STACK #149 Mar 2017

with Amy Flower

GAMES PREVIEWS

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GENRE: RPG PLATFORM: SWITCH | WII U RELEASE: 03/03/17 MULTIPLAYER: NO

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD

Every new Zelda release is a huge event, yet Breath of the Wild , the nineteenth Zelda game, could be the biggest yet. Not only is it the final first party release for the Wii U, it’s also the title that Nintendo are hinging the entire Switch launch on. Sunrise, sunset. Sunrise, sunset. Cats and the cradle and the silver spoon. Yes, we have no bananas (but DK can fix you up). They’re really pulling out all the stops to reimagine the series in true 21st century style,

too. From the obvious – lovely full HD visuals – to little things such as amiibo support, it’s a feast for lovers of the series and newcomers alike. Breath of the Wild is the most open world of all the Zelda games to date – perhaps indicative of the involvement of Monolith Soft, who gave us the insanely great Xenoblade Chronicles X . This means non-linear gameplay as you hit dungeons in whatever order you wish, or just go off the beaten path in exploration mode,

marvelling at the beautiful scenery. Of course there’s an actual mission, where – playing Link – you awake after 100 years with amnesia, a mysterious voice guiding you to a ruined Hyrule and news that Calamity Ganon’s power has continued to grow all this time. You guessed it Link, it’s time to save the world... again! From the people that brought you... Star Fox Zero, Xenoblade Chronicles X

GENRE: ACT/ADV PLATFORM: PS4 | XBO | PC RELEASE: 07/03/17 MULTIPLAYER: YES

TOM CLANCY'S GHOST RECON WILDLANDS

US beat poet Allen Ginsberg once claimed that war is good business. As Ubisoft roll out their tenth Ghost Recon third-person shooter, we doubt that they’d disagree. Wildlands isn’t just the same old scene with a new coat of pixels, though. It sees a breaking away from on-rails play to an open world environment – and what an environment it is! We head to South America – more specifically Bolivia – with terrain ranging from salt flats to mountains to forests, complete

with a dynamic weather system. There’s little of that futuristic pie in the sky tech this time, either. It’s set pretty much in the now, so the weapons are real, the people are rea- uh, no, they’re fictional. Sorry, we had a Judge Judy flashback – damn this war! Where were we? Oh yeah, there’s some experimental tech to play with, in particular drones which help you to tag and bag enemies. Also new to the series are side missions, while main missions can be

undertaken in several ways, and you can even form relationships with locals – good or bad. Speaking of which, up to four players can hit the ground in co-op. Then there’s the incredible soundtrack from QOTSA guy Alain Johannes. Wildlands really is a revolution for the Ghost Recon series. Come get some of Bolivia’s finest! From the people who brought you... Watch Dogs, Rayman Origins

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MARCH 2017

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