Games

OUT 18MAR

FIRST PLAY

STRANGER OF PARADISE: FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN PC, PS5, PS4, XSX, XB1

TheFinalFantasy seriesisno strangertospin-offs,while themainlinegameshavealso pivotedawayfromtraditional turn-basedbattlestomore action-basedaffairs…but StrangerofParadise isprobably itsmostdivisiveinstalmentyet. Ononehand,it’sadarkretelling ofthefirstFinalFantasy (hence ‘Origin’);ontheother,itshero JackGarlandseemstocome fromthemodernworld:an angryyoungmansporting anEminembuzzcutwho’s obsessedwithkillingChaos beforeblastingrapmetalfrom hissmartphone.Let’sjustsay partsoftheinternethavebeen havingaperpetualfieldday sincethisgamewasannounced lastsummer.

Butonceyougetpastthe ridiculoustonalwhiplash,thisis agenuinelyintriguingprospect. StrangerofParadise hasbeen developedbyTeamNinja,who broughtusthemasochistic butbrilliantsamuraiactionRPG seriesNioh.Andthathardcore templatetranslateshere.

Weaponscorrespondtojob typesthatFF fansshouldbe familiarwith,whiledifferentjobs provideanexcusetogiveJacka much-neededwardrobechange. You’llrecognisesomeenemy typestoo,suchasBombsthat growclosertoself-destructing eachtimethey’rehit.

Butasrewardingasthetough combatfeels(particularlythe parrymechanicthatbuilds upyourownmeterforspecial attacks),youcanalsooptfor ‘storymode’difficultyandplay itasanenjoyablehack-and-slash romp.Thepremiseandtonemay beallovertheplacebut,onthe strengthofitsgameplay,you’d beafooltorulethisoneout.

FIRSTLOOKSCROTALWAR

SNIPER ELITE 5

PC, PS5, PS4, XSX, XB1

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that killing Nazis never gets old – and it doesn’t get more brutal and creative than in homegrown developer Rebellion’s flagship Sniper Elite series. This is, after all, the game that pioneered the ‘bullet cam’ view, where special kills see you travel with the shot in X-ray vision as it rips through a Nazi officer’s internal organs – the testicle shot remaining a favourite.

That creative brutality was expanded in the last instalment to include shrapnel kills and a close-quarters knife to the skull. Bringing bullet cam to even more weapons may risk diluting the sniping aspect of the game, but there’ll be plenty of terrain to get behind the scope as Sniper Elite 5 takes elite marksman Karl Fairburne to France in 1944 in the series’ largest open-world map to date, featuring recreations of real-world locations.

Besides the expansive campaign, there’ll also be multiplayer options such as intense 16-player battles and co-op survival. The most exciting addition, however, takes inspiration from Dark Souls and Deathloop: you can invade another player’s game as an Axis sniper. Note that if you’re invaded yourself you can always call for backup from another player.

SE5 is planned for release this year, so you won’t have to rest that trigger finger for long.

BEST OF ODDBALL INDIES ON THE HORIZON

WEIRD WEST

PC, PS4, XB1 The Wild West reimagined as dark fantasy where gunslingers are more likely to hunt grotesque creatures than outlaws? Yes, and each adventure’s story arc will be nothing like the last thanks to a freeform sandbox approach. Delayed from 2021, it finally comes out on 31 March.

THIRSTY SUITORS

PC This story-driven adventure from hip indie publisher Annapurna Interactive is part Scott Pilgrim – as Jala faces her exes through turn-based RPG battles – and part everything else, from skateboarding to Indian cooking. It’s a unique game about culture, family, relationships and more.

SLITTERHEAD

tba That’s a pretty on-the-nose title, as you’ll be encountering people whose heads slit open to reveal something monstrous within. It’s just the kind of body horror you might expect from the creators of Silent Hill and Forbidden Siren, although the teaser also hints at an action edge.

INCOMING

MARCH

TINY TINA’S WONDERLANDS GRAN TURISMO 7 TRIANGLE STRATEGY GRAND THEFT AUTO V (PS5, XSX)

APRIL

LEGO STAR WARS:

THE SKYWALKER SAGA

ADVANCE WARS 1+2: RE-BOOT CAMP 13 SENTINELS: AEGIS RIM (SWITCH)