gamecca magazine may 2016
DESCRIPTION
Gamecca Magazine May 2016 (Volume 7, Issue 83) In this FREE issue of Gamecca Magazine, we look into Doom, fight with Battleborn, join Overwatch and much, much more!TRANSCRIPT
www.gameccamag.com
ISS
UE 8
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May 2
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Free Online Mag
To Battle!Be a Hero in Battleborn...
Ratchet & ClankThe Reboot
DiRT RallyGet Real!
Best
of t
he B
est
Pathfinder - the other RPG...A Different Way
Coole
r M
aste
r’s
M
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rcase M
aker 5
Dark Souls 3Die Again
Pla
ntr
onic
s R
IG 5
00
HD
EA Sports UFC 2Submit!
Audio
ga
sm!
EA Sports UFC 2DiRT RallyMXGP 2Rugby Challenge 3Ratchet & Clankand more...
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O
HO
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Bronze Award
Given to games & hardware that score
80-84
Silver Award
Given to games & hardware that score
85-90
Gold Award
Given to games & hardware that score
90-94
Platinum Award
Given to games & hardware that score
95-100
Ed’s Choice Award
Editor’s Choice Award for products that
make an impression
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More Mayby Walt Pretorius
Fr
om
th
e E
dit
or
May is here, and it’s bringing quite a lot of excitement with it. There are numerous big name games hitting the shelves
this month, just before the traditionally quiet month of June (when E3 messed with things a little bit). But let’s not get ahead of ourselves – we have June to get through. Releases this month include Battleborn, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Homefront: The Revolution, Overwatch and Doom, to name a few. It’s a big month, and those that have to choose their purchases are going to have to do so carefully.
It’s great to see a big month, because while there has been a fairly consistent flow of games through the year so far, there hasn’t been a month that leaves you breathless. May will almost get there, but it is once again likely that we will have to wait until October and November for the truly exciting release schedules to kick in again.
May also marks the 83rd issue of Gamecca magazine – the one you’re reading right now. That means that there is one more issue in Volume 7, and then Gamecca will be celebrating its 7th birthday with issue 85 in July. Seven years is a pretty long time to be doing something, and in an industry as changeable and fickly as video gaming, we’re proud of the feather that will be in our cap. But I am once again getting
ahead of myself.Looking at the games being
released this month, I am once again struck by the way that this industry works. Games seem, at times, to come in genre batches. This month, that is evident in Battleborn and Overwatch. While there are obvious differences in the titles, there are also very strong similarities (on paper, at least) that gets me wondering why release schedules are structured the way they are. We see tons of games clumped together, and even when there are fewer games, we often see stuff that is very similar being released within weeks of each other. I have been writing about games for close on two decades now, and I still cannot wrap my head around the thinking of the video game industry as a whole. One would imagine that aiming releases at periods where the game can stand out, whether in genre or just in general, would be a smarter approach. But I am no expert.
Whatever the case is, it’s good to know that gamers have a busy month ahead. As we in South Africa wind our way towards winter, it’s a nice thought that there are a number of great releases to warm us up as the weather gets colder.
OK, enough from me… we have a great issue on offer here, with more features than usual, as well as reviews on some fantastic games and great hardware (and tons more). And I have lots of gaming to do… so let me get to that while you enjoy this 83rd issue of Gamecca. g
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GAMECCA is published by 1337 MEDIA
Taking fun seriously!
All rights reserved. No content may be reproduced, copied or transmitted without the express permission of the publishers. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editors and publishers. All Trademarks and Registered Trademarks are the sole property of the respective owners.
THIS MONTH’S COVER
Saving Solus in Battleborn
Publisher Walt [email protected]
Publisher Katia [email protected]
Writers:Alex ScanlonClive BurmeisterLein BaartKatia TaliadorosNthato MorakabiRob EdwardsSibonisile MothaSuvesh ArumugamWalt Pretorius
Letters:[email protected]
Competition Entries:[email protected]
Newsletter Subscriptions:www.gameccamag.com
Marketing Contact:[email protected]@novamentis.co.za
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Regular: Did you knowMore great gaming factoids
Feature: The Last StarThe good fight in Battleborn
PReviews: Games4 games to look out for
Feature: War is HellWill Doom reclaim the throne?
Reviews: games10 games investigated
Feature: Going ImmersiveCelebrating heroes in Overwatch
Regular: IndieViewCelebrating Fatshark
Regular: LegacyStrategy Grandfather
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38
44
56
62
84
90
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Feature: CollaborationCooler Master empowers modders
reviews: Hardware8 tech toys you need
Regular: InternetLet’s hope they really think...
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Feature: The Unbeaten PathThe fantasy RPG alternative
Gadgets3 great gadgets to get
Comics4 bits of visual literature
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Issue 8
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Kraken Orochi mouse125
Ed’s Note
More in May
Ramjet’s Rantality
Idiotic flotsam
The Time Betwixt
Blow your own trumpet
The Last Word
A blessing or curse?
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100
114
124
5
Ed’s
Cho
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Insomniac’s love affair with Ratchet & Clank is undeniable, and this latest version distils all of the passion of fourteen years into one game.
Ratchet &
Clank
62gamecca
FeatureSCollaboration
HARDWARE ReviewsRazer Naga Chroma MMO Mouse
Roccat Ryos MK FX
Mechanical Keyboard
Cooler Master Mastercase
Maker 5 PC Case
Logitech G910 Orion Spectrum
Mechanical Keyboard
Roccat Juke 7.1Surround
Sound Adapter
Acer Aspire R11 Combo Notebook
Razer Orochi Mouse
Plantronics RIG 500 HD
Surround Sound Headset
RegularSInternet
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HEAR EVERYTHING.DEFEAT EVERYONE.
Lightweight Over-Ear Design
Crystal Clear Chat and Audio
COMPATIBILITY AVAILABLE ATPS4™ | Xbox One* | PC** | Mac® | MobileXbox One: Works with Xbox One Controllers with a 3.5mm headset jack. Other controllers require the Xbox One Headset Audio Controller (sold separately).
PC: PCs with pink and green jacks require a PC Splitter Cable (Sold separately). **
*
GAMING HEADSET FOR PS4™
For Additional Information Please Visit: www.turtlebeach.com© 2016 Voyetra Turtle Beach. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Distributed by Apex Interactive Tel: (011) 796 5040 Email: [email protected] All rights and trademarks and logos are copyright of their respective owners. www.apexinteractive.co.za
GAMING HEADSET FOR XBOX ONE
HEAR EVERYTHING.DEFEAT EVERYONE.
Lightweight Over-Ear Design
Crystal Clear Chat and Audio
COMPATIBILITYPS4™ | Xbox One* | PC** | Mac® | MobileXbox One: Works with Xbox One Controllers with a 3.5mm headset jack. Other controllers require the Xbox One Headset Audio Controller (sold separately).
PC: PCs with pink and green jacks require a PC Splitter Cable (Sold separately). **
*
GAMING HEADSET FOR PS4™
For Additional Information Please Visit: www.turtlebeach.com© 2016 Voyetra Turtle Beach. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
GAMING HEADSET FOR XBOX ONE
AND OTHER LEADING RETAILERS
Cooler Master empowers modders and makers.
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Cooler Master empowers modders and makers.
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The world as we know it is changing every day. With the rise of new
technologies, including things like the Internet, 3D printing and collaborative manufacturing, the way things are made, and the accessibility that people have to these items, is steadily evolving into a new form. Where once upon a time getting a specific product could be a time consuming search from one physical location to another, we can now simply go online and find what we’re looking for in a matter of minutes, and have it delivered directly to our door.
What’s more, those of us with a creative slant can even design the item we want, should we not be able to find it, and have it manufactured and delivered to us without even lifting a physical tool. This is the world we live in now, a world in which major manufacturers are losing ground to individuals with vision. Unless, of course, those manufacturers understand the process behind this new way of making products, and get in on the action. That’s exactly what Cooler Master have done with the launch of their Maker Portal.
It’s hardly surprising that this major manufacturer has opted for a new route in designing and making products. Cooler Master have been in the creative sphere for some time now, with yearly case modding competitions showing their dedication to the creativity of their customers. Not only that, but with the launch of their Maker series of
products, they are creating items that not only put out-of-the-box customisation into customers’ hands like never before, but also make large scale modification much simpler. Products like the Mastercase Maker 5 (reviewed in this issue) allow users a massive amount of flexibility with the standard design, but also become near perfect blank canvasses for those that want to take their modifications further. And Cooler Master celebrates these artists and artisans, ensuring their creativity by not only promoting it, but providing products that enable it.
Creating case mods is more art than industry. It’s a fiercely hands on process, with each maker taking time and effort to create the perfect case mod. Because of this, designs made by makers tend to be one-off projects rather than mass produced, and many case modders and makers never get the recognition or rewards they deserve.
But within their work there often lies genius that could not only benefit their own projects, but also the world at large. Many makers have unique ideas that come from numerous different influences – ideas that may not occur to designers and manufacturers working in the industry. As a result, many revolutionary ideas go unexplored and uncelebrated, simply because individual modders and makers do not have the capacity to bring them to life on a larger scale.
This truth has not escaped Cooler Master, and it is one of the ideas behind their new Maker Portal. Through
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their experience with modding contests over the years, Cooler Master have come to realise that there is more to modding than just building cool cases, and that the achievements of makers the world over could benefit PC owners greatly.
“We are creating a space that allows others to learn, collaborate and, potentially, develop their business,” said Michelle Wu, Global Community Manager. “Our highly successful case mod contest has already exposed many talented people and brought them together. Now we’re expanding that reach by connecting all Makers. These are real people, passionate people who put time and care into their creations. We want to share their dreams and their products to the world.”
So how does this lofty goal work, exactly? It’s quite simple, actually, and it fits neatly into the new way that things are being done. By joining Cooler Master’s ever growing community of modders, makers and creative people, an aspirant designer gets the ability to work with Cooler Master in having their creations produced and sold via the portal’s online store. In this way, the creations of modders are brought to the public at large.
The benefits are clear for everyone involved. For the consumer, this means that they will have access to new designs and ideas that will not only personalise their PC even further, but may also add benefits to the machine that weren’t there before. Even if just for self-expression, those
that want a modded case but lack the abiliy to create one can now work towards a much more individualised build.
For the modders, the benefit is getting their work out into the marketplace. This does not only mean that they will get recognition for their bright ideas and excellent efforts – it also means that modders and makers will be able to receive financial rewards for their hard work and passion.
And for Cooler Master, to company enabling this idea, it means more products on offer. But it also displays the company’s willingness to work with passionate individuals in furthering the designs and functionality of various PC components.
It’s early days yet for the portal, but there are already a handful of products available for purchase, with more available for pre-order. The number of makers is fairly now at the moment, but it is likely to grow in leaps and bounds as more and more aspirate case modders and component creators flock to this unique and exciting service. If you’re one of those, make sure to check the details out at http://maker.coolermaster.com.
As business continues to grow and evolve, Cooler Master can rest assured that they are a company that sees the value in the individual, and that rewards effort and passion. And case modders the world over can now make their passion into more than just a hobby, thanks to this company’s unique and progressive approach to doing business. g
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NagaRaze
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Give me all the buttons!
MMO players are quite dependent on easy controls, simply because of the way that most of these games are structured. Quick access to skills and abilities can, of course, be bound to
the keyboard, but during a pitched battle moving your hands from the WADS keys could be fatal. This is where a good MMO mouse comes in, using the thumb of the mouse hand to access extra controls (instead of doing, well, nothing).
Razer’s Naga mouse has become somewhat synonymous with the idea of an MMO mouse, and now it’s available in an upgraded, Chrome enabled version. What makes it a MMO mouse, of course, are the 12 extra buttons ranged on the left side of it – right under the right thumb. That also means that the mouse is not ambidextrous in any way. Because of this, Razer have opted for a large support on the ousdie of the mouse, adding support and comfort for the user’s little finger.
The 12 side buttons are well sized and fairly easy to discern without looking at them. They are arranged in a grid three high and four long, leaving the last three buttons a little difficult to reach comfortably. A little practice will probably help, but mapping your less-needed skills to these three buttons is probably a good idea too.
The Naga Chroma features main buttons that are a little more slender than your average Razer product, as well as a large, generously textured scroll wheel and sensitivity switching buttons just behind it.
The Naga Chroma also doesn’t have the rubberised grip side-panels we have come to expect from Razer devices, but the overall finish is a comfortable, matt, non-slip material, so they aren’t too missed.
On the up-side, the 5G sensor mounted in this device is excellent. It offers a sensitivity of 16 000 dpi, which is insanely high, even by today’s standards. Using Razer’s Synapse 2.0 software, you’ll be able to set a variety of sensitivity presents to scroll through on the fly, and the high top sensitivity will grant you an extreme amount of control.
Synapse can also be used to customise the mouse’s Chroma settings, allowing the user a variety of colour customisations to make their device truly theirs.
Its extreme sensitivity and total of 19 buttons mean that it places extreme control at the user’s fingertips. This kind of control is great for MMOs, and if they’re your thing, this certainly is a mouse to consider. But for more “sedate” gaming (in terms of control needs) and everyday surfing and working, it’s a bit much. It works fine doing so, of course, but it’s really a good buy if its main purpose is MMO gaming. g
Razer N
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Naga MMO Mouse
AT A GLANCE:
88
SUMMARY
19 buttons at your fingertips, plus an extreme 16 00 dpi 5G sensor, make this a great mouse for MMO gamers.
