STARRING
GM 290 june 2015
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“The slate of games run down in our Blockbuster feature has produced actual dribble” his month, I feel like an ass. “Nothing new there, then,” you might hilariously point out. But the ass I’m thinking of is Buridan’s, the donkey placed at an equal distance between a stack of hay and a bucket of water. In this case my stack of hay is Bloodborne, which I’ve been looking forward to more than the birth of my hypothetical children. I hold Dark Souls up as the finest game ever made, so FromSoft on PS4 is almost too much to take. The bucket of water? The remarkable slate of games that we’ve run down in our Blockbuster feature, which is so exciting that there’s a very real danger of dribble. Incidentally, Buridan’s ass ends up dying of both hunger and thirst. So you’ll know what’s happened if I don’t appear here next issue.
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EDITOR’S CHOICE
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Issue 290 / June 2015
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An Xbox One plus one of five copies of Borderlands! See p80 to enter.
My top picks this issue
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A new Nintendo console? Let resident expert Matt SG shine a light on the Mario maker’s future.
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Blockbuster season is nearly upon us, so celebrate with our look at the summer’s biggest games.
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Family, friends, sanitary concerns – they’ve all gone by the wayside in the wake of Bloodborne.
Joel Gregory – Editor
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june 2015
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What’s In Your Latest Issue?
56 Bloodborne The verdict is in on From Software’s
Only the best games are featured on GM's cover! ver story co y co ve or r st
26 the blockbuster issue!
latest, but can it truly be crowned as the new king of Souls? We’ve pushed deeper into Yharnam than anyone else, at the cost of one reviewer’s sanity, to find out!
14 The Future Of Nintendo
Fights! Third-person adventures! Action-RPGs! We’ve gone all-out ahead of a summer rammed with popcorn munching and sitting down at the front. Just have a look at these:
27 LEGO Jurassic World 30 Final Fantasy XV 31 Batman: Arkham Knight 32 Street Fighter V 34 Rock Band 4 35 Mad Max 36 Rainbow Six Siege 38 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 38 Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End 39 Splatoon 40 Overwatch 41 Assassin’s Creed Chronicles 42 Dirty Bomb 44 Tembo The Badass Elephant 45 PlanetSide 2 46 Bombshell 06
June 2015
Are we set to see Mario on mobile? Aran on Android? Kid Icarus on iPhone? We’ve delved into Nintendo’s dealings to discover just what it’s up to…
Reviews 60 Code Name: STEAM The illustrious maker of Fire
Emblem has been busy putting this tactical strategy affair together. Prepare to be surprised by the score…
& The 62 Ori Blind Forest
This Xbox One exclusive may have the looks, but does it have the gameplay? We’ve been spirited away to find out.
Regulars 12 Upfront 50 IndieMaster 82 RetroMaster
08 Fanbase What games industry chatter have
you lot baked to wordy perfection this month? Mmmm. Tastes like rant cake!
Koj moving on? A new F1? Elite: Dangerous on consoles? We’ve got all the essential developments right here.
Verge 63 Axiom Can an indie upstart be the best
We’ve gone hands-on with Monstrum to present you indie’s latest horror hit. And now they won’t stop shaking.
66 Battlefield Hardline
Slip on your finest leather jacket and bullet time dive over to our dedicated section for classic gaming celebration. Guess who’s starring?
Super Metroid-inspired adventure since, well, Super Metroid? Many thought this crims and coppers take on the formula should have been a mere DLC experiment. Hmm…
Of Eternity 74 Pillars Ah, the heady days of cRPG gaming
– and deep companion characters – are back. Wait. Permadeath is back, too? Noooo!
88 Cheatmaster You might think you know your way
around Yharnam by now, but we’ve got pro tips to divulge the best weapons in the game… and where to find them! www.twitter.com/gamesmaster
Team GM
Issue 290 / June 2015
Meet The Magazine’s Makers!
