GAMES
OUT 22MAR
With recent hits such as Street Fighter 6 and Resident Evil 4, Capcom has been on such a roll that it can afford to gamble on bringing back aless-loved franchise. And truth be told, back in 2012, Dragon’s Dogma’s unique take on fantasy action role-playing deserved to be talked about as much as Dark Souls. So can this sequel finally realise the complete vision its developers were going for?
Much remains the same, even if it all takes place in adifferent open world. You play as the Arisen, your own custom-made character who can also take on anumber of vocations that change up your combat style, from hack-and-slash to ranged magic or archery. You’re not facing enemies alone, which brings us to the twist: you can recruit Pawns, AI-controlled companions who live to serve alongside the Arisen.
You can even create your own Pawn as apermanent ally –and recruit Pawns created by other players online. These Pawns are atalkative bunch too, chatting not just with the Arisen but also with one another, pointing out useful resources or warning of bandits and monsters.
So there’s the potential for adventures to have the lively chatter of Baldur’s Gate 3, except you’ve also got robust real-time combat here. And there’s even more depth, as you can make use of the environment or even climb up larger beasts to reach their weak points.
Put all that together, and you’ve got all the joy of tackling an epic adventure with other players… in agame that remains your own singular story.
FIRST LOOK OUTLANDISHLY DISCOMBOBULATING?
XSX, PC
Always eager to use the latest tech and push the boundaries of what games can be (even if that includes trekking across post-apocalyptic landscapes as a deliveryman), Hideo Kojima is at it again. His next project is a return to horror… and for those who remember the absolutely terrifying PS4 demo PT, for a Silent Hill game that sadly never came to light, then OD (short for overdose) looks just as unnerving.
It’s not even strictly a game, but a new kind of media that involves elements of film, hence a collab with the master of horror in modern cinema, Jordan Peele (Get Out, Nope), with performances from Sophia Lillis (Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves), Hunter Schafer (Euphoria) and cult character actor Udo Kier.
The cryptic teaser shows faces captured in extreme detail, demonstrating the pow
