LinkED by Mashiro

Horizon Zero Dawn CONCEPT ART: A SNEAK PEEK

Ni no Kuni II READ THE FIRST REVIEW

God of War OUR PICK OF THE MONTH

Monster Hunter: World TIPS TO HELP YOU EXCEL IN THE HUNT

sive Exclu w ie Interv he t with r! to direc

MAY 28, 2018

Welcome to the first edition of LINKED Our mission is not just to entertain you, but to inform you about the latest videogames, consoles, equipment and more! YouÂ´ll get our reviews from the latest games, our personalized pick for game of the month and even notes from directors and art directors of your favorite games Now sit down, relax and START

Contents Discover

The making of Horizon Zero Dawn

#GameHacks

Unlock some amazing tips and tricks to enjoy Monster Hunter World

7 10

Reviews We wrote down all the details just for you! From the story to the concept art, we got you covered

Pick of the Month 20 Discover our favorite game of the month

Exclusive Includes an exclusive note from the director of Monster Hunter World Tokuda Yuya!

many kickass women in a first party big-budget game, much less this many people of color in key roles. I often found myself pausing the game just to marvel at it all. For years now, the latest console generation has been coasting on the idea that more raw power means better games. The PS4â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest exclusive, Horizon Zero Dawn, is the rare game that delivers on that promise. To play Guerilla Gamesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Horizon Zero Dawn is to feel awe. Awe over sheer technical wizardry and its ability to transport you into a new world. Awe over discovering gargantuan mechanical dinosaurs and gradually uncovering the mysteries of a lost civilization. Awe over the fact I have never seen so

Horizon Zero Dawn is a third-person action game that tells the story of a relentless young woman named Aloy, who, for reasons unknown, was cast out of the Nora tribe at birth. Instead of accepting her fate as an outsider, Aloy dedicates her life to combat and survival training. Her goal is to participate in a Nora ceremony known as The Proving, as custom dictates that anybody who wins the trial can ask for whatever they want. Aloy intends to find out the truth of her parentage and why she was never given a chance to be a real part of society.

From there, the game sprawls out into a postpost-apocalyptic wonderland of mechanized beasts, ancient ruins, and societies that have lost their knowledge of the old world. The intrigue is immediate in Horizon Zero Dawn, expertly woven by former lead Fallout: New Vegas writer John Gonzalez. At first, that story was my lifeline, giving me a thread to follow in an open world with an overwhelming number of things to do. As I explored the terrain before me, I saw a different seduction take hold, eventually compelling me to explore each and every icon on the map. Horizon Zero Dawn is actually a game about hunting, and your marks are a kingdom of vicious metal dinosaurs. Each monster has a preferred territory and comes equipped with its own strengths, weaknesses, and attack repertoire. Initially armed with nothing more than a bow, arrow, and spear, you must take on each Goliath before it tears you apart. Horizon Zero Dawn usually gives you a few options for any given encounter. Perhaps you are the roguish type who prefers sticking to the shadows, killing your enemies one-by-one without arousing suspicion. Maybe you like to override your foes, making them fight against each other. I preferred running headfirst into my encounters, unloading my ammo however I couldâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;if it hit my target, great! This quickly invited disaster. Horizon Zero Dawn requires precision and planning, asking you to consider your mark before taking it on. Using a technology called a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Focus,â&#x20AC;? you can scan your enemies to learn about vulnerabilities, allowing you to direct your attacks with purpose. There is some trial and error involved in learning what makes each creature tick, a quality reminiscent of Monster Hunter.

#Gamehacks

Monster Hunter: W

onster Hunter World is the most forgiving entry to date, but that’s not to say everything is straightforward. Combat, quests, materials and upgrades all have their quirks, and it’s only you put a handful of hours into it that things start to really come together.

To help, here’s a list of Monster Hunter World tips you should be doing or taking notice of as you progress through the Hunter Ranks. If you’re after the essentials, our Monster Hunter World walkthrough and guide can help break down what a hunt entails step-by-step, as well as the

variety of activities you can get up to outside main story missions - which we also list in order to help you decide when to push on to a specific monster you want to carve into fancy armour.

Try a range of weapons to see what works for you There are 14 weapon types to choose between - from swords to bows, and even musical bagpipes and insects - so it’s worth swapping them round between early hunts to get a feel for something you like.

The game recommends a series of ‘beginners’ weapons - as broken down in our Monster Hunter World weapons list - which are no less powerful than other types, but are simply easier to get your head around initially.

