Stuff - UK (2020-12)

Launched earlier this year on PC,

Gears Tactics takes the Gears of

War over-the-shoulder shooter

framework and transforms it into

a turn-based strategy game along

the lines of X-Com. That might

seem an odd fit, but Gears has built

up a lot of lore over the course of the

series and reviews of the PC version

we re s tro ng.

That said, the fact that a port

of an existing game is the most

compelling exclusive at the Xbox

Series X and Series S launch is

pretty surprising. With Halo Infinite

having been pushed back, Microsoft

is relying on multi-platform games

and enhancements to existing Xbox

One titles to pull it through the early

months. They’ve acquired a bunch

of studios and teased plenty of

future fare, including new Fable and

Fo rz a games, but the launch line-up

lacks a killer exclusive.

LAUNCH TITLES

XBOX

EXCLUSIVE

Demon’s Souls

Sony’s remake of

the PS3 Dark Souls

predecessor looks as

terrifyingly taut as ever,

with tense showdowns

against giant spiders

and other monsters.

You’d better have an

iron will for this one.

PS5

Sackboy: A Big

Adventure

This is LittleBigPlanet

in spirit as Sackboy

begins a new quest

on PS5. It looks a lot

like the PS3 originals

and still supports co-op,

but has more of a 3D

look to the action.

PS5

Destruction

AllStars

Sony’s raucous original

is a destruction derby

featuring transforming

cars plus the ability to

get out of your ride and

battle on foot. Looks

and sounds wild; could

be a fun PS5 showcase.

PS5

Watch Dogs:

Legion

Ubisoft’s urban hacking

fantasy takes on a new

tone in a post-Brexit

London, in which you

can recruit anyone in

the city (even Gran) to

fight back against dark

forces during lockdown.

PS5 / Xbox

FIFA 21

FIFA doesn’t seem to

be adding many major

upgrades for this year’s

edition, bringing lots

of smaller tweaks and

enhancements into the

fold, but it’s well suited

to the power of the PS5

or Xbox Series X.

PS5 / Xbox

Godfall

This hack-and-slash

affair from Gearbox

is absolutely stunning,

and certainly one of

the best-looking PS5

launch titles. Let’s hope

it’s a game we’ll enjoy

playing as much as

staring at...

PS5

Call of Duty: Black

Ops – Cold War

Black Ops scraps

the future setting

for previously unseen

missions in the early

’80s. Besides the story

campaign, you’ll also

get a robust new

multiplayer suite.

PS5 / Xbox

Assassin’s

Creed Valhalla

Ubisoft’s open-world

fave tackles the Viking

invasion of Britain,

as your vicious crew

hunts for a new home.

You can expect a more

handcrafted world here

than in Odyssey.

PS5 / Xbox

Cyberpunk 2077

This brilliant-looking

open-world adventure

is finally, finally due

for release. It’ll be on

current-gen consoles

too, but you’ll really

want to experience

this vision on the best

hardware available.

PS5 / Xbox

New hardware needs new games, so here

are the next-gen blockbusters you’ll be able

to play on your fresh console right away

GEARS TACTICS