STACK #186 Apr 2020

GAMING REVIEWS

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PERSONA 5 ROYAL

GENRE: RPG

PLATFORM: PS4

MULTIPLAYER: NO

Fusing lengthy, involved storytelling with turn-based combat and drop dead gorgeous graphic design, Persona 5 Royal brings one of 2017’s best games back for an enhanced second spin. How do we describe Persona 5 to those

who haven’t played it? Well, imagine a game that’s almost a visual novel

for huge amounts of its play time, melded together with a social simulation as well as a dungeon crawler featuring turn-based combat. You play a character who’s basically a mild- mannered school student by day, and something else entirely different by night, fighting with abilities gained from social connections to friends. For those who bought and played the original game three years ago, the question might be whether this is worth picking up. Is there enough that’s shiny and new in Royal to make a second purchase worthwhile? The answer is, “it

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depends”. If you fell in love with the original game’s stunning cel-shaded art design, slow-burn social simulator and the fact that one of your companions is a talking cat that insists it’s not a cat, then you’ll surely be onboard for what’s been added here. The big additions are a new member of your gang of Phantom Thieves, a new “palace” (Persona-speak for “dungeon”), a new semester at school, and a new location with a bunch of useful and/or fun stuff in it – including a playable darts game. Make no mistake, if you’re new to Persona 5 then this is the version of the game to grab – it’s improved in many ways, big and small, and is even more of a unique, surreal and addictive experience than the original. AH

Persona 5 Royal has now been enhanced for PS4 Pro, with cutscenes expanded and tweaked, too. A ton of new music has been added, palaces have been redesigned, Joker (the character you play as) now has access to a grappling hook to traverse vertically, there are lots of new collectibles and much more.

NIOH 2

GENRE: ACTION RPG

PLATFORM: PS4

MULTIPLAYER: YES

Nioh 2 is a return to an insanely difficult and awesomely detailed world of hurt that has fans of the sadistically hard games lining up around the block. It’s precisely the difficulty – and the fact that Team Ninja want you to suffer and fail – that makes this style of game so popular. Instead of an Irish pirate

LETHAL WEAPONS The weapons system includes giant odachi swords, dual- wielded hatchets and the crazy-dangerous kusarigama – a sickle on the end of a metal chain. All weapons have a range of stances, allowing players to attack in ways unique to each style of combat. It’s absolutely essential to be comfortable and knowledgeable with your weapons, or you won’t get very far.

samurai, this sequel sees players step in to control a supernatural warrior called a Yokai, and do battle with legions of the dastardliest demons this side of Battletoads .

and call on every tool at your disposal to stand even the slightest of chances. That’s what makes Nioh 2 so great, not the difficulty in itself, but the sense of achievement you get from making that next shrine where you can rest and level up. Character customisation options are incredibly deep, from giving your avatar a complete kabuki makeover to head-to-toe tattoos. You can mould your own likeness, or morph yourself into an incredibly awesome looking samurai – which may or may not be the same thing. Nioh 2 successfully builds on its predecessor, and makes everything from that first game better. Team Ninja themselves have referred to this game as an “evolution”. Without a doubt, Nioh 2 will be the most challenging game you’ll play in 2020. DN

The enemy types for some demon and human grunts are lifted straight out of the original game, but there’s real variety in the mid and end-level bosses. They fill the screen with their sheer size, and their attack range is even more immense. The first time you face a boss, you’ll be destroyed in seconds. You have to learn their patterns, level up your character

14 APRIL 2020

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