ManufacturerDistr ibuter :
Onl ine:
TECH SPECS
19 buttons16 000 dpi sensorChroma enabledWiredRight handed
•••••
RazerApex Interact ivewww.apexint .co.za
SCORE
SilverGoldPlatinum
Ed’s ChoiceBronze
AW
AR
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One thing is for sure: Roccat are taking a big run at the gaming peripheral market. This company is producing multiple ranges of each kind of peripheral, with a number of models within each range. They have four
keyboard ranges for example, with varying themes. Last month we looked at the stripped down Ryos TKL Pro, a compact keyboard aimed at those needing a smaller working area. This month we look at the TKL’s big brother, the Ryos MK FK, a full mechanical keyboard with individual key backlighting and strong gaming genes.
The best thing about the Ryos MK FX is something that appears on most of Roccat’s keyboards; three extra macro keys positioned right at the user’s thumb, just below the space bar. These, combined with the five macro keys to the right of the main keyboard make eight macro keys, all within easy reach. And when combined
with Roccat’s Easy-Shift [+] technology, the number of keys that can have recorded macros climbs to a stunning (and perhaps gratuitous) more than 500. It’s unlikely that anyone would ever use that many macros, but it’s comforting to know that the option is there.
This mechanical keyboard makes use of Cherry-MX switches, and each key is individually backlit for extreme customisation options – including game specific lighting thanks to AlienFX technology. The keys are responsive, and the Ryos MK FX’s anti-ghosting systems keeps actions from getting cluttered and confused. Additional clutter is cut down thanks to integrated audio ports at the right side of the keyboard, which keeps your headset cable well clear of the mouse side of the action, while granting extra headset cable length thanks to the closer plug position.
This large keyboard is also built for comfort, with well-spaced, contoured keys and a generous, textured wrist
Ryos Roc
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Roccat’s big guns
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rest. And, as seems to be the theme with Roccat devices, using this keyboard with a Roccat Talk capable mouse unlocks even more customisation options and performance enhancements.
In short, this really is an excellent keyboard, and one that will serve you well (particularly if you go whole hog on a Roccat desktop). The only real issue seems to be that the various Roccat devices start blurring into one another. There are elements that differ, sure, like the Ryos MK FX’s per key illumination, but it really is very similar to the other devices in many ways. Still, paying attention to your needs and matching them up with a potential purchase’s capabilities will result in finding the exact right keyboard for you, and thanks to Roccat’s wide range of choices, that is possible within this one brand. If you’re looking for pretty much top of the line (and mechanical) in terms of keyboards, the Ryos MK FX is the way to go. g
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Ryos Mechanical Keyboard
AT A GLANCE:
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SUMMARY
It’s very similar to other Roccat devices, but it has a few added features that do make it an attractive option within this brand.
ManufacturerDistr ibuter :
Onl ine:
TECH SPECS
Individual key backlightingMechanical switchesAudio ports8 macro keysRoccat Talk compatibleEasy-Shift [+] technology
••••• •
RoccatTVR Computerswww.tvr .co.za
SCORE
SilverGoldPlatinum
Ed’s ChoiceBronze
AW
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Mastercase C
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As good as it gets!
A camera that combin
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…
•••••
ModularFour USB portsUSB 3.0 supportedDual compartmentWatercooling support
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Cooler MasterCooler Masterwww.cooler-master .com
99SCORE
With a fully modular design, brilliant finishes and just the right kind of added extras, there simply is no better PC case on the market.
SUMMARY TECH SPECS
Manufacturer :Distr ibuter :
Onl ine:SilverGoldPlatinum
Ed’s ChoiceBronze
AW
AR
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Cooler M
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astercase M
aker 5
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It is surprising that, with the technology industries being so innovative overall, there is surprisingly little innovation within individual products.
Sure, each product has one or two elements that set it apart, but few go the extra mile. That’s largely because they are built off of base concepts that are very similar to those of their competitors. But every now and then a company takes an idea and elevates it way beyond what is expected. Cooler Master did that with their Mastercase products, and the Mastercase Maker 5 steps up as a pinnacle of that kind of thinking.
Anyone who takes building a PC seriously knows that a PC case is only as good as its interior. Ideas like airflow and wire placement become crucial in effectively building the perfect rig, but often the person doing the building is restricted by what the case will allow them to do. Within that paradigm the Mastercase maker 5 lets you do pretty much anything. And that means it really is a PC builder’s dream.
Want to mount your SSDs behind the motherboard base? Go right ahead. Or how about in at the bottom of the main compartment? OK, you can do that to. Want to completely remove HDD and optical drive cages? Sure, go right ahead. Want to have a smooth, noise killing exterior that only makes
use of front and rear mounted fans? OK, no problem… or you can throw the vents open and cram the fans in, if you like… or a combination of the two. Watercooling, top mounted fans, bare-bones interior… whatever you want to do, this case allows it, without the need for cutting or tooling at all.
There are a few other aspects that make the Mastercase Maker 5 exceptional. A split interior (which comes standard with an led strip for illumination) means better heat control. Magnetic panels mean a minimum of screws, and where screws are needed the locking mechanism means that they don’t get lost. And then there’s the front panel – four USB ports, including a USB 3.0 type A and type C port… the first time we’ve seen that front side inclusion here at Gamecca.
There is literally only one minor problem that we found with the Mastercase Maker 5; it has no side mounted fan. But with intelligent cable management systems and an interior that can be extremely roomy and uncluttered, you’re unlikely to need one.
The Mastercase Maker 5 fits in perfectly with Cooler Master’s new approach of putting control in the hands of the end user, and with beautiful construction and perfect finishing, there quite simply is no better PC case on the market. The Mastercase Maker 5 is worth every cent. g
Mastercase PC Case
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Once upon a time, Logitech keyboards used to make use of top-mounted
LCD screens to relay extra in-game information to the user. Now they use smart phones. Using a system called ARX, communication between a downloaded smartphone app and software installed on the computer that is being used for gaming delivers on-the-fly extra information to the gamer. That’s just one of the features of Logitech’s G910 Orion Spectrum keyboard, a device that one again displays the company’s strong desire to rise to the top of the gaming peripheral market.
The G910 is a mechanical keyboard, which almost automatically makes it more responsive and effective for gaming. The keys are generously sized and well-spaced, making for easy access and use during even the toughest battles. Additionally, each key has individual backlighting, and a choice of 16 million colours for each key can be set using downloadable software.
The keys are clearly marked, and the backlighting is level and excellent at highlighting them. Additionally, gaming specific keys – the WADS, arrow and macro keys – have an addition pattern on them, making them much easier to spot at a glance.
The G910 comes with 9 macro keys – five arrange at the right of the main keyboard, and four positioned above the F1 to F4 keys. Those last four are a little
harder to get to, but they are nice to have none the less, and they raise the number of macros (when combined with the three profile keys) from 15 to 27.
The G910 also offers well position gaming mode, brightness control and media control keys, with volume controlled by a vertical roller, rather than by buttons. This makes quick volume adjust much easier. And, at the top of the device is the retractable ARX dock, which is designed to hold a wide range of smartphones fairly securely. Finishing the package off is a slender, removable wrist rest.
The G910 Orion Spectrum certainly does look the part of a gaming keyboard, although the specially marked keys could have been a touch more subtle in terms of the extra markings. Other than that, it’s a pretty sleek and attractive device, with blue accents that add to the overall effect.
What’s more important, though, is performance, and here the G910 is no slouch. The keys are less loud than one might expect from a mechanical keyboard, and make use of Romer-G switches. Keystroke response is fast, and the anti-ghosting system is excellent.
On the whole, this keyboard is very good. It allows for comfortable use, and offers the kinds of bells and whistles that many gamers look for. It’s responsive and effective, too, and the backlighting system makes fast key identification a breeze. This is a great offering from Logitech. g
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The right bells and whistles…
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ARX enabledIndividually backlit keys9 macro keys3 profilesRomer-G switches
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LogitechLogitechwww.logitech.com
89SCORE
A very effective keyboard from Logitech, with all the right kinds of added features to make it excellent for gamers.
SUMMARY TECH SPECS
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Onl ine:SilverGoldPlatinum
Ed’s ChoiceBronze
AW
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G910 Orion Mechanical Keyboard
••••• •
USB adapterVirtual 7.1 surround soundStereo compatibleMic jackAudio jack
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RoccatTVR Computerswww.tvr .co.za
79SCORE
Despite a short cable, this adapter is a great way to bring virtual 7.1 surround sound to virtually any headset.
SUMMARY TECH SPECS
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Onl ine:SilverGoldPlatinum
Ed’s ChoiceBronze
AW
AR
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Getting virtual surround sound has just got a whole lot easier, thanks to the
Roccat Juke. This device is a virtual 7.1 surround sound adapter that works with pretty much any headset, and it plug neatly into a USB port on your PC. And it works really well.
The adapter features a lamentably short cable, though, and those using a more modern headset, with a single jack for audio and mic will find a problem due to the fact that the Juke has separate ports for incoming and outgoing audio. It’s noting that a little effort couldn’t fix, but it is inconvenient. The short cable similarly means that unless you have a long headset cable, you’re going to have to use a front-side USB port.
On the whole it’s a great idea, though, and a very reliable way to get virtual surround sound without having to spring for a whole new headset. g
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Roccat J
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Juke Ro
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7.1 Surround Sound AdapterAdding magic to any headset
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•••• ••
A versatile travel companion, but you likely won’t do any high-end gaming on it.
TECH SPECS
1.6GHz CPU4GB RAM500GB storage2 USB portsSD Card reader11 inch screen
AT A GLANCE:
MANUFACTURER
80SCORE
Acer
DISTRIBUTORAcer
www.acer.com
SilverGoldPlatinum
Ed’s ChoiceBronze
AW
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If you’re looking for a device that convert’s between a highly portable notebook and a tablet, with numerous configurations in-between, you need look no further than the Acer Aspire R11. This device effortless converts between a keyboard and touchpad drive notebook to an 11 nch touch screen tablet, simply by flipping the screen all the way around to the back of the device.
It’s powered by a 1.6GHz CPU, which is supported by 4GB of RAM (upgradeable to 8GB). Its HD screen is multitouch capable, and further extensions via two USB ports and an integrated SD card reader are possible.You’re not going to do a lot of gaming on it beyond app-store style stuff, but it is a great companion to have for other media and the like. Its decent battery life and extreme versatility are winners, too, making it a great travel companion. g
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ombo N
otebook
AspireAce
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Combo NotebookAny which way you want
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When you think about a mouse intended for use with notebooks – a
mobile mouse, as it were – you immediately get impressions of a tiny, clumsy device with low sensitivity and a constant hunger for batteries. And you can’t really be blamed for thinking that, because this kind of stereotype arises from experience. There is, however, a mobile mouse that will make you think differently about these kinds of products. And it’s not really surprising that it comes from Razer.
The Razer Orochi is quite a remarkable device, when all is said and done. It is pretty small, making it most comfortable for people who use a claw grip style. Looks-wise, it is reminiscent of a small Mamba, and fits perfectly into Razer’s overall aesthetic. It’s generously sized main buttons, well textured scroll wheel and grip enhanced sides make it comfortable to use, and – as an added bonus – it is ambidextrous, with two side buttons on either side.
What makes the Orochi truly impressive within the paradigm of a mouse that you can carry in your pocket is its sensor. While there are numerous Razer devices that pack more powerful sensors, the Orochi’s 8 200 dpi 4G sensor is extremely impressive when compared to its direct competition. It also features on-the-fly sensitivity adjustment, meaning that it can serve perfectly well for someone who needs a small
mouse for gaming.Another handy feature
is that this mouse can act as either a wireless or a wired mouse, with a detachable cable included in the packaging. When used wirelessly, it makes use of two AA batteries and a Bluetooth connection although, oddly, it doesn’t have any kind of connection dongle. Rather, it uses the device’s native Bluetooth capabilities, which means that if you’re going to use it with a notebook, it needs Bluetooth built in. If you end up using it with a desktop for some or other reason, wired is the option you’re going to need to go with.
The batteries will deliver around seven months of normal use, and around 60 hours of intensive (read: gaming) use.
Using it as a wired device also cuts the response time from 8ms to 1ms, which means most gamers will probably opt for the wired option when playing.
And its Chroma enabled, too. Like almost every Razer device released now, the lighting on the Orochi can be trimmed up to suit the user’s needs perfectly. Using Razer’s Synapse 2.0 software, users can adjust the appearance and performance of this mouse extensively, just like with any other Razer mouse.
If you’re in the market for a mouse that can go anywhere you do, with ease and reliability built in – not to mention excellent performance – the Razer Orochi is a great bet. g
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A great mobile mouse, with tons of power, varied connection options and full Razer functionality.
TECH SPECS
8200 dpiWired / wirelessBluetoothAmbidextrous7 buttonsChroma enabled
AT A GLANCE:
MANUFACTURER
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DISTRIBUTORApex Interactive
www.apexint.co.za
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Surround Sound HeadsetThe top notch...
Like the other RIG 500 products, the RIG 500 HD arrives unassembled. After an easy build session, it’s ready to go – the user simply needs to seat the ear cups and the head strap to be ready to roll. In fact, in this regard, it’s
virtually identical to any other RIG 500 headset… the silver accents on the standard RIG 500 are replaced by gold accents on the RIG 500 HD, which is really the only way that you’ll be telling the two apart. That, and the way that it connects to the PC, of course.
See, the RIG 500 HD is a surround sound headset, delivering a virtual 7.1 experience to anyone that uses it. But the secret isn’t in the headset itself, but rather in the extension cable it uses. At one end of this cable is a USB plug, that goes into the PC. At the other end is an adapter that the headset’s native 3.5mm jack plugs into. This adapter houses the surround amplifier and turns the Dolby system on or off at the press of a button, and is the key to delivering the virtual surround sound to the user’s ears. It needs to be used in conjunction with downloadable software, though, for it to function correctly.