Guides Editor Matt is still clinging onto his Dual Blades they’re quick and have a ‘charge’ mode to do a quick bout of extra damage - while reviews editor Martin evangelises the powerful but slightly unwieldy Hammer. Essentially, go with whatever works for you. Whatever you decide, you own a basic ‘Iron’ variant of each

#Gamehacks

World

weapon, and each one is easy enough to upgrade a few times if you want to try something new later - so don’t think you’re hemmed in once you invest in a certain branch of the weapon tree.

By Matthew Reynolds corner. (Yes, even hammers will become ‘blunt’ over time, oddly enough.)

Doing so leaves you open for attack, so we’d recommend sharpening whenever the monster is distracted, or ideally, fleeing to another area.

You’ll need to sharpen your weapon frequently Something that is essential but not immediately obvious is your weapon will blunt over the course of a hunt and do less damage, as indicated by the weapon meter in the top left

you visit - then press Square (or X on Xbox) to let the animation play out.

To sharpen weapons, go through your inventory (hold L1 or the left bumper then left or right) and select Whetstone - it’s always in there, so don’t worry about having to pack it before

Bonus tip - if you are mid-hunt and Scoutflies suddenly appear, the monster will run away a few seconds later. This means you can relax momentarily, use a Potion or Whetstone, then give chase.

#Gamehacks

There’s no character level, but there’s plenty to upgrade Your character doesn’t have a level as you would with a traditional role-playing game - your equipped armour and weapon dictate your defence and offence - but there’s all sorts to update as you go.

sometimes a selection of missionspecific goodies. Two, prepare yourself a meal. Unlike previous games you can do this at the camp when you load into an area at the start of a mission. Doing so will give you stat bonuses which can give you a real edge in battle. Though you can create your own meals, to make it easy, just select one with stat bonuses

Monster encounters - whether it’s completed hunts or simply finding tracks - increase your Ecological Research and overall Research points; completed missions increase your Monster Rank, allowing you to tackle harder missions; and your Palico and Tailraiders both level up as you play. In short, the more hunts you complete, the higher these ranks go, so it always feels like you’re progressing towards something, but it’s weapons and armour you’ll always need to want to tinker with to get more powerful.

Do two things before every hunt Before you run off into the wilderness in search of your prey, remember to do two things. One, check the Supply Box to get a supply of free Potions and

Scoutflies make tracking monsters easy New to Monster Hunter World, Scoutflies are a green breadcrumb trail that leads you to whatever monster is lurking out in the world. You’ll need to do some legwork first. Run around and find monster markers - footprints, skidmarks, feathers and so on - which give the Scoutflies the scent. After enough, you can then follow the trail. If you lose your creature, all you then need to do is open your map, move the icon to the bottom left to tag it. You can also select non-monster items on the map to get a guide to their locations, too.

you’d like (defence is always best for new encounters) and go from there. Bonus tip - make sure you’re always loading into a hunt with the essentials before you load into them, such as a stock of Mega Potions, Antidotes, as well as a Shock Trap and some Tranq Bombs, so you can choose to capture a monster at any time which gives you bonus resources compared to a standard kill.

Note even if you have levelled up research for a particular monster and want to track it in a later quest, until a certain research level you’ll still need some footprints first - but the trail should show up much quicker than before.

#Gamehacks

Collect everything you see - even if in a rush As you explore each area, you’ll encounter lots of things to investigate or collect - from monster footprints, skidmarks and feathers, to plants, mosses and insects to scavenge. You’ll want to investigate everything you see; markings are essential in tracking monsters (even for creatures you’re not after right now) and give you easy Research points; ores and bone piles further unlock upgrade trees and will always come in handy at some point, and any bugs, plants and other consumables can be sold or crafted into more useful things.

There’s a lot out there, and thankfully, you can pick

up everything at a sprint. Even if you are chasing a wounded monster and pass over some footprints, just tap Circle (or B on Xbox) and you’ll ‘collect’ it without even skipping a beat.

Take your time with new monsters Though there are certain rules you’ll want to follow in combat - to avoid tackling beasts from the front, always keeping moving - each one has its own traits and tenancies. Each first encounter will be relaxed in terms of time limit, so use the opportunity to survey. Be distant, observe behaviours and

Tokuda Yuya

A note from the Director Hello hunters! This is Yuya Tokuda, director of Monster Hunter: World. As I write, we have just wrapped up the third beta test of the game on PlayStation 4, where we added the terrifying Nergigante. Did you get a chance to take him on? How did you fare? He’s a pretty tough cookie, but I’ve seen plenty of great players take him down! And if you didn’t manage to defeat him, don’t worry - in the main game you’ll be able to craft your own gear and take him on again! The three beta tests we carried out were just a taste of what’s in store in Monster Hunter: World. Outside of the quest-based action, there’s so much you can do in the game! Now that the game is almost out, I thought I’d share some of the things you couldn’t do in the beta that you can look forward to in the game!

