FINAL FANTASY XVI
PS5
The latest entry in the eternal Final Fantasy
series looks like a return to classic high
fantasticalness, except with fast-paced
action combat that appears to be straight
out of Devil May Cry. With a grittier and
more mature tone, it might just be the
shake-up the franchise needs.
CRIS TALES
PS4, PS5, XB1, XSX, PC, Switch
This has all the charm of a classic RPG, from
its stunning hand-drawn art to cool battle
menus, plus a time-travel twist as you use
the past, present and future simultaneously
in puzzles and battles. See also Chris Tales,
in which Professor Chris Whitty says what
he really thinks about Boris Johnson.HYRULE WARRIORS:
AGE OF CALAMITY
Switch
The sequel to Breath of the Wild might
still be a ways off, but this hack-and-slash
prequel, which sees Link and his plucky
companions fighting in the Great Calamity
100 years earlier, might tide us over... even
if we already know how it ends.DECEMBER
OMEDAL OF HONOR: ABOVE AND BEYOND
OEMPIRE OF SIN
OIMMORTALS: FENYX RISING
OPUYO PUYO TETRIS 2
JANUARY
OHITMAN 3
OPRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF
TIME REMAKE
OSTRONGHOLD: WARLORDSBEST OF FLIGHTS OF FANTASY
FIRST LOOK WHAT’S THAT COMING OVER THE HILL?
INCOMING
Capcom’s long-running series
has recently become a major
hit, so it’s interesting that its
next entry returns to Nintendo
while embracing a more
Japanese aesthetic.
Monster Hunter Rise also
seems to have taken a leaf
from Zelda: Breath of the Wild
with a lot more traversal and
vertical movement – hence
the ‘Rise’ in the title. Climbing,
swinging and zipping around
environments is easier than
ever thanks to an inspired
new creature called a wirebug.
This in turn brings new
actions to your huge arsenal
of weapons, so there are
now more dynamic ways ofengaging with the monsters
themselves.
Naturally there are new
formidable beasties to face,
like Aknosom and Magnamalo
(give a hand to whoever has
the job of naming them). The
big show-stealer, however,
is that – alongside your
cat companions – you also
have new canine allies called
Palamutes that you canride and fight alongside. And
stroke, of course.
As huge as Monster Hunter
World has been, the series
has always felt at home on
handheld, so a new instalment
for Switch that inherits the
improvements of the newer
entries is a good sign. Get
your favourite weapon
sharpened when the hunt
begins in March.MONSTER
HUNTER RISE
Switch