081REVIEW
LAST MONTH
ON PS PLUSWe’ve always insisted that there’s
nothing wrong with a healthy
competitive streak and a friendly
match can really bring a team together.
Unfortunately, my competitive streak
is a bit weedy and, when threatened,
it comes out swinging. As such, I’m
banned from playing battle royales or
fighters at OPM Towers – I’m told even
muttered expletives carry further than
you’d think in an open-plan office.But thankfully, we were nowhere near
the office when September’s PS Plus
lineup dropped so I was allowed to eff
and Jeff to my heart’s content in my
own home – though perhaps not for the
reasons you’d think.
You’d better have
grabbed your
frying pan, because
the one and only
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
dropped into subscribers’ libraries last
month. Largely credited as the title that
popularised the battle royale genre,
you could gun for the glory of a chicken
dinner either alone or as part of a team
of four. Beyond that, it’s a title that
needs no further introduction... so we’ll
finish off by reminding you that referring
to it as ‘Plunk Bat,’ while still fun to say,
is not a term the creator approves of.
If facing off
against 99 other
opponents was a
bit overwhelming,
how about just one at a time in Street
Fighter V? While a solid fighter, this
version didn’t include all the bells and
whistles of the Champion edition.
Fortunately, redeeming it meant you
could buy the Champion edition upgrade
kit at a later point for the princely
sum of £19.99. While that was a little
expensive for an add-on, doing things
that way was still a tad cheaper than
buying the Champion Edition first for
£24.99. Much like competitive esports,
maths encourages a bout of expletive-
laden muttering from me but maybe this
will end up adding up for you.@KoeniginKatzeCONTROL – AWE
Still wonderfully weird but is it dyna-mite?
H
ere’s one for you: if
Alan Wake is Space
Oddity, does that
make Control Ashes
To Ashes or Life On Mars?
Answers on a postcard. But in
the meantime, let’s make one
thing clear about this second
expansion: if you haven’t
played that aforementioned
2010 game, you’re going to
miss out on much of the
appeal of this crossover.
Furthermore, if you’re hoping
that stranded author Wake
will end his exile to the Dark
Place in this expansion, you
will be disappointed – but
you’ll nonetheless be excited
by this teaser of what may
be to come.That’s not to say there isn’t
plenty to enjoy besides the
connective tissue that firmly
places the two games in
the same universe. Based in
the previously locked-off
Investigations sector and
settling more into a horror
angle, this expansion makes
us fall in love with the Oldest
House all over again. Slightly
less combat-focussed than
the previous expansion, The
Foundation, we’re out of the
caves and back amid brutalist
office space chic, hoovering
up internal documents all
the way down. The writing
remains compelling, every
page sprinkled with the
balanced blend of mystery and
‘everyone’s just looking forINFO FORMATPUB 505 GAMES PS4 ETADEV OUT NOW REMEDY ENTERTAINMENT@KoeniginKatzeVERDICTWAKE UP!the bathroom’ mundanity that
has always made Control’s
worldbuilding so enticing.
The new sticky grenade
launcher weapon mod, Surge, is
a welcome addition, providing
explosions on demand (though
we can’t promise that we didn’t
accidentally blow ourselves up
down a too-narrow corridor
more than once). It’s helpful
against new and old Hiss
variations as well as coming in
very handy during this DLC’s
final showdown.GLOW AWAY
Much of the main storyline
revolves around light-based
puzzles and boss encounters
that pay homage to Alan
Wake’s combat through
Control’s existing mechanical
framework; you won’t be
wrapping yourself up in
Christmas lights to scare
away the darkness but instead
hurling power cores and
floodlights at your problems.
It makes for fairly simple
conundrums but the Big Bad
doesn’t fail to re-instill a fear
of the dark. Side-missions
remain largely to-the-point
but continue to showcase the
charm of this weird world
within a location.Substantial, and makes us
excited to see what’s next in
Remedy’s Connected Universe.
Our only question is ‘Alan Wake
remaster when?’ Jess Kinghorn081REVIEW
LAST MONTH
ON PS PLUSWe’vealwaysinsistedthatthere’s
nothingwrongwitha healthy
competitivestreakanda friendly
matchcanreallybringa teamtogether.