Future plc, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA Tel 01225 442244 Fax 01225 732275 Email gamesmaster@futurenet.com
Editorial
Editor Joel Gregory Games Editor Matthew Sakuraoka-Gilman Art Editor Sam Freeman Production Editor Daniella Lucas
Contributors
Louise Blain, Matt Clapham, Alex Dale, Roy Delaney, Matt Elliott, Duncan Geere, Ben Griffin, Phil Iwaniuk, Leigh Loveday, Dave Meikleham, John Robertson, Joe Skrebels, Justin Towell, Ben Wilson, Iain Wilson
Advertising
For advertising enquiries please contact Michael Pyatt, michael.pyatt@futurenet.com
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3
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marketing
Group Marketing Manager Laura Driffield Marketing Manager Kristianne Stanton
Production & Distribution
Production Controller Fran Twentyman Production ManagerMark Constance Printed in the UK by William Gibbons & Sons Ltd on behalf of Future Distributed bySeymour Distribution Ltd, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT, Tel: 0207 429 4000 Overseas distribution by Seymour International
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 gamesmaster@myfavouritemagazines.co.uk
the most dedicated team in the business
Licensing
It was really awkward this month when the team all turned up to the spring party wearing the same outfit. In fact, Joel took it so badly that he turned into an evil Angus Deayton.
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
Future Publishing 1
2
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Head of Content and Marketing Nial Ferguson Head of Games, Film and Music Declan Gough UK CEO Zillah Byng-Maddick Next issue on sale 21 May 2015
A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations
Daniella Lucas
We finally had enough. The FFXIV chatter got to the point where we couldn’t take it, and so Dani has had her own Aeris/Sephiroth moment and is leaving GM. That said, we are still happy to receive her baked goods. Because we’re nice like that.
Sam Freeman
A wild art editor appears! Or perhaps that should be a more Xbox-centric meme, for our new man has upped the team count of XO players to, um, one. We’re still trying to explain that he can’t activate his work computer by shouting “iMac on!”
Matt Sakuraoka-Gilman
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Jan-Dec 2014
With Dark Souls II on current-gen and Bloodborne both now taken care of, we’re a little bit worried for Matt. Without a new FromSoft game to play he keeps forlornly wandering the office floor, and firing off emails to Miyazaki asking to be mates.
The big game finder
Metal Gear Solid V: TPP
God Of War III Remastered
Tales From The Borderlands
Upfront – P12
Upfront – P23
Review – P64
© Future Publishing Limited 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. The registered office of Future Publishing Limited is at Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA. All information contained in this magazine 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. Readers are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this magazine. 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. Future Games: The First Choice For Gamers. This magazine is brought to you by Future Publishing Ltd, the makers of Edge, PC Gamer, Official XBox Magazine and Official PlayStation Magazine.
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).
Kirby & The Rainbow Paintbrush
Steins;Gate
Titan Souls
Review – P73
Review – P76
Review – P72
www.gamesradar.com/gamesmaster
June 2015
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CONTACT US Email gamesmaster@futurenet.com Twitter www.twitter.com/gamesmaster Facebook www.facebook.com/ officialgamesmaster
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Web www.gamesradar.com/gamesmaster Post GamesMaster, Future, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1AU, UK
Just plain Kong
I was re-reading issue 286 to read your reviews on Grand Theft Auto V, Super Smash Bros For Wii U, and WWE 2K15, when I noticed your ‘Office Lunchtime Game Of The Month’ where you stated that: “Any game where we can beat up Diddy Kong gets a thumbs up from us.” May I ask why? I mean, I’m not much of a fan of Diddy myself, preferring to play as ROB, Wii Fit Trainer or, my favourite, Ness, but surely that’s a bit extreme? And does that mean you hate Dixie Kong just as much? Kell Tisdall, email
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Perhaps it’s the beady little eyes. Perhaps it’s the smug little grin fixed across his chops. All that’s left now is the hate.
Order in the court Even GM’s highest-ever scoring game, GTA V, rubs some team members up the wrong way. Oo-er missus, etc.
