STACK #139 May 2016

GAMES PREVIEWS with Amy Flower

MIRROR'S EDGE CATALYST

BATTLEBORN

GENRE: ACT/ADV PLATFORM: PS4/XBO RELEASE: COMING SOON MULTIPLAYER: YES

GENRE: FPS PLATFORM: PS4/XBO/PC RELEASE: 03/05/16 MULTIPLAYER: YES

Back in 2008, first-person run-’em-up Mirror’s Edge introduced us to a word most had never heard. That word was ‘parkour’, and we lapped it up as we sprinted across rooftops, walls, and anything else that wasn’t nailed-down and looked like a suitably speedy place to launch a leap. Finally, the IP returns, in appropriately 2016 reboot style. This time, however, we learn more

When a new IP pops up from the Borderlands people, it’s worth taking note. Battleborn is an internet-craving first- person shooter where, as part of the Last Light Consortium, you take on an evil vampire to save Solus, the last star. In many ways a significantly more brutal take on Nintendo’s Splatoon (which in turn was a sweetened take on the likes of Borderlands ), Battleborn is essentially a weapon-fuelled space fantasy hero simulator. Yep, you pick one of 25 superheroic

on the backstory of our spritely protagonist, Faith, as we hit the city of Glass aiming to shatter a conglomerate of evil corporate a-holes. Linearity is out the window as free roam rules, plus weapons are history in favour of pure melee combat. Hey, you’ve gotta have Faith!

avatars (initially) of which to do your bidding, and take on battles ranging from a solo campaign to multiplayer shenanigans, such as energy collection, territorial control, and even tiny robot genocide. Aww, poor little things...

If you liked this, you may also like... Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Watch Dogs

If you liked this, you may also like... Overwatch, SMITE

GAMES

HOMEFRONT: THE REVOLUTION

TOTAL WAR: WARHAMMER

GENRE: FPS PLATFORM: PS4/XBO/PC RELEASE: 20/05/16 MULTIPLAYER: YES

GENRE: RTS PLATFORM: PC RELEASE: 24/05/16 MULTIPLAYER: YES

In 2025, the Greater Korean Republic (yes, the north and south unified – hey, this is fiction!) invaded the financially and socially-crippled USA. They were remarkably successful, but faced blowback from a resistance movement. It’s now 2029, and the GKR has lost control of the western states. This makes them rather unhappy – but they ain’t seen nothin’ yet, as you, the player, are back in this open world, first-person shoot-fest reboot of the series. Playing solo,

Archaeon, Everchosen, Longbeards, Ironbreakers, Hammerers – to the uninitiated they may sound like characters from Game of Thrones , but fans of tabletop and computer games stalwart Warhammer will know what we’re banging on about. All those words and many more make sense as they invade the world of Total War. Yes, forget the likes of Attila the Hun, Napoleon and

hanging out in Rome – this time the venerable series is venturing into the fantasy realm. The full-on turn-based strategy remains, requiring on-the-fly tactics to succeed with any of the four factions that you choose to do your bidding, in real-time fantastical battles.

you’re the youngest resistance member, Ethan ‘Birdy’ Brady, and you won’t rest until Philadelphia – and then the USA – is safely back in American control. Or you can play four-up co-op. Either way, EDF... uh, USA! USA!

If you liked this, you may also like... Tom Clancy’s The Division, Metro Redux

If you liked this, you may also like... Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II, Diablo III

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