Hello all,

Not many mags come with a free friend. In this month’s issue you’ll find a Portal 2 Companion Cube papercraft to keep you company as you turn the pages. You have to build it as GLaDOS says, “Regulations do not allow the Companion Cube to remain alone and companionless”. And she’s a psychopathic AI so you’d best stay on her good side.

Why, yes, that is Nathan Drake’s rugged man-chin on the cover. He’s heading up our Hot List: 25 of the biggest games heading to PS3 this year. As well as Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, there’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Alice: Madness Returns, Shadows Of The Damned, LA Noire, Skyrim and loads more. If it’s worth playing it’s in The Hot List.

We’ve also got a massive interview with Ray Maguire, the recently departed Sony UK MD. We chatted with Ray days before he hung up his PlayStation crown and, as one of the men that built Sony’s games division, his words are a must read.

Reviews wise we’ve the Operation Flashpoint: Red River exclusive. Bored of linear, shouty shooters like COD or Homefront? Think you have what it takes to lead a team into battle? Then you need to check out this tactical FPS where giving orders and taking command is just as important as pulling the trigger. I liked it loads if that’s any recommendation.

And there’s plenty more in the mag. We visit the dev working on Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, get the latest on the new Hitman game, reveal Saints Row: The Third (yes, it really is called that) and find out the hottest leaks and teases surrounding GTA V. Plus OPM Rachel gets turned into Alma and unleashed on Oxford Street. Trust me, she looks terrifying.

And that’s just in our Big 10 news stories. We’ve also got previews on Red Faction: Armageddon, From Dust and Brink. Reviews of Shift 2: Unleashed, WWE All Stars, Catherine and The Tomb Raider HD Trilogy. Basically it is all going on in this issue and it’s on sale now. Enjoy!

Don’t forget, you can talk to the team directly through our Facebook page where we’ll feed you all the latest info, pics and videos as we get them. Plus we’ll answer questions and generally hang out on Twitter, too, at Twitter.com/OPM_UK. You can also email us directly at OPM@Futurenet.com.

The issue’s on sale now for £5.99 with a playable demo disk. Or you can save up 35% if you subscribe.

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Hello all,

You’ll notice a theme this month. For all the big stuff in this issue we’ve been to the studio to see the games in action and interview the developers personally. LA Noire, Dead Island, Battlefield 3 and The Last Guardian – all up close and personal with info direct from the horse’s mouth. So, let’s see what you’re going to get…

This month we played an exclusive level from LA Noire from start to finish. No spoilers but it involved drugs, death and popcorn. The good news is that it’s looking every bit as amazing in the flesh as it does in the trailers. You might be wondering why the cover’s been blanked out a bit? It’s because Detective Phelps has found something a bit nasty…

You probably heard of Dead Island after the shock trailer trended on Twitter. So you’ll definitely want to read our lead news story, as we’ve been out to see it in all its flesh chewing action. Find out what the game looks like in action and what the developer has to say about its zombie in paradise open word FPS.

We also have more new info from Battlefield 3. Once again we’ve been out to see the game in action and interview the devs. The game looks astonishing thanks to a new engine called Frostbite 2 – incredible destruction and a surprising input from EA’s FIFA 11. Yes, really.

Probably one of the most exciting things for me this month is that we had a man out in Japan, visiting Team Ico to talk about its next game. You know, the one with the catbird thing. We saw new gameplay that helps explain just how the whole ‘one boy and his monster’ thing will play out. We also talked to director Fumito Ueda about this and his previous creations, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus.

And, finally, because I like you, here’s a freebie from the previous issue. It’s ten questions with Herman Hulst, managing director of Killzone 3 developer Guerrilla Games. Want to find out what his advice is for breaking into the games industry? Or what he thinks the next big gaming innovation will be? Then read on.

Don’t forget, you can talk to the team directly through our Facebook page. where we’ll feed you all the latest info, pics and videos as we get them. Plus we’ll answer questions and generally hang out on Twitter, too, at Twitter.com/OPM_UK. You can also email us directly at OPM@Futurenet.com.

The issue’s on sale now for £5.99 with a playable demo disk. Or you can save up 35% if you subscribe.

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Hello all,

The most interesting fact about this month’s issue is that there’s a preview of True Crime: Hong Kong. Yep, the one that just got whacked. Either Activision changed their mind real quick or somebody didn’t get the memo. They flew our writer over to the US to meet the devs and see the game in action. Just before they canned it.

Anyway, let’s forget that sadness and move on to all the great stuff that is happening in the issue, which looks like this.

The biggest thing this issue by far is our look at The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. We’ve been out to Bethesda to see it in action and interview director Todd Howard. The game looks huge, with an utterly jaw dropping world to explore. It also heads up our feature on the future of fantasy on PS3, with Dragon Age II and the Lord of The Rings: The War in the North amongst others.

After months of leaks and rumours the PSP2, or NGP to its friends, has finally been revealed. Firstplay’s Nathan Ditum was in Tokyo for the launch event and got a personal demonstration from Shuhei Yoshida, the president of Sony Worldwide Studios, before getting hands on with Uncharted and a few other titles. The handheld looks incredible so here’s where you find out all about it from someone who’s played it.

I’m actually reviewing Homefront right now but I can’t tell you anything just yet. That’s for next issue. Instead, editor Ben has been playing it and interviewed the lead designer Chris Cross (yep, that really is his name). Ben’s written up his thoughts on THQ’s shooter head of next issue’s review. A pre-review, almost. Or preview, even.

