STACK #145 Nov 2016

PREVIEWS GAMES

with Amy Flower

GENRE: ACT/ADV PLATFORM: XBO | PS4 | PC RELEASE: 11/11/16 MULTIPLAYER: NO

DISHONORED 2

The Lord Regent? Meh, he’s old news. It’s now 15 years on, and as either Empress Emily Kaldwin, who’s just been brutally deposed by a mysterious otherworldly usurper, or her daddy-cum-bodyguard Corvo Attano (who’ll be familiar if you played the original Dishonored ), your quest is to done go and git yer throne back. What groovy supernatural powers you have at your disposal depend upon which fully-voiced character you choose (c’mon guys, we know

you’re gonna go the Emily route...) While the world-destabilising “chaos system” returns from that first outing, you have even more freedom as to how you press on in your quest. If you want blood (you got it), just by going the gung- ho route with the lethal skill tree. If you’re of a more subtle bent, you can concentrate on upping your stealth abilities, and even complete the game without a single kill. We’d say that sounds a tad dull, but then we might make

some watch list or something. After all, this month’s Watch Dogs 2 has shown us that they’re observing us. Everybody’s observing us. We are not alone! (Insert crazy cat lady squawks here)... Ahem, sorry. Anyway, get your pre- order in quick at JB to score a sweet steelbook, soundtrack CD and hyper-handy DLC pack. If you liked this, you may also like... Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

FINAL FANTASY XV

SWORD ART ONLINE: HOLLOW REALIZATION

GENRE: JRPG PLATFORM: PS4 | XBO RELEASE: 29/11/16 MULTIPLAYER: YES

GENRE: RPG PLATFORM: PS4 | VITA RELEASE: 08/11/16 MULTIPLAYER: YES

Action RPGs come and go, but none hold the cachet of Final Fantasy. It’s been 10 years coming, but this 15th iteration of the venerable Japanese series promises to make the wait worthwhile. Not only does it look utterly stunning, but with its open world and darker vibe it’s also poised to deliver wild gameplay. We’re spirited away to the world of Eos (no, smarty, it doesn’t take place in a Volkswagen) where the Nilfheim empire controls every

It’s 2026, three years after the original Sword Art Online event. The story takes place in an R&D VR recreation of Aincrad that, unlike previous entries, is flat – maybe its programmers were gagging to get to their pizza and Mountain Dew? Anyway, you’re young AI Premiere, who leads a party of three others – and you have massive

choice here, with 300-plus non-player characters all able to be recruited. Uh, just not all at once. While there’s a boy-meets-girl thing going on in this intriguing action RPG, monster slaying remains your prime objective – along with discovering the meaning of a mysterious message...

country bar one. Ticked off that you’re next, you – as Noctis Lucis Caelum, child of Latin lovers and heir to the Lucian throne – set about keeping your land and your funky magic crystal from grabbing Nilfheim hands. If you liked this, you may also like... Divinity Original Sin: Enhanced Edition, Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below

If you liked this, you may also like... God Eater 2: Rage Burst, Valkyria Chronicles Remastered

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