Sony’s web-slinging exclusive leads our 2018 preview special as we sit down with Insomniac to find out how it’s bringing all of its experience to bear to deliver the ultimate Spider-Man adventure.
Spider-Man
It feels like we’ve been trying to chase down this Sony exclusive for some time and we finally managed to pin down Insomniac to discuss its epic new open-world adventure this issue to kick off our massive preview special. We found out how working on Sunset Overdrive helped the team grow in confidence with fast traversal through a sandbox game, why it wants to build a game as much about Peter Parker as Spider-Man and why this feels like the culmination of every advancement the industry has made in the last 15 years. It was a great chat and a great feature to put together.
Monster Hunter: World
For our 2018 preview special we didn’t just want to speak to one of the great minds behind Monster Hunter: World, the latest instalment in a series that finally looks to have the crossover appeal that means we can all get into the game. No, we spoke to the three top dogs this issue as producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, director Yuya Tokuda, and executive director and art director Kaname Fujioka talked us through their thinking and execution of the biggest, most ambitious game they’ve ever made.
The Groundbreakers
Rather than just giving you guys a list of games to care about this year we thought we would try a different approach, looking for the themes and links between games and focusing in on those elements. For the Groundbreakers we wanted to pinpoint four games that we think are really pushing technology in the coming year in new and interesting ways. To that end we look at BioWare’s move into shared worlds with Anthem, the cloud power of Crackdown 3, the insane scope of Star Citizen and the incredible concepts behind Beyond Good & Evil 2 (it’s like a mini Star Citizen and we still can’t quite get over that).
The return of the Double-A game
For too long the gaming world has been polarised into triple-A and indie releases with very little ground in-between, but now it really feels like the middle-tier of gaming – the glue that holds our year together – is seeing a resurgence with some of the most interesting, quirky and curious releases of 2018. We take a look at what these games are and what gaps they fill in the roster.
The allure of the Shadow Dwellers
What is it about a mysterious game release that draws us in so much? That’s the question that drives our look at The Last Of Us: Part II, Red Dead Redemption II and Cyberpunk 2077, three of the most hotly anticipated and exciting games of the year that we really don’t know masses about. We break down all the info we’ve managed to unearth as well as examining why pondering the potential of an upcoming game is such an important part of the gaming experience.
Plus…
And there’s so much more making up our 100 Games For 2018 special with looks at the future of PSVR, indie titles, the convergence of violence and emotion in games, the titles that will be pushing 4K and some looks at the hot topics going into 2018; do we need a new generation of consoles and what next for loot boxes?
Also Inside
Review: Star Wars Battlefront II, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Football Manager 2018, Hidden Agenda, Need For Speed Payback, Super Lucky’s Tale, Hand Of Fate 2, Sonic Forces
Retro: Complete guide to the Nintendo DS, behind the scenes of an early modding groundbreaker – X-Men: The Ravages Of Apocalypse, an interview with TT Fusion legend Paul Hughes and why Assassin’s Creed was a game changer
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