When an industry veteran such as Leslie Benzies, who has spent 20 years at the cutting edge of game development, says his latest project is “the most ambitious I’ve ever worked on”, you sit up and take notice. The former Rockstar alumnus, producer on every Grand Theft Auto game since the series’ transformative third numbered entry – not to mention LA Noire, Manhunt and Red Dead Redemption – isn’t a man to shy away from bold proclamations, of course. But the dazzling Everywhere, the first game from Benzies’ Build A Rocket Boy, backs up his assertion.
During a day spent at BARB’s Edinburgh HQ (the studio also has facilities in Budapest and Montpellier), we’re given a guided tour of this… well, game doesn’t quite cover it. We spend some time in Utropia, an idyllic, slickly designed space that serves as a natural hangout spot for Everywhere’s players, before being shown the rugged open world beyond its walls, where you can engage in multiplayer races, deathmatches and much more.
In our expansive cover feature we talk to Benzies and several key staff about the project: at once a social space and a sandbox playground, with creative tools affording its players the opportunity to express themselves, whether it be customising their avatar or building their own games. It’s Fortnite, Roblox and Dreams all in one, essentially – with perhaps a hint of Destiny besides. And that’s not all BARB is building: nested within Everywhere is MindsEye (pictured above), a gritty, triple-A action adventure that’s firmly in the wheelhouse of the former Rockstar producer.
Elsewhere in Edge 383, we shine a spotlight on eco-conscious adventure After Us, and find out how the studio behind the delightful Arise: A Simple Story is grappling with the challenge of telling a story of reparation through the lens of an action game. We catch up with Goichi ‘Suda51’ Suda, as Grasshopper Manufacture celebrates 25 years in the industry. Director of Apple TV’s Tetris movie Jon S Baird tells us how the battle to obtain the rights for Russia’s greatest export became a Cold War thriller. And we talk to the musicians behind the rhythmic riffs of Metal: Hellsinger to discover its fascinating origin story.
In a packed Play section, we deliver our verdict on Capcom’s lavish Resident Evil 4 remake, alongside reviews of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Tchia, Company Of Heroes 3, Storyteller and Horizon: Call Of The Mountain. Arkane’s Redfall heads up our Hype section, as Harvey Smith outlines the studio’s distinctive vision for its vampiric co-op shooter, and we also go hands-on with Final Fantasy XVI, The Finals, Shadows Of Doubt and Rhythm Storm. There’s plenty more besides in Edge 383, whose digital edition you can read now via Magazines Direct, and whose print edition will be available in newsagents from March 25.