The last highlight this month is our DC Universe Online review. Still not convinced about taking the plunge with PlayStation’s first MMORPG? (That’s Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game just in case you weren’t sure. (I know, I’m sure someone was embarrassed to ask.) I’ve spent quite some time flying around in tights; foiling fiends and punching monkeys. And if you want that last bit explained you’ll have to read the review.

Aside from all that there’s plenty to keep you busy. We talk to the MotorStorm Apocalypse director about how Evolution Studios helped build Sony’s 3D dream, and check out the future of three dimensions. We also round up Amazon’s dumbest reviewers – one star for Dead Space? Really? We get Killzone 3‘s Hermen Hulst to answer ten questions for us, play through Portal 2′s co-op campaign with one of GamesRader, plus there’s more on Uncharted 3, LA Noire, Crysis 2, Bodycount and poor old True Crime. Oh, true Crime, we never even knew you…

Don’t forget, you can talk to the team directly through our Facebook page here http://www.facebook.com/OfficialPlayStationMagazine where we’ll feed you all the latest info, pics and videos as we get them. Plus we’ll answer questions and generally hang out on Twitter, too, at Twitter.com/OPM_UK. You can also email us directly at OPM@Futurenet.com

The issue’s on sale now for £5.99 with a playable demo disk. Or you can save up 50% if you subscribe to http://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/gaming/official-playstation-magazine-subscription/.

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Hello all,

Loads of good stuff in this month’s issue which is why I’m just going to get cracking and run through what’s heading your way. Here’s the issue in question…

Probably most importantly: we have the KILLZONE 3 WORLD EXCLUSIVE REVIEW (in case you hadn’t noticed). It’s a sci-fi special this month and the Helghast’s 3D counter-attack is leading the charge in our space-themed issue. Find out what we thought.

Next up, we’ve got the latest on everyone’s secret PS3 man crush, Nathan Drake, in our Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception preview. Find out what’s in store for our hero in the third installment of PlayStation‘s next greatest game. All the info on the desert setting, Sully, and the treasure they’re risking their lives to find. ‘Citing.

Then there’s my favourite bit of the mag (because I wrote it, and I love the game) our incredi-mazing LittleBigPlanet 2 creation guide. I visited Media Molecule to meet the developers and learn their best creations/games/things. This is a ‘how to’ from the people who made LBP2 so you won’t get a higher level of expertise. You’ll also learn how to build that little shooter I teased at last month, which is one of mine.

Continuing the sci-fi theme is our exclusive look at Red Faction: Armageddon. It’s still all about destroying stuff to death, but we find out about the new hero and the new underground Martian setting. And, a little bit of trivia: our writer may have got hero Darius’ earring removed by the design team for saying “it looked a bit rubs” over dinner.

And there’s a load more. Like top tips to tune your car in Gran Turismo 5. The latest shots and info on the Tomb Raider reboot, all the secrets of Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, and reviews of both Dead Space 2 and Mass Effect 2.

Don’t forget, you can talk to the team directly through our Facebook page, where we’ll feed you all the latest info, pics and videos as we get them. Plus we’ll answer questions and generally hang out on Twitter, too, @OPM_UK. You can also email us directly at OPM@Futurenet.com.

The issue’s on sale now for £5.99 with a playable demo disk. Or you can save up 50% if you subscribe.

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Hello all,

This month I am all about LittleBigPlanet 2. I was lucky enough to get to write the world exclusive review and I can tell you now, it’s brilliant. How brilliant is something you’ll have to find out about in the mag. That said making this little target shooting game has been one of my gaming highlights of the year. Anyway, on to the issue!

The big news this month (aside from Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception) is our 2010 Game Of The Year feature. Or GOTY to its friends. These are the ones you voted for. We count down the top ten in detail, talk about our choices and hand out some ‘alternative’ awards. Including Biggest Disappointment and – fanfare – Biggest Install! There’s also a complete top 40 of all the games voted for.

Probably the best thing you’ll read this month is news ed Rachel’s rapping adventure. After a bit of brash boasting about her Def Jam Rapstar skills we called her bluff and bundled her off to learn real wordplay with British rapper XO Man. He’s seven-foot and, according to Flavour magazine, is the “UK’s answer to Andre 3000″. Rachel’s five foot four in heels and has a fluffy animal calendar on her desk. It’s like the odd couple with beats.

As a counter to our best of 2011 feature we also have a 2011 preview special. All the big games of next year from Batman to LA Noire and everything in-between with interviews, new screens and hands on.

And then there’s the rest. In The Mood For… Beards is a whiskery treat this month as we celebrate the hairier side of PlayStation. We also have previews of Rage and Dungeon Siege III. We look at Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi’s new robot blasting shooter. There are new shots of Red Faction: Armageddon; a look at the worst games on PS3 and a timeline covering Gran Turismo 5‘s long, but ultimately worth it, journey from 2005 to now.

We’ve also launched a new Facebook page to replace our old group. Check it out here, where we’ll feed you all the latest info, pics and videos as we get them. Plus we’ll answer questions and generally hang out. See you there.

That’s all on sale now for £5.99 with a playable demo disk. Or you can save up 50% if you subscribe.

And if you want to tell us anything, call us names or say want you want in the mag, then drop us a line on Twitter @OPM_UK, email OPM@Futurenet.com or get involved with our Facebook page.

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