MULTIPLAYER MODES PUT
THROUGH THEIR PACES
online tests BY OUR TEAM OF EXPERTSwhat we’re
playing nowDIVINITY:
ORIGINAL SIN II
Jess Kinghorn is bad
luck on the high seas
With Oscar doing
important story things as
the Red Prince, I’m playing
Lohse, getting stuck into
jesterly high jinks just
outside of his field of view.
Anyone familiar with the
game will know things get off to a
rough start. However, that’s not
before the opportunity for some
flirting with your fellow prisoners. As
noticed by my scaly companion, I’m not
the smoothest operator; he asks me,
bewildered, “Why are you letting that
scary elf lady lick your arm?” Needless
to say, he finds my definition of flirting
to be deeply questionable.FORTNITE
Oscar Taylor-Kent’s
tastes aren’t plane
The last few big updates
to Fortnite have shaken
things up. Season 7 added
a winter biome, and
brought new vehicles like
the biplane, ziplines up
mountains, and balloons
to give you massive jumps.
In battle royale games you can spend
a lot of time just getting from A to B,
but these have really boosted Fortnite’s
dynamism. My first victory royale is
claimed as I descend majestically from
the sky attached to a balloon, blasting
the last pesky player away. A faster
Fortnite is a more fun Fortnite.THE DIVISION
Ian Dean flexes his
muscle memory
Even fighting shoulder-to-
shoulder with randos
online can’t diminish the
spectacle of playing in a
snow-covered, abandoned
New York City. Heading
back into The Division to
relearn the game before
its sequel lands in March is eye-
opening. Everyone’s still playing and
the game neatly pushes me to team up
with strangers and take on missions
I’d swerved the first time around. Best
of all, once I’d fumbled through the old
control config, and after four years of
updates, this version of The Division is
better than I remembered. I’m looking
forward to taking a trip to Washington
later this spring.100
review
INFO
FORMAT PS4
PUB ROCKSTAR
DEV ROCKSTAR
REVIEW #156, 10/10C
onsidering GTA Online pulls in
enough cash to make Elon
Musk’s bank account look
positively piddling, Rockstar’s
wild west epic was always
going to get its own multiplayer outing.
And just like the life-swallowing PvP
mayhem Los Santos serves up, Red
Dead Redemption 2’s vast frontier is a
perfect setting for online action.
Unlike its car-jacking counterpart,
Red Dead Online’s beta has started
rather smoothly. Using the Posse Up
feature to match with five other PSN
outlaws works consistently well.
Whether you choose to go lone wolf and
tackle bounties on your lonesome, or
partner up with other cowpokes to
tackle a clutch of story missions, RDO is
enjoying a rollicking start to outlaw life.
From the off you’re free to amble
around Amabarino, West Elizabeth, and
New Austin – all of RDR2’s map is open
from the start – with fast travel pointscharging you a small fee
for a stagecoach ride.
From here, you can clear
out gang hideouts or
take on Stranger
missions, which usually
involve hunting wanted
men or protecting
stagecoaches. While
you’re in Free Roam,
your customisable outlaw
can also take on main
missions from returning
characters from Arthur
Morgan’s single-player
adventure. With
well-produced cutscenesand varied objectives,
they feel more bespoke
than GTAO’s sometimes
cookie-cutter challenges.
With an interface
that’s much the same as
GTA’s online offering, a
press of 4 brings up an
interaction menu, where
hassle-free matchmaking
takes you into Normal or
Large Showdown series,
or a set of horse races.
The former playlists span
Shootout and Team
Shootout deathmatches,
the zone-capturingRed Dead Redemption 2
PSN prairies show plenty of promise
ROCKSTAR’S FRONTIER
PROVIDES THE PERFECT
SETTING FOR ENGAGING
ONLINE ACTION.