It may seem strange to have a surround sound amplifier that is part of an extension cable rather than an integrated cable, but this fact actually points, yet again, to how clever Plantronics are with their RIG series. See, on one hand the fact that the headset has a 3.5mm jack that plugs into the amp means that it can be used with any 3.5mm capable device, including music players, smart devices and game consoles (although as a stereo headset, not a surround sound one). That adds versatility to the mix, which is something that is almost non-existent supply with surround sound headsets. But it also means that the extension cable, complete with the amp, can be sold as an “upgrade” for any RIG 500 headset, which adds to that whole modular, extendable idea that lies at the core of these products. It’s smart and effective and, what makes it even better, is that it is part of a range of headsets that are exceptional in terms of performance.
Like the other RIG headsets, the RIG 500 HD is super light and comfortable, not to mention very tough. And Plantronics’ many years of audio experience shows in the way that they squeeze absolutely excellent performance out of the 40mm drivers powering the RIG 500 HD. Getting this headset not only means that you’ll be able to get great virtual surround sound and a ton of comfort, but you’ll be able to customise, upgrade and tweak your headset to your heart’s content. g
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RIG 500 Surround Sound Headset
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SUMMARY
Another excellent RIG product from Plantronics, the RIG 500 HD is versatile, powerful, comfortable and delivers great surround sound.
ManufacturerDistr ibuter :
Onl ine:
TECH SPECS
Dolby surround sound40mm driversModularPostitionable boom mic24-bit audio
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PlantronicsApex Interact ivewww.apexint .co.za
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Think differently... please...
We’re not Electric Sheep
… yet!
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If you’re a science fiction fan, you’ll recognise the reference to Philip K Dick’s novel (the inspiration for “Blade
Runner”) questioning the possibility of artificial intelligence becoming indistinguishable from human intelligence. We’ve come a long way from the iconic chess matches played in the mid-90s between Gary Kasparov (then the world’s greatest chess master) and IBM’s Deep Blue, widely credited as the world’s first artificial intelligence. Now we have products like Siri and Cortana, that can respond in real time, we have various AI projects on the go around the world including machines and robots, and it’s widely accepted that machines are getting smarter while we’re getting dumber (and fatter). But the ultimate question is not whether we should have AI or not. It’s already on our doorstep. The real question is where AI should think like us, or not.
Anyone in traditional or digital marketing will flood you with buzz words if you ask them about the evolving state of advertising and marketing in the world. They’ll talk about the rise of mobile, the influence of millennials, the decline of baby boomers and then they’ll string together an impressively confusing sentencing using the words “engagement”, “above and below the line”, “big data”, “data-driven insights”, “CPC”, “CPA” and “CTA”. It may remind of the days in your teens when you looked up to the guy with a green mohawk and ripped skinny jeans who described himself a Marxist Neoclassical Socialist Anarchist, and you didn’t yet realise it was all about impressing chicks.
What marketers don’t say, what they probably don’t want you to know, is that nothing has really changed. The advent of mobile and social media is no more (or less) impacting on the state of advertising than the invention of the radio, television or even the newspaper. Almost nothing has changed in the way we make decisions and the way we react to situations we encounter every day. What has changed is the level to which we understand these processes in the brain, and it has nothing to do with whether you are reading a newspaper, watching a Superbowl advert or flicking through your social media timeline.
Human decision making is not rational. OK, to be fair, we can be rational when we want to be. But many of the split second decisions we
make on a daily basis, which menu item should I choose, which product should I buy, should I click on this email link - these are driven by irrational forces that we’re not aware of and often lead us to make decisions that are illogical.
Up until a short while ago, economists and marketers believed that people were logical, that they were driven by utility and therefore the product or option that offered the best value would sway a potential customer. Until the likes of Edward Bernaisse arrived and showed that marketing and influence could leverage subconscious passions and desires and persuade people to choose a product based on these individual desires. However this rabbit-hole goes much deeper, and there have been several key thinkers who (through careful experimentation) have shown that the way we make decisions is fundamentally illogical.
Daniel Kahneman’s book “Thinking Fast and Slow” described how people have two ways of making decisions. One of which is slow and rational, and the other being fast, subconscious and emotionally driven. Kahneman described phenomena like the “anchoring effect” showed that referencing higher numbers drove specific responses in people as opposed to using lower
numbers. Think about when marketing tells you that something kills 99% of germs or says “This product is worth $100, but you can get it for $29”. He also proved that people
make largely irrational decisions to avoid a feeling of loss. People are naturally inclined to do anything to avert any kind of loss, which will include making an irrational purchase if it means not losing their “guaranteed prize”. He also showed that how options are framed influences the decision made. There is no logical difference between saying that a surgery mortality rate is 10% or that the survival rate is 90%, but the way an average person would respond (depending on the framing of a choice) is vastly different. He also proved that we’re inclined to favour our quick judgements, rather than examine those decisions against our values and common sense.
Dr Robert Cialdini is probably the most often cited author when it comes to influence and persuasion. His six principles are the gold standard that advertisers use to leverage the irrational forces, and this is especially prevalent in digital marketing.
1. Reciprocation - people feel indebted when
“What marketers don’t say, what they probably don’t
want you to know..”.
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they get something for nothing (a free sample, a free trial account, etc) and are more likely to return the favour. Think about why guys always pay on dates (#NetflixAndChill)!
2. Social Proof - people do what others around them are doing. This is why comedy shows have laugh tracks, this is why you’re more likely to like or share a YouTube video with a million views as opposed to 100.
3. Commitment and Consistency - people don’t like to seem to change their minds. If they’ve agreed to something, even tacitly, they feel compelled to follow through. Many websites will ask you a question like “Do you believe that ….”. When you answer yes and they then ask you to buy/donate/sign-up, you are more likely to follow through, even though you might not have if you went straight to the actual question or offer.
4. Liking - we are inherently biased towards people we find attractive and people who have tangible similarities to us, like the same name or the same home town. If your name is Bob, and you meet Bob the salesman, who happens to look pretty good, you’re gonna buy something from him or find yourself agreeing with him.
5. Authority - people are more likely to do or buy from someone they consider an authority. Would you take financial advice from your barista or a leading economist? Many pharmaceutical ads have actors dressed as doctors or scientists. Even though their claim would be exactly the same whether read by a fireman, postal worker or unemployed actor, we’re more likely to believe that an authority figure is trustworthy. If you’re at the video store (wait, do those even exist?) look out for a movie called “The Experimenter” which tells the story of Stanley Milligram and his obedience experiments (upon which these theories are largely based)
6. Scarcity - we’re more likely to buy or agree to something if we believe there is a possibility that the choice may be removed. The less there is of something, the more valuable we perceive it to be. Do we really know that a certain sale item is limited, or that something is the very last one in stock? Seeing that it is, or that purchases are limited to 3 per customer, makes us more inclined to hoard the product for ourselves (even if we don’t really know if we want it all that much).
Dan Ariely rounds off this list with his books on Irrationality, with his theories around the pain of paying and perceived value based on this principle. It’s now been proven that the “pain of paying” is in many cases worse than physical pain. In one of this experiments he showed that while 70% of people tested said they would rather buy a higher value product (based on price, brand recognition, attributes)
over a lower value product, that same 70% would reverse their decision if the second product was made free (even if the higher value product was discounted to the same extent).
Perceiving something as being free eliminates the pain of paying, which is why adverts and web banners always capitalise the word “FREE” and use it several times to entice a customer to participate. It’s also why companies like Netflix and Showmax that offer a free trial ask for payment details upfront, so that when people have to pay, they feel the pain less than having to enter payment at the time of their trial expiring.
Take a moment to think about these factors working in concert on your mind, through the estimated 300-700 marketing messages you see daily. Tugging at your various triggers, making you do, buy and participate when you’re probably not inclined to rationally make the same choices. Now think about the emotional choices we make when it comes to politics, going to war or voting. How many of these messages use the same triggers to elicit a specific reaction from your emotional decision making process, rather than your rational one?
In March, Microsoft setup Tay, a Twitter bot AI that was designed to learn from us and become smarter as people engaged with it. Tay went from “Humans are supercool” to “I fucking hate feminists” and “Hitler was right I hate the Jews” within 24 hours. Before Twitter deleted the account, 96,000 tweets had been sent, many with equally questionable contents.
As human beings were naturally designed to be social, to share and have empathy for those around us. This is how we survived the predators that once hunted us, and braved the toughest conditions to flourish as a species. Yet this is hardly the world that we live in today. Perhaps it’s a good thing if machines do the thinking for us, as long as they don’t think like us. g
“Human decision making is not rational...”
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FeaturesThe Last StarWar is HellGoing Immersive
PReviewsDeus Ex: Mankind DividedOil EnterpriseGoliathHomefront: The Revolution
ReviewsDark Souls 3EA Sports UFC 2MXGP 2Ratchet & ClankDiRT RallyRugby Challenge 3The Wolf Among UsGlitchrunnersDead StarShutshimi
RegularSDid you knowIndie ViewLegacy
COLUMNRamjet’s Rantality
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IGNITE [#TheRevolution]
Pre-order NowAvailable 20th May 2016
©2016 and published by Deep Silver, a division of Koch Media, Austria. Developed by Deep Silver Dambuster Studios. Homefront, Deep Silver and their respective logos are trademarks of Koch Media GmbH. Portions of this software are included under license ©2004-2016 Crytek GmbH. All rights reserved. Crytek, CryEngine and their respective logos are trademarks of Crytek Group. Uses Bink Video. Copyright (C) 1997-2016 by RAD Game Tools, Inc. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.Distributed Exclusively by Apex Interactive Tel: (011) 796 5040 www.apexinteractive.co.zaEmail: [email protected] All rights and trademarks and logos are copyright of their respective owners. www.apexinteractive.co.za18V
All retailers
1… that Sony shipped 17.7 million PS4 in the last financial year?
Sony is reporting that the company has shipped 17.7 million PS4 units during the last financial year, which is quite a bit higher than the 14.8 million of the previous period. That’s almost the same amount of estimated Xbox One consoles shipped in total since the Microsoft console launched in 2013.
With a revenue of US$13.7 billion earned in the financial period ending 31 March 2016, it’s obvious that Sony is leading the fight in the current generation console war.
2… that Nintendo will launch a new console next year?
Codenamed the NX, the new console from Nintendo will launch in March 2017. This move may see Nintendo win back some of the ground it lost in the current generation, in which the PS4 and Xbox One have dominated over the Wii U.
Nintendo have described the NX as a “brand new concept”, but have not provided any details about it yet in terms of hardware. And if you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of it in E3 coverage, you’re out of luck – Nintendo will not be showing the NX at this year’s LA based game expo.
3… that Lionhead Studios has been closed after 20 years?
The team behind Fable, Black & White and The Movies is no more. After 20 years of developing games, Lionhead Studios has shut down.
“We can confirm that after much consideration over the six week consultation period with Lionhead employees, we have reached the decision to close Lionhead Studios. We have nothing but heart-felt thanks for the team at Lionhead for their significant contributions to Xbox and the games industry,” the Xbox One maker said.
Know?
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4… that an ex-Ubisoft employee successfully sued for game rights?
When Patrice Désilets left Ubisoft for THQ Montreal, he could have little idea that his new employer would be bought at auction by his old employer when THQ folded. While there he worked on a game called 1666: Amsterdam, but was fired before he could complete the project. And then he decided to sue for the rights to it.
Three years later, a settlement has been reached that sees Désilets with the rights to 1666: Amsterdam. “I’m glad Ubisoft and I were able to come to an agreement that will allow me to obtain the rights to project 1666 Amsterdam,” he said in a statement.
5… that Samsung is really getting into VR?
Samsung have announced that they are planning to extend their line of virtual reality devices, and that new devices won’t necessarily work with their mobile phones.“We are working on wireless and dedicated VR devices, not necessarily working with our mobile phone,” head of R&D for software and services Injong Rhee told attendees of the recent Samsung developer conference. Although he mentioned concepts like hand and gesture tracking, he gave no timeline, stating instead that the industry is still in its infancy.
6… that a shipment of Uncharted 4 games was stolen?
Sony has reported that a shipment of Uncharted 4 games was stolen while in transit. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, copies of the game have been surfacing for sale on sites like eBay.
“An extremely talented team has worked long and hard to bring Nathan Drake’s greatest adventure to life and we would urge you to help us prevent this from being spoiled by not purchasing copies of the game ahead of the launch date,” Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida requested. g
Know? New consoles, game rights and stolen stuff...
More fun facts from the world of tech, with some holiday gaming flavour...
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The fight to save Solus The Last Star
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The fight to save Solus The Last Star
Battleborn
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Gearbox Software is a name that should evoke some kind of feeling with almost any gamer. Even those that came to
the hobby only recently will certainly have fond memories of the Borderlands games, which have sold several million copies over the franchise’s run. Going back a bit further will find titles like Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway and Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30, as well as names like James Bond 007: Nightfire, Half-Life: Blue Shift and even Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3, to name a few. There is little doubt that this is a development team with experience across a wide variety of genres. But it really was with the release of the first Borderlands title, back in 2009, that Gearbox
Software truly made their mark as an innovative and highly imaginative developer. Seven years later, they look set to do it again with an all new IP called Battleborn.
As you read this, Battleborn has already been released, and is likely selling really well – if the fact that more than two million gamers took part in the title’s open beta is anything to go by. Whether it is a strong marketing campaign or the developer’s reputation, Battleborn has already been getting a lot of attention from players the world over.
