STACK #129 Jul 2016

GAMES

FEATURE

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case as gamer after gamer attempted to steer Forza Motorsport 6 around a course without hitting the wall after only ten seconds. Outside the view of a spinning vehicle hurtling towards the barriers, Forza 6 looks almost too real. It’s a beautiful looking title, right down to the realistic damage. Want 450 customisable cars, 1080p and 60frames per second? You’ve got it. There’s a reason the Forza franchise is at the top of the racer chain. Microsoft's The Rise of The Tomb Raider booth was festooned with Game of the Show awards, and from those we spoke to who sat through the 15-minute gameplay demo, it was deservedly so. Unfortunately, every time we were in the vicinity, we missed the commencement of a session and were forced to move on in order to keep to the timetable. It’s difficult to describe Microsoft’s HoloLens without experiencing it in person. We managed to get into the presentation, which culminated in a blistering Halo 5 multiplayer match towards the close of the show. It was a priority for many to see HoloLens, after the Minecraft demo during the platform holder’s press conference. Its must-see status was further confirmed when Steven Spielberg dashed in before us. More augmented reality than VR, the demo commenced with headset fitted snugly to our craniums, before being told to make our way down a corridor, following a waypoint projected onto the lens. Once inside a room, we were briefed by a crystal clear image of a 3D Spartan, who gave us a rundown of the objectives

– by all. The gameplay is fluid, fast, and offers the level of complexity demanded by the hardcore fanbase, without making it unplayable for the novice. Of course it is early days, and we were informed during a presentation that the code on display was only 55 per cent complete, but PES 2016 is looking like a real challenger. AND IT HAS DYNAMIC WEATHER! The box-thieving bandit with one eye is back in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain . Fans of Snake were definitely not disappointed at this year’s E3; following the release of Ground Zeroes last year, we were treated to a trailer and a full 40 minutes of gameplay from the latest title. Set in an open world 200 times the size of Ground Zeroes , The Phantom Pain combines close-quarters combat with the best of the franchise’s namesakes (cough, the cardboard box, cough) to bring what could possibly be the strongest Metal Gear Solid game to life. If we’re completely honest, we just want to see the Chicken Hat in action. Bring on September 1.

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. 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 of the first time we played Doom, and its influence remains as relevant today as ever. So it’s good to see it return on a new generation of hardware. If shooters are your forte, you know you’re going to play this, and judging by the gameplay trailer, you’re going to have a lot of fun doing it. The original Dishonored was our game of the year in 2012 and we had an inkling that a follow-up was due, but the official unveiling of Dishonored 2 was a wonderful surprise; this time around players can take the role as either Corvo or Emily Attano. Is this up there on STACK ’s list of most playable titles for 2016? You bet.

We always enjoy watching other people play racing games, mostly because we're not particularly good at playing them. This was the

Pull up a stool in a pub, order a drink, and play PES. Sound tempting? We’ll that’s exactly what Konami offered up this year on their booth. What’s even better? PES 2016 is an absolute belter of a game.

Last year PES was only playable behind closed doors. In a mark of developer confidence, this year it was being played – and enjoyed

JULY 2015 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.com.au

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