STACK #159 Jan 2018

GAMES REVIEWS

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PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS

GENRE: BATTLE ROYALE PLATFORM: XBO | PC RELEASE: 12/12/17 MULTIPLAYER: YES

Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene's new battle royale game, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, has taken the world by storm – and rightly so. Greene started out developing battle royale mods for other games like ARMA 2 and H1Z1 , and was eventually approached to create his own full version of the game. The result as we know it today is PUBG; a seemingly 'overnight' success, but one that's actually been a bit longer in the making. You're dropped into an area with up to 99 other people to fight to the death. The concept sounds simple, but it's a lot harder than you may think

to make it to the end and earn the coveted Chicken Dinner. First, you've got to make it to cover before someone you've just parachuted down with kills you. Then, you have to find some body armour and a gun or two stashed in a nearby building before someone that's found a gun first shoots you. See where we're going with this? Your odds of survival diminish with every passing minute, and PUBG is just as much about luck as it is skill. Your adversary may find an RPG in their building when you've only found a pistol. PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has spawned many clones, and will likely spawn many more. Its transition to Xbox One has been a welcome one, and we can't wait to see what the future holds for the game.

XENOBLADE CHRONICLES 2 GENRE: RPG PLATFORM: SWITCH RELEASE: 01/12/17 MULTIPLAYER: NO

It seems easy in today's world to overlook a market seemingly saturated by RPGs, but Xenoblade Chronicles 2 on the Switch is one that stands out. In a world in which people live on the back of continent-sized Titans, you are tasked with protecting a weapon from those who seek to wield it for evil.

Sure, a sci-fi game like this may have been in danger of falling victim to too many cliches, but thankfully Xenoblade Chronicles 2 dodges the proverbial (and actual) bullet and instead provides a varied and rich world with an optimistic outlook that will keep both the young and the young at heart amused for hours – and we do mean hours. The combat, although simple at the beginning, eventually expands into a more intricate, rewarding endeavour that encourages complex combos. The English voice cast is impressive, and the landscapes themselves are utterly gorgeous. Be warned, though; the traversal system that can at times be troublesome means you might spend a lot of time in one spot. Nice if you want to enjoy the scenery, not so much if you're trying to get somewhere fast. Nevertheless, there is plenty of specialisation and elemental mastery to keep you busy. Switch owners would be remiss to overlook this one.

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JANUARY 2018

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