PLAY December 2021

welcome

“THE YEARS AHEAD ARE ALREADY LOOKING HUGE FOR PLAYSTATION.” It’s getting a bit nippy outside as we hurtle towards the end of the year. But we can’t complain, as cover stars Kratos and Atreus have had to endure standing still in Midgard’s Fimbulwinter for ages to pose for the perfect shot. Though, despite the weather pre-empting it, there’s nothing chilly about God Of War Ragnarök (p46). There was something incredibly bold about the 2018 reinvention to which this is the sequel. Taking the cold-hearted killer from the PS2/3 hack-and-slash series and not only recasting him as a stoic father but also completely rehauling the way the series felt and played was a brave move. It’s hard to think of any other gaming icon that’s pulled it off. Seeing the father/son journey continue, and…

this month’s heavenly host

Ian Evenden CONTRIBUTOR Learning bad habits from an indie puzzler, Ian had to be kept away from the mag pile lest it burn. GAME OF THE MONTH Bonfire Peaks BEST GOD The King Of All Cosmos (Katamari) Jess Kinghorn GAMES EDITOR She might have taken to wearing masks and whacking Team PLAY with a stick, but she’s yet to find real-life Rot. GAME OF THE MONTH Jett: The Far Shore BEST GOD Shiva (Final Fantasy) Miriam McDonald OPERATIONS EDITOR Mim’s Cornwall holiday took a Genshin turn as she pushed over rock after rock, hunting for treasure chests. GAME OF THE MONTH Lost Judgment BEST GOD Amaterasu (Okami) Milford Coppock MANAGING ART EDITOR Collecting furs to wrap himself in and preparing to grow out his beard, Milf’s preparing for a cold Fimbulwinter. GAME OF THE MONTH Far Cry 6 BEST GOD Kratos (God Of War)…

opening up the comic books

“Comic readers expect multiple books with their favourite heroes on them each month.” Ever since videogames became an established form of media, there have been games based on superheroes. Both gaming and reading comics started out as geeky pastimes (we know), and both, as the years have rolled on, have become more mainstream. But that doesn’t mean the two have always moved at the same rate. However, that’s something that could change with Sony and Insomniac’s announcement of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Marvel’s Wolverine. After all, while games have always drawn on comics, many of them have been truly dire. True classics like PS1’s Spider-Man or PS2’s Spider-Man 2 were few and far between. It’s only become tougher as game budgets and production times have ballooned. Comic readers expect multiple books with…

joel-ly good show

The Last Of Us Day, 26 September, is a special day for developer Naughty Dog and fans alike. On that date each year since the game’s 2013 PS3 debut the developers have taken the opportunity to share a little something extra with fans. In the past we’ve seen console themes, statues, and even musical alternate endings but this year we got our first official look at the live-action television series. It’s not the most in-depth look, we’ll grant you – the image shows leads Ellie and Joel, as played by Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal respectively, but only from the back. Neil Druckmann, the game’s creative director and lead writer, offered his assurances on Twitter, saying, “When I first saw them on set in full costume, I was like: ‘Hooooooly shit!…

taylor-made news

Remember Destruction AllStars? It debuted on PS Plus in February. This multiplayer vehicular combat title’s dwindling player count aside, developer Lucid Games is rumoured to already be looking to the future with a different IP: Twisted Metal. The series hasn’t seen a release in nearly a decade – the last was on PS3 – and supposedly the new game would see a 2023 release to coincide with an upcoming TV show. Given Lucid Games’ previous experience with Destruction AllStars, car combat MOBA Switchblade, and a small role on Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered, it seems an obvious candidate to take up Twisted Metal’s reins. This new entry may be based on a free-to-play model, allegedly in response to Destruction AllStars’ last-minute switch from making its debut as a full-priced release…

arise again, jedi knight

“We want to honour that original story and make it as impactful.” Casting back to a time that predates the classic galaxy far, far away by 4,000 years, the original Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic is a much-beloved Bioware RPG. The Casey-Hudson-directed epic debuted on PC in 2003 and now, nearly two decades later, it’s finally coming to PlayStation as a PS5-exclusive remake. The remake’s lead producer, Ryan Treadwell, describes the new project, saying, “We are rebuilding from the ground up while maintaining that integrity of story and character from the original. […] We want to honour that original story and make it as impactful for players today.” As Knights Of The Old Republic takes place long before the formation of the Galactic Empire, you won’t see the likes of Yoda…