#Gamehacks work out how the best ways to attack before getting stuck in. It’s better that then fainting and having to send minutes running all the way back to a far-flung area. But if you do fail, don’t get too stressed out getting knocked back and then eventually succeeding is all part of the fun.

Don’t stress over every system Even though you should grab everything, don’t worry if you can’t see a use for something you find or the game gives you a tutorial for. Monster Hunter is full of all kinds of items and adjoining systems - fish for fishing, plants for crafting, countless ammo types for bows, and experience points rewarded for all kinds of things.

where there’s items and systems to cater for every ‘role’ the player might want to choose from those serious about cooking meals to projectile-wielding gunners - but you can feel free to ignore those and still get what you want from the game. Just want to batter some monsters? Then pick a weapon, stock up on Potions, choose the Assigned missions and go from there. Then if a side-quest or system takes your interest, you can then dip a toe in when you want a break from the main story.

Use small creatures to your advantage As you fight, you may notice insects you can interact with. These can give you health or trigger status effects if you activate them.

Return to town after every mission As you play you’ll soon learn the checklist of things to check in on after every hunt. It’s worth visiting the Resource Centre (to Register any new Bounties and Investigations, as well as Complete Deliveries), see the Smithy to work out if any new materials have opened up any new upgrade branches, check off any Question Marks on the map to pick up new quests, and regularly clear out your inventory so you don’t run out of room mid-quest. It’s also worth doing an Expedition into a newly unlocked area to pick up any location-specific quests, too.

The healing Vigorwasp is a dependable favourite, and you can kick paralysing yellow toads to give a monster a shock. So if you’re up against the ropes, keep an eye on these creatures to give you a little respite. And when you’re not in the heat of battle, you can capture them too.

If it feels overwhelming, think of it like a more traditional roleplaying game such as Skyrim,

Our favorite pick! 15

Reviews

Bendy and the Ink Machine is an interesting concept. It is a horror game based on old style cartoons and this leads to a wonderful art style. I really enjoy how this game looks through the first two episodes. However, the game still needs some work in the next three episodes to be considered good. Beyond the incredible and unique art style, especially for a horror game, there just isn’t much going for it. the first episode just has you wondering around the work area looking for six different items so you can progress. It is just a scavenger hunt. Bendy isn’t even out to get you or anything, he is just an occasional jump scare as you walk around. I don’t mind slow going, but there is such a thing as too slow. I’m pretty sure it is impossible to die in this first episode. There is no sense of urgency or challenge because there is just nothing there beyond the art. That’s not to say that first episode was all bad. It does do a pretty good job of using sound and its cutesy look to catch the player off guard. It also did the job of making me purchase episode 2 to see what happened next, so it must have done something right. It really comes down to the interesting story that is slowly being unraveled. I want

to know what is going on with these cartoon monsters and Bendy and the Ink Machine has done a fine job of drawing me in. Episode 2 is a tad more action packed. If you call walking around a slightly different environment and hitting black blobs of ink action packed. For a horror game, these are some of the least terrifying enemies you could have thrown at me. They die in one hit and I can’t even tell if they are doing damage to me. I never got hurt enough to tell if there was any sort of health indicator or not. There were a few puzzles in this one but nothing of any real note. They were all pretty simple, provided you know your instruments. This episode ended on a bit of cliffhanger and I’ll probably go back to finish off the game as the episodes are released, but with the two out now, I have to say I’m not impressed. I’m interested in finishing off this tale, but the gameplay is very dull and uninspired. It doesn’t help that despite this being a horror game, I never felt scared of anything. It also isn’t helped by the fact that

By Austin Fern an

Reviews

everything is very short. I beat the first two episodes in under an hour. I do see potential here, but the next three episodes need to be different. They need more exciting gameplay that actually poses some form of challenge. The art style is great, but it needs more variety. Everything just looks the same in the first two episodes and it gets boring after a while. Oh, and it needs to have an option to turn off the damned head bobbing. It gives me a headache and doesn’t add anything to the game. If you’re interested in giving Bendy and the Ink Machine a shot, the first episode is currently free on Steam. Bendy And The Ink Machine managed to capture lightning in a bottle, the one-in-amillion shot that turns noname developers into full-time creatives. They’ve had to learn nearly everything along the way and develop skills to adapt and survive the modern video game industry. theMeatly, who started out only knowing 2D animation, taught himself how to model three-dimensional objects out of sheer necessity and repetition.

nd Steven Asarch

At this time, Bendy And The Ink Machine Chapter 4 is still in the works and Mood and theMeatly have a target release date, they just aren’t sharing it. Bendy is undeniably important to the creators and they make sure information about the story does not get leaked or ruined, no matter how much I beg and plead. For now, all we know is the next two chapters will be more “robust” with “more things to find” and have “more textures than the last three chapters combined,” Mood teased. Rooster Teeth will ready a completed version of the game that will release straight to store shelves.

