STACK NZ Jul #64

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events in Human Revolution, Adam Jensen
returns in a game that already looks beautifully
polished. New additions to the gameplay
include EMP bullets, remote hacking, nano
blades that fire from the wrist and can even
detonate, and the ability to target four NPCs at
the same time.
Who isn’t looking forward to playing Just
Cause 3? The series has always been fun to
engage with and this is set to continue in the
third instalment. The grappling hook is back
along with the parachute, and these have been
augmented with a flying suit. Action takes
place on the fictional Mediterranean island of
Medici. The presenter emphasised the phrase,
“Choose your chaos” – an apt introduction
to the gameplay that followed, with players
given options on how to execute mission
objectives. It looks good, and judging by the
audience reaction, is set to be a big release.
The drawcard upstairs was a Dark Souls III
demo that we unfortunately didn’t get time to
sit through. Dark Souls has always been a game
that is better to play than watch, but we’re
literally counting down the months until its
release on new-gen in early 2016.
Star Wars: Battlefront was on every
attendee’s list of games to play at this show.
We were fortunate to play both the 40-player
multiplayer and the co-op survival modes.
With the multiplayer, we joined the Rebellion
tasked with neutralising not only the incoming
AT-AT walkers, but also waves of attacking
Snowtroopers. Played in either first or third-
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FEATURE GAMES visit
JULY 2015 JB Hi-Fi
dimension to gaming – and we felt no motion
sickness at all.
More Destiny DLC, Guitar Hero Live,
and yet another Call of Duty instalment were
amongst the titles on offer at Activision’s best
E3 line-up to date.
Keeping the ball rolling, we were introduced
to a new offering in the infamous Guitar Hero
franchise – Guitar Hero Live. Everyone’s
picked up a Guitar Hero title at one point in
their life, but this one’s point of difference is its
live and responsive audience. If you play badly,
you’ll know it, but conversely, if you nail that
30-second riff, you’ll feel like a real rock star.
Not surprisingly, we were hit with another
title in the Call of Duty franchise – this time
‘round, a long-awaited return to Black Ops. The
third game in the series gave us a hands-on
with what we’ve come to expect from the CoD
games: lots of running, mantling over things,
and dying… a lot. It's how these elements have
changed that proved to be the difference. The
mantling mechanic has been improved, allowing
players to hop over walls we didn’t see behind
us, instead of getting trapped in a corner, and
being held at the mercy of our 14-year-old
adversaries. It’s now a lot easier to catch up
to the squad. Black Ops III is looking to be a
tightened sequel to its predecessors when it
launches November 6.
As for Destiny, well, we’ve saved the best
for last. Bungie’s latest expansion for their
blockbuster shooter, titled The Taken King,
was officially announced and playable at E3
2015 – and it’s looking pretty damn good. The
Taken King, when it launches in September,
will be the third lot of DLC for the game, and
will boast brand new exotic weapons and
armour, as well as new third subclasses for
Hunters, Titans and Warlocks alike. Even more
welcome news was that – unlike House of
Wolves – The Taken King will add a new
Raid, as well as new Strikes and Crucible
maps, and even a new location. Newcomers to
Destiny will be able to purchase the Legendary
Edition, featuring the game itself, the first two
expansions, and The Taken King , along with a
whole bunch of physical extras like a replica of
a Strange Coin and a Steelbook Case. However,
loyal fans of the grind will not be left wanting; a
Sparrow, Armour Shader and exclusive emblem
are available to those who either own the
previous expansions or have reached light level
30 prior to the end of August, and who also
want to get their hands on the latest DLC for
Destiny. This one’s gonna be bigger than Crota.
Let’s go, little light.
Square Enix’s formidable triple bill of triple-A
titles ensured that bums constantly filled the
sessions of gameplay trailers displayed on a
giant screen on the show floor. Each demo
was introduced and guided by members of the
relevant studios. Hitman, set to be delivered
in episodes, boasts true freedom of approach
when carrying out assassinations.
The 25-minute Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
gameplay trailer was introduced to rapturous
applause from the crowd. Set two years after