Gaming Bookazine EDGE Annual Volume 4 Back Issue

Life can always start up a new...

For the inaugural Edge Annual four years ago, we opened with a lyric from Frank Sinatra’s It Was A Very Good Year. We needn’t explain why that wouldn’t be appropriate this time around. But as the world starts to take the first tentative steps back towards relative normality, there are positives to reflect upon, too, from a medium that has provided a source of so much comfort for so many people. Some parts of the industry have been better positioned to adapt to the pandemic than others – which has been reflected in our cover games of late. Within these pages are extended looks at two captivatingly singular games made by small teams to which we were afforded unrivalled access. Among our selection of the finest features from the past 12 months, we examine the phenomenon of virtual concerts that helped people connect during lockdown; we discuss the rising global success of games from China; and we examine how modern recreations of older games are helping preserve the medium’s past. We talk to the developers of some of the most distinctive games in recent years to find out how they came to be, while reappraising modern classics and the odd flawed experiment. And we catch up with a trio of industry veterans as they talk about the games that have defined their careers. Yet as we reminisce, it’s also a time to look forward: with the videogame industry slowly getting back up to speed, the next 12 months promises to be fascinating indeed. As ever, Edge will be here to help guide you through it.