Unfortunately,mycompetitivestreak
is a bitweedyand,whenthreatened,
it comesoutswinging.Assuch,I’m
bannedfromplayingbattleroyalesor
fightersatOPMTowers– I’mtoldeven
mutteredexpletivescarryfurtherthan
you’dthinkin anopen-planoffice.Butthankfully,wewerenowherenear
theofficewhenSeptember’sPSPlus
lineupdroppedsoI wasallowedtoeff
andJefftomyheart’scontentin my
ownhome– thoughperhapsnotforthe
reasonsyou’dthink.
You’d better have
grabbed your
frying pan, because
the one and only
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
dropped into subscribers’ libraries last
month. Largely credited as the title that
popularised the battle royale genre,
you could gun for the glory of a chicken
dinner either alone or as part of a team
of four. Beyond that, it’s a title that
needs no further introduction... so we’ll
finish off by reminding you that referring
toit as‘PlunkBat,’whilestillfuntosay,
is nota termthecreatorapprovesof.
If facing off
against 99 other
opponents was a
bit overwhelming,
how about just one at a time in Street
Fighter V? While a solid fighter, this
version didn’t include all the bells and
whistles of the Champion edition.
Fortunately, redeeming it meant you
could buy the Champion edition upgrade
kit at a later point for the princely
sum of £19.99. While that was a little
expensive for an add-on, doing things
that way was still a tad cheaper than
buying the Champion Edition first for
£24.99. Much like competitive esports,
maths encourages a bout of expletive-
laden muttering from me but maybe this
will end up adding up for you.@KoeniginKatzeCONTROL – AWE
Stillwonderfullyweirdbutis it dyna-mite?
H
ere’s one for you: if
Alan Wake is Space
Oddity, does that
make Control Ashes
To Ashes or Life On Mars?
Answers on a postcard. But in
the meantime, let’s make one
thing clear about this second
expansion: if you haven’t
played that aforementioned
2010 game, you’re going to
miss out on much of the
appeal of this crossover.
Furthermore, if you’re hoping
that stranded author Wake
will end his exile to the Dark
Place in this expansion, you
will be disappointed – but
you’ll nonetheless be excited
by this teaser of what may
be to come.That’s not to say there isn’t
plenty to enjoy besides the
connective tissue that firmly
places the two games in
the same universe. Based in
the previously locked-off
Investigations sector and
settling more into a horror
angle, this expansion makes
us fall in love with the Oldest
House all over again. Slightly
less combat-focussed than
the previous expansion, The
Foundation, we’re out of the
caves and back amid brutalist
office space chic, hoovering
up internal documents all
the way down. The writing
remains compelling, every
page sprinkled with the
balanced blend of mystery and
‘everyone’s just looking forINFO FORMATPUB 505 GAMES PS4 ETADEV OUT NOW REMEDY ENTERTAINMENT@KoeniginKatzeVERDICTWAKE UP!the bathroom’ mundanity that
has always made Control’s
worldbuilding so enticing.
The new sticky grenade
launcher weapon mod, Surge, is
a welcome addition, providing
explosions on demand (though
we can’t promise that we didn’t
accidentally blow ourselves up
down a too-narrow corridor
more than once). It’s helpful
against new and old Hiss
variations as well as coming in
very handy during this DLC’s
final showdown.GLOW AWAY
Much of the main storyline
revolves around light-based
puzzles and boss encounters
that pay homage to Alan
Wake’s combat through
Control’s existing mechanical
framework; you won’t be
wrapping yourself up in
Christmas lights to scare
away the darkness but instead
hurling power cores and
floodlights at your problems.
It makes for fairly simple
conundrums but the Big Bad
doesn’t fail to re-instill a fear
of the dark. Side-missions
remain largely to-the-point
but continue to showcase the
charm of this weird world
within a location.Substantial, and makes us
excited to see what’s next in
Remedy’s Connected Universe.
Our only question is ‘Alan Wake
remaster when?’ Jess Kinghorn