084
REVIEW
INFO FORMATPUB 11 BIT STUDIOS PS4 ETA OUT NOW DEV 11 BIT STUDIOSFROSTPUNK
What’s cooler than being cool?A
s cold and uncaring as the world
in which it is set, Frostpunk is
unforgiving, unrelenting, and devoid
of hope. Despite this, it is one of the most
fascinating games currently available thanks
to the issues it forces you to consider, and
the way it frames surviving just one more
day as a huge victory.
A world-changing ice age has set in,^1
leaving civilisation in ruins. You’re the ruler
of the last city on Earth, so survival is going
to be tricky. You build your city around a
reactor that keeps the chilly touch of death
from your people, but the cold isn’t the only
threat. Running out of limited resources
could also result in the end of your city.
And so you’re forced to ask yourself
abhorrent questions and come up with
detestable answers. Should you save your
wounded? It might be the compassionate
thing to do, but can you really spare the
supplies? The world isn’t as black-and-white
as the snowy landscapes you are trying to
live in; instead, each answer is grey.
Balancing the need to expand your city
with the scarcity of essential resources is
tough. Maybe you’ll find something to spark
hope out in the tundra – that’s assuming the
people you send out scavenging can make
it back. Every decision matters because
your game might be cut short if you run
out of fuel. You might be cut short if you’re
executed for being a bad leader.^2
Frostpunk is oppressive, horrific, and
preternaturally addictive. The exhilaration
at lasting just one more day is
enough to drag you back into the
next game, and unlocking new
modes and scenarios as you go
only adds fuel to the fire. Don’t
miss this one. Jason ColesFOOTNOTES 1 Yeah, we’re all worried about global warming too,
but it appears the opposite is equally concerning. 2 Arnold
Schwarzenegger would be proud.INFO FORMATPUB 505 GAMES PS4 ETA DEVOUT NOW LAB ZERO GAMESINDIVISIBLE
The stress of being inseparableF
or its latest release, Lab Zero Games
did what every anime fan with money
making a game would do – it invested
in a lavish opening by well-known animation
studios, music by Secret Of Mana composer
Hiroki Kikuta, and a large cast of colourful
characters. Indivisible isn’t a classic JRPG,
however, but a platformer with combat
designed to make the round-based battles of
old more interesting.
You control Ajna, whose story begins with
the destruction of her village. Of course
she swears revenge and sets off in search
of the person responsible, a warlord called
Ravannavar. Along the way she becomes
aware of having several mysterious powers,
chief among them her ability to absorb new
party members into her head.
The story fails to make an impact, and
dialogue often feels like a set of one-liners
rather than people having a conversation.
However, what Indivisible lacks in plot, it
makes up for in interesting mythology^1 and
beautiful 2D designs. In locales like south-east
Asian jungles and temple ruins, you engage
in round-based encounters that range from
satisfying to frustrating due to the amount
of concentration needed.^2 You control each
party member with a button that acts as
either attack or defence. Defend from an
attack at the right time and you take no
damage, which is vital to make it through
even the simplest battles. Alternating
between buttons for each character,
remembering to block and spotting which
character is even being attacked takes
serious brainpower. Add to
that relatively unforgiving
platforming and the game
lacks overall approachability.
Malindy HetfeldFOOTNOTES 1 Everything was designed with mythology from
countries such as India and Nepal in mind. 2 Indivisible’s combat is
directly influenced by that of PS1 classic Valkyrie Profile.INFO FORMATPUB NIS AMERICA PS4 ETA OUT NOW DEV NIHON FALCOMTHE LEGEND OF
HEROES: TRAILS OF
COLD STEEL 3
Steel yourself for an epic adventureT
he Legend Of Heroes series has built
up a complex world of politics and
economics which has an impact on
every game, eschewing the more separate
approach of the numbered Dragon Quests
or Final Fantasies. Trails Of Cold Steel has
been telling a story set in the world of
Erebonia, revolving around internal struggles
for power as told through Rean and the
rest of Thors Military Academy’s Class VII.
Which gives us something wonderful: we’ve
now followed Rean all the way from being a
student in over his head in a larger conflict
to becoming (at the start of this game) an
instructor to a new group of kids himself.
This makes the story a marvellous mix
of old and new – both a perfect jumping-in
point and a world that feels richly developed.
This feeds into the gameplay, with Rean
splitting time between teaming up with his
students and joining his more advanced
former classmates (who have all been
doing their own thing since the last game).
Combat is all about the bonds they share,
with the turn-based action featuring various
link attacks and combo moves.^1 While still a
stiffer JRPG, this is the most fluid entry yet
and some battles really feel tactical.
In between setting off on field expeditions,
where you assist Erebonia’s inhabitants by
taking on quests, you learn more about your
students and colleagues by helping them
out at the school. Narrative is still the focus,
and with a dizzying amount
of dialogue for even minor
characters^2 it manages to feel
epic and sweeping and personal
and intimate all at the same
time. Oscar Taylor-KentFOOTNOTES 1 Mech battles return, and allow for party-based
mech fights this time around. 2 While generally wholesome, it does
sometimes disappointingly veer into unnecessary leeriness.