Gamesmaster October 2018

The apocalypse isn’t an end – it’s a transformation. In Doom Eternal, demonic invasion turns the world into a playground of hyper-violent action; in Fallout 76, nuclear fire creates a blank canvas, a chance to build something spectacular in the ashes; Metro Exodus makes the Earth a deadly gauntlet you’re challenged to survive at all costs; Rage 2 is about the destruction of all rules, the coming of a wild age of party-punk excess. If this is starting to sound like your induction into a cult, don’t worry – just don your official GamesMaster robes, light a few candles, and read on to find out more about the most explosively brilliant games coming this year and next. We’ve even delved back into past armageddons, too, for two huge retro features, running…

THE MOST DEDICATED TEAM IN THE BUSINESS GM is actually designed to survive a worldwide apocalyptic event. A nuke-proof bunker under the office houses both enough paper to last until 2067, and three cockroaches we’ve trained to review games. Robin Valentine For once, our editor has actually booked some time off after this issue. He’s full of plans – painting a Warhammer army, making his own game, maybe he’ll even write a novel. All lovely things to think about while he stares at the ceiling doing nothing. How’s the world going to end? Crushed by an endless tide of Skyrim ports. Rob Crossland Art editor Rob’s been causing trouble ever since he got his motorcycle licence. Listen, we can put up with the noise, the fumes, and even the questionable leather wardrobe, but we draw the line…

With the recently released masterpiece God Of War, I’ve been able to revisit a genre of gaming that I’ve always loved but feel is fading away! The single-player, story-driven game has always been a staple of the videogame industry, from Metal Gear Solid to Uncharted. Single-player games are some of the best-selling titles in history – games such as The Last Of Us and the Batman Arkham series have won awards and sold millions of copies! However, in more recent years we’ve not only seen a shift towards multiplayer games such as Call Of Duty and Star Wars Battlefront, but also what were once story-driven games prioritising multiplayer such as Grand Theft Auto V with GTA Online. Not only this, but the recent emergence of battle royale as the next big…

1 RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 Format PS4, XO ETA 26 October One gameplay reveal was all it took to shoot Rockstar’s smash-hit-in-the-making back up the charts. Read all the latest on that on p30. 2 ASSASSIN’S CREED ODYSSEY Format PS4, XO, PC ETA 5 October Ubisoft’s big fat Greek open world is almost here, and the developer’s claiming it’s even bigger than Origins. So about a million hours of content, then? 3 SUPER SMASH BROS ULTIMATE Format Switch ETA 7 December Nintendo’s Christmas present to you: every Smash character ever, all punching each other over and over. What more could you ask for? 4 SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER Format PS4, XO, PC ETA 14 September Fans of running across things as they collapse under you rejoice: Lara Croft’s latest is out this month! Expect our full review next issue. 5 SPYRO…

The rumours of a new Xbox console in 2020 are all well & good, as long as Microsoft realises that everyone wants backwards compatibility. Jamie Cockshott, @JamieCockshott Resident Evil 4’s Sherry is the best sidekick ever. It started as a rescue mission and could have got really frustrating, but Capcom work magic. Matt Ingy, Facebook People think physical media forms, like magazines, are dying. Although I get my regular fix digitally I wouldn’t be without the one magazine I grew up with for all my gaming info, news, and banter. Don’t ever leave me, GamesMaster – I don’t know how I would cope! Ryan Booth, @TheGeektrovert The first thing I shall do when I buy Red Dead Redemption 2 is put the disc in and punch a cow. Daniel Climo, Facebook I feel like I fell in love…

Oh, Life Is Strange. We laughed. We cried. We cheated on the bit where Max lost her powers by reloading the checkpoint. It was an unforgettable ride and, by the time you read this, the first episode of the highly anticipated five-episode sequel will be just a few short weeks from release (it crashes onto the scene 27 September). It tells an all-new story with all-new characters, so no more Max and Chloe unless there’s a cheeky cameo. We’re hella excited; how about you? The sequel will again see Dontnod explore a two-person dynamic. Rather than lifelong besties looking out for one another, this time around it’s about brotherly love. The pair in question are Sean and Daniel Diaz, 16 and nine years old respectively. They’ve embarked on a journey to…