Equal measures

We’d love to say we planned it. But in truth, this month’s 50:50 split between household names and smaller independent projects is a happy accident. There is some method, of course: at Edge, we strive to cover a broad spread of games. Indeed, among those familiar properties alone, we have an openworld game, an FPS, a management sim and an action-adventure.

Let’s begin with the big guns, then – and Halo Infinite (p36) has plenty of those. Though the campaign remains out of bounds, its multiplayer component is familiar in the best way. Harking back to Halos of old, it recaptures a certain je ne sais quoi we’ve not felt since Bungie left behind the series it birthed. Halo’s The Force Awakens? It could well be, you know.

On the subject of space operas, we welcome back Eidos Montreal as it readies Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy (p40) for launch. This is no ordinary tie-in, it seems: Marvel has afforded the studio the freedom to colour outside the lines – and what colours they are. Jurassic World Evolution 2 (p44) looks like the kind of expansion the park-builder needed, while Volition’s

Saints Row (p32) reboot has ditched the superpowers (but not its sense of humour) and returned to first principles.

Talking of going back to one’s roots, cooking game

Venba (p50) is about lead designer Abhi paying tribute to his Tamil heritage, as an Indian family adapts to a new life in Canada. Norco (p46), already an award-winner, is an evocative glimpse of a dystopian future for its developer’s Louisiana home. Wayward Strand (p52) revisits 1970s Australia via a narrative adventure aboard an airship hospital, while A Perfect Day (p48) relives 24 hours in the life of a schoolkid in 1990s China.

Something for everyone, then – and isn’t that exciting? It’s not simply about a diversity of genres, but a diversity of

experience: the medium can only benefit from getting to hear from a wider range of voices and cultures. We will continue to poke our spotlights into every corner.