Brace for battle
February is another exciting month for gaming. Here are some titles that may pique your interest, writes Aiman Maulana
1. SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS
ONE of the most iconic games to hit the PlayStation 2 is coming back stronger than ever. Shadow of the Colossus is an actionadventure game set in a fantasy land known as the Forbidden Land and where the gigantic Colossi roams. Players follow a young man named Wander, who seeks to resurrect Mono, a maiden who was sacrificed due to a belief that she was tied to a cursed destiny.
While the possibility of resurrection is uncertain, there exists folklore which explains how the Colossi holds the key to a mysterious power of revival.
With his trusty horse Agro, he has no
choice but to subdue the Colossi to obtain the power. What he doesn’t know is that there is more to the Colossi than just simple power.
FUN FACT: This iteration of Shadow of the Colossus is a proper remake of the game instead of just a HD remaster. All of the game’s assets have been remade from scratch in ultra-high definition, which allow the game to be played in either full HD running at a smooth 60 frames per second or in 4K running at the standard 30 frames per second.
Shadow of the Colossus will be exclusive to PlayStation 4 on Feb 6.
2. DYNASTY WARRIORS 9
THE latest entry in the hack-and-slash game series by Koei Tecmo, Dynasty Warriors 9 departs from its usual formula to incorporate something new. It now utilises an open world environment for the map of China, where players can freely roam on foot, horseback or even on boat. The game focuses more on livable environments such as cities as these are where plenty of battles will take place.
While the game still follows the usual Romance of the Three Kingdoms storyline as well as its characters, it is a fresh take on the series as the characters move set will be completely revised. There are 94 characters consisting of familiar faces as well as new ones across multiple kingdoms for players to enjoy.
FUN FACT: Dynasty Warriors 9 departs from the game’s usual formula due to criticisms that its most recent entries are too similar. The developer’s brand manager, Kenichi Ogasawara, even acknowledged it in an interview with Japan’s Famitsu magazine that “the evolution from Dynasty Warriors 7 to 8 was insufficient”.
Dynasty Warriors 9 will be coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC on Feb 13.
3. SECRET OF MANA
CONSIDERED by many to be one of the best role-playing games of all time, Secret of Mana takes place in a fantasy world which contains an ethereal energy source known as “Mana”.
As civilisation becomes more and more dependent on Mana, humanity begins exploiting the energy source by establishing the “Mana Fortress”, angering the Gods.
This leads to powerful beasts going to war with humanity. With the power of the Mana Sword, a hero shows up to save the world. The game then opens to an empire which is seeking to restore the Mana Fortress. The fate of the world now lies in the hands of protagonists Randi, Primm and Popoi as they journey to find the Mana Sword.
FUN FACT: Secret of Mana was first released in 1993 under the name Seiken Densetsu 2. It was made by Square Enix’s predecessor, Squaresoft, and it is one of the most highlyacclaimed role-playing games of all time. This version is a complete 3D remake with a modern twist to the game’s mechanics to fit in better with today’s gamers while still remaining faithful to the core subject.
Secret of Mana will be coming to PlayStation 4 and Windows PC on Feb 16.
4. METAL GEAR SURVIVE
THE newest entry in the Metal Gear series and the first since Hideo Kojima’s departure from the company, Metal Gear Survive is a survival action-adventure game taking place between the events of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain.
Following the evacuation of Big Boss and Kazuhira Miller from Mother Base, a wormhole opens in the sky and absorbs the offshore plant as well as the remaining Militaires Sans Frontieres soldiers.
The soldiers are transported to an alternate reality along with the remains of Mother Base to find the world full of hostile, crystalline zombie-like entities known as “Creatures”.
Their goal is to do anything they can to return to their own world.
It features an open world environment and can be played solo or with another player in co-op mode. The game is considered a spin-off title in the Metal Gear series.
FUN FACT: Konami has always wanted to incorporate zombies in its Metal Gear series. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was pitched to have protagonist Gray Fox battling nanomachine-powered zombies at one point but they eventually went different directions. As you can see, that idea is now materialising in the form of Metal Gear Survive.
Metal Gear Survive will be coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC on Feb 20.
5. AGE OF EMPIRES: DEFINITIVE EDITION
MICROSOFT’S popular history-based real-time strategy game is making a comeback in the form of Age of Empires: Definitive Edition.
Developed by Ensemble Studios, this game is based on the first Age of Empires series, now with upgraded visuals to suit this modern age.
Players will act as the leader of ancient civilisations going through four different Ages: the Stone Age, Tool Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age.
FUN FACT: Every single expansion pack and bonuses from the original game will be included in this iteration. The game was initially set to be released in October last year but was delayed indefinitely as Microsoft realised that it still needed a lot of work done.
Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is exclusive to Windows PC on Feb 20.