L E T T E R
of the month
Robert reckons perfection is a matter of perspective…
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et me tell you, this whole notion of ‘no game is perfect’ leaves me cold. It’s utter hogwash and nonsense-b******s. You hear it from both reviewers and gamers alike, and I have heard it for decades. But they’re always talking from the gamer or reviewer’s perspective and not, more importantly, from the creator’s perspective. Let’s say the initial intention of the programmer/s of a game was achieved to perfection; that they created perfectly what they set out to achieve. That there is, then, the perfect game. So I think a caveat is required at the beginning of every games magazine, to the effect that all
opinions expressed are just subjective and nothing more. At the end of the day, what the game creator felt counts more than anything. But that’s never going to happen because reviewers want to be taken oh-so-seriously, because their opinion is just ever-so important. But more important than mine? Really? Robert Roemer, email What if that creator wanted to make a game about one thing, but it was read in an entirely different way? Tomodachi Life, for example, was supposed to be whimsical, but once it arrived in players’ hands it became apparent that its creators had wildly misjudged how offensive its handling of sexual orientations could be. Once something leaves the hands of a creator it’s up to the gamer to interpret the meaning. Our job, in a way, is to tell you how effectively they’ve delivered their intended message. And also to make puns. Lots of puns. n
I’m a very angry man right now! Yet again I have forked out almost £50 on a game only to find out it’s more non-league than Premiership. I am talking about The Order: 1886, or better known as ‘how to waste five hours of your life.’ Granted this game looks amazing and utilises the power of the PlayStation 4 to great effect, but the actual gameplay is hand-holding, linear cover shooting which at times almost sends you to sleep. It really is that bad. The hype leading up to the release of this game was unbelievable… it looked great and the premise sounded great too. A sure-fire winner, eh? Well no! This is yet another let-down following on from Assassin’s Creed Unity and Watch Dogs. Let’s hope developers can get to grips with the PS4 soon because it’s a great console deserving great games. Next time I see
win!
Got an opinion? Have even the barest grasp of words and how to put them together? The best letter bags a free mystery game!* What does it take to make the perfect game? Is it even possible to call something perfect? We reckon nay.
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june 2015
*Don’t forget to include your postal address and chosen format!
www.twitter.com/gamesmaster
fanbase TOP
5
Reader’s Top 5 team-based games
Your TOP 5
Your rundown of one glorious genre
This Month: Carl Richie, Facebook 5. Gauntlet A NES classic to kick things off. 4. Smash TV Another arcade hit which made it to home consoles. 3. Contra Has Carl played anything since the ’80s? 2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time Ok, so this came out in 1991, but still. 1. Destiny Ghost through a couple of decades and you’re up to speed. We’ve returned to the top five this month, and as we cast our fishing line into your collective pool of gaming love we’re keen to hear what your favourite team-based
games are. Carl has an eclectic list for us filled with ’80s classics… but what do you think? Is Destiny the first great team game since 1991?
Keep an eye on our social feeds for more Top 5 debates. And we’ll still be featuring the best of your Reader’s Cribs, so send in those photos! n does Mojang need Nintendo? There’s the argument that Minecraft has failed to penetrate the Japanese market and that a Nintendo console version might help but, really, the ship seems to have already sailed on the Mushroom Kingdom block party.
Clay your hand
“The hype leading up to the release was unbelievable’’ a new game previewed I’m going to wait until I have read the final review in GamesMaster. Andrew Taylor, email Sounds like you’re suffering from a bout of triple-A malaise. We recommend two doses of Towerfall: Ascension, followed by a course of IndieMaster. Take once a month for the duration of your subscription and you’ll be right as rain in no time.
A stitch in mine
As a former reader of the late ONM, I find GamesMaster a brilliant alternative. But one question sprung to mind when I purchased the fourth volume of your Minecraft bookazine: why hasn’t Mojang released Minecraft for both
Nintendo platforms? With the 3DS and Wii U’s two screens, it seems a must. They could be innovative by putting the inventory section on the second screen, making it easier to switch between items. Also, with combined sales of both consoles there is a potential bonanza for Microsoft/ Mojang to make money. Lewis Maclennan, email It may have started off as pure unawareness on Nintendo’s part as Minecraft started out on PC and began building up steam, but now, with 50 million copies of the game out there and a Microsoft buyout under its belt, you have to ask:
I recently saw some positive reviews for Kirby And The Rainbow Curse (or ‘Rainbow Paintbrush’, because us Europeans are apparently wusses) popping up online, and through a sudden craving for Aardman-style claymation action I went to see if I could pick it up… And apparently it’s not coming out in the UK until the autumn, even though Americans already have it. Seriously, Nintendo? I’d understand if this was a narrativedriven game which would take a while to translate for all of the other EU countries, but… Kirby?! George Harrington, email Thankfully the date has moved forward to 8 May, but in the meantime you can sate yourself with our hearty review (p72), which should help tide you over until the game comes out. Also, you might want to look into Armikrog (see page 46 for more) to help you get your claymation fix. n
We asked which games you were looking forward to… turns out you’re all a bunch of Bat fanatics!
