STACK #179 Sept 2019

GAMES FEATURE

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GAMES OUT THIS MONTH SEPTEMBER

BORDERLANDS 3

GENRE: SHOOTER PLATFORM: PS4 | XBOX ONE | PC

RELEASE: 13/09/19 MULTIPLAYER: YES

Looter-shooters come and looter-shooters go, but few have had the staying power of the Borderlands series – and how many promise gazillions of guns?! Borderlands 3 does, leaving an almost impossible decision – what’s your weapon of choice? Then there’s your Vault

Hunter. Do you opt for Moze the Gunner, Amara the Siren, FL4K the Beastmaster or Zane the Operative? Each boasts unique class attributes. Beyond exciting new co-op options, Borderlands 3 also delivers solo play that feels better than previous entries. Smarter AI and a more diverse range of enemies combine to make proceedings feel like less of a shooting gallery, with guaranteed rewards and more challenge from firefights. The amount of content on offer is quite astonishing. Even barrelling through will take a good 30 hours, while those who like to see the sights are in for innumerable hours of immersion. Be it weaponry, getting busy in co-op or chilling between bouts, Borderlands 3 is set to empower players with more freedom than ever – and that’s no load of Claptrap!

Did you know? ‘Handsome Jack’ was simply a placeholder name in Borderlands 2 , originally used by The Master as a description of Captain Jack Harkness in the 2007 Doctor Who episode 'The Sound of Drums'. The Borderlands team ended up liking it so much that it stayed.

G: SPORTS RPG P: PS4 | XBOX ONE M: YES The wild, adult-oriented PS3 platform puzzler makes a return and, just like a good wine, it’s improved with age. As well as graphical tweaks, a bunch of extra content has been included. Yes, marriage-shy protagonist Vincent Brooks’ nightmares are set to become more vivid, more ovine, and even more boxy! Prepare for one utterly bonkers – and brilliant – bizarre love triangle. CATHERINE: FULL BODY It’s time to hit the courts again, with this year’s model of 2K’s smash basketball series. Upgrades abound, from big leaps in the visual department when it comes to animations, through to small but perfectly-formed control tweaks – and the banishment of pushing. Big news is that the WNBA is now included, offering up a whole new league to get busy in. NBA 2K20 With hopes that the name change will revolutionise eFootball and introduce the sport globally, Konami's long-running soccer franchise ups the ante yet again. New features include a 'Matchday' mode for weekly events, a remastered Master League, and an overhauled look. Then there are little tweaks, like enlisting legendary midfielder Andrés Iniesta to help shape immersion and authenticity. eFOOTBALL PES 2020 Gears of War is back, leaner and meaner in title, but with more than ever in content. Campaign mode sees the return of Kait Diaz, JD Fenix, his dad Marcus and Delmont Walker, as they take on a new threat from The Swarm. The frenzied new ‘Escape’ mode offers puzzling challenges, while an arcade mode ups the hero shooter action, calling upon guile over firepower to notch that win. GEARS 5 G: PUZZLE P: PS4 M: YES G: SPORTS P: PS4 | XBOX ONE | SWITCH M: YES

G: ACTION/ADVENTURE P: SWITCH M: NO R: 20/09/19 All the action, puzzle-solving and adventure of the handheld Game Boy classic returns some 26 years later, and while the gameplay is recognisable, everything else is brilliantly shiny and new. Link and friends take on a gorgeous, cartoonish appearance, but the challenge remains to escape Koholint Island by collecting the pieces to awaken the legendary Windfish. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK’S AWAKENING Jericho City is being munched on by a serious nanomachine infestation, and it’s down to you to deal with all manner of man/ machine gangs and warring factions. Familiar mechanisms such as limb targeting and looting return, along with the punishing – but rewarding – combat experience. The city is bigger this time around, packed with myriad secrets to uncover – and horrors to kill. THE SURGE 2 If you’re after anime action combat adventure with complex character customisation, then this much-anticipated – and long-awaited – dungeon experience may be just what you need. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where memories are traded for power to stave off the evil Lost, employ teamwork (either AI or human) and fight your way out of a living nightmare. CODE VEIN The EA Sports folk promise unrivalled authenticity in the World Game this year, with more than 30 official leagues, 700+ teams, 17,000+ authentic players, and 90 licensed stadiums and arenas from around the globe. Play the UEFA Champions, Europa and Premier leagues, as well as the Bundesliga and the La Liga – and, of course, Australia’s very own A-League. FIFA 20 G: ACTION RPG P: PS4 | XBOX ONE M: YES R: 27/09/19 G: ACTION RPG P: PS4 | XBOX ONE M: YES R: 24/09/19

R: 3/09/19

R: 6/09/19

R: 10/09/19

G: SHOOTER P: XBOX ONE M: YES

R: 10/09/19

G: SPORTS P: PS4 | XBOX ONE | SWITCH M: YES

R: 27/09/19

20

SEPTEMBER 2019

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