STACK #158 Dec 2017

GAMES REVIEWS

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STACK RECOMMENDS

Out now at JB Hi-Fi

CALL OF DUTY: WWII GENRE: FPS PLATFORM: PS4 | XBO | PC RELEASE: 03/11/17 MULTIPLAYER: YES

The PS4 blew up shortly after finishing the campaign in World War II, so this is where the focus will be. I blame the Third Reich. It’s evident from the moment the landing craft door crashes onto the sand at Normandy that CoD this year is harder. With the assuredness of regenerating health replaced by the need to locate or request health packs from squad mates, players are immediately forced to think more tactically; it’s a positive change. There’s enough variation in the missions that

snake through Western Europe from D-Day to the War’s conclusion to keep most happy, including a series of stealth-based levels set during the liberation of Paris. Played on Veteran, the game can be challenging. Despite the franchise familiarity, World War II tries hard to remould the formula, but it’s Call of Duty, so stretching those parameters will always have limitations. World War II is guilty, as are most shooters set during that era, of leaning too heavily on Saving Private Ryan for inspiration, and the hackneyed cinematic set pieces feel dated and unnecessary now. However, for this gamer, throwing potato-masher grenades and the sound of an M1 Garand clip ejecting will always be more welcome than a futuristic parkour dance along the side of a metal wall. It's good to be back.

HORIZON ZERO DAWN: THE FROZEN WILDS DLC GENRE: RPG PLATFORM: PS4 RELEASE: 07/11/17 MULTIPLAYER: NO

Guerrilla Games has followed up the already wonderful open world RPG Horizon Zero Dawn with its first, and only, drop of DLC – the Frozen Wilds. Spoiler alert: it's just as great as you'd expect. As the original HZD was already an exceptionally good game, it would have been difficult to include any game-changing mechanics or game systems that would noticeably improve upon the original. Why fix what isn't broken? As such there isn't much new about The Frozen Wilds , but that's not a downside by any means. The Frozen Wilds throws Aloy into a new quest

to the North of the main playable area of the base HZD game, introducing the Cut and its inhabitants – the Banuk tribe. If you're headed into The Frozen Wilds as a well- seasoned player of the original game, you'll grasp the concept pretty quickly. The best parts are the new Machines and the satisfying sound your boots make in the snow. However, it seems as though those new to Horizon as a whole may have a slightly better experience playing for the first time with Frozen Wilds included. It's more of the same, which may prove tedious to Aloy veterans, but a worthy journey nonetheless.

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DECEMBER 2017

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