STACK #153 Jul 2017

GAMES FEATURE

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that every reader interprets and visualises his work differently. According to the hosts of our theatre presentation, Cyanide Studio has attempted to capture “the true essence of Lovecraft” in its upcoming Call of Cthulhu game, based on the classic 1981 pen and paper RPG from Chaosium. In this adventure RPG, private investigator Edward Pierce is dissecting the murder of an artist on the suitably spooky Darkwater Island. The mission shown required Pierce to gain access to a mansion to investigate a fire. Players need to utilise detective prowess through nine different upgradeable skills to uncover the clues. Two levels were shown; the first to highlight the RPG and sleuth elements to the game. The second, however, revealed an action sequence where Pierce has to employ puzzle-solving abilities to defeat a hideous creature that drags itself from the canvas of a painting. There’s still a long way to go with the development; the game is still a little rough around the edges, but Lovecraft fans, or gamers who enjoy mystery and intrigue in their RPGs, will likely enjoy the world being created here. But when will Call of Cthulhu be out? “When it’s ready,” came the reply from Cyanide. Those looking for a Sonic fix from SEGA won’t have to wait too long, either. We went hands- on with Sonic Forces for a short session, and the amicable blue hedgehog hasn’t changed one bit. Sonic Forces features three modes; a classic, 2.5D series of levels, a more modern 3D entry, and an additional, second 3D entry

This belonged to Strange Brigade . A real Boy's Own Adventure, and set in the '30s, the four-player co-op follows a secret group of four - all versed with individual skills - that work for the British government. Their job is to travel around the globe, dealing with ancient supernatural powers. While it probably appealed to the history nerd in us, it was refreshing to play a game that's not in space, doesn't have a dragon or orc in sight, and isn't set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. And who doesn't want to be Indiana Jones? Surprise of the show

Call of Cthulhu

It's often the games you know nothing about... that end up surprising you

TWW2 it’s that the cutscenes look amazing, and for newcomers the mechanics are quite easy to grasp. We also sat in on a couple more behind-closed doors sessions, for Vampyr and A Plague Tale: Innocence . Vampyr ’s concept was highly intriguing; you are a vampyr (duh), but your previous occupation was a doctor, meaning to feed on victims of the town you live in is to go against your sworn oath to protect them. Of course, this moral dilemma should come as no surprise to those who know their devs – Vampyr comes

– but with your own customised character. 2D was the most fun, and apparently we had the best time of all the press that had been through the booth. Gotta go fast. Real-time strategy fans will be looking forward to Total War Warhammer II , and with good reason – this one’s shaping up to be a monster. The 20 minutes we played through was a pretty straightforward RTS setup; pick your armies, group them if you want, and send them into fight for you. If one thing can be said about

in France’s Middle Ages. In the midst of the Spanish Inquisition, you must fight for your life – hard enough without the huge swarms of rats plaguing the city. Stay in the light, and fear what moves in the shadows. It’s been in early access in various forms for a while now, and one of the biggest surprises of E3 was that ARK: Survival Evolved is getting a full retail release in August. The easiest way to describe ARK is an open- world survival RPG where you can tame dinosaurs. I know, right. We sat down with the devs at a hotel across the road from the LACC, and they gave us all the hot goss on the upcoming sponsored mod Ragnarok (no relation to the upcoming Thor movie, either). It’s 144 km/sq of pure, beautiful chaos, and if you grab the new content you’ll also get access to Gryphons; those feathers . Wow. Also on the show floor was Agents of Mayhem , and (unsurprisingly) consistently had some of the longest lines in either hall. Set in the Saints Row universe, it’s predictably fast-paced and crazy as anything, and the best part is you won’t have to wait long – it’s out next month.

out of Dontnod Studios, those responsible for Life is Strange . A Plague Tale: Innocence , on the other hand, is a sibling tale of survival

ARK: Survival Evolved

Sonic Forces

Vampyr

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JULY 2017

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