Games of the week – Gears Tactics, Predator: Hunting Grounds, Snowrunner and Moving Out
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Gears Tactics
Platform: PC
Genre: Turn-based RPG
Price: From £49.99
Gears of War spinoff
This turn-based strategy game serves as a prequel to the original hit, in which you must fight for survival as soldier Gabe Diaz, recruiting a team to take on Ukkon and his Locust army. Things are pretty fast-paced, with fighting on the battlefield front and centre of Gears Tactics’ focus, well executed thanks to clever combat abilities. The story is nothing to shout about and the missions could do with a bit more flavour, but the excitement and tension is definitely there. This is a must for Gears o War loyalists but is equally as pleasing on the eye for newcomers.
Skip to the end: Developers give the Gears of War franchise a welcome refresh with a well-executed take on the turn-based strategy genre, though the price seems a bit steep for what you get.
Score: 8/10
Predator: Hunting Grounds
Platform: PlayStation 4, PC
Genre: Multiplayer / Shooter
Price: From £34.99
Hunt or be hunted
Predator makes a muddled re-entry into the world of gaming with Hunting Grounds, an asymmetric multiplayer propped up by the central antagonist. Choosing to play among a team of four versus a Predator loose in the jungle offers some entertainment around mates, as you set about completing a series of objectives without being ravaged by the creature. There’s a decent range of weapons and other perks on offer as you level up, offering some extra variety. Conversely, you can play as the Predator alone, which is probably the highlight of the entire experience, though not enough to hold the game on its own. Overall, things become repetitive quite quickly and some controls don’t feel that stable – especially when playing as the Predator.
Skip to the end: Not the strongest entry to come out of Predator, though we had fun playing as the bad guy.
Score: 6/10
Snowrunner
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: Simulator
Price: From £44.99
Take to the road
In all the simulation-type games, driving a vehicle through tough terrain and weather conditions is one we least expected to enjoy so much. It’s no simple feat taking on some extreme open environments – you will be tempted to rage quit out of pure frustration but it feels oh-so good when you succeed. Expect to find anything from a collapsed bridge to rockfall among the hundreds of obstacles standing in your way across 11 maps. Rather interestingly, if your vehicle gets stuck, you can switch to another, and go to free your main motor from the situation it’s in. In the co-op mode, a friend could come along and rescue instead.
Skip to the end: Overly frustrating but a good challenge for many, Snowrunner offers an extreme look at what it’s like to be behind the wheel when faced with rough conditions.
Score: 7/10
Moving Out
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Genre: Co-op / Party
Price: From £19.99
Get outta here
Moving home is said to be one of the most stressful things a person can go through but Moving Out aims to give it a fun twist. This isn’t just fun, it’s ridiculous, which means you need to play with three others to get the full co-op experience. Across 30 levels, your team are removal guys tasked with scrambling to pack as many boxes, appliances and furniture as possible into the removal van, but you’ll need to work together. Oh, and did we mention some of the weird shapes of these items and the doorways you’ll have to figure out how to fit them through (yes, it’ll bring back memories of the struggle you had moving in your sofa way back). It’s all a shambolic mess but that is what truly makes Moving Out.
Skip to the end: Moving Out is carnage perfection best played with friends for optimal stupidity.
Score: 8/10