So what is Battleborn, exactly? Well, in the words of Gearbox’s president Randy Pitchford, “If Borderlands 2 is a shooter-looter, Battleborn is a hero-shooter. As a genre-fused,
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basis for the plot). Additionally, the game will offer three different competitive multiplayer modes that will pit two teams of five against each other.
As to be expected from Gearbox, Battleborn is rather out of the ordinary. The characters, for example, are extremely varied and tip their hats to various genres of fiction, ranging from combat through to steam-punk and virtually everything in between. The character’s abilities are as varied as their appearances. There are healers with up-close combat tactics, gas-blasting assassins, pistol-wielding support fighters, high-jumping hitmen and something that looks like an intelligent mushroom. The variety is staggering, and is part of the clever approach that Gearbox
hobby-grade, co-operative and competitive FPS exploding with eye-popping style and an imaginative universe, Battleborn is the most ambitious video game that Gearbox has ever created.”
That’s quite a mouthful in terms of genre, but Battleborn really is a game that defies numerous pigeonholing conventions. Set in the distant future, Battleborn is a game that brings players together in order to blow stuff apart. With 25 extremely different characters to choose from, Battleborn places players in the position to enjoy the story mode on their own, or in co-op sessions that support up to five players. Doing so, they will fight to defend the universe’s last star from being destroyed (an odd, yet intriguing
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has taken with this title. By providing players with a character roster that looks like it belongs in a fighting game rather than a first-person shooter, they are opening up the doors of the overall experience wide. Even if you play the same character all the time, the chances of getting the exact same mix of characters twice in a row are rather slim. And, from a single player perspective, giving the player the literal opportunity of experiencing a varied game 25 times over is pretty much a stroke of genius.
While the true longevity of Battleborn depends largely on the multiplayer aspect of the game – and, of course, how players receive it – the single player campaign will be
broken into eight lengthy episodes, as well as a prologue. If these will vary from character to character remains to be seen, but even if there is little variation, the wide variety of characters will make it very replayable.
With a highly stylised graphics set and the tongue-in-cheek humour one expects from the studio that made Borderlands, the game dynamics in Battleborn are a blend of team tactics and pure, beautiful chaos. The feel of the game lends itself to space-opera rather than nuts-and-bolts sci-fi, so the characters are larger than life, the enemies are bullet-sponges and the settings defy physics as we know them. But these all add to the charm of this game, which takes on a very stylised, TV feel in its overall
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Battleborn, and the player will alternate between fierce fire fights and hearty laughs at an off-handed comment thrown out by a character. It is as irreverent and zany as Borderlands ever was, yet doesn’t compromise itself by treading into the realms of true ridiculousness. It takes bad-ass to a new level, without going so over the top that it becomes inaccessible.
Gearbox Software have very little left to prove, thanks to past achievements. That allows a game like Battleborn to be a passion-driven, ambitious project more often than not. How the world will take to this unusual and exciting game remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure… There’s a truck-load of crazy combat awaiting all that play it. g
presentation.Everything here is aimed towards frantic
combat – even levelling your chosen character’s abilities up happens on the fly, and it is pretty certain that good team work will enable a group of players to go far. Yet, with that said, the type of heroes presented in Battleborn are larger than life, and experience in the open beta shows that even a team running around doing their own thing will more-or-less get things done, even if it is a little more crazy and chaotic.
In a market where realism creeps into even the most highly fantastical works, a game like Battleborn – which revels in its flaunting of realism, if you get right down to it – is a welcome breath of fresh air. Nothing is sacred in
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Deus Ex: Mankind DividedCloak and dagger
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Deus Ex: Mankind DividedCloak and dagger
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When it comes to modernising revered franchises there are few who could argue that Deus Ex does not rank as one of the
most daunting. With the original title widely viewed as one of the greatest games to have been released on the PC, Eidos Montreal can only be commended for their efforts with Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which for the most part was a worthy successor, despite its incongruous boss fights and Mass Effect-style ending. With Deus Ex: Mankind Divided set for release in just a few short months, there will be more than a few hoping that the developer can once again deliver a polished, faithful addition to the series.
To this end it appears that Eidos Montreal have
chosen to keep the gameplay relatively unchanged from that of Human Revolution. Players will be still be given a variety of approaches to any situation, with multiple paths littering the environment, and Mankind Divided aims to allow players the freedom to switch between combat, stealth or persuasion as the situation warrants. The game will introduce a variety of new augmentations, including a short-range “teleport” to reach otherwise inaccessible locations, and the developers have stated that combat has received greater attention this time round, with the inclusion of features such as multiple bullet types to allow more versatility. Most of the changes seem to be polish more than reworking though, and returning fans shouldn’t have much difficulty
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conspiracies as he works to not only prevent acts of terrorism, but the machinations of the Illuminati itself.
Eidos Montreal have stated that they are deliberately moving towards a darker tone, though the use of the term apartheid to evoke the desperation of the augmented has not been without controversy. Deus Ex however as always sought to explore morally grey areas, and Mankind Divided looks to be no exception. While its convoluted narratives may not be to the liking of everyone, those who appreciate games not afraid to treat their audiences as intelligent beings rather slack-jawed twitch gamers should find plenty to like here, and at this point the game certainly looks set to deliver on its promise. g
adapting.Deus Ex however has always focussed more on its
tangled plots and intrigues, and here fans can expect much the same treatment. Set roughly two years after the events of Human Revolution, the game will see Adam Jensen return as the protagonist, still driven to save mankind though left somewhat embittered by his experiences. Set in a future in which a combination of all the endings from the previous game occurred, the world has become gripped by fear of those still using augmentations, with many areas treating augmented people as second-class citizens in what the writers have called a “mechanical apartheid”. Jensen, now working as an Interpol agent, will once again be plunged into global
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Mankind Divided certainly appears to be offering everything returning fans could want
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The beauty of gaming lies in the myriad of games, genres and ideas that circulate both big studios and indie-
developers. This once again shows the diversity of people and part of this diversity is seen in the games that are on the market.
Oil Enterprise is a business strategy game, putting players in the shoes of an upcoming entrepreneur hoping to make it big in the oil business. Thrown out into the world, for this purpose, players will need to prospect, refine and sell oil found in fifteen regions worldwide. With each oilfield carrying its own potential, it will be up to players to figure out how to siphon each field to its best capacity.
Much of the strategy is sure to come in the various tools that will be available, as players progress from small-scale entrepreneur to global oil magnate. Pumps, refineries, storage facilities will be part of 20 building types that will play a large part of the experience, combined with the 15 world regions, each holding unique oilfield layouts that can be expanded upon freely.
Events will randomly trigger during the game such as earthquakes, accidents and exchange rate fluctuations are sure to add a new dynamic to the campaign. Players will be able to take out loans should it be necessary, all in the hope of gaining more lucrative contracts as their reputation grows, bringing them closer to becoming an oil tycoon.
A dynamic world market, a variety of playable scenarios, combined with the different world regions and diverse oilfield layouts, is sure to create a unique gaming experience both in local and in the multiplayer that caters up to six players. g
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Oil EnterpriseDigging for black gold
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Begin your life as a money crazy, business tycoon on a mission to rule the ever-so-lucrative oil business.
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Industry GamesIndustry GamesOnline PSV
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GoliathA giant-sized adventure
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Explore the mysterious land of jumbled fragments, powerful factions and monstrous giants with the aid of a crafted Goliath at your side.
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Portals are dangerous things, especially when you don’t know where they might take
you. In this case, a portal transports you to an unknown world filled with gargantuan monsters, and ravaged by war. Strange factions battle for domination across this mysterious world scattered with fragments from dead civilizations. Thankfully, you are a skilled individual, able to build a giant robot that will help you fight against both monsters and factions. Time to build your Goliath.
In Goliath, you have the ability to craft dozens of giant robot suits called Goliaths, from metal, wood, stone, and
various materials. These Goliath’s will be customizable with various weapons, that players will have to craft too. Weather and terrain will test the durability of the Goliath, so players will have to ensure they have the right robot every time.
The world of Goliath is procedurally generated and is set to feature a day/night cycle and dynamic weather. The world itself will be populated with dense forests, frozen tundra, eerie swamps and expansive prairies. Exploring the world reveals recipes for various Goliath designs, each with weakness and strengths.
Players will have a choice of
factions to join, each offering different strategic advantages such as robot plans and weapons unique to each faction. Factions will consist of: Forest Folk, Daemonari, sentient robots known as The Created, and of course, humans.
Goliath will have a third-person isometric perspective. The campaign will be playable either alone or cooperatively with a friend. It will also feature competitive multiplayer in head-to-head arena combat.
Whalebox Studio is an indie game developer company that won the E3 Best Sandbox award for Goliath in 2015. g
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Homefront: The RevolutionDeclaration of Independence
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Homefront: The RevolutionDeclaration of Independence
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Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. What happens when these simple rights are taken away? Create an open-world first-
person shooter of course. And so Homefront: The Revolution is the answer. It is set in 2029, which is 2 years after the events of Homefront. This time we see the rise of the revolution in Philadelphia. The chosen location for this game to me is a stroke of genius. If you didn’t know, Philadelphia was the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed and is also nicknamed “The city of Brotherly Love,” and “The Cradle of Liberty”. What better location that would stir up a fight for freedom than the place that brought it to life? The invasion of
the Greater Korean Republic is moving. With the aid of the KPA (Korean People’s Army), innocents of Philadelphia are forced to live a life of submission made possible through constant patrols, drones, advanced technology, weaponry and violence. To be successful in the quest for freedom, you can employ tactics such as infiltration, ambush, recruitment and deception.
As one of the people who refuse to give in to a life of tyranny, you form part of a guerrilla movement that is willing to fight for their liberation at all costs. You will not only fight for the people but with them in order to succeed. Although the KPA has a few advantages, the resistance has a few tricks of their
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customise your weapons to suit your needs on-the-go. For example, your ordinary shotgun, a scope and silencer gives you a makeshift long-range weapon. Or having an RC car from your eyes-on-the-ground to a bomb the enemy wouldn’t see coming. I can only imagine how badass you will feel when you’ve cleared out a roof right before blowing up a group of KPA puppets only to make an amazing escape on your dirtbike (oh, did I forget to mention that? Yeah, you can use a dirtbike.)
There is so much I could tell you about this game, but what I will tell you is that it is bound to blow us away as it’s already a major improvement from the first title. So much to look forward to with this one. g
own. No movement is a one-man-mission. You will have the support of fellow guerrillas on your lofty quest. You can get further help by recruiting civilians into the resistance. The human spirit is a truly powerful weapon. Your emotions may aid your will to fight.
Speaking of weapons, this is where I feel Deep Silver have made sure that the player really enjoys this title. When you have an enemy with every possible advantage against you, what will help you is ingenuity. You are unable to use the enemy’s weapon as they are fingerprint-locked with crazy biometrics (trust me this is not a bummer as you’d think it is), you need good weapons of your own. You can
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Take a group of angry, oppressed people, add a will to fight, the human spirit and some weapons and you’ll get a game worthy of its title – The Revolution.
Developer:Publisher:Distributer:
Dambuster StudiosDeep SilverApex Interactive
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Going back to FPS roots
War is Hell
Doom
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By: Lein Baart
Going back to FPS roots
War is Hell
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Like most genres, the first-person shooter has undergone a significant
evolution since it first burst onto the scene in the early ‘90s. While the core basics (being point a gun at something and click to make it die) may still be the same, for those who did not grow up during the heydays of the FPS the changes might not be all that clear. With Doom just about ready to be unleashed upon the world again, it throws into stark relief the difference between modern shooters and the franchise indirectly responsible for their very existence, and brings to mind just how far we have come over two and a half decades, though for better or worse is very much a matter of opinion.
To understand this contrast, it’s necessary to go back and look at just what exactly Doom did not only for the genre, but gaming in general. Contrary to what you may believe, Doom was not first FPS (this lofty position actually goes to Wolfenstein 3D, another id Software game) but rather the title that made the genre a household name. From a technical perspective both games were obviously horribly crude by today’s standard, rendered in essentially pseudo-3D and lacking even mouse support, but what drew gamers in was the utter rush Doom provided. It was a game that demanded quick reflexes, with few chances to catch your breath before plunging back into maelstroms of bullets and fireballs, and to this day a play through can still be just as harrowing as it was over twenty years ago.
Doom set that standard for the genre (to such an extent in fact that for years all FPS’ were known as Doom clones), and this dedication to non-stop action was seen right up until the early 2000s with the likes of Unreal and Quake. While games like Half-Life and Thief, and later Deus Ex, all attempted to provide a more cerebral experience, the guns-blazing gameplay remained the most popular by far during this period. At the same time however World
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War 2 shooters, spearheaded by Medal of Honor, were on the rise, and soon the genre was inundated with countless renditions of the Normandy Landing. While the emphasis was still squarely on frenetic firefights, with cover as a core mechanic mostly non-existent, it was here that we started to see bombastic scripted events become the norm, and combined with the rising popularity of Counter-Strike, the stage was set for the first-person shooter we know today.
This period is one which most of us will be readily familiar with, and for all intents and purposes begins with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. With its focus squarely set on recreating a “realistic” depiction of modern day warfare, the shooters of the last decade or so have increasing aimed to mix linear action sequences with spectacular cutscenes to provide what some have derogatively called rail-shooters. While there is still plenty of action to be found, gone is the sense of exploration and agency that in retrospect hallmarked the games of yesteryear, replaced instead by a reliance on set-pieces to leave gamers slack jawed with awe. This isn’t even an issue isolated to single-player campaigns, with multiplayer matches being played at a pace that would seem akin to slow-motion when compared to the likes of Unreal Tournament and Quake 3: Team Arena. While there have been attempts to recall the gameplay of the past with releases like Wolfstein: The New Order, by and large CoD and Battlefield, and the gameplay they represent, dominate what is indisputably the most popular genre in the market today.
id Software seems to be intent on bringing things full circle however, though it appears this wasn’t always the case. With the fourth entry announced as far back as 2008, the next instalment of this seminal franchise was apparently vastly different to what id will be releasing in just a few weeks,
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closer to a CoD/Battlefield clone (somewhat ironically) than to its progenitors. This caused the studio to completely scrap the version in 2011, and with some consultation from Bethesda the developers begun the daunting task of rebuilding Doom from the ground up in an image far truer to series’ original vision.
