Get your game on

We are inside an almost stranded office that belongs to a games distributor A lifesize Lara Croft greets us into its environs and the empty tables inside are adorned with various other action figures too Gaming controls and wires lie idly strewn across polished tables in the centre of a spacious conference roomIts walls are lined with several accolades and awards But our eyes are fixed on the large screen connected to a PS4 We are here to preview a few games that will be on offer at the Indian Games Expo 2018 touted as Indias largest gaming hub and our guide for the evening is 30yearold game designer Nikhil Taode for whom gaming isnt just a professionON November 24 and 25 11am to 6pmAT Indian Games Expo Nesco Compound Goregaon EastLOG ON TO gamesexpoin to registerChasing MumbaiHitman 2 is the seventh series of the popular role playing RPG and stealth video game developed by a Copenhagenbased company Players have the option of choosing levels wherein they are typecast into the games protagonist Agent 47At all levels the agent is on a mission to chase and hunt shadow clients in a bid to oust their militia The level I played was called Murder in Mumbai It was a lot of fun Taode shares adding I loved the attention to detail and the way they have portrayed Mumbai There were kaalipeelis and the NPCs nonplayable characters were quite realisticThey had dialogues like eh bhidu and they even staged an accident to emulate chaos on Indian roads so it made me feel like I was really in Bombay Though a lot of fun Taode cautions that this ones a tad difficult and thus ideal for skilled gamers who enjoy being challenged in different ways I noticed that the sniper did not have autotarget so I had to use the controls to aim manually In this version you can also create distractions For example the player can orchestrate an oil leak in one of the vehicles in order to remain inconspicuous The headup displays HUD were great too Taode elaboratesFact check The game has elusive targets and the first one to be announced is Sean Bean aka Ned Stark from the epic fantasy series Game of ThronesFight clubTaode isnt a fan of sports games Naturally then WWE 2K19 isnt the highlight of this evening Even so hes willing to give credit where its due The main challenge for a good sports game is to predict on the basis of what the players are doing and nail the commentary In this version they seem to have done a pretty good job of thatAlso in the previous editions the crowd in the game primarily served as the background but with this one they have put more thought into it assigning each attendee different actions to boost the players morale It seems to me that the designers conducted intense research by attending actual competitions and observing the crowds at the arenas he shares adding that a game like this is best enjoyed with two players For me the biggest drawback was that I wasnt aware of all the moves in this version and you can either master it by studying and researching or by playing rigorously to perfect them he addsFact check This roster is the largest in the series The updated lineup of superstars includes current wrestlers and women from Raw and Smack Down and superstars from NXT It also features legends and Hall of Famers from WWEWCW and ECWAn epic affairAnother RPG Assassins Creed is a worldfamous actionadventure video game wherein the players get to slip into epic characters Speaking about the latest version of the game Assassins Creed Odyssey Taode tells us This version is different because it has multiple elements of role play The older assassins would do things to change the course of history but with this assassin they have added newer roleplaying systems They have redesigned and restructured the game to imitate the fantasy action film 300For Taode one of the most intriguing features of the game as a designer himself is the addition of the openworld aspect They have done a spectacular job with the sound When I was swimming I could actually hear whales Its mindblowing he explains adding It spoke to the player and put them directly in action guiding him on how to use the weapons They have also upgraded the costume to a proper armour However a hand dagger that appears out of the cuff and allows the player to stealthily kill opponents is a key feature of the game that Taode didnt notice Another interesting element was the option to choose between a male Alexios or a female Kassandra protagonist which wasnt there before because the game followed a very different format but this is being touted as the best version so far he revealsFact check If you get the broken spear of Leonidas King of Sparta you get access to abilities so you can upgrade and adapt them according to your style of playingFollowing LaraEven for nongamers Lara Croft the protagonist in Shadow of the Tomb Raider possibly one of the most popular actionadventure RPGs out there is a common name and an iconic female action figureThe graphics in this game are spectacular Even though the previous version had a PS4 variant this one is way more balanced Taode tells us The format follows a linear path leading you to hidden objects that aid you in the different missions in the game This helps build excitement as you proceed through the levels he elucidates While for many the craft in the game is whats exciting its the action that kept Taode tied to the chair which points toward how this edition has more elements of stealth that allow Lara to use the environment to her advantageFact check In SOTTR Lara Croft explores environments across the continent of South AmericaCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates