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Issue 111 july 2015 £5.99 gamesradar.com/opm
metal gear solid V w e ’ r e #1 f o r
t h e
p h a n t o m pain
The world’s first hands-on! Epic 16-page preview f eat u r i n g
V Two full days inside PlayStation’s best sandbox V Why Kojima’s final MGS is best on PS4 V Awesome new MGS V merchandise to be won
official tips!
destiny house of wolves Bungie’s guide to the best gear + hitting level 34
star wars battlefront’s newest planet explored tony hawk’s pro skater 5 pulls a stiffy on ps4 the new ps4 walking dead shooter shuffles into view first shots + info
Assassin’s creed syndicate Two Assassins! Victorian London! We visit the studio for exclusive access
ISSUE 111 / JULY 2015
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Morning! R
EDITORIAL Editor Matthew Pellett @Pelloki Managing Art Editor Milford Coppock @milfcoppock Production Editor Dom Reseigh-Lincoln @furianreseigh News Editor Dave Meikleham Games Editor Phil Iwaniuk @PhilIwaniuk CONTRIBUTORS Words Louise Blain, Ben Borthwick, Andy Cain, Matthew Clapham, Matthew Elliott, Edwin Evans-Thirlwell, David Houghton, Daniella Lucas, James Jarvis, Alysia Judge, Andrew Mills, Louis Pattison, Matthew Sakuraoka-Gilman, Ben Wilson, Iain Wilson Design Andy Leung, Jason Pickersgill, Rob Speed ADVERTISING For Ad enquiries please contact Michael Pyatt, michael.pyatt@futurenet.com MARKETING Group Marketing Manager Laura Driffield Marketing Manager Kristianne Stanton Production & Distribution Production Controller Vivienne Calvert Production Manager Mark Constance Printed in the UK by William Gibbons & Sons Ltd on behalf of Future Distributed by Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT, Tel: 0207 429 4000 Overseas distribution bySeymour International
issue highlight MGS V (p52) favourite mgs boss The Boss
CIRCULATION Trade Marketing Manager Juliette Winyard – 07551 150 984 Subscriptions UK reader order line & enquiries 0844 848 2852 Overseas reader order line & enquiries +44 (0)1604 251045 Online enquiries www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Email pom@myfavouritemagazines.co.uk LICENSING International Director Regina Erak regina.erak@futurenet.com +44 (0)1225 442244 Fax +44 (0)1225 732275 Management Content & Marketing Director Nial Ferguson Head of Content & Marketing, Film, Music & Games Declan Gough Group Editor-In-Chief Daniel Dawkins Group Art Director Graham Dalzell NEXT ISSUE ON SALE 3 JULY 2015 This issue was brought to you by Twitter meltdowns at mobile phone providers, awkward photo shoots and far too many TVs. The ABC combined print, digital and digital publication circulation for Jan-Dec 2014 is
27,582 (Print 24,317 Digital 3,265) A member of the Audited Bureau of Circulations
ight now, as I type this, it’s 5.30AM here in Los Angeles. I should be trying to sleep, but I can’t. I can’t because I played Metal Gear Solid V, from the very beginning, for seven hours straight last night at Konami’s LA studio, and I’m buzzing because I’m about to continue the marathon from where I left off in just a few more hours. How could I possibly sleep? Here’s what you need to know: when MGS V launches on 1 September, I fully expect it to instantly become the best game on PS4. Once you’ve read our gigantic 16-page report on the experience (p52), I’m sure you’ll agree. No other mag brings you more Metal Gear coverage, and we’ll continue to be #1 for MGS with more features and gifts not just until it’s released, but beyond. And things are only going to continue to get bigger here in OPM. Next month our annual Hot 50 issue – counting down the best PlayStation games on the horizon – is back in a special, reveal-packed bumper edition on 3 July. Get ready for the biggest month for PlayStation in years…
“i fully expect mgs v to Secure your copy instantly of the bumper Hot 50 issue now become the Matthew Pellett Editor very best matthew.pellett@futurenet.com game on ps4.” @Pelloki Subscribe on p76 by 17 June
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this month’s diamond dogs…
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All contents copyright © 2015 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored, transmitted or used in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price and other details of products or services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any changes or updates to them. If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Future a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical or digital format throughout the world. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage. We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from well managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. Future Publishing and its paper suppliers have been independently certified in accordance with the rules of the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).
