STACK November 2016 Issue 145

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PREVIEWS
GAMES
ction RPGs come and go, but none hold the cachet of
inal Fantasy. It’s been 10 years coming, but this 15th
eration of the venerable Japanese series promises to
ake the wait worthwhile. Not only does it look utterly
tunning, but with its open world and darker vibe it’s also
oised to deliver wild gameplay. We’re spirited away to
e world of Eos (no, smarty, it doesn’t take place in a
olkswagen) where the Nilfheim empire controls every
icked 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.
FINAL FANTASY XV
GENRE: JRPG PLATFORM: PS4 | XBO RELEASE: 29/11/16 MULTIPLAYER: YES
s 2026, three years after the original Sword Art Online
ent. The story takes place in an R&D VR recreation
Aincrad that, unlike previous entries, is flat – maybe
programmers were gagging to get to their pizza and
ountain Dew? Anyway, you’re young AI Premiere, who
ds a party of three others – and you have massive
oice here, with 300-plus non-player characters all
le 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...
SWORD ART ONLINE: HOLLOW REALIZATION
GENRE: RPG PLATFORM:PS4 | VITA RELEASE: 08/11/16 MULTIPLAYER: YES
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
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
DISHONORED 2
GENRE: ACT/ADV PLATFORM: XBO | PS4 | PC
RELEASE:11/11/16 MULTIPLAYER: NO
with Amy Flower