Never let go of this flashlight or you’ll regret it

Reviews

Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom by Cam Shea

n many ways, Revenant Kingdom follows in the tradition of the Ni No Kuni series, once again putting a young boy at the heart of an epic story across a gorgeous cel-shaded land. In other ways, however, Ni No Kuni 2 sets its own course, with completely overhauled combat and a new focus on kingdom building. It’s a meaty, fun adventure that feels much snappier to play than its predecessor, but falls short in a few key areas. Revenant Kingdom is set long after the events of Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, and is centred around Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, the heir to the throne of the fabled city of Ding Dong Dell. Evan is part human, part cat or Grimalkin and is part of a ruling dynasty that presumably stretches back to King Tom Tildrum, who we met in the PS3 game. On the day of his coronation, however, Evan is deposed in a coup and must flee. In exile, he decides to create his own

kingdom and to unite all the nations of the world. It’s a grand ambition, and reflective of developer Level-5’s broader storytelling focus this time around. Wrath of the White Witch was much more personal its hero Oliver loses his mother in the opening moments of the game, and is transported to a strange fantasy land where he hopes he may be able to save her. Much of the early going sees Ollie attempting to help other people in pain, and in doing so, dealing with his own loss.

“Revenant Kingdom is not the story of Evan’s grief and fear about the future, it is about making the world a better place...” There’s a lot to digest, and many of the systems aren’t really explicitly introduced or adequately explained, instead relying on you to dig into menus and go walking around Evermore. You’re not

really penalised for failing to interact with them, however, as Revenant Kingdom is not a hard game, and a little grinding can take you the vast majority of the way. This gives Revenant Kingdom real forward momentum, which we appreciate, and you can always choose to go and take on much higher level enemies if you want a challenge, but I’d have liked the baseline difficulty on offer to be a bit steeper, or at least to be forced to respond to elemental effects or debuffs. Ni No Kuni distinguishes itself by layering fast-paced, real-time combat and an engaging kingdom building system atop more traditional RPG systems and quests. It’s a shame it delivers so few truly memorable characters and restricts so much of its storytelling to text on screen, but by the end of Ni No Kuni 2 the broader themes certainly resonate and the journey has been well worth it.

God of Wa Pick of the Month

AFP Relaxnews

The PlayStation 4’s April 2018 banner release, action adventure God of War, has set a new record for three-day launch sales, Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced. With 3.1 million units shifted between April 20 and April 22, God of War has become the fastest-selling PlayStation 4 exclusive to date. The fifth core entry to a 13-year-old franchise, the action adventure sends a Greek god on a journey through the nine realms of Nordic mythology. In contrast to previous games in the series, vengeful and violent antihero Kratos tries to come to terms with his own character flaws as he leads his young son on a perilous promise-keeping quest. The game, a first franchise outing on PlayStation 4 since the console’s 2013 launch, introduced several new elements including but not limited to weaponry and combat, a more cinematic and less interruptive approach to storytelling, and graphical achievement.

SIE’s vice president of marketing, Asad Qizilbash, did not specify which games it ousted in order to become the PS4’s fastest-selling exclusive, but the previous incumbent would appear to be either 2016’s Uncharted 4: Among Thieves or 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn, both of which were hailed by the console company for their firstweek cumulative sales.

coincidentally, slowing the spread of crucial plot and gameplay spoilers, is one of a number of planned additions to upcoming patches.

Sony had previously issued seven-day figures of 2.7mil and 2.6mil for Uncharted 4 and Horizon Zero Dawn respectively.

Released on April 20, 2018, God of War had launched exactly a month after Microsoft’s Xbox One and Windows 10 March exclusive Sea of Thieves, and the same day as Nintendo’s

Meanwhile, developer Sony Santa Monica outlined some of the improvements and fixes planned for the near future in a post to the game’s official site. An in-game Photo Mode, held back from the release day version and, perhaps not

Other tweaks include an increase to the game’s surprisingly small text, plus the option to customise controller inputs for Kratos’ Rage Mode as well as during normal play.

Pick of the Month

cardboard DIY construction toy and console game hybrid, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nintendo Laboâ&#x20AC;?, for which worldwide sales figures have not yet been released.