-Lord, but the other Guardians will always be fighting by your side, and will prompt you if you haven’t used their special abilities. Huddle-up time is a special superpower that’s available when you’ve been fighting long enough. It plays out like a halftime pep talk, with Star-Lord psyching up the team to fight harder and faster, to a randomly selected fight tune ( Tainted Love and Wake

A LITTLE MORE CONVERSATION

Me Up Before You Go-Go are favourites). It can really change the mood, especially during some of the pivotal story battles, which are often quite serious. On quality of music alone, Guardians of the Galaxy stands head and shoulders above other action-

Conversation options are plentiful, and make you feel like you’ve had some say in the direction of the game. They can make situations infinitely more difficult or easy depending on your choices, and it’s incredibly satisfying when it works in your favour.

adventure games. Puzzles in-between the combat sequences are fun, often combining two or more elements of your party’s special abilities to allow you to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. Usually these feel like more of a staging area to give you a momentary break from the action, but allow you to be doing something while listening to the dialogue. The deep, rich lore and interesting stories of Guardians of the Galaxy combine well with colourful characters and fun combat play to provide a movie-like experience that’s truly fun to play. DN

15