Play Station Official Magazine - UK (2020-11)

074

REVIEW

INFO FORMATPUB SEGA, ATLUS PS4 ETA OUT NOW DEV VANILLAWARE

13 SENTINELS:

AEGIS RIM

Dooms-dazed and confused

H

aving 13 protagonists is a tricky

balancing act in itself. But when

you’re dealing with characters with

multiple identities, dreams that might in

fact be memories, and time travel – which

sometimes means a flashback is of events in

the future – you can be forgiven if your brain

hurts when keeping up with 13 Sentinels.

You play as a group of Japanese high

schoolers who pilot mech Sentinels to fight

an invasion of kaiju known as Deimos. This

is essentially the game’s apocalyptic climax

as you’re pitted against waves of them in

semi-realtime battles. But Vanillaware is

more interested in how everyone’s fates are

connected leading up to the big fight. Most

of your time, then, is spent in the adventure-

like Remembrance mode as character paths

overlap and branch through the game’s

Thought Cloud system (like an inventory for

conversations where you have keywords

instead of items). While not everyone gets

the same amount of screen time,^1 and a

character’s story is often locked until you’ve

met some arbitrary conditions, there’s

never a dull moment as you navigate a

chronological whirlwind with androids, UFOs,

men in black, pop idols, and the kitchen sink.

Kaiju battles are fun, especially if you like

huge damage numbers or big area-of-effect

explosions catching hundreds of enemies,

but be aware that 13 Sentinels is a drastic

departure from the action-heavy antics of

Odin Sphere and Dragon’s Crown, though

Vanillaware’s signature hand-drawn art

style remains intact.^2 Safe in

that knowledge, strap in for the

wildest narrative ride since Nier

Automata as you get lost in its

messy conspiracy. Alan Wen

FOOTNOTES 1 Highlights include UFO-obsessed Natsuno and her

friend Yuki, who likes beating up bullies. 2 As is the studio’s obsession

with food – one character’s story revolves around snacks.

INFO FORMATPUB BANDAI NAMCO PS4 ETA OUT NOW DEV TAMSOFT

CAPTAIN TSUBASA:

RISE OF NEW

CHAMPIONS

Many boys, one cup

T

o celebrate the 30th anniversary of

sports anime bedrock Captain Tsubasa

in 2018, the series returns to mainline

consoles to deliver what can only be called

anime sports – a football game that while

following the regular rules also allows you

and your opponents to dash into each other,

perform goal-ripping special shots, and

engage in midair-battles for the ball.

While it can be viewed as a football game

for people who don’t like football games,

Captain Tsubasa is still essentially a football

game, albeit one stuffed with fan content.^1

While most of your time is spent dribbling,

sprinting, and passing, certain plays reward

you with scenes from the series. The visual

effects for attacks such as Tsubasa’s Tiger

Shot are great, and the sound design is

impressive, but the novelty wears off quite

quickly. You can either follow Tsubasa from

a high school tournament to the nationals,

or play a campaign with your own custom-

designed protagonist. Local and online

multiplayer are also included.

While it’s a joy to take on familiar teams,

the game’s reliance on familiarity with the

series makes the story mode unnecessarily

difficult – either you execute a famous play,

or chances are you won’t score at all. This

effectively bars players unfamiliar with the

Captain Tsubasa saga from enjoying Rise Of

New Champions. This is a game that gets

exciting only when it leaves rudimentary

football controls behind, which is less often

than you’d think. If you’re not a

fan already,^2 this amounts to

another game where players

only distinguishable by haircut

run after a ball. Malindy Hetfeld

FOOTNOTES 1 It may look like an arcade kickabout reminiscent of

classic 16-bit footie, but it’s really anime nonsense. 2 Did we

mention it was anime silliness disguised as a football game?

INFO FORMATGAMES DEV PS4 THUNDER LOTUS GAMESETA OUT NOW PUB THUNDER LOTUS

SPIRITFARER

The journey, not the destination

S

tella and her cat Daffodil have big

shoes to fill. As freshly minted

spiritfarers they’re picking up old

Charon’s duties and ensuring safe passage

for the wispy denizens of a whimsical,

water-logged world. You set sail in search

of resources and new friends in this cosy,

side-scrolling management game.

From the contemplative piano chords

that sound like they’re straight out of a Joe

Hisaishi score to the expressive animation

packed with personality and charm, its

influences are obvious. Coupled with writing

that valiantly attempts to walk the line

between sensitively handling the mortal

dilemmas of your houseboat guests and not

completely bumming you out,^1 it’s a pleasant

sojourn in lavish surroundings.

Onboard activities take the form of a

satisfying loop that doesn’t feel dissimilar

from the pure rush of endorphins that

is Slime Rancher. But, instead of making

moolah the be-all-and-end-all, the framing

here leaves you feeling a little less empty.

Instead, you’re encouraged to think of

resource gathering and refinement in terms

of how it can make your guests happier or

more comfortable. Your interactions with

your guests are still limited and mechanical

but this framing, and the fact that they can

refuse your hugs and gifts, makes it all feel

a bit less soulless.^2

With a focus on care and comfort, this is

textbook cosy gaming. Its world of spirits

is one you’ll want to get lost in and there’s

unlikely to be a single guest you won’t be

endeared to by journey’s end.

Set sail under a snuggly blanket

as the nights begin to pick up

a chill, and let your heart be

warmed. Jess Kinghorn

FOOTNOTES 1 Even with mortality as a theme, it avoids being bleak.

2 The narrative design makes your duties slightly more complicated

than just feeding someone, then kicking them off into the Everdoor.

