STACK #181 Nov 2019

GAMES FEATURE

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GAMES OUT THIS MONTH NOVEMBER

STAR WARS JEDI: FALLEN ORDER

GENRE: ACTION/ADVENTURE PLATFORM: PS4 | XBOX ONE | PC

RELEASE: 15/11/19 MULTIPLAYER: NO

As the latest Star Wars space epic, Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, warms its engines for cinematic release, there’s a whole new world to explore for gamers this month. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order takes players to somewhere different than many recent games in the franchise – single player action/adventure territory. Players step into the space boots of one

of the few remaining Jedi – Padawan Cal Kestis (played by Cameron Monaghan, whom many will recognise as Gotham ’s Jerome/Jeremiah Valeska) – as an Order 66 purge continues. A perilous incident leads him to use his powers, which is witnessed and reported, and Cal soon finds that the Empire are hot on his tail. With trusty droid BD-1 in tow, he must dodge all pursuers – the most dogged of which is the Second Sister – and call upon sympathisers from throughout the galaxy, including those on the familiar Wookiee home world of Kashyyyk. Titanfall and Apex Legends developers Respawn Entertainment are behind this release, promising exciting lightsaber combat and many worlds to explore in a wholly new Star Wars adventure. Use the Force, Cal!

Did you know? Sound designer and actor Ben Burtt gives “voice” to Cal’s droid BD-1. He’s no stranger to robots, having created the iconic R2-D2 sounds, and also supplying the noises made by Pixar’s WALL-E.

G: ACTION P: PS4 M: YES While many are, erm, “experienced” enough to remember “retro” games vividly, others have yet to have the pleasure. This pack grabs two of the 16-bit console era’s best licensed games and bangs them together in one cool package for all. While faithful to the originals, additions include optional HD graphics, filters, rewinding, save points, and even auto-play functionality for when saying “Hakuna matata” just doesn’t cut it anymore. DISNEY CLASSIC GAMES: ALADDIN AND THE LION KING If you’re reading this sentence then you’re obviously not one of those snooty “hardcore gamer” types – and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! Ubisoft’s much-revered series of dancing games that actually get players off their bums, on their feet and doo-doo-doo-ing returns for another year, bringing hits from the likes of Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Skrillex and Pitbull to bop along with – plus, Baby Shark ! JUST DANCE 2020 Metal Gear designer Hideo Kojima is a cat who totally dances to his own beat, and it’s a joy to behold. This, his latest creation, has had us all rather befuddled since the game’s reveal trailer featuring William Blake quotes and The Walking Dead ’s Norman Reedus naked and clutching a newborn baby. After the collapse of civilisation, Sam Bridges must brave supernatural events to somehow save personkind from the brink of extinction. Heavy! DEATH STRANDING Nintendo’s figurehead Mario and SEGA’s mascot Sonic take their battle to the Olympics once again, and on their home turf, too! This tie-in with next year’s Tokyo Olympics delivers a raft of varying events to assail with classic characters from both Team Mario and Team Sonic. Who’s the best swimmer, boxer or gymnast? (We already know the answer on runner…) Plus, bonus 8 and 16-bit modes add sweet Summer Games retro sports fun for all. MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES TOKYO 2020 R: 8/11/19 G: PLATFORMER P: PS4 | XBOX ONE M: NO R: 1/11/19 G: RHYTHM P: PS4 | XBOX ONE | SWITCH M: YES R: 5/11/19

G: RACING P: PS4 | XBOX ONE M: YES Kind of cool, a little bit daggy but always a whole bunch of fun, the Need for Speed series hasn’t just given us a collection of fab tuner racing thrills over the years, it’s also introduced us to a swag of top music. The tradition continues here, with racers being law-abiding during the day, and going illicit once the sun sets. Palm City is your open world playground, with car customisations aplenty, more than the odd donut-muncher to avoid and, of course, tunes! NEED FOR SPEED HEAT If you’ve gotta catch ’em all, here come more to collect! Yes, the wonderful, creature-bulging universe of Pokémon returns with a whole new world to explore. Enter Galar, a huge region that offers up a variety of environments, as well as new Poké-creatures to add to your Poké-crew in hopes of becoming champion. The two games are similar, but offer different gyms as well as version-specific Pokémon – and alternative Legendaries. POKÉMON SHIELD/SWORD For many Terminator fans, the first two films in the series are their favourites. So, it’s perhaps lucky that it’s this pair that this original first- person shooter is based around. A prequel to them, Resistance is set in a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles in the year 2028. Players become Jacob Rivers, a soldier in the John Connor-led resistance against Skynet, in an adventure with many possible endings sure to have you declaring “I’ll be back”. TERMINATOR: RESISTANCE Despite SEGA’s magnificent Dreamcast console failing to set the world alight, a revenge epic game series born upon it (at the time the most expensive video game ever developed) lives on in the memories of gamers as a genuine classic. It is, as the heading suggests, Shenmue . The tale of teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki now finally continues after 18 years, as he voyages to China in search of his father’s murderer, Lan Di. SHENMUE III G: SHOOTER P: PS4 | XBOX ONE M: NO G: RPG P: SWITCH M: YES

R: 8/11/19

R: 15/11/19

R: 15/11/19

G: SPORTS P: SWITCH M: YES

R: 8/11/19

G: ACTION/ADVENTURE P: PS4 M: NO

R: 19/11/19

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NOVEMBER 2019

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