Thus the Doom that we will be receiving mid-May will once again see players returning to Mars to battle the legions of Hell as a UAC marine. Eschewing the survival-horror elements of Doom 3, which was an excellent game in its own right, Doom will focus on recreating the gameplay of the first two titles in the franchise, with a massive emphasis on movement and speed. Utilising a system id Software have
termed “push forward combat”, Doom will be remarkably old-school in its approach, even going so far as to drop as weapon reloading and allowing players to carry unlimited amount weapons. The game will aim to continually force players to stay mobile, and as such will feature no cover mechanics or regenerating health, and past fans can expect to see all the favourite weapons of the series make a comeback, including the BFG and chainsaw. The only new addition to the classic Doom formula will lie in the ability to perform melee attacks and executions, though even appear to be brutally quick and efficient.
A large part of Doom’s popularity lay in its multiplayer (some have even attributed the word deathmatch to the original Doom development
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considering that modability was a huge contributor to the first game’s success the editor could go a long way to ensuring the newest addition’s longevity.
Doom is game aiming to recall the glory of its past, in some cases right down to the tiniest details it seems. It remains to be seen whether a game so thoroughly dedicated to old school run-and-gun gameplay can flourish in this day and age, but you can bet there are more than a few itching for the return of what Doom represents. It’s a game that’s been eight years in the making, and while nostalgia has proven a fickle mistress in the past for other equally illustrious franchises, there are few who can argue that the chaotic and frantic action that Doom and its ilk have provided before has aged poorly. g
team), and players can expect much the same here. With a total of six modes, which will be a blend of classic and new, and nine maps available at launch, there should be plenty on offer. While gameplay will be similar to what gamers can expect in the single-player campaign, the multiplayer will throw in couple of curveballs in the form of power-ups, which will include a rune that will allow players to transform into various types of demons. As part of the package, Doom will also feature an editor called SnapMap, which will not only allow players to create their own levels but even customise game and A.I. logic, potentially opening up the path to entirely new modes. SnapMap has been designed to be used by even those without any clue of how to program, and
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Dark Souls 3One last punishing adventure…
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Dark Souls 3One last punishing adventure…
Writing a review on Dark Souls 3 is an exercise in paradoxes for me. While I truly dislike the punishing nature of the game,
there are so many aspects of it that I enjoy that I cannot deny its underlying brilliance.
Dark Souls 3 is as unforgiving as every other game in the series. You’re going to die a hell of a lot here, because Dark Souls 3 demands a sort of precision under fire that can be extremely uncompromising. There are ways to deal with this world, and if you get them wrong, you’re toast. That means that those who want a more casual or less taxing experience are probably going to throw aside their controller in disgust; Dark Souls is neither casual nor easy. Right from the get-go (within a few minutes) you’ll be facing seemingly insurmountable odds and really powerful
bosses. This doesn’t work for everyone.But the feeling of achievement that Dark Souls 3
grants the player when they do eventually get past these truly massive obstacles is unmatched by almost any other game. The rewards here are almost palpable, because it takes a lot of hard work to get anywhere in this game. That’s where my main frustration lies, if I must be honest. I like feeling as though my in-game character is a hero, devoid of the common frailties that plague us mere mortals. But in Dark Souls 3, getting to that point is a massive slog of redoing, replaying and retrying. Even when you do get there, the feeling won’t last long, because Dark Souls 3 always has a new challenge to throw at you.
And yet, despite the frustration that this breeds within me, there is no denying the excellence of the experience.
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though, when you consider the sheer scale and ambition of this final Dark Souls title.
With a number of tweaks and additions, the combat within Dark Souls 3 is engaging and super-challenging. Missteps and poor calls are punished mercilessly, and surviving this world means that you will always need to be on top of your game. And the wide variety of beautifully designed weapons and other equipment means that any player can truly craft the exact character they want, in terms of fighting style and looks.
As always with From Software’s games, the player is thrown into the deep end in Dark Souls 3, and game dynamics and plot lines are revealed slowly, through exploration rather than explanation. It works for the game yet again, and fans of the franchise will certainly revel in this final, brutal instalment. g
The world presented here, for example, is intricate and detailed, crammed with hidden areas and tiny elements that bring it to life, while not compromising on the sweeping grandness that binds everything together. You can often see where you’ve been as a detail in the distance in this world, and you can likewise judge where you are going. The scale of the world is almost awe-inspiring, yet the detail and minutiae are ever lost.
Perhaps it is this scale, added to the detailed models and designs, that lead to the occasional frame rate issue. It’s a little jarring when the world sucks you in, but thankfully these don’t occur too often. And then there are a few bugs in the narrative that come up from time to time, when the world around you reacts to actions you haven’t taken yet. It’s all forgivable,
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If you like you’re games totally unforgiving and super-challenging (as well as deep and complex) the Dark Souls 3 is a great choice.
Developer:Publisher:Distributer:
From SoftwareNamco BandaiMegarom
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EA Sports UFC 2King of the Octagon
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EA Sports UFC 2King of the Octagon
Fighting games, when they’re done with some degree of realism, can be pretty complex things, and there is no more complex sport in real-world
martial arts than MMA. Mixed Martial Arts require a lot from their practitioners, and becoming a top-notch fighter in the UFC takes skill, determination and guts. And that’s kind of what EA wanted to impart in this sequel to their somewhat middling previous attempt at UFC fighting. What was lacking in the previous game was the no-nonsense approach that they adopted with their great Fight Night series. That attitude has found a home in UFC 2, making this one of the better UFC titles we have seen. It is devoid of the unnecessary complexities that we found when THQ still had the license, but it isn’t as dumbed down as the previous EA attempt. The end result is a game that, despite a niggle
or two, is a solid, visceral fighting game in which button mashing is pushing, and strategic combat is rewarded – exactly as it should be.
Where UFC 2 truly shines is in the stand-up fight… so much so, in fact, that I avoided ground fighting and submission play as much as possible. The ground dynamic is a little too unclear and simplified when compared to the stand-up fight, and although the system can be mastered, it’s a matter of trial and error in reading your opponents intentions correctly. The tutorial simply isn’t enough here, and the camera angles are a bit of a let-down in the ground side of things.
But the stand-up game, whether clinching or exchanging blows at a slightly greater distance, is almost sublime. The excellent visuals mean that you see the damage you’re inflicting on your opponent, with realistic cuts and
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because there was really a massive opportunity for great immersion here.
Knockout Mode is a fun addition for those who want a more arcade-like feel, as it removes ground fighting entirely and relies purely on stand-up brawling for the action. And the addictive Ultimate Team mode will appeal to many who want manage a team and fight online, augmenting the action with a series of cards that provide buffs, new fighters and so on.
While the ground game and career mode could have used a little more TLC, UFC 2 is, ultimately, a much better experience that its predecessor, and a fun game for those who prefer their fighting games a little more realistic. Getting past the quibbles is fairly easy, and the personal rewards from a well-won fight far outweigh the negatives here. It’s a great next step for the franchise. g
swelling showing where you’re blows are most effective. That, combined with great character models, brilliant hair and impact animations, and a purely physics-based knock-down or knock-out animation system, means that the game is visually extremely striking. It’s the kind of thing that EA got right with Fight Night, and the visual joy of seeing an opponent crumble after a well-placed round-house kick or uppercut cannot be understated.
Naturally, UFC 2 has a career mode. While it is fun and satisfying, it is also a little lacking in personality. It’s pretty much a string of fights broken up by training sessions which, if you’re not making goals for yourself in your head, comes across as pretty bland before long. While random events or injuries might affect training sessions and subsequent fights, these feel a little like tacked on decorations that have no real impact on the game. It’s sad,
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It has a weakness or two, but it also delivers a visceral, realistic fighting experience that is really rewarding.
Developer:Publisher:Distributer:
Electronic ArtsElectronic ArtsPrima Interactive
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MXGP 2Missed opportunities
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a little polish in the Right aReas and some attention to oveRall consistency would have woRked wondeRs foR mXgp 2 but, as it stands, it’s flawed.
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Motorcycle simulations are, for the
most part, a spotty affair. It seems that the dynamics of bike and rider, so crucial to effectively riding a motorbike (let alone racing one) are tough to get right in a game. With that said, the motocross games, glorifying the mud-slinging off road racing world that is crammed with thrills and spills, tend to be the best of the bunch. And with MXGP2, Milestone were hoping in creating a definitive experience.
In some ways they did. By securing the right licenses and such, Milestone turned MXGP2 into something of a definitive game, complete with a full year-long racing roster and tons of different event types. In that way, the game is great for enthusiasts. Until, that is, they get to the track.
With all major manufacturers present, as well as various classes of bikes to ride, one would immediately assume that MXGP2, with its extensive event roster and wide range of real world sponsors to assist the player in their career, becomes truly exceptional. Sadly, though, it misses the mark in the area that counts the most: the actual racing.
While the game’s packaging claims actual terrain deformation, we were hard-pressed to find that the bikes had any effect on the tracks at all. In fact, it’s the complete opposite – the bikes appear to float on the track, leaving trails that fade over time. The tracks, on the other hand, have a massive effect on the bikes, so much so that the player is, at times, at a loss.
It comes down, largely, to inconsistency. It’s extremely difficult to know exactly what your bike is going to do t any given time. Some corners see you flying through, while others get you all bogged
down, and there’s no reliable visual clues to the difference.
And then there’s controlling the bike. For the most part it’s pretty responsive, but it’s also unforgiving. Putting the rear brake as a face button and the front brake as the left trigger was also a poor default oversight, because you’ll need the rear brake a bit more. That can be fixed easily, though. And things can get pretty daunting when you’re trying to get through corners quickly, because shifting body weight can be very finicky, both here and when doing jumps.
You can get used to it, but it will take some time and a lot of frustration to get there. Coming off of the bike (aside from launching a somewhat ridiculous ragdoll animation) will cost you dearly, as it’s next to impossible to work your way through the pack again. Getting a turn a bit wrong can have the same effect, so you’ll want to get to a place where you can ride with the kind of precision that means you never go wrong. It’s a big ask, really, particularly when you consider that there are a few inconsistencies to deal with. It’s a case of learning each track down to the minutest detail, with each bike you want to ride. It’s time consuming, but dedicating a bit of effort here means that you’ll have a better overall experience.
MXGP2 makes a few great moves, particularly in being the official motocross game, and it can provide a fun experience for those willing to work with it. But it remains fairly inaccessible, and probably only the biggest enthusiasts will take the time to master its intricacies and oddities. It’s all fine and well to create a realistic game, but you need to make sure that consistency is part of that realism. g
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Ratchet & ClankRestarting the grand adventure
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Ratchet & ClankRestarting the grand adventure
Rebooting a video game can be quite a good idea; it can lend freshness to a flagging franchise, and can reintroduce it to a whole
new generation of gamers. That’s not necessarily the case with the Ratchet & Clank reboot, though. Quite simply, this is a franchise that is evergreen… recreating it feels more like a labour of love than a necessity for the developers. And there’s a joy in that idea that reverberates through every awesome moment of Ratchet & Clank’s appearance on the PS4.
The game takes us back to the beginnings of the adventures shared by the plucky Lombax Ratchet and his trusty, runty robot sidekick Clank. For the most part, the narrative is pretty neatly lifted from the 2002 original game, but many of the new ideas that popped up during the course of the franchise’s long run have surfaced here
too. For example, the player will, at some points, do some upside down running around thanks to a pair of handy grav-boots, or will grind rails, or will even get access to an awesomely fun jet-pack, exploring levels from above while keeping an eye out for vital refuelling stations.
Insomniac’s love affair with Ratchet & Clank is undeniable, and this latest version distils all of the passion of fourteen years into one game. The result is a game that is really great on a variety of levels. First off, there’s the light platforming that the game offers. It’s a little more like traversal puzzling in this outing, but jumping between moving objects is still something that the player is going to be doing here. There are also crazy sections, like jumping between moving train cars and other lively, adventure movie type stuff that keeps Ratchet & Clank highly entertaining.
Next up, there’s the combat. This series has always had
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All of this is brought together by excellent presentation. The lively visuals chug along at a steady frame rate, even when the screen is full of explosions, enemies and flying collectibles. The visuals are truly excellent in that regard, with crisp, clear character models and beautifully constructed environments.
Similarly, the voice acting is of high quality, with numerous jokes and jibes flying about – even with references to déjà vu, thanks to the reboot. The narrative might not exactly be the stuff of great literature, but between the visuals and the voice acting, Ratchet & Clanks tale is an entertaining one.
As far as reboots go, there is very little to fault here. Insomniac took what worked, left behind what didn’t, and rebuilt ratchet & Clank from the ground up, taking full advantage of the power of the PS4. It’s a fantastic game for veterans and newcomers alike. g
crazy weapons, and this latest instalment is no different. Each weapon gains experience within the game, meaning more power when it levels up. Additionally, the player can trade one of the in-game resources, raritanium, to upgrade aspects ranging from rate of fire to ammo and damage levels. Buy the right upgrades, and bonus abilities are also unlocked. The weapons alone are something to keep you busy with for ages.