074

REVIEW

INFO FORMATPUB SEGA, ATLUS PS4 ETA OUT NOW DEV VANILLAWARE

13 SENTINELS:

AEGIS RIM

Dooms-dazed and confused

H

aving 13 protagonists is a tricky

balancing act in itself. But when

you’re dealing with characters with

multiple identities, dreams that might in

fact be memories, and time travel – which

sometimes means a flashback is of events in

the future – you can be forgiven if your brain

hurts when keeping up with 13 Sentinels.

You play as a group of Japanese high

schoolers who pilot mech Sentinels to fight

an invasion of kaiju known as Deimos. This

is essentially the game’s apocalyptic climax

as you’re pitted against waves of them in

semi-realtime battles. But Vanillaware is

more interested in how everyone’s fates are

connected leading up to the big fight. Most

of your time, then, is spent in the adventure-

like Remembrance mode as character paths

overlap and branch through the game’s

Thought Cloud system (like an inventory for

conversations where you have keywords

instead of items). While not everyone gets

the same amount of screen time,^1 and a

character’s story is often locked until you’ve

met some arbitrary conditions, there’s

never a dull moment as you navigate a

chronological whirlwind with androids, UFOs,

men in black, pop idols, and the kitchen sink.

Kaiju battles are fun, especially if you like

huge damage numbers or big area-of-effect

explosions catching hundreds of enemies,

but be aware that 13 Sentinels is a drastic

departure from the action-heavy antics of

Odin Sphere and Dragon’s Crown, though

Vanillaware’s signature hand-drawn art

style remains intact.^2 Safe in

that knowledge, strap in for the

wildest narrative ride since Nier

Automata as you get lost in its

messy conspiracy. Alan Wen

FOOTNOTES 1 Highlights include UFO-obsessed Natsuno and her

friend Yuki, who likes beating up bullies. 2 As is the studio’s obsession

with food – one character’s story revolves around snacks.

INFO FORMATPUB BANDAI NAMCO PS4 ETA OUT NOW DEV TAMSOFT

CAPTAIN TSUBASA:

RISE OF NEW

CHAMPIONS

Many boys, one cup

T

o celebrate the 30th anniversary of

sports anime bedrock Captain Tsubasa

in 2018, the series returns to mainline

consoles to deliver what can only be called

anime sports – a football game that while

following the regular rules also allows you

and your opponents to dash into each other,

perform goal-ripping special shots, and

engage in midair-battles for the ball.

While it can be viewed as a football game

for people who don’t like football games,

Captain Tsubasa is still essentially a football

game, albeit one stuffed with fan content.^1

While most of your time is spent dribbling,

sprinting, and passing, certain plays reward

you with scenes from the series. The visual

effects for attacks such as Tsubasa’s Tiger

Shot are great, and the sound design is

impressive, but the novelty wears off quite

quickly. You can either follow Tsubasa from

a high school tournament to the nationals,

or play a campaign with your own custom-

designed protagonist. Local and online

multiplayer are also included.

While it’s a joy to take on familiar teams,

the game’s reliance on familiarity with the

series makes the story mode unnecessarily

difficult – either you execute a famous play,

or chances are you won’t score at all. This

effectively bars players unfamiliar with the

Captain Tsubasa saga from enjoying Rise Of

New Champions. This is a game that gets

exciting only when it leaves rudimentary

football controls behind, which is less often

than you’d think. If you’re not a

fan already,^2 this amounts to

another game where players

only distinguishable by haircut

run after a ball. Malindy Hetfeld

FOOTNOTES 1 It may look like an arcade kickabout reminiscent of

classic 16-bit footie, but it’s really anime nonsense. 2 Did we

mention it was anime silliness disguised as a football game?

INFO FORMATGAMES DEV PS4 THUNDER LOTUS GAMESETA OUT NOW PUB THUNDER LOTUS

SPIRITFARER

The journey, not the destination

S

tella and her cat Daffodil have big

shoes to fill. As freshly minted

spiritfarers they’re picking up old

Charon’s duties and ensuring safe passage

for the wispy denizens of a whimsical,

water-logged world. You set sail in search

of resources and new friends in this cosy,

side-scrolling management game.

From the contemplative piano chords

that sound like they’re straight out of a Joe

Hisaishi score to the expressive animation

packed with personality and charm, its

influences are obvious. Coupled with writing

that valiantly attempts to walk the line

between sensitively handling the mortal

dilemmas of your houseboat guests and not

completely bumming you out,^1 it’s a pleasant

sojourn in lavish surroundings.

Onboard activities take the form of a

satisfying loop that doesn’t feel dissimilar

from the pure rush of endorphins that

is Slime Rancher. But, instead of making

moolah the be-all-and-end-all, the framing

here leaves you feeling a little less empty.

Instead, you’re encouraged to think of

resource gathering and refinement in terms

of how it can make your guests happier or

more comfortable. Your interactions with

your guests are still limited and mechanical

but this framing, and the fact that they can

refuse your hugs and gifts, makes it all feel

a bit less soulless.^2

With a focus on care and comfort, this is

textbook cosy gaming. Its world of spirits

is one you’ll want to get lost in and there’s

unlikely to be a single guest you won’t be

endeared to by journey’s end.

Set sail under a snuggly blanket

as the nights begin to pick up

a chill, and let your heart be

warmed. Jess Kinghorn

FOOTNOTES 1 Even with mortality as a theme, it avoids being bleak.

2 The narrative design makes your duties slightly more complicated

than just feeding someone, then kicking them off into the Everdoor.