STACK NZ Jul #64

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FEATURE GAMES visit
JULY 2015 JB Hi-Fi
person (we chose third for this mode) the action
is relentless and frenetic, with kills coming from
every direction.
But it was the survival mode, played behind
closed doors in a two-player co-op, which we
enjoyed most. Again playing as the Rebels, the
object of the game is to survive successive
waves of Imperial Forces, with each wave
increasing in difficulty. In this more intimate
environment, it became more apparent just
how well DICE have captured the 'used future'
aesthetic from the original trilogy.
In FIFA 16, aside from the inclusion of
12 international female teams, AI has been
tightened so defensive players will intuitively
know when an opposition player is making an
attacking run towards goal. “Games are won
and lost in midfield,” said creative director
Matt Prior, and the studio identified this as an
area that needed attention. When a ball is won
in midfield, supporting players will move to
space to assist in the build up of an attacking
manoeuver. Pressing the R3 button accesses
contextual training during play, bringing
potential options and moves into play. This is an
invaluable tool for inexperienced players.
Resting the annual Need for Speed series
for a year is probably a lesson many publishers
should heed, but EA’s popular driving franchise
is back this year, once again in the hands of
Ghost Games. A complete reboot that merges
the best parts of games past is as good a place
as any. Customisation is as deep as any car/
Need for Speed enthusiast would want, and
the hands-on demonstrated this before players
were thrown into a mode known as Rep Attack.
Eight players face off in an open world race
and must accumulate rep points in an allocated
time. Avoiding the police, pulling off near
misses and drifts, and winning races can gain
Rep points. It’s a small glimpse of the game,
but the year-long hiatus appears to have paid off.
Of all the publishers at E3, Nintendo’s press
area – situated behind the main booth – always
presents the best opportunities to get hands-on
with their games without having to queue.
We remember being obsessed with Star Fox
64, spending an unhealthy amount of time
with the game when it released, so Star Fox
Zero was the game we headed straight for.
One mission was on hand to play here, with
the design utilising the GamePad as the view
from the cockpit, while the action is displayed
on the main screen. There’s a bit of a learning
curve involved in referring to the GamePad
and the screen (not helped when you realise
that Shigeru Miyamoto is watching over your
shoulder), but towards the end of the demo it
all came together nicely. This HD reboot is out
later this year, and you can be sure we’ll be
playing the hell out of it.
How many times have you completed a
level in a game knowing you could’ve done
better? Super Mario Maker is giving you the
opportunity to prove it! Mario turns 30 this
year, and to celebrate, you can create game
styles from as far back as the SNES-era Mario
or maybe even a Super Mario Galaxy-inspired
level. Is it hard to create these levels? Not at all;
creation is simple and mostly undertaken using
the GamePad and stylus. And Mario Tennis
Ultra Smash is also great fun, especially when
the opponents you rope in to play aren’t regular
gamers and you thump them set after set.
Despite having only Battlecry playable
on the booth, Bethesda's press conference
on the Sunday night was a sumptuous hors
d’oeuvre for E3 week. And it would be
advisable to secure time off now ahead of
Fallout 4’s release in November – you may just
find yourself emerging from your own Vault
111 when all else around you has been laid
waste. According to the erudite Todd Howard,
production began shortly after Fallout 3
released, and in 4 you can play either a male or
female role. This is a game of Brobdingnagian
proportions, and will be on every gamer’s
Christmas wish list.
We all have our own special memories