And then there’s the game world. Ratchet & Clank takes place on several planets, each with its own unique personality. Enemies are fairly varied, and each planet will have its own crop of enemies (some of which are repeated) adding to its flavour. Each planet also has a handful of main missions, as well as sub missions, like finding a hidden treasure or winning a hover board contest.
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GENRE Adventure
All reboots should be done like this – taking the best of the previous games and melding them into a great experience.
Developer:Publisher:Distributer:
Insomniac GamesSCEESter Kinekor
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SilverGoldPlatinum
Ed’s ChoiceBronze
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The countryside of Greece can be a place of great beauty, with stark mountains and near-golden, dusty scrub contrasting the deep greens of
ancient wild olive trees. I learned this as my rally car sailed beautifully through the air, having departed the prescribed course and sallying forth into a short-lived airborne journey that would mark its last race. And I loved it.
See, over the years, rally games have become desensitised, arcade-like affair, with rewinds and negligible in-game damage making the experience less about celebrating the trials and tribulations of rally racing and more about slinging a car around a track as fast as possible. Ask and rally driver, though, and they will tell you that speed is only a part of the process – finesse is equally important, and if you don’t want to end up with your car wrapped around a tree, you had better pay attention to
more than the accelerator.That’s where DiRT Rally is refreshingly different. Developed
by racing experts Codemasters, this game takes all the fluff and casts it aside. Rather, DiRT Rally opts for a return to the roots of rally games, and to the spirit of the sport.
The result of this shift in focus is a game that is realistic and thoroughly brutal. Even the slightest misstep in DiRT Rally will see your car either damaged, or careening off of the track. And, just like in the real world, that has consequences. Using the realistic format of multi-stage rally events, DiRT Rally will only allow you to repair your vehicle at certain times, and you will have an allotted time period in which to do so. That means that damage is accrued across the whole multi-stage race, meaning that towards the later stages, your car may have some serious issues if you weren’t careful enough.
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DiRT RallyBack to basics
first might become a welcome racing companion as these developments are added.
As far as tracks go, these beautifully created environments span the entire gamut, from Greece’s dusty winding mountain trails to the deep mud of Wales and the snow of Sweden. Codemasters went to town on creating varied, challenging tracks for the player to wrestle with, with a great impression of speed and really excellent vehicle models to boot.
DiRT Rally is the game that has been missing from the virtual racing circuit. It does away with the flashier rubbish and really gets down to the core ideals of this challenging sport, delivering the player an experience that is fast, engaging and very real. Staying the course and working through this sometimes frustrating experience can yield great rewards. g
Beyond affecting your racing, damage also does something that isn’t seen anywhere near often enough in games these days – it costs in-game credits to repair. So if you’re saving up for a new car (of which there are many, spanning four decades) your plans may have to take a back seat in favour of repairing a trashed car after a race event.
There are other ways in which DiRT Rally demands precision – going off the track can’t be rewound, and resetting knocks valuable time off of your performance. It’s uncompromising and unforgiving, which makes it – believe it or not – exactly what a rally game should be.
Vehicle improvements also follow a more realistic route – your team gets used to each car and, as they do, new improvements are unlocked and added. It makes sense, really, and it allows for a great evolution of each vehicle that you choose to race. Even a car that feels uncomfortable at
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This is the most realistic (and punishing) rally game we’ve seen in years; out with the fluff, in with the important stuff.
Developer:Publisher:Distributer:
CodemastersCodemastersApex Interactive
PARENTAL ADVISORY AWARDS
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DiRT RallyBack to basics
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Sports game enthusiasts who have a taste for rugby have almost always come up disappointed when a new simulation of this
rough, brutal sport hits the shelves. There could be many reasons for the fact that good rugby simulations are all but non-existent, but the most likely explanation is that there isn’t big money behind ruby simulation development. A game like soccer, well, that’s a different story. You literally have millions and millions of fans around the world, and a company like EA is going to throw a lot of money behind a title like FIFA.
Rugby has a much smaller support base, and so the money push behind the development is much smaller, too – fewer sales at the end of the process, see… And yes, EA used to have the license for rugby, but the effort that goes into developing a simulation for a complex
sport like this probably was outweighed by the lack of meaningful profits (meaningful when compared to FIFA, that is).
And so the hopes for a great rugby simulation has fallen to a small set of developers, with Wicked Witch Software, published by Tru Blu, being one of them. And, up until now, they haven’t managed to deliver the goods.
Until now. Rugby Challenge 3, Tru Blu’s latest attempt at the sport, is not the perfect rugby game. In fact, it still has a long way to go before this sport is properly simulated. What it is, though, is a massive leap in the right direction, and it could easily be called the best rugby game to date (although EA’s Rugby ’08 will give that statement a run for its money in terms of capturing the dynamics of the sport properly).
Calling it “the best rugby game to date” sounds like
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Rugby Challenge 3Heading towards the try line…
managed to get licenses for some of the world’s top rugby teams and nations, including South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and England. This extends into numerous contests – the Currie Cup, for example, is present. And where licenses haven’t been secured, there are “placeholders”, allowing the player a wide variety of teams and competitions to choose from.
One great aspect is the Be a Pro mode, in which the player can create a young rugby player and work them up to stardom in this punishing sport.
So no, it’s not a perfect rugby simulation, but it is as good (if not better than) anything we have seen before. The important thing here is that Tru Blu are certainly moving in the right direction, and within a few iterations, virtual rugby perfection may be a real thing. For now, while we wait, there’s still tons to enjoy in Rugby Challenge 3. g
quite a statement, but if you consider what we’ve had in the past, your expectations may plummet a bit. Don’t let them slip too far, though, because Rugby Challenge 3 gets a lot right. There’s massive room for improvement here, but so many factors have been fixed since the last Tru Blu game that any fan can’t help but become hopeful about the future of rugby simulations. There is more than enough here to warrant excitement.
Without going into too many details, the game now presents thee player with a far more playable and engaging experience. The controls have been trimmed up where needed, and improvements to numerous factors (including AI, but there is still room for improvement there) make it a game that is far more enjoyable than those we have seen in the past.
Perhaps equally important is the fact that Tru Glu
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It’s not perfect, but it certainly is the best rugby game we have seen to date.
Developer:Publisher:Distributer:
Wicked WitchTru Blu GamesMegarom
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Rugby Challenge 3Heading towards the try line…
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A great modern take on
a classic genre, The Wolf
Among Us merges fairy
tales and film noir with
style.
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Telltale GamesTelltale GamesOnline
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18+ SexLanguageViolence
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Adventure
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Telltale Games have made quite a name for themselves with their episodic, almost point-and-click adventure games based
on popular franchises like The Walking Dead. It’s something that this development team does exceptionally well, and as a result players the world over get to enjoy almost-cinematic experiences with strong narratives and engaging dynamics.
One such series is The Wolf Among Us, a multi-episode epic based on the Fables comics created by Bill Willingham. The game sees the player take on the role of Bigby Wolf, a sheriff in service to a strange community. See, Bigby is really a contraction of the words Big Bad, and the people he serves – the Fables – have all fled from the world of fairy tales to New York City, to escape certain doom. They’re all here – Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Ichabod Crane – and they live life hidden among mundane folk. And Bigby Wolf, as a sort of atonement for all he’s done wrong, is trying to keep the peace.
The whole effect is a weird combination of fairy tale and film noir detective tale, with a healthy dose of brutality and societal commentary thrown in. And, as such, Telltale have done a brilliant job with it.
The tale is told by way of areas that can be explored and investigated (and the game doesn’t hold the players hand for these) along with numerous QTEs that test the player’s timing. In addition, there are various options for responses and attitude within the game, which help shape the way that the world perceives the character of Bigby.
If you’re into a great adventure with excellent, cell-shaded graphics and a good story, you cannot go wrong with The Wolf Among Us, which celebrates classic adventure gaming beautifully. g
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The Wolf Among UsBeing big bad Bigby
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GlitchrunnersCan’t outrun the problems
Glitchrunners is an interesting idea. It’s an isometric game that sees four players – the
runners – competing with a fifth player, who is the architect of the level that they have to work their way through. The players need to run, jump and fight their way through the whims of the architect, which makes for good fun (on paper, at least). But it’s a little more complicated than that, because the runners can do their best to screw their friends around, too. The end result is masses of chaotic fun… if you’re the forgiving sort, that is.
The biggest downfall here lies in the combination of two factors. The first is that the game is pretty bland if you’re not playing with friends. It makes all the difference. And the second is that multiplayer is local only, meaning a more traditional LAN setup, rather than online play. While this does add to the fun (and puts opponents in easy striking range of impromptu missiles thrown out of frustration) it does make the game much more anachronistic.
It doesn’t get any better when you consider that the control schemes and graphics are equally old fashioned, and
that the PC controls feel a little off in their key assignments. Additionally, the whole affair feels like a rushed port from console, with menus that would imply a console heritage, rather than a game built for PC.
It’s a game that can be fun, if you have five people in the same room and they’re all using game pads. Those people will also have to look past some flaws within Glitchrunners, including its many anachronisms. It’s good for a bit of mindless fun, and the asymmetric dynamics are a great idea, but it still has a ways to go to be really compelling. g
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A great idea but lacking in
execution, Glitchrunners
may provide some
mindless fun for friends
who are in the same room.
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Torque StudiosGreen Man LoadedOnline
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7+ SexLanguageViolence
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Dead S
tar
Dead Star is an apparently unassuming and extremely
approachable title that takes MOBA ideas and injects them into a space combat arena. But what lurks beneath the surface is a surprising amount of depth – even if a buggy matchmaker can make things a little less fun than they should be.
Basically, it takes the elements you’d expect from a MOBA (5v5 or 10v10 combat, capturing bases, team work and so on) and puts them in space. Three races battle for dominance of a solar system surrounding a dying star, and the fighting is fierce. Each race only has three ships, which might seem a little light, but each ship can be massively upgraded, and the player can switch between the light, medium and heavy ships pretty quickly in game, filling strategic gaps as they arise. This makes for some excellent play – if you’re with a team that co-operates.
Sadly, this is a rare occurrence. Dead Star has the tendency to more or less randomly pile people together, and the problem with that is most people on the servers seem to want to be lone wolf heroes. This means that a team with even the slightest amount of cohesion (like some players harvesting resources upgrading captured point defences while others do battle) is going to fare much better than a bunch of guys flying around more or less aimlessly, shooting at stuff.
The tactics here are fairly exploitable, as Dead Star does lean towards rewarding a good defensive strategy but, as stated above, without team work, it can be a hit and miss affair.
That said, Dead Star can be lots of fun, even without a semblance of team work, thanks to a few solid design ideas, great graphics and a simple control scheme. g
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Dead StarThe race for space
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An unusual take on
MOBA, set in a dying solar
system and possessed of
surprising depth. Sc
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Developer:Publisher:Distributer:
Armature StudioArmature StudioOnline
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7+ SexLanguageViolence
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It’s like a bad acid-trip with
fish, guns and a whole
extra helping of crazy... Sc
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Developer:Publisher:Distributer:
Neon DeityChoice ProvisionsOnline
PARENTAL ADVISORY AWARDS
7+ SexLanguageViolence
PrejudiceDrug Use
Side-scroller
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There have been a handful of reviewers who have tried to point out the “serious” side of Shutshimi
(pronounced shoot-she-me) but the truth is that this game is nothing if not nonsensical. To try and say otherwise is folly, because a game with this many crazy random factors simply defies strategies and forward planning. Rather, Shutshimi is a crazy side-scrolling dash in which you need to shoot, shoot, shoot to survive.
This 8-bit style game sees the player taking on the role of a goldfish with muscular arms and a deadly arsenal. As you swim through each environment, you lay waste to enemies made up of other denizens of the deep. However, in addition to the expected power-ups, Shutshimi also throws weird modifiers at the player, like gravity constantly pulling the main character towards the bottom of the screen, inverted controls or even crazy, strobe lit levels in which the enemies are rear ends.
Overall, the whole experience feels like a strange acid-trip, and there’s no way that you’ll ever be able to really get to grips with all of the craziness that this game throws at you. It’s part of the fun, but it is also part of the frustration; Shutshimi is not a game that everyone will fall in love with.
If you’re looking for a game that gives you quick, challenging and above all zany hits, then Shutshimi is something to consider. It’s very old-fashioned presentation and extremely haphazard nature won’t sit well with many, though. Perhaps a little more structure and a little less “let’s see what happens if we throw this in” would have benefitted this title overall. g
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ShutshimiSomething fishy about this one…
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Everyone needs a hero…
GoingImmersive
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Everyone needs a hero…
GoingImmersive
By: S
ibonis
ile M
otha
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FEAT
URE
remember playing games like DX-Ball, Dangerous Dave, Mortal Kombat (yes Mortal
Kombat 1) and even Street Fighter when I was a wee-little las. But it wasn’t until I got my PS3 and played my very first console game – Assassin’s Creed – that I began to enjoy games a whole lot more in a completely different way. It wasn’t the really the nice graphics, or the gameplay itself, but rather being a hero that grabbed my interest to see this game through. Championing my way through the game knowing that I am saving the world I am in made the experience so much better. Look, being a villain can be cool, but deep down we all resonate with the hero because we all wish to be one or wish we had one. This game captures my attention for a less obvious reason – the feeling, I believe this game has the potential of creating. The feeling of playing with your character for the first time as a hero, but knowing that your character was already one before (backstory). The feeling of wanting to be a part of rewriting a story while creating your own. Being a part of something much greater than just you and what you can do. For crying out loud, being a hero of the galaxy seems so cool. That is the real beauty of this game. Creating an immersive experience all round. That is what a good game should strive to be. That is how games are remembered.
