CRACKDOWN 3
Originally due out in 2016,
Microsoft seems confident that
the open world carnage sim will
finally release in February.
Crackdown feels like a bit of a
relic in this day and age, but hey,
it’s got a gun that shoots black
holes. Maybe that’s enough.
MY FRIEND PEDRO
A 2D shooter about balletic
slow-mo gunplay. As you jump,
flip and spin through corridors,
you can dispatch your enemies
in intricate ways, kicking props,
ricocheting bullets, and just
generally building a montage of
gifable violence.GRIFTLANDS
It’s about grifting! It’s set on a
land! It’s Griftlands! Klei’s RPG
is all about talking yourself out
of situations as you search for
fortune across a morally flexible
world. When your silver tongue
fails you, JRPG-style combat
will help you finish the job.2019 Preview
FEATURE
ANNO 1800
A
fter exploring the near and far future, Ubisoft’s city-building
series is returning to the past. Set during the Industrial
Revolution of the mid-to-late 19th century, Anno 1800 will
focus on technology, manufacture, and the sprawl of
emerging urban environments. While it will offer the series’ usual mix of
construction, exploration, diplomacy, and warfare, Ubisoft BlueByte
has also revealed some interesting new features. The blueprint mode,
for instance, lets you plan your layout before you begin construction. It
means you can easily save space for expensive buildings, staking out
the most efficient spot without having to rearrange a chunk of your city.
METRO EXODUS
T
he Metro series of games has always been defined by their
claustrophobic setting, tense atmosphere and meticulous
pacing. That’s why the third game in the series is such a
departure, in every sense. In Exodus, we follow returning
protagonist Artyom as he leaves the tunnels of Moscow’s metro
system and sets off east, on a year-long journey to find a new, less
radioactive home. Rather than tight, detailed corridors and controlled
linearity, Metro Exodus will be larger and more open, with a focus on
exploration and survival. As you journey, you’ll face new monsters,
factions and hazards with each change of season.
MECHWARRIOR 5
L
ike last year’s BattleTech, MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries will
put you in command of a unit of freelance mech pilots,
taking on missions on behalf of various factions of the
BattleTech universe. You’ll need to grow your company
across the sandbox campaign, earning scraps from minor factions in
order to build your reputation and armory. Unlike last year’s BattleTech,
however, here you’ll actually be in the cockpit of your mech, fighting in
real time. It’s the first singleplayer MechWarrior game in nearly two
decades, and promises greater detail in both its systems and
presentation—bringing the BattleTech universe to life.HYPNOSPACE OUTLAW
S
et in an alternate universe 1999, you’ll spend your time in
Hypnospace Outlaw’s internet simulation helping to police
that den of filth, the ‘World Wide Web’. SLAP copyright
violation notifications on tiny children’s art projects!
SCOUR incredibly bright and extensively animated personal websites
for signs of cyberbullying! TEND to your virtual pet’s every need!
ENJOY the thrill of midi music coming from goodness knows where!
WONDER whether you might actually be the bad guy in all of this. FEAR
the impending horror of the millenium bug. And you can do it all without
even needing to dig out that AOL free internet CD.