STACK #232 February 2024

GAMING REVIEWS

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THE LAST OF US PART II REMASTERED

ACTION ADVENTURE MULTIPLAYER

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The story of The Last of Us continues natively on the PS5, and The Last of Us Part II Remastered brings much more than just the swing of a graphical paintbrush. We’ll assume that anybody reading this is up with the story from the first game. This sequel can be played as a standalone story, but it really shouldn’t be. As for what’s new, the obvious

is graphical improvements aplenty, along with vastly improved loading times, as well as added haptic feedback and adaptive trigger integration. While playing through may not deliver the same thrill as it did the first time, it’s much like rewatching a favourite movie. There’s always enjoyment in some familiarity, and you’ll likely pick up on things that you may have missed the first time. There’s a free-play guitar mode, and previously cut levels that are playable - complete with developer commentary. There are also commentary tracks for each of the main game’s cutscenes.

But they’re just fun diversions. The real draw is No Return , which brings us a single-player roguelike survival mode. No Return challenges in various ways, as you find your own branching path through random encounters with the game’s now legendary adversaries. These all play out in familiar locations, but with new and surprising twists to keep players on their toes. Between each run, you enter your in-game hideout in order to take stock and prepare for your next battle via mods and upgrades. Make it all the way and the fight won’t be over though, for you’ll face any of six boss battles. Naughty Dog know their stuff, and in The Last of Us Part II Remastered they’ve gone to great lengths to deliver a package that oozes value, quality, and more longevity than any other entry in the series. AF

KNOW YOUR ENEMY No Return delivers four types of encounters: ’Assault’, which is you versus waves of enemies; ’Capture’, where players break into a safe; ’Holdout’, which sees the player and AI-controlled partner take on swarming Infected; and, finally, ’Hunted’, an against-the clock game of survival.

PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE LOST CROWN

ACTION ADVENTURE MULTIPLAYER

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Things have travelled a long way since the rotoscoped original hit 35 years ago, but The Lost Crown finds a way to bring that unique and special Prince of Persia style back to the table. On the surface, combat appears to be a little basic, and not too dissimilar to

the 1989 original. The story’s protagonist, Sargon, has one main attack, a dodge, and a parry, which seems underwhelming at first glance. The later addition of new attack types and discovering the use of

WAK UP! Wak-Wak trees are your safe zones, acting as your literal oasis and health recharging station, as well as respawn points for when you fall in combat. They operate in a similar fashion to Dark Souls bonfires and are nothing like the plant monster Wakwak trees in Castlevania .

classic Prince of Persia spike traps and collapsing floors are abundant. Once you start seeing the scale of the map, you can feel the game growing with you to a point where you start to wonder if you’ll ever see the end. It’s a huge and fascinating labyrinth to explore. New abilities are drip fed throughout, providing adequate time to experiment before giving you the keys to unlock previously unreachable areas. The sense of achievement in gaining access to a new area is met with immediate excitement – and significant dread as you encounter increasingly difficult enemies. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a slow burn. What starts out as a side scroller that feels like it was made for your mobile, gradually morphs into an exciting journey of exploration and challenging combat that’s ultimately a cracking Metroidvania experience. DN

combos is like unlocking the doorway to Narnia. It completely changes your perspective on what’s possible and challenges you to try new things. Some of the enemy types won’t just ask you to try, they’ll force you to adapt your tactics just to land a hit, with area bosses throwing multiple challenges at you all at once. Open world exploration is exciting. The

52 FEBRUARY 2024

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