The bugs are bad enough, without the bugs as well

As this issue goes to press, Helldivers 2

EDGE

EDITORIAL Tony Mott incurably optimistic away-team leader Chris

Platform games

What does Xbox’s multiformat future mean for consoles?

Making it so

Inside Bridge Command, a life-sized starship ready to propel you into space

Changing tunes

How a classical composer’s innovative technology aims to revolutionise videogame soundtracks

Letters of note

How Kind Words’ unexpected success paved the way for a sequel that takes players outside

WORK OF ART

Your environment becomes your canvas in Impossible’s summer y painting adventure, Été

Soundbytes

Game commentary in snack-sized mouthfuls

ARCADE WATCH

Keeping an eye on the coin-op gaming scene

THIS MONTH ON EDGE

Some of the other things on our minds when we weren’t doing everything else

DISPATCHES MAY

Issue 395 The Wonder of shoe It is

Trigger Happy

Shoot first, ask questions later

The Outer Limits

Journeys to the farthest reaches of interactive entertainment

Narrative Engine

Write it like you stole it

Copy editing

Responding via Twitter to a video comparing the

NO REST FOR THE WICKED

Ori’s maker returns with another Moon shot

PONY ISLAND 2: PANDA CIRCUS

Daniel Mullins returns with a sequel eight years in the making

ARRANGER: A ROLE-PUZZLING ADVENTURE

Nudge theory in action

CATACLISMO

Build a better barrier, brick by brick

CRYPTMASTER

Spellcasting, literally and literately

ANIMAL WELL

One more descent into the darkness

#396

VIDEOGAME CULTURE, DEVELOPMENT, PEOPLE AND TECHNOLOGY

SLEEPERHIT

A world-exclusive look at Star ward Vector, the indie RPG sequel with Mass Effect in its sights

THE ORIGINS OF TRIPLE-A

The origins of three little letters that have shaped an industry

PAU L GOUGE

What to do when EA buys your studio for $1.4bn? Start all over again, of course

FINAL FANTASY XVI

How action led the way in reinventing the long-running RPG series

AKUPARA GAMES

Helping others find success, from empowering modders to romancing Colonel Sanders

PLAY

REVIEWS. PERSPECTIVES. INTERVIEWS. AND SOME NUMBERS

The Talos Principle

How a thirst for story telling helped us come to terms with human extinction

Hitman 3

A progress report on the games we just can’t quit

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

Kalm is far less sleepy these days than

Post Script

You can never tell the same story twice (contains spoilers)

Unicorn Overlord

The renaissance of the tactical RPG is in

Post Script

Uniting a world through redemption and reconciliation

Helldivers 2

For Arrowhead, you might say life is imitating

Skull And Bones

Developer/publisher Ubisoft (Singapore), Format PC, PS5 (tested), Xbox

Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story

Developer/publisher Digital Eclipse Format PC (tested), PS4, PS5,

Penny’s Big Breakaway

Developer Evening Star Publisher Private Division Format PC,

Foamstars

Developer Toylogic Publisher Square Enix Format PS5

Splatoon 3: Side Order

Developer/publisher Nintendo (EPD) Format Switch Release Out now

Inkulinati

Developer Yaza Games Publisher Daedalic Entertainment Format PC,

Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior

Before each attempt, you can equip one spell,