Dave Meikleham
Phil Iwaniuk
Milford Coppock
Louise Blain
Issue Highlight Destiny (p68) favourite mgs boss The End
Issue Highlight The Witcher 3 (p80) favourite mgs boss Liquid Snake
Issue Highlight MGS V (p52) favourite mgs boss Psycho Mantis
issue highlight AC Syndicate (p6) favourite mgs boss Sniper Wolf
news editor Do you work in retail? Do you sell large electrical goods? Study this furious face well and never sell this man another TV (p24).
games EDITOR Phil went karting for four days solid in his Project CARS review. “Project KARTS, right?” he winked. Project P45 more like…
managing art editor Milf’s love for MGS knows no bounds. Swigging laxatives for an ‘authentic’ Johnny Sasaki cosplay, though? Too far, Milf…
guest writer “Where do Assassins dump their bodies in Syndicate?” asks The Queen Of Creed with a grin. We don’t know, Louise, tell us. “Hide Park!”
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July 2015
highlights The big 10
006 assassin’s creed syndicate 004
AC hitches a ride on the Victorian London bandwagon. OPM jets to Quebec for the latest. pREVIEW
030 Batman: Arkham knight Game director Sefton Hill talks you through PS4’s brooding summer blockbuster. preview
034 everybody’s gone to the rapture Hands-on with The Chinese Room’s daring PS4-exclusive adventure, set in… Shropshire. feature
052 Metal Gear Solid V: The phantom pain What happens when Konami lets editor Matt loose in its open-world for two days straight? Find out in our exclusive 16-page feature. feature
072 re-vita-lized Despite a quiet spell, PlayStation Vita has more to offer than ever in 2015. No, really. review
080 The witcher 3 Wild hunt Geralt Of Rivia finally rides onto PlayStation – but does CD Projekt Red bag the RPG crown? retrostation
106 wwe smackdown! here comes the pain Attitude Era podcast host Kefin Mahon pays tribue to a grappling great from back in 2003.
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Latest info, screens and playtests All the hottest news
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To-the-point, detailed analysis
In-depth verdicts on every big new game
Max out your PS4, online and off
Classics revisited
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THE Games index 046 abyss odyssey: extended dream edition 047 adventure time: finn and jake investigations 038 alienation 037 amplitude 040 ark: survival evolved 006 Assassin’s creed syndicate 047 the assembly 030 Batman: Arkham Knight 011 bloodstained: ROTN 100 call of duty: Advanced warfare 068 destiny 014 disney infinity – 3.0 edition 018 the division 092 The Escapists 093 ether one 034 everybody’s gone to the rapture 044 final fantasy XIV: heavensward 094 gradius V 046 guitar hero live 109 heavy rain 046 lego dimensions 047 mad max 052 metal gear solid v: the phantom pain 047 mighty no 9 099 MLB 15: The Show 098 mortal kombat x 094 nom nom galaxy 012 overlord: foe 047 persona 5 088 project cars 042 radial-G 016 resident evil zero HD 047 risen 3: enhanced edition 043 rock band 4 046 Shadow of the beast 087 shovel knight 036 Star Wars Battlefront 046 Super dungeon bros 010 tony hawk’s pro skater 5 094 toren 095 tropico 5 039 The vanishing of Ethan Carter 048 the walking dead (overkill’s) 080 the witcher 3 wild hunt 086 wolfenstein: the old blood
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No news on Jack The Ripper yet, but Charles Dickens and Charles Darwin will appear.
The Big10
Stories everyone’s talking about
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Syndicate’s foray into old-timey london doesn’t just have one hooded murderer, but two.
10 the birdman is back
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 ollies in.
12 overlord of the rings
Fellowship Of Evil snags Pratchett.
20 stick the boot in
The PS4 trainers you need right now.
TheBig10 Stories everyone’s talking about
What the Dickens! Victory becomes AC Syndicate
Assassin’s Creed travels to Victorian London with twin killers and new toys Let’s face it, we knew this was coming. The leak of the oncenamed AC Victory back in December revealed a period in history that we’ve been clamouring to visit for years. But now it’s official: Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is Ubisoft’s foray into Victorian London and we don’t have just one hooded murderer, but two. Add in brand new vehicles and a rope launcher for hurtling across the skyline faster than ever, and this might just be the current-gen Creed you deserve. And after the debacle that was Unity, lord knows are you ever deserving… Jacob and Evie Frye are twin Assassins – yes, that’ll be the first female sneaky stabber to appear in one of the main games and not a spin-off – who arrive in London in 1868; a pivotal moment in history as the Industrial Revolution pushes the world into the modern age.
