STACK #183 Jan 2020

GAMES FEATURE

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to play and a joy to listen to and watch, with the right amount of humour, challenge and progression desire, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is up there with some of Mario’s best escapades. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice GENRE: ACTION/ADVENTURE PLATFORM: PS4, XBOX ONE, PC MULTIPLAYER: NO With its soul-crushing world, we’ve never felt quite so endangered in a FromSoftware game, as you must face bloodied, terrifying hordes with tenacity to match. With Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice , the whole ‘Soulsborne’ series has managed to be completely reimagined and revitalised. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order GENRE: ACTION/ADVENTURE PLATFORM: PS4, XBOX ONE MULTIPLAYER: NO The Emperor has taken control of the galaxy, the Republic has transformed into the Galactic Empire and the remaining Jedi are being hunted down across the galaxy. An outstanding single-player experience, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a return to form for Star Wars games.

With the latest generations of the PlayStation and Xbox heading into their final year, 2019 saw hardware pushed to the limits, with a decent collection of truly great games released. Meanwhile, Nintendo’s Switch went from strength to strength with great first – and third – party releases. After much arguin… erm, hearty discussion, here are the titles (in alphabetical order) that the STACK games team enjoyed playing the most throughout 2019. Roll on this year’s big ones!

Remedy at their very best. Freed from the rigid structure of previous games, they’ve crafted something that feels familiar and inviting, yet uniquely and deliciously weird.

Days Gone GENRE: ACTION/ADVENTURE PLATFORM: PS4 MULTIPLAYER: NO

Super Mario Maker 2 GENRE: PLATFORMER PLATFORM: SWITCH MULTIPLAYER: YES

We couldn’t get enough of getting our Easy Rider on and letting the increasingly nuanced story unfold. That we went back after story completion to clean up various side quests while our towering pile of shame glared at us speaks volumes. As Mr Mercury once advised, get on your bikes and ride!

Fancy yourself a better game designer than Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto? You’re probably not, but this creation tool isn’t going to prevent you from trying. As well as delivering a bunch of challenging instant gratification, with a little creative effort you basically have endless play options.

Gears 5 GENRE: SHOOTER PLATFORM: XBOX ONE MULTIPLAYER: YES

The Gears series is known for its gory, brutal and loud combat, and Gears 5 delivers. With addictive combat and an entertaining story, it

Words Amy Flower, Alex Deutrom, Anthony Horan, Nicholas Kennedy, Dan Nicholson

plunges us back into the ongoing struggle between the COG and Swarm and further immerses us in the lives of Delta squad. Gears 5 is an absolute Xbox must-have.

The Outer Worlds GENRE: RPG

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare GENRE: SHOOTER

Judgment GENRE: ACTION/ADVENTURE PLATFORM: PS4 MULTIPLAYER: NO

PLATFORM: PS4, XBOX ONE MULTIPLAYER: NO A smart sci-fi adventure that looks and feels distinctly “ Fallout -y”, this plays like a mashup of the best bits from a bunch of well-known games, yet it still feels genuinely fresh and original. It’s an old-school RPG in shiny new packaging that manages to be distinctly Obsidian, but decidedly different. HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Blood & Truth, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Borderlands 3, Death Stranding, F1 2019, Kingdom Hearts III, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, Tetris 99, Trover Saves the Universe, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair

PLATFORM: PS4, XBOX ONE MULTIPLAYER: YES With compelling storylines and a Hollywood blockbuster level of action, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is a return to the roots of what originally made the series great, and one that should be on the must-play list of anyone remotely interested in first-person shooters or competitive multiplayer. Control GENRE: SHOOTER PLATFORM: PS4, XBOX ONE MULTIPLAYER: NO Soaked in eerie atmosphere while generating the sort of tension normally found in survival horror games, Control is

There’s a ton of fun to be had as you romp through the stories and world of Judgmen t – and you’re unlikely to find a more diverse game this year. It’s an ambitious, weird and often hilarious mashup of bits from several genres, and its sensory overload of stuff to do entices you to come back for more.

Luigi’s Mansion 3 GENRE: ACTION ADVENTURE PLATFORM: SWITCH MULTIPLAYER: YES

Mario’s little bro does his best Shaggy impression as an ultra-reluctant ghost-busting hero. It’s an absolute hoot

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JANUARY 2020

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