STACK #216 October 2022

GAMING REVIEWS

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THE LAST OF US PART I

ACTION ADVENTURE MULTIPLAYER

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Updated revisits of classic games aren’t uncommon nowadays. But a game that gets a third go round? It must be pretty special, and the original The Last of Us is pretty special. A genuine classic of the late PS3 era, it wasn’t long after the release of the PS4 that we got to re-experience the challenging world of Naughty

Dog’s opus in remastered form. While that was essentially a lick of paint upon an already impressive outing, this PS5 version is a complete reworking. It still has the guns, greenery and facial hair, and the original tale of future zombies – or “infected”. Players still control Joel, who, after an emotional wallop of a scene in the first 20 minutes or so, is tasked with getting very important teenager Ellie to safety from within a military quarantine area. Where things differ is in the presentation. Graphically, The Last of Us Part I can hold its own against any of its newer PS5 brethren. A side-by-side comparison, even with the PS4 prettification, reveals how

NOTHING SUCCEEDS LIKE ACCESS Accessibility options are super impressive, catering for the deaf, blind, and more. Cinematics have an option for audio descriptions, and the DualSense’s haptic feedback can interpret dialogue via feel. Many features, such as magnification scaling of various UI features, auto-targeting, button remapping and other game adjustments may just come in handy for absolutely anybody playing, too.

astonishingly updated the visuals are, revealing hitherto unseen detail both due to the PS5’s resolution, and because Naughty Dog have added increased fidelity all over the shop. The deeper you immerse yourself the more you realise how much more polished the aural experience has become. Always a game to use soundtrack sparingly and effectively, much work has been carried out to take advantage of the PS5’s spatial sound ability. Gameplay itself has been lightly tweaked, but not in any way that will jar the memories of those who’ve trod this route before. Combat, notably, feels more realistic and less scripted, and being stealthy seems to be less unpredictable. The Last of Us Part I on PS5 is a masterful revisiting of a true milestone in deep story-based, single-player gaming. AF

SAINTS ROW

ACTION ADVENTURE MULTIPLAYER

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With its over-the-top cartoonish style, Saints Row is a mash of vibes that delivers chaotic joy. This is a fresh reboot of the franchise. Players get in on the ground floor as they invent, build and grow their own criminal super empire. Every mission undertaken adds cash, skills and experience to your crew, so you can take

on bigger and badder opponents and run them off your turf. You take part in basically every illegal activity imaginable, from toxic waste dumping to medical insurance fraud – anything that’ll generate more profit. Hanging off hovering super jets shooting explosive barrels is all part of day one of the Saints Row experience. Shooting at rampaging monster trucks from the rooftop of a speeding car is day two - and it doesn’t let up from there! Whether fighting off neon-armoured techno thugs or stealing from the local private militia, the action never stops. An overwhelming variety of vehicles

IT’S ALWAYS FUNNY IN SANTO ILESO While nowhere near as ridiculous as some previous franchise outings, Saints Row is entirely more ridiculous than you might expect. From missions where the entire city fights imaginary battles for control of the precious duct tape supply, to the specific awards for “groin kills”, there’s certainly no limit to the silliness.

such as cars, bikes and helicopters are at your disposal. You can add special equipment to enhance your experience, like tow cables, nitrous and offroad tyres. All are handy add-ons, and can turn your private stash of vehicles into a true arsenal of vehicular mayhem. Customisation options for your boss and guns are also plentiful. You can get things looking just like you want them, making for an incredibly satisfying endgame. You can lose minutes or hours just designing the perfect skin. While Saints Row is open-world, level structures are linear and incredibly cinematic. The stakes start low, and while you may not be able to predict where the next story turn will take you, you can expect that ridiculousness will be the end result. If over-the-top crazy action and frequent, stupidly big explosions are your thing, then you’re in for a real treat here. DN

14 OCTOBER 2022

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