STACK #156 Oct 2017

GAMES FEATURE

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In Turning Point: Fall of Liberty , or as it was affectionately known in the STACK office, Turd In Point , Winston Churchill dies in 1931. So, Hitler conquers Europe, Britain and the Middle East during WWII. In 1953, the Nazis invade the East Coast of the US. Sounds good, doesn’t it? It wasn’t. Terrible AI, sloppy controls, and a weak overall plot sent the game straight to the bargain bin (with bin being the operative word). The aptly named Damnation offered a counterfactual history where the American Civil War raged for another two decades. A steampunk Western that featured ‘vertical combat’ again promised an exciting concept that quickly descended into a fetid pond of dodgy mechanics, poor graphics and awful AI. Third-person shooter Freedom Fighters was released in 2003. At the conclusion of WWII, the Russians drop an A-bomb on Berlin. Communism spreads around the world and finally attention is turned to the US and New York is invaded. Smart gunplay, an easy but effective squad- based element, and freedom of choice helped make this a memorable shooter.

Fancy a gunfight and a pint?You’re in luck.We recently went hands-on with a few new levels of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus , and boy is it crazy. Words Alesha Kolbe

O ur playthrough dropped us headfirst into the combat of W2: TNC, landing us on a platform overlooking a small town overrun by Nazis – and a giant mech dog known as a Panzerhund. Fortunately, before the action

on their back. You either have to get above them so you can rain down bullets onto the exposed area, or use your stilts when you get close enough. The best strategy we found was to hide out

in a nearby building, take out all the soldiers first, and then worry about the Panzerhund (in case you were unaware, ‘panzer’ in German is ‘tank'). You'll find your best bet in most situations is finding somewhere with a lot of cover and switching up your weapons until your enemies combust. Speaking of weapons, you'll have quite the arsenal at your disposal in Wolfenstein II , with

started, we had a few weapon upgrade points to add some firepower to our arsenal. There are a few ways you can tackle Wolfenstein II . You can charge in guns blazing, dual-wielding some ridiculous

You'll have quite the arsenal at your disposal in Wolfenstein II ...

with Panzerhunde and more highly-powered soldiers, you'll find relief in your standard Nazi lackeys. Otherwise it's worth scoping out buildings and the battlefield around you; you're bound to find ammo and other helpful items. It's worth mentioning, too, that we took a Panzerhund for a joyride like an alternate universe cowboy, but that rodeo is something you need to experience for yourself.

flamethrower or laser-spitter until everything in a 50 meter radius is ash. Or you can use the high ground to your advantage and take your enemies out one by one. Soldiers are a piece of cake when you compare them to the Panzerhunde. Giant, flamethrowing metal dogs are the best way to describe them, and their only weakness is a spot

everything from miniguns to grenade launchers available to be either single or dual-wielded. Between moments of panic

There’s a lot going on in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. Nazis are in the United States, there are giant, metal, fire-breathing dogs

wandering the streets, and there was even a piece of paper detailing the KKK on a desk in an apartment. It’s likely there’s just as much we haven’t seen – and there’s not long to wait now.

• Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is out Oct 27

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