STACK #219 January 2023

GAMING FEATURE

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WHAT’S COMING IN FEBRUARY?

HOGWARTS LEGACY Enter an incredible 1800s-set open wizarding world where the likes of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and the Forbidden Forest are yours to explore. In this action RPG adventure, you’ll encounter fantastic beasts, customise your character, craft potions, master the art of spell casting, upgrade your talents, and become the wizard that you want to be. You’re a student who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart. What will be the legacy that you leave?

THEATRHYTHM FINAL BAR LINE The brilliant rhythm game series based on the massive world of Final Fantasy comes back west in style, packed with 385 tracks to unlock and enjoy, alongside 104 legendary characters. A total of 46 games are represented, as well as all sorts of remakes, spin-offs, and even soundtrack CDs. Like the best rhythm games, it’s easy to get into and a bit more challenging to master, plus there’ll be online multiplayer options to share the fun with friends as you watch battles rage while you play.

MULTIPLAYER?

MULTIPLAYER?

ACTION RPG

7/2/23

RHYTHM

17/2/23

LIKE A DRAGON: ISHIN! SEGA’s Yakuza series spin-off that Japanese fans got to enjoy way back in 2014 is setting sail for our shores, but not before undergoing a thorough modern makeover. The late Edo period-set blend of hack and slash action and adventure is set to include all-new content and remastered graphics, all running on the Unreal Engine 4, as you take the role of Sakamoto Ryoma, on a quest for vengeance and restoration of honour that may just change forever the future of your native Japan.

KIRBY’S RETURN TO DREAM LAND DELUXE Prepare for another outbreak of platforming-influenced joy as Kirby returns for his next big adventure. This one’s a new version of Wii classic Kirby’s Adventure , but of course it’s been updated in all sorts of ways. Up to four local players can join in, even all playing as Kirby, travelling through Dream Land to help stranded alien Magolor repair his crashed spaceship. Use Kirby’s shiny new Mecha Copy Ability to have loads of robotic fun, or take a break and play some subgames with pals.

MULTIPLAYER?

MULTIPLAYER?

ACTION ADVENTURE

22/2/23

ACTION PLATFORMER

24/2/23

1 What’s the first game that you remember playing? The first game I remember playing was Frogger for DOS. My dad had brought home a PC from work, and I’d never seen anything like it. I wasn’t very good at the game and kept getting run over by sports cars, but I couldn’t stop playing it. It was all just so new and cool. 2 What was the last game that you finished? I play a lot of games, usually getting through two or three a week. It’s not just a job, it’s a passion and obsession. Just recently I finished playing Hardspace: Shipbreaker which has you playing as an indentured worker in a spaceship scrapyard. 3 What’s your favourite video game/series of all time? No game has affected me more than the original Final Fantasy XII . I’m very dyslexic and really struggled reading in high school, but there was something so enticing about FFXII that it pushed me to overcome it. I studied day and night just to find out what happened next in this game. 4 What do you think is the most underrated game of all time? I believe the most underrated genre of games is the “clicker” - my favourite probably being SpacePlan by Jake Hollands. Clickers are game design at its pure and simplest, and as long as the designer doesn’t exploit the audience, they’re an absolute joy to play. 5 What’s the game that you most wish you’d worked on? I wish I could have been part of the dev team for Half-Life: Alyx . I’m a huge VR enthusiast. The feelings of immersion and fantasy fulfillment you can achieve in the medium is truly transformative.

Creative director on Need for Speed Unbound at Criterion Games. KIERAN CRIMMINS

54 JANUARY 2023

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