STACK #244 February 2025

GAMING FEATURE

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GENRE: Action adventure MULTIPLAYER: No

FORMAT:

YAKUZARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! You never expect the Like a Dragon series to play it safe, and that’s certainly the case with this month’s wild new episode, PirateYakuza in Hawaii . Let’s take a peek…

F ollowing on from the events of last year’s Infinite Wealth , this adventure sees series regular Goro Majima taking centre stage, deciding that the pirate life’s for him after losing his memories while stranded on an Hawaiian island. Goro’s leading his own pirate crew in search of, duh, treasure, and this brings some fun new locations and mechanisms to the game. Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii takes place over four main areas: Rich Island, Nele Island, Honolulu (as seen in Infinite Wealth ), and Madlantis, a secret pirate and general ne’er-do-well island hangout. Possibly the most noticeable new feature is an addition to Goro’s signature fighting style Mad Dog. Sea Dog brings a whole

• Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is out Feb 21

the Goromaru, with upgrades as you explore the seas and take down other ships. Or you can board and plunder – avast! It wouldn’t be a Like a Dragon game without minigames, and joining the likes of classic SEGA arcade romps, karaoke, and Dragon Kart is the new Masaru’s Love Journey , which involves partying with Minato girls – young women looking to be treated lavishly. Amy Flower

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new move set, including wielding dual cutlasses and pistols. Mid-air combos are also now a thing. A pirate crew means a pirate ship, and you can deck out yours,

LIKE A TIGER!

Big Goro has a cute tiger cub companion, also named Goro, voiced by series regular Kazuhiro Nakaya.

GENRE: Action RPG MULTIPLAYER: Yes

FORMAT:

INTO THE WILDS The latest in the ongoing Monster Hunter saga arrives this month, in the shape of Monster Hunter Wilds . So, let’s take a peek at what we have to look forward to… W ith some 100 million units sold (and counting), a big budget movie, plus anime, manga and comic offshoots, Monster Hunter is a huge franchise, second only to Resident Evil of all Capcom’s titles. Monster Hunter Wilds is the

• Monster Hunter Wilds is out Feb 28

a new wounding mechanism which creates visible weak spots on your target. Add new Slinger functionalities, automatic looting of carved-off monster parts, SOS assistance from NPCs for offline players and end of hunt timer skip and there’s much to look forward to. Amy Flower

seventh main entry in the series, and a direct successor to 2018’s Monster Hunter: World . It’s set to bring us a mixture of the familiar gameplay that’s made it such a popular action RPG outing for so many, with several new and exciting embellishments. A huge addition is that you’ll now enter the fray with a backup weapon that’s easily swappable while on the hunt. So, now you

Head online to learn more of the history of the Monster Hunter series.

have the option, for example, of having choices for both ranged and melee attacks at your fingertips. The new ‘Focus’ mode is a system that allows the player more accuracy in aiming attacks and guards by highlighting a monster’s injuries. It works in tandem with

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WHERE YOU’RE AT

Monster Hunter Wilds introduces a handy 3D map, which will allow players to look at the game’s world from any angle.

12 FEBRUARY 2025

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