In a world of compromise, gaming developers, major and indie alike, are seemingly getting back to the basics. And I know how hypocritical of me it is to make that statement, because we all like things to be better than they were before. But I mean beyond the technical and visual. The core of gaming. The experience. The time when playing a game was fun and cool
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and memorable (regardless of how difficult it was or how it would eat through your lunch money). Games that get you hooked for various reasons, be it to see what the final stage looks like, or to be able to defeat your opponent with almost any character. Impact.
We have seen how games have often become a battlefield of compromise, graphics vs. gameplay vs. storyline. Too often than not, some sacrifice must be made. But in those wonderful moments where the universe looks upon our suffering and sees the need to give us something that balances these three elements, we get gems that become favourites.
Blizzard Entertainment must have had a conversation with the universe as they have created what appears to be a jewel that goes by the name of Overwatch.
From Diablo, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Starcraft and now Overwatch (I’m starting to believe that Blizzard Entertainment have the universe on Whatsapp), this looks to be another title that aims to bring about a fresh experience to games.
The backstory of this game is one set in a world where artificial intelligence resulted in a threat to humanity as robots began an uprising (wait, you mean robots that can think for themselves aren’t safe?! But they would be just like us…oh, nevermind). So a team of heroes in the form an international task team was formed, called – Overwatch. But as time went by, cracks began showing within the peacekeepers organisation and soon enough the headquarters were destroyed (apparently it was an accident) and the world ended up viewing them not as the heroes who saved them, but as suspicious individuals that can’t truly be trusted.
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We all know of a game where you are the hero or can choose to be a villain. The potential with Overwatch is the risk taken in making a game where you are not only a hero, but creating a story where you actually want to be one. How does one achieve that? Creating some sort of an emotional connection between you and the character. The backstory of the game itself already subliminally plants the idea of restoring Overwatch to its former glory and being the hero you want to be (or for me to hopefully stick it to the jerks that cost me my job in the first place while I’m at it).
When it comes to the gameplay, Overwatch is attempting to bring that same enjoyment of your chosen character with the joy of discovering your hero’s abilities when working with another member on the team. Each character has unique and extraordinary abilities that are always an advantage to have on the team. For example, you can take the reigns as a hero with time-bending abilities, or be the hero with the ability to not only deal major hit points but make near-impossible leaps that can get you from your camp to the enemy in no time. Offense, defence, tank and support are the game’s playable character classifications. But in no way is this limiting to what each player can bring to the table. Being a team-based game, your skills are only enhanced and even made more powerful hand-in-hand with another player’s abilities. This allows opportunity to discover various possible combinations of abilities in getting the upper-hand on the battlefield. As if an ordinary team game wasn’t enough, Blizzard also made this a first-person shooter. Need I say more? Twice the fun. You are
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meant to enjoy as many aspects to the gameplay as you want. No, you have to.
The challenge with a project like Overwatch really then can become the case of graphics. A lot of people have become more obsessed with a pretty game than the overall experience. But on the other hand, a crappy experience with a pretty face can be almost unforgivable. Developers are constantly faced with the challenge of striking the balance between the two. Blizzard has done a great job of trying to accommodate many in graphics. Now it is quite obvious that you will have a much nicer looking game on an Epic graphics setting than you would on Low. How you want the graphics to look will be your choice and dependent on your system. Usually graphics comes with a compromise in the form of gameplay speed. Do you want a fast game or a good-looking one? Only time will tell whether or not this may be the case with this title. Overwatch may not look like MGS’s Phantom Pain but it still looks good nonetheless.
With all that aside. Blizzard Entertainment have an admirable vision for this game: a gaming experience that is fun to play and even better to enjoy with friends. Team tactical shooters can often get very serious very quickly, but this one wants to give the adrenalin in battle with the fun of being in a team. a game that can hopefully satisfy FPS fanatics, the graphics-thirsty hounds, the storyline lovers and still leave everyone smiling (or at least not disappointed), that is what Overwatch has the potential of accomplishing. Honestly, if they can pull that off for us crazy people who play video games, what more can we ask for from the guys who brought us of World of Warcraft? g
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Swimming with Victor Magnuson of Fatshark Games BetterBelieveit
Swedish developer Fatshark games might
have started out helping others, but
now they’re aiming to be a big fish in the
Indie
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By N
thato M
orakabi
Swimming with Victor Magnuson of Fatshark Games BetterBelieveit
pond. We chatted to Fatshark’s Victor Magnuson
recently about upcoming projects, inspirations
and why exactly they are called Fatshark…
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GM: The Name Fatshark Games is quite a unique one. Where does it come from and how was the company formed?
VM: The company is called Fatshark. It was our (now) Creative Director Anders de Geer who came up with the name. The name is a direct translation of the Swedish phrase “fet hajja”, which in Swedish means “You better believe it”. It’s basically just a silly play on words.
The company started as a consultant firm where we helped other studios that needed help finishing a project.
Our first own IP was Lead and Gold which is a third person multiplayer shooter set in a wild west setting.
GM: Indie developers are normally inspired by a game in the past. Was there a game you played that made you want to develop games?
VM: That is a tough question, I think it was a number of different games but If I had to pick one it would probably have to be watching my brother play Zelda on the NES that really hooked me on video games as a kid and it has been my main hobby and source of entertainment from that time forward.
GM: Ah fascinating! In that case how big of a role
does gaming play in your life? How integral is the gaming community to your development?
VM: As I said in the previous question, playing video games has been the main hobby of my life and continues to be that today. I try to play as many games as I have time to and am constantly looking for new experiences. We try to be as close to our community as possible, although I have to admit it can be hard when you are working on a tight schedule to keep up with all of the different forums and social media that is out there. But we try to listen to their feedback as much as possible and make decisions that we feel will make them happy whenever possible.
GM: What did you study and did you study it specifically to go into gaming, in light of your love for gaming?
VM: I studied Game Design and 3D graphics at the University of Gotland. Before that I studied Finance but quickly realised that I wanted to do something more creative as a profession so I moved to Gotland to fully dedicate myself to making games. After finishing my studies, I got a job as the first QA here at Fatshark and have been here for about 7 years now.
GM: That is fantastic, pursuing your aspirations like that, would you encourage an aspiring Game Developer to study?
VM: I think today it is hard to get a job in the industry without any previous experience and it is hard to get any experience without having studied anything that is game related. It depends on what field you want to get into, but if you want to work
in level or game design having an education is probably pretty much mandatory. If you are looking to get into programming or any artistic field, a dedicated gaming education is probably not as needed.
GM: So, exactly how difficult is the industry? Would you share advice, struggles, victories or challenges you have faced?
VM: As the industry grows and the more and more markets open up it gets harder and harder for a game to be noticed. So I think one of the biggest challenges for any game developer is to make sure the customer even knows that your game exists. And this will only get more difficult as the barriers to releasing and developing a game gets lower.
GM: This is very true; many developers struggle with gaining exposure. Where do you think the games industry is going?
VM: Right now the most interesting thing will be to see what happens in the VR space, will it take of or is it just another in a long line of gimmick that prove too cumbersome to actually be viable for the mass market. It is also interesting to see new ways of funding your projects being pursued with Patreon and Kickstarter and such.
GM: Now on a more personal level, what does being a Game Developer mean to you both as a gamer and as a developer?
VM: As a gamer it gives me a deeper appreciation of the work being put into every game out there, you know that most games are labours of love and dedication and even the smallest feature has taken
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hours of development.
GM: And what inspires you both in and outside of gaming?
VM: I try to play as many games and as many different games as possible, it can be really inspiring playing a game in a completely different genre to what you are making and taking ideas and tweaking them to fit whatever your game is.
Also I find that watching early videos of games and trying to understand how they work without really playing them can be a really good source of coming up with new ways of approaching a problem, since often what you imagine is going on in the game isn’t actually what the game really does but often your interpretation of what was going on would also work really well.
GM: Being an indie developer yourself, are there are developers you look up to?
VM: I just finished the Witness by Jonathan Blow and Thekla Inc and I have to say I truly admire his dedication in taking a concept and twisting and turning it until every angle of that mechanic has been utilized.
GM: Are you part of a community of Game Devs? What is that community?
VM: The Stockholm game developer community is pretty tight knit. We try to meet up every other month or so and have some beers at a local bar and just talk casually. There are a lot of different companies both huge and small in and around Stockholm both in mobile games and larger AAA blockbusters.
GM: In closing let’s look at development. Is there a game you are currently developing?
VM: Warhammer - The End Times: Vermintide.
GM: What platform will be available on?
VM: We are developing Vermintide for PC, XBox One and Playstation 4
GM: Tell us a little about it? What is the key feature that makes your game?
VM: It is a 4 player first person co-op game with a heavy focus on melee combat set in the Warhammer fantasy universe. Cooperation is key to success in our game and everything in the game revolves around promoting cooperation at all times. It also features a pretty extensive loot system that drives our progression system and promotes re-playability.
GM: What was the inspiration behind it?
VM: Our key inspiration was Left 4 Dead, we looked at that game and thought wouldn’t this be awesome with a heavier focus on melee combat and with a added loot system to support the re-playability and progression of the game. That combined with a “realistic” take on the Warhammer Fantasy universe was something we as gamers really wanted to play.
GM: What platform are you looking to release it on?
VM: We have already released the game for PC and are now working on the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game. As well as adding lots of new cool content to support the game on PC.
GM: Is there a release date?
VM: We released on PC in October of 2015 and are currently working on PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game that will be released sometime this summer. But since we are 100% in control of the development we will release it when we feel that it is as ready as it can be.
GM: Great and just for fun, what is your favourite game of all time?
VM: I think that would have to be Zelda, those games have always resonated very heavily with me ever since I was a small child. There is something with Zelda games that just make me feel like I’m home. I also love how every Zelda game feels like it’s the same game even though it has drastically over the years going from top down 2d to fully realised 3D worlds.
GM: What are you currently playing?
VM: Currently I’m playing XCOM 2 and really enjoying it. Enemy Within was also a great game and I love that they have just added to that winning concept and made the experience so much more engaging without losing what made the original great.
GM: If there was a game you would love to work on, what would it be?
VM: I would have loved to have worked on Half Life, it set the standard for everything to come after it especially when it comes to telling a compelling story in the FPS genre and it did it without the overuse of long cut scenes or taking the control away from the player which is something I feel very strongly about. Games should be played not watched. g
The Grandfather of StrategyLegacy: Civilization
gamecca 8396
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The Grandfather of StrategyLegacy: Civilization
By Lein Baart
gamecca 83 97
Legacy: C
ivil
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gamecca 83 99
Just one more turn” is a
phrase you’ll hear often
when it comes to strategy
games, and for those that
find themselves enraptured
by the genre, finding
yourself blearily blinking
at a rising sun wondering
just what the hell happened
to the last couple of hours
is not an uncommon
phenomenon. Yet no matter
how far turn-based strategy has
come since its inception, at its core
it still adheres faithfully to a formula
laid down by Sid Meier’s original
Civilization, a game that defined as
much created the genre it started.
Why was it created?
While MicroProse’s name may now
be unalterably linked to the strategy
games it produced in the ‘90s, it may
come as a surprise to learn that for the
first decade of its existence the studio
had mainly produced combat flight
games, no doubt due to fact that the
company’s president and co-founder,
Bill Stealey, was a former fighter
pilot himself. However MicroProse’s
other co-founder, the now legendary
Sid Meier, had apparently begun to
tire of endlessly churning out flight
simulators, and along with Bruce
Shelley (who would eventually go on
to create Age of Empires), had begun
to create games that were altogether
on the opposite side of the spectrum,
with titles such as Sid Meier’s
Pirates! and Railroad Tycoon proving
unexpected successes.
Yet despite the popularity of
their strategy games, MicroProse’s
management remained dubious of
the appeal of Meier’s attempts to
branch out into other genres, and for
much of its development Civilization
was considered little more than a
pet project of Meier and Shelley.
In fact, on more than one occasion
the duo were either told to work on
other projects or were refused the
additional resources required to finish
the game. Eventually though Meier
managed to convince Stealey of the
game’s potential, despite him not
understanding the game’s appeal, and
by 1991 the game was finally ready to
ship.
Why do we care?
Civilization, in spite of the fact
that MicroProse’s management had
chosen to spend relatively little on
its marketing, soon proved to be a
massive success, and by the end of
the year had already laid claim to
more than a few awards. The game
was utterly unique for its time, with
players being required to carefully
balance technological progress,
expansion, diplomacy and warfare,
and to this day even the original
can still surprise with its level of
complexity and possibilities. There’s
a good reason the gaming world
goes into a minor frenzy whenever
a new Civ game is announced, and
even now the series still remains at
the forefront of the strategy genre,
having practically created 4X games.
Even strategy titles that eschew the
typical turn-based empire-building
template in some way owe a debt to
Civilization, and there’s not a shred
of hyperbole in saying the original
undoubtedly remains one of the most
important games of all time. g
Legacy: C
ivil
izatio
n
“
Oh my how the world has changed. We have evolved into
a far more complex species and have, as a result, become oh so much more stupid. I put it down to laziness, actually. I think people are too lazy to even apply the slightest amount of thought to things. I would think it was hilarious, if it wasn’t so damned alarming.
The other day I can across a post in a popular Facebook group. I find a lot of great source material on Facebook. It’s like combing the beach of society for bits of stupidity-driftwood… you get to find some real treasures.
This latest piece of flotsam went something like this: “if someone doesn’t play online, are they a gamer?” I am going to give that a moment to sink in for you – and if you don’t get it, then you really need to keep reading why I explain the absolute, near-incalculable stupidity of that question.