1
Batman: Arkham Knight Format PS4, XO, PC Out 23 June We reckon it’s got something to do with that fellow in the cowl and all those gadgets and stuff.
2
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s end Format PS4 Out Spring 2016 It’s Nathan Drake’s upcoming last hurrah that clambers its way into second place.
3
The Division
Format PS4, XO, PC Out Autumn This comes with a bit of caution… you’re hoping it doesn’t do a Watch Dogs and disappoint after a winning E3 reveal.
4
THE Legend of Zelda
Format Wii U Out 2016 It’s not now hitting until next year, but that hasn’t stopped you lot feeling the love for Link’s open-world adventure.
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off the chart!
What have you lot been nattering about? 22% Feature you’d most like in Minecraft 12% What was the lowest scoring Assassin’s Creed? 19% The year 2003 in gaming 05% Dani’s desktop wallpaper 42% Which Tomb Raider is the best?
www.gamesradar.com/gamesmaster
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Format PS4, XO, PC, PS3, 360 Out 1 Sep Now that there’s an actual release date to shout about it seems the need to step into Big Boss’s shoes has exploded.
JUNE 2015
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fanbase you love ga mes me ga e v
SOCIAL GROUSING
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Cool stuff and videogame culture
Wisdom and weirdness from our social media channels
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d.i.y. magic! Need a catnap on your next flight? Best don this Monster Hunter-inspired blindfold, courtesy of Light In The Box. Want to make your very own Zelda treasure chest? Then head here for Zachariah Cruse’s stepby-step guide on how to build one: http://bit.ly/gmzeldachest
Landing on the Mün is one of the best experiences I’ve had with Kerbal Space Program. So many explosions and dead Kerbalnauts. That game teaches you an insane amount! Shane Byrne, Facebook
Is The Phantom Pain the next level to the last game? Or is it actually a full game? Peter Wilson, Facebook
Relationship wi th your co-op buddy getting frosty? Then Instructables cr has these icy co after Mazzmn ntrollers for yo u.
I want to see a crossover between Pokémon and GTA. And CD Projekt Red to make it. Allan Cross, Facebook
maniac of the month!
This weekend? Murder, pillaging, and burning homes to the ground. Also played a bit of Total War: Attila. Leonod, @Harmchair
It doesn’t take long for the cosplayers to wrap their heads around Blizzard’s top games, and Overwatch already has these epic Tracer goggles, thanks to Etsy seller HenchmenProps.
Of course someone has 3D printed Ghost from Destiny. Of course they have. Thanks, Etsy merchant nicksprints85!
Haha! Woke up this morning, rolled out my PS3 and put Red Dead on. Haven’t moved since. Is there any other way to enjoy a day off? Jon Alexander Mitchell, Facebook
I finally beat The Evil Within on Nightmare mode. 265 deaths, 31 hours. Donny Legion, Facebook
cosplay star!
Why is it that people complain about Mario sticking to a specific formula when they condemn Super Mario Sunshine, which just tried to be unique? George Harrington, Facebook
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June 2015
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B O O KMARK W W W.G AME SR ADAR .CO M/G AME SMA S TER NOW
14 NX steps With both mobile games and a new console in the works, what does the future hold for Nintendo?
What next for Metal Gear Solid?
Future of sneaking series in doubt after Konami fallout Classic Kojima memories
Marvellous, mad moments that prove MGS needs Koj
Kojima designed a boss battle in MGS1 where you had to switch controller ports to best Psycho Mantis.
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June 2015
Who else would have the sheer brass balls to indulge a moment like Snake Eater’s five-minute ladder climb?
How about MGS4’s return to Shadow Moses? Snake wakes from a dream that takes him back to the original.
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