STACK #193 Nov 2020

GAMING PREVIEWS

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GAMES OUT THIS MONTH NOVEMBER

CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS COLD WAR

GENRE: SHOOTER PLATFORM: PS5 | PS4 | XBOX SERIES X/XBOX ONE X

RELEASE: 13/11/20 MULTIPLAYER: YES

There was a time in the early 1980s when people were genuinely terrified as to what could happen as the USA and USSR engaged in a battle of the superpowers – the 'Cold War'. Following right on from Call

of Duty: Black Ops , we're thrust into that battle, tasked with a single-player campaign of fact meets fiction, coming face-to-face with historical figures – and hard truths. Players will be doing a spot of globetrotting as they battle through such iconic locales as East Berlin, Vietnam, Turkey and even the Soviet KGB headquarters. The aim is to track down the shadowy figure Perseus and thwart a plot that has been decades in the making, as they're out to destabilise the global balance of power and change the course of history. Beyond the campaign, naturally there are also Call of Duty 's famous multiplayer options, bringing more signature combat, deniable operations and a connected experience across different platforms and console generations. Oh yeah, there's also all the undead madness of Zombies . Add to this heady mix planned free content drops post-launch and this one's sounding, to quote the '80s, totally rad!

Did you know? Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is a direct sequel to the original CoD: Black Ops (2010). In fact, the original writer David Goyer was brought back to pen the campaign's script. If you're a Batman fan you might recognise that name: Goyer also wrote the Dark Knight trilogy.

G: CONSTRUCTION P: PS5 | PS4 | XBOX SERIES X / XBOX ONE M: NO R: 10/11/20 It’s time to get deep down and dirty once again as the classic off- road racing franchise hits us up with a fifth iteration. With nods to past, present and future, there’s more of what fans love, as well as a whole bunch of new gear to get busy with. A deep career mode bumps up against local four-player split-screen co-op, all with dynamic weather and a huge roster of motoring marvels to jump into. MMMmmm, muddy! DIRT 5 Being a Viking isn’t just glugging mead and pointy hats. Just ask Eivor, our protagonist in the latest entry into the Assassin’s Creed saga. It’s the ninth century AD, and they’ve been driven from their native Norway by war and a lack of resources. So, it’s time to hit the rich lands of England and establish a new home. Your adversaries won’t cede easily though, so you’ll need all of your cunning – and deadly dual-wield weapons. ASSASSIN’S CREED VALHALLA Legoland? Meh. Universal Studios? Snuh. Disneyland? Buh. They’ll all be gazing upon you in slack-jawed awe once you get your mitts on console-based Planet Coaster and create your very own super- awesome theme park from the ground up. Billed as ‘the ultimate coaster park simulation’, you’ll be responsible for everything from designing the most amazing rides down to setting prices and keeping the place clean. PLANET COASTER Long-time protagonist Kazuma Kiryu may be taking a well-earned vacation, but there’s still plenty of action in SEGA’s Yakuza series. This eighth main game moves us from Tokyo to Yokohama, where Ichiban Kasuga leaves prison after 18 years to find nobody waiting for him. He embarks on a mission to discover the truth behind his family's betrayal and to take his life back, via full-on street fighting methods and Yakuza ’s now famous side hustles. YAKUZA: LIKE A DRAGON G: RACING P: PS4 | XBOX SERIES X / XBOX ONE M: YES R: 6/11/20 G: ACTION ADVENTURE P: PS5 | PS4 | XBOX SERIES X / XBOX ONE M: NO R: 12/11/20

G: ACTION RPG P: PS5 M: YES R: 12/11/20 Gearbox unleash a whole new epic experience for the PS5. Godfall tells the story of you versus mad god Macros, a civilisation in ruins and, well, gods and stuff! In order to save the land of Aperion from destruction, you play this wild looter slasher as the last of the Valorian knights, equipped with legendary armour sets known as Valorplates. Climb the elemental realms and meet-and-beat Macros at the top. GODFALL It’s time to either get up or get down, depending upon your dance vibe, as this year’s Just Dance beckons us onto the floor. There are 40 new hits at which to shake your bits, including hot tracks from the likes of Tones and I, Dua Lipa, Lizzo and Billie Eilish. Whether you’re young or old, oodles of play modes have you covered for a quick boogie, a whole night out, or some energetic exercise via ‘Sweat’ mode. Just BYO phone. JUST DANCE 2021 If you've played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – and if you have a Nintendo Switch then you most likely have – then you may have wondered how events led to those in that game. Now's your chance to find out, as this prequel takes us to Hyrule 100 years earlier, and the events of the Great Calamity. It's a thrilling three- way collision of Zelda, the wild hack and slash action of the Dynasty Warriors series and a sequel to 2014's Hyrule Warriors . HYRULE WARRIORS: AGE OF CALAMITY Over many years, the wild and wonderful world of Kingdom Hearts has given us many amazing adventures, and it's also given us an incredible array of top tunes. Now that music can be experienced in a totally new way, as the series hits the rhythm action genre. With more than 140 songs to re-experience, 20 characters and a whole new story chapter in the ongoing saga, there's something here for all KH disciples. KINGDOM HEARTS: MELODY OF MEMORY G: ACTION ADVENTURE P: SWITCH M: YES R: 20/11/20 G: RHYTHM P: PS5 | PS4 | XBOX SERIES X / XBOX ONE | SWITCH M: YES R: 12/11/20

G: ACTION RPG P: PS4 | XBOX SERIES X / XBOX ONE M: NO R: 10/11/20

G: RHYTHM P: PS4 | SWITCH M: YES R: 13/11/20

36 NOVEMBER 2020

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