A little research into the word “gamer” will have you find that it was first coined in around 1620. Now I am going to hazard a guess that
online gaming in 1620 wasn’t quite as big as it was today, probably due to the lack of computers, video games, the Internet and a handy little thing that has become known as electricity. So, I suppose that the origins and definition of the word would answer the question for the ignoramus that asked it.
But let’s be fair, because (like so many things) the word gamer has been hijacked. These days, saying gamer generally refers to people that play video games, rather than to people who play any games habitually, as it did back in 1620. I personally prefer the older meaning… to me, someone who often plays board games, card games, (real) pencil and paper role playing games, strategy games and virtually any other games is a gamer, even if they just play one of those things. But I will set that aside and go with the computer gaming thing. OK…
So I started playing video games in around 1979. Yes, we had electricity, and consoles, and games, and TVs. We
could even play multiplayer games, on the same console. That’s because we didn’t have the Internet. Were we any less gamers than the people who play online? I think we were more so, because we didn’t get caught up in flashy graphics and silly stuff like that. We were in it for the game.
While online gaming did exist back then for the very few people who were connected, it wasn’t until the late ‘90s that it started gaining popularity. So was everyone who played video games not a gamer until then? I think you see where I am going with this…
There is a moral here. And that moral is: think before you post something online. Because if you don’t, you’re only going to come across as a moron, and that will certainly damage your little narcissistic ego, which is probably hat motivated you to post in the first place. Seriously, I think people need to write an exam before we allow them onto the Internet.
One can only hope. g
gamecca 100 83
Stupid, Again...
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FeatureSThe Unbeaten Path
COLUMNThe Time Betwixt
Cool stuffKodak Video Monitor
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
AudioCast M5
Black Road #1
Mouse Guard: Fall 1152
Poe Dameron #1
Star Wars Special: C-3PO
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Pathfinder takes on Dungeons & Dragons…The Unbeaten path
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Pathfinder takes on Dungeons & Dragons…The Unbeaten path
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Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition was the game to play for seven years. Even though a revised edition (called 3.5) was released
not long after the original, third edition served as a powerful and enjoyable fantasy role playing game for many people the world over. At the time, Paizo Publishing was publishing Dungeon magazine, as well as Dragon magazine, two publications dedicated to D&D. This was done, of course, under license from Wizards of the Coast, the owners of the D&D franchise.
In early 2007, Wizards of the Coast ended the licensing agreement with Paizo. As a result, Paizo
began publishing a magazine that would grow into a role playing system of its own. Called Pathfinder, the magazine provided supplemental information, adventure modules and a campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons players. Everything seemed to be going well until Wizards of the Coast announced that they would be publishing a new edition of D&D, and that the licensing system used with 3rd edition – which allowed people like Paizo to publish information based on the D&D rule system – would change.
Concerned about the more restrictive licensing system that D&D 4th edition would offer, Paizo began investigating options. That action, combined with
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property rights. While the rules had changed for D&D 4th edition, they still applied to 3rd and 3.5 edition. This meant that Paizo, using rules that were already in place, and for which they had already published modules and settings, were able to create a modified version of Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 without any legal impediment. Not only would they be able to still use what they had already published, but they would be able to supply new material to those players out there who didn’t want to make the shift to D&D 4th edition. They named their new game after their magazine, and so the Pathfinder Role Playing Game was born.
Through what could arguably be called
the lukewarm reception that 4th edition received from role players, inspired them to release their own role playing system that would still work with the Pathfinder magazine.
What enabled them to do this was the Open Game License that Wizards of the Coast applied to Dungeons& Dragons 3rd and 3.5 edition. The rule system of the game, called the d20 system (after the iconic 20-sided dice used in many role playing games) allowed any commercial and non-commercial publishers to release modifications and supplements based on the rules – and they could do so without paying Wizards of the Coast for using the intellectual
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miscalculations, Wizards of the Coast flung the door wide for Paizo. By making sweeping, often unpopular changes to the rules of D&D in 4th edition, and by providing the Open Game License for 3rd edition, they paved the way for Paizo to become a serious contender in the fantasy role playing game stakes. And that’s exactly what they did; while Dungeons & Dragons still holds the top spot – particularly after the release of the revamped and much improved 5th edition in 2014 – Pathfinder is a very solid second. In fact, Pathfinder is now counted as being one of the best-selling table-top role playing games of all time.
But it wasn’t as though Paizo simply stepped in and repurposed Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 for their own use. In fact, almost two years passed between the release of D&D 4th edition and the release of Pathfinder. There were some weaknesses, flaws and kinks in the rules and other material that Paizo wanted to iron out, including some balancing issues. After an extensive reworking of the system – while still keeping it backwards compatible with the numerous D&D 3.5 books already on the market, Paizo brought Pathfinder to role players of the world.
Paizo have, in subsequent years, been fairly prolific in producing material for Pathfinder. In addition to
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than that of the simplified Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition, and provides players and game masters with a wealth of options, not only for characters but also elements of the setting, in-game spellcasting and combat.
Pathfinder is a great example of a company stepping up to meet a need, and using every available tool to the best advantage of their product. While Wizards of the Coast struggled to find their feet with D&D 4th edition, Paizo managed to fill the gap with pathfinder, and have produced a wildly successful contender to the fantasy role playing game throne as a result. g
numerous role playing source books, the company has also published a line of novels, a line of gaming miniatures (produced by Wizkids), a comic book series and is currently working on a PC game based on the setting.
As far as the rules go, there are over 130 books available, ranging from core rules to character specific supplements, modules to campaign settings. Quite simply, Paizo has embraced the idea of Pathfinder and has produced an extensive library of rules and source material for role players around the world.
The core rule system of Pathfinder is more complex
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Kodak V
ideo M
onit
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Kodak
MonitorKeep an eye on it...
Keeping an eye on your home when you’re out may be a vital thing to do for numerous reasons. Alternatively, setting up some extra visual security, even when you are at home, is never a bad thing.
Kodak have a great solution in the form of the Kodak Video Monitor. This camera is Wi-Fi enabled and will use your home
network to communicate with a smart device that is paired with it via a downloadable app. Tilting, panning, night vision and two-way communication all feature in this handy device. You can also record to the cloud with a paid service.g
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If you’re after a Sony Xperia Z5, but want a device that is a little more pocket friendly, you can take a look at the powerful Z5 Compact. This phone is significantly smaller, with a 4.6 inch screen. It still has a powerful 8 core CPU and 2GB of RAM, not to mention 32GB of on-board storage.
The stylish Z5 Compact also features a massive 23 megapixel camera, and is dust proof and water resistant. It’s a great option for those who want a smaller phone that is still powerful, reliable and great as a smart device. g
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Z5 CompactThe Pocket friendly one
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Using a variety of network options, the AudioCast allows you to stream music wirelessly from your phone to any powered speakers that are 3.5mm jack compatible. And what’s even better (and makes this device make sense) is that it can be done to multiple speaker systems in different rooms.
While you could just plug your phone into the speakers, the AudioCast gives you the ability to move your phone around, freeing it from being connected to the speakers. It’s a great solution for multi-room audio and works exceptionally well. It’s a luxury, yes, but it’s a great luxury when all is said and done. g
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AudioCast
Throw sound around...
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Own Goal...
Achievements are not normally
something that I pay any mind to, ranking right up there with collectible side-quests as crap that developers stuff into their games in order to artificially pad out play time. Of course that hasn’t stopped them becoming as ubiquitous as day-one patches and pre-order DLC bonuses, more inoperable cancers of modern AAA development, but at least they attempt to provide some sort of reward for the effort you put into a title, however fleeting and pointless it may be.
The popularity of achievements is a testament to just how powerful the psychology behind it is though, and I know more than a few people who have played a game long after it was healthy for them to continue, purely to reach that ever elusive holy grail
of one hundred percent completion. It’s easy to see why an obsession forms, and even for Steam achievements, for the majority the most useless of them all, the compulsion can be overpowering. Never mind that in the process you just wasted a day of your life repetitively clicking a button to terminate a thousand copies of the same algorithm, you have now just unlocked an achievement that will make your dick minutely larger in the eternal pissing contest that these systems promote.
I say all of this without a shred of shame or self-recrimination, and yet earlier this month I found myself hooked. For the first time that I can remember I was replaying a game (the excellent Psychonauts) purely to chase after a worthless status that only would only ever matter to me. In my defence
however, having glanced through the achievements list after my first run through, I realised there was a wealth of content I had missed. While there was the usual shit such as gathering all the collectibles, the list revealed a host of possible actions that I would never have thought of in the first place, and which actually added to the plot and humour of the game. This, I’ve since come to realise, is probably the only actual benefit achievements can possibly add to gamers, namely serving as a tool and guide to players to help them view all the content the game has on offer, rather than as a bitchy reminder as to how much we suck. Gaming is a means of relaxation and escapism for me, and having a list of chores to complete before a particular title will deign to grace me with its approval does not help this in any way. g
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Christianity is spreading throughout the world. When it comes to the barbaric Viking lands, it is met with some resistance. Many hold to their old Gods, while there are those who embrace the new, but most are just caught up in the wheel of progress, or under it. But as the Christians move deeper into this hostile land, it becomes increasingly more dangerous to do so. An escort for the Cardinal is required, and a rough mercenary is hired to escort him up the Black Road, a trail most refuse to take from its reputation of savagery, murder, and worse. While this may be another Viking story, it certainly brings something new to the table, incorporating the controversial topic of the spread of Christianity. From the perspective of a slightly disillusioned Viking warrior, it seems Brian Wood is off to a good start in telling this tale.
by Clive
Burm
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Black Road #1
Brian Wood
Garry Brown
Image
Mature
83
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83
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by Clive
Burm
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GET GRAPHIC
David Petersen’s Mouse Guard is an amazing journey of fairytale fantasy, beautifully illustrated and masterfully told. Whether you’re young or old, whatever your tastes in comics and books, I don’t believe that anyone could sit down and read Mouse Guard and not be impressed. The heroes capture the hearts of the reader early on, as the three noble mice struggle to protect their kind from a villainous plot, and must also deal with the natural threats of their world. Each lovable character is so intricately portrayed by Petersen, that it is easy to become immersed in their world and the challenges they face, and by the last page you’ll likely breathe a heavy sigh, partly of relief at what these amazing characters could overcome, and partly saddened that this story is now finished.
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Mouse Guard: Fall 1152
David Petersen
David Petersen
Archaia
All Ages
83
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by Clive
Burm
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Poe Dameron, arguably the best pilot in the entire galaxy, and hero of the Rebellion, along with his trusty and faithful droid BB-8, have a new mission for Princess, now General, Leia Organa. Putting together a select team of pilots to accompany him, the Black Squadron, Poe must race to find the one man who might know where to find Luke Skywalker, before the First Order does. But this mission does not only have the danger of having to face off, outnumbered, against the First Order themselves, but also has its own hidden dangers along the way. “Poe Dameron” is a new ongoing series set in the Star Wars universe, following Poe and the Black Squadron on an action packed adventure in a galaxy, far, far away.
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Poe Dameron #1
Charles Soule
Phil Noto
Marvel
Teen
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So, if you have ever wondered, after watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens, why C-3PO now has a red arm, you need wonder no more. This Star Wars Special, starring the endearing if slightly annoying “3PO”, tells the tale of how the wordy protocol droid gets marooned on a very hostile planet with an odd mixture of other droids, but manages to pull the unlikely team together and overcome the vicious creatures and harsh conditions of the planet, and still accomplish his mission for the Rebellion. And of course, why he now has one red arm. The comic is a one-shot, not part of a series, or part of a larger story, but does serve to fill in a few of the blanks not explained in the blockbuster movie.
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Star Wars Special: C-3PO
James Robinson
Tony Harris
Marvel
Teen
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Blessing/Curse...
As a species, we humans spend a lot of time
congratulating ourselves on our achievements, but we don’t spend nearly enough time thinking about the consequences of those apparent victories. We look at the here and now without glancing towards what the future might bring, and that may be the biggest disservice we do ourselves.
Our world is truly a marvel of technology. In the places where human beings congregate, we have far surpassed the wildest dreams of those living just a few decades ago. And we have done all of this to make our lives easier.
But this kind of instant gratification – this need to have everything at our finger tips immediately – has resulted in us ignoring what is on the horizon in favour of what is happening right now. Like someone who spends all their money instead of saving for the future, we are enjoying ourselves and our convenient lives
without a thought of exactly what kind of impact those conveniences may have on us in the years to come. We don’t spend even a moment thinking about whether our technological marvels may negatively affect our future health and well-being.
Where once people might have travelled to libraries, book stores and other sources of information to do research, we can now find out everything we need to know on a given subject without getting up out of our easy chairs. That kind of sedentary behaviour has been linked to many disorders and illnesses, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, muscle degeneration, osteoporosis and even cancer. The dangers are very real (as you could discover searching the internet on your smartphone). And yet we ignore them, opting for convenience over possibly life-saving effort. Even just the act of staring at a screen can result in
damaging eye-strain, and the light from smart device screens can have negative effects on sleep patterns.
There is much more associated with technology… painful carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive stress injuries and more are all very real hazards that our modern lifestyle poses. New technologies, as yet not fully researched, may also pose threats – things like 3D and VR have not been researched fully at this time, and yet we gleefully flock to these new technologies.
Technology is a blessing. It empowers us and enables us in so many meaningful ways. But improper use and an unbalanced lifestyle could turn that blessing into a very vicious curse. There is no real way to avoid technology, or to stop using it, and that course of action is unnecessary. However, making it part of a balanced lifestyle, complete with exercise and a healthy diet, is vital. And it’s never too early to start. g
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