PLAY June 2022 - n.14

It’s pretty amazing that The Elder Scrolls feels like such a cultural touchstone – something we’ve all tried, a world we’ve all set foot in, whether that be millions of steps or a few. Constant Skyrim rereleases aside, The Elder Scrolls Online is the epitome of this, a trip to a version of Tamriel that’s constantly evolving and presents adventures to jump into right away. That’s why The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle (p48) takes the cover. This isn’t a nostalgic trip back to past Elder Scrolls games successes, but a bold step forward for the series as a whole, as it digs into an untouched portion of the Elder Scrolls map to fill it with story and lore. We talk to the developers about creating something like that from scratch,…

Rachel Watts STAFF WRITER Graduating top of her class in Two Point Campus, she’s a master at Gameology. GAME OF THE MONTH Moss: Book II BEST ISLE Edwards Island (Oxenfree) Jess Kinghorn GAMES EDITOR Let those who have not screamed in the office playing horror cast the first stone. Jess has a whole Quarry full of ’em. GAME OF THE MONTH Weird West BEST ISLE Snaktooth (Bugsnax) Miriam McDonald OPERATIONS EDITOR Mim’s laptop bricked – literally. Watch where you step in PLAY Towers or you’ll get a Lego injury. GAME OF THE MONTH Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga BEST ISLE Monkey Island Milford Coppock MANAGING ART EDITOR Inundated with Dreams, it’s all Milf can see when he closes his eyes. Thankfully these games aren’t nightmares. GAME OF THE MONTH Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands BEST ISLE Shadow Moses Island…

“A summer camp slasher with a dash of hillbilly horror.” This is not the final instalment of The Dark Pictures Anthology. That game, The Devil In Me, will star Jessie Buckley and be released later this year. This is The Quarry, a new completely different game. UK-based developer Supermassive Games is partnering with publisher 2K instead of Bandai Namco to deliver an original tale of terror set to get your palms sweating on 10 June. Coming to both PS4 and PS5, the just-announced project is well within Supermassive’s wheelhouse. While The Dark Pictures borrows more modern horror inflections, The Quarry feels like an ’80s throwback – VHS scan lines and all. Stop us if you’ve heard this before: teen counsellors throw an end-of-camp party – but little do they know what lurks…

PlayStation’s subscription services were due a makeover. Sony’s now announced that the long-rumoured ‘Spartacus’ service, combining everything we love about PS Plus with PlayStation Now’s massive cloud streaming library, will launch in June this year. The revamped service will retain the PlayStation Plus name, but will offer a variety of perks split across three differently priced tiers, each with monthly, quarterly, and annual payment options. The basic tier, PlayStation Plus Essential (£49.99 per year, or £6.99 per month), is essentially PS Plus as it is now, and offers the standard fare – two free games a month, discounts, save game cloud storage, and online multiplayer. This is the tier current subscribers will migrate to when the service begins rolling out. PlayStation Plus Extra (£83.99 per year, or £10.99 per month) bolts on…

Returnal was the big winner at this year’s BAFTA Games Awards, the jewel in its many-tentacled crown being Best Game. Developer Housemarque also took home awards for Audio Achievement and Music for the roguelike science-fiction shooter. On top of that, actress Jane Perry picked up the award for Performer In A Leading Role for her turn as Selene Vassos. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart also had a successful time, tumbling through categories and snatching up awards for Animation and Technical Achievement. We’re chatting to developers from both studios about their night. “Attending awards is a great way to connect with other game developers and celebrate success,” Housemarque narrative director Gregory Louden shares. “As game developers, projects can be long, so I always feel it’s important to celebrate any launch [...] Creating award-nominated…

AN ELDEN RING AND TEKKEN MASHUP IS TURNING HEADS ONLINE. KATSUHIRO HARADA HAS THE LAST WORD: “IT’S [A] RIDICULOUSLY WELL-MADE MOD BUT [PLEASE] STOP IT LOL” “TODAY I BEAT MALENIA WITH OTHER PLAYER’S HELP. I WISH I COULD ERASE MY MEMORY AND START THE GAME AGAIN FRESH.” SHUHEI YOSHIDA ENJOYS GETTING LOST IN THE LANDS BETWEEN. “THIS IS THE MOST PLAYFUL, TOYLIKE THING I’VE MADE, AND IF YOU WANT A GAME THAT IS LIKE LICKING THE TV ANTENNA ON YOUR TV SET TUNED INTO BBC2 ON A SUNDAY MIDNIGHT DURING THE ’90S, WE’RE HERE FOR YOU.” SAM BARLOW DESCRIBES UPCOMING MATCH-CUT MYSTERY IMMORTALITY.…