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There are no wars or bloodshed here. Instead, there’s just the small matter of the British taking over the globe. “London at the time was the epicentre of the greatest empire that humanity has ever known,” says creative director Marc-Alexis Côté as he prepares us for what’s sure to be a particularly violent scene. sing when you’re twinning “Let me borrow some words from Charles Dickens, who described the life of the people of London during those years,” he adds. “‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Such was life for the people of London.’ This is really something that I want our players to feel… I want them to feel that it was the age of marvels, but also an age of strife for the people of this wonderful city.” It’s this strife that’s so key to the Creed. Those pesky Templars are completely in control and the only way for Jacob and Evie to take back the city is from the underground. The working classes are heavily oppressed and organised crime
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The Big10 Stories everyone’s talking about
is rife, so the twins aren’t just the first dual heroes of the series, but they’re the first Assassins with criminal vocations – the founders of a gang known as the Rooks.
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Launch time Each with their own story missions, you’ll be able to switch between Jacob and Evie at will in the open-world of London. Somehow 30% bigger than Unity’s Paris, The Smoke is made up of seven separate districts. Ditching the multiplayer options of Unity, Syndicate’s a solo experience. There’s no co-operative play, just the single focus of gang warfare and taking over the city. Ubi hasn’t revealed anything about the main missions, but we’ve been assured of even more freedom to play the way we all want. From the demo we see running on PS4, it’s clear that London is a very different city from any of the previous games. Carriages clatter along the wide streets and pedestrians are now relegated to pavements. Advertising plasters the walls, children run amok and the buildings stretch further into the sky than ever before. If that sounds like it’s going to be a devil to climb, it probably is. So in steps the Creed’s newest toy: the rope launcher. Basically an Assassin’s grapple hook, Jacob and Evie’s new gauntlet tool enables
them not just to hurtle vertically up walls with a quick tap of o, but also to send a zipline between the wide streets of London Town. And it’s handy for more than just fluid parkour; the twins can also use the zipline as a stealth tool, creeping along silently above enemies before picking the right moment for an aerial assassination. With no more climbing to potentially slow things down, not to mention extra stealth options, this is a real game changer. London brawling Evie is more focused on understated stealth, but mutton-chopped Jacob is a man of action. Armed with a Nepalese knife known as a Kukri and a chunky set of knuckle dusters, this top hat-clad Assassin specialises in hand to hand combat. Victorian London was a time of concealed weaponry and the Creed’s fight style has changed accordingly. Swords on hips are out, hidden blades and canes are very much in. Also new to the series are vehicles (yes, let’s forget those awful Da Vinci designed tank missions in
victorian london was a time of concealed weapons and fights have changed accordingly.
Dart of deception
A dangerous addition to Jacob’s Assassin gauntlet is the hallucinogenic dart. While this can be shot silently into enemies to send them berserk, direct one at a flame and the explosion will send everyone into a frenzy. Stealthy.
Brotherhood). In our demo we watch Jacob stealthily invade the stronghold of an enemy gang which quickly descends into a carriage chase through the streets. Not only can you take to the driver’s seat, you can also jump on the roof of your carriage as you battle the newlyintroduced British police force. Chaos ensues as the chase travels through the wide streets. The clopping of horses’ hooves echo as carriages veer dangerously over the road, wood flying everywhere as vehicles smash repeatedly into one another like a 19th century GTA. Slickly, even if you aren’t driving, you can jump between carriages on the streets like moving platforms. They also become portable hiding spots and a quick method of escape should you find yourself in hot water. And Evie and Jacob won’t be limited to just carriages – trains and boats are being teased with the Thames apparently filled with all kinds of sea-going craft ripe for using. It’s refreshing to see the series going back to its single-player historical roots, and the addition of new toys is much appreciated. Add in combat tweaks and a new auto-cover system and this might just be the Victory we need after all, even if the new name blows. Syndicate hits 23 Oct. For the latest stabby info head to gamesradar.com.
■ Jacob and Evie both have individual
skill trees and story missions.
Contextual kills are back, so if you fancy killing an enemy fast, back them up against a wall.
■ Jacob swaps his top hat for
an Assassin hood when in stealth.
The cover system has been revamped with you automatically sliding into safety this time around.
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■ Creative director Marc-Alexis Côté wants to bring back the magic of Assassin’s Creed II with the focus on the people and personalities of the time.
Clearly, size does matter. The City Of London district alone is bigger than Brotherhood’s Rome.
Tony’s 47, so is joined on the roster by his son, Riley. You can also make a custom skater.
The Big10
Stories everyone’s talking about
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Birdman takes to the PS4 skies Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 grinds its way onto current-gen Ah, 1999. A time when MTV played music on television, the economy looked bright, and Sega still made consoles. It was also the year that, thanks to Tony Hawk’s Skateboarding, the far cooler owners of Sony’s original grey box no longer had to risk a broken coccyx to wow their mates with a sick 720°. It was a radical game in all the right ways, but not least for its control scheme, which tied dizzying balancing acts to gnarly combo chains. Activision can’t bring back any of that other stuff, but it is finally pulling the Tony Hawk’s series out of its lengthy hiatus for Pro Skater 5. It’s
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about time, too: much like Guitar Hero, the Birdman’s games have languished in the publisher’s portfolio for the best part of half a decade. In TH’s case, the reception to pricey peripheral-based spin-offs Ride and Shred suggested any follow-up bundled with a hunk of plastic could 360 Shove-It. But what delights our inner teens is that, in an effort to re-grease those squeaky polyurethane wheels, the series is going back to the name, controls and spirit it left behind in 2002. For Josh Tsui, CEO of codeveloper Robomodo, a big part of that is down to creating a series of tightly designed levels. “What stood out with the first Pro Skater games is that focus of being in an enclosed
use the slam mechanic to keep runs flowing.
level such as a skatepark or a warehouse and really cracking its code,” he says, “discovering how to create that ridiculous combo or access a pickup.”
dev talk “We want as many fans as possible to play. Not everyone has a PS4, so getting it out on PS3 was important. Yet there are things we can do online with PS4 that PS3 won’t allow. There will be PS4-only features in this regard… There’s a price difference between the two versions to account for this.” Josh Tsui
CEO and co-founder, Robomodo
alive and kickflipping In ‘99, your skatepark was empty, but that’s now a thing of the past. Assuming you don’t plump for the last-gen version (which doesn’t have PSN play), seamless online multiplayer is promised, so PS4 owners can check off the objectives list with a crew, or attempt to beat the competition. You’ll have new tricks to whip out, too. The ‘slam’ mechanic enables you to pick your choice of landing spot after an ollie to keep those flowing runs going. More divisively, Robomodo and Disruptive Games are also adding power-ups and cheat modes to the latest Hawk instalment.
no pain, no stain
Bloodstained casts you as Miriam, an orphan who’s blighted by a curse that turns her blood to crystal, hence the game’s name. She braves the castle with her pal Gebel, who is also cursed.
The Big10 Stories everyone’s talking about
Though this shot is concept art, we’re sure the final PS4 game will be just as eye-catching.
Meet the new Castlevania killer Igarashi returns to PlayStation with Bloodstained Koji Igarashi is a big deal. The legendary designer will always be regarded as a PlayStation icon, thanks to his sterling work co-directing PS1’s Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night. And it’s precisely because of his astounding CV and the affection people hold for PS1’s finest 2D title that you’re being treated to a spiritual successor to the incredible 1997 gothic romp. Say hello to Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night. After a near four-year break from the industry, Igarashi – or ‘IGA’ to his vamp-loving fans – is returning to his side-scrolling roots in a PS4 adventure that looks to rekindle the long dormant magic of Alucard’s PS1 great. “Many years have passed, but it’s finally time we meet again,” teased IGA on the game’s Kickstarter page. “With your help, I
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Instead of entering a string of inputs to lark about under moon gravity, the ability to get big air off of a simple ollie is just waiting to be collected. It’s a direction Robomodo is so proud of that it has designed a whole level (from a total of nine) on the Moon around its new power-up. Meanwhile, projectiles are, according to Tsui, “a callback to Firefight, a fireball shooting mode in American [Wasteland] missions.” While flaming balls have moved into the spotlight, Tsui is quick to allay fears of random carnage. “Ultimately projectiles and powerups are small additions – fun tweaks, not a reinvention.” For now, we’re willing to embrace ‘90s optimism in the hope that the PlayStation legend can grind out another arcade thriller. This is Robomodo’s first PS outing since 2012’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD.
hope to create a new game built on some of the classic principles my works are known for.” You can take, “hope,” out of the equation, Igarashi. You absolutely will be making Bloodstained thanks to an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign. Talk about setting yourself goals, then utterly, utterly smashing them. In a little over three hours, the game reached its main $500k funding target. At time of press, almost all of its stretch goals have been knocked over, with the latest total pledge amount approaching the $2.5m barrier. Such generosity ensures Bloodstained is headed to your PS4 with two playable heroes, local co-op, cheats codes and David Hayter voicing the character of Gebel. We can’t wait for the claret-soaked fun of this new Night.
it looks to rekindle the dormant magic of alucard’s ps1 great.
Bloodstained is the 23rd game of IGA’s career. He’s worked on 14 Castlevanias.
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Codemasters has snagged one of the industry’s most Stories everyone’s talking about respected writers.
The Big10
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